New here-Cuban ?'s

[TorontoSmoker]

So, I am in Canada where they are legal. I just decided tonight after my girlfriends dad gave me a cigar with a yellow wrapper thingy, a Cuban...other then that I dont know what it was.

I dont want to walk into a cigar store and look like a complete newb, get all rushed by an asshole owner and leave with something shit.

What are some good cubans I should look at (im Canadian so why not get cubans, right...or no?)

I perfer it to not be to long or strong, I liked this one and it burnt for about fifty minutes. I dont want to smoke anything for more then a hour and a half give or take, sorry.

Thanks guys.

[badwhale]

Rascc

[ggiese]

Not sure what your budget looks like, but be prepared for sticker shock in Ontario. It ain't pretty...

You could go with ones everyone recommends, but you'll pay through the nose...

"Reasonable" priced Cubans that are nice...

SLR Serie A.
Vegas Robaina Famosos
Sancho Panza Non Plus
Punch Petit Coronas
El Rey del Mundo Petit Coronas
Fonseca (just about any)
La Gloria Cubana Tainos


"El Cheapo" (which are nice):

Quinteros line (Brevas, Nacionales, Panetalas)
Jose La Piedra (Brevas, Nacionales, Cremas)
Vegueros


Be careful of counterfeits - they're pretty prevalent in Canada...

[CoventryCat86]

SLR Serie A
Any San Cristobal de la Habana

and pretty much everything ggiese said.

[seanoprawno]

My first purchase was a box of 'Cuban Label' cigars from cigar.com

They have their own selection of "House" blends

That means that they are kinda like the discounted bottle of ketchup in the supermarket - in comparison to the real thing.

This is by no means a bad thing;

1) the retail at about $55 per 25 box (with free shipping)
2) there are sample boxes that allow you to get a feel for all of the different flavours and tastes and types
3) They come in all the sizes possible (just about) ranging from about 4 and 3/4" to the 7.5" churchills (my fave)

These are not SHOW STOPPING cigars. But the stoogie review (link below) says that for the price the quality is good.

Hope this helps,
Seano

http://www.cigar.com/cigars/privatelabel.asp?brand=449

http://www.stogiereview.com/2011/04/...m-cuban-label/ (even a video here where you can watch it being smoked)

[Eville]

At just over $2 per, anything better than "dog turd wrapped in burnt hair" is good for the money.

[CoventryCat86]

My first purchase was a box of 'Cuban Label' cigars from cigar.com

They have their own selection of "House" blends

That means that they are kinda like the discounted bottle of ketchup in the supermarket - in comparison to the real thing.

This is by no means a bad thing;

1) the retail at about $55 per 25 box (with free shipping)
2) there are sample boxes that allow you to get a feel for all of the different flavours and tastes and types
3) They come in all the sizes possible (just about) ranging from about 4 and 3/4" to the 7.5" churchills (my fave)

These are not SHOW STOPPING cigars. But the stoogie review (link below) says that for the price the quality is good.

Hope this helps,
Seano

http://www.cigar.com/cigars/privatelabel.asp?brand=449

http://www.stogiereview.com/2011/04/...m-cuban-label/ (even a video here where you can watch it being smoked)

No, DO NOT smoke garbage like this. Let's take this "try some cheaper ones first" logic one step further:

"Go to your local gas station and buy White Owls, Garcia Vega and any other crap they have lying around....."



The review shat Shawno referenced from stooge review says these cigars are crap.

Shawno, here's what you said in your very first post

I like cigars - fact! Problem is, i don't know a lot about them.

So, if you don't know "a lot" about cigars, why are you offering advice to a guy who sounds like he knows more than you (which is a pretty easy hurdle to jump over). You've only been a member here for what, 48 hours and fifteen minutes? Kinda reminds me of a pimple faced freshman in Chemistry class on the first day of school saying to the professor after ten minutes "Hold on Prof., I got ya covered, I'll take over the rest of the lecture for you."

So TontoSmoker, don't pay any attention to Shawno and don't put much stock in so-called "reviews" from dopes who post garbage on places like stooge review.

