Cigar Recommendations?

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by somerfrost

Unfortunately, nothing close to Cuban Cohibas and Romeo & Juliette (Americanized spelling).

Agree with Somer here on the Cuban Cohibas. When I was 17, I smuggled a box of them out of Cancun back here to Florida and got away with it!

[Storm Cadet]

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

Agree with Somer here on the Cuban Cohibas. When I was 17, I smuggled a box of them out of Cancun back here to Florida and got away with it!

So your life of crime started at a young age eh?

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by Storm Cadet

So your life of crime started at a young age eh?

I think that's about the worst thing I've ever done...

Well, maybe not.

[hockey2315]

I was thinking about getting some Gurkhas. . . Has anyone tried them?

[ELA]

Originally Posted by hockey2315

I was thinking about getting some Gurkhas. . . Has anyone tried them?

Once. Never again. But, like I said -- if you like them, smoke them and often, LOL.

Eric

[SentToStud]

For a modest priced mild, I've been smoking Cusano 18's and Cusano 1's.

I'm no expert but I know people who are and they all tell me not to go for the high priced smokes. Just because a stick costs $25 does not make it worthwhile.

If you have anything other than a passing interest, pick up a copy or two of Cigar Connesseur (sp). Anything in there rated 90 or above is a nice smoke.

And be careful about your Cubans. They're actually produced in three diffferent "batches." The best, the "1's," go to the Soviet Union. The "2's" go to Europe (Spain specifically, I believe) for East Hemisphere distribution. The lower quality "3's" go to S. America, Mexico and Canada. These are the units that most often wind up in the U.S.

You can get 2's over the internet (They ship the cigars and labels separately) from a European outfit but the Feds are cracking down.

Nothing like a nice smoke.

[somerfrost]

Originally Posted by SentToStud

For a modest priced mild, I've been smoking Cusano 18's and Cusano 1's.

I'm no expert but I know people who are and they all tell me not to go for the high priced smokes. Just because a stick costs $25 does not make it worthwhile.

If you have anything other than a passing interest, pick up a copy or two of Cigar Connesseur (sp). Anything in there rated 90 or above is a nice smoke.

And be careful about your Cubans. They're actually produced in three diffferent "batches." The best, the "1's," go to the Soviet Union. The "2's" go to Europe (Spain specifically, I believe) for East Hemisphere distribution. The lower quality "3's" go to S. America, Mexico and Canada. These are the units that most often wind up in the U.S.

You can get 2's over the internet (They ship the cigars and labels separately) from a European outfit but the Feds are cracking down.

Nothing like a nice smoke.

There is a mail order outfit in England that would send you a box of Cubans in an Ashton box complete with individual Ashton rings...costly but almost impossible to detect I'd imagine (unless the Feds actually test the tobacco). I never tried them (as I said, costly) but I hear from folks that they weren't rip-offs. I got my Cubans from friends who traveled to Cuba and central America....one guy played golf and smuggled them in his golf bag..lol!

[ELA]

Originally Posted by SentToStud

For a modest priced mild, I've been smoking Cusano 18's and Cusano 1's.

I'm no expert but I know people who are and they all tell me not to go for the high priced smokes. Just because a stick costs $25 does not make it worthwhile.

If you have anything other than a passing interest, pick up a copy or two of Cigar Connesseur (sp). Anything in there rated 90 or above is a nice smoke.

And be careful about your Cubans. They're actually produced in three diffferent "batches." The best, the "1's," go to the Soviet Union. The "2's" go to Europe (Spain specifically, I believe) for East Hemisphere distribution. The lower quality "3's" go to S. America, Mexico and Canada. These are the units that most often wind up in the U.S.

You can get 2's over the internet (They ship the cigars and labels separately) from a European outfit but the Feds are cracking down.
Nothing like a nice smoke.

Actually, the "batch" myth is just that. The "premier" smokes that leave Cuba are for the UK marketplace -- specifically for the Habanos distributor, Hunters & Frankau. These cigars are designated as "EMS" or "English Market Selection" and they get a very specific certification/label -- although Habanos and H&F claim they are not "better" or "different" than the remainder of the production cigars that Habanos produces. What you do find with EMS cigars is that there are less "plugs" or loosely rolled cigars, more consistency amongst wrapper shade, tooth, texture, etc.

Approximately 90% of Cuban cigars here in the US are counterfeit. The % is incredibly high throughout the world as well. However, when you buy Cuban cigars -- from an authorized Habanos retailer, in a country where there are not huge taxes or tariffs (like the UK has), Cuban cigars are not that expensive at all (relatively speaking, to some of the other high-end, expensive, so called ultra-premium smokes produced elsewhere in the world). Like I said -- the best cigar for you to smoke, is the one you like. Find something you like. Then experiment. Your tastebuds will mature and develop. Different cigars will introduce you to different flavors and will have a different "nose" to them. If it's a vice you enjoy -- it can be one of the finer things in life. I am thankful that I have come to enjoy cigars, cigar smoking and have developed a passion for the leaf.

As far as the rest of the coversation -- where to order, buy, etc. Cuban cigars . . . it is illegal to import Cuban cigars into the United States! LOL.


Eric