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The “Near Death” of Cuban Cigars
September 30, 2003
*** IN THIS ISSUE ***
1.
Feature Story: Jose Oliva Interview Part 2: The "Near Death" of Cuban Cigars
2. Survey Says: What cigar wrapper do you like best?
3. Smoker's Ed (Cigar Terms & Tips): Cigar Store Etiquette
4. Site Improvements: Add a gift message with your online order
5. Rating Lunatic: Zino Platinum Scepter Grand Master; Helix Super 8 Maduro
*** FEATURE STORY ***
Jose Oliva, Part 2: Cigar "Flavors" And The "Near Death" Of Cuban Cigars
Jose Oliva (left) with Famous Smoke Shop
Buyer, Humberto Gonzalez, at RTDA 2003
G.K.: I’ve had this ongoing debate about the so-called flavors in
cigars and have tempered my descriptions on flavors of ‘nuts, wood,
coffee, leather,’ etc in the copy I write. Of course, it’s subjective,
too, but I have experienced these flavors in many cigars and a survey
we did confirmed that most of our customers also taste some of these
flavors. Some say the cigar magazine reviews are to blame. What’s your
take on it?
J.O.: My explanation for that is, certainly they have been influenced
by the magazines, so I ask the same question; how can you possibly
taste these things? But in really giving it some thought, I’ve come to
the conclusion that what happens is, the flavors in a cigar are really
beyond description.
So what do you do?
We try to put a face on it. If you just say to a reader, it’s a full-bodied cigar, well what does that mean? How broad can you get? If you
say the aroma is good, OK, that narrows it down a little. The truth is,
you should try to describe, there’s an element of this, and taste of
that. And in not knowing what to call it maybe we should make up names.
[Smiles]
But before you blend a cigar, you don’t intentionally say, ‘we want it
to have a specific flavor or flavors,’ right?
I’ll tell you the terminology that’s used for how flavorful you want a
cigar to be. The term ‘sweetness’ is often used although we stopped
because on the retail end, due to the advent of flavored cigars, you
can confuse somebody. But sweetness is also considered the other side
of the spectrum from ‘harshness.’ So in a full-bodied cigar there is
‘light and dark.’ There is ‘harsh and sweet.’ Sweetness does not mean
in the sugar candy sense. It’s like saying, ‘leather.’ We don’t really
taste leather, but we’re trying to find what ELEMENT we’re tasting and
be able to categorize it. So the next time I say ‘leather,’ you should
know what I mean by that. It doesn’t mean leather, literally, because
then you could say, you tasted suede leather. It just doesn’t make any
sense. So the terms we use are ‘sweet’ and ‘harsh’ to try and cover the
flavor spectrum. Body, or strength, versus flavor. If it’s too harsh
and strong, it’s un-smokeable. If it’s too mild and sweet, then it’s
probably too light. So you blend to find the perfect balance and that’s
the fine line we walk. I would even go so far as to say that in order
to meet the demand for stronger cigars, many of these new cigars are
too harsh.
So, what’s a good strong cigar?
I’ll tell you something that I always tell people about strong cigars.
If you light it and after a few puffs you feel it in your stomach, it’s
a good full-bodied cigar. If you light it and taste it in your throat,
it’s a harsh cigar. If after a couple of puffs, it made it past everything into your stomach it was a flavor you liked. If it only made it
to here [points to his throat], too harsh.
Let’s talk about Cuban cigars. I’ve heard how the consistency has
really begun to diminish in comparison to the Nicaraguan, Honduran and
Dominican cigars. Perhaps their mystique is dying?
I think that like everything in Cuba, tobacco is tied to politics.
As the politics go, so does tobacco, so does sugar cane. We don’t sell
sugar cane, but if we did, we’d be having a big conversation about what
happened to the world’s largest sugar producer. It’s no longer Cuba.
Same thing with cigars. What happened to the world’s finest cigar
country? Well, what happened is a dictatorship. There’s no capitalist
system, so you as a grower have no interest in competing against me
as a grower.
Why not?
Because we’re both going to get the same government price for our
tobacco. Why would I grow mine better than yours? Why would I stay
out in my field longer than you? The same price. If your plants grow
to six feet and mine to three, same price. And so your name means
nothing in the world of tobacco. If you talk about the Cuban tobacco
families today like the Perez family, a very well known Cuban family,
or the Oliva tobacco family, they’ve made their names on a tremendous
amount of sacrifice, huge investments and a tremendous amount of experimentation to get tobacco where they want it to be, and that is their
trademark tobacco. You can only get that type of tobacco from them.
In Cuba, why would anyone go through that tremendous expense and time
when there is no incentive to do so? In all Communist systems, even in
Russia during the Soviet Union where they made the worst cars in the
world, because there’s no competition and nobody wants to be better
than the next guy. Same thing with cigars. Partagas, Romeo Y Julieta,
all those Cuban brands are produced by the government. It’s basically
one guy producing all these cigars and putting different labels on them.
