As a larger cigar smoker. This is largely marketing from non-Cuban companies. While a lot of Caribbean tobacco is very very good, Cubans are the best without question. And this isn't so much like wine where experts fail to recognize quality in double blinds. A proper cuban cigar has a very distinct veining pattern, and far more almost oily texture. You can tell by touch alone with little training.
Seasoned critics can name the nationality of a cigar just by touch its actually very cool to see (I'm nowhere near that good lol a few different countries are too similar for me).
And the "golden age" of Cuban cigars is often cited as before WW2 so either way its long pasted.
Brazilian tobacco tastes good, but leaves are not spotless like in Cuba, so Brazilian cigar makers have to import them just for the "capa" layer (the external layer in cigars). Many countries do the same.
Nope. I smoke cigars weekly and I can tell you Cuban cigars are the bests (they are allowed in my country).
In the U.S. you will find the same brands like Partagas, but they're made with blends from other countries than Cuba, and they are really inferior. I tried a bunch of them and Cubans wins everytime.
Its actually been catching on in the US. Its not as good as Cuban, but its far superior to most Caribbean varieties I find. Has an oddly cinnamon spicy flavor (I'm in the US so Cubas are rare unless you hunt for them) rather good.
