The Danger of Betting Your Cigar Business on One Country

A lesson from a cigar lounge in Medellín

During a recent trip to Medellín, Colombia, I walked into a cigar lounge with an interesting claim to fame:

They only sell Cuban cigars.

No Nicaragua. No Dominican Republic. No Honduras. No boutique cigars from other tobacco-growing regions.

Cuba. That’s it.

As a cigar smoker, I understand the appeal.

Cuban cigars carry history, prestige, and some of the most recognizable names in the cigar world. Cohiba, Montecristo, Partagás, Romeo y Julieta, Bolívar—the heritage behind those names is undeniable.

And from a marketing perspective, “We only sell Cuban cigars” creates an identity. It gives the lounge something easy to communicate.

But as a business owner, I couldn’t stop thinking about something else:

That’s a pretty big bet on one country.

And I don’t think that’s a bet I would want to make.

Your Differentiator Can Also Become Your Weakness

There’s nothing wrong with specializing.

The problem begins when specialization becomes dependency.

If virtually everything you sell depends on one country, one production ecosystem, and one distribution structure, anything that disrupts that system becomes your problem.

Political instability becomes your problem.

Production problems become your problem.

Distribution issues become your problem.

Pricing decisions become your problem.

Ownership disputes become your problem.

You have very few places to turn because you’ve intentionally eliminated your alternatives.

That’s especially interesting right now because Habanos S.A.—the company responsible for the international commercialization of Cuban cigar brands—has been dealing with significant uncertainty surrounding part of its ownership structure.

In January 2026, businessman Chen Zhi, a shareholder in Habanos S.A. through its private ownership structure, was arrested in Cambodia and deported to China. He had previously been indicted by U.S. authorities over allegations involving massive cyber and cryptocurrency fraud. (Cigars-connect)

The consequences didn’t simply disappear after his arrest.

By June, reporting indicated that efforts to separate Chen Zhi’s interests from the Habanos ownership structure were facing multiple legal obstacles involving companies connected to his holdings. (Cigars-connect)

None of that means Cuban cigars are suddenly going away.

That’s not the point.

The point is concentration risk.

Great Cigars Don’t Have a Passport

This is also where I think cigar culture sometimes gets caught up in reputation instead of experience.

Cuba produces great cigars.

But Cuba does not have a monopoly on great cigars.

Nicaragua produces extraordinary tobacco. The Dominican Republic produces extraordinary tobacco. Honduras produces extraordinary tobacco. Ecuador has become incredibly important for premium wrappers. Pennsylvania Broadleaf has its own character and following.

And within those countries are growers, blenders, factories, and smaller brands doing some incredible things.

That’s one of the things I love about the cigar industry.

There is always something else to discover.

A lounge that gives customers access to different countries, different tobaccos, different blending philosophies, and different manufacturers isn’t necessarily diluting its identity.

It may actually be strengthening its business.

Diversification Isn’t Just for Wall Street

We normally hear about diversification when people talk about investing.

Don’t put everything into one stock.

Don’t make your entire future dependent on one company.

The same principle applies to a humidor.

If I’m running a cigar lounge, I don’t want one country’s political situation, harvest, distribution network, ownership dispute, pricing strategy, or supply problem determining whether I can give my customers a great experience.

I want options.

More importantly, I want my customers to have options.

That doesn’t mean a Cuban-focused lounge shouldn’t exist. There’s something cool about that concept, and I understand exactly why somebody would build a business around it.

But there’s a difference between having a specialty and having a single point of failure.

The Humidor Should Be Bigger Than the Hype

Maybe the bigger lesson isn’t really about Cuba at all.

It’s about how we think about cigars.

The cigar world gets obsessed with countries, ratings, famous bands, limited releases, and whatever happens to be difficult to obtain.

But ultimately, we’re supposed to smoke the cigar.

Does it taste good?

Was it constructed well?

Did you enjoy it?

Did it create a moment worth remembering?

At Heaven’s Leaf, we’re obviously proud of the cigars we’re building and the tobacco behind them. But we’re also cigar smokers. I don’t believe enjoying one brand requires pretending every other brand is inferior.

The cigar table should be bigger than that.

So when I walked out of that lounge in Medellín, I wasn’t thinking, “They shouldn’t sell Cuban cigars.”

Quite the opposite.

I was thinking:

Sell the Cubans. Celebrate them. Tell their history. But don’t bet the entire humidor on one flag.

Because in cigars, just like in business, having options isn’t a lack of identity.

It’s wisdom.

Light Up. Slow Down. Lift Up.