cuban

Storms Not Enough to Stop Cuban Tobacco Crop

Filed under: Cigars

Even with two hurricanes ripping through the region, western Cuba is expected to produce one of its tobacco best crops in quite a while. The plants are ready for harvest in the Vuuelta Abajo section of the island, and barns are starting to fill with those that have already been plucked. Apparently, this year's take is oily, which should do something to make this year's batch flavorful (I hope).

The 2008 storms caused $10 billion in damage to the island nation, stretching the effects of the ongoing financial crisis. Approximately 5,000 curing barns were damaged (or destroyed), and the repairs are still not complete. Despite the fact that most of the harvest had occurred before the hurricanes reached Cuba, the crop remained secure, as Cuban officials acted quickly to move the tobacco to safer storage facilities. But, up to 2 million pounds of tobacco were lost, according to Habanos S.A.

[Via Reuters, photo by Ron Melendi]

Tags: cigar, cigars, cuba, cuban, habanos, havana, smoke, smoker, smokers, smoking, tobacco, tobacco industry, TobaccoIndustry

Cuban Cigars, Don't Smoke the Label

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

"It happens all the time."

Ron Melendi, General Manager of De La Concha in New York, is tired of seeing guests walk through the door of his tobacco shop and ask for "Cubans." It's no secret that cigars from that particular island are illegal, yet people ask anyway.

It pisses Melendi off, and I don't blame him.

Cuban cigars are seen as a rare treat in the small, tightly intertwined community of upscale smokers. Since they have been illegal in the United States for more than 40 years, the act of cutting and lighting one implies unusual access, connections that most simply do not have. But, that's about it. A general decline in Cuban cigar quality, especially over the past decade, leaves the label as the only coveted aspect of the experience.

Of course, it's easy to dismiss this popular notion among tobacco retailers and manufacturers as a case of "sour grapes." After all, they can't sell what everybody wants. Jealousy wouldn't be much of a stretch ... if the quality issues weren't so real.

Several trips in the past three years to France, Spain, Mexico, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Canada have led to Cuban cigars between my fingers. I've seen different humidors in stores in each of these countries and been able to rule out problems resulting from poor storage. I've had a few decent smoking experiences, but they haven't been life-changing. Even when the cigars are properly maintained, the taste and construction simply have not delivered.

Gallery: De La Concha Tobacconist

Tags: cigars, cuba, cuban, cuban cigar, cuban cigars, CubanCigar, CubanCigars, cubans, manhattan, new york, NewYork, smoke, smoker, smokers, smoking

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Cuban Cigar Sales Down, Bad Decisions Averted

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

Why are sales of Cuban cigars down? The minute the subprime mortgage crisis turned global, of course, demand had no place to go but down. And, there's always the quality issue that has plagued manufacturers in recent years. So far, the damage hasn't been bad.

Habanos S.A., which makes the storied Montecristo, Cohiba and Partagas brands, moved $390 million in 2008. That's a drop of 3 percent from 2007. The company, a joint venture involving the Cuban government and Altadis, says that this hasn't affected profits significantly.

Unsurprisingly, Habanos blames smoking bans in France, Germany and the United Emirates (among others) in addition to the financial crisis. If you can't find a place to smoke, you aren't likely to do it as much (a trial I endured in Scotland last year).

But, economic conditions are still the main event, particularly when you consider the secondary effects.

International travel took a dive last year ... to the tune of 11 percent. What's that mean? American cigar dilettantes weren't able to piss away as much on Cuban sticks as they may have in the past. Duty free shops thus moved fewer cigars than usual, with total sales in these venues down 24 percent from 2007 to 2008.

Despite the slip in sales and claims that profitability isn't seriously impaired, Habanos isn't optimistic about the future. On the subject of the U.S. embargo on Cuba, typically a favorite topic of speculation, the company would only say that it has "much worse problems to deal with in the world."

[Via Latin American Herald Tribune, photo by Steve Zak]

Tags: cigar, cigars, cohiba, cuba, cuban, cuban cigars, CubanCigars, economic crisis, economic downturn, EconomicCrisis, EconomicDownturn, economy, financial, financial crisis, financialcrisis, habanos, montecristo, mortgage crisis, MortgageCrisis, smoke, smoker, smokers, smoking, smoking ban, SmokingBan, tobacco, tobacco industry, TobaccoIndustry

Porsche Design Cigar Cutter

by Gustad Mody (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

Stop using the awl on your old Swiss Army Knife and use this cupped cigar cutter with double honed edges for the cleanest of cuts. Getting your smoke on with this utilitarian cigar cutter will set you back 2 Benjamins and 40 Washingtons.