Cubans

[ggiese]

Ive always wondered if cuban grown tobacco was sold to other countries and than rolled/sold under diffrent name. I think that it might not be that good of a move being that if Cubans were legal in the US, most of there sales would be just because its a Cuban. If it wasnt know that it was Cuban tobacco most people (and I say most because a true cigar smoker will smoke what he like if it was cuban or not). Another thing ive been wondering. I see on some of the videos on Cigar Aficianado that they sometimes just come out and say that theyve smoked Cubans. I think in one particular video they are actually smoking a Cuban. Than sometimes at the end the will jokingly say I have never smoked or possesed a cuban cigar. Does that make it ok if you say that after the fact of just admitting to smoking one?

Read the Cigar Afficianado articles with Michael Jordan...

[cls515]

I don't think Cuba sells their tobacco, they have a limited production and have a hard enough time meeting demands. Sometimes even their own production is not up to "Cuban" expectations.

The Cuban cigars are better. Granted I've had good Nic or Honduran cigars, they aren't better. I'll take a RASCC, Monte #4, Siglo IV, VI, Mag 46, Partagas SDC #3, etc over any non Cuban cigar you can name, period.

Now I guess the Cubans do sell seeds to other countries, as some of the Tatuajes are Cuban seed. And they are pretty dang good cigars. Better than a #4? Not in my opinion. Better than a Cohiba Siglo VI? But they are good cigars. At their price? No.

[King Catfish]

I don't really know a whole lot about cubans, never had one. Whenever I mention cigars, though, I do almost always get asked whether I've had one (mostly by people who do not smoke cigars).

[rsanz]

I don't think Cuba sells their tobacco, they have a limited production and have a hard enough time meeting demands. Sometimes even their own production is not up to "Cuban" expectations.

The Cuban cigars are better. Granted I've had good Nic or Honduran cigars, they aren't better. I'll take a RASCC, Monte #4, Siglo IV, VI, Mag 46, Partagas SDC #3, etc over any non Cuban cigar you can name, period.

Now I guess the Cubans do sell seeds to other countries, as some of the Tatuajes are Cuban seed. And they are pretty dang good cigars. Better than a #4? Not in my opinion. Better than a Cohiba Siglo VI? But they are good cigars. At their price? No.

A certain don gabriel sells their own brand of cigar which they say contains cuban filler/binder and (IIRC) Honduran wrapper. I've had a few and, while interesting, they just don't have the Cuban taste profile I've come to expect. Either it's pretty low grade tobacco or the wrapper really is what constitutes most of the flavour.

Oh and .net

One other thing, isn't most (if not all) tobacco derived from Cuban seed (originally)?

[nhcigarfan]

I think you and ggiese are right. Any tobacco that makes it out is probably the crap.

Considering some of the cuban low end brands that are mixed filler, the stuff shipped out, unless it fetches a pretty price, is probably junk.

[ggiese]

I think you and ggiese are right. Any tobacco that makes it out is probably the crap.

Considering some of the cuban low end brands that are mixed filler, the stuff shipped out, unless it fetches a pretty price, is probably junk.

I like some of that low-end brand mixed filler machine made Cuban cigars (i.e. Quintero Brevas) with age... Blows away similarly price NC stuff that's available at the gas stations...

[nhcigarfan]

Yep, but my last batch of JLP's cazadores where all crap. Super tight roll and the wrappers would never burn on any of them.

My brevas have been good though.

That being said, I'd buy a box of JdN Cele. consouls (which run in the 40 dollar range) over either JLP or bevas

[rsanz]

Yep, but my last batch of JLP's cazadores where all crap. Super tight roll and the wrappers would never burn on any of them.

My brevas have been good though.

That being said, I'd buy a box of JdN Cele. consouls (which run in the 40 dollar range) over either JLP or bevas

I've had mixed quality JLP Cremas and pretty bad drawing Cazadores in the past, but my last 5 boxes of JLP Cremas have been excellent. I haven't given the Cazadores a 2nd chance.

JLP Cremas are by far my favourite cigar under US$2.00 (NZ$2.30 to be precise).

[ggiese]

One other thing, isn't most (if not all) tobacco derived from Cuban seed (originally)?

That's a good point...

[cls515]

A certain don gabriel sells their own brand of cigar which they say contains cuban filler/binder and (IIRC) Honduran wrapper. I've had a few and, while interesting, they just don't have the Cuban taste profile I've come to expect. Either it's pretty low grade tobacco or the wrapper really is what constitutes most of the flavour.

