The Reality of Buying Cuban Cigars in the United States

Transcription

1 The Reality of Buying Cuban Cigars in the United States

2 Every cigar lover knows about Cuban cigars. In the U.S., they are nearly mythical, thanks to their being banned as part of the country s overall embargo on trade with Cuba, which was imposed by President Kennedy in But, even though most American cigar smokers have never seen a real Cuban, much less smoked one, they are widely considered the best in the world Time magazine said Cubans are perhaps the world's most revered cigar, in part because fertile land and favorable climate allow all three types of tobacco leaves used in a cigar the wrapper, filler and binder to grow on the island. As David Savona, executive editor of Cigar Aficionado, told the Chicago Tribune, Tobacco grown there takes on the flavors of the soil and is influenced by the microclimate in that particular region. (The far western region of the island is best for cigars, he said in the same interview). You can take the same seeds and grow them elsewhere. There will be similarities, but only Cuban tobacco tastes like Cuban tobacco.

3 Interest in Cuban cigars has grown in the past year because in December 2014 President Obama eased trade restrictions as one of several steps toward normalizing relations with Cuba. New rules make it easier to travel to Cuba from the United States and, for the first time in two generations, to bring a limited number of cigars home. But, since you ve never smoked nor seen a real live Cohiba, H. Upmann or Montecristo, you re smart to wonder how you d go about buying Cuban cigars and being sure you had the real thing at a reasonable price. If the Cubans are our friends now, that s great. But if Americans are getting off of planes, and soon cruise ships, with wallets bulging with greenbacks, more than a few enterprising Islanders are going to be offering deals on authentic Cuban smokes. Cigar Aficionado says fake Cuban cigars abound in Cuba. An unscrupulous vendor can buy a bundle of simple, unbranded cigars from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua or Honduras for $20, band them with facsimiles of Cuban cigar bands, put them in a copy of a Cuban cigar box and sell them to an unsuspecting cigar smoker for $300 or more. But, with the help of Cigar Aficionado, the Havana Journal, ehow and our own experience, let s keep that from happening to you.

4 How Many Cuban Cigars Can I Bring Home to the U.S.? Under President Obama s trade normalization rules, Cuban cigars are no longer illegal in the U.S. if they are bought in Cuba and brought home for personal use. They still cannot be sold in the U.S. nor purchased over the Internet or while in a third country (like Canada or Mexico). Today you can legally bring a limited number of Cuban cigars into the United States from Cuba. Restrictions that still exist should change as normalization proceeds. Current U.S. Custom and Border Protection rules allow persons authorized to travel to Cuba to buy tobacco (and alcohol) products while in Cuba for personal consumption while there, and to return to the United States with up to $100 worth of tobacco products acquired in Cuba. Specifically, the rules adopted in January 2015 state that: The value of merchandise purchased or otherwise acquired in Cuba that is imported as accompanied baggage... cannot exceed $400 per person, of which no more than $100 of the merchandise may consist of alcohol or tobacco products (or a combination thereof), and provided that the merchandise is imported for personal use only. Note that if you want to bring home Cuban rum, that s going to cut into your cache of cigars. You ll be assessed a flat-rate 4 percent duty on tobacco and alcohol imports up to $100 (i.e., $4). Any tobacco (and/or alcohol) products exceeding the $100 value limit will be seized, according to the rule change announcement.

5 Can I Go to Get my Cabanas? The thaw in relations has also made it easier to travel to Cuba, though authorized travel from the U.S. is still officially limited. Simple tourism is not yet allowed. Officially, Americans can travel to Cuba for: Family visits. Official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations. Journalistic activity. Professional research and professional meetings. Educational activities. Religious activities. Public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions. Support for the Cuban people. Humanitarian projects. Activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes. Exportation, importation, or transmission of information or information materials. Certain authorized export transactions. The U.S. Department of State says all travelers to Cuba, including religious workers, should contact the Cuban Embassy in Washington to determine the appropriate type of visa required for their purpose of travel.

6 How much should I pay for Cuban cigars? If you are an American in Cuba, you are allowed to bring up to $100 worth of Cuban cigars into the U.S. if you buy them in Cuba and transport them in your own luggage for your personal use. That sounds great, but before you get a travel visa and jump on a plane, you may want to know how far your $100 will or should go with your friendly barrio tobbaconer. Turns out that, even in a centralized communist economy, quality and cost vary by brand. Cigar Aficionado magazine reported price points per cigar in January 2015 ranging from 6 cuc ($6.78) for a Partagas Serie D. No. 5 (16 per $100 limit) to 31 cuc ($35.03) for a Cohiba Behike BHK 56 (3 per $100 limit). For the 17 cigars listed, the average price was about 14 cuc, or $15.82 (7 per $100 limit). (All cigars in Cuba are priced in Convertible Cuban Pesos, a CUC, which are valued against the American dollar. The exact exchange rate is officially 1:1, but fees charged for making the exchange bring the effective rate to $1.13 per CUC.) There are also limited edition cigars that top 100 CUC each, which you re not getting off of the island through U.S. Customs anytime soon. The standard-size box of Cuban cigars contains 25 sticks, which means you can bring full boxes of some low-end smokes home under the $100 import limit. On the other hand, smaller boxes are already showing up in some Havana shops, providing options for importing a full, unopened package of higher quality cigars within the $100 cutoff. It s no leap to expect more packaging aimed squarely at travelers from the U.S. as more of us begin to show up looking for Cubans to take home.

