Of all the famous men who are identified with cigars, it may be Winston Churchill who was most celebrated and perhaps one of the most dedicated smokers in twentieth-century history. The former British prime minister is said to have smoked no less than 200,000 cigars in his lifetime — up to an astonishing 10 per day (although, admittedly, he didn’t finish all of these.)
During the Second World War, Churchill was once scheduled to take a high-altitude flight in a plane cabin that wasn’t pressurized. After conferring with a flight expert who was scheduled to accompany him on his journey, Churchill insisted that a special oxygen mask be made for him that would allow him to continue to smoke his beloved cigars while airborne. The statesman’s wish was granted, and Churchill was able to happily puff away even at 15,000 feet.
Churchill was photographed more with a cigar in his hands or his mouth than without one. While it’s unknown if any of these were Arturo Fuentes, it is recorded that Churchill had open accounts at a number of the world’s leading cigar retailers. For all of these reasons and others, it makes sense that one of the most popular sizes of cigars is named after him.
The Arturo Fuente Churchill is thusly Churchill-sized, with a length of 7.25 inches and a ring gauge of 48, providing for a generous ninety-minute-plus burn time. A green band adorns the foot of each cigar. Incorporating a rare Cameroonian wrapper, along with a Dominican binder and aged Dominican long-fillers, this smooth, mellow, sweet and spicy smoke is mild-to-medium-bodied, mild-to-medium in strength and loaded with flavor.
In its Natural incarnation, the AF Churchill exhibits complex essences of cinnamon, spice, coffee and cocoa, along with cedary undertones and an extended, smooth finish. Cigar Aficionado has rated these understated sticks a 90.
If you haven’t yet sampled an Arturo Fuente Churchill, try picking up a dress box of the Naturals today. Churchill never shied away from a challenge, and neither should you. “History will be kind to me,” he memorably asserted, “for I intend to write it.”