In no way is the next part of my analysis trying to single out any specific cigar maker or company but rather the top three companies I, and I think everyone else, thought would never face a “do or die” type of scenario (If the conclusion is drawn that such a scenario exists).

Padron, Fuente & General

Padron & Fuente Cigars – The creator of a few cigars that all happen to rank very highly each year in Cigar Aficionado.  Padron and Fuente have done a fabulous job of introducing a cigar that is great to smoke for everyone in every price range. They like to keep their options very simple and even introduce a new limited edition, high priced, cigar every so often to keep the fan base (and I suspect Cigar Aficionado) very happy. However, considering these things, has the Padron and Fuente company structure been too inflexible in working with retailers or becoming personable with the smokers in our community?

From a retailers aspect they have always stood behind their “quality” and refused to offer any great discounts or specials that can be passed on to their patrons through the B&M. The excuse was always made that the true smoker would always be willing to pay their inflated prices for the special cigars like the Anniversary or the Opus X cigar. Furthermore, they tend to abstain from doing live events on a regular basis with the presumption that their name is a known quantity, and no further live promotion need happen .

All advertising campaigns were also primarily reliant on the ratings given to the cigars via Cigar Aficionado and other small magazine publications. Occasionally both companies will publish some full page ads through these same sources. But they have yet to reach out to any alternative methods of advertising – online magazines, blogs or cigar radio programs.  On the same note Padron feels no need to interact through social networking whereas Fuente does run its own cigar forum/community but has shied away from all other mainstream social media applications.

General Cigar Company – Now this behemoth of a cigar company operates in a slightly different manner. They tend to produce multiple cigars, multiple times a year, in multiple sizes, under multiple famous names – and yet always seem to lack in quality and flavor. Their distribution is huge, but seems to rest solely on the established name of their cigars, rather than the quality of their cigars.

It does not take great explanation as to why this is unsupportive of the local Brick and Mortar establishments. General will offer some slight discounts and incentives to purchasing and carrying their products, but it never allows the retailer to price at the same level as most websites or even Generals own online retail website. However, retailers have always been stuck in a corner, almost forced to carry the products, because of the famous names behind the brand. These are the most asked for cigars by the newbie smoker or holiday shopper.

This is a direct indication as to how General Cigar Company has chosen to spend their advertising dollars. Most of the ads that are being placed cannot focus on ratings, because they don’t get any, and are forced to emphasize the “famous” names. General does this by placing most of their ads in men’s magazines or any other publication that is read by the mainstream population who might opt for a cigar during a frequent occasion. It appears as if they haven’t cared about the cigar blogs, review websites, magazines or any medium that a frequent cigar smoker would choose to follow, but rather instead bank on their “famous” name instead. This means that they have also opted out of all social media (Is this a way of hiding from the criticism?).

The Changes Across the Board

During these times of hardship the smoker has to be more specific on his choice and the retailer can be more specific in choosing cigars for his clientele. I can provide some information that the “boutique” cigar market is taking a big piece of the pie both financially and in loyalty of smokers from the large juggernauts who are resting on their laurels. Each company has displayed a change in operation as they have now realized what side of the table they are really sitting on.  While none of these companies will admit that the times are harder for them – I think it is.

Padron has come to the realization that the cigar, despite how great it may be, will not be sold unless the regular consumer feels some sort of bond with the manufacturer. They have now reversed the policy on events and will start doing appearances at local B&M’s across the country.

Fuente used to have the policy of shipping whatever cigars they choose for the specific account to receive whenever Fuente felt the B&M should receive it. This has also been reversed and is starting to ship cigars/orders, even the Opus X, to accounts as they request them.

General Cigar Company tried to appeal to the “boutique” market at the 2009 IPCPR by releasing a cigar that was “not associated” with the General line of cigars. Additionally, anyone who ordered this stick would also be required to place it in the boutique section of the humidor and make a promise to retailers that it would not be sold online. The only downfall was that they again, produced a cigar for the numbers and not for taste or quality. Now General cigars is connecting with bloggers by allowing them to preview and release information on certain products to help connect General back in the cigar community.

