What makes the classy cigar the new-age smoker's equivalent of French wine

Retailers even hold special events to showcase the cigar as a symbol of the high life, and guide new smokers on selecting, cutting, lighting up and smoking with panache

“The culture of tobacco connoisseurship has long been exemplified in the cigar. A symbol of wealth and power, its smokers have always been criticised for their extravagance, with the most expensive and prized cigars being Cuban.” This is how historian Jarrett Rudy traced the origins of cigar smoking. From Cuban dictator Fidel Castro to Indian cigar czar Chetan Seth, there is a growing breed of cigar aficionados across the world despite the strong campaign against tobacco.

Marketers talk of premium cigar (essentially a hand-rolled large filler) as a symbol of the good life, of style and affluence. A single stick can set you back by at least Rs 1,500 and upmarket brands such as a box of 25 Cohiba cigars can cost you a staggering Rs 80,000-1,25,000. No wonder, the place for this expensive indulgence is found in the Capital's five-star ho
tels, such as The Oberoi New Delhi, Gurugram and Leela Ambience, which have exclusive cigar lounges. Recently, India’s first Habanos Terrace opened at Vasant Kunj in collaboration with the members-only club, Home. 

Mumbai has its own sea-facing lounges such as The Dome at Intercontinental and Atrium at Taj Land's Ends, while Fairmont is the only indoor Cigar Diwan in Jaipur. Though Delhi is recognised as the cigar capital of India, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai aren't far behind in setting up new places for enthusiasts to enjoy their smoke. Retailers even conduct special events to promote the cigar as a luxury product, teaching the new smoker how to select, cut, light up and smoke with panache.

Key brands  

Some of the global marquee brands are Montecristo, Romeo Y Julieta, Partagas, HDM, Quintero, Jose L Piedra and Cohiba. According to Rahul Rai CEO, Fox Cigars Inc, the top 10 cigars in India, sales- and brand value-wise, include Cohiba, Romeo Y Julieta, My father, H Upmann, Davidoff, Acid, Gurkha, Black Tiger (Indian), Dunhill and Jose L Piedra. Exotic cigars available in India include Ashton, Debonaire, Padron, Vedado and Partagas. Prices of regular cigars range from Rs 400 to Rs 4,000 and that of exotics, from Rs 4,000 to upwards of Rs 2 lakh for a box. You can get boxes with anything between three and 50 sticks. Premium brands have no artificial flavours and come with natural notes such as leathery, earthy, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, tropical, ammonia, woody, peppery nutmeg, cinnamon.

You can get boxes with anything between three and 50 smokes. A single full-size cigar can contain about as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes

Who is the connoisseur?

Says Nancy, the manager of Cigar Connexion in New Delhi's Khan Market: “Politicians, business tycoons have been regulars. But these days we see a lot of young lawyers buying cigars because they like to emulate the older super-successful lawyers who have always smoked cigars and pipes.”

Cigar manufacturers, retailers and distributors fight to death to distinguish their wares from a cigarette. Apart from the pricing and the way the two are smoked -- cigarettes are inhaled, while the cigar makes a mouth sack -- what sets the cigar apart is the way the tobacco leaf is fermented, cured and aged. Manufacturers grudge the “outrageous taxes on cigars” at 49 per cent (28 per cent GST plus 21 per cent additional cess). “The government does not differentiate between other tobacco products such as cigarettes and beedis which are addictive and very harmful and premium cigars which are luxury products, smoked occasionally and not inhaled,” says Sapna Kakkar, Business Development Manager at Cingari.

Cigar distributors say price is a deterrent for minors. The typical age bracket for a connoisseur is upwards of 35 years. Chetan Seth, the Cigar Czar of India who introduced Cuban cigars some 20 years back, and retails through his brand Cingari, compares cigars not to cigarettes but to luxury items such as French Wines, Swiss Watches, German Cars, Scotch, exotic coffee. He says the Habanos consumer is a very special person with great taste and a patron of the finer things in life.

