Cuban Cigars: What’s the Deal?

If I had a nickel for every time somebody asked me (or freely shared his opinion) about Cuban cigars, I’d probably retire to a private island. Seriously.

“Are Cuban cigars really better?”
“Do you sell Cuban cigars?”
“I only smoke Cuban cigars, they’re the best.”
“It’s good, but it’s no Cuban!”

I was walking out of a prime rib restaurant, Opus X in hand, when a passerby accosted me. “That a Cuban?” he asked, big dumb grin on his face. In that moment I realized that many non-cigar smokers simply don’t know what else to say.

“Yup,” I replied deadpan, unwilling to waste my time explaining how tobacco disease and manufacturing inefficiencies that have led to a plummet in quality control, or how their current legal status means you pay a ridiculous premium, and even then, there’s no guarantee you’re even getting the real McCoy.

Look, I have enjoyed my share of Cuban cigars. Are they good? In a word, yes. When they’re good, they’re damn good…there is no denying it. And they DO offer something that you won’t find anywhere else; such is the nature of terroir.

If you’ve got the money, inclination, daring, and time to find a good source of illegal cigars, then good for you. But there is so much more to cigars than that Island South of Miami, as brands like Tatuaje, Rocky Patel, Oliva, Perdomo and so many others continue to prove.