7 What Does My Dollar CUC Buy? In a May/June 2015 guide, Cigar Aficionado explains prices in Havana: A Montecristo No. 2, which retails for 22 ($34) in London and C$41 ($32) in Canada, sells for 9.65 CUC in Cuba, about $11 when you factor in what a buyer in U.S. dollars loses in fees when changing money here. Most cigars can be had for less than 10 CUC apiece, if you steer clear of special releases and Cohibas.

8 What Does My Dollar CUC Buy? (con t) More for Less The Partagás Serie D No. 4 (4 ⅞ inches long and a 50 ring gauge width) is the most popular cigar made in Cuba, in part because of its affordability. It sells for about 174 CUC per box of 25, or 6.96 CUC ($7.87) per cigar. At a 1:1 valuation (not counting exchange fees), you could bring 14 home under the $100 value limit. In a piece for the New York Observer, Nick, a cigar expert who runs the Gotham Cigar Museum in Tampa, Fla., and who requested anonymity, described the low-priced Partagás as a strong cigar with earthy, peppery flavors blended with a robust tobacco taste. The Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial (5.5 inches, 50 ring) was priced at 400 CUC for 50 in February 2014 ($348), or 8 CUC each ($9.04). It is also sold in tubes of three. It was among Cigar Aficionado s top cigars for 2014, and described as very, very rich, with varied notes that include coffee, earth and cocoa powder, and a touch of graham cracker. It s complex, but not too strong, making it a very approachable Cuban. At a value of 8 CUC each, you could bring 12 home. Also on the lower end, Cigar Aficionado recommends Upmann Half Corona, a small (3.5 inches, 44 ring) smoke that stands out for its value. At 3.50 CUC ($3.95) each, it s one of the few quality boxes of 25 you can bring home for $100. They also come in sleek tins of five. Men s Journal suggests the Rafael Gonzalez Perla, a small but delicious smoke, for those who are looking to stock up. The 4 inch, 40 ring gauge smoke is priced so that you could bring 20-plus home, MJ says.

9 What Does My Dollar CUC Buy? (con t) Mid-Range Smokes The Montecristo No. 2, Cigar Aficionado's Cigar of the Year for 2013, can be found in just about every top-tier Havana cigar store and should not be passed up, the magazine says. As of mid-september, they were going for 9.65 CUC ($10.90) each (10 per $100 limit). Montecristos are perhaps the best-selling cigar in the world. Nick says Montecristos are blended for a medium tobacco taste that s a tangy, pleasant flavor, fruity, sweet, with a heavy presence of bean flavors, like cocoa and coffee and vanilla. The Bolivar Libertadore was priced at 11 CUC each, or $12.43 apiece, providing opportunity to bring 9 to the States. Cigar Aficionado describes the Corona Gorda size (6.5 inches, 54 ring) as having notes of walnut and roasted coffee bean (that) carry pleasant touches of salt before a warm combination of sugar and spice also develops on the palate. Nick says Bolivars are not for beginners. They re strong and earthy, and you may have a reaction some people get sick, and some people get flushed. You need to be careful and smoke it slowly. A beginner will most likely just puff, puff, puff. Partagás Lusitanias are large stogies (7.6 inches, 49 ring) packaged in cabinets of 50 for nearly 600 CUC. That s 12 CUC ($13.56) each, or 8 per $100 import quota, so you ll need friends to help you smoke a few and carry the rest back. Cuban Lou s calls this multi-hour smoke one of the best cigars in the world, and Cigar Aficionado says, You don t truly know how great a large Cuban cigar can be until you have smoked a Partagás Lusitania at its best.

10 What Does My Dollar CUC Buy? (con t) High-End Cubans Cohibas are top-of-the-line Cuban cigars, reportedly made specifically for Fidel. Nick says the extra-fermented, aged cigar has an unmistakable, very pleasant, grassy taste with flavors of vanilla and cocoa and coffee. Cigar Aficionado named the Cohiba Behike BHK 52 its Cigar of the Year for 2010, and says it s a better smoke than the thicker BHK 54 or BHK 56. In fact, they advise avoiding the BHK 56 in favor of the fine BHK 54 or the BHK 52, one of the best cigars Cuba has ever made. The BHK 52 was priced at 22 CUC ($24.86) in mid-september (4 per $100 limit). The Churchill-size Cohiba Esplendido (7 inches, 47 ring) is described by Cigar Aficionado as packing a considerable punch, and at its best it showcasing a level of power and complexity that is hard to find anywhere else. Cigar Inspector called it flavor-wise, one of the best cigars ever and cited a changing taste of cedar notes leading to elegant floral scents and a finish of chocolate/cocoa mixed with peppery flavors. It was priced at 23 CUC, or $25.99, in mid-september. That s 4 coming home.

11 Are There (More) Cubans in Your Future? So, bottom line, you can get Cuban cigars legally now if you re prepared to jump through the hoops and make the trip. Within the $100 import limit, you can bring back a couple dozen and tell your buddies, Hey, they re Cubans! or a half dozen better smokes to share with real friends, or just a few of the high-end sticks to savor with your best pal or by yourself. We re hopeful for the future vis a vis freedom to import Cuban cigars with few restrictions. Now that the door has been opened, it s hard to see it being shut again, though, as we ve seen, it s the President s call.