The brand that is no longer

[laficion]

Hi all,

This goes back to OCT. 1997 ,when about 25 Presidents from different cigar clubs and myself were invited at " MAXIM'S " in Paris by Pierre Cardin and Jean-Paul Kauffmann of the magasine "L'Amateur de cigare " for a memorble evening that was the lanuching of Cardin's new cigar " Maxim's " from the D.R.. The food was just great ,the wines were great, the deserts was also great.  BUT !!!!!!!, the cigar was just horrible ,good thing that Jean-Paul Kauffmann came with some HdM Habana cigars that saved the night.

Anyway, thank you Mr. Cardin for an evening that was unforgettable. Here are some pics of the cigar box and a pic of Mr.Cardin. Hope you'll enjoy.

Guy

[Li Bai]

Guy, as always, what an amazing piece of cigar history 🙏

[Puros Y Vino]

Great story guy. I guess that cigar is what Thunderbird is to wine? 😁  And by Pierre Cardin. Do you mean the fashion designer?  Did you and the other cigar club guests give him honest feedback or did you sugar coat it?

[laficion]

Dear Puros Y Vino

Yes, my friend, you are right, it was the fashion designer.

And no, we didn't sugar coat about the cigar, it was awful and we told him that, (for example) "It could be better." He knew that we were "HABANA" smokers, but it didn't interest him, he was more interested in the young man that came with him that night.  🥴

Guy

[Li Bai]

Guy, Pierre Cardin was my father-in-law's first boss when he came to France and although he highly speaks of him as being one-of-a-kind in his field, I also heard many stories that definitely match what you witnessed that evening 😁

[laficion]

Thank you Gil,

It is indeed a small world but it was a fantastic night, however, a "once in a lifetime experience".

Guy

[griller]

Great story, thanks for sharing. Bummer that the cigar was a miss, and I LOVE the Lonsdale size, too.

[anacostiakat]

Hey Guy! Good story and info! Don't be a stranger.  

[BrightonCorgi]

The cigars look well presented in the pictures. Does Maxim still offer branded cigars?  

[Li Bai]

5 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

The cigars look well presented in the pictures. Does Maxim still offer branded cigars?  

I've been looking into it after reading Guy's post and here's what I found:

• There are no Maxim's cigars listed in France today.

• There used to be at least another Maxim's DR cigar available around 2000, a mini panatela sold at 4,5€, which was a lot of money for such a small cigar at the time. Reviews were awful too.

• There were at least two other Pierre Cardin Maxim's cigar called Omnibus (a torpedo, 7" cepo 52) and a Churchill you could find in Paris and NY's Maxim's for around 15$ a stick.

[BrightonCorgi]

Seems like a branding opportunity for someone with decent cigars to re-launch under Maxim's. It amazes me how these brands would release something they don't need to like cigars and then sully it with a lackluster product. The damage lasts for a long time.  

[Puros Y Vino]

On 12/14/2025 at 3:50 PM, laficion said:

Dear Puros Y Vino

Yes, my friend, you are right, it was the fashion designer.

And no, we didn't sugar coat about the cigar, it was awful and we told him that, (for example) "It could be better." He knew that we were "HABANA" smokers, but it didn't interest him, he was more interested in the young man that came with him that night.  🥴

Guy

Once again, great story and pics Guy. If you ever decide to write a book on your cigar experiences, count me in as a pre-order.  😁