Why are cuban cigars illegal?

Joined Aug 2005
41 Posts | 0+
i'm sitting here at work on a 12 hour night shift. I was going to search on google but anything and everything is blocked except this forum. So i'm wondering, why are cuban cigars illegal? I'm new to this hobby and have started a really nice collection. I would love to add a true cuban to the collection but have no way or contacts to get one. If I could get two cubans that would be better because I could smoke one and then collect the other. My question concern is, I have no idea why they are illegal.

Even though i have no way of getting a true cuban, my door is always open. Maybe I'll get deployed again before my time is up, but I doubt it :(

Thanks,
Matt
 
Because, Fidel is an evil Communist Dictator. Thats Why!

By all means Deploy, are you a West Packer or East Coast sailor? I will let you know the best places to add to your collection.

Tom
 
Fidel Casto = Enemy

Don't violate the Federal "No trade with the enemy" Act.
 
It all goes back to the Cuban Missle crisis.

The truth is they have opium in them :wink:

That said - all Cuban products are illegal not just cigars :cry:
 
makes sense

all I ever heard was that cuban cigars actually have some type of drug in them that gets you high like marijuana or something.

Thanks guys,
Matt

My inbox is empty :wink:
 
oh yes...the Mary J is what makes them so mystified...never mind that thing, what's it called, oh yeah, the trade Embargo...it's always the Mary J... :wink: :lol:

I think some of the cigars, although not containing any drugs, will lift your spirits leaving you with an overwhelming sense of pleasure sometimes explained as being high...hmmm, I smoked a PSD #4 last night....come to think of it....what did I do last night..?? :D :wink: :twisted: :roll: :shock: :? 8)
 
CC was kidding about the opium, Keef. The fact is Cuban cigars are the best in the world because they've been doing it longer and better than anyone else, and Cuba has also been blessed with one of the most tobacco friendly regions in the world, as far as growing is concerned. Nicaragua has made gigantic strides in producing full bodied, flavorful tobaccos, and even the Dominican Republic, which catered to the smooth, mild cigar smokers during "the boom" have turned their attentions toward growing more flavorful, full bodied tobacco, and having great success.

It's similar to Kenyan and Ethiopian dominance in long distance running. When you grow up at 10,000 feet altitude and have to run 10-15 miles to school every day and back home again, chances are the kids in the village you come from will make better long distance runners than nose tackles or hammer throwers.
 
I :D am fond of the hammer throwers, naturally...but I prefer axes!!!
 
Bloofington said:
The fact is Cuban cigars are the best in the world because they've been doing it longer and better than anyone else

One could argue that now the "fact" is actually the best Cuban cigar manufacturers that have the long family traditions in the industry are now Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras,and Ecuador residents. Cuban cigars are Castro property and equate to "gov't cheese". How many government products in the US are leading their industry??

Padron, Caribe, Fuente, Oliva, Toraño, Plasencia, Cifuentes, Daniel Rodriguez, Jacinto Argud"n, Llaneza, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Sr, etc., would argue that the best of the best cigar families left Cuba and took their dedication and knowledge and pride with them.

Even Carlito Fuente will tell you the best soil may still be in Cuba......but that's about it.

Just say no to government cheese. :p

(My opinion is rarely popular, but it is supported with facts not fads)
 
Bulz, first off, I haven't seen you around in a while, and it's good to see you back. I hope all is well with you and yours. Secondly, notwithstanding what you may have seen around here lately, let me open a point of debate here, and I'm not trying to be a wise guy or a tough guy, so please don't take this wrong.

Firstly, I already know this, and have for quite some time:

"One could argue that now the "fact" is actually the best Cuban cigar manufacturers that have the long family traditions in the industry are now Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras,and Ecuador residents."

That is most certainly a fact.

Secondly, don't forget that without cigars, Cuba would be worse off than it already is. And how does Cuba continue to SELL their cigars to everyone all over the world? And how is it that Americans are tripping over themselves trying to get them?

Is it strictly because it's illegal and it's "exciting" to smoke them? It's not exciting to smoke lousy pot, I can tell you that much, and lousy pot DOESN'T sell well. And they're not illegal in other parts of the world, and the whole world is tripping over themselves to get Cuban cigars.

