Are Cuban cigars worth the hype?

[ProTem]

I've smoked dozens of Cubans, all because devotees forced them on me and I couldn't refuse their "great gift".
They always seem dry and harsh to me. I suspect this could be because they tend to pass through non-standard channels and are saved for long stretches.

But whoever the latest guy is he will insist that his are perfect and always were kept humidified and maybe arrived yesterday from a Venezuelan consul's diplomatic pouch, etc.

And we sit there puffing away and I'm yet again suppressing a cough and blinking my smoke filled eyes and trying my damndest to seem grateful when I refuse the second one. Of course the offerer is relieved I don't take the second, since it was so much trouble to come by.

[Bricker]

Originally Posted by ProTem

I've smoked dozens of Cubans, all because devotees forced them on me and I couldn't refuse their "great gift".
They always seem dry and harsh to me. I suspect this could be because they tend to pass through non-standard channels and are saved for long stretches.

But whoever the latest guy is he will insist that his are perfect and always were kept humidified and maybe arrived yesterday from a Venezuelan consul's diplomatic pouch, etc.

And we sit there puffing away and I'm yet again suppressing a cough and blinking my smoke filled eyes and trying my damndest to seem grateful when I refuse the second one. Of course the offerer is relieved I don't take the second, since it was so much trouble to come by.

Do you enjoy other cigars?

In my view, there's not a huge difference between top-notch Cubans and top-notch Dominican cigars; the Dominican cigars are just as good if not better, and have the added benefot of beingl legal, which means they avoid the hoarding-outside-a-good-humidor problem you mention.

But I've had good Cuban cigars outside the U.S. and they have been superb.

[cainxinth]

I make no claim to a refined cigar palate, but the Cubans I've had also seemed smoother and better tasting than Dominicans. It could be a placebo effect, in that there is a widespread belief that Cuban cigars are the best in the world, but I'm not so sure that's the case.

[kelly5078]

I don't know if they're worth the hype, but I don't think they're worth the price. I always get one when I'm on vacation somewhere they're legal, though. I get to feel like I'm getting away with something naughty. My overall experience, though, has been that the DR makes a better cigar.

[Khadaji]

Originally Posted by cainxinth

I make no claim to a refined cigar palate, but the Cubans I've had also seemed smoother and better tasting than Dominicans. It could be a placebo effect, in that there is a widespread belief that Cuban cigars are the best in the world, but I'm not so sure that's the case.

The weird thing is, the few Cubans that I have had, I thought were harsher. I am a dabbler at best though.

[diku]

Well, they're good, but not the greatest cigars in the world anymore, at least to my taste. Cuban Cohibas are still better than the legal ones, but the legal ones are damn good(can't remember if they're Dominican or not).

My preference is for CAO's, a company who's roller was a Cuban roller that left. i think that's happened to many Cuban cigar companies.

The Cubans I've bought in Canada are usually pretty crappy. Overpriced as well.

[Spoons]

In Canada, where Cuban cigars are perfectly legal (though as with all tobacco products, very expensive), there isn't much hype around them at all. The only cigars that I've found any "hype" about up here have been the ones like Opus X, which weren't available here until a few years ago. But I digress.

Are Cubans worth getting excited over? Sure, if you've always wanted to try one.

As an occasional cigar consumer who is not subject to the hype over Cubans, what are my feelings? Well, my choice always depends on what I'm feeling like that day: a rich, earthy Bolivar from Cuba, a mild Don Juan Urquijo from the Philippines, or perhaps a delicate, almost sweet, Don Diego from the Dominican Republic. Or something else entirely--just what do I feel like today? It's a matter of personal taste, and if somebody hyped a cigar to me as "the best ever made, impossible to get better," then I'd take their recommendation with a grain of salt. Their feeling may or may not agree with my taste.

[Spoons]

Originally Posted by diku

The Cubans I've bought in Canada are usually pretty crappy. Overpriced as well.

Buy them only at a legitimate tobacconist authorized to sell Cuban cigars (that is, not a gas station or corner store). There are surprisingly few authorized places. La Casa de Habano is always a good source of legitimate Cuban cigars; and there are a few other tobacconists authorized to sell Cubans as well. But genuine Cubans are not as widely available as you might think, and the non-genuine ones are indeed, pretty crappy.

As to the "overpriced;" well, yes. It's the tobacco taxes. I don't like them myself, but they're one way of telling which is the real thing. If you see an inexpensive Cuban for sale, stay away from it--there is no such thing as a legitimate $20 Cohiba Esplendido in Canada.

[John F]

No longer worth the hype IMO.

I bet they were the bomb at one time but the market place fills gaps at a pretty snappy pace.

