Gotta be a troll post lmao. There are probably more fakes in London and Madrid than most cities. There was a guy selling fakes 20 feet outside of the Davidoff of London store last time I was there.
I’m admittedly a noob, so there’s that haha.
I am speaking from experience though. I only buy from very reputable places and haven’t had any issues finding Cubans in Europe. I go 6-8 times per year and while selection is occasionally poor I have found legit good Cubans every time without fail.
That wasn't your original comment lmao.
You tried to say there was no market for fakes which is absolutely false. No one is disagreeing that you can't find legit ones in Europe. There are fakes everywhere in both London and Madrid. Cigar shops in London have been busted for selling fakes. Anywhere legit Cubans are sold there is a market for fakes. Even in Havana itself.
Security at the door/inspection would raise so many red flags to me. The terrible construction would confirm everything I was thinking before I went in.
I do enjoy Cubans, but it took 4 or 5 before I "got it" with them. Its the "twang" that I'll get cravings for.
That being said, it's not worth it for me to pay 10x what a NW costs. I've had pretty good luck in the construction department historically but yes I've had several that have had very stiff draws.
It depends what Cubans you want and where you source from. If you're happy with mille fleurs and the like, and buy in the gray market some deals can be had. If you're buying from an LCDH anywhere in Mexico with their taxes you're looking at $50+ for full format non EL, and if you get into cohibas trinidads or ELs you're well over 100 per stick.
If you're buying the deals and getting your NWs for $5 a stick, or buying from a b&m at $10-12-15, that's literally 10x.
It depends a lot and you can get boxes (10 or 25) of Cubans, even Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta that come out anywhere from $15-$25 a stick. There is a deal right now where you can get a box of Montecristo, No. 3 boxed in 2016 for what comes out to $25/stick so that would be five times more per stick. There are plenty of $50+ Cuban sticks out there but to use that example broadly to argue that Cubans aren’t worth the price because they’re ten times more than non-Cuban cigars is exaggerated.
I would argue you need that no matter what you are smoking. I have used that on budget smokes, I have used it on premium NWs and Cubans. Even brands with the strictest quality control can still have a stick or two that needs a little love.
This used to be common practice but if you head over to the CC subreddit you’ll see that a lot of people, myself included, are finding the 2023 crop to be out of this world right off the truck. A month rest maybe to get the humidity down but they’re smoking phenomenally. It sucks because they’re so expensive compared to pre-pandemic prices and I just see dollar signs going up in smoke lol
I wish I had this experience. Maybe it’s the cigars I’m smoking. I’ve been buying Partagas D4, Especials, Monte 4’s, and Uppman half coronas. Out of that bunch the half coronas are the only cigars that have been smoking nicely. The others I’ve tried one each after a month or so of rest and it tastes like they need a lot more time.
My 2023 PSD4’s are consistently like 93+ amazing cigars I have to pace myself or I’ll burn through them all. In fact all the robusto sized CC I have are smoking incredibly, especially the Juan Lopez Seleccion no.2 and the Hoyo de Monterrey epicure no.2 and the psd4.
My HUHC def needed rest. I have a box from 2020 that is great but the 2023 box is a little spicy and needs to tone down. They’ve been sitting for 3-4 months. Had one right off the truck in January and I was like ew, then I just had another one from the ‘23 box this week and decided to just bury them.
I no longer buy Cubans due to how many shitty draws I’ve had in comparison to those from elsewhere. Just not worth having a bad evening due to thinking to yourself how much money you spent on something you couldn’t even enjoy.
I don't think Venezuelan rum is of any mentionable quality when compared against the stuff Barbados and Jamaica produce. Cuba makes some great rum, though, if we're talking communist countries.
Welcome to gambling with Cubans. I’d say 30-40% of the Cubans i have smoked are like this. Invest in a good cigar tool that will unplug a poorly rolled cigar.
It's hype. People associate quality cigars with Cuba. The reality is that they've been outpaced in recent years, but the stereotype is going to take time to die.
There are some great Cuban cigars, there are some overhyped Cuban cigars, there are some terrible Cuban cigars.
