Cuban cigars hold a reputation
as the world's most opulent tobacco product.
A box of good-quality Habanos can cost thousands of dollars.
Every hand-rolled Cuban cigar goes through
about 500 manual tasks from seed to cigar.
But over the last 25 years,
cigars made in other countries
in the Caribbean and Central America
have become comparable in quality, consistency, and cost.
Worse still for American smokers,
your Cuban cigar could be fake.
Some experts suggest that up to 95%
of all Cuban cigars in the US are actually counterfeit.
So why are Cuban cigars so desirable?
And is that why they're so expensive?
For more than 200 years,
the culture of cigar making in Cuba hasn't changed.
In a process that takes about a year,
tobacco leaves are grown, harvested,
and hung in drying houses called secaderos
before a slow fermentation occurs,
which enhances flavor, aroma, and burning characteristics.
Each leaf is inspected for its type,
appearance, and quality
and handed to a torcedor, a highly skilled cigar roller,
greatly respected in Cuban society.
Narrator: The heartland of Cuban cigar production
is in Pinar del Río, the westernmost province of the island,
where 70% of premium cigar tobacco
used by state-run cigar companies is grown.
Cuban tobacco growers claim that the fundamental influence
on quality is the region's terroir,
the unique environmental factors that affect a crop.
Narrator: But some cigar connoisseurs now argue
that cigars from countries like Nicaragua
and Dominican Republic,
which the industry calls New World cigars,
have become both desirable and reliable in the market.
Mitchell Orchant: The offering has become
improved incredibly.
The presentations are excellent, the blending is excellent,
the construction's excellent.
In very general terms, New World cigars
are better quality than Havana cigars
because they have better quality-control procedures.
Havana have been very much
behind the curve on quality control.
I would say, on an average box of Cuban cigars,
25 cigars, it's not unusual to get three
that are unacceptable in terms of quality,
usually in terms of construction more than blending.
Whereas on an average box of 25 New World cigars,
I would expect all 25 to be absolutely perfect.
Narrator: Despite the flaws in quality control,
Mitchell, who's an expert in vintage Habanos,
still prefers Cuban cigars.
Orchant: I would say I smoke eight Havana cigars
to two New World cigars,
and I absolutely adore Havana cigars.
However, I very much appreciate New World cigars as well.
It's nice to mix it up because there really isn't better,
there's only different.
So, you know, it's not a case of
"Cuban cigars are the best."
They're the best for me;
they're the best for a lot of people.
But 40% of our customers, the best is New World for them.
So it's just personal preference.
Narrator: In addition to quality,
there are a few fundamental factors
that determine the price of all cigars.
Firstly, the size,
measured in both length and diameter.
Generally speaking, the larger the cigar,
the more expensive it is.
Secondly, the vitola, differently shaped cigars
which take extra time and consideration when rolling.
Thirdly, the age.
The longer a cigar has aged, intensifying the depth
of flavor and aroma, the more precious it becomes.
But lastly, and most importantly, is the branding.
Habanos is the corporation,
part-owned by the Cuban government,
that controls the worldwide commercialization
of all Habanos cigar brands.
All Habanos cigars are made in Cuba,
but not every Cuban cigar qualifies as a Habano.
The state-owned company issues
Protected Denomination of Origin approval
for a selection of brands whose cigars it claims
are manufactured to the most stringent
quality-control standards.
To protect against counterfeiting,
Habanos only exports to selected companies in each country.
The only nation it does not sell to is the United States,
which hasn't allowed the import of Cuban cigars
since the 1962 embargo
actioned by President John F. Kennedy,
who just hours before signing the decree
banning all Cuban products from the United States
ordered his press secretary to buy over 1,000 Cuban cigars.
Not only did this ban increase the desire
for authentic Cuban cigars for American smokers,
but it also created a booming black market
for smuggled and counterfeit cigars.
Orchant: There's just so many fakes around in the US.
You can't buy Cuban cigars
and get them shipped into America.
It's illegal for the Americans.
And therefore, I don't know
where they're buying from, unscrupulous people.
Maybe the fake situation has declined a little bit
since Obama opened up that you could travel,
purchase Cuban cigars, and bring them in personally
if you've been on a holiday somewhere, you know,
I think you could bring in up to $800, I think.
And above that you can bring in whatever you want
and pay a very small amount of duty.
So it may have improved slightly,
but I would say probably 95% of the cigars
that are supposed to be Cuban cigars that I've observed,
quite simply are very bad fakes.
Narrator: Despite being the only country
that cannot legally import Cuban varieties,
the US is still the top cigar-consuming country,
by a considerable margin.
The cigar industry has grown substantially worldwide
in the last 20 years, and research has previously predicted
the market would reach $21 billion by 2025.
But cigar traders have long questioned
Cuba's supply capabilities,
an issue made even more problematic
amidst a global pandemic.
Orchant: Can Cuba continue to supply
as much as we need to feed the demand of our customers,
from agricultural problems to shipping issues
recently due to coronavirus slowing down
all the shipping lanes?
Will that ultimately feed through to the market
by prices increasing or discounts reducing?
That remains to be seen,
but I think that's the more likely scenario.
Narrator: As with any consumable,
taste and enjoyment are subjective.
Considering its depiction as a status symbol
in society for over a century,
it's reasonable to say that the allure of Cuban cigars
is somewhat based on prestige.
And although high prices are fetched for some Habanos,
particularly where outlawed in the United States,
in recent years all variety of premium cigar
have become uniformly priced.
Nonetheless, despite an increasing appetite
for cigars from other countries,
some connoisseurs will insist that
the most authentic smoke comes only from Cuban cigars.