Cuban cigars: Don't believe the hype

My trip to Italy allowed me to sample the forbidden fruit of the American cigar smoker: The Cuban.

Freed from the U.S. embargo against the Communist island, I bought a handful of Cohibas and smuggled them back in my luggage. Not before I removed the labels and threw out the receipt, of course.

The thrill of doing something illicit aside, I'm afraid the Cuban left me quoting Freud: Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. The Cohiba (Siglo I) was a little harsh for my taste -- as indelicate and unyielding as U.S. policy toward Cuba, as bold as Castro's beard.

Keep your Cubans, I'll stick with my sweet Dominican Griffin 300s.

Good thing I was able to enjoy my Cuban with some duty-free Chivas Regal 18-year, which makes most anything enjoyable.