Question: boutique cigars

[Steven Infanti]

Can someone explain to me what a boutique cigar is. Is it a specialty cigar? And how many of you out there smoke them and what kind. Just curious

 

[jbfurdog]

Talk to @Chris McCann this dude smoke some off the wall sticks.

 

[Not A Nice Person]

Just shorthand for a small, higher end, limited distribution network cigar maker. Illusione and Tatuaje were both a bit on the "boutique" end of things when started out; Viaje and Roma Craft are there now.

~Boar

 

[nfulton]

From my experience "boutique" means overpriced and fashionable. There are diamonds in the rough though. Fratello's Bianca line is reasonably priced and a great smoke. I enjoy most of Roma Craft's offerings. HVC, Dunbarton and Trust, and Caldwell all have great offerings that don't break the bank.

 

[JHolmes763]

Purely based on production numbers. No indication of whether they taste good or are priced right.

 

[mjolnir01]

Purely based on production numbers. No indication of whether they taste good or are priced right.

And I don't even think there's a hard and fast number (ie, if annual production<x, it's "boutique")... it's marketing nomenclature that's essentially meaningless. Johnathan Drew and Will Cooper (of Cigar Coop) had an exchange about it a few years ago, but I'm too lazy to google it and link it here.

 

[MadMonk]

I have no clue if there is a technical distinction for boutique, but tend to think of it as a privately owned company versus the likes of General, Altadis, etc. Like the one's that the former will try to buy, then turn most the cigars to mediocre crap.

 

[mjolnir01]

Good words, Danno.

Steven, I appreciate you trying to figure out a term that's thrown around in the cigar world far too much, but at the end of the day it's all semantics. I read a quote not too long ago from a manufacturer--a good and respected "boutique" one at that--that everyone in the cigar business b#llsh!ts, including him. "Smoke what you like, like what you smoke" remains among the best advice given on Cigar Pass.

 

[MichaelD]

Boutique cigars are what us aging-hipster wannabes buy and smoke because we get sucked into the allure of brand's marketing campaign. Much like small batch whiskeys or craft beers. I'm personally always been susceptible to this form of marketing and it impacts everything from my like of indy music to the small, limited production clothing brands I tend to buy. But in reality, the term doesn't mean shit in the cigar world.

 

[MNBrian]

Boutique cigars are what us aging-hipster wannabes buy and smoke because we get sucked into the allure of brand's marketing campaign. Much like small batch whiskeys or craft beers. I'm personally always been susceptible to this form of marketing and it impacts everything from my like of indy music to the small, limited production clothing brands I tend to buy. But in reality, the term doesn't mean shit in the cigar world.

This is just the best thing I've read all day.

 

[Steven Infanti]

Boutique cigars are what us aging-hipster wannabes buy and smoke because we get sucked into the allure of brand's marketing campaign. Much like small batch whiskeys or craft beers. I'm personally always been susceptible to this form of marketing and it impacts everything from my like of indy music to the small, limited production clothing brands I tend to buy. But in reality, the term doesn't mean shit in the cigar world.

 

[Steven Infanti]

Thanks for your reply that is a great analogy now I understand all the hype

 

[Chris McCann]

Thanks for your reply that is a great analogy now I understand all the hype

Michael nailed it in his assessment. IMO some "boutique" sticks are outstanding, while others are overpriced.

 

[Chris McCann]

Talk to @Chris McCann this dude smoke some off the wall sticks.

Thanks for the recommendation, brother!