Subscriptions and boxes have been all the rage over the past few years, and it seems like there’s a subscription box for everything. From knives and outdoor survival gear to apparel, whiskey and even cigars. But are they worth it? What about Cigar of the Month clubs, specifically? I’m going to attempt to lay out some informal questions you can ask yourself to get to the bottom of this gentleperson’s mystery — ladies smoke, too. More importantly, the idea is to help you decide if Cigar of the Month clubs are right for you.
Are Cigar of the Month clubs worth it?
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Right off the bat, the answer is going to be both yes and no. It really depends on you. Here are some questions to ask yourself before subscribing:
Is a monthly subscription in your cigar budget?
Do you like trying new cigars every month or do you stick to the same labels?
Are you a min/maxer when it comes to adjusting cigar costs?
Do you only buy cigars during a sale or via big deals?
Does the Cigar of the Month club feature brands you like?
Addressing these questions will help you decide not only whether or not a subscription is worth it, but also which subscription(s) you should be looking at. Most of the major retailers have a monthly subscription like this. For example, JR Cigars has one, Smoke Inn has one, as does Holt’s Cigar Company.
Each subscription offers different cigar brands and labels
Subscribing to the right Cigar of the Month club is going to be crucial to your enjoyment. Why? Well, each club offers a curated selection of cigars, and depending on which club you join, you may or may not be limited to select brands that the retailer carries.
“The answer is […] both yes and no. It really depends on you.”
Just to provide an example, JR’s Cigar of the Month club features smokes from Montecristo, Oliva, Crowned Heads, AJ Fernandez, Aganorsa Leaf, H Upmann, Alec Bradley, Drew Estate, and more. Compare that to Cigars International’s Cigar of the Month Club, which may include Macanudo, Romeo y Julieta, Rocky Patel, Cohiba, Gurkha, La Gloria Cubana, Tatuaje, and beyond.
Moreover, the cigar count in each subscription can differ, too. Cigar International’s base subscription, Original Club, only comes with four cigars each month. If you want more, like a bigger bundle, you’ll have to pay more for a higher-tier subscription. JR Cigar’s club includes five, meaning you’ll get one more each month.
And, of course, the cost for each club differs. It’s $22 per month for Cigar International’s Original Club, $31 per month for JR Cigar’s subscription, $35 for Holt’s Cigar Company, and $35 for Smoke Inn. There are many more clubs out there, as well. Starting at $50, Luxury Cigar Club is another great example.
It’s a no-brainer, but look at what cigar brands and labels are offered for the subscription you’re interested in before you buy. Each one will be different but that also means it’s totally possible to encounter a COTM club that’s not the ideal fit for your tastes.
Take it social. Look up the brand or club on social media, and places like Reddit and other cigar communities. You’ll be able to see right away what kind of cigars are included each month. A lot of influencers, reviewers and YouTubers will do unboxing videos. Many will even share their thoughts or reviews on new cigars they try.
As much as many of us would love to, unless you’re filthy rich, you don’t have an endless supply of money to divert to this hobby. That means, you probably have a budget or limit for how much you’re willing to spend each month.
Consider that budget before subscribing to one of these services. It may cut into funds you use for cigars you really love. That could potentially mean trading cigars you’d prefer to smoke for cigars you don’t necessarily enjoy.
Think about it. If you’re getting four or five random cigars each month, premium or not, you’re going to run into some that you don’t like. Some folks prefer to stick with what they know and love. If that describes you, it’s a safe bet you won’t like these COTM clubs.
Do you already have a lot of random cigars in your humidor?
Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge
If you’re anything like me, you’ve grown your cigar collection over the years through a ton of different avenues. You might have purchased some, been gifted some, acquired some at events or in special deals or bundles, collected a bunch of freebies, and so on. If your humidor is already littered with a bunch of random cigars you’re never going to try — maybe you should avoid the COTM clubs.
There are never any guarantees that you’re going to like the cigars these clubs ship you. You could potentially have a month or two where every cigar in the batch is unlikable. But, it’s also true that the opposite could happen, where every cigar they send you, you absolutely love. That’s the gamble you take.
Do you only buy cigars during big sales or discounts?
Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge
If you’re a bargain-hunter, you may want to avoid COTM clubs. They can be excellent value if you love the cigars you receive. But if you’re just stowing a bunch of randoms in your humidor you’ll never touch, well it’s obvious you’re throwing away money.
For the most part, the cigars provided in these COTM bundles will be available for a good deal. With JR, for example, at $31 per month that works out to about $6.20 per stick. If you’re getting some sticks that are above that cost — and there’s a high chance you will — then it’s an excellent deal.
Is a Cigar of the Month Club worth it?
In the end, the best judge of that is you. Worst case scenario, you subscribe for a month or two, find out you don’t like what they’re shipping, and then unsubscribe. You don’t have to stay active indefinitely and some of the clubs allow you to pause a shipment. There’s only one way to find out.
Briley has over 16 years in the publishing and content marketing business. He's been writing about cigars for nearly half that in various forms. What makes him a tour de force is he also smokes them.
Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge
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Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge
Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge
