[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Fake Cubans..... grrrrrrr (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 4/28/2005 12:34:57 PM EDT
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I went over my buddies place last night to play some cards and enjoy an adult beverage. While we were having our beverage he brought out these cigars that he said were Cuban. He said he got them from a "friend" that brought them back from a cruise. I have smoked a lot of cigars and knew right away these were fakes. My guess is they came from Ecuador or maybe the Dominican. He loved them and thought they were the best cigars ever. I did not have the heart to tell him they were bogus. It was a good cigar, but definitely not Cuban. I just hope he didn't pay too much for them. 
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ROFL You havent smoked many cigars. If you had, you surely wouldnt post crap like that. Ive smoked all the major cubans brands. Lots of boxes. Ive smoked the seed of the cuban brands but grown in the Domicnan rebublic. Its a night and day difference. There are some good Domican sticks. But they are no where near as good as the cubans. Its all in the soil. |
He's right. ETA: Got one I am saving for a special occasion. |
More fakes in the tourist trap islands than real cubans and the rest of your statement is completely rediculous, but if that is true for your tastes, then your lucky. |
If you can't tell the difference between a high-end Dominican and a Cuban, you might as well be smoking Swisher Sweets. |
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Sister-in-law just brought me a Romeo ya Julieta Churchill from London. WOW! It was by far one of the best Cubans I have ever had. I still think the Dominican's keep up with if not surpass the Cubans, but this one in particular was nice. Besides, aren't most of the Dominican cigars made with Cuban seed tobacco anyway? |
repeat after me ITS THE SOIL |
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When I still smoked I'd grab a few Cubans whenever I went to Nogales to replentish my supply of Cuban rum. They are smoother than most-if not all-cigarettes. I inhaled 'em and enjoyed the shit out of them. A month ago the GF's B-I-L went to Mexico for a business trip and brought me back some Cubans (he is still a smoker). Boy.........was I tempted..........but I haven't had nicotine/tobacco in ANY form since 11/26/03 so.........  I gave them back to him
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Yes, cuban cigars are illegal, but it's just another stupid law that I will ignore. |
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Lots of fakes out there. Having said that, the real ones usually take some time to age as they are sold about as fast as they can roll them. Most domestics are already aged. If you're in Canada, go find a Havana House. You will get real ones there (and pay a good buck for them too, high taxes) If you're in Mexico or some other country find a LCDH (La Casa del Habano ) |
I used to smoke 1.5 packs a day. I waited a couple years after I quit cigarettes to start smoking cigars. I have NO desire to go back to cigarettes. The addiction doest start over. I go days between smoking cigars. It doesnt control your life like cigarettes do. |
Yet I can tell the difference between a top Dominican/Nicaraguan and a middle of of the road one... You're saying that any Cuban is better than any non-Cuban? |
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How did you know they were "fake." Were they decent but not up to the Cuban mystique, or were they crap. The best cigar I ever smoked was a Montechristo Torpedo, #2, Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC, the day before Thanksgiving. FAR better than any cigar before or since. That said, Arturo Fuente Hemingways, particularly Short Stories, are my consistant favorites. I just picked up a box, as a matter of fact. |
| My sister bought me one on a cruise to the carribean. I knew by the cheaply printed, not embossed band that it was a fake. I had all I could do to smoke it down, as it was the worst cigar I have ever smoked, bar none! I have smoked 3 real Cubans, & they were each a treat. Smoking a real 1 1st will always let you know when you get a fake. |
No, not saying that at all, just that I can tell the difference in taste between a cuban and a non-cuban. Hell, a few puffs and I can usually tell you if the cigar is Cuban, Dominican, Honduran, or Nicuarguan, they all taste different to me. |
