Terry Pomerantz says that there is no comparable place in Cuba to buy the best cigars in the world at the best price. “Buying a cigar from Cuba in Quebec will cost at least 25% more than anywhere else in Canada. A box of Cuban cigars that you will pay $325 in Havana will cost you about $900 in Vancouver and probably $1,200 in Montreal.”
Buying Cuban cigars in Cuba
Terry Pomerantz absolutely does not recommend buying Cuban cigars on the street, or on the beach. “As soon as you set foot on the streets of Havana, dealers invite you to an ‘exclusive’ cigar market where cigars are supposedly sold at half price. Resist the invitation! These cigars are of very bad quality! Also avoid buying them on the beach. You won’t get a good deal!”
“The best places to buy Cuban cigars in Cuba are the official state cigar stores, the La Casa del Habano.” There are several Casas del Habano in Havana, such as the Hotel Nacional and the Hotel Habana Libre. You can also get excellent Cuban Havana cigars in the Casas del Habano of the country’s main tourist destinations.
How much does a Cuban cigar cost?
Here is an overview of the prices of some famous brands of Cuban cigars when you buy them in Cuba:
- A box of 25 Bolivar Petit Corona cost 235 Cuban Pesos Convertible (CUC) or 310 Canadian dollars ($). If you buy this Petit Corona individually, you pay 4.70 CUC or $6.20.
- A box of 25 Cohiba Medio Siglio costs 307 CUC or $405, and 12.30 CUC/$16 each.
- A box of 25 Monte Cristo Special No. 2 costs 208 CUC or $275, or 8.35 CUC/$11 each.
In Cuba, you will buy very good cigars at a more accessible price. For example:
- A box of 25 Foncesca Delicias sells for about 55 CUC or $72.50, or 2.20 CUC/$2.90 each.
- A box of 25 Hoyo Monterrey cigars costs 75 CUC, or 3.00 CUC/$3.95 each.
Buying Cuban cigars online
But there is the pandemic! COVID 19 requires us to significantly restrict our travel abroad. So we say, “Why not buy our Cuban cigars online?” But in Quebec, regulations governing tobacco marketing and consumption prohibit the online sale of tobacco products and their delivery by mail.
In the United States, because of the embargo on products from Cuba, which was implemented in 1962, it is impossible to buy Cuban cigars online or in a tobacco store.
Specialized tobacconists and cigar lounges
Terry therefore suggests that we buy our Cuban cigars in specialized tobacconists such as Vasco Cigars on Ste-Catherine West, La Taverne à Boucane on Papineau Avenue or Tabagie Jean-Talon, corner St-Hubert/Jean-Talon. You can also enjoy excellent Cuban cigars while sipping your favorite scotch in a downtown Cigar Lounge such as the La Casa del Habano on Sherbrooke Street West, the Stogies Cigar Lounge on Crescent or Chez Alexandre on Peel.
How many cigars can I bring to Canada from Cuba?
Once the COVID pandemic is under control, we will be able to travel safely again. The Canada Border Services Agency authorizes any Canadian citizen who has travelled outside the country for at least 7 days to bring 50 cigars (2 boxes of 25 cigars) per person, free of customs duties, from Cuba or any other source.
Why are Cuban cigars so expensive?
“Over the last few years, Cuban cigar prices have literally exploded”, explains Terry Pomerantz.
There are several reasons behind this significant increase:
- The explosive increase in demand for Cuban cigars in new markets like the Middle East and China.
- The constant decrease in cigar production in Cuba, caused by hurricanes and climate change.
- The restrictions imposed by the COVID health crisis in the cigar industry in Cuba.
- After the health restrictions, the turmoil in the aerial and maritime transportation industry, causing significant delivery delays.
- Homogenization of prices by Habanos S.A., the Cuban distribution company, to limit parallel markets between countries. This homogenization is achieved by harmonizing the prices of some of the most renowned Cuban cigar brands with the public resale prices in Hong-Kong.
What is the price of a good cigar?
The price of a quality cigar in Cuba, sold in Habanos S.A. tobaccos shops, is barely less expensive than the price for the same cigars in Quebec or the United-States, apart for the sales taxes and the tobacco taxes applied in those markets.
Which cigars should be purchased in Cuba?
Even in Cuba, national tobacco shops are also plagued by scarcity. For example, on Cuban cigar aficionado blogs, several travelers mention the rareness of some of the Hoyo the Monterey, Romeo y Julietta and Partagas vitolas.
In Canada, the Toronto Metro Cigar tobacco shop sells a box of 25 Bolivar Petit Coronas cigars for around $ 775. A box of 25 Cohiba Siglo 1 is worth $ 1,475 and a box of 25 Monte Cristo No 2 costs $ 1,675. Let’s also mention that in Vancouver, a Cohiba Robusto sells for $ 149,99.
“This goes to show just how high prices can be for high-end Cuban cigars” cries out Terry Pomerantz, who quickly adds: “… and you can’t even be sure that these cigars will even be available once you decide to purchase them.”
A few specialized tobacco shops in Quebec and Canada
Here are just a few tobacco shops that sell cigars in Quebec and Canada, and who usually offer a good selection of Cuban cigars, taking into account the highs and lows of the market and availability.
In Calgary
Zigarren Cigar Shop, 71112 Macleod Trail SE
In Halifax
Halifax Club, both a cigar lounge and tobacco shop, 1682 Hollis St.
In Montreal
La Casa del Habano, 1434 Sherbrooke Ouest
Vasco Cigars, 1392 Sainte-Catherine St.
Stogies Cigar Lounge , 2015 Crescent St.
In Quebec
J.E Giguère au 61 rue de Buade
In Toronto
Havana Castel Cigars, 2177 Bloor St. West
Casablanca Tobacconist, 63 Yonge St.
Metro Cigar, 126 A Cumberland St.
In Winnipeg
Thomas Hinds, 185 Carlton St.
In Vancouver
City Cigar Emporium, 888 W 6th Avenue
Cigar Connoisseurs, 346 Water St.
In Victoria
Cuban Cigar Shop, 938 Fort St.
Goodfellas Cigar Shop, 901 Government St.
Pomerantz Foundation
Always inspired by its leader, Terry Pomerantz, the Pomerantz family foundation focuses all of its resources on helping children in need. The Pomerantz Foundation supports over 30 organizations, including, Le Phare, Altergo and the Child Psychology Center of the Montreal Jewish Hospital.
If you want to make a difference in all of these children’s lives and the lives of their families, Terry invites you to join your donation to all of the donations offered by friends of the Pomerantz Foundation.
A cigar enthusiast, Terry Pomerantz shares his expert advice on the different brands, types of cigars, and essential accessories to have. Immerse yourself in his recommendations to magnify your experience with each cigar, which you can enjoy in good company, an invitation to take the time to live each moment to the full.