While these changes are being made everyone of these three have yet to jump into the social media realm (In Fuente’s case any further).

Are these first steps a sign that changes will be underway on how the companies interact/market/operate? Will they, or do they even have to, transition into the social media environment? Will the big guys really be able to compete with the boutique manufacturers (moving forward)?  And specifically to General Cigar Company – will they stop relying on the “famous” name and start dedicating resources into creating a truly great cigar?  As we have seen there are some like Gran Habano , La Aurora, CAO, Illusione, and Tatuaje (just to name a few), who are doing this already.  These companies are sizable outfits, yet dedicated to utilizing the web and word of mouth for the advancement of their product. Or to put it simply – they are transitioning into the new world of cigar smokers and enjoying sitting on the good side of the table.

So until the big three aforementioned companies decide to hop on the modern technological bandwagon, they are doomed to see diminishing funds and market share.  As many articles have pointed out this year, this will be the first time in history that print media will be eclipsed by online media advertising, shouldn’t the large companies come down off of their high horses and embrace the people and online market which is the cultural nexuses of this age? Or maybe they can keep relying in their name, tradition and … well whatever it is they are banking on.

Editors Note: We here at Puffing Cigars want to assure our readership that we are fully aware that there are indeed many cigar companies on both sides of the good and bad spectrum.  The companies we chose for this article are not a definitive list, but rather a few choice examples in the industry that handily illustrate our point.  You can fully expect in the days to come more articles that look at specific companies in the light of these current issues.  As always we appreciate your commentary, and always look forward to spirited debate when it comes to hot-button topics like this.

In my long history of smoking cigars I will never forget my first Ashton Cabinet. It was my first foray into a higher priced stick, and boy what an entrance into the next tier! As a cigar novice, one often wonders what sets apart a five dollar stick, and a ten dollar stick, and at the time I was one, but after that day I knew.

From the website: “The Ashton Cabinet is the “White Burgundy” of cigars. “White Burgundy” gets its rich complex taste from the soil and aging of the grape in French oak barrels. The Cabinet’s 4 to 5 year old Dominican filler blend has a rich, complex and well rounded taste. The extraordinary Connecticut shade wrapper is aged for an extra year and has an elegant palamino color resulting in a smooth and creamy flavor. The Ashton Cabinet includes no less than six different tobaccos and ends with a “big finish.” Seven years pass from seedling to finished cigar before Ashton Cabinet is brought to fruition and presented for your smoking pleasure.”

Construction: The Ashton Cabinet number 6 is a blend steeped in tradition and pride. It is one of the main arsenal of the Ashton line, and it reflects the artisan tobacconists’ love for developing a great cigar. Each cabinet has a beautiful Connecticut shade wrapper of a golden hue, nestled within its binder is no less than six different blends of fine tobacco. Ashton understands patience is a virtue, and any great product worth producing takes time to get to its ultimate fruition. The cigar is from seed to finish a seven year product. The cap is of a solid design and can easily be punched or cut, I would recommend a punch.

Draw: Simply put the draw is an effortless draw that pulls out voluminous amounts of smoke at every delightful inhalation.

Burn: The burn is another testament to the craftsmanship of the Ashton Cabinet. It is one of the most evenly burned cigars that I have ever done. In all my many occurrences of smoking the Ashton Cabinet, I have never had a bad burning stick. The ash is a solid grey and will continue to build until you are ready to dust it off.

Flavor: I’ve always appreciated the unique taste of the Ashton Cabinet. It is a type of taste that reminds one of wood, and campfire overtones. The following descriptor is not the most erudite in saying that it is toasty, but its certainly more apt to describe the Ashton Cabinet as a flavorful cigar that reminds one of eating a lightly singed smores marshmallow. If your not a fan of a lightly singed marshmallow, then this stick might not be for you, but if you are, than this cigar is a wonderful treat all the way through.

Overall Opinion: The Ashton is a wonderfully crafted mid-range smoke. It is a mild treat, that has a wonderful even burn and an easy draw. It is close to the super premium range in craftsmanship and taste, without the often heavy price tag. So if you are looking for a wonderful stick in the ten dollar price range, then the Ashton Cabinet reigns king in this category. Mark Twain often waxed eloquent on how the Mississippi River would bring him back to his brightest and most fond memories, to me the Ashton Cabinet will always stand out as a smoke that represents the artisan craftsmanship that makes cigar smoking such a joy and pleasure to me.

According to Carlos Fuente Jr., his grandfather was a big producer of Perfecto shaped cigars as they were “very, very popular during the 1920′s, 30′s and 40′s“. As time went on, and the natural life cycle took its course, the pool of cigar rollers capable of making such a cigar dwindled. Most manufactures also moved away from this “classic Cuban” sized cigar and the shape was generally lost to the public.

A. Fuente stopped producing the Perfecto in the “1960′s or early 1970′s“.

When the plant was moved to the Dominican Republic in 1980 Carlos Fuente Jr decided it was time to bring the shape back. He then asked his father, who was taught how to create the shape, to reintroduce the Perfecto. Luckily, Carlos Fuente was able to locate the old family molds used and reproduction of the cigar could begin.

The cigar was reintroduced as a limited production “maybe twenty cigars a day for ourselves to smoke and enjoy” but the size was a full 6×47. After some more “fooling around” with the cigar size the Short Story was born.

Construction: A. Fuente has a reputation for only releasing high quality smokes. Construction on this perfecto shaped cigar was… perfect. The wrapper was the standard Cameroon dark caramel color with no major veins. It was tightly wrapped and the A. Fuente felt like it was just stuffed with tobacco.

Draw: I opted for a regular cut on the Short Story cigars because I do not have a punch small enough to fit the cigar. On some of these little sticks you may find a draw that is a bit tight. However this is perfectly normal for this shape of cigar. The majority of the Short Story box has a perfect draw.

Burn: The Hemingway Short Story burned at just the right pace and had a perfectly straight line. Smoking this cigar created a long solid ash that you will be proud to show off.

Taste:A. Fuente Short Story starts off simple and smooth. It is a straight forward cigar that brings enjoyment from the beginning. As your ash begins to form you will find notes of cedar and coffee. This little cigar produces a huge amount of creamy smoke for your pallet.

Hemingway Short Story is a quick transition to the 2/3 of the cigar. The body becomes a bit stronger but this is truly a medium body smoke. I get more of a woody profile at this time in the smoke. There are still hints of cedar and coffee that will linger in the background.

It will start to burn your fingers as you enter the final segments of the Short Story but you wont be disappointed.  A strong leather flavor is how the Hemingway will finish. Spice really becomes prominent with a hint of cinnamon in the smoke and aftertaste. You will be forced to set the little cigar down but a smile will emerge from your face.

Verdict Is: I have to go with a “Buy a box!” verdict on these Short Story cigars. They are small, pack a great punch, and I love cigars with nipples. Not to mention they only cost about $5.xx per stick and it’s a quick smoke. I tend to use these cigars when I am running short on time or for an early morning smoke with my coffee (this would work with lunch too). Enjoy the A. Fuente Hemingway Short Story.

Other Cigars: If you want the same kind of flavors and quality from A. Fuente but are looking for something just a little different then check out: Best Seller, Work of Art, Between the Lines, or the Opus Love Story.

The Chateau Fuente King B was officially released in 2005 at the then RTDA convention. Released to the market as a limited cigar; you can usually find this cigar at your local B&M – and you can surly find this cigar online.

Story has it that the King B was named after a local tavern that Carlos Fuente Jr very own grandfather liked to frequent. This tavern was conveniently located behind his grandfather Arturo’s house and it was the place all the cigar makers would meet. The King B tavern no longer stands but this cigar gives proper tribute.

Chateau Fuente King B comes well protected in a cellophane wrapper. Underneath the wrapper is a large cedar sleeve secured with the signature black ribbon across the bottom. The King B has a beautiful presentation and I almost hesitate to undress the cigar.

Construction: The reddish brown color wrapper looks familiar to Fuente’s other sun grown cigars in the lineup.  Small veins covered the entire King B – however they were small enough to not effect the smoke. It was tightly wrapped which enabled it to hold its composure while smoking (no unwrapping). Again – the Chateau Fuente is a quality build from the Fuente family. Nothing is unusual with this.

