Cuban man tries to get his cigar into the record books

If you like large cigars, Cuba's Jose Castelar has just what the doctor ordered. Well, not really, because you won't be able to smoke his humongous 268-foot creation. Obviously not created for actual use, the super stogie is an attempt by Castelar to make it into the Guinness record books once again for the world's longest cigar.

Castelar's biggest competitor is apparently himself. After all, he set the previous world record in 2008 with a 148-foot cigar and held three records prior. His latest creation almost doubles its predecessor. It took multiple days of eight-hour shifts for Castelar to complete the cigar, and the rolling began towards the end of last month. Luckily, he was not alone, as several assistants were on hand as well. The 67-year old Cuban native got his start in the cigar trade as a roller when he was just 14. In addition to his resume with companies like Partagas and La Corona, Castelar also states that he has various esteemed customers, including a Saudi prince.

To showcase the results of his hard work, Castelar displayed the cigar at the International Tourism fair in Havana. Although the cigar has not yet been verified by Guinness officials, it's hard to imagine why it would not be accepted as the new record holder. It's also hard to imagine that there are any other rollers on Castelar's tail in the quest for the record. As for the reason behind the cigar's creation, Castelar stated that he wanted such a record to remain in his cigar-rich homeland. Other than being a display piece for visitor's to gawk at, it's unknown what will happen to the cigar.

For a look at the gargantuan cigar, take a look at the following screenshot that was taken from an Associated Press video shot while Castelar was in the act.