Are we in a "Cigar Boom" but just not realize it yet?

[danny]

I've been thinking about this these days and wonder... Are we in a "Cigar Boom" of some sort now or at least well into the what looks like the beginning of one?

 

I wasn't smoking at the time of the first go around when quality went down the hole to try and meet the demand, but thank god that is not being compromised nor the case...  just yet.

 

Anyways, it seem like factories in Cuba, and even other countries, are trying to keep up with the demand (especially for highly sought after brands/vitolas.  At first I thought it was only for the super premium or limited edition releases, but I'm noticing more and more periodic shortages of regular production stock.  Seems like you'd be lucky to find a box with a few years on it while it was fairly simple even just a handful of years ago. 

 

Anyways, I understand Cuba has had some poor harvests as of late, but an increase in year-over-year Sales consecutively (even if it's due to a strong dollar), along with companies producing out of other countries, makes me wonder.  That mixed in with the fact that overall "smokers" has been trending down, it doesn't seem like that's the case for cigar "smokers".  And once the US is open for business w/ Cuba, I'm sure it'll get going even more, regardless of new FDA restrictions or not. 

 

Either that, or relatively the same, or less, number of people are just buying and hoarding a LOT more stock for personal use than the norm..... Like me.  ?

 

Thoughts?

 

Prez - Notice a trend or anything worth mentioning as a longtime retailer?

 

Cheers~

[sactochris]

All things considered I think it's a great time to be a cigar lover.

[QuaiDorkay]

The CUBAN CUC has been pegged to the USD since '94 so a strong dollar should actually make cigars more expensive outside of USD driven currencies.  

As as far as cigars go, I've actually noticed it easier since '08 to secure good stock, aged or not, if not only due to easier shipping and the expanse of the Internet.  

Definitely find more local B&M's going under than opening in my limited travels as well.  

Just my two cents though. 

[Colt45]

I guess we'll only know for certain when we're able to look back on the "era" - it can be difficult to decipher while you're in the middle of something.

That said, I think the current / recent social and regulatory climate might make it tough to consider this a boom time, regardless of quantity and quality.

[El Presidente]

I suspect when we look back, the last decade was the best time ever to have purchased cigars. 

• plenty of stock at good quality
• Supply and demand was in equillibrium. 

The first factor hasn't changed but the second factor is seriously out of whack and that is before taking into account a "soft" lifting of the embargo which is going on now.

 

[SCgarman]

For us folks in the USA, the FDA legislation is going to be a game changer for us in the cigar hobby. And it will not be good. These unelected Nazis will not stop with our cigars, you just wait. They will go after many more things we as Americans enjoy. Somebody has to put an end to this crap!

[Smallclub]

21 minutes ago, NYgarman said:

 These unelected Nazis will not stop with our cigars, you just wait.

[gweilgi]

56 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

I suspect when we look back, the last decade was the best time ever to have purchased cigars. 

• plenty of stock at good quality
• Supply and demand was in equillibrium. 

The first factor hasn't changed but the second factor is seriously out of whack and that is before taking into account a "soft" lifting of the embargo which is going on now.

 

In terms of variety and quality (both Cuban and non-Cuban), we have certainly never seen better, IMHO.

But is that sufficient to call it a boom?  

Regulation and taxation makes purchases ever more difficult and expensive.  Availability in meatspace, too, is becoming increasingly constricted: time was when there were plenty of tobacconists in every city, when bars and restaurants routinely kept a stocked humidor for patrons to enjoy a post-dinner smoke.  And while I do get plenty of positive comments from people along the lines of "this smells good, not like cigarettes", the general climate is such that Soviet-style censorship such as airbrushing cigars out of photographs of Winston Churchill is enacted without a murmur.  The propaganda has been successful that I have to regularly engage in the tedious job of explaining to people that cigars are NOT cigarettes in substance, consumption or health effects.  Legal changes now threaten to make smoking illegal not only in public places but even in the privacy of our own homes (note the incoming changes to strata laws in NSW).  

All this leads me to think that we may be living in the last great flowering before the curtain descends.  

 

And on that note, I shall now go off and perform a private act of social disobedience: I will make myself a bacon buttie (cholesterol!), wash it down with a beer and two fingers of Bushmills single malt (alcohol!), and fire up a Connoisseur A (tobacco!) while digging up my old recipe for Death By Chocolate (the sugar!).  And tonight I will kill the planet by taking my V8 for a spin to have a steak dinner before enjoying unprotected sex.  And another cigar.  

[joeruby]

8 hours ago, gweilgi said:

enjoying unprotected sex.

When did that become legal??

