Cuban and other cigars

[AACJ]

I am going on a cruise to Cozumel and Costa Maya in a month or so and I know there is a reputable Cuban cigar place there. Any suggestions on what to get? Whether it's Cuban or not, I just want a few really good cigars, both expensive and inexpensive.


Of course I will have to smoke them before I come back on the ship (or hide them really well), there is a cigar lounge on the ship.

[jwhite]

I am going on a cruise to Cozumel and Costa Maya in a month or so and I know there is a reputable Cuban cigar place there. Any suggestions on what to get? Whether it's Cuban or not, I just want a few really good cigars, both expensive and inexpensive.


Of course I will have to smoke them before I come back on the ship (or hide them really well), there is a cigar lounge on the ship.

I will deffer to those more experienced than I, but it is my understanding that carrying a few boxes of cigars not available for sale in the US is legal as long as it is for personal use and not smuggling for resale. Perhaps some others can provide means of verifying this.

[penmanship]

I have a few favorites, but for me a sure fire "GO TO" cigar is the CAO PIRANHA....................

[davecmu]

Partagas Serie D #4. Best cigar I've ever had.

[inkcoffee]

Partagas Serie D #4. Best cigar I've ever had.

+1 best Cuban I ever smoked

[Jim]

Partagas Serie D #4. Best cigar I've ever had.

+3 A very good choice.

Monticristo #2 is my go to cigar.

[Dustinl]

I will deffer to those more experienced than I, but it is my understanding that carrying a few boxes of cigars not available for sale in the US is legal as long as it is for personal use and not smuggling for resale. Perhaps some others can provide means of verifying this.

Bear in mind that it is illegal for an American citizen to possess or purchase anything "hecho in Cuba", be it here in the United States, Europe, Latin America etc. In other words, if a Texan were to visit his Aunt Sally in London and wanted to buy a cuban cigar from an authorized Habanos dealer or anyone else, it would be against the law. How that works, I don't know. They can legally sell them to us in say Lisbon or London, we just can't legally buy them.

In regards to the OP, I would stay away from Cohiba, Romeo y Julieta, and Monte Cristo when it comes to buying Habanos from Mexico. They are the three most highly counterfitted Habanos out there. I agree with davecmu, Partagas PSP2 or PSD4 would be great choices. Also look for Ramon Allones, and El Rey Del Mundo. They won't let you down. Once you get them back on the ship, smoke the hell out of them until you have to get off the ship and go through US customs. The best I can recall though, when my wife and i were in Cozumel, when we were getting back on the ship, they were doing random searches.

For non Habano, you can buy cigars on the ship. They will gladly cut them for you also. My first premium cigar ever was an Arturo Fuente Hemingway that I bought and smoked on that cruise. It is still one of my favorites to this day.


DL

[jwhite]

Bear in mind that it is illegal for an American citizen to possess or purchase anything "hecho in Cuba", be it here in the United States, Europe, Latin America etc. In other words, if a Texan were to visit his Aunt Sally in London and wanted to buy a cuban cigar from an authorized Habanos dealer or anyone else, it would be against the law. How that works, I don't know. They can legally sell them to us in say Lisbon or London, we just can't legally buy them.

In regards to the OP, I would stay away from Cohiba, Romeo y Julieta, and Monte Cristo when it comes to buying Habanos from Mexico. They are the three most highly counterfitted Habanos out there. I agree with davecmu, Partagas PSP2 or PSD4 would be great choices. Also look for Ramon Allones, and El Rey Del Mundo. They won't let you down. Once you get them back on the ship, smoke the hell out of them until you have to get off the ship and go through US customs. The best I can recall though, when my wife and i were in Cozumel, when we were getting back on the ship, they were doing random searches.

For non Habano, you can buy cigars on the ship. They will gladly cut them for you also. My first premium cigar ever was an Arturo Fuente Hemingway that I bought and smoked on that cruise. It is still one of my favorites to this day.


DL

Thanks for this, I'd hate to get anybody into trouble.

[Ruger Packer]

Have never smoked a cuban ceegar. But have worked in a cigar shop and have met and talked to lots of people that love cigars. These people had the opportunity to go to other places outside the US where they could buy and smoke cubans.

From talking to them, when Castro took over Cuba, he took over the tobacco farms and the cigar factories. The old tobacco growing and cigar making families fled to other countries. Namely Honduras, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, etc and started over.

The cubans are no longer the benchmark.

[saltypete]

Partagas Serie D #4. Best cigar I've ever had.

