A couple of weeks ago, I was perusing my usual Reddit cigar channels when I came across a post by someone proffering their advice on smoking cigars. They stated that they had been smoking cigars for five years implying that they were somehow an expert on the subject of cigars, so I was prepared to take what they said with a grain of salt.
But I read the post anyway – it was a long post – because I was curious to hear what they had to say. And in general I agreed with what the poster said, but near the end I got triggered by one thing they wrote and that was something to the effect that one shouldn’t smoke any cigar that’s less than $10 because quality will not be as good as cigars at least $10 in price. When I read that, I shook my head and muttered ignoramus.
The problem with a statement like that was that the price they quoted needed context. Was that a shop price? Online? To me, the number was arbitrary, like they pulled it out of their ass so they could draw a line in the sand and say, “This price marks where you’ll have a good cigar.” It was bullshit. And at least for me, it completely fucked up all the rest of what they said.
I knew I was being harsh, but I’ve had sub-$10 cigars at shops such as the Diesel Vintage and H. Upmann 1844 Añejo that kicked the shit out of much more expensive cigars; not only that, they’re highly regarded in cigar circles. Or, take the CAO Brazilia for instance. That’s a cigar that is loved by many and you can get that online for sometimes less than $4/stick. And if I’m not mistaken, most Curivari cigars sell for $6-$9/stick depending on where you buy them.
And here’s the kicker. I just bought a box of LADC Noblesse on JR Cigar’s recent stackable coupon event that brought the price of each cigar to less than $9. On top of that, after reading Katman’s review of Casa 1910 Soldadera Teniente and listening to his recommendation, I bought two boxes off Cigar Page and they come out to $6.80/stick! Those two cigars go for $20 and $18 regularly, and the Noblesse goes for $28-$30 in shops. But according to that person’s logic, I shouldn’t smoke them because they fall below their $10 water mark.
That’s the problem with using price as a bellwether of how good a cigar is going to be. With all the deals that are available these days, it’s an inaccurate measure, which is why there is a huge difference between getting something inexpensively versus it being cheap.
To be fair, I get what the guy was trying to get at and that is to avoid cheap sticks; that is, yard-gar or cheap bundle cigars that you can get for $2/stick or less. These are typically those types of cigars that you don’t mind chucking or leaving behind at the tee or doing yardwork with. But even with this lower class of cigars, there are some tasty ones that despite being single-dimensional and simple that are nonetheless still enjoyable if you just take them as they are such as the Roly or the Cusano M1.
Admittedly, I no longer smoke those; not because I think they’re shitty cigars but simply because I come across such great deals on really good cigars like the Noblesse box I just scored. That said, the Noblesse is not going to be a daily driver-level cigar for me. I know its value despite the price I paid. That said, there are sticks like the Paul Stulac Post Script, CAO Brazilia, JDN Black Swan, and LGC Serie R Maduro that are fine cigars that have become daily drivers for me, and they’re MUCH better than the Roly or the M1. So, why smoke cheapos when I can get a serious upgrade paying just a little more?
I can see factoring in price when considering cigars to buy. For instance, Katman factors price into his review of a cigar. Usually the less expensive cigars he reviews will get a lower rating, even if he loves them simply because – and I agree with this – less expensive cigars usually aren’t as complex nor as high of a quality with respect to construction as the cigars he normally reviews, which are in the $15+ range, and he wants to reflect that in his ratings. That’s totally fair.
But to judge a cigar purely on price like that poster did is asinine. Then to tell other people that they shouldn’t buy cigars under a certain price is pure snobbery and ignorance. But that’s okay. His ignorance is my bliss!
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