Expert: James Yee - 5/27/2008

Question
Are Cuban cigars really that good, or is it just an American ideal to try the “forbidden fruit.” Either way I would appreciate if you could tell me the main differences between some of the major national tobaccos, including Cuban. Are some more mellow, some more spicy, ect?

Answer
Hi Andrew,

With cigars, taste is somewhat subjective and though many people (I would say the majority) that have smoked both Cuban and non-Cuban cigars agree that Cuban cigars are better, there are always people that find the differences to be negligible.

The reason why many people find Cuban cigars to taste so much better than non-Cubans cigars is because Cuban cigars are “puro” (pure).  This means that the filler, binder and wrapper tobacco are all from premium Cuban tobacco.  Many non-Cuban cigars do not do this and will utilize tobacco in their cigars from more than one country. (ie: Nicaraguan wrapper, Honduran filler, Sumatra binder, etc.)  While a mixed blend can create a good, unique flavour, some people prefer a “pure”, uninfluenced blend.  (There are indeed some non-Cuban puro cigars and these cigars are also more popular than cigars with mixed blends.)

Another issue is aesthetics.  Cuban cigars has some of the nicest, most exceptional, high-quality, hand-produced cigar construction ever seen on a cigar.  In the non-Cuban cigar market, there are also premium cigars with superb cigar construction (For example: Fuente, Padron, Avo & Davidoff) but the non-Cuban cigar market is generally flooded with many inexpensive, low to middle-quality cigars.  Cuban cigars have also been known to have consistently rich, dark and oily wrapper leaves which appeals to many smokers whereas the non-Cuban cigar industry will use lighter wrapper shades such as Claro (light tan) and even Candela (vegetal green).  Many non-Cuban cigars do have dark maduro and oscuro wrappers but these generally produce a milder taste whereas Cuban maduro cigars are still full-bodied.  As I mentioned, taste is somewhat subjective and not everyone will detect the same flavour profiles in the same cigar.  Cigar strength on the other hand, cannot be disputed and many Cuban cigar brands are generally more full-bodied and richer in flavours when compared to non-Cuban cigars.  

Lastly, availability is another key issue.  As you mentioned, many American cigars smokers consider Cuban cigars to be a “forbidden fruit” because they are illegal and in high demand.  This, plus the other factors such as construction, aesthetics and taste makes Cuban cigars extremely popular and highly sought after.  For Canadians, the situation is reversed and a premium non-Cuban cigar can be either extremely rare in Canadian shops, or extremely expensive.

In closing, I personally believe that Cuban cigars do taste better than *most* non-Cuban cigars but suggest that non-Cuban cigar smokers should try a Cuban cigar at least once to see if they notice any difference themselves.

Hope this answers your question. If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James