Oh and .net

One other thing, isn't most (if not all) tobacco derived from Cuban seed (originally)?

You are correct about Don Gabriel. I was referring to the big boys like Fuente, Ashton, Padron, etc. Don Gabriel cigars with Cuban tobacco is not something you'd expect to find on an American tobacco store shelf.

[BigMacFU]

Wrappers do constitute the majority of your flavor.

As for pre-embargo, don't waste any money, even if they can authenticate them, the shelf life of a cigar is about 50 years. It'd be like paying for the 2000 dollar bottle of 1940's burgundy just to say you have the 1940's burgundy, it's content is really more like vinegar than alcohol at this point, but hey, it's still a 1940's burgundy. Similarly with a cigar, even if kept in prime condition, tobacco ages, but only to a point, which is approximately 50 years. The longer it ages though, the less flavor it will have as the oils evaporate. Which means unless these pre-embargos were the strongest cigars ever produced, they'll be like smoking macanudos by this century easily.

As for the more common "pre-embargo" cigars, the pinars (typically 8-12 a stick) I just don't buy the story of "we found a stash of tobacco in a warehouse after 40 years." Even if true, who's to guarantee the tobacco was kept in ideal conditions all that time, and even if it was, the above problem occurs. Finally, to claim that it is a pre-embargo cuban, legally they'd only have to have less than one percent of the cigars total make up actually from pre-embargo leaf in order to keep the claim. It's not false advertising if some part of it is pre-embargo leaf.

So, nobody should ever waste their time with these.

[cigar no baka]

Wrappers do constitute the majority of your flavor.

As for pre-embargo, don't waste any money, even if they can authenticate them, the shelf life of a cigar is about 50 years. It'd be like paying for the 2000 dollar bottle of 1940's burgundy just to say you have the 1940's burgundy, it's content is really more like vinegar than alcohol at this point, but hey, it's still a 1940's burgundy. Similarly with a cigar, even if kept in prime condition, tobacco ages, but only to a point, which is approximately 50 years. The longer it ages though, the less flavor it will have as the oils evaporate. Which means unless these pre-embargos were the strongest cigars ever produced, they'll be like smoking macanudos by this century easily.

As for the more common "pre-embargo" cigars, the pinars (typically 8-12 a stick) I just don't buy the story of "we found a stash of tobacco in a warehouse after 40 years." Even if true, who's to guarantee the tobacco was kept in ideal conditions all that time, and even if it was, the above problem occurs. Finally, to claim that it is a pre-embargo cuban, legally they'd only have to have less than one percent of the cigars total make up actually from pre-embargo leaf in order to keep the claim. It's not false advertising if some part of it is pre-embargo leaf.

So, nobody should ever waste their time with these.

Very well put!!!!

[Corvin]

Wrappers do constitute the majority of your flavor.

As for pre-embargo, don't waste any money, even if they can authenticate them, the shelf life of a cigar is about 50 years. It'd be like paying for the 2000 dollar bottle of 1940's burgundy just to say you have the 1940's burgundy, it's content is really more like vinegar than alcohol at this point, but hey, it's still a 1940's burgundy. Similarly with a cigar, even if kept in prime condition, tobacco ages, but only to a point, which is approximately 50 years. The longer it ages though, the less flavor it will have as the oils evaporate. Which means unless these pre-embargos were the strongest cigars ever produced, they'll be like smoking macanudos by this century easily.

As for the more common "pre-embargo" cigars, the pinars (typically 8-12 a stick) I just don't buy the story of "we found a stash of tobacco in a warehouse after 40 years." Even if true, who's to guarantee the tobacco was kept in ideal conditions all that time, and even if it was, the above problem occurs. Finally, to claim that it is a pre-embargo cuban, legally they'd only have to have less than one percent of the cigars total make up actually from pre-embargo leaf in order to keep the claim. It's not false advertising if some part of it is pre-embargo leaf.

So, nobody should ever waste their time with these.

Thanks for the info, I didn't realize that they only had to have 1% to make the claim.

I didn't realize that cigars only had a 50 year shelf life either. Hopefully the "It's a girl" AFs that I've got will still be ok when my daughter turns 18 in 2025.

[prostartjr1738]

I know this is an old thread but I figured Id post here rather than starting a new thread. Was smoking at my local b&M today talking to a few guys. They were telling me that one way to tell if a Cuban is "real" is if it smells slightly of horse manure (spelling?). That it wont smell like weve all come to know as the cigar smell. Any truth to this? I dont know if I could bring myself to put a cigar in my mouth and smoke it if it smelled like horse manure, I dont care what country its from.