What makes a Cuban so good?

[Herf N Turf]

Originally Posted by mash

In places where people have free access to both (no forbidden fruit issue), they smoke predominantly CC's.

This also has to do with price and availability. There are many places in the world where it can be as hard to get a premium NC as it is to get a CC here in the US. Talking to smokers in these places, I've found them to know as little about great NC's as we generally seem to know about great CC's here. Also, CC's in some places are far less expensive than premium NC's.

No matter where you are, it's always relative.

[Cletus]

Growing up in Memphis in the 70's I remember people would drive across the Mississippi to West Memphis, Arkansas, to get......wait for it.......Coors. Coors was not distributed east of the Mississippi (remember "Smokey and the Bandit"?). So, was Coors that much better than Budweiser, Falstaff, Schlitz, etc.? Not really, but I think the "forbidden fruit" syndrome was in effect in that scenario.

Is this true for Cubans? I think so. When I go to Mexico all the hawkers in front of the souvenir shops ask if I want any "cubans". I'm sure a few gringos take them up on their offer.


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[Andy]

great post can`t afford them anyway I`ll put one on my wish list

[mash]

Originally Posted by Sweet_Cigars

I wanna thank Mash for being respectful. I think we handle that with pure BOTL respect!

Everyone is entitle to there own opinion, now if I like it or not that's another story but if someone takes the time to post in my thread then I am grateful.

No worries, this is a great question, but one that can get a little heated at times. The comment about relative availability of CC's and NC's in different countries is a fair one. In my case, I've tried and own boxes of what I generally think are highly rated NC's (AF, Tatuaje, Cabaiguan, Oliva) as well as Illusione and Padron. With the exception of the Padron Annis, the rest are really "change of pace" cigars, but nothing I would smoke regularly ahead of a PSD4, Boli RC, Cohiba Siglo, Upmann Mag 46/50, JL #2 etc.
I'm going to Vegas in 2 weeks though, and I must pick up a box of the Padron '26 #9's. They are awesome.

[Hermit]

Originally Posted by Cletus

Is this true for Cubans? I think so. When I go to Mexico all the hawkers in front of the souvenir shops ask if I want any "cubans". I'm sure a few gringos take them up on their offer.


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I'm sure they do, but they definitely got fakes.

[oceanelect4]

i think i would put up a casa fuente against most of the cc. but its also a lot more so it becomes for the price which is the best.

[RicoPuro]

I believe Cubans are different than NCs. There are amazing Cubans to be had such a well aged Monte # 2, a PSD #4 or a Bolivar PC. The flavor profile is simply unique due to the terrain. Having said that, IMHO the best cigars in the world at this moment are probably outside of the island and come from tobaccos in Nicaragua. As it has been said, the mistique comes from the fact they are outlawed in US territory.

Jorge

[Snake Hips]

Originally Posted by Herf N Turf

This also has to do with price and availability. There are many places in the world where it can be as hard to get a premium NC as it is to get a CC here in the US. Talking to smokers in these places, I've found them to know as little about great NC's as we generally seem to know about great CC's here. Also, CC's in some places are far less expensive than premium NC's.

No matter where you are, it's always relative.

Good point. However, I will counterpoint by saying distributors import what sells. The scarceness of non-Cubans in every other country would be alleviated I'm sure if there was a demand for them to any degree. If they would sell, they would be up for sale. Economics. Cubans sell, non-Cubans don't, so they don't bother to import anything besides Davidoff really.

Originally Posted by Rico Puro

As it has been said, the mistique comes from the fact they are outlawed in US territory.

The mystique may come from that, but not the taste. There's no mystique to them outside of the U.S.

[zipa]

Originally Posted by Snake Hips

Good point. However, I will counterpoint by saying distributors import what sells. The scarceness of non-Cubans in every other country would be alleviated I'm sure if there was a demand for them to any degree. If they would sell, they would be up for sale. Economics. Cubans sell, non-Cubans don't, so they don't bother to import anything besides Davidoff really.

Oldish thread, but I wanted to chime in here...

