Before 1960, Cuba was the only producer of premium cigar tobacco, because there was no one else in the world that grew it. So if you were looking for the best cigar you could find pre-1960, it had to be a Cuban Cigar. However, in the early 1960s, the United States placed an embargo on Cuba which crippled much of its economy. Because of this embargo, many of Cuba’s best tobacco growers and cigar masters left the country and moved to other locations around the world. When they left to go to other countries, they took their expertise and their knowledge with them. As a result, you can now find many Non-Cuban Cigars that have many of the same qualities and that are just as good, if not better than their Cuban counterparts; without the hefty price tag.
What other countries are exporting amazing cigars that rival their Cuban counterparts?
A cigar industry leading magazine called Cigar Aficionado publishes a list of the top 25 cigars in the world. In 2013, only 3 Cuban cigars made that particular list. What that tells you is that the rest of the world has caught up to Cuba in terms of cigar production and quality, as well as taste and flavour. Many of the cigars that appeared on that list came from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, as well as one on the list that was produced in Honduras. There are many varieties of great cigars produced all over the world that not only compare to Cuban cigars, but often surpass them.
Great! So how do I find a non-Cuban cigar that tastes as good as a Cuban cigar?
You won’t find a cigar grown in the Dominican Republic that will have the same flavour as cigars from Cuba. Just like a cigar from Honduras will never have the same flavour as one from Cuba or the Dominican Republic. Why? Well you need to look at it this way. Imagine that you have 2 bottles of the same kind of wine that was produced in different places. One bottle comes from France, but the other one comes from California. They are both wines, but each one is different because of the properties in the soil and in the process used to produce each bottle. Just like those wines, cigars get their flavour from the soil and the process used to grow and produce them. If you want to find a quality Non-Cuban cigar, you simply need to enjoy the different varieties until you find one that best fits your tastes and preferences.
