Fine Cigars
Today, we’re looking at an asset with a long and storied history, filled with mobsters, poker games, and the high life.
That’s right — we’re puffing out an issue on fine cigars.
The history of cigars
Before we start, let’s make one thing clear: Cigars are bad for you. Like, really unhealthy. They have 12x – 25x more nicotine than cigarettes .
I first got into cigars after a 2016 trip to Cuba, where I had my first taste of Cohiba and Montecristo. I brought (smuggled?) a half-dozen back to the States, and thoroughly enjoyed my stash for about a year, until I realized they were destroying my lungs and teeth.
This path is nothing new. Humans have been consuming tobacco for more than 1,300 years. The word “cigar” is believed to come from Ancient Mayan: Sik’ar , which means “to smoke rolled tobacco leaves.”
This Mayan pot from 700 AD was discovered with residual traces of tobacco . Pots have also been found with actual cigars inside.
It took 800 years for the plant to make it to the West. After receiving tobacco gifts from Native Americans in 1492, Christopher Columbus was “credited” with bringing tobacco to the Europeans.
Columbus initially thought the rolled leaves were for bartering. The concept of smoking them was as alien to him as the people.
It took a while to catch on. One of the first smokers was Columbus’ crewmate, Rodrigo de Jerez. He was impressed by this new “Old World drug” and wanted to show it off. So he went back to Spain and lit one up.
The Spanish weren’t having it. They were so shocked that this “devil incarnate” was producing smoke from his mouth and nose that they imprisoned him for a decade . (This was around the time of the Spanish Inquisition, where acts of heresy were frowned upon.)
Soon, the Spaniards realized it wasn’t an act of the devil, and that smoking tobacco provided an enjoyable head rush. Once they realized it got you high, it spread like wildfire.
It took a few hundred years for the habit to reach the US, but then it caught on quickly. In the late 1700s, America’s first cigar factory opened in Connecticut, and smoking became popular among the wealthy.
In fact, smoking in America basically started with cigars. It wasn’t until the late 1800s that cigarettes took over as the leading tobacco product .
In its first year, Camel sold an astonishing 425 million packs . At the time, America’s population was about 100 million, so that’s roughly 85 Camel cigarettes per person per year. Today it’s about 500 and falling.
Smoking’s decline
The US just reported its lowest-ever smoking rate among adults — just 11%.
Five years ago this was 15.5%. And back in the “Mad Men” era of the mid-1960s, 40% of the US population were heavy smokers .
The drop comes after decades of reform, advertising regulation, and of course the rise of the big smoking alternative: vaping .
20% of Americans aged 20-39 vape at least once a month .
But interestingly, it’s not just e-cigarettes that are bucking the trend. Starting around the year 2000, cigar smoking has been on the rise . Between 2000 and 2015, rates rose 85%, and have landed at around 3.5% of the US population .
To summarize: cigarettes are down, vaping is way up, and cigars are slightly up.
It’s unclear why cigars have fared better than cigarettes. Unlike vaping, they’re certainly not healthier for you. But hey, you don’t have to be a regular cigar smoker to invest in some blue chips.
Factory cigars
Cigar prices vary like crazy across countries. You can get a factory cigar in the US for $5 – $10. Here in Australia, it’s more like $20-30. Head east to New Zealand, and you’re looking at $50+. It all depends on taxes.
Cigarettes still dominate tobacco products, but their revenue growth comes from rising prices.
Prices for factory, or “stock” cigars just rise along with inflation. In 1990, the average cost of a factory cigar was $2.93 ($6.12 adjusted for inflation), compared to $12.04 today. That’s a 2x increase over three decades; nothing to write home about.
“Investing” in generic factory cigars and cigarettes is the same as buying a cheap Toyota Camry and thinking that time will turn it into a classic. It won’t. Like with so much else, fine cigars are where the money’s at.
Fine cigars
Back in the 70s and 80s, the cigar industry was getting bashed . Cigarettes reigned supreme, and cigar companies needed something new to stand out from the crowd.
Corona cigars
If you’re on an imaginative journey, one that takes you down the cigar trail, chances are it’s a corona, whether regular, double, petit, gran, gorda or half. Corona cigars are the basic cigar size that all other cigar sizes are measured against. This is a typical standard cigar and one of the most popular throughout the world. Many people often think that the wrapper, binder and filler of a cigar only determine the level of enjoyment obtained from a cigar. This is a misunderstanding. While the wrapper is important aesthetically and flavorfully, and the binder and filler set the tone, the “CRUTU” cigar contributes to the overall experience. “CRUTU” is a Javanese word used for the size of a cigar. Cigar size refers to its length measured in inches and ring size, i.e. its thickness measured in 64 inches.
Corona cigars are 5 ½ to 6 inches long with a ring gauge of 42 to 44 found in almost all brands of cigars. The experience varies from brand to brand depending on the filler, binder, and wrapper. You can also find Corona-sized half, petit, gran, gorda and double cigars. The strength also varies depending on the mixture. Due to their thin form, they often provide additional concentration to certain mixtures.
However, “CRUTU” Royal Cigars continues to stick to the old tradition by using original tobacco leaves developed on the island of Java.
The CRUTU Corona type is a premium corona from the CRUTU brand stable.
Browse our corona cigar collection today to get the special taste of CRUTU, which is a blend of selected authentic Indonesian tobacco from various regions, without the addition of cloves and sauces, which can be enjoyed by both cigar connoisseurs and beginners who want to enjoy selected cigars.
Disclaimer Article was elaborate From : https://alts.co/
