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The Cuban Question

ericfincher67ericfincher67 Posts: 35 ✭✭
edited May 2019 in Cigar 101
Hello compadres

A little bit of background before I pop the question:

I’ve been smoking premium cigars for one year this month.  I started out trying a couple of sticks that were suggested by the salesperson at my local B&M and then branched out from there.  I would try singles from the B&M and then I would order boxes of what I liked online.  I’ve so far probably sampled 65% of what my B&M carries.  So I’ve had a good taste of what’s around but lack the longevity of having smoked those selections for years, as some of you have.

 I’m perfectly happy smoking Central and South American and Caribbean blends.  That mysterious little island 103 miles off the coast of Florida continues to beckon me, however!  That’s right:  Cuba.

  My experience thus far with Cuban cigars was hit and run.  A knowledgeable source advised me to try a Hoyo De Monterrey Epicure Especial as a good intro to Cubans.  I ordered myself a five pack of them online not long after I started smoking. 

  I found the Cuban Leaf to be distinctly peculiar.  There was just something about its flavor that the Central American Leaf seemed to lack.  It tasted kind of rosy, for lack of a better term.  Like how a rose smells but translated across the taste buds. 

Long story short, only a couple of the five Epicure Especials I purchased smoked well.  The others had unbearably tight draws and were a real pain.  Sometime later, it was explained to me that Cuban cigars are notorious for poor construction.  Apparently, all of the cigar factories of Cuba are government owned and they prize quantity over quality. 

So what’s your experience with Cuban cigars?  Have you encountered the same problem with construction, and are Cubans even worth it, in your opinion?  Have you found much difference in flavor between Cuban and Central American blends?  If you can attest to the value of a good Cuban, which would you recommend to a relative newcomer who can’t afford a four hundred dollar box of Cohibas?

I’m looking forward to hearing from you.  

Comments

  • YaksterYakster Posts: 25,529 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I have limited experience with CCs, but had heard of the construction issues. Long aging may help some.

    Try cigars with Aganorsa tobacco from Nicaragua and see if you get a similar flavor.
    I'll gladly bomb you Tuesday for an Opus today. 

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  • 0patience0patience Posts: 10,665 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The only Cuban cigar I have found to be of any consistency, is Jose Piedra Brava. Which is a dirt cheap Cuban cigar.
    All the rest, you roll the dice. Either they are very good or have draw problems. 

    Don't get me wrong, I like most Partagas Cuban cigars, but draw problems often plague Cuban cigars. 

    Partagas and Ramon Allones can be usually found on deals.
     Keep trying them until you find the one that suits you.
    In Fumo Pax
    Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy cigars and that's close enough.

    Wylaff said:
    Atmospheric pressure and crap.
  • Trykflyr_1Trykflyr_1 Posts: 2,500 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'm also not all that well versed in the ISOM sticks.  The few I've had have left me wondering what all the hype is about.  IMHO, there are myriad cigars from the DR, Nicarauga, and Honduras that are a pleasure to smoke and are way easier on the wallet.   
    I'm still troubled by what I did for that Klondike bar...
  • TBonzTBonz Posts: 554 ✭✭✭✭✭
    About 4 years ago had a family member travel to Cuba.  At my son's request, the family member brought him a box of Cohiba cigars as a graduation present.  Do I know if they were real or fake Cohibas?  No.  Do I care?  No.  I do know that they were cigars that were purchased in Havana and that I enjoyed the couple I have smoked.  I do believe there are two left that I expect we will enjoy together some weekend.  I can't say I enjoyed them more (or less) than some of the Dominican and Nicaraguan smokes I've had.  

    Before that, a friend / co-worker who emigrated to the US flew back home to visit family over the holidays.  He picked up a box of Partagas or Punch - don't even remember which at this point - at a shop in Europe.  He gave them as a Christmas gift to myself and another co-worker.  Back then I remember enjoying the smokes, but wasn't knowledgeable enough to say they were better or worse...
  • ShawnOLShawnOL Posts: 8,284 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 2019
    Had a Cuban Hoyo de Monterey, epicure no. 2 I think.  Gift from my doctor.  Excellent.

    I have a Cuban Partagas my son brought back from the UK I'm saving for a special night.  I'm hoping its every bit as good as the Hoyo.

    I would love to go to Cuba some day.  I'd probably die of a heart attack smoking 3 or 4 cigars a day, though.


    Trapped in the People's Communits Republic of Massachusetts.

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