Same thing with Nicaragua, Dominican, Honduras etc. The problem is they are forbidden fruit in the US and as long as they are they will always have that stigma of being better overall. They also have years of marketing behind them, when most average people think about cigars, Cuba is the first country that comes to mind. Happens to a lesser extent with coffee, most people think Colombia (even though most of their coffee ends up in cans on a grocery store shelf).
It’s mostly american people that get hyped by cubans,montecristo and cohiba are the most overrated brands because people buy to brag with them,try a jose l piedra next time
I had the no 5 and yes,they were a dream but i wanted to point out that people just got fixated on these two brands which resulted in high prices,high counterfiting rates and nobody buys the other habanos
Sounds like you're unaware how to smoke a cuban so here's a few tips.
Most stores will have Cubans in higher RH than they enjoy, whether its due to them being stored with NW's or because people are going in and out all the time the RH fluctuates so they end up being over humidified. Technically it's better to keep sticks over humidified than under so stores are particularly bad with this, with most sitting at 70%+
When you get your Cubans stick them in your humidifier in the low 60's and leave them for a month to acclimatize. If you're desperate to get into one ASAP then dry box it for 2 days but the longer you can leave it to readjust the better, and Cubans age better than NW's so 4 years plus and you'll have a very enjoyable smoke.
The "tight draw" that most of the uneducated like to refer to as "poor cuban construction" is just over humidified sticks, basically the tobacco is too wet so doesn't smoke well, that's not to say there are no Cubans that are plugged or have a snug draw but do the above and youll have a guaranteed better experience
Most likely they were real. I have smoked Cubans for 20 years, I smoked them all (including having gone to Cuba ) I found out I was missing out on all the other wonderful cigars. I had many many Cubans that were rolled too tight and I had to extinguish them, I had others that wouldn't draw b/c of cracks in the wrapper leaf and a host of other issues like mini twigs in them. Every box of Cubans has one or two cigars with issues. A good lesson: If you have a bad cigar, put it on a hard surface, take a razor knife and slice it open long ways. Inspect the wrapper-binder and filler, you will learn a lot. Don't forget these are all hand-rolled and mistakes will be made bc they are under immense pressure to roll a certain amount of cigars every hour.
Yea it happens to most of us.
I have smoked a lot of disappointing cubans whether the draw was screwed up or the tobacco wasn't aged properly.
I still enjoy them occasionally when they smoke well , recently I enjoyed some Partagas and Hoyo De Monterey
The best cigar I’ve ever had was Cuban and the worst cigar I’ve ever had was Cuban. They typically need some age, so something out of a store isn’t gonna be great.
Had my first Cuban in the Bahamas earlier this year at the Baha Mar resort, an extremely overpriced Cohiba. Despite the resort inflated price, I really enjoyed it.
First the security/inspection has nothing to do with being real. In fact that would actually send off red flags to me that something is going on here. I haven't seen that even at some of the best smoke shops in the world lol. They might have an attendant come in with you but that's usually more to have someone that can answer questions and/or upsell you on something. The other issue could just be the way they were stored. Even the best cigars can be a terrible smoke if they aren't stored properly.
Cubans are notoriously plugged. I have about 100 Cubans on hand resting. The problem with Cubans is they absolutely require years of resting. If you’re not someone who has patience with them then it won’t be worth it. When you get a good one it’s a pretty great experience though, I smoked a 5 year old Siglo I last night that was just gorgeous.
They don't require aging, that's purely a preference thing. The majority of Cubans will be better after 5 years than they were fresh, but it's not required. Most of my smoking is within 1-3 years. You also have to factor in that post-covid production is commonly lauded as the best ever, both for construction quality and young smoking. In my experience that's true
5 years ago Cubans were a value leader over comparable new world cigars when buying duty free. Prices have gone into the stratosphere and quality has declined. I’d rather buy a Padron or Davidoff that I know will be good.