[gweilgi]

6 minutes ago, joeruby said:

When did that become legal??

Legality is a trifling irrelevance compared to the wishes of SWMBO....

[Puros Y Vino]

I've wondered this myself. Maybe not a boom but a resurgence? At least is some places. Up here in Canada, I'm noticing more B&M's opening which is a tough business to begin with.  Plus, I am seeing a lot more events being held on a somewhat quasi-legal basis.  More people are making the effort to organize events, many in tandem with NC vendors to promote their wares.  More cigars websites keep popping up, more magazines are getting published too.  Despite the iron grip of government to squash it, smoking (cigar at least) is not dying off and in fact may be flourishing.  In my Province, the laws have changed to prohibit smoking on patios.  That has lead to a decline in patrons for many bars and restaurants.  But overall, more people are enjoying the hobby in an increasingly unfriendly envrionment.

[SCgarman]

1 hour ago, bundwallah said:

I've wondered this myself. Maybe not a boom but a resurgence? At least is some places. Up here in Canada, I'm noticing more B&M's opening which is a tough business to begin with.  Plus, I am seeing a lot more events being held on a somewhat quasi-legal basis.  More people are making the effort to organize events, many in tandem with NC vendors to promote their wares.  More cigars websites keep popping up, more magazines are getting published too.  Despite the iron grip of government to squash it, smoking (cigar at least) is not dying off and in fact may be flourishing.  In my Province, the laws have changed to prohibit smoking on patios.  That has lead to a decline in patrons for many bars and restaurants.  But overall, more people are enjoying the hobby in an increasingly unfriendly envrionment.

Sounds like you Canadians have very little places to enjoy a cigar anymore. No cigars on outdoor patios, where else is smoking prohibited?

Where can you smoke without the drama? Do you have cigar lounges? Can you sit on your own porch or deck and light up? I have heard from a forum member in Niagara Falls area there is literally nowhere to enjoy a cigar there?

[Puros Y Vino]

2 hours ago, NYgarman said:

Sounds like you Canadians have very little places to enjoy a cigar anymore. No cigars on outdoor patios, where else is smoking prohibited?

Where can you smoke without the drama? Do you have cigar lounges? Can you sit on your own porch or deck and light up? I have heard from a forum member in Niagara Falls area there is literally nowhere to enjoy a cigar there?

The cigar scene is pretty much dead.  The LCDH clients can't smoke on the front patio even though they dont run afould of the actual bylaw which is you can't allow smoking on a patio where food and drink is served, the LCDH offered neither.  but then, it was still prohibited because of a second bylaw that covers smoking near entrances.  You cannot smoke within 9 meters of an entrance. That puts you literally in the middle of the street.  BUT.  You can smoke on the sidewalk which is public, in front of the LCDH.  The regulars like to congregate there as an FU to the city and to the nearby businesses that complained ceaselessly about the LCDH.  In some provinces there are grandfathered lounge laws, mainly Quebec and Manitoba.  You can smoke on Native territories too.  You can still light up on your own private property though.  Some places have special areas if they know you well enough.  Otherwise, the Toronto smoking scene is dead socially though there are tons of us not even on FOH.  For the most part, the B&M's make their sales targets despite the bans.

[IcedCanuck]

51 minutes ago, bundwallah said:

The cigar scene is pretty much dead.  The LCDH clients can't smoke on the front patio even though they dont run afould of the actual bylaw which is you can't allow smoking on a patio where food and drink is served, the LCDH offered neither.  but then, it was still prohibited because of a second bylaw that covers smoking near entrances.  You cannot smoke within 9 meters of an entrance. That puts you literally in the middle of the street.  BUT.  You can smoke on the sidewalk which is public, in front of the LCDH.  The regulars like to congregate there as an FU to the city and to the nearby businesses that complained ceaselessly about the LCDH.  In some provinces there are grandfathered lounge laws, mainly Quebec and Manitoba.  You can smoke on Native territories too.  You can still light up on your own private property though.  Some places have special areas if they know you well enough.  Otherwise, the Toronto smoking scene is dead socially though there are tons of us not even on FOH.  For the most part, the B&M's make their sales targets despite the bans.

We also cannot smoke on any public park or beach.

