Cuba Shopping Results.

[Newfie]

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:





Monte Cristo #5





RASCC





RyJ Romeo #1 Tubos





Trinidad Reyes



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

[CgarDan]

Sounds like a great time.

NIce haul my friend !!!!!!

[nhcigarfan]

Nice

[spiffykyle]

Sounds like a great trip!

Nice Haul!! I'm jealous.

spiffy

[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.



Dont know much about Cubans, but it looks like you got some nice smokes there.

[derivation]

Sounds like a great trip.

I loved the pics!

[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 . Sounds like another awesome time down south. I cannot see the pictures at work but sounds like you had a nice haul.

[pub spears]

Great pics, no coffee?

[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?

[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.

[JFellows]

Eeeexcellent.

[597]

Nice Cigars, It's too bad most of us on this board can't legally go to Cuba.

[victory01]

nice haul!!

[heftysmokes]

Glad you're back safe, Newf.

As for the smokes.....


holy.


moly.

[cls515]

Nice pick up, I'm jealous over the Reyes, wish I had some.

[stjohnroe]

Sweet, got to agree on the price of the Trinidad Fundadores, butthey are one hell of a smoke in my opinion.

[Newfie]

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!!!!

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.

[Kass]

Nice haul!!

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!!!!

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!

[guado]

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

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

[BDurrani]

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

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.