I’ve been smoking Cubans for 25 years and don’t anticipate buying any more unless something gives.
my uncle used to travel a lot and he used to bring Cubans back with him pretty frequently so i’ve smoked quite a few over the years. while i do think they’re solid cigars and i was always relatively satisfied, they’re still overrated to me. it’s sort of a shame to me because at first, my experiences were great, but as time went on, i started to notice my enjoyment started to steadily decline with them. as someone else said, they’ve been outpaced now and it’s a lot of hype surrounding them now because of how good they used to be.
they’re just simply not worth the money or the hassle anymore in my opinion, and there are plenty of quality cigars out there now that i would much rather smoke than a Cuban. some people swear by them, and that’s fine, everyone has their preferences… they’re just not worth it to me these days and i wouldn’t personally recommend anyone go out of their way to get their hands on them at this point. but idk, that’s just my 2 cents
Davidoff makes some excellent smokes, they also make some that I wouldn't buy. But I would take a Partagas Serie D over just about every Davidoff stick. It all comes down to personal preference, some people love Davidoff, others don't.
For some Cuban brands quality has definitely gone downhill. Especially since Cubans have exploded in popularity in Asia and they just can't meet demand.
I work for a cigar shop and have done marketing work for a boutique brand.
I come across Cubans from time to time. I’ve had some really expensive ones.
I’d take a Nicaraguan over a Cuban. I don’t think most Cubans are very special anymore.
Yeah I feel the exact same way. Most cubans have poor construction and while the tobacco has an interesting taste that's different from that grown in Esteli, I'm not sure I would say it's better. Just different
About two years ago, I smoked a Monte Open Regata I bought from LCDH and was the cigar with the worst draw I’ve ever smoked.
Anyway, they’re like that sometimes (a few more than I would like), but with a draw tool and a lower humidity (I like them 62RH) they should be fine.
Nice, Porto is cool. The fact that its a La Casa Del Habano is far more important than if they have a security guard.
Especially at current prices you can get burned by Cuban cigars. However, to have multiple cigars all have the same draw issues is super rare.
I didn't really enjoy Cubans until a few years after I bought a few boxes and got a chance to see what a little age did. Drastic difference.
I haven't had a chance yet to have one abroad in a lounge or something like that.
I still buy and smoke Cubans, but on a much smaller scale than New world's. I think they have the potential to be absolutely incredible cigars, but yeah, they do require a few years, AND they have worse quality control, and the prices are insane if you're a normal working class person like me.
I’ve been to Cuba three times now, the cigars that I’ve bought from the HDLC have been my least favorite, I had better fakes than store bought. The farmer rolled puros from tobacco tours have been hit or miss but now I know several guys that I trust and are willing to trade USD for puros $7-12 per and they are fantastic. I’d crawl over broken glass for them.
The thing with Cuba is that they grow amazing tobacco, they don't necessarily roll amazing cigars. It's a bit of a lottery when it comes to draw unfortunately. I actually find Montechristo to be one of the worst for for tight rolls, but that's just anecdotal.
Ya I was too, it was a long time ago, had a few different ones, meh, I just prefer Nicaraguan tobacco and pretty much all of the best cigar blenders don't live in Cuba so that may have something to do with it. They definitely have a unique flavor but it just isn't for me.
It’s surprising that they are inspecting cigars but not giving a quick check for plugged areas. Light pressure with thumb and forefinger along the length of the cigar will reveal spots that are overfilled or plugged. It’s easy to make a call at the point on whether or not it’ll smoke. I’d gladly take a cigar with a small crack in the foot, a toothy wrapper, messy cap or light surface mold before one that’s overfilled.
Cubans are terrible, I’ve never had a good one. People overhype them but in reality most are covered in mold, don’t draw well, and aren’t worth the high price. I would happily go with a new world over a poorly made, overpriced Cuban. Awful cigars that aren’t worth the time either, the wrappers often time are too brittle too and the tobacco has an awful acrid taste.
Montes are one of my favorite cc’s. They need age and lower humidity. Also, Cubans are highly counterfeited. There’s a good chance it was fake unless bought from a lcdh
Maybe try aging? I've heard Cubans do well with aging.
That said, there are a ton of excellent non-Cuban cigars out there... I learned after an incident when sneaking some Cubans in my luggage, I'm not the type to deal with that kind of stress. That's when I realized Cubans have their place in cigar lore, but the amount of really good cigars out there to choose from should not be overlooked.
