Cuban Cigar Industry Impacted by El Niño Phenomenon

It’s been a challenging year for the Cuban cigar industry which has managed to increase sales despite the slowdown in the world economy.

But it is facing other problems closer to home, which could affect future sales. The El Nino weather phenomenon has impacted on this year’s tobacco crops.

Its harvest time on the tobacco farms of Pinar del Rio province in western Cuba, the island’s premier growing region. But this past year has been a battle against the elements as Cuba suffered the worst drought it has seen in decades.That was followed by torrential rains in January, which is normally a dry winter month. The tobacco drying sheds are starting to fill up but for the Hernandez family, who have been producing tobacco here for generations, this ranks as one of their more difficult years.The bad weather comes are a time when the cigar factories are busy, as global sales of continues to rise. Read More>

How is a Fine Cigar Made?

Cigars come in several shapes and sizes. The standard shape is the round-headed cigar with parallel sides. Perfecto refers to a cigar with a pointed head and tapering sides; Panatella is a long, thin, straight cigar; Cheroot is an open-ended cigar, usually made in India or Asia. A special vocabulary denotes cigar sizes. From the smallest [3.5 in (8.9 cm)] to the largest [7.5 in (19 cm)] they are the Half Corona, Tres Petit Corona, Petit Corona Corona, Corona Grande, Lonsdale, and Double Corona. A set of initials usually stamped on the bottom or side of a box of cigars refers to the color of the tobacco leaf: C C C is Claro (light); C C means Colorado-Claro (medium); C means Colorado (dark); and C M stands for Colorado-Maduro (very dark). The darker leaf is generally the stronger tobacco. Read More>

Cuban Cigar Festival Concluded on March 4th with Stunning Results

The festival brought more than 2,000 participants from over 60 countries to the Cuban capital, from February 29 to March 4. This year’s edition was dedicated to Cohiba, the flagship Habanos brand.

A haze of smoke still hangs in the air following the celebrations of the 18th Habano Festival, the largest international event for enthusiasts of the best tobacco in the world.

This year’s edition was dedicated to Cohiba, the flagship Habanos brand, on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, which was celebrated in style with a closing gala held at Havana’s Pabexpo exposition center.

In this context, the presentation of the new Cohiba Medio Siglo (ring gauge 52 x 102mm long) was a landmark event, a product that joins the brand’s regular portfolio within the Línea 1492 line.

Likewise, two other special edition products were launched to mark the occasion – a limited edition vintage-style humidor containing the exclusive Cohiba Majestuoso 1966 vitola (ring gauge 58 x 150mm) – aroused particular interest among worldwide tobacco manufacturers and suppliers, as well as artisans and smoking accessory collectors and dealers. Read More>

Cigar Sommelier Competition

In a smoke filled room in Havana, the search is on for the world’s best Cigar Sommelier. When it comes to wine, a sommelier must know what best to serve with which food. Here it is what cigar to smoke and which drink to pair it with, once a meal is over.

“Oh Cigars, we already have more than 27 brands from Cuba, more than 250 different sizes and different intensities. They can be from the soft body to the full bodied cigar,” said Luis Garcia a Dubai based Sommelier.

Many of the competitors paired rum with their cigars but one Cuban offered American bourbon, perhaps anticipating the day Cuban cigars can finally go on sale in the United States. Eight competitors from five countries came to show off their skills in-front of an international jury that included an American. Read More>

Perdomo Cigar Process in Esteli, Nicaragua

The process of hand-making a cigar can take years, and Streatorite Larry Thomas got a firsthand look at it in Nicaragua last month.

Thomas owns Old Stogies Cigars & Barber Shop in Streator and traveled to Villa de San Antonio de Pavia de Estelí, Nicaragua, to see how Perdomo cigars are made. The business is owned by Nick and Janine Perdomo, who started in their garage in Miami 23 years ago. Their Estelí operation now employs 4,300 people across seven tobacco farms and the production factory.

"Nick and Janine were our group's tour guides and shared every aspect of their business and the processes involved in making a line of cigars that are rated some of the best by the industry and consumers," Thomas said. "The tour was an intense and totally vertical look at the entire process of cigar production." Read More>

Only One Cigar

Stephen Raab wrote an article criticizing Knott Hall and the Knights of Columbus for promoting the consumption of cigars to raise money for charity and commemorate the life of perhaps the most influential and greatest man to sit at the helm of this university. His main point being that cigars cause cancer and go against the principles of both organizations.

This is ridiculous. If the author is concerned about the cancer-causing effects of smoking one cigar for one day of the year, he might as well never leave the house because the sun can cause cancer, never have a glass of champagne or wine for celebration because alcohol causes cancer or wear a radiation suit before microwaving any food. Read More>