Cuban cigar sales drop amid global crisis

Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:18pm EST

By Jeff Franks
HAVANA (Reuters) - Sales of Cuban cigars, considered the finest in the world, dropped 3 percent to $390 million in 2008 as the world financial crisis and the spread of anti-smoking laws cut demand, officials said on Monday.
The falling sales reflected a decline in the market for luxury products in general as global economic worries mounted, said Manuel Garcia, vice president of Habanos S.A., the worldwide distributor of Cuban cigars.
Speaking at a press conference kicking off Cuba's annual cigar festival, he said 2009 was likely to be a "very complicated" year, but Habanos expected to maintain sales at around the 2008 level.
Three hurricanes raked Cuba last year, including powerful Gustav which cut through the heart of the island's prime tobacco growing state of Pinar del Rio, but Garcia said they had done minimal damage to tobacco supplies.
"Luckily, there was no effect on the harvest and there continues to be sufficient raw material to meet demand," he said. Thousands of tobacco curing barns were damaged by the storms, but most were rebuilt in time for the curing season, Garcia said.
Garcia said laws prohibiting smoking in public places had gone into effect in various countries last year, including some that are big customers for Cuban cigars.
Also, the number of worldwide airline passengers had fallen by a reported 11 percent, he said, which slowed the "duty free" market where Habanos sold about a quarter of its cigars.
He said the top global markets for Cuban cigars, which include well-known brands such as Montecristo, Cohiba, Partagas and Romeo y Julieta were, in descending order, Spain, France, Germany, Cuba and Switzerland.
Due to the 47-year-old U.S. trade embargo against Cuba, the communist-led island's cigars cannot be sold legally in the United States, the world's largest cigar consumer.
New U.S. President Barack Obama has promised to ease, but not eliminate the embargo.
If it were lifted, "it is probable that an opening of that market would signify a great possibility and great potential for our products," Garcia said.
Cuban cigars are so popular that Habanos, a joint venture between Cuba and British tobacco giant Imperial Tobacco Group PLC, has about 70 percent of sales in its current markets, said vice president of development Javier Terres.
He said an estimated 230 million to 250 million cigars will be smoked in the United States this year.

Vegas De Fonseca 86.75

Smoked this one on a nice Saturday afternoon in my garage while my son-in-law smoked another Kentucky Black Gold. This cigar did not stand out in that I could not detect any special flavors or blend that would make this stick particularly different than other cigars. It was an OK smoke and not disappointing.

Famous smoke shop has these as a discontinued cigar:

The company line is that Vegas De Fonseca cigars are the most ''bold and daring'' of all Fonseca cigars! Made in limited quantity and shapes to ensure consistency, these medium to full-bodied cigars are blended with hearty Dominican & Nicaraguan Ligero long fillers, balanced by a milder, Cuban-seed Dominican binder draped in a specially-cured, African ''Cameroon Deluxe'' wrapper. Complex in flavor, smooth and aromatic, like all Fonseca cigars, the Vegas De Fonseca selection is a memorable and gratifying smoke.

Cusano Killer Cameroon 91.76

Update 4/3/09 Still rate this high, going to buy box.

I am disapointed I only picked up 6 of these from the cigar store. This was my third one to smoke before I rated it to make sure it was not a fluke.

This is a great smoke and the cameroon wrapper really gives this cigar a great 'mouth'. This is a new term I am going to use for the taste of the wrapper on your lips before even lighting it up. Some cigars just have a very bitter taste and you have to have some sort of beverage or liquor to dampen your lips before lighting up to enjoy the cigar. This one does not need that and was enjoyable from start to finish.

http://www.smokeshopmag.com/ had this comment:

Cameroon wrapper is one of the world's sweetest, most flavorful tobaccos and the five-year-old, 1996 vintage used on Cusano Killer Cameroon cigars is one of the finest ever produced says Michael Chuisano, president of DomRey Cigar Co.
"We combined two very potent filler tobaccos, aged three and five years, to mellow out any harshness or bite while still keeping its underlying power intact," says Chuisano. "The delicate Cameroon wrapper provides the perfect finish, as this cigar tests the limits of strength while not overpowering the palette. Every cigar has an excellent draw, burns beautifully and develops a speckled white ash."
Chuisano thought he may have gone overboard in perfecting the blend of the Cusano Cameroon cigar with master cigar blender Hendrik Kelner. But samples smoked by key testers were quickly praised as "killer cigars," with requests for more. Cusano knew they had created the most powerful Cameroon cigar available, and the Cusano Killer Cameroon was born.
All tobaccos are vintage certified by ProCigar, the Dominican Republic cigar manufacturer's association.
Killer Cameroon is offered in four shapes: Robusto (5 x 50), Corona (6 x 46, belicoso tip), Toro (6 x 50), and Churchill (7 x 50), Cigars are individually cello-wrapped, and packaged in 20-count plexi-top, cabinet-style boxes. Retail prices range from $3.49 for a single Robusto to $4.49 for a single Churchill, available to retailers at keystone markup. Free samples are available for licensed retailers from Cusano Cigars.

AVO MADURO 79.575

I kept trying to identify any discernable flavor in this cigar and could find none. It was an OK smoke but nothing to brag to your friends about. Not one i want to buy a bunch of to age in my humidor. I have not smoked a lot of AVO yet, but am not enamored at this point. Brian over at stogie review however enjoyed his and had this to say:

Upon removing it from the cellophane I was greeted with a slightly oily, dark wrapper with a very light dusting of plume near the cap which I took as a good sign of both the cigar and the new B&M. The one vein I could see could barely be felt, the entire wrapper was very smooth. The cut was very clean and the pre-light draw was just right, yielding a nice mild tobacco flavor.
The first couple of draws produced plenty of smoke and the familiar maduro flavor, though not quite as sweet as some others I’ve had. I found the first and second third of this cigar to be rather mild and one-dimensional. Nothing really bad to say about it, just not very complex, pretty much the same flavor throughout. The ash was rather dark, resembling the ash of the Cuban cigars I’ve had the pleasure to smoke. The ash dropped as a little pellet as the burn got into the second third and the body began to build ever so slightly. The burn wasn’t very straight through the first two thirds and required a couple of touch-ups. The last third is where this cigar really began to come alive, I really wish the entire thing could have been just like this. The body picked up while retaining the smooth, light finish, picking up some leathery tones and the slightest bit of spice. I am usually tiring of a cigar into the last third but this one just got better and better. I smoked it down to about a half of an inch, something pretty rare for me personally.

smoked the other one of these I picked up the next night with much the same results. While being rather one dimensional through the first two thirds it really came into its own in the last third and I smoked it down to about 1/2 inch. The aroma on this cigar was unique and rather pleasant, probably one of the better smelling cigars I’ve smoked.

Fonseca Cubano Viso Fuerte 84.24

This was my pre-super bowl smoke. I was not too impressed with the flavor of this stick.

It smoked very well and was a well made cigar, but did not have the blend of flavors I expected.

Cigarcyclopedia like this one and had this to say:

This is the second blend in MATASA’s “Fonseca Cubano” series, aimed at the cigar enthusiast who looks for more flavor and more complexity. The Fonseca Cubano Limitado has been a hit since its debut in 2008 and the Viso Fuerte includes a unique combination of a Honduran-grown Criollo Viso wrapper with a filler blend that includes U.S.-grown Connecticut Broadleaf!It’s a medium-to-full-bodied blend with a nicely spiced aroma. The flavor includes a rich, caramelized note with a short finish. The clear and clean taste is inviting and there is a tangy finish as the cigar moves into the second half.Very well made, with an even burn, the Viso Fuerte continues smoothly into the second half and develops a peppery element at the very end that signals that this show is over.