Cuban Cigars In India

That Cuba sets the gold standard as far as cigars go comes as no surprise to anybody. But that the market for Cuban cigars in India doubles every year might raise a few eyebrows. Well, it shouldn't since India does account for 12% of the world's smoking population and that's no small number.

So how come so many Indians are discovering Cuban cigars with a vengeance? There are many explanations to thar. The rising purchasing power parity, the number of Indians travelling abroad every year, the urge to try something new, perhaps to upgrade from a cigarette or just to earn bragging rights. Whatever be the reason, everyday there seem to be a hoard of new entrants joining the club.

Partagas Serie D Especial 

What then makes Cuban cigars so special? The soil in Cuba, the sun which is perfect for growing the best quality tobacco in the world and a cigar-rolling culture that dates back to a few hundred years. Cuban brands such as Cohiba, Montecristo, H upmann, Partagas, Romeo Y Julieta, Trinidad and Bolivar have a loyal clientèle that swears by them and refuse to smoke anything that doesn't come from the hallowed Habanos house of cigars.

Romeo Y Julieta Short Churchills - Box of 10 cigars available at www.cigarclubindia.com - the best place to buy authentic Cuban cigars in India

However, one must be careful about counterfeits that have flooded the market and only a discerning eye may be able to spot the difference. Therefore, it is imperative that you purchase Cuban cigars from a reliable source. Quite a few five-star properties in metro cities now boast of a cigar stores. Some even offer cigar and single-malt lounges. The duty-free shops at airports are another reliable place to purchase cigars.

Hoyo De Monterrey Epicure No. 2 Box of 25 beautiful cigars.

The most convenient though is shopping for cigars anywhere and at any time and having them delivered to your doorstep, thanks to some excellent cigar websites such as www.cigarclubindia.com. They deliver across India and are extremely responsive to questions about cigars, always have suggestions for newbies and take utmost care to ensure the cigars are preserved in perfect humidity and are just right for smoking.

The journey of the Trichinopoly Cigar

If you're a Sherlock Holmes fan, there's a good chance you've read the first Sherlock story - A Study in Scarlet. You couldn't have missed the author's repeated reference to cigars from the Rock Fort city in southern India aka Trichinopoly cigars or Tritchies. Though it was the murderer who smoked these in the story, Sir Winston Churchill's patronage soon turned the cigar into an overnight hero!

The town of Trichinapally or Trichy as it is commonly referred to has a long-standing history of cigar making. The big, hand-rolled Trichinopoly cheeroots or suruttus as the locals call them were being replaced by factory-produced cigars around the end of the 19th century. Spencers started making cigars in 1887. Cigars, that went on to gain a life-long customer in Sir Winston Churchill during the Second World War. The owner of the company, Eugene Oakshott sensed the growing demand for his cigars and bought 60 acres of land in Dindigul, a small town close to Trichy and tobacco-growing heartland in India. Spencers enjoyed great success and even won awards around the world for cigar brands such as 'Gold Mohur', 'Flor de Spencer', 'Little Randolph' and 'Torpedo.' But with cigars swiftly gaining popularity, Spencers' cigar business declined and they were sadly forced to shut down their factories in 1970.

Fenn Thompson and Co. is among the few surviving cigar companies in Trichy today with a total head-count of just 4 employees. The very unassuming Mr. Vasudev is a reluctant heir to the company started by his grand father in pre-independent India. Fenn Thompson is best known for their Black Tiger and Churchill Special cigars that got its name from the fact that they were actually shipped to Winston Churchill in the wake of the Second World War. While Churchill's affinity for the Cuban cigar is no secret at all, his regular supply took a hit during the war and that was when he developed a taste for Trichinopoly cheroots. Though lacking the finesse of a Cuban, they come with their own bold personality.

This may well be the swan song of Indian cigars. Let's hope not.

 These delightful cigars are available for your smoking pleasure and can be delivered at your doorstep just as Churchill had his on cigarclubindia.com

Occasions for Cigar Smoking

While many cigar aficionados might argue that you don't need an 'occasion' to smoke a cigar, few still insist on waiting patiently for that big, fat wedding in the family or Christmas to loosen those purse-strings or wallets as the case may be and spend a few big bucks on that memorable cigar!

