wtb: cuban cigars

Joined May 2004
20 Posts | 0+
Oklahoma
Is there anyway true cuban cigars can be purchased here in Us, would like to buy some
 
There are ways, but don't speak too much of it publicly. When you make internet acquaintances with enough people over enough of a period of time, people may begin to trade with you through the mail, a few cigars here and there. Who knows, one day you may find treasure in your sack, an unexpected gift included in the Non-Cubans. Then, maybe after some more time you can gain the confidence of someone who knows how to do it and would be willing to show you.

There's no way to just go on a web site and go, hey, I wanna buy Cuban cigars, how about it? However, now that you have, and providing you remain interested, it will be duly noted and recorded for future contact.

BUT, take your time, get to know people and get to know who can really get them and . . .

who's just getting fakes, because fakes abound, even in Cuba.
 
wtb: cigas

Thanks for the info, appreciate it much!
 
It is quite a nice thing to have cuban cigars available here in the UK, but overall I think the U.S. wins when it comes to cigar consumption simply because cigars are so much cheaper for you guys!
 
Instead of buying contraband in the US, just go to Canada for a weekend and enjoy the cigars there. That way you get to try the cigars and not risk being arrested.

Of course the trip to Canada is easier for those of us in the northern states. :wink:
 
I was lucky 2 years back when I got a cuban Partagas as a wedding present. It was my first ever real cuban. It was very nice.

A few months later I was in the Virgin Islands and has a chance to have a couple more. They were very good.

I've seen cubans for sale on various websites and was wondering if this is real. I have heard of many fakes.

For future reference ...you can add me to this list wink wink :D
However, now that you have, and providing you remain interested, it will be duly noted and recorded for future contact.
 
I think as a US Citizen you could be prosecuted for purchasing the said cigars in Canada - whether Canada traded directly with the "enemy" for you - or not. How ever the value of making an issue of it seems highly unlikely.
 
I am a casual cigar smoker (3-5 per week), and over the last 10 years have tried a wide variety of smokes. IMO there are very few non-cuban cigars that match up with Cuban smokes. Of course, it is all about taste and preference but as a die hard Churchhill size smoker, my faves are Cohiba Lanceros 38 ring size (2001) and Romeo y Julieta Churchill Tubos ring size 47 (also 2001). These are creamy smokes (like spritzing boiling water through heavy cream to make a latte and inhaling the result) that are toasty, with highlights of pepper, spice with a distinct sweet flavor. The burn rate is even from beginning to end resulting in a beautiful ash and I can usually smoke to the last half inch without a loss of flavor (or skin :D ). Beware of counterfeits. 95% of all Cubans sold are fakes. There is no such thing as a discount, IMO, on Cubans of any sort, or factory seconds, etc.
 
Hollow Point said:
I think as a US Citizen you could be prosecuted for purchasing the said cigars in Canada - whether Canada traded directly with the "enemy" for you - or not. How ever the value of making an issue of it seems highly unlikely.
The way it was explained to me was that you can use them in Canada, you just can't bring 'em back over the border.
 
cian said:
I am a casual cigar smoker (3-5 per week), and over the last 10 years have tried a wide variety of smokes. IMO there are very few non-cuban cigars that match up with Cuban smokes. Of course, it is all about taste and preference but as a die hard Churchhill size smoker, my faves are Cohiba Lanceros 38 ring size (2001) and Romeo y Julieta Churchill Tubos ring size 47 (also 2001). These are creamy smokes (like spritzing boiling water through heavy cream to make a latte and inhaling the result) that are toasty, with highlights of pepper, spice with a distinct sweet flavor. The burn rate is even from beginning to end resulting in a beautiful ash and I can usually smoke to the last half inch without a loss of flavor (or skin :D ). Beware of counterfeits. 95% of all Cubans sold are fakes. There is no such thing as a discount, IMO, on Cubans of any sort, or factory seconds, etc.

Wow! after reading that description...I'm drooling :D
 
how can you tell if they are fake? any lable discrepancies to look out for? i had a "cuban" in mexico that was obviously not cuban. my first hint was that it tasted like a cigarette and the second was it was bought at a stupid little tourist spot.
 