+4 Consistently the best Cuban I ever smoked.


Pete

[Commander Quan]

The cubans are no longer the benchmark.

Usually the people that say that are the ones who have never had a Cuban or are selling Non-Cuban cigars.

If your going to buy cigars, go here www.lacasadelhabanocozumel.net LCDH is the authorized cuban cigar shop. If you go anywhere else your just taking a chance, especially if you don't know what your looking for. Don't buy anything off of a street vendor, and don't buy anything with a glass top box.

Here's a list of stuff that is pretty common and should be available expect to pay for upwards of $10 for them and even more for the larger sized cigars.
Monte #2
Monte #4
Patrigas Serie P #2
Partigas Serie D #4
Bolivar Petite Corona
Bolivar Belicosos Finos
El Rey del Mundo Choix Supreme
H. Upmann Petit Coronas

[RichGem]

I will deffer to those more experienced than I, but it is my understanding that carrying a few boxes of cigars not available for sale in the US is legal as long as it is for personal use and not smuggling for resale. Perhaps some others can provide means of verifying this.


My understanding is that it is illegal for a US Citizen even to purchase *anything* made in Cuba whether it is for personal use or not. Fines and/or imprisonment and/or confiscation are all possible outcomes. Or, you might get away with it.

I've heard that you can bring contrabanded items on the ship in many cases, but you cannot bring them back into US waters.

It's also my understanding that Castro ruined the Cuban cigar industry and they are now mostly hype and cache' rather than anything that fantastic/desirable.

[Dustinl]

The cubans are no longer the benchmark.
I disagree with this statement wholeheartedly. Smoke a Ramon Allones Specially Selected with four or five years of age on it or a Vegas Robaina Famosos with the same. This is where the benchmark is. I don't mean to sound standoffish and hope you don't take it that way but I smoke both cc and non cc cigars. Some of the best non cc's that I am smoking are La Flor Dominicanas and Illusiones. They are awesome cigars but in flavor profile, there is no comparison.

As far as the families fleeing the socializing of their tobacco farms; they took the seed with them but they didn't take the soil. So you grow habano seed in Dominican soil? Tastes completely different.


Usually the people that say that are the ones who have never had a Cuban or are selling Non-Cuban cigars.


+1

That is usually the case.


DL


DL

[Bruce Wayne]

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfeatures/show/id/Getting-to-Cuba_7191

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/prohibited_restricted.xml

http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Documents/ccigars.pdf


Only persons returning from Cuba after a licensed visit
there are permitted to bring Cuban cigars into the United States,
provided the value of such cigars does not exceed 100 US dollars
and the cigars are for that person's personal use and not for
resale. All other importations of Cuban cigars are illegal. All
offers to buy or sell such cigars in the United States involve
cigars that are imported illegally. Contrary to what many people
may believe, it is illegal for travelers to bring into the
United States Cuban cigars acquired in third countries (such as
Canada, England, or Mexico).

It is also illegal for U.S. persons to buy, sell, trade, or
otherwise engage in transactions involving illegally-imported
Cuban cigars. The penalties for doing so include, in addition to
confiscation of the cigars, civil fines of up to $55,000 per
violation and, in appropriate cases, criminal prosecution which
may result in higher fines and/or imprisonment.

[dixee6]

Calibre 58 and La Aurora 107's from Miami Cigar Company,.....a biker bar I went to once has some pretty good Jack Daniels cigars too,...haven't found the source yet though

[Azza]

Getting the cigars confiscated would be painful enough and then to get slapped with a fine for your efforts would be a cruel way to end a trip.

- Aaron

[The Pontificator]

Getting the cigars confiscated would be painful enough and then to get slapped with a fine for your efforts would be a cruel way to end a trip.

- Aaron

Not to mention having your name in "the system".

DO NOT BUY CIGARS FROM STREET VENDORS OR GIFT SHOPS!

Go to a HABANOS S.A. shop and buy and smoke them there. Habanos S.A. is the official Cuban Government Cigar store.

BTW I always like the Cuban "country cigars" (short filler "worker's cigars") but for the life of me cannot remember who makes them. Those, and the Cohiba Exquisitos (little cigarette size).



http://www.habanos.com/default.aspx?lang=en

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Not to mention having your name in "the system".

DO NOT BUY CIGARS FROM STREET VENDORS OR GIFT SHOPS!

Go to a HABANOS S.A. shop and buy and smoke them there. Habanos S.A. is the official Cuban Government Cigar store.

