Each year for Christmas, I always put cigars at the top of my list. If I’ve been particularly good that year, my kids usually spring for a pack or two and they are always good cigars, not like the cheap stogies I normally buy.
This past Christmas, my daughter Laura came through with a 4-pack of Cubans. They were specially packaged and looked great. I horde cigars like that, waiting for a special occasion.
Last week, I played golf at Ingleside with Mike Perry. It was a pretty day and I decided to treat myself to one of Laura’s “Cubans”. It was in a nice case, and I unscrewed the top cap, pulled out an unusually heavy cigar and noticed that there was a spray top at the end.
“What do these Cubans smoke,” I wondered. “Or maybe it’s a cigar lighter?”
By this time, Mike was intrigued as I tried to figure out exactly what I had. Ultimately, I squeezed the spray top and a very powerful eau de colognefilled the air space in and around our golf cart. I asked Mike if he wanted a little squirt and he declined.
It turned out that when Laura saw the package, which was clearly labeled “Cuba Classic”, she thought they were indeed cigars. But the fine print said, “Cuba Original by Parfums Des Champs”.
So now I am the proud owner of four of Cuba’s finest fragrances, each packaged within a spray container that appears to be a cigar. So far, I like the Cuba Blue with the Oak Moss Extract and a hint of Citrus the best.
It looks like I will not be needing any more colognes for the immediate future. I guess for me, it was close, but no cigar.