What Cigars Did John F. Kennedy Smoke?
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John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born in May 1917 in Brookline to a famous couple, Joseph Kennedy Sr., a politician and renowned businessman, and his wife, Rose Kennedy, a socialite and philanthropist. So the young John F. Kennedy found himself in the world of politics early in life.
However, all his credit should not be attributed to his parents alone because asides from their political ambition and fame, he also succeeded in making a name for himself, not just politically but also because of the cigars he smoked.
The famous politician attended Harvard University, survived as a Navy marine, and went ahead to win a Pulitzer Prize for a novel he wrote in his lifetime.
John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was in politics in the 60s until he was assassinated in 1963. While he was president, he experienced one of the most challenging times in American political history.
He is remembered for his presence at the Cuban missile crisis’s epicenter, the Alliance for Progress in Latin America, and the Nuclear test-ban treaty. Asides from politics, J.F.K. was also famous for the love he had for smoking Cuban cigars.
What Cigars Did John F. Kennedy Smoke
How Long Did J.F.K Smoke Cigars For?
John F. Kennedy was recognized as one of the most prominent cigar-smoking statesmen. During his time in office, he was wholly engrossed in politics, meeting up with world leaders and even mobs, who were constantly committing crimes at the time.
JFK was known to have strong views against communism, which resulted in a lack of harmony among other nations, Cuba particularly. Because of this, he had a clash with Fidel Castro, a Cuban revolutionary.
Being a young and highly charismatic leader, John F. Kennedy was often seen beyond his political position. He indulged in cigars quite early on in his life, considering that he had famous parents, and that gave him exposure and introduced him to various cigar brands.
The Cigars John F. Kennedy Smoked
In the year 1962, the U.S. saw Cuba as a considerable threat, not only because of their politics which was communist but also because Cuba had been openly receiving arms from Russia. Russia supplied arms such as patrol boats, Soviet missiles, and others to Cuba. This prompted J.F.K. to impose restrictions to manage the situation. However, before setting up the embargo, he ensured that his right-hand man, Pierre Salinger, obtained over 1,200 of his favorite premium cigar brand, Habanos, from Cuba.
For John F. Kennedy, the H. Upmann cigar was his go-to. It is one of the cigar brands that has been in existence for a very long time. The brand also managed the decades-long embargo by establishing a non-Cuban production counterpart using the same name.
Till today, people still talk about the H. Upmann cigar. It has remained prevalent both among cigar collectors and newcomers.
Bottom Line
Today, both the H. Upmann manufactured in Cuba and the Dominican brand operates in peaceful coexistence. However, loosening the restrictions against Cuba by the United States has enabled some people to participate in the Cuban version of the H. Upmann.
Though the Upmann Petite has been discontinued, some efforts have been made to recreate J.F.K.’s favorite smoke’s aroma and flavor. There was later resurrection of both blends, and it successfully imitated the nutty smoothness and warmth that John F Kennedy tried to preserve but it came out a bit sweet.
John F. Kennedy smoked till around the period he was assassinated in 1963 at the age of 57.
Dan Stevenson
I have been smoking cigars for 30 years and counting, I started at 18 years old with mild Cubans and worked my way up to medium and now bold. I own 4 humidors, that I try to keep stocked at all times.
