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Part Two: Las Vegas Big Smoke Saturday Seminars

Cuban Cigars

Posted: Wednesday, November 14, 2007

By Michael S. Marsh  

James Suckling

The allure of Cuban cigars is ever present among cigar lovers, so it's a pertinent topic at the Big Smoke seminars. While attendees enjoyed the top-rated "legal" (i.e. non-Cuban) cigars of the year, Cigar Aficionado's European editor James Suckling took the dais with David Tourgeman Betech, the manager of La Casa del Habano in Tijuana and Cancún, Mexico, to discuss the Cuban cigar industry.

Suckling began the seminar with a slide show, showing photos that included rollers at the H. Upmann and Partagas factories in Havana and box shots of new releases such as the Cohiba Maduro No. 5, Bolivar Gold Medal and Partagas Culebra. Photos also included several limited-production humidors and the seventh edition of Collección Habanos, a compendium of Cuban cigars. "It's really exciting," said Suckling. "Cuba is creating a lot of specialty items to keep the interest of consumers."

Throughout the seminar Suckling and Tourgeman stressed the improvement of Cuban cigars in recent years due to better factory conditions, more disciplined cigar rollers and Cuba's rededication to quality control. They discussed how Habanos is beginning to roll more robustos and fewer double coronas and Churchills, and updated participants on Cuba's antismoking law, which Suckling said "is not enforced" despite the island being a police state.

David Tourgeman

Tourgeman also talked about which Cuban cigars were selling the best and it wasn't a surprise when he said the Montecristo No. 2. "Torpedos are always popular," he said, but also noted that cigars with 50-, 52- and 54-ring gauges are also becoming much sought after. Tourgeman also named the Montecristo No. 4 as being one of the most popular sellers, while Suckling added the Partagas Serie D No. 4, especially in the European market.

"The quality is definitely getting better," said Suckling. "The Cubans are growing tobacco in better places and they are doing a better job of aging the tobacco. The cigars are also drawing better" thanks to a machine that can determine if a cigar is plugged or not. The only real concern for Suckling is that the Cubans may be rushing some of the wrapper tobacco into the production process, and he also pointed out some climate control issues that manufacturers are beginning to face.

The topic then shifted to one of the greatest concerns for manufacturers, retailers and consumers: counterfeit cigars. "It's a big problem in Mexico," said Tourgeman, "but it's worldwide. Everybody wants to sell you Cubans, but there's lots of garbage and a lot of very low-quality cigars." Tourgeman was quick to note that more than ever Habanos is stressing counterfeit control and doing its best to eliminate the problem. However, it's also up to the consumer to be vigilant. "If you pay $25 for a box of cigars," said Tourgeman, "you have to know you aren't getting the real thing."

Audience members contemplate Cuban cigar questions.

Suckling and Tourgeman concluded by taking questions from the audience, which included rolling techniques, non-Cuban versus Cuban cigars, and the merits and quality of Cuban-seed wrapper grown in places such as the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. And what would a seminar on Cuba be without a discussion of the embargo? "It's a question that's always on people's mind," answered Suckling. "Unfortunately, there hasn't been much discourse in Cuba and no movement by the Bush administration." When the embargo does finally get lifted, "the Cubans are going to have to increase production, update factories and train new rollers," added Suckling.

Meanwhile, Cuban cigars are as good as they've been in a long time, and both Suckling and Tourgeman impressed on the audience that it's a great time to seek out genuine Cuban cigars for enjoyment, even if that means taking a trip to Tijuana or Cancún to get them.

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