[Jazzboypro]

Hello,

I'm also in Canada and you are correct, Cuban cigars are legal in Canada, I think the cigar you got might be a Cohiba. There are many brands of Cuban cigars:

Cohiba (Top of my list especially the Siglo III)
Romeo y Julietta
Monte Cristo

Something like a Romeo y Julietta #1 or a Cedros De Luxe would be nice in term of smoking time and taste.

As you will see, Cuban cigars are pretty expensive over here you won't find many Cuban cigars under 15$ a piece for the size you seem to like, a Cohiba esplendido sells for about 57$ a piece. I stongly suggest you try Nicaragua cigars like the Casa Magna Colorado series, they come in different shapes and sizes. There is also the Carlos Torano Master series (also from Nicaragua)

Make sure the cigars are hand made !!!

Good luck !!

[craig]

cigar.com doesn't ship to Canada, and discount ketchup doesn't even begin to cover the gulf between a good Havana and a catalogue house brand that claims Cuban aspirations.

For the OP, a good store will know you are a complete newb in under 10 seconds. You'll just be an asshole if you try to sound like you know something.

Given you are in Toronto, just go to Thomas Hinds and buy what they recommend.

[Sailor71]

An excellent mid-priced Cuban is the MonteCristo Open Eagle. There will be some sticker shock buying in Canada. If you are not directly in Toronto but maybe the eastern GTA go talk to Kevin or Julian at Victory Cigars in Oshawa. They will guide you along. Don't pass on the non-Cubans though. The majority of my cigars are non-Cuban. Though I do buy most of my other brands in Florida due to the huge cost savings and save buying the Cubans for home. Canadian tobacco and luxury tax is outrages.

Russell

[TorontoSmoker]

An excellent mid-priced Cuban is the MonteCristo Open Eagle. There will be some sticker shock buying in Canada. If you are not directly in Toronto but maybe the eastern GTA go talk to Kevin or Julian at Victory Cigars in Oshawa. They will guide you along. Don't pass on the non-Cubans though. The majority of my cigars are non-Cuban. Though I do buy most of my other brands in Florida due to the huge cost savings and save buying the Cubans for home. Canadian tobacco and luxury tax is outrages.

Russell

Wow, I am in Oshawa. Ill go there. Doesnt have to be Cuban, just something nice. I dont know what to expect to pay but I dont plan to smoke em that often so like if I can get a good one for $10, sure but I dont mind pating $15-$30 for a really good one.

[Lanista]

I personally enjoy Montecristos - they have a very creamy taste, especially towards the end, and Romeo Y Julietas - Had my first one the other week, very nice and a little stronger than a Montey

[ggiese]

I personally enjoy Montecristos - they have a very creamy taste, especially towards the end, and Romeo Y Julietas - Had my first one the other week, very nice and a little stronger than a Montey

Am I reading that right? Romeo Y Julieta's "a little stronger" than a Montecristo?

Hmmm... Interesting perspective.

[CoventryCat86]

Am I reading that right? Romeo Y Julieta's "a little stronger" than a Montecristo?

Hmmm... Interesting perspective.

Yeah and a Quai d' Orsay is stronger than both of them, wassa matta wit you?

[Big Sarge]

I'm going to show my ignorance (again), but I really don't think Cubans are that great. I think it is the idea of the forbidden fruit for smokers in the US.

[Lanista]

Am I reading that right? Romeo Y Julieta's "a little stronger" than a Montecristo?

Hmmm... Interesting perspective.

Yeah, though probably influenced by the drink pairing, the last time I had a Montey was about a week ago in the garden with a Bailey's to bring out the creamier taste, and the Romeo Y Julieta was with a brandy which always alters the experience.

For me though Monteys are more my regular smoke in the evening and I tend to sample other ones if we have friends over or we want a different taste.

[craig]

All Cuban cigars are made by the same (government) company. (Crown Corporation in Canadian-speak.) Cohiba and then Trinidad get first pick of each year's tobacco crop. (Farmers all get paid the same price.) Only Cohiba gets a third fermentation (just the ligero, IIRC). Of course there is the blend. Does that add up to the price difference? Of course not.

According to Lew Rothman, a decent hand-rolled long-filler cigar costs about a dollar by the time it lands in Florida. The difference in cost from an Opus X to a Curly head is pennies on that dollar. The rest is marketing and profit and taxes. For example, a Padron 2000 is about $4 in a low/no tax state. Cigar retailers generally run on Keystone (100% gross) profit, so the wholesale cost is about $2. US federal tax is about $1, so Padron is getting about $1 for a 2000. Thus they are making very little on a 2000. For a $20 Padron Anny, Keystone grosses $10, fed tax is still around $1, so that's $9 to Padron. The cigar still costs around a dollar to make, so they're making about $8 a cigar instead of pennies. That Padron still makes 2000's (and doesn't charge more for them) tells you a lot about the way old man Padron does business. It also tells you a lot about how some other cigar companies do business.

[CptnBlues63]

All Cuban cigars are made by the same (government) company. (Crown Corporation in Canadian-speak.) Cohiba and then Trinidad get first pick of each year's tobacco crop. (Farmers all get paid the same price.) Only Cohiba gets a third fermentation (just the ligero, IIRC). Of course there is the blend. Does that add up to the price difference? Of course not.

According to Lew Rothman, a decent hand-rolled long-filler cigar costs about a dollar by the time it lands in Florida. The difference in cost from an Opus X to a Curly head is pennies on that dollar. The rest is marketing and profit and taxes. For example, a Padron 2000 is about $4 in a low/no tax state. Cigar retailers generally run on Keystone (100% gross) profit, so the wholesale cost is about $2. US federal tax is about $1, so Padron is getting about $1 for a 2000. Thus they are making very little on a 2000. For a $20 Padron Anny, Keystone grosses $10, fed tax is still around $1, so that's $9 to Padron. The cigar still costs around a dollar to make, so they're making about $8 a cigar instead of pennies. That Padron still makes 2000's (and doesn't charge more for them) tells you a lot about the way old man Padron does business. It also tells you a lot about how some other cigar companies do business.

Thanks for the info Craig!

I knew none of that about the Cuban cigars and little about the rest. It's good to know.

[ggiese]

Thanks for the info Craig!

I knew none of that about the Cuban cigars and little about the rest. It's good to know.

I'd take anything Lew Rothman says with a grain of salt. I think there's some form of truth somewhere in his statements... But if you know Lew Rothman - he's short of many things EXCEPT "opinions". Kinda like P.T. Barnum, in a way...

I also mostly agree with the observations Craig made about the Cuban cigar industry. It is state run, no doubt - and they (theoretically) put the "best" into the Cohiba brand (followed by Trinidad). But I don't believe it's otherwise as cut and dry as Craig lays it out.

It is worthwhile knowing what a certain Marcas is generally comprised of. For example - it's good to know that Vegas Robaina is generally made from tobacco's harvested in the Vuelta Abajo region of Cuba. If you know anything about Cuban cigars - you know it's a good thing when tobacco in a cigar comes from Vuelta Abajo - just as it's good to know that a "domestic" cigar may come from Nicaragua or a cigar is wrapped in "Cameroon" leaf.

[TheGreekTitan]

Lack of cigar knowledge is part of why I joined here, so I will leave that to you gents. However, like it or not, here is my 2 cents on the discussion. It's not comparing Bics' to Mont Blancs'. Is Acura that much better than Honda?...or...Infiniti over Nissan?...Lexus over Toyota?...the list goes on and on. Will made a good point earlier about the difference between Craftsman and Snap-On...What is it, really? In my humble opinion...a HUGE part of it is marketing and perceived value. What can we get for it? What is this "perceived value"?

In my business, I can charge X amount of dollars on one side of town and Y amount of dollars on the other side of town for the exact same job. When I first started in business for myself I DID NOT do this. I felt it was cheating, and taking advantage of one side or the other. The funny thing is, I got very few jobs where I was the lowest bid in A town, but got over 40% in B where I was typically upper middle. It wasn't until I upped my bids considerably in A town until I started landing deals. Even though I had an proven record all over the metro area, because I was the lowest bid in their part of town they didn't trust me. Fine, I'm happy to make more money for the same amount of labor and material. Thank you very much, tell your neighbors...PLEASE.

That said, even though I'm a newb at cigars, I can tell the difference between an good stick and a not so good. I don't know what all goes into them, nor what it costs. I can tell you that I believe the difference between an $5 stick and an $20 stick from a manufacturing standpoint is NOT $15.

BTW I'll take my Uniball Jetstream over my Mont Blanc any day.