Despite a slump in 2020, the Cuban cigar market rebounded quickly in 2021, with a 15% increase in sales to end the year on a record high.
These hand-rolled luxury items are one of the country’s biggest exports, with some Cuban cigars selling for as much as $100 each.
Why is it that cigar aficionados are willing to pay that much for a puff of smoke? Is it a matter of status, or are these really the best cigars in the world? Find out here.
1. Cuba Is Cigar Country
Just like some parts of the world are famous for having the ideal environment to raise cattle, Cuba boasts the perfect circumstances for tobacco growers to produce the best tobacco in the world.
The sandy soil and humid climate promote strong, healthy, flavorful plants and excellent wrapper leaves, envied by tobacco growers across the world.
2. Cuban Cigars Are Pure
Cuban cigar manufacturers don’t add any preservatives and flavors to their cigars. The tobacco is pure and never blended.
When you smoke a Cuban cigar, you can taste the goodness of the soil and sunshine that went into creating it. Each cigar’s flavor comes from years of propagating tobacco plants for their unique characteristics and flavors.
Despite this minimal interference, you can buy Cuban cigars in a huge range of flavors and varieties, each one pure and natural. Some of the best-known types are Havana cigars, Cohiba cigars, and Montecristo cigars.
In Cuba, creating the perfect cigar is akin to art, and it takes years, or even decades, to bring the perfect cigar to market.
3. Cuban Cigars Are Exclusive and Luxurious
Expense and rarity go hand in hand with luxurious experiences. Cuban cigars cost more because of the time and effort that goes into them.
Farmers nurture their crops in every kind of weather, protect them from pests, and harvest them at exactly the right time. They ensure the tobacco dries out perfectly under the ideal circumstances.
A Cuban cigar factory consists of workers laboriously rolling each one by hand, while full-time workers read the daily news or latest novel to them to prevent boredom. There are no shortcuts to creating these masterpieces, and no thumping and grinding machinery to make the job quicker and easier.
These time-consuming, painstaking efforts mean cigars from Cuba aren’t as readily available or affordable as other types of cigars, which only adds to their allure.
4. The Cuban Government Takes Cigars Seriously
Cubans have been perfecting the art of growing tobacco and crafting cigars for over 500 years. Today, cigars are the country’s leading export.
Cigars are a matter of national pride in this Caribbean country, and the government regulates providers closely. Only the best Cuban cigars ever leave the country.
A few of the best cigar makers have left the country, too, culminating in locally-crafted Cuban-style cigars at more affordable prices. These include Little Havana, My Father Cigars, and the Cuba Tobacco Cigar Company.
Enjoy the Finer Things in Life
Cigars have long been synonymous with success and celebration because of their rarity and price. Those in the know will tell you that nothing beats Cuban cigars and the tipple of your choice for after-dinner relaxation.
If that’s not quite your style, browse our blog for more information on lifestyle topics that may interest you.
