Are we in a golden age for cigars?

[Stevieboy]

Being a relative youngster of 42, I've no idea about cigars from the 70s and 80s but I often hear of older cigar smokers saying that cigars from nowadays aren't nearly as good as back in the day. From my own experience, I think cigars from the last 2 or 3 years have been the best I've ever smoked certainly waaay better than stuff from early this decade. It seems that the manufacturers as a whole have gotten their collective acts together...I've not had a plugged or damaged cigar from any of the recent boxes I've bought
Even the LEs have improved dramatically over the earlier ones which, TBH, were pretty ropey. I wish I could say the same for my limited experiences with the REs...they range from the amazing JL Obus & JL Maximos to the disappointing as a whole Ramon Allones

Anyone have any thoughts?

[HabanoSy]

Great question Stevieboy...

I have to agree that over the last few years the general standard of cigars I have smoked has been top draw. Like you I cannot comment on cigars from the 60's, 70's and 80's as I have not had the good fortune (yet ) to enjoy such a smoke.

I personally think the LE's have been pretty much on the money from their release in 2000/2001 and I have enjoyed smoking and collecting pretty much all of them.

As for the RE's there have been so many, that I have forgotten more of them than I have smoked. With the RE's we need to try and remember that these cigars are 'supposed' to be for their 'specific' market and therefore the vitola/strength/flavour profiles are meant to mirror that...!!!

It's the other way round for me Im afraid Stevieboy, Apart form the Short Torpedo RE Caribe and the amazing Seleccion Suprema RE UK I have found the JL's to be disappointing. Whereas Ramon Allones has served up such delights as the Eminencia RE Suiza, Estupendos RE Asia Pacifico, Grandes RE Espana and the phenomenal Phonecios RE Libano to name just a few...

But I guess that is the beauty of our collective hobby/passion and why such questions like this can be put forward and all the answers will 'probably' be very different...

As for your original question, there has certainly never been so much creativity, variety and quality coming from the manufacturers with cigars 'seemingly' just getting better and better and now the retailers are also responding with parties and promotions in order to get old and new customers through their doors. Adding to that, new lounges are also being built/opened for patrons to 'legally' enjoy a cigar. So, for me I would have to say 'YES' this is a new golden age for cigars, and long may it continue...

To the brotherhood...

Cheers, HabanoSy

[Jacobwaits]

I can only judge from my own experience and find myself agreeing with the comments above. I remember buying boxes of cigars five years ago and always expecting to find at least five or six of them plugged and unsmokeable. Lately it's been more like one or two. Not great but getting better.

[Deano]

Great post, but it certainly seems to be. 2008 is getting more and more rated as this year goes on, and I don't see much difference with that of 2009 and 2010.

Even in the poor years of the early naughties, I'm finding some hidden gems (e.g. Gibraltar's casa), and I think we'll be looking back on this as a turning point in Cuban cigars.

Lets hope it continues.

[Eddie]

Is it because the manufactures are realizing that with the internet a brand can be destroyed over night with a handful of bad reviews for quality control?

[monkey66]

Adding to the discussion is the massive reduction in Cuban sales (due to the global economy). For example in 2006 Cuba made 217 million sticks compared to 73 million in 2009. IMHO This has led to better quality control as there is less pressure on numbers and more raw material to choose from. Technology has also improved as has the understanding and implementation of quality control. We are now seeing an uptake with the emerging economic giants and it is possible production numbers will ramp again.

With this in mind 2008-2010 (and perhaps 2011/2012) may well turn out to be a golden age and very sought after in 10-20 years. If the US embargo ever goes down they may well be the best years for a generation.

[Smallclub]

Is it because the manufactures are realizing that with the internet a brand can be destroyed over night with a handful of bad reviews for quality control?

Where did you take that idea? Reviews on cigar forums have zero influence, the majority of habanos smokers worlwide don't read cigar forums, they probably don't even know they exist…
There is only one manufacturer in Cuba: Cubatabac, and they don't give a shxt to what is said on cigar boards…

As for a golden age, I'd say that an age when the most refined formats, the most complex blends are discontinued in favor of mini robustos with monstrous ring gauges is not exactly "golden"…
Improvements in tobacco curing and cigar rolling is a different matter…

[Eddie]

Where did you take that idea? Reviews on cigar forums have zero influence, the majority of habanos smokers worlwide don't read cigar forums, they probably don't even know they exist…
There is only one manufacturer in Cuba: Cubatabac, and they don't give a shxt to what is said on cigar boards…

As for a golden age, I'd say that an age when the most refined formats, the most complex blends are discontinued in favor of mini robustos with monstrous ring gauges is not exactly "golden"…
Improvements in tobacco curing and cigar rolling is a different matter…

Try not to mince your words, not too sure your replies were forthright enough there.

[Kdot]

Cuban cigars from 2008 onward have been great.
Regionals tend to offer something different and regularly stray away from the brands characteristics.
I personally think the JL regional releases have been disapointing, especially the obus. The maximo was splendid.
Ramon Allones and Punch as a whole have improved drastically in the last few years and I look forward to their regional releases.