Draw: I would have to say the King B has a medium draw, depending on the stick you happen to select. I usually have perfect luck with the Fuente products but many sticks in this box required me to double cut. Either way I given it has a medium draw – or a draw that you can fix with very little effort.

Burn: The Chateau Fuente King B burned perfectly. I was a little hesitant with the cigars that had the tougher draw – but stick after stick my worries were put to rest. King B created a thick white ash that was well formed.

Taste: As expected the King B had the initial taste of the cedar it was wrapped in and a bit of sweetness that just stays in your mouth. I detected a hint of spice throughout the finish of the first third of the cigar.

Two thirds of the cigar brought out the pepper and the spice stayed around to make it a great smoke for me. Everything is really smooth and compliments each other quite well.

The King B is still a medium bodied cigar and it remains a medium body cigar through the entire smoke.

Finally the spice seemed to fade away as the cigar was coming to an end. You could really get more of the earthy type of flavors. This finish was still smooth but there seemed to be a hint of bitterness that just faded into the cigar.

Final Verdict: You can add this cigar to your humidor. Going into a cigar lounge to purcahse the stick will cost you around $9.xx. You will not have any trouble finding this cigar online and the price is a bit better at $7.xx.

The Chateau Fuente King B is easy to smoke in warm weather, cold weather, morning, day or night. It’s a versatile cigar that everyone should at least try.

This would be a great pick up at the $7 range but I as you get into the upper $9 range there might be some better cigars out there. If you don’t have a cigar budget – or have everything else in stock – then pick this King B cigar up.

Other Cigars:
Lower Priced: JFR
Same Price: Fuente Cuban Belicoso
Higher Price: Ashton VSG

The Montesino Maduro cigar review. Montesino Maduro cigars are part of the “Cigar Family”, in fact this is one of the first cigars that Carlos Fuente Sr. and his son Carlos Fuente Jr. produced in their new Dominican Republic factory (a house actually). The Fuente Family says they use “only the finest vintage tobaccos that are aged for exceptionally long periods of time” and like some of the more expensive Fuente products: This cigar is just as tasty.

Construction: The Montesino Maduro looks like it wants to sit in your shirt pocket all day while you work, and when you’re done you pull it out and the Montesino will still be in perfect condition. In other words: It’s ROUGH. The maduro wrapper is also dull with no oily sheen. Fuente has produced a really antique looking cigar.

Fuente’s Montesino had no soft spots in the cigar and are always wrapped just right. While smoking you will not encounter any unraveling problems.

Draw: I punched this specific Montesino and have smoked others with a cut end. The results are the same: A perfect draw that’s not too hard / easy.

Burn: At times this rough cigar can create a rough burn becoming a little uneven at some points. This is not an issue though because the Montesino will quickly correct itself. Overall burn was just a little slow.

Ash had no problem staying on this maduro but it wasn’t firm as I would have liked to see.

Taste: Montesino Toro maduro is not a cigar that is bursting with many complex flavors. Initially I think a hint a cedar was present and the smoke was somewhat dry. However after the first couple of puffs the smoke began to get creamier and the taste began to change.

Continuing to smoke I picked up was a bit of spice that just tickled my pallet wishing for more. Wood and… (Chocolate?) just something else that stayed with the entire cigar. Again all these flavors were very light, but expected for a mild cigar.

Nothing much changed as the cigar came to an end. The smoke might have gotten just a tad bit heavier and a bit creamier.

It’s a mild cigar.

Verdict Is: The Montesino maduro cigars (in general) are sticks that you should always keep in your arsenal. One of the main reasons: It’s a tasty, cheap $4 stick that is mild to medium in flavor. Meaning you will have no trouble handing this cigar out to new smokers who wish to join you.

I would like to say that if I had $4 to spend on a personal cigar this would not be it. I would prefer the JFR Maduro or even the Oliva G.

Other Cigars:
Higher Priced: Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story
Same Price: Oliva G
Lower Priced: JFR