The return of the cigar

Once mainly associated with portly, middle-aged men of a certain social standing, cigars – along with single malt whisky, fine wine, decent watches and interesting cars – have become part of the arsenal of interests that anyone who aspires to be a 21st century gentleman is almost required to hold dear. 

But the current enthusiasm for cigar smoking is merely the latest stage in a slow burn of popularity that can be traced back to the so-called ‘loadsamoney economy’ of the late 1980s, when flash city boys saw a top quality Cuban as just another hedonist’s accessory on which to splash a large amount of cash. Although that bubble inevitably burst, it remained airtight long enough for sufficient groups of truly serious enthusiasts to emerge, creating a ‘lifestyle’ around cigar smoking that American publisher Marvin R Shanken quickly addressed with the launch of luxury magazine ‘Cigar Aficionado’ in 1992. 

As the ’90s played out,  interest in cigars flat-lined – yet now cigars are hotter than ever.