If Cuba is open for trading....

ZAP

Been thinking about this for awhile and I know these questions cannot be answered in absolutes but would be interested in opinions...

How many and which manufactures outside of Cuba would produce Cuban smokes if Cuba opens up for trading.....how many would manufacture there and how many would just import the tobacco?  

What would the overall impact be for the average Joe cigar smoker on these forums?

scarlin

Which? I don't know. Will they use Cuban tobacco? Absolutely. I see a lot of brands going in and blending Cuban tobacco into cigars with other countries. I also see them making Cuban puros. Being that most Cuban cigars are mild-med it wouldn't effect me too much and I think a lot of people will mess with the Cuban "tradition" and ferment longer to get stronger cigars. I don't see this happening in the foreseeable future though, unless there is a drastic change in government.

webmost

Viva Batista!

Each Spring I join a score or so owners of BMW R1200C cruiser motorcycles for a wrench fest at Lake Conesus near Livonia New York. Last year, a fellow from Canada brought me some Cubans there. I was entirely underwhelmed. Other than that, I have no notion what they are like. Is there some special virtue to the Cuban cigar other than the "grass is greener" principle?

catfishbluezz

There is Davis, and they are different. Some like, some do not. There is a ton of fakes floating around as well, even in Canada, as I have gotten fakes there.

Honestly, even if they open the trade up, I do not see the government opening up the floodgates of tobacco to outsiders. Tobacco culture is very protected and built around relationships. You just don't walk into Nicaragua or Dominican Republic and get the best tobacco from Quesada, Henke, Padron, Olica, DPG etc.... Granted, some of those guys might be able to get in there but I'd imagine Cuba will want to protect their legacy as well of the puro.

Gaetano7890

catfishbluezz:

There is Davis, and they are different. Some like, some do not. There is a ton of fakes floating around as well, even in Canada, as I have gotten fakes there.

Honestly, even if they open the trade up, I do not see the government opening up the floodgates of tobacco to outsiders. Tobacco culture is very protected and built around relationships. You just don't walk into Nicaragua or Dominican Republic and get the best tobacco from Quesada, Henke, Padron, Olica, DPG etc.... Granted, some of those guys might be able to get in there but I'd imagine Cuba will want to protect their legacy as well of the puro.

I agree with Catfish, however if trade opens up with cuba the only way I see it happening is if they are no longer Communist. If that changes that is a chance we could see a lot of changes to the cigar industry there. The amount of things that people would be able to buy if we opened trade along with the amount of money they have the potential to make in monumental. Also it would be amazing thing to see how great the cuban cigar could become when a person makes an honest days pay for an honest days work. Tradition and legacy are a powerful tool in making the cigar industry great in Cuba but just imagine if Capitalism and free trade were added to the mix the power of the all mighty dollar is a very powerful thing. These are things that make the US what they are. I guess only time will tell.

catfishbluezz

Personally, adding the almighty dollar to the blend is what I fear. That's precisely why i am buying as much as possible until I get to a ridiculous point, because the last thing I want is 60rg beasts blended with garbage Nicaraguan tobacco then sold at a premium due to partial filler being Cuban. Don't get me wrong, I woudl really like to see some of my favorite blenders get their hands on some, but it will take years to perfect, and the first few years of embargo lift will be a massacre of QC to provide for the almighty dollar. I can't imagine how much whored out crap will come from....insert bastardized online blender here....

Heavy

catfishbluezz:

Personally, adding the almighty dollar to the blend is what I fear. That's precisely why i am buying as much as possible until I get to a ridiculous point, because the last thing I want is 60rg beasts blended with garbage Nicaraguan tobacco then sold at a premium due to partial filler being Cuban. Don't get me wrong, I woudl really like to see some of my favorite blenders get their hands on some, but it will take years to perfect, and the first few years of embargo lift will be a massacre of QC to provide for the almighty dollar. I can't imagine how much whored out crap will come from....insert bastardized online blender here....

Well said and I agree. All the casual 'look at me I'm smoking the most expensive Gurkha available' smokers will create a demand the Cuban producers won't be able to keep up with without sacrificing quality. Those 'status' smokers won't care though because they'll want everyone to know they're smoking cubans. IMO of course.

Gaetano7890

There will always be a brand like Gurkha because of the Status smokers. I know that my response was more in the perfect world setting and thats why I started it with agreeing with CF. I forgot to add that and def should have been more specific I was in a hurry. I was referring to the the rollers and blenders who never really get to see anyhting from all their hard work only the government is getting rich. I will end that point there as I don't want to get into Politics just stating my hopes. In theory it could improve quality over the long haul and could also help lose the forbidden fruit the CC has and leave them for the seasoned smoker who truley appreciates it, leaving all the Gurhkas for those folks. I do hope a lot of the well respected blenders don't put out crap just to make a buck I think that there income going muutiplying by 40 they won't care about catering to the Gurhka crowd. Only time will tell what happens

xmacro

Wait, wait, wait - this conversation is getting weird. Since when the f*ck is Gurkha considered a "status smoke"?

Gaetano7890

Status Smoker = Someone who smokes a cigar only because it is expensive.

webmost

So what is the difference? Know what, I'll go to the 101 room and ask Kuzi the Master.

Heavy

xmacro:

Wait, wait, wait - this conversation is getting weird. Since when the f*ck is Gurkha considered a "status smoke"?

Wasn't there someone on here recently that met a guy who bragged about smoking nothing but Gurhkas because they were so expensive?

Stick is irrelevant - I was just trying to depict the typical status smoker that would blow up the cuban market if/when it opens up because they think they should smoke cubans, but have no idea about quality etc.

xmacro

Ah, I gotcha; 100% in agreement. If the Castro's die, or Chavez dies and the free oil is cut off and Cuba is forced to open up, prices would go thru the roof as people pile in on the name