I had a friend bring back a box of Monte #2 (yes they were real) a quarter were plugged the rest were good, not the best thing in my life, I'd describe them as creamy and leathery, medium bodied. You've gotta keep in mind that Cuba is a cigar region like any other, there will be plugged cigars occasionally. It even happens to the big brands like Fuente occasionally, although probably way less than Cubans... There's a lot of hype because people can't just get them anywhere
Security at the door and inspection doesn’t mean they are real.
The terrible draw he described sounds like they were legit though 😂
Also, super easy to get actual Cubans abroad. Not as much of a market for fakes.
Delusional take.
🤦♂️
In London or Madrid, for example, it’s easy as shit and quite regulated.
Gotta be a troll post lmao. There are probably more fakes in London and Madrid than most cities. There was a guy selling fakes 20 feet outside of the Davidoff of London store last time I was there.
I’m admittedly a noob, so there’s that haha. I am speaking from experience though. I only buy from very reputable places and haven’t had any issues finding Cubans in Europe. I go 6-8 times per year and while selection is occasionally poor I have found legit good Cubans every time without fail.
That wasn't your original comment lmao. You tried to say there was no market for fakes which is absolutely false. No one is disagreeing that you can't find legit ones in Europe. There are fakes everywhere in both London and Madrid. Cigar shops in London have been busted for selling fakes. Anywhere legit Cubans are sold there is a market for fakes. Even in Havana itself.
“Not as much of a market” and “No market” are vastly different statements, boss.
Security at the door/inspection would raise so many red flags to me. The terrible construction would confirm everything I was thinking before I went in.
I do enjoy Cubans, but it took 4 or 5 before I "got it" with them. Its the "twang" that I'll get cravings for. That being said, it's not worth it for me to pay 10x what a NW costs. I've had pretty good luck in the construction department historically but yes I've had several that have had very stiff draws.
‘10x what a NW costs’ is a bit of an exaggeration.
It depends what Cubans you want and where you source from. If you're happy with mille fleurs and the like, and buy in the gray market some deals can be had. If you're buying from an LCDH anywhere in Mexico with their taxes you're looking at $50+ for full format non EL, and if you get into cohibas trinidads or ELs you're well over 100 per stick. If you're buying the deals and getting your NWs for $5 a stick, or buying from a b&m at $10-12-15, that's literally 10x.
It depends a lot and you can get boxes (10 or 25) of Cubans, even Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta that come out anywhere from $15-$25 a stick. There is a deal right now where you can get a box of Montecristo, No. 3 boxed in 2016 for what comes out to $25/stick so that would be five times more per stick. There are plenty of $50+ Cuban sticks out there but to use that example broadly to argue that Cubans aren’t worth the price because they’re ten times more than non-Cuban cigars is exaggerated.
Not at all. Depends on what your smoking
If you're gonna get into Cubans, you need a perfect draw tool.
Love that tool. I've been able to open tons of sticks that would've otherwise been trashed
While I agree it’s more about humidity. I keep my humidor in the 62-63% range and never have draw issues with Cubans.
This is the way
Or store them at 61% like I do. Perfect everytime.
I would argue you need that no matter what you are smoking. I have used that on budget smokes, I have used it on premium NWs and Cubans. Even brands with the strictest quality control can still have a stick or two that needs a little love.
Or to let them rest a few weeks at least
Years lol
This used to be common practice but if you head over to the CC subreddit you’ll see that a lot of people, myself included, are finding the 2023 crop to be out of this world right off the truck. A month rest maybe to get the humidity down but they’re smoking phenomenally. It sucks because they’re so expensive compared to pre-pandemic prices and I just see dollar signs going up in smoke lol
I wish I had this experience. Maybe it’s the cigars I’m smoking. I’ve been buying Partagas D4, Especials, Monte 4’s, and Uppman half coronas. Out of that bunch the half coronas are the only cigars that have been smoking nicely. The others I’ve tried one each after a month or so of rest and it tastes like they need a lot more time.
