Cuban cigars are considered the most luxurious tobacco product in the world. A box of good quality Habanos cigars can cost thousands of dollars. In the process from planting the seed to obtaining a hand-rolled Cuban cigar, approximately 500 manual works must be performed.
Over the past 25 years, however, cigars produced in other Caribbean and Central American countries have become comparable in quality, consistency and price. Worse still for American smokers, their Cuban cigars may be counterfeit.
Some experts suggest that as much as 95 percent Cuban cigars in the USA are fakes.
Read also: They produce 70 percent world soccer. They earn less per month than the price of one of them
Why are Cuban cigars so desirable? And is that why they are so expensive?
For over 200 years, the culture of cigar production in Cuba has not changed. In a process that takes about a year, tobacco leaves are grown, harvested and hung in drying rooms called secaderoswhere slow fermentation takes place, which enhances the taste, aroma and combustion characteristics.
Each leaf is checked for type, appearance and quality and then handed over torcedora highly skilled cigar roller who was highly respected in Cuban society.
Each leaf is checked for type, appearance and quality
|
Business Insider
My name is José Castelar Cairo. I work at La Triada. I've been making cigars for 61 years. In Cuba we use five types of leaves. The leaf, called ligero, gives the cigar power and intensity. The seco leaf gives it its aroma. Whereas volado is responsible for combustion. A leaf called the binder holds the ligero, seto and volado together. The last leaf is the wrapper. It is what gives the cigar its character and makes it so unique
– explains José Castelar Cairo, torcedor.
The center of Cuban cigar production is in Pinar del Río, the island's westernmost province. 70% of it is grown there. the highest quality tobacco used by state-owned cigar producing companies.
Cuban tobacco growers claim that quality is fundamentally influenced terroir region, i.e. unique environmental factors affecting crops.
Four unique factors make these the best cigars in the world – the farmland, the region's climate, manual work and the variety of tobacco leaves. People have repeatedly tried to grow the seeds of this tobacco and copy our skills. They did it in similar environmental conditions, and yet they did not achieve the expected results
– says Richey Morin Rico, representative of La Triada
Cuban tobacco growers claim that the quality is fundamentally influenced by the region's terroir, i.e. the unique environmental factors affecting crops.
|
Business Insider
Premium cigars not only from Cuba
Some cigar connoisseurs, however, claim that cigars from countries such as Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, called New World cigars by the industry, have now become desirable on the market and are considered to be of good quality.
– This product has improved tremendously. The presentation, mix and construction are excellent. Very generally speaking, New World cigars are of higher quality than Havana cigars because they go through better quality control procedures. Havana lags far behind in terms of quality control. It is not unusual for a box of 25 Cuban cigars to have three of them that are unacceptable in terms of quality. I'm talking more about the construction of the cigar than the blend. Whereas for a box of 25 New World cigars, I would expect them all to be absolutely perfect, says Mitchell Orchant, managing director at C. Gars.
Despite quality control flaws, Mitchell, who is an expert in Habanos cigars, still prefers Cuban cigars.
— I smoke eight Havana cigars for every two New World cigars, and I absolutely love Havana cigars. However, I also really appreciate cigars from the New World. It's good to smoke them alternately because they are not better, just different. So it's not about “Cuban cigars are the best.” They are the best for me and many people. 40 percent our customers believe that cigars from the New World are the best. It's simply a matter of personal preference, explains Orchan.
Despite their disadvantages, Cuban cigars are preferred by many people around the world
|
Business Insider
In addition to quality, there are several basic factors that determine the price of all cigars
- First of all, what matters is the size, more specifically the length and diameter. Generally speaking, the larger the cigar, the more expensive it is.
- Secondly, the vitola, i.e. the format of the cigar, is important. Rolling cigars of different shapes requires additional time and attention.
- The third factor is age. The longer a cigar is aged, intensifying the depth of flavor and aroma, the more valuable it becomes.
- The last and most important factor is the brand.
Habanos is a corporation co-owned by the Cuban government, which controls the worldwide commercialization of all Habanos cigar brands. All Habanos cigars are made in Cuba, but not every Cuban cigar is among them.
The state-owned company grants the Protected Designation of Origin to selected brands whose cigars it claims are produced in accordance with the strictest quality control standards. To protect its products against counterfeiting, Habanos exports them only to selected companies in each country.
The only country it does not sell its products to is the United States, which has not allowed the import of Cuban cigars since an embargo imposed in 1962 by President John F. Kennedywho, a few hours before signing the decree banning the import of all Cuban products to the US, ordered his press spokesman to purchase over 1,000 Cuban cigars.
Read also: 100 tablets a day. This is what the day of an “immortal” millionaire looks like
This ban not only increased demand for real Cuban cigars among American smokers, but also caused a booming black market in smuggling and counterfeit cigars.
There are many fakes in the US. You can't buy Cuban cigars and bring them to America. It is illegal for Americans. That's why I don't know where unscrupulous people buy them from. Perhaps the counterfeit situation has improved a bit since Obama allowed people to travel, buy Cuban cigars and bring them back in person if they were on vacation. I think you can bring cigars worth up to $800. Above this amount you can import whatever you want, but you have to pay a very small customs fee. Perhaps the situation has improved a bit, but 95 percent the cigars I have seen that claim to be Cuban cigars are just very poor fakes
says Orchant.
Illegal in the US, loved around the world. The Cuban cigar phenomenon continues
|
Business Insider
Even though the US is the only country that cannot legally import Cuban cigars, it is still the clear leader in terms of consumption. Over the past 20 years, the cigar industry has grown significantly around the world, and studies predict that the market value will reach $21 billion by 2025.
As with any consumer good, taste and enjoyment are subjective. Considering that they have been perceived as a symbol of social status for over a century, it can be said that the charm of Cuban cigars is, to some extent, related to prestige.
And while some Habanos cigars command high prices, especially where they are banned, in recent years all types of premium cigars have been priced uniformly. Nevertheless, despite the growing demand for cigars from other countries, some argue that only Cuban cigars provide the most authentic taste.
