The Cigar Affair Surrounding Bill Clinton

One of the most famous scandals involving a contemporary public figure is, in a way, also connected to a well-flavored cigar. Therefore, we as Aficionados are somewhat justified in referring to the so-called "Cigar Affair," while the general public might prefer to speak of the affair between Bill Clinton and his intern, Monica Lewinsky. Although the "cigar matter" occupies only a small part in the whole affair, the cigar itself stands as a potent symbol for the intertwining of sex and power. In Clinton's case, it also seems to subconsciously demonstrate that a true connoisseur knows how to harmonize his passion for well-formed bodies and sensual pleasures in a delightfully creative way.

First Undressing, Then Inhaling

The cigar affair itself is a fairly quick tale: Monica Lewinsky, who had, on more than one occasion, disrobed in the presence of the President of the United States, apparently allowed Clinton to use one of his cigars to... well, you can imagine the rest. As a true aficionado, Clinton then put this cigar back into his mouth, lit it, and, after the first inhalation, reportedly remarked, "It tastes good." It’s worth noting that this cigar could NOT have been a Cuban cigar, which Clinton would likely have preferred to smoke. But due to the longstanding mutual animosity between the USA and Cuba and the resulting trade embargo, even the president of the most powerful country on earth was prohibited from consuming Cuban goods. Nevertheless, his behavior was entirely in line with the tradition of wealthy and powerful men crowning special moments with a good cigar—imagine how insignificant this affair might appear in the light of history if Clinton had been a Marlboro smoker...

Clinton's Cohibas

It would be unfair to reduce Bill Clinton’s passion for cigars solely to the affair with Monica Lewinsky. As the former most powerful man on earth who came from rather modest family circumstances, he had come to appreciate the impact of a cigar as a status symbol during his ascent to power, and he remained loyal to it ever since. There are a few interesting stories surrounding Clinton's love for cigars that we are happy to share.

For instance, in 2001, on a flight to New Delhi, Clinton made a stopover at London's Heathrow Airport and indulged in a pleasure still forbidden for American citizens at the time. Accompanied by his security detail, he purchased a Havana cigar worth eight pounds—about 25 Deutsche Marks back then—from the Cigar Shop in the terminal. He explained to the bewildered clerk that, due to the U.S. trade embargo, he could only buy a single cigar—though he would have loved to purchase an entire box. Yet, he simply couldn’t resist the sweet aroma of a Cohiba. The year before, during a state visit to Germany, Clinton met another well-known aficionado, the then-German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. Schröder, a cigar lover himself, wanted to do something nice for his guest and presented him with a box of Cuban cigars as a welcome gift. Rumor has it that this was an oversight, as the well-advised chancellor should have known about the sensitive issue between the U.S. and Cuba. In any case, when the two statesmen met for dinner that evening in a trendy restaurant in Berlin's Prenzlauer Berg district, the U.S. president pulled out a cigar, and Schröder pointed out its origin. Perhaps Clinton had to cough briefly, or perhaps he just reminisced about a pleasant moment in the Oval Office—we don't know. In any case, Clinton seems to have greatly enjoyed the evening with that Cohiba cigar.