Cuban Cigar

[mtm_motors]

I've been working in Qatar on the Persian Gulf the last year, and Cubans are all we have here. I have yet to come across a fake... and unlike Hong Kong, we aren't taxed, so prices are very reasonable. I will certainly be bringing some back to the US when I move home.

 

[jayinhk]

I've been working in Qatar on the Persian Gulf the last year, and Cubans are all we have here. I have yet to come across a fake... and unlike Hong Kong, we aren't taxed, so prices are very reasonable. I will certainly be bringing some back to the US when I move home.

It may be best to send them home so they don't get confiscated when you fly back. Sounds like I need to make a trip to the Middle East at some point!

 

[Fury964]

Ah yes, a Fonseca No. 1. Absolutely amazing smoke. Smooth, mild, and with incredible flavor. I've never had a non-Cuban that could compare, and I've tried some of the best Padron, Arturo Fuente and Ashton have to offer. Some Cubans aren't quite as good as others, of course, but IMO Cubans really are much better in general. Give them one or two years in a good humidor and they'll really shine. I'm also very fond of Cuaba. Cohiba and RyJ are good, but tend to have less character.

I do like the Romeo y Julietta but the the Fonseca is not for me. The middle east is certainly the place to get cigars, which reminds, I must send the other half back out there to pick me up a couple of boxes.

 

[Nick Halden]

A great advantage of living in Spain is that you can buy the best -and of course authentic- cuban cigars (Montecristo in my opinion) in every tobacco shop just for a few euros.
Here is very traditional in wedding celebrations to give each attendant a good cuban cigar after the dinner/lunch.

 

[Asienizen]

I don't know why I haven't taken advantage of the fact that here in Vietnam: 1.tobacco is dirt cheap, 2.this country has good relations with Cuba, 3.There are several cigar cafes within a 5 minute drive of my house?! I need to see what they have, any recommendations for Cubans??

 

[John in Covina]

All Cuban cigars are not created equal. There are many fakes. There are brands that aren't as good as others. There are times when their quality control drops and so-so cigars go out. Much like fine wines cigars are part of that terrior, how the plants are grown, where, soils, weather. Then how they are fermented, aged and rolled. Whether they are mature or too new.
A fine Cuban can be exquisite and bad one makes so-so seem great.

 

[penates]

The Cuban companies have been notoriously lax with their QC at various times. Due to the importance of the cigar industry in bringing in hard currency, a lot of items that should be rejected are not.

 

[Nick Halden]

Probably most of the counterfeits are in America due it's prohibition, wich probably increases the price astronomically and the difficult of obtaining. Also the prohibition means that to buy them you will need to make business with people that will not give you any type of guarantee, and in fact, don't forget that the nature of his business is to be rogue...

I haven't seen or have heard about counterfeits here in Europe, because authentic cuban cigars are not expensive. The tobacco market is very controlled, in Spain every tobacco shop need a licence and every tobacco product must have the precinct of the government -that certifies that are a legal product and the taxes are paid-.
Nobody needs to make strange business with unreliable people to obtain possibly-fake cigars if you can buy authentic and certified ones in every tobacco shop, and nobody will take the inconvenience of make credible counterfeits and forge the government precinct -serious crime- if you can buy the original ones for some coins.

About recommendations, in my opinion the best cuban cigars are Montecristo and Cohiba.

 

[danofarlington]

Working in South Asia a few years ago, I was able to buy brand-name Cubans--Romeo & Juliet, Cohiba, Montecristo (not to be confused with Dominican cigars using the same name). By far my favorite cigar is the Cuban Romeo & Juliet. My second favorites of all time would be Ashton maduros and Avo, from the Dominican Republic. I understand that Americans for the most part won't know the actual Cuban cigars. But having had some, I think they're great. I wasn't so high on Cohiba and Montecristo--Montecristo was better to me than Cohiba--but those were not head and shoulders above Dominicans, for my taste. As for DR cigars of the same eminent names, they ought not to be mentioned in the same sentence. I have bought DR Cohiba, Romeo & Juliet, and Montecristo, and I'm sorry, folks, not the same league. BTW I did find a Cuban Romeo & Juliet on the Canada side of Niagara Falls, and it cost me more than $25. But it was the same as the ones I bought in South Asia for $5. So there you have it. BTW, I had a few pre-embargo Cubans from a guy at JR Tobacco in Washington, D.C. about twelve years ago. They were very smooth. Anyway, if the embargo ever comes off, I'll be a Cuban Romeo & Juliet customer, if I can afford it.