And how can something so subjective as taste in cigars ever become a FACT? It's about what people like, and most
EXPERIENCED American cigar smokers who have ever had, say anywhere from ten to twenty REAL Cuban cigars of about four to five different labels, will vote in the majority that Cuban cigars are still the best. So, if we are to deal in FACTS, and if taste is something that can EVER be relegated to a FACTUAL realm, it must therefore be a fact that Cuban cigars are the best tasting cigars by and large.

By the way, I say this as someone who smokes overwhelmingly and buys ONLY Non-Cuban cigars. Still and all, I've had a fair share of real Cubans in nine years of cigar smoking, and they are simply the Olympic Gold Medal standard in cigars. Are there ANY cigars I like as much as a good Cuban? You bet. But by and large, across the board, the Cubans still get the Gold by a lean at the tape over most Non-Cubans.

I think this is something very interesting that you've presented, and it might be worthwhile for us to take a poll here. It might be presented as something like, "out of the members who know with 99.9% certainty that they have smoked at least five genuine Cuban cigars in their cigar smoking careers, how many feel Non-Cubans are superior?"

I'm still not sure any poll on taste could be considered factual, but it would be interesting to see the response.
 
I always get people's panties in a bunch with this one. 8)

It's something to think about, that's all.

The "fact" disputed was originally your comment on Cubans doing this "longer and better". My "fact" is that most of those people left Cuba.

I have had some good Cuban cigars. I've had a few great ones. I've smoked a Cuban rated 100 from Cigar Aficionado. This doesnt change my position overall.

Take the last words if you like, but I have stated my case as I see it. Tastes and opinions vary. So polling the audience will only get you popular opinion......and I already know that the popular way to look at this is differs from my view. :p

That being said....

Thanks for the welcome back! Yeah, I had a rough summer, but I am trying to get things back in order. It's good to be back and have a few minutes to post again.

Friendly debates always welcome with me! As long as we can agree to disagree in the end, I'm game.
 
I've had a few from each side of the fence & as far as quality of construction -
I'd vote NC's have it hands down.
Never have I seen the problems in NC's that you find (regularly) in Cuban cigars.
{does this go back to the point:
One could argue that now the "fact" is actually the best Cuban cigar manufacturers that have the long family traditions in the industry are now Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras,and Ecuador residents.
- most likely?}

But as for flavor hands down there is nothing out there that can come close.
In the NC world IMHO - (in my honest opinion) I like the PAM best.
A greta smoke at $18+ a stick.
I know of 50+ cuban cigars at $5 that I would rather smoke.
That is just my personal tastes!
CC :roll:
 
Bulz, . . .

"The "fact" disputed was originally your comment on Cubans doing this "longer and better". My "fact" is that most of those people left Cuba"

That's true, but they only left Cuba 46 years ago at most. Cuba was doing it for well over 400 years before that, and the people left are still doing it better, therefore what I said was "factually" correct. :wink:

:cryinlaugh:
 
Either way - I do think the NC's are rolled better - as in less problems with being plugged, to tight & the such.

That is where it ends though.

Another point I'd like to make that really goes under th radar.
I have found that if you smoke nothing but Cubans for 30-60 days and go back to the NCs you fins a slight metal taste that you never noticed
before? I've heard debate - magnesium (sp?) ect - not sure what it is, but I have tasted it???
 
I'd have to agree with CC and Bloof. Construction wise, NCs are generally better. Flavorwise, nothing can compare with most of the cheapest Cubans.
 
Too bad our guys went down last night. At least the Patriots saying "we ain't gonna get beat deep" also went down early. Unfortunately, and as usual, the best team in football outlasted a game opponent.
 
Bloofington said:
Too bad our guys went down last night. At least the Patriots saying "we ain't gonna get beat deep" also went down early. Unfortunately, and as usual, the best team in football outlasted a game opponent.

Bah, the Raiders beat themselves. The made so many mistakes in a game that they SHOULD have easily won. Heck, if the offensive line had just blocked correctly they still would have won even with all the penalties.
 
Well, of course, that's why I phrased it as the Patriots "outlasted" their opponent. That's what makes them the best. Bloodied, ugly, whatever, but still winners. I'm not happy about it, but it's true. Sure the Raiders beat themselves, just like some guys that were bigger, stronger and in some cases had just as much boxing skill as Tyson, but lost to him. They beat themselves, frozen in fear. Who was Tyson? But a man. Who are the Patriots, but men. Other men just haven't stepped up to show them that they can have just as good of a winning attitude.

The Patriots beat people on faith as much as whatever football skills they have. You're right, the Raiders beat themselves.