[cbob]

I guess I viewed the title of this thread in a different time-frame. Everyone here seems to be comparing today with the relatively recent history back to about 1996.

I don't believe this is a particularly "golden" age for cigars and cigar smoking.

What have we got? A plethora of "special" cigars from Cuba that don't seem (to me at least) to be any better than a decent example from any of the established marcas. The prices are ridiculous here in Canada (and in my experience almost everywhere else other than Spain or Andora). Prices in Cuba are twice what they were only two decades ago, if not higher.
Non-Cuban cigar makers continue to spew out hundreds, if not thousands of "new" and "boutique" cigars (1092 in the 2005 Perelman's and it's gone up), none of which could possibly capture more than a miniscule market share unless they become trendy and "popular" and those are soon replaced by a few hundred more. Unlike Cuban cigars, most of the NC vitolas I see discussed on this forum and others were unheard of only a few years ago.
Most cities if not whole countries have banned public smoking. Finding any place to enjoy a fine puro is a losing battle. Kudos to those upscale London hotels and restaurants who are beginning to reverse the trend. It's not happening where I live.
I can't smoke inside a bar or on the beach or in a park or even on the street if I'm within 3m of a doorway. No wonder I spend so much time in Cuba.

The "golden age" of cigar smoking was probably back in the '40s or '50s when almost everyone smoked (mainly cigarettes), you could buy decent, tasty cigars at your local tobacconist (few left now) or the drugstore or any bar or restaurant. You could smoke almost anywhere. Heck; even in the 1980s when you could still smoke in airplanes but they "discouraged" pipes and cigars, I once had to complain about a pipe smoker who insisted on lighting up in the seat behind me. I was upset that I couldn't smoke a cigar but the old fart (probably about the age I am now) was being given special treatment. They didn't make him stop; they moved him to the back of the smoking section.
Back in the mid-'70's when I moved from smoking the mass-market machine-made cigars I'd been smoking for a decade to premium hand-made Cuban and Jamaican cigars, the prices of the top vitolas was a fraction of the price we see today- relative to my income and the prices for booze or food, cigars were cheap. I could smoke almost anywhere. The selection of Cuban and non-Cuban cigars was limited enough (fewer than 100 Cuban vitolas and about 50 common NCs) that one could really sample everything and find a favorite.
For me, this was "The Golden Age". We shall not see its like again, I fear.

[Cigar-aficionado]

I agree with the points made regarding smoking in public etc. The Golden Age was surely when we were free to enjoy a smoke in bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants after a fine meal instead of being treated like social pariahs as we are now. The variety of cigars has increased but difficult to say if they are better than those from the 1960s etc as they have not aged sufficiently to compare.

I feel I am in the Golden Age when in Gibraltar and you are allowed to select and enjoy your cigars anywhere you like, including after meals in most restaurants...I just hope people take advantage of this while it lasts.

[cbob]

The variety of cigars has increased but difficult to say if they are better than those from the 1960s etc as they have not aged sufficiently to compare.

I could understand your point if you really believe that it would be valid to compare a 50 or 60 year old cigar with a current vitola. Is that really what you meant?
Now if we wished to compare cigar "quality" between specific vitolas /marcas as they were then with what is available now, that could be interesting. Unfortunately, there is no reason to believe that the folks who claim that a particular cigar was "way better" when they smoked one "back in '72" have any real memory of the taste or smell or construction of cigars they smoked 20-30-40 years ago any more than they can remember the exact taste of their grandmother's mac & cheese.
Good story but I call bs.
I smoked Montecristo coronas (heck I don't even remember what model they were) "back in '72" and all I can remember is that they were pretty strong compared to Por Lara?agas or El Rey del Mundos. If Simon Chase (assuming, unlike James Suckling, that he was actually smoking cigars in the '60s or '70s) or some other "older gentleman" wants to call me on this, I'm open to correction : but you have to PROVE that you have an eidetic memory for taste and smell.

Anybody got a time machine handy?

[monkey66]

I don't think there is anyone who would question that cigar smoking used to be far better before the bans etc. (I am sure I am not the only one salivating for the periods described so eloquently on this thread).

Swinging the conversation back to production/product quality, what do you seasoned guys think?

NB -loving this thread

[Daize]

great thread, interesting read

[Rocco]

Where did you take that idea? Reviews on cigar forums have zero influence, the majority of habanos smokers worlwide don't read cigar forums, they probably don't even know they exist?
There is only one manufacturer in Cuba: Cubatabac, and they don't give a shxt to what is said on cigar boards?

As for a golden age, I'd say that an age when the most refined formats, the most complex blends are discontinued in favor of mini robustos with monstrous ring gauges is not exactly "golden"?
Improvements in tobacco curing and cigar rolling is a different matter?

i agree with Smallclub. Although quality has improved with Altadis, the tendency of having bold, powerful cigars with no balance and finesse has discouraged me from purchasing several marcas. Brands that were typically mild to medium bodied have been boosted with some extra ligero to follow current trends. I hope that some of the discontinued vitolas will make a quick return. Unfortunately, people are all looking for a quick 10 minute smoke, whether it be a half-corona or petit robusto.
I remember when smoking cigars was all about relaxing!?!