Posted on 07/27/2026 6:59:37 PM PDT by Libloather
Amid Cuba’s months-long fuel and electricity crisis, one of the island’s most iconic exports is feeling the pinch: cigars.
Retailers say the industry is facing one of the worst supply squeeze in history as blackouts, fuel shortages and shipping disruptions make it nearly impossible to produce luxury cigars and get them off the island in the temperature controlled conditions they require.
“I’ve been telling clients, ‘Listen, it’s been months since I can get them,’” said Manu Harit, a London-based cigar specialist whose business is almost entirely built on Cuban cigars.
Over the last year, he said, orders have been filled at only a fraction of what he requested. “At the beginning of the year I ordered £45,000 [around $60,000] of stock and got £5,000 [around $6,650],” he said … In the last few months they have shipped very little inventory,” Harit added.
Consumers, meanwhile, are hoarding whatever they stocked up on over the last few years. “I’ve smoked the Cohiba my whole life and now I can’t get it,” said one American who has long purchased cigars in the UK. “There’s nothing else like it.”
Cuban cigars are incredibly vulnerable because the entire industry is owned and controlled by the country’s communist government. So when national infrastructure breaks down, the cigar industry does too.
Habanos S.A., the company that controls global distribution of Cuban cigars around the world, is half-owned by the Cuban state, with the other half held by foreign private interests.
“There isn’t an alternative… ” Harit said. “Every brand is nationalized” — including Cohiba, Trinidad and Montecristo.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Dear FRiends,
We need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Your donations are our sole source of funding. No sugar daddies, no advertisers, no paid memberships, no commercial sales, no gimmicks, no tax subsidies. No spam, no pop-ups, no ad trackers.
If you enjoy using FR and agree it's a worthwhile endeavor, please consider making a contribution today:
Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you,
Jim
Aren’t Dominican cigars from Cuban seed considered premium?
We used to get Cuban cigars in the Trust Territories... even after a humidor session they were still rough. Never was a tobacco user...
Cuban cigars have a great reputation, but are really garbage. Communism fouled up the tobacco farming.
The best ones come from the Dominican Republic. Once Venezuela gets back on their feet, their cigars will be much better than cubans.
Dominican cigars could very well be better but think of the taboo factor. You’re not supposed to do anything communist.
My Canadian friend brought me one. It cost $50.
Some Dominican cigars are quite good. Nicaraguan are much closer to Cuban cigars.
Uhhhhhhhh....I have an idea......whatsay Cuba throws off the shackles of Communism and embraces Capitalism? Just spitballin’.
“in the temperature controlled conditions they require.”
They seemed to do fine before air conditioners were available.
Cuban cigars are both overrated and overpriced.
L
Agree. Nicaraguan cigars are premium. But are also from a communist controlled country.
Might I suggest “Brazilia” It is a Cigar made in Honduras of the their finest quality tobacco and with a Brazilian Tobacco wrapper. It is a great cigar. An added plus is its relight properties. It is a slow burner and about a half is very satisfying. You can light it up a few hours later and it still tastes great. Some other quality cigars do not.
Oddly it is an American Company out of Nashville(CAO) but manufactured in Central America. The owners have backgrounds in Tobacco and know what they are doing.
His loss.
You guys got cheated, this is a pretty crummy cigar.
Do not worry, we send them pretty crummy rockets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD5AQluWoIM
Buy Honduran cigars then. It’s the SAME seed.
I haven’t seen that movie in while. I’ll have to look for it and watch it again.
Are you referring to CAO Brazilia? If so, the cigar is from Honduras, the wrapper is Brazilian, but the filler and binder are from Nicaragua. CAO makes some fine cigars.
Cuban cigars are really good - earthy with a very unique taste. I have acquired many of them and they take a special place in my humidor.
There really is no better cigar IMO.
However, high end Dominicans, Nicaraguans, and Hondurans are just as good and readily available and don’t require a trip to some third word Latin shithole to obtain.
“Buy Honduran cigars then. It’s the SAME seed”
Yes, it is. But the soil Cubans are grown in makes all the difference somehow.
Why is no one in a solitary agreement here?
All my smoker-friends from long ago are gone now.
Rush Limbaugh liked cigars, and now he’s gone...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.