 

[danofarlington]

The best, I think, do indeed come from Nicaragua. Any Padron is fantastic.

I like Nicaraguans. Have been buying Thompson Cigar samplers, and many Nicaraguans are in that. I haven't been a fan of Padron, but others are good for me. I'm pretty much a maduro guy. I think good cigars are popping up from many sources now.

 

[bulldog1935]

I appreciate all the suggestions, gents. I'll have to head out to the cigar store.
Best,
Tom

then make sure you try Illusione epernay - the Le Matin is my favorite.

I smoked nothing but habanos for most of 10 years, but the current administration has really cracked down on parcel customs enforcement.
Is there a difference? There are a lot of fakes out there - when flying to Cote d'Ivorie more than a few years ago, I got a box of fake Cohiba Coronas Especiales in the deGaulle duty free - kicked myself for not buying LGC MdO #2, which would less likely be faked. But the best habanos are untouchable by any caribe basin cigars. Then there is also the lithium in Cuban soil.

 

[danofarlington]

I don't know why I haven't taken advantage of the fact that here in Vietnam: 1.tobacco is dirt cheap, 2.this country has good relations with Cuba, 3.There are several cigar cafes within a 5 minute drive of my house?! I need to see what they have, any recommendations for Cubans??

Romeo and Juliet.

 

[gtdean48]

Romeo and Juliet.

+1

 

[Juan Skillzberg]

I don't know why I haven't taken advantage of the fact that here in Vietnam: 1.tobacco is dirt cheap, 2.this country has good relations with Cuba, 3.There are several cigar cafes within a 5 minute drive of my house?! I need to see what they have, any recommendations for Cubans??

if you can, and i know this is difficult to find, but Dunhill probably has the best cuban (though they are expensive). for the price i always found Bolivars to be great and they are not counterfeited as often as cohiba, partagas, or romeo y julieta.

 

[nice hat dude!]

if you can, and i know this is difficult to find, but Dunhill probably has the best cuban (though they are expensive). for the price i always found Bolivars to be great and they are not counterfeited as often as cohiba, partagas, or romeo y julieta.

I'm heading to Cuba in Feb. I'm not much of a cigar smoker but my brother that lives in Kentucky would like some for his friends,you mentioned Dunhills are they a direct from Cuba cigar?A lot of the other cigar aficionados have mentioned Romeo&Julietas as being a little lighter smoke,any insights?

 

[bulldog1935]

I strongly recommend Vegas Robaina if you travel to Cuba. The personal blend of the late Minister of Agriculture. Aside from Cohiba, one of the more chocolaty blends

 

[gtdean48]

... mentioned Romeo&Julietas as being a little lighter smoke,any insights?

+1, very nice smokes. Cohibas are top brand. Partagas are nice as well but I really enjoy the R&J's.

 

[nice hat dude!]

+1, very nice smokes. Cohibas are top brand. Partagas are nice as well but I really enjoy the R&J's.

Thanks for the tips Mr. Dean I appreciate them as I smoke a lot of cigarettes but hardly ever cigars.

 

[tridentine]

I have smoked cigars for several years,
Cubans, American, Dominicans etc.
The best I have ever had is Cohiba from Cuba, specifically the Coronas Especiales.

Extremely smooth and grassy/peaty.

 

[Juan Skillzberg]

I'm heading to Cuba in Feb. I'm not much of a cigar smoker but my brother that lives in Kentucky would like some for his friends,you mentioned Dunhills are they a direct from Cuba cigar?A lot of the other cigar aficionados have mentioned Romeo&Julietas as being a little lighter smoke,any insights?

yes, lighter, less complex, and be careful of imposters. the most common cuban imposters are romeo y julietas and cohiba. i don't know why, my hypothesis is that these are fairly common brands (gas station labels) that casual smokers encounter and will recognize. bolivars are great and considering how cheap they are (comparatively) to other smokes (cuban and non-cuban) i can't see going wrong with a box of those. a lot of folks will talk about the heyday of cubans (many think that cuban domination ended in the early to mid-nineties) prior to acid rain really damaging the tobacco crops as well as the number of top rollers and blenders leaving the country. i would maybe ask on some cigar specific forums for info on what labels to trust and what is currently the "best". have a wonderful time.