[Ravenman]

I had a Cohiba last year that actually lived up to the hype. It was a real Cuban, not the licensed version from... is it the D.R. that also makes Cohibas now? In any case, it was a damn good cigar.

(I was in Turkey at the time, no US import restrictions were violated.)

[Johnny L.A.]

I rarely smoke cigars, especially since I lost my nice job. When I have a cigar, I like Arturo Fuente. How does a Cuban cigar compare to one of those?

[brianjedi]

Just a reminder to the Americans on the board that Cuban cigars are still illegal to possess or consume, in or out of the United States.

[Johnny L.A.]

Originally Posted by brianjedi

Just a reminder to the Americans on the board that Cuban cigars are still illegal to possess or consume, in or out of the United States.

And thank God for it! We are, after all, The Land Of The Free!

(Actually, I was going to mention it. Only I forgot, and I wouldn't have given a cite.)

[Khadaji]

Originally Posted by brianjedi

Just a reminder to the Americans on the board that Cuban cigars are still illegal to possess or consume, in or out of the United States.

Uh oh! Um, uh, mods, uh, it wasn't me admitting to smoking a Cuban. Um, well, uh someone used my machine - someone not me. I didn't admit to doing illegal stuff...

[Sunspace]

Originally Posted by Spoons

Buy them only at a legitimate tobacconist authorized to sell Cuban cigars (that is, not a gas station or corner store). There are surprisingly few authorized places. La Casa de Habano is always a good source of legitimate Cuban cigars; and there are a few other tobacconists authorized to sell Cubans as well. But genuine Cubans are not as widely available as you might think, and the non-genuine ones are indeed, pretty crappy.

Licensed? By the Cubans as some kind of franchise/distributor thing? Interesting. I always had my doubts about those hole-in-the-wall convenience stores with a bacly-made sign advertising "Cuban Cigars" next to the phone cards and snack foods...

[Sunspace]

Originally Posted by brianjedi

Just a reminder to the Americans on the board that Cuban cigars are still illegal to possess or consume, in or out of the United States.

US citizens are prohibited from consuming Cuban cigars outside the USA?!
How are They, whoever They are, going to find out? Tobacco spies outside Canadian tobacconists? Someone calls the DEA snitch line and gets a reward? The tobacconist is required to ask for, record, and forward information about your identity?

And what happens afterwards? They pull you aside at the border and take you to a separate room and shine a light in your eyes while saying, "We know you smoked that Cohiba outside at the corner of Bloor and Avenue Road in Toronto on the evening of March 14, 2005. Confess! It will only go harder for you if you don't!"

I read somewhere that every country has something that they are totally irrational about. But the whole US/Cuba thing just boggles my mind.

[Bricker]

Originally Posted by brianjedi

Just a reminder to the Americans on the board that Cuban cigars are still illegal to possess or consume, in or out of the United States.

At the time I had my Cubans, the act was legal.

[Johnny L.A.]

Originally Posted by Sunspace

How are They, whoever They are, going to find out? Tobacco spies outside Canadian tobacconists? Someone calls the DEA snitch line and gets a reward? The tobacconist is required to ask for, record, and forward information about your identity?

And what happens afterwards?

Afterward you apply for asylum.

[R. P. McMurphy]

A lot of the "Cuban" cigars that you think you are buying, particularly in the Carribean, are counterfeit. You have to know your cigars to be sure that you are getting a true Cuban. Buying them at the Hotel Nacional in Havana is one method of certainty.

Currently, the Cuban government uses a hologram on the box to assure authenticity.

A good Cuban cigar is a good smoke. That's not to say that it is always the best smoke. There are excellent cigars from other areas. Many of the Cubans are full-bodied which may not be the most enjoyable smoke for a lot of people.

[brianjedi]

Originally Posted by Bricker

At the time I had my Cubans, the act was legal.

I wasn't trying to cast aspersions on anyone. Personally, I think it's ridiculous that we're even TRYING to legislate the actions of people when they leave the country.

[Johnny L.A.]

Originally Posted by brianjedi

Personally, I think it's ridiculous that we're even TRYING to legislate the actions of people when they leave the country.

Why do you hate Freedom?

[Stratocaster]

I have not found that an excellent Cuban cigar is better than, say, an excellent Dominican. I've had mediocre Cubans too. I'll allow for the fact that, despite the fact that I've smoked cigars for 20 years, maybe my cigar taste just isn't refined enough. I can absolutely tell the difference between a $1.50 cigar and an $8 cigar. I'm not sure I'd bet my house on my ability to tell the difference between an $8 cigar and an $18 cigar. So, consider my assessment of Cuban cigars in that context.