What is so special about Cuban cigars besides the process of aging the leaves, is the soil on which the tobacco is grown. According to a Cingari spokesperson, “It is popularly called the black Cuban tobacco soil which is excellent for cultivation of tobacco, sugarcane and coffee – all things addictive.” Brand Cingari conducts master classes for company executives who are taught not only how to smoke but also to conduct the whole ritual of cutting and lighting.  Cigar enthusiasts are generally the well-heeled and well-travelled types, says Kakkar. She adds that besides the money factor, cigar is also a factor of time. It takes 40-45 minutes to take smoke one and gives you sufficient “me time.”

Cigar versus cigarette

According to Sapna Kakkar, who is also a Habanos Master Trainer, “There is a world of a difference between a cigar and a cigarette and it starts from the construction. Cigarettes are wrapped in paper, with crushed tobacco mixed with ash and sawdust inside. A cigar, on the other hand, has minimum five layers solely of plain tobacco leaves -– there is no other element. The leaves are first cured, then fermented, then aged -- the process not only enhances flavour but gets rid of extra tar and nicotine, and external elements like pesticides that may have crept in during cultivation and harvesting. Having said that, it does not mean that cigars don’t have nicotine. But they are the purest form of tobacco and hence lesser of the two evils.” 

Healthcare practitioners, however, assert that there is “no safe form” of tobacco. Just like cigarettes, smoking cigars also puts you at the risk of cancers of the mouth, throat and lung. According to Kirti Chadha, Head of Laboratory, Metropolis Healthcare Ltd, “Cigars contain higher levels of nicotine than cigarettes and hence second-hand smoke also poses a risk. In addition, even if you are not inhaling cigar smoke, it is quite possible for nicotine to be absorbed from the lining of your mouth.” She adds that it’s the same for other forms of tobacco consumption such as vaping, which is especially popular among youngsters. "It is perceived as a safer option but comes with the same risk associated with nicotine dependence," she says.

A vintage 1990 Tubo Box of cigar. Regular cigars come in a price range of Rs 400 to Rs 4,000. Exotics cost anything between Rs 4,000 and upwards of Rs 2 lakh a box

Lighting up

“Cigars are enjoyed in a celebratory fashion usually with friends, in much the same way as a glass of fine wine or single malt scotch,” says Joy Sarker, Head-Operations, Cigar Conexion. There is something about this pairing of single malt or cognac with cigars. Says Sarker: “Single Malt and cigars represent elegance, relaxation, and a taste for finer things. They are both heavily reliant on age, proper timing, and the right combination of ingredients to make a great blend. Some smokers, however, like a more powerful blend, with a mix of intense spice and smoke, while some others prefer a milder combination that stresses on smoothness and age.”

People usually take one cigar a day, to a maximum of three and it can vary from being a lone experience to one in company. “Company is always good. two friends having cigar together is the best thing as you forget about everything else,” says Manish Datt, founder-proprietor of Kastros who retails cigars at Santushti complex. He adds that even at events at which from top bankers to leading industrialists are present, the topic is only one – cigars. You meet like-minded people in a no-fuss environment.”

Cigar accessories 

There is a method to stocking cigars. “After all, a cigar is a leaf and the leaf has to be kept under 72-73 per cent moisture. If left dry, there would be no fun in having it,” says Datt.

Cigar connoisseurs invest in quite a few accessories apart from the smoke, such as a cigar humidor to keep humidity levels at around 70 per cent, cylindrical cigar tubes that can hold one or more sticks, and cutters to cut the cigars when they are ready. Cigar cases made with a cedar lining help keep the stock fresh and enhance natural flavour during storage. Cigar Humidifiers are used to maintain the moisture in the air inside a humidor, case or tube and Cigar Hygrometers are gauges that measure the moisture or humidity in the air.

What a single cigar would cost you

Brand  

Price range (Rs) Cohiba  3,200-5,000 Romeo Y Julieta  1,200-2,000

My father 

2,200-4,500 H Upmann  1,800-3,800 Davidoff  2,000-6,000

Acid 

1,900-3,000 Gurkha  2,200-7,000 Black Tiger (Indian)   850 Dunhill  2,200-5,000 Jose L Piedra  700-1,200 Source: Fox Cigars
Business Standard discourages the use of tobacco in any form. This article only serves the purpose of providing information. Readers are advised to exercise due caution while taking a call on whether or not to buy cigars.