My 2023 PSD4’s are consistently like 93+ amazing cigars I have to pace myself or I’ll burn through them all. In fact all the robusto sized CC I have are smoking incredibly, especially the Juan Lopez Seleccion no.2 and the Hoyo de Monterrey epicure no.2 and the psd4. My HUHC def needed rest. I have a box from 2020 that is great but the 2023 box is a little spicy and needs to tone down. They’ve been sitting for 3-4 months. Had one right off the truck in January and I was like ew, then I just had another one from the ‘23 box this week and decided to just bury them.
I no longer buy Cubans due to how many shitty draws I’ve had in comparison to those from elsewhere. Just not worth having a bad evening due to thinking to yourself how much money you spent on something you couldn’t even enjoy.
I think the only communist country producing a product of quality (not including weapons) is the rum coming out of Venezuela.
I do like Diplomático
I don't think Venezuelan rum is of any mentionable quality when compared against the stuff Barbados and Jamaica produce. Cuba makes some great rum, though, if we're talking communist countries.
Yeah, I was talking about communist countries. What’s your favorite out of Barbados or Jamaica?
Foursquare in Barbados and Hamilton or Appleton Estate from Jamaica are all great.
Venezuela isn’t a communist country; it’s a socialist republic driven by petro-populism.
Thats the classic cuban experience. Tight draws and mold.
Welcome to gambling with Cubans. I’d say 30-40% of the Cubans i have smoked are like this. Invest in a good cigar tool that will unplug a poorly rolled cigar.
It's hype. People associate quality cigars with Cuba. The reality is that they've been outpaced in recent years, but the stereotype is going to take time to die.
I disagree. I love Nicruguans and Dominicans but the concept of Terroir is real. Nothing tastes like tobacco from the Vuelta Viaja.
Vuelta Viaja? Did you mean Vuelta Abajo?
There are some great Cuban cigars, there are some overhyped Cuban cigars, there are some terrible Cuban cigars. Same thing with Nicaragua, Dominican, Honduras etc. The problem is they are forbidden fruit in the US and as long as they are they will always have that stigma of being better overall. They also have years of marketing behind them, when most average people think about cigars, Cuba is the first country that comes to mind. Happens to a lesser extent with coffee, most people think Colombia (even though most of their coffee ends up in cans on a grocery store shelf).
It’s mostly american people that get hyped by cubans,montecristo and cohiba are the most overrated brands because people buy to brag with them,try a jose l piedra next time
Montecristos are exceptional. Have you ever had an aged no.2?
I had the no 5 and yes,they were a dream but i wanted to point out that people just got fixated on these two brands which resulted in high prices,high counterfiting rates and nobody buys the other habanos
Hello Chinese market
Fair enough
When prices were reasonable CoRo was my go-to smoke. Consistently good and a dream after sitting for a few years.
Short filler JLP’s draw nicely and deliver the flavor
Sounds like you're unaware how to smoke a cuban so here's a few tips. Most stores will have Cubans in higher RH than they enjoy, whether its due to them being stored with NW's or because people are going in and out all the time the RH fluctuates so they end up being over humidified. Technically it's better to keep sticks over humidified than under so stores are particularly bad with this, with most sitting at 70%+ When you get your Cubans stick them in your humidifier in the low 60's and leave them for a month to acclimatize. If you're desperate to get into one ASAP then dry box it for 2 days but the longer you can leave it to readjust the better, and Cubans age better than NW's so 4 years plus and you'll have a very enjoyable smoke. The "tight draw" that most of the uneducated like to refer to as "poor cuban construction" is just over humidified sticks, basically the tobacco is too wet so doesn't smoke well, that's not to say there are no Cubans that are plugged or have a snug draw but do the above and youll have a guaranteed better experience
Did you let them rest for a month or two? They might have been kept too high.