By the way, diku, I'll second the endorsement of CAOs. I've had a lot of luck with them. Brazilias are a standby for me. I also smoked a CAO Gold knock-off this weekend that was surprisingly good for the price.

[diku]

CAO's are a great smoke. I also recommend the Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real's.

[plnnr]

Originally Posted by Bricker

At the time I had my Cubans, the act was legal.

Sure it was.

<Filing this away for when Bricker runs of statewide office.>

[ColonelDax]

Originally Posted by Sunspace

Licensed? By the Cubans as some kind of franchise/distributor thing?

Corporacion Habanos, which runs the Casa del Habano chain, is a joint venture between Cuba's government and Altadis SA, the company formed when France and Spain merged their state-controlled tobacco businesses. Altadis's cigar brands include Cohiba, Montecristo and Dutch Masters, and the company also makes Gauloises and Gitanes cigarettes.

[ProTem]

Maybe I just like cigars that are closer in flavor to my pipe tobacco, which is usually burly bright shag cut.

[Diceman]

Originally Posted by Stratocaster

I have not found that an excellent Cuban cigar is better than, say, an excellent Dominican. I've had mediocre Cubans too. I'll allow for the fact that, despite the fact that I've smoked cigars for 20 years, maybe my cigar taste just isn't refined enough. I can absolutely tell the difference between a $1.50 cigar and an $8 cigar. I'm not sure I'd bet my house on my ability to tell the difference between an $8 cigar and an $18 cigar. So, consider my assessment of Cuban cigars in that context.

I don't smoke, but what I've heard anecdotally agrees with this assessment. Cuban cigars are good, but they don't live up to the hype.

[CheapBastid]

First - it is illegal for any person under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Government to purchase or trade for any goods of Cuban Origin without a License from OFAC. This means that no matter where you purchase or trade for a Cuban cigar you are violating the Embargo. This also means the only legal way someone under the Jurisdiction of the U.S. Government can have smoked a Cuban cigar is from a licensed trip, and if in the U.S.A. from a licensed trip prior to June 2004.

Second - Cuban Cigars are the product of the motherland of Cigar Making and carry a certain history and mystique. In addition to that there is a specific aroma and flavor that differentiates Cuban cigars from cigars produced elsewhere. The frequently seen 'Cuban Seed' claims are near worthless as there is a region in Cuba called the Vuelta Abajo that has soil and a microclimate that along with the knowledge and traditions there make all the difference in the world. While there are many wonderful cigars from elsewhere - Honduras, Nicaragua, The Dominican Republic - few claim to have experienced a cigar from outside Cuba that can reproduce the flavor of an authentic Puros Habanos.

Third - knowledgeable guesstimates place the percentage of Cuban cigars in the U.S.A. at 95%+ fake. The profit margins in selling fakes are tremendous, the counterfeiters have gotten very good at the packaging and the average smoker does not have the experience required to weed out fakes. Even outside of the U.S. fakes are rampant. This means that the cigars that are passed around are likely poorly made and far from a Habanos.

Fourth - Cuban cigars have traditionally been like fine red wine. Smoked fresh they can be a bit unpleasant to one unaccustomed to smoking Cuban cigars. There are rumors that with Altadis' takeover certain processes have been modified to assist in reducing the harsh stage(s), but again these are rumors and only time will tell.

Fifth - improper storage can ruin an otherwise wonderful cigar. Under humidification and over humidification change how a cigar combusts and how the flavors are released.

Items three four and five (but mostly three) are why discerning U.S. smokers will often be under whelmed by 'Cuban' cigars that they are gifted by a friend who 'has a friend who has a cousin who works at a factory'. Those that smoke cigars based on the band are always blown away no matter what is under it, but there's not much to do about that.

=)

[Spoons]

Originally Posted by Sunspace

Licensed? By the Cubans as some kind of franchise/distributor thing? Interesting. I always had my doubts about those hole-in-the-wall convenience stores with a bacly-made sign advertising "Cuban Cigars" next to the phone cards and snack foods...

Yes, licensed and authorized. I can, for example, think of only four or five authorized tobacconists in the Greater Toronto Area that I would trust for a genuine Cuban cigar. I know there are a few others, but I liked the look of the stock and the storage facilities better at the four or five that I mentioned.

The convenience stores do sometimes have genuine stock, but what they generally do is to buy the cheaper smokes from the authorized tobacconists, and resell them at a little bit of profit in their own stores. Most often though, the stock in the convenience stores and gas stations is questionable at best. I've known a few people who have tried to make money off a trip to Cuba by buying a box of fake Cuban cigars on the streets of Havana from somebody who claims to have a cousin who works in the factory (or some similar story), and reselling them to a convenience store in Canada.

I could go on, but in short, if you want the real thing, you have to go to an authorized tobacconist.