[SCgarman]

9 hours ago, bundwallah said:

The cigar scene is pretty much dead.  The LCDH clients can't smoke on the front patio even though they dont run afould of the actual bylaw which is you can't allow smoking on a patio where food and drink is served, the LCDH offered neither.  but then, it was still prohibited because of a second bylaw that covers smoking near entrances.  You cannot smoke within 9 meters of an entrance. That puts you literally in the middle of the street.  BUT.  You can smoke on the sidewalk which is public, in front of the LCDH.  The regulars like to congregate there as an FU to the city and to the nearby businesses that complained ceaselessly about the LCDH.  In some provinces there are grandfathered lounge laws, mainly Quebec and Manitoba.  You can smoke on Native territories too.  You can still light up on your own private property though.  Some places have special areas if they know you well enough.  Otherwise, the Toronto smoking scene is dead socially though there are tons of us not even on FOH.  For the most part, the B&M's make their sales targets despite the bans.

Thanks for the insight. Man, what a sad situation.

[gweilgi]

10 hours ago, bundwallah said:

The cigar scene is pretty much dead.  The LCDH clients can't smoke on the front patio even though they dont run afould of the actual bylaw which is you can't allow smoking on a patio where food and drink is served, the LCDH offered neither.  but then, it was still prohibited because of a second bylaw that covers smoking near entrances.  You cannot smoke within 9 meters of an entrance. That puts you literally in the middle of the street.  BUT.  You can smoke on the sidewalk which is public, in front of the LCDH.  The regulars like to congregate there as an FU to the city and to the nearby businesses that complained ceaselessly about the LCDH.  In some provinces there are grandfathered lounge laws, mainly Quebec and Manitoba.  You can smoke on Native territories too.  You can still light up on your own private property though.  Some places have special areas if they know you well enough.  Otherwise, the Toronto smoking scene is dead socially though there are tons of us not even on FOH.  For the most part, the B&M's make their sales targets despite the bans.

Some venues in London (England, not Ontario ) get around this by moving their smoking areas to rooftop terraces.  

I am not sure whether blankets and patio heaters are sufficient to cope with a Canadian winter, though...

[jwr0201]

8 hours ago, Hutch said:

If we have been in a mini boom, it is quickly drawing to a close as result of the Nazi's efforts, including the FDA here in the States, as pointed out by several above. But I have to agree about quality recently being at an all time high. The jury is still out on ageability, but construction and smokability has been terrific ! (IMO)

Oh man!  Be careful, lest you be awarded one of the dreaded Godwin Points!  Not that we give a flip!  

[QuaiDorkay]

9 hours ago, Hutch said:

The jury is still out on ageability, but construction and smokability has been terrific !

This has been a frequent topic in my local lounge.  The '12-14's are already smoking so well with such a short time down I just can't imagine them not aging well, yet the worry that they will somehow not continue to devolop exists.  I don't buy into that although such a frequent comment.  Would like to understand this concern. 

[NSXCIGAR]

My opinion is that the boom of the mid-90s was it. All things considered, it was probably the best time to be a cigar smoker since the 1960s.

Let's hop in the DeLorean to 1995:

- Smoking was still permitted in almost all public places and restaurants--even cigar smoking. Nobody went outside to smoke. Ashtrays were everywhere. All bars were smoky.

- Cuban cigars were still of outstanding quality. Blend and strain changes had yet to be made and production had not yet ramped up much beyond it's historic norms. 

- Non-Cuban brands were expanding rapidly, and quality was improving steadily. 

- Cigars shops were popping up everywhere. Tijuana must have had over a dozen Cuban cigar stores on Revolucion. They are all gone now and there is only the LCDH. I remember cigar shops on the US east coast with huge selections of NCs.

- Cigars were cool. Everywhere in print; actors, athletes and celebrities smoking them all the time, and expressing their love for them--and no one criticized them. Joe Pesci, Jim Belushi, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Jordan--the list goes on. Cigar smoking was almost--dare I say--becoming mainstream.

Now, I certainly think today is the best time to be a Cuban cigar smoker since probably 1998, but the culture has just changed so much. Indeed, it is far easier to procure cigars than ever before for most people--especially in the US. But it is far more difficult to enjoy them publicly and they're far less accepted. 

I just think 92-96 was pretty much the golden age of the modern era. I don't think cigars will ever be as cool and as prominent in the culture as they were then ever again.

[PatrickEwing]

19 hours ago, NYgarman said:

Sounds like you Canadians have very little places to enjoy a cigar anymore. No cigars on outdoor patios, where else is smoking prohibited?

Where can you smoke without the drama? Do you have cigar lounges? Can you sit on your own porch or deck and light up? I have heard from a forum member in Niagara Falls area there is literally nowhere to enjoy a cigar there?

