Turbolag, in my opinion it is far from a status symbol. Would you drink French wine vs. California wine because it is a status symbol? Or would you enjoy both equally for their distinct characteristics and qualities;
Prior to 1960 Cuba had a monopoly on premium cigar tobacco because no one else in the world was growing it. You can probably account most of this due to the embargo. After 1960 when many Cuban people, including some of the country’s most respected tobacco growers and cigar masters left Cuba - the methods then became widespread. Premium tobacco was cultivated in other countries such as the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua. Generally as a result- premium cigar tobacco will always be compared to Cuba simply because Cuba was the first place where it was cultivated. Think about tobacco’s flavor - it is derived from the soil and the climate of a particular location before it is harvested. Some Caribbean and Central American countries have soils very similar to Cuba’s, and although not exactly the same, they can produce tobaccos that are equally rich in flavor, strength and depth. But to be clear, because the soil imparts the flavor, nothing tastes like a CC other than a Cuban cigar, just as nothing tastes like an NC except a Nicaraguan cigar. Same applies for DCs and HCs obviously...
Back to the wine metaphor- A good comparison between Cuban and non-Cuban cigars is to liken them to French and California wines. Each is different. But is one better than another? That is a matter of opinion, taste, and perception of value.
I would have to say from personal experience it is hard to valuate and justify the price for CCs. They're so damn good but so damn expensive. So many more times have I come across an impeccable NC for a price that I wouldnt think twice about - very difficult to achieve the same feeling with CCs.
Took no offense to your post by the way, every opinion should be heard constructively on a forum in my opinion- thats why its a forum! A medium where opinions and ideas can be exchanged on a specific topic!
By the way- my CC vs NC info was paraphrased from a master cigar roller, Benji Menendez who is the main subject in The Ultimate Cigar Book.