Cuba Shopping Results.

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11-14-2007, 01:59 PM
Newfie

Cuba Shopping Results.
Got home alive & well from Cuba early Saturday morning. Had a fine trip in spite of the wet weather and as a matter of fact, the piss-poor weather made it a great trip for smoking.

Shopping wasn’t special at all where I was. The shops in the area normally have a much better stock, but it seems that ~ 6 weeks ago, Cuba changed their export requirements from less than 23 with no receipt, to being allowed 50 or less with no receipt. For some reason, they (the stores) have seen a huge increase in sales of the larger vitolas to the point where they can’t keep up. The shop managers say it doesn’t make sense as they were expecting this to decrease their sales because of more people buying more counterfeit, but that wasn’t the case.

In any event, boxes of 25 of the larger sizes were almost non-exixtant but some cabs of 50 were. I went with the intention of sticking with smaller RG smokes so it fit my needs pretty good, but played havoc with some requests I had for trades (sorry guys, you know who you are).

Here’s my smoking log in order of when I smoked ‘em, with a simple one or two word opinion:
- Partagas Ser D #4 - Great
- Partagas Corona Junior (Tubos) – Lousy burn
- Cohiba Lancero – Plugged, awful
- Monte Cristo #5 - Wonderful
- Bolivar Royal Corona – Lousy burn
- H. Uppmann Regalias - Eeeeewwwwwwwww
- Monte Cristo #5 (2nd) - Awesome
- Bolivar Royal Corona (2nd) – No thanks
- Monte Cristo #2 - Perfect
- Trinidad Funadores – OK, but………. the price??
- Monte Cristo #1 - Wonderful
- Cohiba Siglo II – No thanks
- Monte Cristo #4 – very nice
- Punch Petit Punch – Great smoke
- Partagas Ser D #4 (2nd) – Again, great
All the above were bought in the same shop and none were in my case for more than a day. While the weather & humidity could be responsible for some burn issues I had, I don’t think it was that big a factor. Why would it crucify a Bolivar and not affect a Partagas?? I will eventually post a review of all the above starting with my favourites. If anyone wants a certain one done earlier, LMK.

Here’s what I brought back. Most have date codes of Nov 06, with Oct 06 and Dec 06 too. I did see some '07s, but nothing earlier than Oct '06:

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...tagasSerD4.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...gasSerD4-1.jpg

Monte Cristo #5

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...nteCristo5.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...eCristo5-1.jpg

RASCC

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...v_07/RASCC.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1..._07/RASCC1.jpg

RyJ Romeo #1 Tubos

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...omeo1Tubos.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...Piramides1.jpg

Trinidad Reyes

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...nidadReyes.jpg

Selection of singles that found it's way into my suitcase!!!!

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...07/Singles.jpg
11-14-2007, 02:09 PM
CgarDan

Sounds like a great time.

NIce haul my friend !!!!!! :smiley20:
11-14-2007, 02:23 PM
nhcigarfan

Nice :smiley20:
11-14-2007, 02:52 PM
spiffykyle

Sounds like a great trip!

Nice Haul!! I'm jealous.

spiffy
11-14-2007, 03:18 PM
Mizicke5273

You should of let me know you were headin down there. Im in Miami right now, you could of picked me up on your way down, or I could of commandeered a boat to meet you there.:smiley2:

Dont know much about Cubans, but it looks like you got some nice smokes there.
11-14-2007, 04:02 PM
derivation

Sounds like a great trip.

I loved the pics!
11-14-2007, 04:26 PM
Cabaiguan Juan

Wow Jim, I cannot beleive your back already. Seams like last week I was at the airport trying to figure out where my ticket was :smiley2:. Sounds like another awesome time down south. I cannot see the pictures at work but sounds like you had a nice haul.:smiley41:
11-14-2007, 05:44 PM
pub spears

Great pics, no coffee?
11-14-2007, 05:57 PM
cigar no baka

Nice catch there buddy, I'm still green with envy. Gotta send off another long letter to my congressdimwits asking them why we trade with China but not Cuba?
11-14-2007, 07:33 PM
basil

Sweet. I'd like to know how that maduro Cohiba is. Not that I'm ready to part with that kind of cash yet, but that's a unique cigar. Glad you had a great trip.
11-14-2007, 07:51 PM
JFellows

Eeeexcellent. :smiley20:
11-14-2007, 09:24 PM
597

Nice Cigars, It's too bad most of us on this board can't legally go to Cuba.
11-14-2007, 09:57 PM
victory01

nice haul!!
11-14-2007, 10:54 PM
heftysmokes

Glad you're back safe, Newf.

As for the smokes.....

holy.

moly.
11-15-2007, 12:16 AM
cls515

Nice pick up, I'm jealous over the Reyes, wish I had some.
11-15-2007, 07:35 AM
stjohnroe

Sweet, got to agree on the price of the Trinidad Fundadores, butthey are one hell of a smoke in my opinion.
11-15-2007, 08:49 AM
Newfie

Quote:

Originally Posted by basil

Sweet. I'd like to know how that maduro Cohiba is. ...snip

It's gonna be spring before I light that one up Basil. That's a smoke I want to be able to enjoy on a nice warm spring evening, not while I should be raking leaves or shovelling snow!!!!:smiley35:

I will post a review then, but it's gonna have to be a damned fine smoke before I spring for 'em. The ones I saw were more than Siglo VI's.
11-15-2007, 05:18 PM
Kass

Nice haul!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newfie

It's gonna be spring before I light that one up Basil. That's a smoke I want to be able to enjoy on a nice warm spring evening, not while I should be raking leaves or shovelling snow!!!!:smiley35:

I will post a review then, but it's gonna have to be a damned fine smoke before I spring for 'em. The ones I saw were more than Siglo VI's.

I got one sitting in the humi too, dying to try it, but its too damn cold now to fully enjoy it!
11-15-2007, 05:27 PM
guado

To cold?? what do you guys live in Canada or something?? :smiley36:

It is finally time to bust out the churchills! I have a few esplendidos waiting to get fired up!
11-15-2007, 06:00 PM
BDurrani

Quote:

Originally Posted by guado

To cold?? what do you guys live in Canada or something?? :smiley36:

It is finally time to bust out the churchills! I have a few esplendidos waiting to get fired up!

Damn, Florida (or any warm place) sounds good right about now.
11-16-2007, 07:11 AM
Newfie

Quote:

Originally Posted by guado

To cold?? what do you guys live in Canada or something?? :smiley36:

It is finally time to bust out the churchills! I have a few esplendidos waiting to get fired up!

Yeah, rub it in you focker!!!!:smiley7::smiley8:
11-17-2007, 02:52 AM
WOXOF

Oh my damn Jim! Very nice haul indeed. Got any pics of the trip itself?
11-18-2007, 05:15 PM
cigar no baka

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newfie

Yeah, rub it in you focker!!!!:smiley7::smiley8:

Since you want it rubbed in, here goes. In the mid 70's today, a tad humid and wet due to light rain. Sat outside and had coffee and a wonderful H Upmann corona. Followed by a La Aurora Preferido Emerald, one of the finest cigars made today. Ahhh, gotta love the temperate zones.
11-18-2007, 05:46 PM
FunkyCold5

Jim, looks like and sounds like you had a great time. Nice haul on the smokes there. I too enjoyed a bunch of Montecristo #2s on my trip. They are really good cigars.
11-18-2007, 09:53 PM
Newfie

Quote:

Originally Posted by cigar no baka

Since you want it rubbed in, here goes. In the mid 70's today, a tad humid and wet due to light rain. Sat outside and had coffee and a wonderful H Upmann corona. Followed by a La Aurora Preferido Emerald, one of the finest cigars made today. Ahhh, gotta love the temperate zones.

I smoked a Roly while freezing my arse off cleaning up the garage, so there!!!!:smiley36: