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To Cuban or Not to Cuban... why even ask?

LasabarLasabar Posts: 4,472 ✭✭✭
So I'm just sitting at home and looking at my humidor and wondering... what am I missing out on with cubans? 'Cause I'll tell you, with some of the guys I've smoked so far, there is allot out there to make my mouth water right NOW!

So what's the big deal with cubans?

Personally I've been on this forum allot, and I've even tooled around other forums too and the consensus is... It doesn't really matter... Some swear by Cubans and that's all they do is get the forbidden fruit and make us envy, others know what they like and can buy the same thing from the Dominican or Nicaragua or wherever else...

Am I the expert on cubans? Absolutely not. Am I the expert on all other cigars? NO! But I do know that they hype has burned me, and made me feel a little bit embarassed.

My Co-worker was going home up north for a graduation party, Some of the people up there were from Canada too. Well my Eyes lit up and all I could think about was trying a Cuban! They can buy them legally up there, and then bring them to my friend and then give them to me!
Well come to find out that after all my planning, and money given to my friend, and all they hype I finally got one! Mind you it was small as the dickens and in a plastic tube and a name I've never heard of... BUT A FORBIDDEN CIGAR!

Well since then I've looked up the brand online... yeah, it's about a $2 cigar that you can buy in bundles of 45 for $100 in cuba...

So after all that drooling and work I got a everyday dog-rocket in a plastic tube

Since then I've realized that I get so excited about EVERY cigar I smoke, I don't need to go illegal on it, just make sure the money is well spent on a good cigar rolled by someone who has a passion for the Leaf....

Nate

Comments

  • CaptCapt Posts: 127 ✭✭
    Nate, first let me say if you are a legal US citizen, it is illegal to buy a Cuban cigar ANYWHERE! Because you are buying a Cuban product, you are not allowed to buy them, even out of the country. Second, the longer you have enjoyed the cigars, the more your palate will develop. Will a guy with a few cigars under his belt fully understand and enjoy a Cuban cigar? Nope. Not even close. Like most people want to believe, it is not the forbidden fruit arura, Cubans were even popular before the embargo against Cuba. But the fact is, Cuban cigars have a totally different flavor profile. Why do you think all the manufacturers use phrases like, The taste of old Cuba, or rolled in Cuban tradition, or made from Cuban seed tobacco? It's because they are trying to capture the FLAVOR OF CUBA. Now don't get me wrong, I do NC cigars just as much, but not more. Lastly, Canada is the last place (besides Mexico) you would want to purchase one. Canada keystones the price due to shipping and taxes. Expect to pay a good 50% more in Canada.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    ill tell you what, I have had cuban cigars. still the best cigar that i have had was a dominican. (opusx ) (i have heard arguments that its also because i have smoked the "wrong" cubans but untill i smoke the "right" one this will remain my opinion

    the way i look at it, is in the light of wine. wine is made in many countries around the world, and for a long time and to many people French wine was and is considered to be the best wine on the planet. one could make an argument that French wine is THE wine in the world. There are great french wines and there are crappy french wines, but all in all, france puts out some damn good wine. If we started an embargo with france today and from here on out french wine was "forbiden" the price would go through the roof and wine collecters around the US would praise french wine every chance they had. we would create hype around it. Many of us would swith over to Italian, Chilian, Austrailian, Canadian, and even US made wines and not even skip a beat because those countried produce outstanding wines. these countries would come into the forefront because we are forced to drink them now. would french wine demand a premium? yes. would it be worth it? that all depends on what flavors you like in wine and how much you personally enjoy french wine.

    its the same with cigars.
    honduras, equador, nicaragua, the DR, and countless other countries made cigars before the cuban embargo. Once the embargo set in they got more focus. since they got more focus and money they produced better cigars. Now there are many countries that make cigars on par with cuba.

    are cuban cigars good? heck yeah. are they the end all with cigars? No. it comes down to taste.

    if the cuban embargo ended tomorrow what would happen?
    i think that there would be a run on cuban cigars. People would buy up all they could. Good high end cubans, and crappy low end bundles. the price would skyrocket and there would be another cigar boom. we would pay more for cigars that arent from cuba as well... at least untill the shock of the market evened out. People would realize that cuba makes some damn fine cigars, but they arent the only bottle of wine on the rack.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    Capt:
    Nate, first let me say if you are a legal US citizen, it is illegal to buy a Cuban cigar ANYWHERE! Because you are buying a Cuban product, you are not allowed to buy them, even out of the country. Second, the longer you have enjoyed the cigars, the more your palate will develop. Will a guy with a few cigars under his belt fully understand and enjoy a Cuban cigar? Nope. Not even close. Like most people want to believe, it is not the forbidden fruit arura, Cubans were even popular before the embargo against Cuba. But the fact is, Cuban cigars have a totally different flavor profile. Why do you think all the manufacturers use phrases like, The taste of old Cuba, or rolled in Cuban tradition, or made from Cuban seed tobacco? It's because they are trying to capture the FLAVOR OF CUBA. Now don't get me wrong, I do NC cigars just as much, but not more. Lastly, Canada is the last place (besides Mexico) you would want to purchase one. Canada keystones the price due to shipping and taxes. Expect to pay a good 50% more in Canada.
    geeez capt, you type quick. you got that in before i could respond. that is a good point, though. A well developed palate will make the cuban experiance WAY better. I guess i am less impressed with cuban cigars than the everage person is. I like em, dont get me wrong, i jus think my tastes are different than most.
  • urbinourbino Posts: 4,517
    Capt:
    Why do you think all the manufacturers use phrases like, The taste of old Cuba, or rolled in Cuban tradition, or made from Cuban seed tobacco?
    Because it sells cigars.
  • CaptCapt Posts: 127 ✭✭
    urbino:
    Capt:
    Why do you think all the manufacturers use phrases like, The taste of old Cuba, or rolled in Cuban tradition, or made from Cuban seed tobacco?
    Because it sells cigars.
    To a point yes....lol
  • LasabarLasabar Posts: 4,472 ✭✭✭
    Oh yes... *heh heh* about the whole Cuban thing.... I meant to say that the cigar was *cough* NON-Cuban...

    And I know that the best rollers and the best tobaccos are claimed to come from cuba, and if I ever move outside the US I'm afraid that my wallet will bow down to Cubans immediately just to see what is out there and what flavors I can get.

    The whole point that I was miffed about is that I bought into the hype and I bought into the "Forbiddend Fruit" Image... I'm sure there are cubans that will blow my socks off... I guess I'm just trying to talk myself out of the Cuban-Hunt for the legality of it and the fact they are hard to come by.

  • urbinourbino Posts: 4,517
    I can honestly say the ones I've had -- gifts from friends abroad, of course -- were nothing special.
  • kaspera79kaspera79 Posts: 7,257 ✭✭✭
    urbino:
    I can honestly say the ones I've had -- gifts from friends abroad, of course -- were nothing special.
    I have had a few Cuban cigars, and for some reason, first of all, the size was alway Churchills. Not my favorite size but they were given to me and they were Cuban so size didn't really matter I don't know how this guy got all these but I did enjoy most of them. .. Cohiba, Partagas, Bolivar, and my favorite Romeo Y Juliet. I had a Punch which I didn't care for and a La Gloria which was a huge disappointment. But it has been a while since I have had another since that friend moved away.
  • sdipsdip Posts: 406

    There are a couple that I have had that were exceptional in regards to my own preferences; the HDM Petit Robusto and the Monte Christo (2 or 3). The flavor is unique, but there are even more NC's that I have found to be just as good.

  • Rob1110Rob1110 Posts: 1,577 ✭✭✭
    I've only had one cuban (Cohiba - which is a very highly regarded cuban manufacturer) and I honestly couldn't see the appeal. It was just another cigar for me. Nothing special about it (though I wouldn't say it was bad). What it comes down to is preference. It's going to be the blend of tobacco leaves that best suits your taste, regardless of it's origin. I'm not an expert by a long shot, but I do believe most people see the Cuban cigar as the "forbidden fruit" as everyone here has already stated. It's that mystique surrounding the whole Cuban cigar as being illegal that makes it all the more tempting for many. You must also consider the fact that after the embargo, some cigar manufacturers fled Castro's communist regime, leaving Cuba behind for the DR, Nicaragua, etc. My best example of an excellent non-Cuban to try is the Padron Aniversario series (1964 and 1926 both). They're amongst the higest rated and regarded cigars on the market, and for good reason. If you haven't had one yet, drop the money on one of those babies and you won't regret it.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    ive been thinking about this thread a bunch as of late...

    when i first started drinking wine i couldnt tell the difference between a $3 bottle and a $30 bottle. with time i got more and more into wine and i could tell the difference between a $3 and a $10, but beyond 10... i couldnt tell the difference between $10 and $30. ive now been into wine for about 6 years and CAN tell the difference between a $20 bottle and a $30 bottle. at this point once i get beyond $30 a bottle i dont see what makes it so much better. If my rate of improvement continues then its reasonable to believe that i will be able to appreciate a $50 bottle for what it is not just its price.

    I can only assume that cigars have the same learning curve. when i started smoking cigars i couldnt tell you the difference between a Garcia y Vega and an OpusX. now i am beginning to taste the differences between different growing regions in a blind taste test.

    High end Cuban cigars are supposedly some of the best in the world. few of us have the experiance or access to them to be very familiar with them. Could it be reasonable that we just dont have the palate development to fully appreciate the nuances within a cuban cigar? I think that its a possability. at this point I dont know what i dont know. My cuban expieriance is very limited and maybe over time ill understand more.

    also, how many of us have AGED cubans? many of the most respected people within the cigar world smoke only aged cuban cigars because fresh ones are not as good. Maybe all of the cubans we have all smoked are all too "fresh." Our excitement to smoke a cuban has lead us to smoke an inferior cuban cigar, therefore we have an undeserved deflated attitude about them. we are let down --maybe unwarentedly.


    However, when i didnt know anything about wine i could give you a very general "its good" or "its bad"
  • dutyjedutyje Posts: 2,263
    Interesting idea regarding the aging, kuzi... I tend to find myself disappointed by the Cuban-originated brands (R&Y, Montecristo... most recently the Bolivar)... I wonder if their blends are similar enough to their original Cuban heritage to require the same amount of aging. I'm not one to age my cigars, but I've been thinking about getting a humi for this purpose. If I do that, I'll grab some well-reviewed brands that didn't appeal to me and give them some serious rest.
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    First off lazy instead of the old *cough**wink* non-cuban routine, we refer to them as ISOM(Island South of Miami).

    Second I have smoked a number of cubans, including as I have stated before a well aged H.Upmann habana. Cubans definetly have a different flavor profile than almost any domestic and if you like that profile then cubans will be the best in your opinion. Now, while I enjoy cubans thoroughly and some of my all time favorite smokes have been ISOMs there are two fundamental problems IMHO. First is all cuban brands have quality control issues, Cohiba and Montecristo in my experience and research have about a 1 in 3 chance of being a dud. Second is that ALL cubans are Puros, meaning they are made of tobacco exclusively grown in Cuba. There is something to be said about that but it also limits the possibilities, I like new flavors and complexity. Across all cuban cigars you will notice a lot of similarities and to me this can get boring. Just my opinion ...
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    they may all be simaler to some degree but how would you explain the popularity between high end brands. they cant all be that much the same.
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    I don't mean identical, not by any stretch they just have consistent flavor profiles. You're never going to hit a flavor in a cuban that makes you go "WOAH wtf is that?". Just my humble fairly limited opinion.
  • DiasFlakDiasFlak Posts: 342 ✭✭
    too much hype its like the apple tree... dont eat the forbidden fruit!and then everyone has to know what it taste like!
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    iduno... i have mixed feelings about cuban cigars. one day im like " they are nothing special" and the next im like "they are the standard that all other cigars are measured by for a reason"
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    kuzi16:
    iduno... i have mixed feelings about cuban cigars. one day im like " they are nothing special" and the next im like "they are the standard that all other cigars are measured by for a reason"
    Yea I think thats my sentiment. The only thing I'm consistent on when it comes to them is I think you get more interesting cigars outside of Cuba bc of the whole puro deal.