Here are my top ten occasions to buy a cigar:

1. New Years Eve 

 What better way to usher in a brand new year full of hopes and promises than to light up a good ol' Cuban cigar in the company of friends and family. Few things can make a more memorable New Years Eve! My recommendation - A Romeo Y Julieta No. 1 or a Cohiba Behike 52, available at www.cigarclubindia.com

2. Birth of a Child 

 It has been a practice for ages now that the father hands out cigars to friends and family upon the birth of a child. Depending on the depth of the new dad's pockets, he can choose to either hand out fine Cubans a la Cohiba Behikes or Montecristo Tubos or just some machine-made cigars wrapped to say "It's a boy!" or "It's a girl!" It is after-all a symbolic gesture!

3. Closing a Deal

So you've been going back and forth on an important deal that's taking forever to get closure? If its been occupying your mind-space and you finally manage to seal a deal, a merger, an acquisition or land that big account, it's worth spending a bit more on a victory smoke. Whether you choose to celebrate your success by yourself or with your partners/clients over a drink and a great cigar is entirely upto you. The cigar however, not negotiable. My recommendation to make success taste sweeter is a claasic Hoyo De Monterrey Grand Epicure No. 2 - Can't go wrong with that!

4. Wedding, especially your own

If you happen to be the groom, make the most of it. Light up that special cigar you've been saving up for that significant occasion because chances are, it'll be the most memorable day of your life! Choose a cigar that isn't overwhelming. Our pick for D-day is a good old-fashioned Partagas Serie D Especial or an Oliva Connecticut Reserve Toro for the more adventurous!

5. Anniversary

Once married, how can the wedding anniversary be far behind. Few things can be as special as sharing a cigar with your spouse on your anniversary on a beautiful, pristine white sand beach after having enjoyed a great meal together or even in the comfort of your own living room. It's the stuff movies and sweet dreams are made of! My pick - a Davidoff Private Stock No. 2 - easy on the palette for the man as well as the lady. Available at cigarclubindia.com - the best online cigar store in India.

6. Your Own Birthday

If it's your birthday, you can do what you please. As long as you have a good time, everyone else will. But since occasions are a time when you might be sharing a cigar with people who don't regularly smoke, it's important to keep in mind that they need to be eased into the cigar world with a mildly flavoured cigar rather than a bold, ballsy one that could scare them off and leave you smoking all by yourself. Treat yourself and your friends to a Cohiba Siglo VI or a Romeo Y Julieta Churchill and let the celebrations begin!

7. Christmas, Diwali, Dusshera

In India, festivals are big business! We love our festivals and why not. In my mind, I can't conceive a better way to spend Diwali than by enjoying a stogie on my balcony with friends and family, watching the fireworks light up the skies. So whether its Christmas or Diwali, if there's a celebration, it calls for a cigar and if you're feeling rich, this surely will leave you feeling like the king of the world - Padron 1926 No. 2 Series, a real beauty!

8. While on Vacation

Imagine these scenarios- marvelling at the enormity of the grand Canyon, staring in amazement at the Niagara Falls, looking down from atop the Eiffel Tower, enchanted by the beauty of the Taj Mahal, enjoying a glass of bubbly in Santorini...well, I could go on. However, I'd long for a cigar in every one of these scenarios because a cigar, quite simply heightens an aesthetic experience and makes it all the more pleasurable. If it were upto me, I'd go with my favourite vacation cigar - the Ashton Cabinet #6 Robustos or a Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 which is undeniably a great choice, no matter what be the occasion. 

9. Weekend's Here!

If you're looking to really unwind after a long week of slogging it out, a cigar is just the thing you need. A cigar has the ability to instantly put you in a great, holiday-esque mood, more so if you pick the right one. I would therefore go with a Montecristo #3 - the perfect pick-me-up after the week-long grind.

10. Game of Poker

And last of all, how can we forget that a game of poker is just not taken seriously unless you have a bunch of players smoking cigars at the table. Cigars have become synonymous with Poker and why not? If you're heading out for a game tonight, be sure to take a box of Rocky Patel Sungrown Robustos along. I guarantee you, they'll be much appreciated.