I've gotten my hands a few verifyable real Cohibas and Romeo y Juliettas (the trick is knowing the counterfeiters label tricks). I was not impressed. I prefer a Davidoff No. 2 My last box of Cohiba Siglo IIIs was pretty impressive, but no better than many of the other cigars you can get if you know quality. EDIT: I should say I was not so impressed that I believe they live up to the mystic or top shelf price we pay for them. Some are good, very good...but generally not worth the premium. Now if trade with Cuba was legal the price drop would put the few I've tried into the realm of "worth it". |
The band tipped me off, and I knew after the first puff that it was not Cuban. I don't smoke them as much as I used to, but it was obviously a cigar from Ecuador or a blend. It was a good cigar (not great) that had been re-banded. I did not examine the box, because I did not want to ruin the placebo effect for my buddy. The guy he got them from probably got snookered at a tourist trap. I enjoy cigars from all around the world and each region has a distinctive taste and aroma. I have smoked many genuine Cuban cigars, and often make a point of it when I am in Toronto. Depending on my mood I may choose a fine Domincan or Nicaraguan cigar over a Cuban smoke. I guess I was just mostly disappointed yesterday, as he got my taste buds worked up. The last time somebody brought me a Cuban cigar, it had been improperly stored and lost some of its robustness. Hopefully Fidel will die soon and we can end the embargo. |
+1. Canada is just another city here (with sluttier dancers) so we all know that whatever cuba used to be for cigars it is not anymore.
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Yeah, but if you don't know any better, a good smoke is just a good smoke regardless of where it originated. For Cristmas/birthday my sister got me a box of Partagas and a box of Romeo y Julietas (both were the ones that came in sealed tubes) from Europe (She's in the Merchant Marine Academy and part of her training is a year of interning on a working ship). I can't really tell a big difference in quality between the Cubans and good Dominicans or Hondurans...but they're still excellent smokes. |
Ditto. Probably the only perk of being in Iraq: Cubans. Montecristos are $5 and $6, Churchills and Romeo y Juliettas are $3, and a few other brands. No Cohibas though. Anyone know the laws for mailing them home, or bringing them back through customs? I think i remember that a certain amount is allowed....but can't find that info anywhere. I know a fellow arfcommer was buying them by the box while deployed and selling them in the states for an extreme markup. I jsut want to bring back a few as gifts for people. |
What claim have you to bad mouth "Most true Cuban Cigars"? How many boxes, how many brands have you smoked? If you think that a Dominican Romeo y Julietta is a better smoke than a Cuban.... ...You simply have no taste. Besides, REAL cigar smokers would never complain about a smoke being "too strong". That's just code for: "I'm a sissy". 
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truth be told time: All Cuban cigars in the US are not illegal as it depends upon the importation method. If one has a US visa to visit Cuba, they can bring back up to $750 worth of Cuban cigars. These cigars, being imported legally, can be legally sold in the USA. Of course, the $750 limit was not enough for Congress so they passed a law given themselves and other high-level gubenmint aholes an exemption up to $2500 or so. I believe none other than Bill Clinton signed it into law. I guess the cigars kept getting stuck and snapped off in Monica's humidor and that $750 did not allow an amply supply, therefore. Search the internet if you think this is not true. |
I did search the internet, and found this on the US Customs website:
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+1 At the risk of sounding snobbish, Cuban cigars are more of an "acquired" taste. They are usually bolder and most have 2-3 subtle changes in flavor over the course of the cigar that won't be noticed by a novice or even occasional cigar smoker. As an example, put a dram of Dewars scotch and a dram of Macallan 16yr. old single malt in front of a person who isn't a regular scotch drinker. I'd say 7 in 10 of these types of drinkers could tell a slight difference in taste between the two but couldn't tell you which one was the single malt. However, do this same test with a scotch connoisseur and 100% will recognize the Macallan & probably be turned off by the Dewars. With this being said, taste is subjective & some people will always prefer Dominican/Honduran/Nicaraguan & claim that Cubans are "overrated." That's cool with me but I will never say that this means that these non-Cuban marques are equal to a fine Havana cigar. Regardless, smoke 'em if you got 'em since there are a lot of smoking nazis that are trying to take away this freedom... |