BTW I always like the Cuban "country cigars" (short filler "worker's cigars") but for the life of me cannot remember who makes them. Those, and the Cohiba Exquisitos (little cigarette size).



http://www.habanos.com/default.aspx?lang=en
Pontificator:
+ 1 and I agree with you 100%. :laugh:

The only Cuban (Habanos S.A), short-filler cigars are;

1. José L. Piedra (hand-made).

2. La Flor de Cano (hand-made).

3. Guantanamera (machine-made...and in my opinion the worst Cuban cigar on the planet).

However, the best cigar I've smoked in my opinion is the Cohiba Coronas Especiales. This cigar is simply the best Panatela ever made and is truly elegant and simply represents a classic Havana. :thumbsup:

Enclosed below is my Reveiw.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=176899

Cigar Data

Coronas Especiales Laguito No.2 38 (ring gauge) x 152 (6.0"in long) Panetela
Cigars: Handmade.
Bands: Standard bands B, C, D.
Packaging: P5, vBN25. P3, B25, B50, BN25c, BN50, BN50c.
Status: A 1967 release. Current.
History: This cigar was not named until 1969 and was not commercially available until 1984.

Christopher http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii262/leederbottoms/smoke.gif

"Those who Smoke Havana's will never die of Cancer...but those who don't...will die of Envy". Cuban Cigar Slogan

[Ruger Packer]

Usually the people that say that are the ones who have never had a Cuban or are selling Non-Cuban cigars. If your going to buy cigars, go here www.lacasadelhabanocozumel.net LCDH is the authorized cuban cigar shop. If you go anywhere else your just taking a chance, especially if you don't know what your looking for. Don't buy anything off of a street vendor, and don't buy anything with a glass top box.

Here's a list of stuff that is pretty common and should be available expect to pay for upwards of $10 for them and even more for the larger sized cigars.
Monte #2
Monte #4
Patrigas Serie P #2
Partigas Serie D #4
Bolivar Petite Corona
Bolivar Belicosos Finos
El Rey del Mundo Choix Supreme
H. Upmann Petit Coronas

No offense taken. But I know my customers. Some I took seriously, some I didn't. Those I took seriously were for the most part hard working businessmen, well traveled and liked the finer things in life and could afford it.

None were impressed with any of the cubans they'd tried. Thats all. And, none were selling Cubans. Its against the law to sell or import Cubans into the US. They had nothing to lose or gain by sharing their knowledge with me.

Cuba for their part uses brand names that belong to the founders of those brand names. Which in many instances are still used today on the tobacco and cigars now made in other countries in the region.

I say it again, cuban cigars are overrated. No longer the benchmark. However, its your money to spend..... :001_cool:

[RichGem]

No offense taken. But I know my customers. Some I took seriously, some I didn't. Those I took seriously were for the most part hard working businessmen, well traveled and liked the finer things in life and could afford it.

None were impressed with any of the cubans they'd tried. Thats all. And, none were selling Cubans. Its against the law to sell or import Cubans into the US. They had nothing to lose or gain by sharing their knowledge with me.

Cuba for their part uses brand names that belong to the founders of those brand names. Which in many instances are still used today on the tobacco and cigars now made in other countries in the region.

I say it again, cuban cigars are overrated. No longer the benchmark. However, its your money to spend..... :001_cool:


Which will/would create -- I imagine -- quite the legal problem (copyrights at the very least) in the US if the embargo is ever ended.

[Azza]

Cohibas are a mighty fine cigar. I picked one of those and a Monte #3 the other day when at a duty free store, I preferred the Cohiba.

I like the Cuban cigars, not in the US so no problem with supply for me.

- Aaron

[davecmu]

I say it again, cuban cigars are ... No longer the benchmark. However, its your money to spend..... :001_cool:

I'm certainly not going to argue that Cubans are the best in the world, but this is a thread about which cigars to try. Raining on a guy's parade by saying how overblown Cubans are isn't that helpful unless you suggest something specific he SHOULD try.

Also, since you've brought it up twice, why not start a new thread on what IS the benchmark. You seem to be in a position to have collected the information necessary to be in the know about it. I'm curious about what you think is the new Cuban. I'm sure there are plenty of other armchair cigar smokers like myself who might also benefit from the informed opinion.

