One thing I have always wondered.......

[Sisko]

Why are Cohiba's so freaking expensive?? In the UK, a box of 25 Esplendidos will set you back at least £700-800!!!

I've always smoked Montecristo's, Romeo y Julietta's and a host of other stogies but I have always had a curiosity about the Cohiba's but the price just puts me right off!! :(

[htown]

Because someone will pay that.

[massphatness]

In the UK, I think it's the taxes, no?

[icehog3]

Because Cohibas are so freaking awesome!!

[lampshade]

Cohibas use leaves that are triple fermented, while all other Cuban labels use only double fermented leaves. All Cuban sticks are somewhat price controlled (they are Communists, after all), based linearly on the length and ring gauge. Cohibas are the only exception, and generally priced about 50% more. They are also, supposedly, the only thing Castro smokes. This gives them a better name recognition relative to the other Cuban labels.

[Whipper Snapper]

American Rappers man.
American Rappers.

[bobarian]

Cohibas use leaves that are triple fermented, while all other Cuban labels use only double fermented leaves. All Cuban sticks are somewhat price controlled (they are Communists, after all), based linearly on the length and ring gauge. Cohibas are the only exception, and generally priced about 50% more. They are also, supposedly, the only thing Castro smokes. This gives them a better name recognition relative to the other Cuban labels.

Please cite your source for the information on tobacco. I had not heard this before. I had heard that Cohiba is rolled using a leaf that is generally aged for a longer period and that the pricing on all cigars is based upon weight(length and RG).

Not doubting you but would like to know your source.

[ChicagoWhiteSox]

Siglo line doesn't use triple fermentation IIRC.

[md4958]

Supposedly because:

They use the best leaf, limited quantities of which are available.
They age that leaf longer
They use only the best rollers to roll them
They are pretty damn tasty

Habanos, Im sure, also wants to keep that as their exclusive flagship brand. Its like why is a Lexus more expensive as a Toyota? Better materials, better craftsmanship, better branding.

Cohibas are great cigars, not for everybody, but I enjoy them. However, they are not my favorite marca.

[kuzi16]

Please cite your source for the information on tobacco. I had not heard this before. I had heard that Cohiba is rolled using a leaf that is generally aged for a longer period and that the pricing on all cigars is based upon weight(length and RG).

Not doubting you but would like to know your source.

not my source but: http://www.habanos.com/article.aspx?aid=34&lang=en

and

http://www.cubancigarwebsite.com/brand.aspx?brand=Cohiba

[Garbandz]

Lucky you to be so close to all the distilleries in Scotland. Unlucky to have such a tax base to live in.

Taxes and VAT add a lot to the price,on top on having to support the importer.

It would be interesting to see a comparison of prices from country to country,lets say on the Partagas 898,Monte 2,and Cohiba robusto.


Anyone know of a site with this info ?

[dave]

Interesting comment about protecting the flagship brand, Moe. I hadn't thought about it before. But, I wonder if that is also why Cohiba is the only CC/NC marca that managed to keep their look fairly unique. DR Cohibas don't use yellow/black or checkerboard patterns at all that I'm aware of. Other brands that come to mind have bands and logos that are very similar to the CC's of the same name. Maybe further effects of protecting that flagship?

[icehog3]

The original DR Cohibas had an identical band to the CC version, Dave, except having "Dominican Republic" where the CC band had "Habana, Cuba".

[Dunkel]

This thread should be in the Habanos Discussion section. Just sayin'.

[icehog3]

This thread should be in the Habanos Discussion section. Just sayin'.

The O.P. likely doesn't have access. ;)

[md4958]

Interesting comment about protecting the flagship brand, Moe. I hadn't thought about it before. But, I wonder if that is also why Cohiba is the only CC/NC marca that managed to keep their look fairly unique. DR Cohibas don't use yellow/black or checkerboard patterns at all that I'm aware of. Other brands that come to mind have bands and logos that are very similar to the CC's of the same name. Maybe further effects of protecting that flagship?

The original DR Cohibas had an identical band to the CC version, Dave, except having "Dominican Republic" where the CC band had "Habana, Cuba".

Yup, I remember those...and some can still be found along beaches and jewelry shops in Jamacia, Cozumel, and the DR. Its fairly easy to identify them, their boxes have glass tops.

:r

Habanos spent a lot of money in courts defending their trademark, and in the end DR Cohibas now have that ugly ass black, white and red band (I think they are called "Red Dots" if Im not mistaken. That might have something to do with Altadis owning both the DR brand, and a 50% share in Habanos SA.

[lampshade]

Please cite your source for the information on tobacco. I had not heard this before. I had heard that Cohiba is rolled using a leaf that is generally aged for a longer period and that the pricing on all cigars is based upon weight(length and RG).

Not doubting you but would like to know your source.

No problem. It's just like being back in grad school! I was going from memory, for the most part, but I remembered hearing something about it most recently on an episode of Smoke on Wealth TV (I've only seen thios network on Fios).

As luck would have it, my DVR has recently caught a copy of the show. It is titled "A Celebration of the Cigar, Part 1," and has an interview with a guy named Ely Sbrozzi, manager of La Casa del Habanos (a shop in Toronto, I believe). Here's a transcript of the relevant portion (about 20 minutes in):

You know, price is funny when we discuss Cuban cigars, because the Cuban is priced according to the box weight: how much tobacco went into, you know, a particular box and a particular style. So for the most part, if you look at a box of petite corona – whether they be from Montecristo, Romeo and Juliet, Bolivar, whatever they may be – petite coronas are pretty much a standard price. The only exception to this is Cohiba, which is considered the finest of the Cuban cigars. It’s priced nearly double that of anything else. But, I mean, there’s a whole host of reasons why that is. It’s triple fermented, where every other Cuban cigar is only double fermented. It has the best choice of the leaves, after every harvest. More importantly, I think, than anything else, it was Fidel’s cigar. It was the first cigar made after the revolution, and it was really made to epitomize Cuban cigar rolling. But in general, the price of a Cuban cigar is not because of the flavor, or necessarily, the quality. It has to do with the size, and the fact that there is a standardized price.

As other have already stated, there appear to me some lines of Cohiba that are not triple fermented. Not having any way to verify statements myself, I chalk up that inaccuracy to generalization. Obviously, television is not the best place to get reliable information, though I consider it to be on par with most sources available on the Internet.

[lenguamor]

It's a great line and generally worth every penny.

A God of Fire is $25 or so; is it worth it? You bet; every penny.

[bobarian]

not my source but: http://www.habanos.com/article.aspx?aid=34&lang=en

and

http://www.cubancigarwebsite.com/brand.aspx?brand=Cohiba

Thanks for the ref's. I had not seen this on the Habanos site before. :tu

[kuzi16]

no prob man. i help when i can