Earlier this week I had a conversation with a gentleman who was purchasing some cigars in one of our stores. As we talked, our conversation shifted from discussing his favorite cigar to his quest to find a cheaper alternative.  Since his consumption level during the work day is quite high, he wanted to find an inexpensive everyday smoke. I asked if he had ever purchased any bundle cigars and he replied that he had. He was not happy with most of the bundled cigars he had previously purchased, most of which he bought online. I made a few recommendations of some of the bundles we sell; he made his purchase and went back to work at that awesome job of his that affords him the opportunity to smoke cigars all day.

The guests’ comments are the same that are mentioned countless times in cigar shops all over the country. Today’s consumer really wants an everyday smoke to supplement the super-premium sticks they enjoy on the weekend. But his comments also offer words of caution the quest for value smokes. Be careful when you purchase bundle cigars from an online retailer. The only thing worse than wasting money on a bad cigar, is wasting it on a whole bundle. Not all bundle cigars are created equal, so it is highly suggested that a single stick purchase be made first before buying the entire lot. Many online retailers either don’t sell single sticks of these brands or they make the pricing so enticing that you almost have to buy the whole bundle. You know how the large popcorn at the movies is only a few cents more? I am glad to say that we offer all of our bundle cigars in a single stick to avoid this type of
aggravation.

So exactly what is a "bundle cigar" and what makes them cheap? The term mostly applies to a group of value priced cigars that are usually sold in bunches of 20 or 30 sticks. Most online retailers also offer more expensive cigars in bundles, but I am only discussing the value brands. What makes the price on these cigars so low involves a variety of factors.

Some bundle cigars are short-filled cigars. This means that clippings and trimmings from premium cigars are used as the filler tobacco in the cigars. Don’t make the mistake of comparing all of these short-filled cigars to the cheap ones you can buy in drug and convenience stores. Kaizad Hansotia released a new short-filled bundle this year called Prize Fighter and it offers a 6X60 for $1.99.  Most of these short filler, bundle cigars are machine made, which reduces cost. These machines are very old and they actually mimic all of the things that a human hand does. They are quite remarkable to watch in action. The wrapper still has to be placed on the machine by hand for each cigar so it still requires a human touch. It’s just faster than one person rolling and bunching one at a time.

There are also long filler cigars that make their way into these value bundles. Some are made from tobacco that didn’t make the cut for the premium cigars and is still high quality, while others are made to be similar to a more expensive brand name, just using a less costly tobacco. At ABC we have several bundles that are imitations of premium brands. The M-1 Cusano is an alternative to Macanudo while the CC is meant to closely resemble Cohiba. There are also many private label bundles in which a retailer will order a basic premium cigar and have the factory apply their name to it.

The bundle business is something that was created by the online retailers, but most brick and mortar stores have come to embrace it today. As a cigar lover I always want to encourage our guests to enjoy the best quality smokes available. Life is too short to smoke bad cigars. But since inexpensive doesn’t always correlate to poor quality I am glad that we offer these lesser priced alternatives for those looking for an everyday smoke. A responsible tobacconist is one who provides a cigar that the guest will enjoy and not just his/her favorites. At ABC we offer a wide variety of bundle cigars and none of these cigars are of poor quality.  We smoke everything before we make a decision to bring it in to our stores and I would never suggest anything I wouldn’t smoke myself--bundle or no bundle.

Long Ashes,

Chris Gwaltney, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits North Florida Regional Manager. Certified Tobacconist and Cicerone Beer Server. Follow me on Twitter @abccigarchris.