New here-Cuban ?'s

**badwhale** · 08-09-2012, 11:57 AM

I agree it was somewhat of a bullshit statement. Big Sarge often posts that he's still very green to cigars. That said, I do think people's first ISOM may not be mind blowing, and is more of the mystique of the Cuban cigar. On the other hand, if you readily admit you don't have much cigar experience, chances are you will be talking out your ass making such a statement. He qualified it with the preemptive "to show my ignorance (again)" remark.

I would also venture to guess that his ISOM experiences have been when he was on duty, and he may have encountered fakes compounding his non-enjoyment of Cubans.

Will

**Lanista** · 08-09-2012, 12:08 PM

Originally Posted by ggiese

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.

**CoventryCat86** · 08-09-2012, 12:41 PM

I actually tend to agree with his "are not that great" opinion I just completely disagree with the "forbidden fruit" explanation.

Cuban cigars definitely taste different from cigars from any other country. Many have tried to duplicate them and they have all failed. There are times when I want to smoke a Cuban cigar and there are other times where a Padron 1926 will only do and other times where I'm craving and Opus X or whatever.

**kevin7** · 08-09-2012, 05:39 PM

The cuban cigar industry is like any other countries cigar industry. Great cigars to all the way down to shitsticks. I have some great Cubans and some fucking nasty assed ones. If you think a Piedra is gonna be a great smoke you are in for a big disappointment

**Big Sarge** · 08-09-2012, 06:21 PM

Like I have admitted, I don't have a lot of experience compared to ya'll. My fav cigar is the CAO Gold. Hopefully my palate will develop someday

**tonko** · 08-11-2012, 07:00 AM

You can try COHIBAs, siglo2 for 40 mns, siglo3 for 50mns. They are expensive, but so good!

**ggiese** · 08-11-2012, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by tonko

You can try COHIBAs, siglo2 for 40 mns, siglo3 for 50mns. They are expensive, but so good!

Again - a matter of perspective. I prefer Montecristo over Cohiba. And - if I'm going to spend the money, Trinidad is my favorite all day long. I do enjoy a Cohiba from time to time, but it is definitely not my go to cigar. In my humble opinion - the cigar is overpriced.

Have you tried Vegas Robaina?

**CoventryCat86** · 08-11-2012, 11:31 PM

Originally Posted by kevin7

The cuban cigar industry is like any other countries cigar industry. Great cigars to all the way down to shitsticks. I have some great Cubans and some fucking nasty assed ones. If you think a Piedra is gonna be a great smoke you are in for a big disappointment

Hey, speak for yourself you CigarSnob.

I received some Piedra Cazadrores as a freebie with a box purchase a while back and I love 'em.

**kevin7** · 08-12-2012, 08:21 AM

Lol

**reiser219** · 08-12-2012, 09:27 PM

I just picked up some edicion limitada 2012 Cohibas as a gift. How are these cigars and how much do they usually cost, so I can see if I covered paid. Thanks

**ggiese** · 08-13-2012, 09:31 AM

Originally Posted by reiser219

I just picked up some edicion limitada 2012 Cohibas as a gift. How are these cigars and how much do they usually cost, so I can see if I covered paid. Thanks

Sorry, reiser - you picked up something that looked like a Edicion Limitada 2012 Cohiba. Looks can be deceiving...

**CptnBlues63** · 08-13-2012, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by ggiese

Sorry, reiser - you picked up something that looked like a Edicion Limitada 2012 Cohiba. Looks can be deceiving...

LOL

I was thinking along the same lines. Whether real or not would depend on where you picked them up. If you bought them at a La Casa del Habanos store, they're probably real. If you bought them from some street vendor in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, they're fake!

I wonder if they came in glass tubes or a glass topped box..

**reiser219** · 08-13-2012, 05:37 PM

glass topped box

**MoeCizlak** · 08-13-2012, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by reiser219

glass topped box

Helpful Link.

**CoventryCat86** · 08-14-2012, 01:53 AM

Originally Posted by reiser219

I just picked up some edicion limitada 2012 Cohibas as a gift. How are these cigars and how much do they usually cost, so I can see if I covered paid. Thanks

**CptnBlues63** · 08-14-2012, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by reiser219

glass topped box

That's a guarantee those are fake Cohiba's. I saw many boxes like that in Mexico when I went to Playa del Carmen area last March. The street vendors all had the fake Cohiba's in glass boxes and tubes for sale. To the best of my knowledge, Cohiba has never put out any cigars in a glass topped box. Or a glass tube.

I read your other thread and the responses there and I agree with what you've already heard from other members.

The cigars you bought are more than likely made with all Mexican tobacco. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I brought back a a bunch of Mexica cigars and did so because I enjoy them. So with luck, the ones you bought are decent and your father will enjoy them. You also paid a pretty good price for them (way to go bargaining!) so all in all, you did ok. You just didn't get real Cohiba's.

Being as how I live in Canada, Cuban's are available here so I've tried quite a few different ones and I don't honestly think Cohiba's are that much better than a lot of other Cuban cigars so I really don't understand why they're more expensive. I think that's just due to smarrt advertising by the Cohiba company.

**craig** · 08-14-2012, 03:49 PM

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** · 08-15-2012, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by 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.

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** · 08-15-2012, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by CptnBlues63

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.

**craig** · 08-15-2012, 06:15 PM

Of course it is a simplification - development /storage/carrying costs are not included, for example, nor is the price of the packaging/band/marketing. However, if one looks at what farmers are paid for tobacco and what workers get paid to process - then Lew's point that the cost doesn't vary that much is pretty close to the truth.

The main point is that the price you pay for a high-end luxury good has little to do with the actual cost of production. A Cohiba costs more to make than a Quintero, but the difference is closer to pennies than to 10's of dollars. I grew up in the garment industry and the same is true there. If one likes reading more on the web, then I found the cost comparisons of an iPad vs. Kindle quite entertaining, as were (to me) the comparisons between a pickup vs. an SUV based on that pickup.