They've had a lot of hurricanes wreck havoc on the fields. And there are less people farming.
Best Cuban Cigars Available NOW
- Thread starter Toothpick
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- #22
Well can’t get the Cubans I want so I ordered a nice selection of new to me cigars.
Its a good start.
The Tabernacle is one of my go to's. The Davidoff Box pressed is also a one I love to receive and smoke. I have yet to buy one for myself. The closest cubanescue cigar I've had was an Opus X Angel's Share, for what that is worth. They are pricey but as of right not not Cuban pricey.
I checked a tobacco store in a shopping mall yesterday (Vienna, Austria), so some general observations on their Cuban offerings.
The selection was not huge but there (20-25 shapes, brands).
Smaller vitolas prevail but around 50% are bigger/longer formats.
Most sticks were in the 10-15 Euro bracket with one Cohiba Siglo (Maduro?) format being the far outlier at 72.00
The selection was not huge but there (20-25 shapes, brands).
Smaller vitolas prevail but around 50% are bigger/longer formats.
Most sticks were in the 10-15 Euro bracket with one Cohiba Siglo (Maduro?) format being the far outlier at 72.00
Smart money would have been buying all through the pandemic. I was smoking very few cigars during that time, and have a good selection of cuban and new world cigars, about 800 or so. The kicker was the normalization of pricing that Habanos SA did in May 2022. That was the "poof" moment you are referring to. They essentially decided to set worldwide pricing standards, and the market they used was Hong Kong, which happens to have the highest taxes out there.
I have bought a few since then, but in the end, for as long as I have been smoking cigars (the 90's) Cubans are not consistent. That's my issue with them. I can buy a box of cubans, and the first may be great and the last just as good, but half the ones in the middle are either too tight, plugged, have an uneven burn, you get the idea. I can bet my kids on a box of Padrons smoking the same from the first to the last and everyone in between. That is worth 260 a box. No cuban box has ever been that consistent. The rub is that the increase in Cuban cigar prices has rippled into the new world cigar market as well, and those are getting scarce now.
“Our sales here in the U.K. are still very strong, even with the high prices of Cohiba’s Behike and Trinidad,” says Ajay Patel, who owns a La Casa del Habano shop in London. “It looks like Habanos is positioning itself for the super luxury market, like Patek Philippe, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, and Hermes.”
Just read this from April 2023. What they don't get is that a Cigar is not a Patek Philippe. It's not a Rolex. Much like during the Rolex craze, people are buying as an investment, pushing the price up, this bubble will burst as well. BTW, of all four brands named, only one retains value over time, can you guess which one it is?
Just read this from April 2023. What they don't get is that a Cigar is not a Patek Philippe. It's not a Rolex. Much like during the Rolex craze, people are buying as an investment, pushing the price up, this bubble will burst as well. BTW, of all four brands named, only one retains value over time, can you guess which one it is?
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- #27
The watches of Patek.
Much like I will never have one of those, I may never have a Cuban cigar ever again.
Patek aside but inflated watch prices are definitely crumbling and approaching list prices or below on most but a handful of models. The Rolex Pepsi went from 35k to sub 20k in less than 6 months. Cuban Cigars are similar, Cohiba and Trinidad in the front but behind is a wide field if you look a bit. I’m more concerned about overall quality control with them nowadays.
They’ve always been inconsistent. Hence my hesitation to pay post 2022 prices.
No issues up until 2005/6 but then…
I noticed R&J Cubans take a nose dive in quality around 2014-2015. Then it’s just been downhill ever since. Most of the Partagas I have been infrequently smoking these days have still been great quality. Can’t say as much for other Cuban brands though.
I was in Europe a few months ago and Cuban prices are insane across the board. Even in Spain where they are arguably cheaper than anywhere in the world.
For once I am glad that I have OCD when it comes to hobbies I am passionate about. My shaving soaps may be worthless and easy to replace for what I paid, but my dozens of boxes of Habanos cigars I bought in Cuba over the last 5-10 years aren’t.
Needless to say, I doubt I will ever buy another Cuban cigar.
For once I am glad that I have OCD when it comes to hobbies I am passionate about. My shaving soaps may be worthless and easy to replace for what I paid, but my dozens of boxes of Habanos cigars I bought in Cuba over the last 5-10 years aren’t.
