Monday, October 02 2006
The annual cigar "Oscars" were handed out by the
European Cigar-Cult Journal on September 24, against the backdrop of the massive Inter-Tabac trade fair in Dortmund, Germany. Seven brands were big winners in the awards. The "Best Brand" awards were given, on a country-by-country basis to three brands: Cohiba (Cuba), El Credito a.k.a.
La Gloria Cubana (Dominican Republic) and
Padron (Nicaragua).
The "Best Cigar" awards from individual countries went to the Davidoff Diademas Finas (Dominican Republic), La Libertad Lonsdale (Honduras, not sold in the U.S.) and Dannemann Artist Line HBPR Double Corona (Nicaragua, also not sold in the U.S.).
American smokers would certainly second the choice of Cuba Aliados as the top brand in the Best Price-Performance Ratio.
Dannemann and Davidoff both won their fourth Cigar Trophy in the six years the awards have been presented (1998-99-2000-02-05-06). It was the third Trophy for Cuba's Cohiba and for the Puros Indios factory (makers of Cuba Aliados) and the second for Padron.
"However, we believe the data on imports from the Dominican Republic as reported by the government is seriously understated. We will be presenting our case to the government in the near future."
That's the Cigar Association of America's take on the puzzling decline in the reporting of imported cigars from the Dominican Republic. Given reports of increased sales activity in the first half of 2006 from the biggest players on the U.S. market - Altadis U.S.A. and Swedish Match's General Cigar Company, both of which have enormous Dominican-based operations - the drop of 55.6% from 2005 levels makes little sense.
Current figures show that through July of this year, imports of premium cigars into the U.S. tally about 111 million, compared to 161 million through seven months of 2005. Year-to-date totals by country show imports from Honduras running at about last year's levels (43.8 million in 2006 vs. 44.9 million in 2005) and Nicaragua slightly ahead of its 2005 pace (28.7 million so far in 2005 against 27 million last year).
Short fillers: Enthusiasm for cigars was showcased once again at the landmark Bloomingdales shopping mecca during Fashion Week in New York, at a mens fashions party hosted by Esquire magazine that included sampling of General Cigars Cohiba line and a live cigar roller. One Esquire exec noted "Everyone was just mesmerized by the cigar roller and I think [the] cigar lounge was the most popular attraction during the night" . . . Italian cigar lovers celebrated in Rome in late September as the country's famed Toscano brand returned to Italian ownership. Made from imported tobaccos grown in Kentucky (!), Toscano originated in about 1815 and is now made in three factories in Lucca, Foiano della Chiana and Cava de Tirreni. Made famous in the U.S. by the "spaghetti Westerns" of the 1970s starring Clint Eastwood, the line welcomed its 14th shape - the Soldati - to mark the move . . . find our latest tasting review, of the five styles of the nation's top brand - Macanudo - in our News & Views archives.
- Rich Perelman in Los Angeles
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Heard in the Humidor is a publication of Perelman, Pioneer & Company.
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