What's the mystery that makes Cuban cigars so great?

I know how this sounds, but I live in Havana and I don't smoke cigars. I'm clueless about them, actually. Even the cutting thingy that trims off the tip is a mystery.

That's why I decided to embark on a cigar crash course, learning what makes Cubans some of the finest cigars in the world.

"If you're interested in cigars, we're already friends," says James Suckling, Cigar Aficionado Magazine's "Man in Havana". He's an American based in Italy who has been coming to Cuba since 1992 and agreed to dispense some advice on a recent visit.