Why U.S. cigar companies can’t wait for you to light up Cuban cigars

[cigcars]

Well for myself, I'll be happy to load up on Peso cigars that are mainly available for the Cuban populace. They are not premium brand names, but the samples a fellow FOH member shared with me were phenomenal in flavor and aroma...really!

[kobsjones]

I hope it never opens up. I can get anything I want now thanks to FOH and the prices would skyrocket I think.

[nikesupremedunk]

I never thought CC's would be legal in the US but now I can definitely see it happening in the future. If it did though, I'm ordering as many cigars as I can before price jump/decrease in quality or taste.

It's funny though there is some truth to the article. When I used to smoke at B&M's a lot of the folks I talked to actually had no interest in smoking CC's. Most said they've tried them in the past and weren't as good as NC's. (probably tried a glass top box on vacation)

[Bennettjohnl]

I never thought CC's would be legal in the US but now I can definitely see it happening in the future. If it did though, I'm ordering as many cigars as I can before price jump/decrease in quality or taste.

It's funny though there is some truth to the article. When I used to smoke at B&M's a lot of the folks I talked to actually had no interest in smoking CC's. Most said they've tried them in the past and weren't as good as NC's. (probably tried a glass top box on vacation)

Same here, gonna stock up and try and ride out the initial rush until things slow back down. If nothing changes I'll still be sitting pretty with a full humi.

[beparrish]

It will be interesting to see what the CC prices will be like in the US, once taxes are factored in. My thought is that while a lot of folks will experiment with Cuban cigars, non-CCs will be more affordable and they'll eventually migrate back to their favorites (Padron, Fuente, Liga, etc...)

[jholen]

Oh Kaizad Hansoita... in my opinion one of the biggest douches in the industry, though I know his name and brand of cigars so I suppose his approach is doing something right despite not being a fan...

[PapaDisco]

It will be a madhouse for a while.

• If Costa Rican fake peddlers were listed companies, you would be buying shares right now.
• The vintage market will go through the roof.
• 2 day FEDEX delivery Woohoo!
• Price increases, stock shortages (more than normal).
• The Romeo y Julieta No 3 tubos will become a premium cigar.
• "Old school Cuban flavour" will come to symbolize pre 2015.
• The e-mails Di....think of the e-mails!!!!
• I may end up working for Hamlet

I don't think FOH is going to get hurt one bit, quite the contrary. The big change will be that now I won't lose any sticks 'in transit'. The benefits of the quality control here will remain, and so I won't change my buying habits one iota.

[parabola66]

Honestly I have had more plugged, cracked, unraveling while smoking, flip flop tasting NC cigars than CC cigars..

Trolling the forum I do see the lack of quality compared to an excellent box of CC, but I have had the same lack of quality control with NC as well, and have had worse experiences per cigar with NC.

The bit about quality has some validity, but so do all companies, vitola, and marca NC or CC

The bit about complexity and taste is completely wrong IMO. CC are vastly more complex and subtle than NC

[Piligrim]

Hansotia promotes his brand, certainly he says Cuban not good enough.

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[Piligrim]

More people to believe him, better for us. We'll smoke that CC with great pleasure

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[TomF]

I insist: most north americans who still don't smoke CC will not pay the extra price for cubans.

The boxes of cigars that I'm buying here on FOH are for the most part cheaper than the cigars I can buy from my local B&M or from online US retailers. And although the Habanos do have some inconsistencies in construction, I'm willing to accept that because the flavors I find in Habanos are far superior to most if not all non-Cuban cigars available to me here.

If the embargo ends the prices for Habanos in the US will certainly go way up due to taxes that are currently not being collected, so here is one American who is not really looking forward to the end of the embargo.

[laficion]

Hi all,

He doesn't believe that Cubans are the best in the world.That is why the rest of the world smoke Cubans and ,it

is NOT because they can't get any N.C.'s,it's just that the Cuban Tobacco is the best.He"s only making so-called cigars

for the very rich,the "PEOPLE",The truth of the matter is, HIS cigars are real dog turds. How can anyone believe what he

says ?, So, WHO cares what he said anyway. ? Any PESO Cuban cigar is better than a GURKHA.

GUY

[phreedh]

Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua have become the top three cigar-producing countries in the United States

Gotta love Fox!