It is safe to say that the majority of Cuban cigars in Mexico are not from Cuba. Some of the fakes on the market are pretty darn close to the real thing, packaging wise. The better fakes have cigar bands extremely close to the real things. The boxes are the right sizes and shapes, the Cuban labels on the box are correct, etc. Sometimes they slip up and have two cigar storage inserts in a box instead of one or with Cohibas, the paper the cigars are wrapped in is wax paper instead of the onion skin type paper.

With the Trinidads, the fakes I’ve seen didn’t have the little pig tail on the cap and the boxes were the wrong style. Then there are the obvious fakes where the labels are printed poorly or inaccurately.

There are imitation Cuban cigars on the market that are made from who knows what kind of filler and wrapper. There are also “imitation” Cuban cigars that are from Cuba, but not from the factories they are labeled as being from. I personally have had some Cohiba Robustos that I knew were fakes from Cuba but were equal to some of the better Dominican cigars out there.

The best way to minimize the chances of getting stuck with a fake Cuban is to purchase from a reputable shop. Preferably one that is a distributor for Habanos S.A.
 
IMO Fernando is exactly right. There is only one authorized dealer of Cuban cigars and that is House Habanos, S.A. Dealers that buy from HH and resell these smokes are, in my experience, exclusively outside the U.S. You should be able to talk to the the dealer or a representative via telephone and they should be able to offer certain shipping guarantees, methods of payment and thoroughly explain to you how they authenticate products they purchase before shipping to you. It is not illegal to sell Cuban smokes -- only illegal to bring them into the U.S.

F's point about Trinidads is on point, i.e., it should have a little curly top :D or a "flag" on the cap, (I just happen to have a couple of Trinidad Robusto Extra) and the Robusto must measure exactly 6 1/8 inches from the flag or curly with a guage of 50. The label is worked with gold trim and the dark black Triple T on the band is in the center. The Trinidad Robusto is a mild cigar, as Cuban smokes go, with a heavy cream flavor. This brand is presented to visiting dignitaries in Cuba -- IMO great with a glass of Port or young Merlot.

Cohiba is the best known of the Cubans and probably is counterfeited the most. You can't beat it for creaminess and sweet spice flavor. Once you've smoked a few, the difference between any Cohiba Gold label and other leading smokes such as Dominicans and Hondurans, is very evident. As with most things, Caveat Emptor.
 
Spotting a Fake cuban

Actually, the most recent issue of Cigar Aficionado (Dec 2004) and also CigarAficionado.com has a good article on what to look for when purchasing Cuban cigars. It tells you where to look on labels and how real and fake Cubans differ.

Take a look
 
I read that article in CA magazine and agree with you. That should be grist for everybody's mill, at least anyone in the market to acquire Cuban sticks. In my experience, when folks talk about taking a "plunge" and buying Cuban smokes (if they ask me), I always advise learning everything you can about the sticks you are going to buy and not to buy boxes (at least in the beginning), i.e., get samplers of varying sizes to try out (especially if you aren't familiar with Cubans and their flavors).

IMO it is big fun to sample great cigars. My preference is Cuban and when I first began smoking them, I did not buy a box for nearly a year. By then I knew that I enjoyed a medium strength smoke, learned to taste differences in flavor and texture between various sized cigars, their fillers and the process by which they are grown and aged (for example, storing in cedar for a time tends to sweeten Cuban smokes and those are the type I favor).
 
cian said:
It is not illegal to sell Cuban smokes -- only illegal to bring them into the U.S.

Specifically what does the law say? When I was in the caribean a few years ago on a cruise we were told that we could bring back up to 4 boxes for personal consumption PER person. I specifically asked about Cubans, but perhaps they meant tabacco, and just overlooked that they were cuban.

I'm planning on going again in the next year and planned on bring back again.

Mike
 
That was cigars in general. The only ay you can legally bring cuban cigars into the US is if you are on a licensed visit to cuba you can bring back some for personal use. Not sure on the exact amount but I think it is less than 100.00 USD
 
Macallan said:
That was cigars in general. The only ay you can legally bring cuban cigars into the US is if you are on a licensed visit to cuba you can bring back some for personal use. Not sure on the exact amount but I think it is less than 100.00 USD

Good to know. I told them I had cubans, I guess its a good thing they didn't do anything. Needless to say I would have been pretty upset if they were confiscated, let alone if I had to pay a big fine.

Mike
 
The latest info shows that as U.S. citizen, you can't buy any Cuban product anywhere in the world and consume it. The theory is that you are using U.S. dollars to make a purchase, and that is not allowed.

I will try to find a link to post.