Reminiscing Cuba's Black Market

[Milan]

Original message removed.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Cubans, their cigars and (reportedly!) their country is amazing. It's too bad it has the situation it does, but they've managed.

Cuban mechanics--don't go on a road trip without one in phone distance (or in the passenger seat). :lol:

 

[Airborne]

=

 

[idbowman]

I always keep a humidor of cigars on hand (nothing fancy...they're pretty much all in the sub-$8 range), though I usually only smoke them in the Summer out at the pool. I've had a Cuban exactly twice. The first was in High School and it gave me the spins. The second was this past summer and it was one of the greatest smoking experiences of my life (partially to the smoke, partially to the company I enjoyed it in)

 

[Harlock999]

Nice photos, but that looks like a very dangerous staircase behind you! Did you have to descend that to get your cigars?

 

[Milan]

Nice photos, but that looks like a very dangerous staircase behind you! Did you have to descend that to get your cigars?

Definitely a shady staircase. I didn't have to go up or down it, but the guy who retrieved our cigars did. The bedroom was up those three inch wide steps. To be honest with you... the whole situation was pretty super shady. I mean Cuban jail, U.S. federal prison shady.

 

[Harlock999]

Nice photos, but that looks like a very dangerous staircase behind you! Did you have to descend that to get your cigars?

Definitely a shady staircase. I didn't have to go up or down it, but the guy who retrieved our cigars did. The bedroom was up those three inch wide steps. To be honest with you... the whole situation was pretty super shady. I mean Cuban jail, U.S. federal prison shady.

When in Rome (or Havana)... 8)

 

[PipeDreams]

Great pictures! I'd love to visit Cuba some day. Here in Hong Kong, all we get is Cubans. You can even buy better Cohiba and Romeo y Julieta tubos and some 7-11s! I bought a Siglo IV (I think) for the princely sum of $50 US at a 7-11 last year!

 

[szyzk]

I bought a Siglo IV (I think) for the princely sum of $50 US at a 7-11 last year!

:affraid:

Gray market Cubans are cheaper than that! That's robbery!



Great photos, by the way! And an interesting story, idbowman!

 

[PipeDreams]

I bought a Siglo IV (I think) for the princely sum of $50 US at a 7-11 last year!

:affraid:

Gray market Cubans are cheaper than that! That's robbery!



Great photos, by the way! And an interesting story, idbowman!

Tax on cigars is extremely high here: $300 US a kilo. It was a three pack of Siglo VIs (oops), and I thought the price was for all three! I get most of my Cubans from Geneva to get around that pesky tax issue!

 

[szyzk]

I get most of my Cubans from Geneva to get around that pesky tax issue!

Smart man! It's ridiculous that you have to go to those lengths to get something legal, though!

 

[Hunter5117]

My oldest son lives in Dubai which is supposed to be the cheapest place to buy CC's, cheaper even than Havana. Not sure about that but the prices he pays inside an official Casa del Habanos store would make you cry, Most normal CC's like a Monte #2 for under $10, even the Behike's are in the $30's depending on which one you want.

 

[docwatson]

Last time I was in Cuba was 1966 at Guantanamo Bay while serving in the Navy. Of course we couldn't venture off base in those days, so actually I never saw the real Cuba. The pre-Castro years look like paradise there in the old photos, with vibrant nightlife, and good living. Times have changed for those people, and not for the better, but they still live on a beautiful island.

 

[Milan]

Times have changed for those people, and not for the better

It's all relative. I met Cubans who were very happy to live in Cuba. I suppose it's just like any other place. You know, there are actually people who feel that living in the US is difficult. Lose your house, your job, your health benefits, etc... and living in Cuba might not be so bad.

 

[docwatson]

... and living in Cuba might not be so bad.

I suppose you are right if you don't mind living under communist rule!

As for the majority of Cuban citizens, they know of nothing better, because they have never experienced the freedoms we have.

 

[Boxerbuddy]

Times have changed for those people, and not for the better

It's all relative. I met Cubans who were very happy to live in Cuba. I suppose it's just like any other place. You know, there are actually people who feel that living in the US is difficult. Lose your house, your job, your health benefits, etc... and living in Cuba might not be so bad.