[Rushman]

In the end I don't think it will have a huge effect on most NC producers. Someone who enjoys a Gurkha (not me thankfully) will still gravitate towards a Gurkha.

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[DoubleDD]

Complex flavors? 99% of NC taste like tobacco from beginning to end. Hardly any flavor progression.

[planetary]

Rob's quality control sets FOH apart from nearly every cigar vendor I would likely have, even locally if the embargo ended. As long as FOH stays the course and sets a high quality bar, I will remain a happy client!

[Shrody234]

My assumption that the Ghurka cigar company is full of delusional flunkies has been confirmed!

[losttrailer]

simply ridiculous,

ask him just one simple question : why is the whole rest of the known world smoking more CC than NC when it comes to premium cigars - all because of the mystery?

[fookite]

it creates such a wide profile taste value

I would like clarification on what in the hell the bolded phrase means.

[earthson]

It will be interesting to see what the CC prices will be like in the US, once taxes are factored in. My thought is that while a lot of folks will experiment with Cuban cigars, non-CCs will be more affordable and they'll eventually migrate back to their favorites (Padron, Fuente, Liga, etc...)

Since when are premium Padrons and Ligas affordable!?

[SCgarman]

simply ridiculous,

ask him just one simple question : why is the whole rest of the known world smoking more CC than NC when it comes to premium cigars - all because of the mystery?

Well, first of all Non Cubans are primarily marketed and imported into the US. From what I hear, they are not widely available in some other countries in the world. Second of all, Cubans are available legally in all parts of the world except the US.

Finally, IMHO Cuba will NEVER acquire a 70% market share in the US, especially with inconsistency issues with cigars and packaging and the fact that Cuban cigars need to be aged and non Cubans are already aged and ready to smoke. I really think that many Americans may try Cubans out of curiosity and then go back to what they know and like. If quality control issues are problems with Habanos now as Rob shows in his threads, what is going to happen when they try to accommodate the US market and double or triple production?

[RWhiz]

So since we are speculating, if (when) the embargo is lifted, what is stopping a grower from selling his leafs to Padron, Illusione, Oliva etc? I think the biggest issue will be growers getting more coin for their crops from established companies then from the Cuban marcas. The other companies will expand their blends to use the Cuban leaf and improve their product. Blenders will flock from Cuba for greener pastures and cigars will generally change for the better.

[Colt45]

what is stopping a grower from selling his leafs to Padron, Illusione, Oliva etc?

The Cuban government.

[RWhiz]

The Cuban government.

With the embargo lifted, for how long?

[losttrailer]

Well, first of all Non Cubans are primarily marketed and imported into the US. From what I hear, they are not widely available in some other countries in the world. Second of all, Cubans are available legally in all parts of the world except the US.

Finally, IMHO Cuba will NEVER acquire a 70% market share in the US, especially with inconsistency issues with cigars and packaging and the fact that Cuban cigars need to be aged and non Cubans are already aged and ready to smoke. I really think that many Americans may try Cubans out of curiosity and then go back to what they know and like. If quality control issues are problems with Habanos now as Rob shows in his threads, what is going to happen when they try to accommodate the US market and double or triple production?

at least here in Western Europe there is a huge selection of Non Cuban Cigars. We have several Lines of Don Pepin, Drew Estates, Oliva and uncountable lines of Rocky Patel, Perdomo und Gurkha ( by the way, who really needs more than 40 lines of Gurkha anyway ), just to name a few. So it is not a matter of lack of comparability.

I also do not believe there will be a 70 % market share for Cubans in the US, but not because of Quality issues but because of habits and acquired taste.

Maybe its just good luck but i personally never had an unsmokable cuban cigar except some machine made RA Belvederes from 2002. Even from the "dangerous years" i had and have boxes which are smoking great and without any draw issues.

However, i had a lot of NC cigars with a very loose draw, which i do not appreciate and never had in an cuban cigar.

Aging also does not seem that important than before. A lot of 14 boxed cigars do smoke great right now and i would be surprised if the cubans wouldnt know about smoking habits in the US and the importance of a first impression.

And with months or even years to prepare for the fall of the embargo there will be only few problems to handle a higher demand. Fear purchases are happening allready and 5th avenue products, the Distributor for CC in Germany, Austria and Poland ist planing a massive expansion of storage capacity right now.

Well, we will see. Maybe im all wrong with my assumptions, time will tell. At least it remains exciting