Question about 'boutique' cigars

[craigchilds]

I think am familiar with and have sampled most of the "traditional" cigar brands: Punch, RyJ, Montecristo, Macanudo, La Gloria Cubana, Cohiba, Partagas, Padron, Arturo Fuente, etc.

But lately (last year or so) I've noticed there seem to be a lot of new brands centered around the name and personality of the cigar maker. Example: Rocky Patel makes cigar brands like Edge, Vintage, Fire, Diesel. Tabacalera Perdomo has a bunch of different cigars with his name somwhere in the title.

Maybe it's just me... but where did these guys come from and why does everybody love these new cigars all of a sudden? Have they been around long? Are these considered to be 'boutique' brands?

I'm really just curious as to why there seems to be a shift in how these cigars are being marketed. Any opinions will be helpful.

[smokepiper]

I would liken it to the beer boom when micro brews became very popular. Itallows owners to create catchy marketing and make you smoke their products.

There is also an argument that tastes change and with them the cigar companies need to keep up. Supply and demand. People get bored with the same ol stuff.

[Cartierusm]

It's not really a new thing, a lot of cuban brands are the name of the cigar maker, H. Upmann, Vegas Robina, Bolivar etc..

But I know what you mean.

[SeanGAR]

I've always considered boutique cigars to be small operations with limited production, such as Bahia, Bucanero, Cuban Crafters, Cupido, Cusano, La Perla Habana. Gurhka was in that category before they became successful. Rocky Patel owned Indian Tabac but started selling cigars with his own name (Rocky Patel Vintage, etc). Nice article down below. The Vintage series became quite successful and he has expanded to a number of other lines including Diesel, Edge, etc. I'm not sure what role Rocky has in the blending, but he is a pretty good marketeer, thats for sure. I wouldn't call Perdomo or Patel boutique cigars, mainly because of their sales volumes, but they do make tasty smokes.

http://www.winespectator.com/Cigar/C...47,206,00.html

[smokepiper]

I'd agree. Those small companies are like any local brewery. Especially with the net and expanded word of mouth it seems like things that were once locally concentrated or at least regional are spreading like wildfire.

I imagine boutique cigars are the same way.

Would Patel's smokes be considered boutique? As an offshoot of Indian would this still be considered as such. Where is the line when boutique becomes mainstream?

[rumballs]

Originally Posted by Cartierusm

It's not really a new thing, a lot of cuban brands are the name of the cigar maker, H. Upmann, Vegas Robina, Bolivar etc..

H. Upmann (Herman) was a banker in 1844. He started the brand but wasn't the "cigar maker". Fonseca is similar, named after the guy who started the brand. Likewise Quintero.
Vegas Robaina would be the closest example of one named after the maker - he does grow the wrappers for that brand.
Bolivar is named after Simon Bolivar, who was dead before the brand existed.

As far as the original question goes, maybe there are more brands recently that have been named after people, but they've always been around. Perdomo cigars are not new. Arturo Fuente cigars have been around forever...

Are they boutique brands? Not the ones you mention anyways - I don't have production numbers but I don't think they're any harder to find than other brands.

Why do people like them? I don't suppose this has anything to do with the name, at least it doesn't for me.

[craigchilds]

Thanks for that article, SeanGar. Very interesting.

[MikeP]

I would agree with everything that has been said. Concerning boutique cigars, I don't think that I would put Rocky Patel and the others named as boutique. As far as boutique cigars are concerned, I think it has already been said but I would compare it to a local micro-brewery. There are a number of boutique cigar places around that are well known in local areas but don't have the national marketing, distribution, etc. I would consider them to be local, retail operations. In New Orleans there is The Cigar Factory and in Austin, TX there is Bobalu Cigars. I like checking these types of places out as I travel around and enjoy trying their cigars. But these are what I would consider boutique cigars.

[horrorview]

Sean, you forgot about Lars Tetens!

[carbonbased_al]

Originally Posted by SeanGAR

I've always considered boutique cigars to be small operations with limited production, such as Bahia, Bucanero, Cuban Crafters, Cupido, Cusano, La Perla Habana. Gurhka was in that category before they became successful. Rocky Patel owned Indian Tabac but started selling cigars with his own name (Rocky Patel Vintage, etc). Nice article down below. The Vintage series became quite successful and he has expanded to a number of other lines including Diesel, Edge, etc. I'm not sure what role Rocky has in the blending, but he is a pretty good marketeer, thats for sure. I wouldn't call Perdomo or Patel boutique cigars, mainly because of their sales volumes, but they do make tasty smokes.

http://www.winespectator.com/Cigar/C...47,206,00.html

Excellent list Sean. There are also a bunch of chinchale factories in NYC that I consider boutique.