I'd venture to guess those Cubans who don't mind living there have never been outside Cuba, as most of them haven't. There's a Cuban that married into my family, and he talks about how oppresive it was there, how Castro and his governement imprisoned some of his family for daring to speak against communism.

If I become destitute, give me the freedom to work my ass off and recover any day over depending on the governement to give me a home/health care/job or whatever....and worrying about government heavies coming to take me away because I said something that Castro doesn't like.


But yeah Cuban cigars.....you can bet they were fake if they were $20 a box. To tell you the truth other countries have come such a long way with their cigar making....Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Honduras, that the gap in quality between Cubans and these other countries is virtually non existant. Smoke a Padron serie 1926 or a Diamond Crown Maximus and tell me its not of the same quality as any Cuban. Don't get me wrong I love Cohibas, Montecristos and the bunch, but just don't buy the hype anymore....other cigars are so good now that Cubans have become nothing special.

 

[szyzk]

...the gap in quality between Cubans and these other countries is virtually non existant. Smoke a Padron serie 1926 or a Diamond Crown Maximus and tell me its not of the same quality as any Cuban. Don't get me wrong I love Cohibas, Montecristos and the bunch, but just don't buy the hype anymore....other cigars are so good now that Cubans have become nothing special.

The quality is definitely there, but I'm going to have to disagree to a point. Nothing else tastes like a Cuban. No tobacco grown on soil outside of Cuba has done it.

I participated in two blind taste tests. Both times I scored 100% (I named the 10 Cubans as Cuban, the 10 Nons as Nons). Some of them were specifically picked for their "crossover" tastes - I, and the others that participated, were set-up to fail - but I and a few others were able to distinguish the flavors correctly. Overall the participants had an 80% success rate, and it should be known that some who participated had very, very limited experience smoking Cubans so they actually dragged down the scores a bit!

If you enjoy the Cuban flavor and seek it out, nothing can beat a Cuban (no matter how good it is). But there are definitely quality cigars that are Non-Cuban with, in my opinion, a wider range of flavors.

Rant not directed at anyone here: Why are some smokers 100% exclusive in their tastes! Why limit yourself? If you aren't enjoying both equally you're missing out! I just get bugged when people say "all Cubans are overhyped" or "all Non-Cubans are junk".

 

[Milan]

Yeah... our freedoms do exceed those of Cubans. I hope someday they experience our same freedoms. Hopefully that day does not bring some of the same problems our country is faced with including: school shootings, unequal access to education, an ever-escalating divorce rate, an unsurmountable drug problem, political corruption, an economically marginalized majority, debt, a broken health care system, dependency on non-renewable resources, increasing levels of poverty, did I mention debt, etc...

Freedoms are good, but too many freedoms can create problems. I think that's part of what our country is currently dealing with.

 

[Boxerbuddy]

Yeah... our freedoms do exceed those of Cubans. I hope someday they experience our same freedoms. Hopefully that day does not bring some of the same problems our country is faced with including: school shootings, unequal access to education, an ever-escalating divorce rate, an unsurmountable drug problem, political corruption, an economically marginalized majority, debt, a broken health care system, dependency on non-renewable resources, increasing levels of poverty, did I mention debt, etc...

Freedoms are good, but too many freedoms can create problems. I think that's part of what our country is currently dealing with.

Really answering this post thoroughly would take about 2 hours and possibly a whole page of text....lol I don't want to subject anyone to that...or myself for that matter. I'll just say this in response to the last 2 sentences.

I'm not sure there is such thing as "too many freedoms". How would you feel about a politician that said "too many freedoms can create problems". That to me, would be a scary person. That's along the lines of "I think there comes a point where you've made enough money"...guess who said that.
What drives me nuts is that some people actually believe they have the right to decide such things.

 

[jefe1037]

Yeah... our freedoms do exceed those of Cubans. I hope someday they experience our same freedoms. Hopefully that day does not bring some of the same problems our country is faced with including: school shootings, unequal access to education, an ever-escalating divorce rate, an unsurmountable drug problem, political corruption, an economically marginalized majority, debt, a broken health care system, dependency on non-renewable resources, increasing levels of poverty, did I mention debt, etc...

Freedoms are good, but too many freedoms can create problems. I think that's part of what our country is currently dealing with.

this is a getting a little rubber roomish