All those persons who are familiar with the much-lauded flavor of Cuban cigars.  But how do you know if you're smoking a Cuban cigar, or a cigar from any other country for that matter?  For those new to the world of cigar smoking, you should know that every cigar-producing country has its own unique flavor and character.  The soil quality and the way the tobacco is produced and rolled contribute to the overall flavor of the finished product. 

One must of course allow for significant regional variety, here are some very basic guidelines for getting to know the world's flavors.

The famous Cuban cigars are renowned for their smoothness and 'creamy' flavors.  They are applauded for their rich flavors and overall premium quality.  Cigars from Central American countries like Honduras and Nicaragua are known to be strong and rich in flavor.  Caribbean countries like Jamaica and the Dominican Republic are known for their milder flavors. 

Whatever country you purchase from, remember that a good way to gauge the overall flavor of a cigar is to note its diameter and length.  In general, cigars with a thicker diameter will have a richer flavor.  Longer cigars are generally cooler. 

The quality of the Scotch Whiskey can be said by its age, which in other words means “Maturity”. The law states that all the blends of Scotch whiskey must be mature for a minimum period of three years, though in some cases there is Scotch Whiskey which has been maturing for a number of years. You can easily find Scotch Whiskeys that have been blended for more than eight years.

The distillers have found the longer it sits and matures, the better the product. As this scotch sits in its casks, it is constantly changing. The alcohol level drops for every year that it sits in its cask and what is know as Angel’s share is developed, where the alcohol is absorbed into the oak casks pours.

The casks that we speak of are of the used variety, due to the fact that new casks would change the taste of the scotch dramatically, hence altering its character.

A law in the US states that for the production of Bourbon, or Tennessee whiskey, only new casks are to be used. The use of these new casks introduces a vanilla taste into the blend.  There are some blends as old as 30 years or more, happy hunting for that elusive and pricey item.