So why would Partagas want to be better than Cohiba or Cohiba try to
compete with Hoyo De Monterrey? There is no competition. It’s all the
same, it’s all going to be sold to the tourists. You’re not going to
get any recognition in your industry. So when there’s no incentive,
quality begins to go down. And since the dictatorship has failed
miserably economically, there are no funds to help with the fields.
They grow constantly. In the old days, you would let the fields rest.
You’d grow a different crop from tobacco so the field can re-nourish
itself and then you can grow tobacco again. Now they grow tobacco one
year after the other.
So will Cuban cigars be able to come back?
Cuba still has extremely fertile soil. It just needs tremendous amount
of TLC. It needs to be rotated properly and people who have a love and
passion for the industry who want to go the extra mile. There are people
there right now who are just not allowed to do it. We used to say,
‘when we go back to Cuba we’ll do it.’ Well, there are plenty of people
there right now who can do it and hopefully will do it one day. Is the
mystique dying? Yes. Just like the paint peeling off the buildings in
Old Havana.
*** SURVEY SAYS DEPT.***
What cigar wrapper do you like best?
It’s said that 20% of the cigar’s flavor comes from the wrapper. Every
wrapper has its own unique smoking properties and aroma. What’s your
favorite?
Send an email to: and in the Subject line, type or copy & paste, the following:
1. U.S. Connecticut shade
2. Ecuadorian Connecticut shade
3. Maduro (Connecticut broadleaf, et. Al)
4. African Cameroon
5. Ecuadorian Sumatra
6. Indonesian Sumatra
7. Sun-Grown (dark natural)
8. Double Maduro/Oscuro (black wrapper)
9. Cuban
10. Dominican
11. Honduran
12. Nicaraguan
13. Habana 2000
14. Other
As always, your comments are welcome and feel free to mention your
favorite cigar.
Survey Results for September 16th: How Can Our Catalog Be Even Better?
I was really hoping for a bigger response on this question, but of the
group who did send in their feedback, at least it was almost unanimously
positive. I have already responded to many of the comments that came in
and suffice it to say that when and where possible, we will try to get
some of your ideas into future catalogs. Here are a couple I thought I’d
share with the rest of you.
"One of [your catalogs] had a whole page of samplers for basically the
same price $ 19.00 - $ 24.00 and they were broken down into mild - medium
- full . I kept looking at them thinking, I'd like to try 2 from the
first, 1 from the second and maybe 2 from the third. I tend to shy away
from a 5 cigar sampler if there is a cigar brand that I have tried and
not liked. This would give your customers the opportunity to ‘Build Your
Own Sampler.’ You can steal that if you'd like. Looking forward to it."
"I have just joined your family of Famous Cigars and have only seen two
catalogs, but I would like to see more history within the pages of cigars
or cigar facts, I think that would make the catalog more interesting as
well as the outstanding layouts already in your catalog."
*** SMOKERS ED. DEPT.***
Cigar Terms & Tips (Collect and trade em'!)
Humidor - A room, or a box, of varying sizes, designed to preserve or
promote the proper storage and aging of cigars by maintaining a relative
humidity level of 70% and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cigar Store Etiquette
As you probably know New York recently adopted a smoking ban in most
public places including the OTB betting parlors which offered smoking
rooms to customers. That is where I used to smoke during the winter.
I do not smoke in the house (nor in my car) so I'm going to have a
problem when the weather turns too cold for me to sit in my yard.
There is a cigar store near where I live which I visit occasionally.
I buy most of my cigars from you for the usual reasons - price and
service. The people at the store are nice enough, but their prices
are high. My question is, since I will probably have to go to the
store in order to smoke in the winter. Is it bad manners to bring a
cigar with me or should I only smoke something I buy there?
- John M., Buffalo, NY
I would say that out of courtesy to the shop, it would be more appropriate to smoke a cigar in their lounge that was purchased from the
store. You could also "split the difference." Bring a cigar from home
with you and maybe purchase a different cigar to smoke at another time.
Sometimes, even if you just buy something, a lighter, accessories,
that's enough to give you a pass on a "home grown" cigar. All I can
say is, if I owned a store and folks started coming in to smoke cigars
they didn't buy from me, I’d probably get pretty annoyed. - G.K.
Since writing back to John, I spoke to our Famous Smoke Shop retail
store Manager, Lisa Freytes. Here’s her take on the situation:
“I actually know of cigar stores who won’t allow smokers to bring in
cigars from home or wherever and will even ask them to leave. I don’t
do this for one very simple reason: Eventually, they’re going to BUY
something. And when they do, it’s often a good sale. Sometimes these
customers are my best salesmen because they talk to the other customers
who ARE there to buy about the cigars they’re smoking and it helps them
make a decision. I want everybody who comes into our store to smoke a
cigar to feel welcome no matter where the cigar came from. I know that
one day they’re going to need something or get curious about a new cigar
and I’ve got them right where I want them - in the store!”
*** SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DEPT.***
Have a question about the care and feeding of your cigars or another
cigar-related topic? Send your questions and comments to me at: . I will try to respond as quickly as possible, but some replies may take a few days.
Subcribe To Famous Smoke Shop-Talk
If you'd like to subscribe to Famous Smoke Shop-Talk, simply click on the "Your Account" link in the left margin and check the box that says, "Email me your newsletter (issued every other week)." While you're there, you can also subscribe to our Weekly Email Sale. It's packed with money-saving specials on cigars, humidors and accessories you won't want to miss.
*** FAMOUS-SMOKE.COM HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS ***
Buying a Gift Online? Add a Special Message
If you currently or are planning to send cigars as a gift, now when
placing an order, you can input a gift message that will print on the
giftee’s packing slip. The gift message will also appear, for review,
on the final confirmation page during the check-out process. Just one
little technical note: the gift message will ONLY print if the billing
and shipping addresses are different.
*** RATING LUNATIC DEPT.***
Zino Platinum Scepter "Grand Master" (Dom. Republic)
Size: 5½" x 52
Wrapper: Ecuadorian
Filler: Dominican/Peruvian
Binder: Extra-aged Connecticut
This ain't no Dutch Master, I’ll tell you that. So far, the best of the
three I've had in this series. Everything about this cigar hit on all
cylinders. A remarkably smooth smoke with a consistently rich, woody
aroma from beginning to end. A perfect, dark, oily wrapper surrounds
this cigar and I'm always impressed by a cigar that tastes good even
before you light it. Sure, it's pricier than most, but if you love a
full-flavored smoke, this one's a real treat especially if you can
enjoy it uninterrupted. (95) ~ G.K.
Helix Super 8 Maduro (Honduras)
Size: 8" x 54
Wrapper: Connecticut broadleaf
Filler: Dom. Rep., Brazil, Mexico
Binder: Talanga Cubano
After seeing the packaging on the Helix series I assumed this was another
fly-by-night-won't-be-around-long type cigar, hopefully this isn't the
case. I was genuinely surprised at how good this cigar was for the price.
While I can't say much for the Naturals, the Maduros are very impressive
especially the Super 8. Good burn, nice flavor and probably the best
Honduran I've smoked in years.
- S.C., Tampa, FL (September 23, 2003)
(Customer reviews are selected at random and may be edited for length, not content.)
AGREE/DISAGREE? Your opinion may be similar or completely different and is also appreciated, so don't be shy. Rate the cigars you smoke on our web
site. What you say can help others make a more informed decision, even you!
*** GIVE THAT MAN A CIGAR! DEPT.***
Cigar tasting events in our retail store at 1100 Conroy Place, Easton, PA
Call 610-559-8800 for more info and offers associated with these events.
Saturday, October 11: 12:00/3:00 P.M. - Drew Estate Cigar Tasting
ACID, Ambrosia & Natural - Buy 3 Get 1 Free and more deals!
Friday, October. 17, 4:00/6:00 P.M. - Romeo Y Julieta Tasting
Buy 2 Get 1 Free (Pre-pack Special)
Coming Soon! - Punch Photo Shoot - Star in your own Punch cigar ad
*** EYES ON THE PRIZE DEPT.***
Cigar Sightings
Witness For The Prosecution (1957) replayed recently on Turner Classic Movies,
in which Charles Laughton, as the curmudgeonly barrister, smoked cigars.
In fact, the whole first act centered on his antics to snag some smokes
in violation of his doctor's orders. He liked his brandy, as well!
Great movie, great actors, even if the courtroom scenes took extreme
dramatic license to the point of absurdity.
- Walker Brents, Fort Worth, Texas
Other Famous Cigar Smokers Caught “Infumare Delecto”
[In response to our survey question on how you started smoking cigars,
this photo came in.]
I started when I was in Vietnam in 1969. Others were smoking 5 leaf
plants, but I stuck to cigars. Have been smoking them ever since.
- Nick Fragale, Troy, MI
WANTED! Cigar-smoking photos of you and/or your friends. (See next paragraph for details.)
Have You Made A Cigar Sighting Recently?
It can be from a movie, TV show or a celebrity you've seen elsewhere or in-person puffing on a primo. If you can name the brand of the cigar, even better! Or send in a herfing photo of you and your friends to me at
and please put "Cigar Sightings" in the subject line. Limit: 1 sighting or photo (preferably, a JPEG) per email.
That's all folks. Until next time, Happy Smokes!
Gary
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Copyright © 2003 Famous Smoke Shop - PA, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Portions or all of this information may be reprinted freely, provided this
link, http://www.famous-smoke.com, remains intact.
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