What cigar (or pipe) did you smoke today?

[rbbrock]

Yep, I stand corrected.

I saw #2 and immedaitely jumped to Monte #2, Dip #2, etc...
The #2 is actually a tubo PC, 42 x 129.
Nice catch rbbrock

Thanks. It's a documented fact that I'm a sucker for a good PC.

 

[rmrdaddy]

One of the best vitolae for me as well. Typically great flavors and more balanced due to the % of wrapper vs. filler/binder IMHO.
Almost any year PLPC's are always welcomed by The Daddy!

 

[indycop]

Smoked my first H. Upman tonight, I thought it was fairly mild but good flavor and smooth.

 

[rbbrock]

Smoked my first H. Upman tonight, I thought it was fairly mild but good flavor and smooth.

When I was in my mild cigar kick, I smoked a few Upmanns myself. They are just what you describe, mild, good flavor, and smooth. I liked them a lot. I find them too mild lately, though. Give me a cigar with some oomph!

 

[rmrdaddy]

and here I thought all Iowans were soft as butter....

J/K
Ever have an El Cobre?

 

[indycop]

When I was in my mild cigar kick, I smoked a few Upmanns myself. They are just what you describe, mild, good flavor, and smooth. I liked them a lot. I find them too mild lately, though. Give me a cigar with some oomph!

I avoided them all this time cos I heard they were strong! I guess I waited too long...lol

 

[rmrdaddy]

Ok.....ready kiddies?

(Disclaimer: these are just random images from the internet. Any depictions of items considered to be contraband are for demonstration only.....)

 

[BobC]

What do any of you think the chances are of the Cuban embargo being lifted now that Castro is nearly out of the picture? And do you think if it were lifted that the Cubans would have a any chance of being able to support the US market for their cigars if they could import them here?

 

[rmrdaddy]

A popular question Bob.
There are quite a number of factors involved.
Keep in mind that there are still a number of old-line party men still left, few of them actually fought with Fidel, Raul, and Che, but have been indoctrinated nonetheless. And there are also young men that probably see it as their duty to carry on the tradition of "freedom" that Fidel won for them. I would assume that even THEY(the party-liners) understand that as in the USSR, their way of life will be over once the Iron Curtain falls...UNLESS they embrace Capitalism!
Sooooo.....
In order to supply the immediate US demand they would have to basically sell out every stick they make. And probably ramp up production. Now this is where it really gets interesting. The question of who will be in posession of all the farms, curing sheds, storage barns, processing facilities, rolling factories, retail outlets. Will they be publicly held, or privately? That is a huge question! Pre-1958 these were all private concerns that were absorbed by the state. And now many marca have been replicated outside of Cuba. What of the copyright issues?
Whoever is in ownership whether public or private, will have to decide...do we lower our standards to put out more product? Shorter curing, Use of chemicals to enhance growth, reduce infestation/mold/etc, use of inferior grades of leaf to bulk up the quantity of product...
And to me that will be the great crime. At that point, the pricing will be exorbitant, and the quality will be utter garbage!
So....the American Man who can finally now get his Habanos...smokes one and says, "what was all the hype about?":rage:

While not particulary Politically Correct..I say..."Viva Fidel" I still have my sources.....

 

[indycop]

Anybody ever tried Oliveros El Padrino? Its the weekly special at Cigars International, just wondering if its any good.

 

[jamespowers]

A popular question Bob.
There are quite a number of factors involved.
Keep in mind that there are still a number of old-line party men still left, few of them actually fought with Fidel, Raul, and Che, but have been indoctrinated nonetheless. And there are also young men that probably see it as their duty to carry on the tradition of "freedom" that Fidel won for them. I would assume that even THEY(the party-liners) understand that as in the USSR, their way of life will be over once the Iron Curtain falls...UNLESS they embrace Capitalism!
Sooooo.....
In order to supply the immediate US demand they would have to basically sell out every stick they make. And probably ramp up production. Now this is where it really gets interesting. The question of who will be in posession of all the farms, curing sheds, storage barns, processing facilities, rolling factories, retail outlets. Will they be publicly held, or privately? That is a huge question! Pre-1958 these were all private concerns that were absorbed by the state. And now many marca have been replicated outside of Cuba. What of the copyright issues?
Whoever is in ownership whether public or private, will have to decide...do we lower our standards to put out more product? Shorter curing, Use of chemicals to enhance growth, reduce infestation/mold/etc, use of inferior grades of leaf to bulk up the quantity of product...
And to me that will be the great crime. At that point, the pricing will be exorbitant, and the quality will be utter garbage!
So....the American Man who can finally now get his Habanos...smokes one and says, "what was all the hype about?":rage:

While not particulary Politically Correct..I say..."Viva Fidel" I still have my sources.....