[Mr.Goodfella]

As said from a few others, only purchase from an authorized habano dealer ie: LCDH
Don't even make the attempt with the street vendors and gift shops, I have run across a few that sell themselves off with the habanos s.a. sticker in the window and the smokes look identical to the real thing; I can't say if everything in the store was fake but what I bought and smoked, I could tell it was fake. Do a little bit of research and find where the nearest LCDH is and go there. Here is a list of ones that I would pick up:

Older Ramon Allones Specially Selected (2004-2007) but I would still buy them if they were newer
Vegas Robaina Familiar
Trinidad Fundadores
Punch Royal Selection #12
Cohiba lancero
Bolivar Royal Corona
Any Regional Edition or Edition Limitada

Hope this helps

[AACJ]

That is exactly where I was planning on visiting when in Cozumel.





Usually the people that say that are the ones who have never had a Cuban or are selling Non-Cuban cigars.

If your going to buy cigars, go here www.lacasadelhabanocozumel.net LCDH is the authorized cuban cigar shop. If you go anywhere else your just taking a chance, especially if you don't know what your looking for. Don't buy anything off of a street vendor, and don't buy anything with a glass top box.

Here's a list of stuff that is pretty common and should be available expect to pay for upwards of $10 for them and even more for the larger sized cigars.
Monte #2
Monte #4
Patrigas Serie P #2
Partigas Serie D #4
Bolivar Petite Corona
Bolivar Belicosos Finos
El Rey del Mundo Choix Supreme
H. Upmann Petit Coronas

[cuttoribbons]

For a long evening smoke a Cohiba Siglo III. For a quicker smoke after lunch a Rafael Gonzalez panatela.

Whatever you smoke enjoy it and hav a great time. I'm envious:wink2:

[jazzman]

I recently had some Romeo Y Julieta Short Churchills, tubos sold in 3-packs at a duty-free. They were wonderful.

[valaru]

Monte Cristo #4 is my favourite that is affordable.

anything by Romeo & Julietta is great, just usually out of my price range.

Romeo & Julietta also makes a great cigarette with cigar tobacco.

[Mr. Scruffy]

Partagas Serie D #4. Best cigar I've ever had.

This was my favorite Cuban when I smoked cigars. Very smooth, rich and flavorful aroma. If smoked properly, a single no. 4 could last for 2 hours (without allowing it to extinguish).

Be careful, a good strong Cuban will give you a buzz if you try to smoke it too fast by puffing deeply and frequently! :laugh:

[VFR79]

Partagas Serie D #4. Best cigar I've ever had.

Very fine smoke indeed :thumbup1:

AACJ, I'm going to go with the old adage that the best cigar is the one you like. (Be it Cuban, Nicaraguan, Dominican...) You're going to be in a situation where you can access Cuban cigars legally, so go for it! Have a great trip, enjoy the local cuisine, and relax with some great Habanos.

Andrew :c2:

[Price]

Very fine smoke indeed :thumbup1:

AACJ, I'm going to go with the old adage that the best cigar is the one you like. (Be it Cuban, Nicaraguan, Dominican...) You're going to be in a situation where you can access Cuban cigars legally, so go for it! Have a great trip, enjoy the local cuisine, and relax with some great Habanos.

Andrew :c2:

Couldn't be more true. Although since the request was made for recommendations, I'm a little partial to the Monte#2. Pay heed to the previously offered warnings, however: a majority of "Cubans" you'll find in Mexico (especially Montes & Cohibas) are likely to be counterfeit. Find the official Habanos S.A. retailer.

[Price]

Have never smoked a cuban ceegar. But have worked in a cigar shop and have met and talked to lots of people that love cigars. These people had the opportunity to go to other places outside the US where they could buy and smoke cubans.

From talking to them, when Castro took over Cuba, he took over the tobacco farms and the cigar factories. The old tobacco growing and cigar making families fled to other countries. Namely Honduras, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, etc and started over.

The cubans are no longer the benchmark.

Okay, I figure I'll weigh in on this one, too. It is very true that a significant number of tobacco families fled Cuba after their plantations were nationalized (Communism 101) by the Castro government. Many of these folks put their considerable knowledge to work producing quality cigars in their new adopted homelands. However, the best natural factors (temperature, humidity, soil conditions, etc) for growing cigar tobacco are found - surprise! - in Cuba, and all those tobacco plantations, with all those skilled blenders, rollers, etc., are still pretty much in the employ of the Cuban government, so a Cuban cigar is still a Cuban cigar, and is most emphatically "the benchmark" (my apologies to the "lots of people that love cigars" from whom the dissent originated).

Habanos S.A. produces a number of old name brands (something like 33), plus the relatively new Cohiba - Castro's personal brand. Damage to the Pinar del Rio region from various hurricanes, as well as some mismanagement issues, have made superior quality tobacco a little bit less readily available than it was, say, 50 years ago, but when you own it all you can do as you please. That means that the flagship brands -Cohiba, Montecristo, Partagas, and a few others, are always going to get the cream of the literal crop, and are always going to be consistently outstanding. Some of the lesser-known "local" brands, although produced by the same company, are made with leaf from local plantations only, so something like a Saint Luis Rey, Gispert, or El Rey del Mundo might be a bit more of a crapshoot. Some fabulous cigars are produced under these labels, but some not-so-fabulous ones as well. It just depends on how well the particular local crop from that growing season aged.

[captp]

Mexico for Cuban cigars? According to the best sources (friends who travel world wide frequently) is that you have about a 1 in 10 (if that good) chance of getting a genuine Habano there. Some sources say that even in Cuba there's about a 1 in 5 chance of getting the genuine article (it is probably Cuban, but not the brand the band says it is). I've have a few Cubans (Fuente, Romeo, Punch, Cohiba, H. Upmann), and most were excellent, among the best you can get, but not "worlds above all others". But for the money....not sure they're worth the money.
Personal favorites among non-Cubans: Punch double maduro, Excallibur maduro, Bolivar maduro (does anyone see a trend here), CAO America, Italia, Brazilia, La Traviata (I do like CAO), Perdomo, Fuente (Hemingway line, and Anejo when available), Romeo and Julieta (Museum editions, Limitada, and if you're lucky enough to find one, the 125th Anniversary from 2000-2001 or so). Best buys are probably the Punch double maduro (actually called Maduro Maduro) and the Bolivar.
What's the best cigar in the world? The one you're smoking now and enjoying.

[Commander Quan]

There's a lot of secondary and tertiary information is this thread, but basically to get authentic Cuban cigars you need to go the the LCDH

In the Caribbean, Cuban cigars are like Rolex's and Oakley's in NYC, everyplace there are tourists, there are guys selling fakes. If you want the real thing you need to go to where they sell the real thing and pay the real prices. Your not going to get fakes at the LCDH, just like your not going to get a fake Burberry tie at Nordstroms.

[Price]

There's a lot of secondary and tertiary information is this thread, but basically to get authentic Cuban cigars you need to go the the LCDH

In the Caribbean, Cuban cigars are like Rolex's and Oakley's in NYC, everyplace there are tourists, there are guys selling fakes. If you want the real thing you need to go to where they sell the real thing and pay the real prices. Your not going to get fakes at the LCDH, just like your not going to get a fake Burberry tie at Nordstroms.


+1. Exactly.

[Don Barbiere]

Partagas serie D #4 and R&J short churchil are my top two,remove the bands and should be ok! Call me when you get back ,ill bring the single malt :)

[mouscacha]

There's a lot of secondary and tertiary information is this thread, but basically to get authentic Cuban cigars you need to go the the LCDH

In the Caribbean, Cuban cigars are like Rolex's and Oakley's in NYC, everyplace there are tourists, there are guys selling fakes. If you want the real thing you need to go to where they sell the real thing and pay the real prices. Your not going to get fakes at the LCDH, just like your not going to get a fake Burberry tie at Nordstroms.

You might also want to make sure that the box doesn't leave your sight! I heard some change boxes before bagging. <-- take this comment for what it's worth. It came second hand =P

[diphy]

The short Cohibhas are absolutely a joy. Montecristo are pretty good. The only cubans i have tried are those costing less than 10$. Punch is a great budget option. Though a lot of folks I know love the more expensive Montecristos.

[AACJ]

I got back yesterday and brought a handful of nice ones back with me. Although my wife was scared of us going through customs, we made it through with no problems. She brought some vanilla, sand from the beach and a few other things on the "don't bring in" list.

I ended up grabbing a few H. Upmanns, a few Romeo Y Julieta and some Partagas. The official Habanos dealer was pretty helpful to a novice like myself but said if I took the lables off, there was no way for customs to know where they came from.

Had an interesting talk with a guy on the last night of the cruise though. He said the last cruise he was on, he brought some Cubans back. When they asked him if he had anything to declare, he said no. They looked at his watch and asked if he got it in Mexico, he said he didn't but they didn't believe him and went searching through his stuff anyway looking for a receipt, eventually finding some Cuban cigars. No fines, he said, but they made him destroy them right in front of them. He said he was just about in tears when that happened, but then they let him go with essentially, an expensive slap on the wrist....

In his wifes bags, however, he stored some more that they didn't find.