I don't think that the availability is such an issue. There are some good online stores in the EU that carry hundreds of NC-brands. The issue is more with the pricing. The premium NC-sticks are insanely expensive. A Padron 1926 #9 for instance costs 45 euros at my "local" online shop. That's more than any cuban, except for some rare special editions. So, if you can get a box of vintage PSD4's for the price of a few Padrons, it's not really that hard to see why people choose the CC's over the premium NC's.

[Bill Brewer]

Living in Canada, I have access to both CC and NC, however premium NC selection is not great and most of what you can find is from the DR. Prices in the province of Quebec are about 3-4 times what you pay in the US and the same goes for CC’s. When I started smoking cigars 6-7 years ago, I would smoke CC’s almost exclusively and kept on doing this until about 2 years ago, that’s when I discovered cigars from Nicaragua… I haven’t been smoking many CC’s since. Although I really enjoy a CC when I have one. As far as quality control goes, I think NC’s are better, a minimum of 10% of cigars in a CC box have issues. Can’t say I have ever had a draw issue with a NC. I found that I have been buying way more NC’s and asking people to bring back boxes from their travels to the US rather than when they travel to Cuba. They are cheaper, better quality control, never seen a tobacco beetle on an NC and tastewise, equal or better to CC’s. In our smoking group, our humidors are filled with 60-80% NC’s, most of us having 80% NC’s.

I hope the US resolve their situation with Cuba, however I think it would be the end of good CC’s, quality would really go down. We saw it happen in the cigar boom of the mid 90’s, they tried to increase production by getting inexperienced rollers, not letting the tobacco age properly and planting tobacco in soil that was not adequate.

So like others have said, do not break the bank trying to get a box of CC’s but you should none the less try a few. There are many Nicaraguan and other NC that resemble CC’s. I find that Pepin’s blends are pretty close to a CC.

[rajuabju]

I've smoked a few Cubans in the past year....... and honestly, none of them blow away great non-Cuban cigars. Personally, I think the "forbidden fruit" argument is totally valid for people in the US (vs people who dont live in the US)... because people in the US are USED to be able to 'get anything they want'... so when there is something very specific they CANT have, it makes it all the more intriguing... its almost like the spoiled kid whose parents tell him he cant have a certain toy, and all he wants then is that toy, until he finally gets it, and he doenst even play with it much anymore.

[GlockG23]

Originally Posted by DBCcigar

Well said.

Not to mention there is a high content of lithium in Cuban soil.

hahahahaha

[Chico57]

Originally Posted by Cigar Man Andy

It's a combination of the minerals in the soil and the climate. They also have been making cigars longer than anyone. No all Cubans are not great. A lot of them are hype, but there quite a few that are amazing.

Well said.
I have smoked a few Cubans (not enough to be an expert by any means) some were amazing and a few were just ok. Same with NC's.
Just my

[Egis]

Well to tell real truth about Cuban cigars not old ones but from 2003-too 2008, my friend worked at a Montecristo factory he was a roller! They didn't get paid only lunch I know a little shocking! He works now at ones of my friends local B&M makes local cigars! and My other friend worked in same factory only as a sales person! and after Cuba had few hurricane hits, guess what happend? all the tabaco leaves went bad! guess were they were getting the leaves from? all most all of the factories were buying leaves from Oliva Family! but affcors for the last year, and this year they had their own tabaco! They regrew it! This is kept as a deep secret, but it's up too you if you guys wanna believe it or not! and for cigars quality all most the same thing, NC's have very high quality, plus dominican republic is next too cuba, so what does makes cuban cigar better? words!!! and peoples own thoughts!!!

[ToJo]

I started on cubans.
Then moved on.

I keep going back to cubans once in a while to see if I'm missing something but the more I smoke non cubans, the less I find cubans to be all that great. I've smoked all kinds of Partagas, some montes, and a few Cohibas. Haven't been impressed.

I've heard that many CCs share the same tobacco leaf. So from Partagas to Monte to Cohiba and beyond, they all have that same cuban flavor people are after because they're from the same seed and the same soil. That may explain why I find them all so boring an similar. Maybe it's just an unrefined palate. But personally, I prefer the variety and quality of non cubans. And you can get some great NCs between $5 and $10 each.