Needless to say, I doubt I will ever buy another Cuban cigar.
The first ramping up of production was early 2000s. When they then closed the old Partagas factory in 2011 this was the next hit. Inexperienced rollers, too green tobacco and an ever expanding brand and Vitola portfolio. My regular smokes then were R&J Cazadores, a little of a relic in the R&J lineup and therefore more steady quality wise, but even they suffered. Montecristo No. 2 and Bolivar Belicosos were my Sunday smokes
Now I smoke more infrequently and predominately stuff from Nicaragua.
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So my Cuban buying days started in 2012 with frequent trips to Paris, London, and Berlin. My understanding was that EU law governed all the prices of tobacco, so my experience was that prices were the same not only shop to shop in Paris, but Country to Country. Perhaps this has changed. The whole thing is really just a confusing mess. per Halfwheel:
"Due to Habanos S.A.’s “global pricing standard” policy, a recently-announced policy where the Cuban cigar company is requiring its distributors worldwide to set retail prices close or equal to the prices of Cuban cigars in Hong Kong, the prices in Spain are increasing a lot. Other distributors have told halfwheelthat Habanos S.A. gave the distributor its new wholesale prices—the prices it buys cigars from Habanos S.A. at—and a price list for Hong Kong. It’s unclear how strict the guidelines were in changing the new prices to Hong Kong."
My next try will be one of the Canadian seller that only sells to the US to avoid the taxes. There are a couple that are supposed to be legit, and have good reputations. I have always liked the smaller vitolas anyway, and have very little use for a cigar over 54 RG, so it has not affected me as badly on the cuban front, although having Trinidad Reyes go to 240/dozen and Partagas Shorts go to 350/25 was a bummer.
Even more disappointing is that it has crated a bit of a run on the good New World cigars. Padrons have been scarce, the main line as well as the 1926, 1964, etc...
Here are some other good ones to give a go to, if you can find them:
Regius Black Label Robusto
Cabaiguan Guapos RX (pigtail cap), NIC/USA (5.25 x 50, NIC/USA)
Arturo Fuente Magnum R (Rosado Sungrown) Vitola 44, DR (4.78 x 47, DR)
Crowned Heads Headley Grange Corona Gorda, DR (5.625 x 46, DR)
Don Pepin Garcia (My Father Cigars) La Antiguedad Robusto, NIC (5.25 x 52, NIC) This one's strong
Illusione Fume D'Amour Viejos, NIC (5 x 50, NIC)
La Palina Collection Mr. Sam Corona, USA (5.5 x 42, USA)
Oliva/ Studio Tabac Master Blends III Torpedo, NIC (6 x 52, NIC)
Also a link to my Public Humidor on Cigar Geeks:
Cigar Geeks - blondie's Online Humidor: Current Inventory - https://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?action=humidors;area=public;member=blondie
When boxes that use to retail for $200 are now retailing for $500, it’s time to move on.
Yup!
I still have boxes of Partagas Serie D #4, Ramon Allones Specially Selected, Monte Open and a few others (mostly robustos) from 2010 and they were… wait for it… all $5-6 USD a stick from the Partagas factory.
I love cigars, but I ain’t paying $20US+ for a mid-tier Cuban Robusto.
I am buying mainly Fuente and Davidoff now and only when I travel (duty free).
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i would say I use to smoke Cubans 90% of the time, now im going down to about 50/50.
Price is one thing, but QC is another. I have NEVER had a bad Padron. Cuban have the mentality of "Cuba being Cuba" which is kinda BS. They have people because of the flavor profile, thats about it. The product they put out makes one wonder if they have any pride over profits of the product.
Price is one thing, but QC is another. I have NEVER had a bad Padron. Cuban have the mentality of "Cuba being Cuba" which is kinda BS. They have people because of the flavor profile, thats about it. The product they put out makes one wonder if they have any pride over profits of the product.
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- #40
I still have boxes of Partagas Serie D #4, Ramon Allones Specially Selected, Monte Open and a few others (mostly robustos) from 2010 and they were… wait for it… all $5-6 USD a stick from the Partagas factory.
I love cigars, but I ain’t paying $20US+ for a mid-tier Cuban Robusto.
I am buying mainly Fuente and Davidoff now and only when I travel (duty free).
You could sell all those and buy a vacation house somewhere really nice.
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