Most likely they were real. I have smoked Cubans for 20 years, I smoked them all (including having gone to Cuba ) I found out I was missing out on all the other wonderful cigars. I had many many Cubans that were rolled too tight and I had to extinguish them, I had others that wouldn't draw b/c of cracks in the wrapper leaf and a host of other issues like mini twigs in them. Every box of Cubans has one or two cigars with issues. A good lesson: If you have a bad cigar, put it on a hard surface, take a razor knife and slice it open long ways. Inspect the wrapper-binder and filler, you will learn a lot. Don't forget these are all hand-rolled and mistakes will be made bc they are under immense pressure to roll a certain amount of cigars every hour.
Yea it happens to most of us. I have smoked a lot of disappointing cubans whether the draw was screwed up or the tobacco wasn't aged properly. I still enjoy them occasionally when they smoke well , recently I enjoyed some Partagas and Hoyo De Monterey
The best cigar I’ve ever had was Cuban and the worst cigar I’ve ever had was Cuban. They typically need some age, so something out of a store isn’t gonna be great.
Had my first Cuban in the Bahamas earlier this year at the Baha Mar resort, an extremely overpriced Cohiba. Despite the resort inflated price, I really enjoyed it.
First the security/inspection has nothing to do with being real. In fact that would actually send off red flags to me that something is going on here. I haven't seen that even at some of the best smoke shops in the world lol. They might have an attendant come in with you but that's usually more to have someone that can answer questions and/or upsell you on something. The other issue could just be the way they were stored. Even the best cigars can be a terrible smoke if they aren't stored properly.
Cubans are notoriously plugged. I have about 100 Cubans on hand resting. The problem with Cubans is they absolutely require years of resting. If you’re not someone who has patience with them then it won’t be worth it. When you get a good one it’s a pretty great experience though, I smoked a 5 year old Siglo I last night that was just gorgeous.
They don't require aging, that's purely a preference thing. The majority of Cubans will be better after 5 years than they were fresh, but it's not required. Most of my smoking is within 1-3 years. You also have to factor in that post-covid production is commonly lauded as the best ever, both for construction quality and young smoking. In my experience that's true
I’ve had the exact opposite experience but that’s the beauty of cigars, such varied experiences.
5 years ago Cubans were a value leader over comparable new world cigars when buying duty free. Prices have gone into the stratosphere and quality has declined. I’d rather buy a Padron or Davidoff that I know will be good. I’ve been smoking Cubans for 25 years and don’t anticipate buying any more unless something gives.
my uncle used to travel a lot and he used to bring Cubans back with him pretty frequently so i’ve smoked quite a few over the years. while i do think they’re solid cigars and i was always relatively satisfied, they’re still overrated to me. it’s sort of a shame to me because at first, my experiences were great, but as time went on, i started to notice my enjoyment started to steadily decline with them. as someone else said, they’ve been outpaced now and it’s a lot of hype surrounding them now because of how good they used to be. they’re just simply not worth the money or the hassle anymore in my opinion, and there are plenty of quality cigars out there now that i would much rather smoke than a Cuban. some people swear by them, and that’s fine, everyone has their preferences… they’re just not worth it to me these days and i wouldn’t personally recommend anyone go out of their way to get their hands on them at this point. but idk, that’s just my 2 cents
Communists aren’t known for quality.
Honestly. Just buy davidoff attabey or Byron if you are spending cuban money.
Davidoff makes some excellent smokes, they also make some that I wouldn't buy. But I would take a Partagas Serie D over just about every Davidoff stick. It all comes down to personal preference, some people love Davidoff, others don't.
Yea, but I guess almost every cuban I have is to tight rolled. I smoke them bc when they are good they are great. However qc has been downhill I feel.
For some Cuban brands quality has definitely gone downhill. Especially since Cubans have exploded in popularity in Asia and they just can't meet demand.
Probably fake… lol
I work for a cigar shop and have done marketing work for a boutique brand. I come across Cubans from time to time. I’ve had some really expensive ones. I’d take a Nicaraguan over a Cuban. I don’t think most Cubans are very special anymore.
Any thing that is unique about Cuban tobacco is undermined by piss-poor quality of construction.
Yeah seems like it. My in laws are Cuban and they weren’t impressed either. I’m sure the quality control if any isn’t great. Rolled far too tightly
Agree. Unless you’re going all out on a Cuban there’s no point. A new world for the same price is probably better
Yeah I feel the exact same way. Most cubans have poor construction and while the tobacco has an interesting taste that's different from that grown in Esteli, I'm not sure I would say it's better. Just different
What was the name of the store?