I live in Canada, though truly live in the shadows. I reside in a high rise that apparently permits smoking on outdoor spaces, but I've still been complained about to building management  (i understand there is a movement to outlaw this on a provincial scale). Therefore I only smoke on the patio later at night, if at all. Would I like to put up a losing fight? Sure. But would I like to have my fiancé castrate me for getting us kicked out? Not so sure. As a result, I generally smoke in what would be considered city parks awkwardly looking over my shoulder. I haven't been hassled yet, so that's good I suppose. However, what isn't good? Not being able to have a bourbon or rum while I smoke, dodging raccoons and skunks pissed at sharing their territory and shrugging my shoulders at the odd characters who amble by wondering if I have a spare can or cigarette to spare. I don't .

No lounges. No bars. No restaurants.

Whine over. Welcome to the Gulag. 

Side note. I did have an amazing Partagas 2 tonight on my patio. Terrific. And if I'm going to sin might as well sin properly, so I lit up an equally enjoyable Superiores. Huzzah  

 

 

[Duxnutz]

As far as quality of tobacco is concerned I think it's been banner years from '13-15. I've been most impressed. Unfortunately successive 12.5% tax increases have dampened my buying power locally and pushed most of us Aussies into buying overseas and chancing the taxman. 

Culturally, I find it relatively difficult to find places to publicly indulge here in Sydney and only light up at one or two places. Myself and a few blokes were unceremoniously booted from the smoking section at an Eastern suburbs hotel just last year, amazingly at a place that prides themselves on being a whisky joint. Much easier to get some friends together and light up at home. 

The interesting thing is that after regularly travelling to the Middle East, my own coworkers who poo poo cigar smoking and called it horrid actually commented how great my cigar smelt and asked to try it while indoor smoking at a bar. 

[Fugu]

22 hours ago, bundwallah said:

You cannot smoke within 9 meters of an entrance.

Cars and motorcycles not allowed either; I suspect?

You must have wide sidewalks in the streets of Toronto.

[Puros Y Vino]

37 minutes ago, Fugu said:

Cars and motorcycles not allowed either; I suspect?

You must have wide sidewalks in the streets of Toronto.

Well.  There's the stupidity of the whole matter right there.  In Toronto, the LCDH is located on a "high end" street similar to LA's Rodeo Drive, Paris' Champs D'Elysee' etc..  You can find numerous supercars idling or constantly going in circles looking to impress the young ladies.  One of those cars puts out far more "crap" in their exhaust than a dozen smokers I'd say. But the problem is the smoker.  What we had here was politicians taking their personal dislikes and opinions and making them law on the behalf of everyone.  The businesses here were barely consulted when it came to banning smoking indoors in 2006 and on patios in 2015.  Don't you dare light up on a patio..but feel free to breathe in the exhaust from 100's of cars an hour and 2-4 lane roads.

[NSXCIGAR]

6 hours ago, Hutch said:

As I said, the jury's still out, and I have mixed feelings myself. But the thought is that current production has already lost that edge that aging smooths out, leaving one with the question "Where to from here?". There may very well be some further development...its just an open question at this point. FWIW, I intend to find out

I think many of us thought the same in 07-09 when quality had reached a high point. But 13-15 production has surpassed it. And I think there's LOTS of additional room for improvement. It's a long process to refine tobacco. They've only been working with the new strains for less than 20 years, and then they had all sorts of quality control issues that took a decade to iron out. 03-04 was a good period, 07-09 was better, and 13-15 was better than that. I see an upwards trend line, with a serious improvement every 3-5 years, which to me seems very logical.

Ultimately, I'm hopeful that some day, when the farms and factories are returned to private hands, we'll see much more experimentation and entrepreneurial discovery in terms of strains and blends. Cuba will also have access to modern tobacco cultivation technology. Having smoked CCs for 22 years, I know what's possible in terms of richness of flavor, blends, and variety. Cuban cigars have lots of potential, although it may take another few decades to fully realize it. Just look at the incredible improvement in quality and blends that NC have had in the last 10-15 years. Night and day. 

[weirdneighbor]

On 7/12/2016 at 8:40 AM, Hutch said:

Not sure what that means, and search provided no enlightenment :-/

From Wikipedia:

"There are many corollaries to Godwin's law, some considered more canonical (by being adopted by Godwin himself)^[3] than others.^[1] For example, there is a tradition in many newsgroups and other Internet discussion forums that once such a comparison is made, the thread is finished and whoever mentioned the Nazis has automatically lost whatever debate was in progress.^[8] This principle is itself frequently referred to as Godwin's law.

Godwin's law itself can be abused as a distraction, diversion or even as censorship, fallaciously miscasting an opponent's argument as hyperbole when the comparisons made by the argument are actually appropriate.^[9][10] Similar criticisms of the "law" (or "at least the distorted version which purports to prohibit all comparisons to German crimes") have been made by Glenn Greenwald.^[11]"