An introduction and a quick question..

Joined Oct 2005
2 Posts | 0+
Southeast USA
Hi there, my name is Andy and I'm from South Carolina. I've been enjoying cigars for about two years and have been browsing this forum for a few weeks now. Lots of great information to be found, which leads me to my question.

I'm looking to expand my selection by adding some smokes from 'our favorite little island' and was wondering if anyone here knows of commercial availability with reasonable prices over the internet? I've found sites such as http://www.absolutecigars.com/ but have concerns about reliability and authenticity. Any recommendations or feedback about past experiences over the net would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

-Andy

(edit - fixed hyperlink)[/i]
 
First - Welcome!

I guess I'll step up and give you a little advise.

People from the US are not allowed to purchase Cuban anything!
Going on a public forum and saying you want to break the law is usually not done.
Posting sources for Cuban cigars is usually not done.
That said - I can't say for 100% but I would not order from that source
I would look for somewhere else - IMHO

My advise is to stick around and make friends!
Become an active part of the forum and you will learn a lot about cigars.
I'm not trying to Bust you Balls, just a heads up!
 
Maybe we should round up a posse and head on down to Cuba :lol:

Welcome Andy, this forum has a wealth of info and the advice of veterans such as CastleCrest is golden.
Stick around...you'll be glad you did :)
 
Welcome, and listen to our father of the forbidden fruit, Castlecrest.
 
I was the fourth view on this post, but I wanted to wait around and see what would happen. I've also just come off the worst week of another generally bad year in my life, feel like crap, have to go to work and don't have the time for reading or posting. But it's my responsibility so I'll make the time.

Interesting to see who stepped up first, and who followed. It's as if The Lord gave me a huge break and it all fell in place perfectly. Everything was said perfectly, and I trust an understanding is in effect.

To elaborate, it's better to be blue in Carolina, than blue behind bars taken in by the folks in blue. We love them and respect them, have a lot of them around here, and in our families and friendship circles. Although folks like myself may have an aspect or two of our lives where we play a little out of bounds without getting whistled by the zebras, it's not polite or respectful to flaunt it, at least to a certain extent.

Gifts come your way in life when you join the cigar smoking community at large and work your way in like any other friendship, slowly but surely. As trust is developed, and good will expressed, things may happen.

Castle Crest and I, and a few others around here, have been through the worst wars on what was once the internet's biggest and arguably, the best cigar related web site. When it comes to inquiries, wait for people to get to know you, and for you to get to know them. There are a lot of reasons for people popping up on a cigar related web site, introducing themselves, and jumping right into "where can I get Cubans?" Maybe this time it's innocent, and so it is, innocent until proven otherwise.

As for the general subject matter, by all means, discuss what you smoked after sex with the wife, the walk with the dog, the sailboat ride, but inquiries or talk about specific Cuban cigar web sites, purchasing in general, etc., should be done by PM. Welcome to the new member, and thanks to those who stepped up in perfect order and fashion. Thank you very much.
 
Welcome aboard Andy - and perhaps 'our favorite little island' was referring to the Enchanted Island herself - Puerto Rico! If so, I highly recommend visiting http://www.donbienvecigars.com/ and ordering a 5-pack of their Limited Reserve!

Also, jump in on the Pay It Forward thread - you'd be amazed at some of the quality cigars that show up in the mailbox!
 
Welcome to the forum BlueCarolina. The integrity of this forum is great and some of the information you can get here is priceless. Sit back, light one up, and enjoy. This forum has some of the best conversation you'll ever see!
 
Thanks for the warm and friendly welcome to the board and for the quick responses. Sorry if my question constituted a breach of the forum's etiquette in regard to the taboo subject, I meant no offense. I also never even considered the thought that one might ask the question as a means of incriminating a source or consumer, as was pointed out by many of your responses. I'll be sure to stick around and and I hope to learn a lot more about the hobby in general. Thanks a lot.
By the way Bildo, glad to see another SC'er here, I live in Greenville.
 
yep too bad you didn't join a few days earlier, we just had a big get together in columbia on sat. it was a blast with around 40 people there. it happens every spring and fall so maybe you can make the next one, its well worth it.
 
No problem really, BC. As for "forum etiquette," not so much as just being careful to heed to the law, as the CEO and Administrators run a tight ship here, which I and the rest of the staff fully support. We want this to be something akin to what I like to refer to as "The Mayberry of The Internet."

It can be rather confusing to log on to a web site and see someone talking about "I went on a sailboat ride and took three Cubans for me and my friends," blah, blah, or "I went to see the Jets put up another one in the loss column, but the Cuban cigars were great," etc., etc. It's easy to get the idea that all conversation is therefore freewheeling, but as CC pointed out, because of the legalities involved, it's best not to openly discuss the purchase of same or merit of one web site vs. another.

I myself have outright refused friends who have privately offered for years to hook me up with reliable web sites that supposedly ship real Cubans to the U.S. Because these people can be trusted to know a real Cuban from a fake, I'm sure I'd get the real thing, but life has enough trouble of its own, and I'd rather not spend too much time in my life out of bounds, thumbing my nose at the zebras. I have therefore only come to know real Cuban cigars through trading or gifting that is done through the worldwide cigar smoking community, including right here on this web site. Whenever I have received one or two in a package of cigars, I have been pleasantly surprised and richly blessed to have enjoyed the experience.

No doubt, as stated, these things can happen to anyone who proves themselves trustworthy, and as the thread up near the top of the forum indicates, good traders and stand up people will reap the harvest that good will yields when practiced diligently.

So, again, no big problem as long as forum guidelines are adhered to. If someone sends you a box of Cohiba Esplendidos, by all means tell us all about how much you and your Super Bowl party enjoyed them, but specific information regarding the obtaining of same should be kept private. Welcome again, and by all means, light up, keep posting and have fun hanging out at AmBack/Cigar.com. :thumbsup:
 
And if anyone has a box of Cohiba Esplendidos laying around, feel free to send them my way! DOH! I can dispose of them properly and take the weight off your mind!
 
I only have two or three, and those were gifts. One's going to uhhhhhh, someone, . . .

soon!!! I'm going to smoke the other one after I've aged Earnie Shavers' right fist out of it. :cryinlaugh: :pumpkin: