Will Prices Drop on Premium Cigars now that Cuba Has Normalized Relations?

Now that the U.S. has normalized relations with Cuba we hope prices on Cuban Cigars and even other made in Nicaragua will drop as the laws of supply and demand begin to take effect.

If you take a hard look at the secondary market for exoctic booze including a great Rye like Buffalo Trace Antique Collections or Willet and Four Roses on sites like Bottle Blue Book you can find bottles going for $750-1,600 when the MSRP is only a bit over $250. 

But, these bottles of booze are limited supply and that is not the case with premium cigars; cigar brands are racing to set up manufacturing in Cuba, which we hope will help to drive down prices on premium cigars. And, as you hang out with other cigar smokers this summer doing the barbecue thing in the backyard we would hope those Cuban cigars that have been in the deep stash see the light of day.

But, some think prices for Cuban Cigars will rise now that the embargo has been lifted, as the demand soars now that Americans know that travel to Cuba is okay. But, cigar manufacturers probably will not be able to scale up operations to keep up with increased demand. 

Another important variable driving up the prices for Cuban Cigars and luxury goods in general is the increase in the demand for any and all things high end, including Cuban cigars via emerging luxury markets in the Middle East, Russia, China and Brazil. 

If you are sitting on a box or two of Cuban Cigars or any premium cigar we’d recommend your taking a minute or two to watch our Five Best Cigar Humidors for under $100 video to ensure you are taking good care of your sticks.

While we are on the topic of premium cigars we’d strongly recommend the Rocky Patel line of cigars: they are well made with great construction, come in a wide variety of sizes and flavors (from mild to robust), manufactured with an attention to detail including stellar wrappers, high quality Nicaraguan tobacco and even packaging that stands out. 

Check out our deeper dive video on the history of this stellar cigar brand:

While we are on the topic if cigars some terminology your should be familiar with:

• Everything starts with the “head” of a cigar. This is the end you put in your mouth, it’s sealed and you will have to use a cigar cutter or guillotine to trim off the tip. Your teeth: don’t even think about it, won’t end well under any circumstances. 
• The “foot “is the side of the cigar you light using a good butane lighter, not a match or a candle. 
• The “filler” refers to the actual tobacco that makes up the bulk of your cigar. It’s usually a dried and fermented tobacco that is different from the wrapper. 
• The “wrapper” is the external layer of your cigar, with a variation in color from light to dark and a great deal of the taste of your cigar comes from the cigar wrapper. Every premium cigar starts and ends with a high quality wrapper. 

How to Choose a Premium Cigar: Things You Should Know 

You can spend the next few years Googling premium cigar and expect hundreds of thousands of links.  In many cases, checking out a local cigar club is a great way to start your exploration. These folks are usually going to steer you in the right direction and perspective as Einstein once said is worth 20 IQ points. Get it in your local cigar club.

Every cigar club is going to have a humidor, ranging from something simple that holds 50-100 cigars or a more exoctic humidor that maintains the optimum level of moisture inside the tobacco that makes up your cigar. Ask the friendly folks at your cigar club to give you a tour of their humidor and ask lots of questions.

If you are a cigar newby we’d tell you to avoid a higher priced cigar – you aren’t really going to appreciate the delicacies of a higher end cigar and you will be wasting money. And price, that’s a bad place to start when you are selecting a cigar. There are a ton of lower cost cigars that are under $5-10 per stick that are great tasting cigars.

Understand cigar construction: roll a stick between your fingers, it should not feel lumpy and the body of the cigar shouldn’t have a rough texture (it should be smooth to the touch). And, as you smoke a cigar the ash should always mirror the shape of the actual cigar; if not, you are smoking something that may not be the best quality. 

We hope this deep dive into Cuban Cigar prices and the care, feeding and selection of a good cigar was helpful. But, if you have questions we are here to give you answers; just give us a call on our toll free number to speak with one of our cigar friendly staff.