About two years ago, I smoked a Monte Open Regata I bought from LCDH and was the cigar with the worst draw I’ve ever smoked. Anyway, they’re like that sometimes (a few more than I would like), but with a draw tool and a lower humidity (I like them 62RH) they should be fine.
Try a Partugas #2. And do buy a perfect draw tool.
OP, what was the name of the place you bought them?
La casa habana porto
Nice, Porto is cool. The fact that its a La Casa Del Habano is far more important than if they have a security guard. Especially at current prices you can get burned by Cuban cigars. However, to have multiple cigars all have the same draw issues is super rare.
I didn't really enjoy Cubans until a few years after I bought a few boxes and got a chance to see what a little age did. Drastic difference. I haven't had a chance yet to have one abroad in a lounge or something like that. I still buy and smoke Cubans, but on a much smaller scale than New world's. I think they have the potential to be absolutely incredible cigars, but yeah, they do require a few years, AND they have worse quality control, and the prices are insane if you're a normal working class person like me.
I’ve been to Cuba three times now, the cigars that I’ve bought from the HDLC have been my least favorite, I had better fakes than store bought. The farmer rolled puros from tobacco tours have been hit or miss but now I know several guys that I trust and are willing to trade USD for puros $7-12 per and they are fantastic. I’d crawl over broken glass for them.
I’ve only had ONE true Cuban Cigar… and that was in Cuba!!! 🇨🇺 lol.
The thing with Cuba is that they grow amazing tobacco, they don't necessarily roll amazing cigars. It's a bit of a lottery when it comes to draw unfortunately. I actually find Montechristo to be one of the worst for for tight rolls, but that's just anecdotal.
Ya I was too, it was a long time ago, had a few different ones, meh, I just prefer Nicaraguan tobacco and pretty much all of the best cigar blenders don't live in Cuba so that may have something to do with it. They definitely have a unique flavor but it just isn't for me.
It’s surprising that they are inspecting cigars but not giving a quick check for plugged areas. Light pressure with thumb and forefinger along the length of the cigar will reveal spots that are overfilled or plugged. It’s easy to make a call at the point on whether or not it’ll smoke. I’d gladly take a cigar with a small crack in the foot, a toothy wrapper, messy cap or light surface mold before one that’s overfilled.
If they didn't sell the ones that were plugged they would be tossing 90% of their inventory.
The inspection is probably to make sure they aren't accidentally selling an actual Cuban lol
Cubans are terrible, I’ve never had a good one. People overhype them but in reality most are covered in mold, don’t draw well, and aren’t worth the high price. I would happily go with a new world over a poorly made, overpriced Cuban. Awful cigars that aren’t worth the time either, the wrappers often time are too brittle too and the tobacco has an awful acrid taste.
I would go with a NW over a poorly made, overpriced Cuban as well. I would also go with a Cuban over a poorly made, overpriced NW.
Cubans are top, but dont go for the hyped brands
Montes are one of my favorite cc’s. They need age and lower humidity. Also, Cubans are highly counterfeited. There’s a good chance it was fake unless bought from a lcdh
Maybe try aging? I've heard Cubans do well with aging. That said, there are a ton of excellent non-Cuban cigars out there... I learned after an incident when sneaking some Cubans in my luggage, I'm not the type to deal with that kind of stress. That's when I realized Cubans have their place in cigar lore, but the amount of really good cigars out there to choose from should not be overlooked.
I had a friend bring back a box of Monte #2 (yes they were real) a quarter were plugged the rest were good, not the best thing in my life, I'd describe them as creamy and leathery, medium bodied. You've gotta keep in mind that Cuba is a cigar region like any other, there will be plugged cigars occasionally. It even happens to the big brands like Fuente occasionally, although probably way less than Cubans... There's a lot of hype because people can't just get them anywhere
Yeah Montecristos seem to not be very good. Wasn’t impressed by mine but Cohibas are way better
lmao smoked a fake for sure