    Also I think before anyone forms an opinion on Cubans they need to smoke at the very least a few Montecristo #2's and Cohiba Robustos. Those are the most recognizable Cuban cigars in the world.
  • j0z3rj0z3r Posts: 9,403 ✭✭
    madurofan:
    kuzi16:
    iduno... i have mixed feelings about cuban cigars. one day im like " they are nothing special" and the next im like "they are the standard that all other cigars are measured by for a reason"
    Yea I think thats my sentiment. The only thing I'm consistent on when it comes to them is I think you get more interesting cigars outside of Cuba bc of the whole puro deal.

    Also I think before anyone forms an opinion on Cubans they need to smoke at the very least a few Montecristo #2's and Cohiba Robustos. Those are the most recognizable Cuban cigars in the world.
    And while they're at it, they may as well take in an Upmann, HDM and a Boli.
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    Mmmmmm I smoked an ISOM HDM Limitada Edicion 2004 the other day on the beach. Wow very,very classical cigar burned impeccably and I was on the beach and still burned amazingly. I have acouple more of those, I love HDM ISOM and domestic.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    i cant compare the two being that i have never had an HdM ISOM. the US legal line is good though. Im sure the flavor profile is very different. Im not sure there is a comparison really.

    i still think that Cuban cigars are just like any other cigar: either you like the flavor profile or you dont.


    and i also think that people are told its good then they smoke a crappy cuban or a fake one and they are dissapointed (or they dont like the flavor profile of a real one). they then prosceed to be overtaken by the hype and say it was "great" or "how a cuban should taste". we need less hype about them. they may be good but dont say it so many times that everyone thinks so stick unsmoked. make people decide on their own.
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    Good points, I travel outside of the country fairly regularly so I have the luxury of smoking ISOMs fairly easily. I will say the Punch ISOMs SUCK!! I've had a few and they just flat suck IMO. It is easy to get taken into the hype but just like domestics I know which I like.
  • CaptCapt Posts: 127 ✭✭
    madurofan:
    Good points, I travel outside of the country fairly regularly so I have the luxury of smoking ISOMs fairly easily. I will say the Punch ISOMs SUCK!! I've had a few and they just flat suck IMO. It is easy to get taken into the hype but just like domestics I know which I like.
    The Punch Punch has consistently remained on top of classic CUBAN cigars!
  • kaspera79kaspera79 Posts: 7,257 ✭✭✭
    Capt:
    madurofan:
    Good points, I travel outside of the country fairly regularly so I have the luxury of smoking ISOMs fairly easily. I will say the Punch ISOMs SUCK!! I've had a few and they just flat suck IMO. It is easy to get taken into the hype but just like domestics I know which I like.
    The Punch Punch has consistently remained on top of classic CUBAN cigars!
    It appears that opinions vary on this one, as with any cigar I would imagine.
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    Capt:
    madurofan:
    Good points, I travel outside of the country fairly regularly so I have the luxury of smoking ISOMs fairly easily. I will say the Punch ISOMs SUCK!! I've had a few and they just flat suck IMO. It is easy to get taken into the hype but just like domestics I know which I like.
    The Punch Punch has consistently remained on top of classic CUBAN cigars!
    I know Capt, and of course I smoked the punch punch but I've had 4 of them, I bought 5 and still have one left. Two were completely unsmokeable and one got very harsh on me very quickly. The one "good" one left me with little memory of it other than saying I wish I hadn't spent all this money on these.
  • pilot711pilot711 Posts: 176
    I travel outside the country a lot also and have had the chance to sample quite a few. While I have had some very good ones I do feel they are way over hyped. I think people always want something they can't have. The taboo factor seems to make it better. All that said though I enjoy some of the excellent Nicaraguan, Honduran, Dominican and other cigars just as much for a lot less money. Just my 2 cents.
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