Expert: James Yee - 9/23/2011

Question
Hello James, I have only been smoking cigars for a few years but have really grown an appreciation for Maduro cigars.  I have been trying to find a store that carries cohiba black. I am willing to go anywhere in the GTA or surrounding area if I know they carry them. Would you be able to tell me who would carry them?  Also if you have tried them and your thoughts.
Thanks

Answer
Hi Glenn,

Unfortunately, not many Canadian cigar stores carry Cohiba Black due to licensing rights.  Because Cuban cigar brands are sold in Canada, non-Cuban cigar brands with the same brand names cannot be sold.  This means that many stores do not stock non-Cuban versions of Cohiba, Montecristo, Partagas, Romeo y Julieta, etc.  (This also explains why Cuban Punch is not sold in Canada but non-Cuban Punch is.  The company that owns non-Cuban Punch (General Cigar Co./Swedish Match), secured the rights to sell their Punch branded cigars in Canada first.

Your best option is to take a trip south of the border and pick some up in the US.  As an alternative, you could try asking a cigar store (that sells non-Cuban cigars) if they could special order a box for you from the US but I imagine there will be a huge price markup.  Another alternative is to mail-order the cigars from a US retailer but your cigars may be taxed by Customs.

I've only tried two of these cigars (acquired in the US) and they're pretty good.  Overpriced (typical of non-Cuban Cohibas) but very good cigars... rich in flavour and very oily. (I'm a big fan of maduro cigars too.)  The least-expensive cigar in this line is the corona which runs about $12-14 in the US.

I don't know any local stores that carries Cohiba Black but if I ever find them in Toronto, I'll let you know.  (I'll reply to this post and you'll be re-notified by email.)

Regards,
James