That is pretty much the way it would end up. Witness the same happenings when the cigar boom was happening in the US. Quality went down and price went up due to the demand. People were paying waaaaayyy too much for Cohibas and the like because when they could get them they paid whatever was asked. :eusa_doh:
I see you have your sources for sure. However, the repeat of the boom in the Cuban market would likely run its course and the real cigar aficianados would remain. Give it a few years after Democratization and the market would level itself out. The junk produced would fall by the wayside. I wouldn't participate until the boom had passed as I think the cigars produced would suffer severe quality problems. They would come out looking like backwoods cigars.
The US courts have already sided with US owned interests who own the names here and in South America. (Empress Cubano del Tabaco (Cubatabaco) v. Culbro Corp., General Cigar
Co., Inc. and General Cigar Holdings, Inc. 2005) Cubatabaco lost that fight years ago. There would essentially be two distinctly different types of cigars or Habanos SA would have to pay the other interests off to either own the names or franchise them as Cuban origin cigars. Then there are the original families who are still alive. I think Upmann being one of those.
I am sure US courts would hold that property taken forcibly should revert back to the original owners as they have done with the names of the cigars. However, Altadis SA (now partially owned by British Imperial Tobacco) owns half of Habanos SA (2000). So maybe some of the names would be owned by the same company anyway. Altadis extends far and wide. They even own JR cigars now. :eusa_doh:
Heck, even C.A.O. International was acquired by ST Cigar Group of The Netherlands (wholly-owned subsidiary of Skandinavisk Tobakskompagni (Denmark)) last year. Yes, CAO is now produced by the same company that produces Nobel and Henri Wintermans brands. :eusa_doh: [huh]
So, in short, there could be a very interesting time ahead if Cuba finally gets the embargo lifted with all of this consolidation. It would likely lead to even more consolidation. Maybe Philip Morris would be producing Cohibas in Cuba in the long run. I hope so. It would do wonders for my portfolio.

 

[jamespowers]

Anybody ever tried Oliveros El Padrino? Its the weekly special at Cigars International, just wondering if its any good.

They are supposedly medium bodied. That should put you in the Upmann realm with them. Go ahead and give them a try. If they are good then I might try a few. Maybe I will try some myself for $32 you really can't go wrong. If they stink, save them for the next time a child or grandchild is born and hand 'em out.

 

[indycop]

They are supposedly medium bodied. That should put you in the Upmann realm with them. Go ahead and give them a try. If they are good then I might try a few. Maybe I will try some myself for $32 you really can't go wrong. If they stink, save them for the next time a child or grandchild is born and hand 'em out.

I gotta be the Guinea pig huh!:eusa_doh:

 

[rbbrock]

and here I thought all Iowans were soft as butter....

J/K
Ever have an El Cobre?

I've never heard of them. Hmm, time to do a little research...

I avoided them all this time cos I heard they were strong! I guess I waited too long...

The Domincan Upmanns are pretty mild. The other Upmanns are not so much.

Re: embargo - you guys are spot on, in my opinion. If it is ever lifted (which it won't be, as long as Cuba remains Communist, whether the leader is Fidel, Raul, or someone else), price will certainly spike, and one or both of quality and availability will plunge. I'll wait it out, there are plenty of good "domestic" cigars out there to keep a fellow smoking while the Cuban boom blows over.

Re: Oliveros - I've never tried them. If you do, please let us know how they are!

 

[RudyN]

Had a small bowl of my local pipe shop's blend in a quarter bent Bulldog

 

[rmrdaddy]

Nice Rudy!
I need to get a pipe back into my smoking rotation.

What was the tobacco billed as?

What pipe?

 

[jamespowers]

I gotta be the Guinea pig huh!:eusa_doh:

Well you asked for it.

 

[jamespowers]

Re: embargo - you guys are spot on, in my opinion. If it is ever lifted (which it won't be, as long as Cuba remains Communist, whether the leader is Fidel, Raul, or someone else), price will certainly spike, and one or both of quality and availability will plunge. I'll wait it out, there are plenty of good "domestic" cigars out there to keep a fellow smoking while the Cuban boom blows over.

Well, you could always stock up on what is now still good for the duration.
Put more of those La Glorai Cubanas, Upmanns and Bolivars on the to buy list while they last. We'll all buy set ups like rmr to hold it all.

 

[jamespowers]

and here I thought all Iowans were soft as butter....

J/K
Ever have an El Cobre?

El Cobre is supposed to be pretty spicy and strong. If you like that sort of thing---try it. Let us know how they are. At $100 for a box of 25 it isn't that bad.

 

[rmrdaddy]

Well, you could always stock up on what is now still good for the duration...We'll all buy set ups like rmr to hold it all.

What do you think I've BEEN doing! LOLOLOL
And my acquisiton disorder with hats is just now kicking in. I had to find someway to spend my money, didn't I???lol