Cubans

[cigar no baka]

A lot of people will try a Cuban without really being into cigars. To them its just the mystique.

Remember that Cuban cigars are smoked regularly all over the world, and chefchris is correct in that they run the range from incredible to just plain nasty. I enjoy a good DR or Nic cigar just as much as some Cubans.

spiffy

That's my experience as well. Amongst my favorite cigars of all times are a few Cubans. There are also a few Cuban amongst my most hated cigars of all times. The rest, eh, they're OK but I can do without them.

[nhcigarfan]

same.
I like NC's because they are so dam consistent. Every cigar tastes the same.
I've had Cubans where cigars sitting next to each other in the box don't taste anything alike.

[prostartjr1738]

OK so there is some truth to them actually being really good cigars in some cases. It just seems like everyone who I talk to about cigars (mainly non smokers) always ask the question "Ever had a cuban?". Thanks for clearing that up guys.

[guado]

I REALLY HATE when people ask "You ever had a Ko-Hee-Buh?"

I friggin HATE it. I have plenty of cubans but I also have plenty of NC's. They are good if they are what you are looking for.

Downers to cubans-most need alot of time to be worth smoking.

NC's sometimes need age but alot of them are AWESOME right out of the box.

It's mainly the need to expand your knowledge. I will also agree to saying there are cubans that are as nasty as cheapo NC. I had a 98 H. Upmann last week and I swear there were moments that I thought I tasted shrimp...ugh.

[ggiese]

'98 Sancho Panza Non-Plus or Trinidad Fundadore...



But as a friend of mine once said, "If you've never had it - you'll never miss it..."

[DeeDubya]

Cuba grows and exports what, sugar cane (sugar), coffee and tobacco? Not much else. Although Cuba still sells many cigars to the rest of the world wouldn't you think that a lot (I mean mucho grande quantities) of surplus tobacco is regularly sold to Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, etc.? What is sold as "Cuban seed tobacco" is exactly that. Only it is actually grown in Cuba, shipped to another country where it is processed and then exported to the US.
Am I dreaming here? If so, wake me up and tell me why not?

[chefchris]

Cuba grows and exports what, sugar cane (sugar), coffee and tobacco? Not much else. Although Cuba still sells many cigars to the rest of the world wouldn't you think that a lot (I mean mucho grande quantities) of surplus tobacco is regularly sold to Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, etc.? What is sold as "Cuban seed tobacco" is exactly that. Only it is actually grown in Cuba, shipped to another country where it is processed and then exported to the US.
Am I dreaming here? If so, wake me up and tell me why not?

From what I understand as Cuban Seed is that the original crop came from Cuba in the exodus of all the farmers many years ago. They loaded up as much seed as they could get and high tailed it outta there. So almost everything is cuban seed. However, soil plays a HUGE part in the taste of a cigar as well where (globally) it's grown. Try a Sumatra wrapper and tell me that taste like a Cuban wrapper. It's a much spicier wrapper due to the conditions it's grown in. Same thing with many others, Conneticut, Cameroon, etc.

And if I remember correctly, I'm almost positive Cuba does not sell their tobacco to other countries for their own cigar blends.

[FunkyCold5]

Cuba grows and exports what, sugar cane (sugar), coffee and tobacco? Not much else. Although Cuba still sells many cigars to the rest of the world wouldn't you think that a lot (I mean mucho grande quantities) of surplus tobacco is regularly sold to Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, etc.? What is sold as "Cuban seed tobacco" is exactly that. Only it is actually grown in Cuba, shipped to another country where it is processed and then exported to the US.
Am I dreaming here? If so, wake me up and tell me why not?

Cuban seed is what it actually is, not the leaf. And ChefChris gave a great explanation! IT depends on soil, weather conditions, and other factors to produce that distinct taste. If the leaf was exported to another contry, the country HAS to specify where the leaf/binder/wrapper came from. AND if it came from CUBA, it will NOT go into the US. So, exporting tobacco leaves will be mute. SO, what manufacturers try to do is get the sead and plant it in Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Rebublic, etc and advertise the cuban seed part as a selling point, when in actuality it's a totally different end-product from a cigar you can get from Cuba.

Cubans are illegal, and the experiences I've shared actually came from a Cuban Pen-pal of mine (Pepe), and not my own.

[ggiese]

Cuba grows and exports what, sugar cane (sugar), coffee and tobacco? Not much else. Although Cuba still sells many cigars to the rest of the world wouldn't you think that a lot (I mean mucho grande quantities) of surplus tobacco is regularly sold to Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, etc.? What is sold as "Cuban seed tobacco" is exactly that. Only it is actually grown in Cuba, shipped to another country where it is processed and then exported to the US.
Am I dreaming here? If so, wake me up and tell me why not?

Ummm... No...

"Cuban Seed" tobacco means that the seeds used to start the plant were originally from Cuba. However, the seed is now planted and harvested outside of Cuba. Supposedly these seeds were taken out of the country at the time of the Cuban revolution (or sometime thereafter) by Cuban tobacco growers looking to make a better life for themselves outside of the Cuban society.

The idea that "excess Cuban tobacco" being sent to other countries and making it's way into US destined cigars is a myth. Just as the "Pre-Embargo" tobacco that's "been stored in warehouses since before the Cuban revolution and forgotten until now" stories are myths.

Nope - Cuban tobacco makes it into Cuban cigars. "Cuban seed" tobacco grown in the DR, Nicaragua, Honduras, etc. makes it into the NC cigars...

...it is a nice dream, though... Although I personally tend to like to dream about blondes on the beach...

[ggiese]

Cuba grows and exports what, sugar cane (sugar), coffee and tobacco? Not much else. Although Cuba still sells many cigars to the rest of the world wouldn't you think that a lot (I mean mucho grande quantities) of surplus tobacco is regularly sold to Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, etc.? What is sold as "Cuban seed tobacco" is exactly that. Only it is actually grown in Cuba, shipped to another country where it is processed and then exported to the US.
Am I dreaming here? If so, wake me up and tell me why not?

Okay - you've established the Canary Islands and a few other small outlets have at some time or another put Cuban tobacco into their their products - but there is no information to support your question concerning "a lot (I mean mucho grande quantities) of surplus tobacco is regularly sold to Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, etc."

So the answer is still - NO

[BigMacFU]

Just to be clear, no one who is a US Citizen on this board has ever, will ever, or is now smoked, smoke, smoking a cuban. It is illegal for us to do so.

[DeeDubya]

Just to be clear, no one who is a US Citizen on this board has ever, will ever, or is now smoked, smoke, smoking a cuban. It is illegal for us to do so.

It certainly is and I have never smoked one. My question is whether or not Cuban tobacco can be sold (legally or not) to let's say Ecuador where it is processed and rolled and then legally exported to the US as a product of Ecuador.

Also, there is still the supposedly "pre-embargo" product available, both tobacco and cigars.

[bhands]

I had a 98 H. Upmann last week and I swear there were moments that I thought I tasted shrimp...ugh.

umm i love shrimp and a shrimp flavored cigar that sounds awesome i think ill give the guys at drew estates a call and see if they could come up with something.

working at a cigar store i get people that come up to me daily and seriously ask me if i have any cubans? is there still people out there that dont know that cubans are illegal? what am i going to say yes they are right over here in our please arrest me and give me a huge fine humidor.