Cuba wasted?

**WhiteWidow** · 05-09-2006, 11:49 PM

That makes sense to me. I still wonder why I don't see more from the US. I know North Carolina has an assload of tobacco, but is this mainly for cigarrettes? Is there something different about it or what?

**basil** · 05-10-2006, 02:22 AM

I think much of the reason for fine cigars from the Antilles and Central America has got to be tradition, an ingredient that can't be duplicated. I don't know what is done with NC tobacco. But I figure that any startup cigar company has first to deal with venerable, established, manufacturers and distributors, and can probably expect to work their asses off for a thin profit line, if any, just to survive the first few years. And tradition is something that would take an American company some 25, 30, 50 years from right now to establish. The there's labor and other cost-of-production issues . . .

I'll bet Sid has some thoughts on this as well.

**Monk** · 05-10-2006, 08:59 AM

Originally Posted by basil

I think much of the reason for fine cigars from the Antilles and Central America has got to be tradition, an ingredient that can't be duplicated. I don't know what is done with NC tobacco. But I figure that any startup cigar company has first to deal with venerable, established, manufacturers and distributors, and can probably expect to work their asses off for a thin profit line, if any, just to survive the first few years. And tradition is something that would take an American company some 25, 30, 50 years from right now to establish. The there's labor and other cost-of-production issues . . .

I'll bet Sid has some thoughts on this as well.

That plus Newfies comments on climate and soil I would imagine. The majority of good cigars seem to come from that climate. We grow tons of tobacco west of Toronto near Tilsonburg (My back still aches when I hear that word....) but it is all for cigarettes...

-W.

**WhiteWidow** · 05-10-2006, 09:48 AM

Another thing I realized was that tobacco grown for cigars is either for filler, binder, or wrapper, which is not the case for cigarretes. Maybe the stuff they can grow here doesn't make wrappers or something.

**Monk** · 05-10-2006, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by WhiteWidow

Another thing I realized was that tobacco grown for cigars is either for filler, binder, or wrapper, which is not the case for cigarretes. Maybe the stuff they can grow here doesn't make wrappers or something.

From my understanding there is a lot of rappers that are US grown.