Cuba importing tobacco

[Habanakane21]

So I was at my local cigar shop last Friday and the Davidoff rep came in and sat down with about 5 of the regulars. He was gracious enough to hand out a 8th Anniversary Avo to us all. Which by the was like smoking dried grass through a straw...but I politely & slowly smoked it. Then it got bad....He then began telling us about how poor cuban tobacco is and how terrible the quality is. He even went as far to tell us that he's heard that there is a shortage of tobacco so they have begun importing it from Nicaragua and Honduras. He also told us that he's been in factories and has seen rollers pick up scrapes on the floor and uses them for filler.

Now, I was looking over at this guy and felt like reaching across the table and ripping his head off. But out of respect for my friend, who owns the shop...I didn't. Plus I'm 6'4 230lbs and this guy maybe weighed 160 wet. It just wouldn't be fair.

I suspect he was just trying to de-value the true King of tobacco and pump his dear Davidoff and Avo's. He gave it a good try...but was barking up the wrong tree.

[#2 man]

opinions are like starfish ..........

[baragh]

opinions are like starfish ..........

Opinions are aquatic creatures?

[anacostiakat]

So I was at my local cigar shop last Friday and the Davidoff rep came in and sat down with about 5 of the regulars. He was gracious enough to hand out a 8th Anniversary Avo to us all. Which by the was like smoking dried grass through a straw...but I politely & slowly smoked it. Then it got bad....He then began telling us about how poor cuban tobacco is and how terrible the quality is. He even went as far to tell us that he's heard that there is a shortage of tobacco so they have begun importing it from Nicaragua and Honduras. He also told us that he's been in factories and has seen rollers pick up scrapes on the floor and uses them for filler.

Now, I was looking over at this guy and felt like reaching across the table and ripping his head off. But out of respect for my friend, who owns the shop...I didn't. Plus I'm 6'4 230lbs and this guy maybe weighed 160 wet. It just wouldn't be fair.

I suspect he was just trying to de-value the true King of tobacco and pump his dear Davidoff and Avo's. He gave it a good try...but was barking up the wrong tree.

They would be first in line to procure cuban tobacco if they could.

[Puros Y Vino]

They would be first in line to procure cuban tobacco if they could.

Absolutely. Their old Cuban based cigars have achieved legendary status.

[Peter11216]

So I was at my local cigar shop last Friday and the Davidoff rep came in and sat down with about 5 of the regulars. He was gracious enough to hand out a 8th Anniversary Avo to us all. Which by the was like smoking dried grass through a straw...but I politely & slowly smoked it. Then it got bad....He then began telling us about how poor cuban tobacco is and how terrible the quality is. He even went as far to tell us that he's heard that there is a shortage of tobacco so they have begun importing it from Nicaragua and Honduras. He also told us that he's been in factories and has seen rollers pick up scrapes on the floor and uses them for filler.

Now, I was looking over at this guy and felt like reaching across the table and ripping his head off. But out of respect for my friend, who owns the shop...I didn't. Plus I'm 6'4 230lbs and this guy maybe weighed 160 wet. It just wouldn't be fair.

I suspect he was just trying to de-value the true King of tobacco and pump his dear Davidoff and Avo's. He gave it a good try...but was barking up the wrong tree.

Interesting story. I would say I've met a minority, but a meaningful minority, of U.S. cigars smokers who hate Cuban cigars. Whether they've tried them or not, I don't know. In fact, I've had a number of people tell me stories similar to the Davidoff rep you describe. I wonder if they are getting their ideas from people like him.

Just out of curiosity, why do you think this guy was saying what he was? It's not like they have (any serious) competition in the U.S. market, from CC's. Isn't it odd to be so scornful.

[Don Candido]

If I were him, after a while I might get tired of hearing I have an inferior product. This is likely his form of denial.

[laficion]

Did he say anything about where the NC's are getting all the PEPPER & SUGAR from ??

I've said it once and I'll say it everytime, now they're really scared, so, it's easier

to spread rumors and BS, then for them to make real cigars. Davidoff is no exception

to that rule.

[traded]

I've heard the same story from reps from several non-cuban cigar companies and from the mouths of two cigar family members/owners. I have to say that I wouldn't be overly surprised if it were true. What I worry about is if the US embargo gets lifted, I fear that it will certainly be true and quality will plummet due to increased demand at the face of what is already nearly maximal output.

[Puros Y Vino]

I've heard the same story from reps from several non-cuban cigar companies and from the mouths of two cigar family members/owners. I have to say that I wouldn't be overly surprised if it were true. What I worry about is if the US embargo gets lifted, I fear that it will certainly be true and quality will plummet due to increased demand at the face of what is already nearly maximal output.

The first casualty of war is the truth. Should the US lift the embargo, Cuban Cigars are going to hoovered up by the US masses. NC producers are fearful of that and are right to be so. So a little FUD* planted ahead is the first offensive. Perhaps there is some truth in it. Cuba will never admit it. Perhaps this explains where the Montecristio Open line of tobacco is sourced from?

*FUD = Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt. A little acronym that has grown in the technology arena. It is used to describe how competitors undermine each other.

[Habanakane21]

Interesting story. I would say I've met a minority, but a meaningful minority, of U.S. cigars smokers who hate Cuban cigars. Whether they've tried them or not, I don't know. In fact, I've had a number of people tell me stories similar to the Davidoff rep you describe. I wonder if they are getting their ideas from people like him.

Just out of curiosity, why do you think this guy was saying what he was? It's not like they have (any serious) competition in the U.S. market, from CC's. Isn't it odd to be so scornful.

That's what I thought. He even said when the embargo is lifted it wouldn't mean much for them. He's crazy! He then said Cuban Cigars will be over produced which mean poor quality.

[jedipastor]

Interesting story. I would say I've met a minority, but a meaningful minority, of U.S. cigars smokers who hate Cuban cigars. Whether they've tried them or not, I don't know. In fact, I've had a number of people tell me stories similar to the Davidoff rep you describe. I wonder if they are getting their ideas from people like him.

Just out of curiosity, why do you think this guy was saying what he was? It's not like they have (any serious) competition in the U.S. market, from CC's. Isn't it odd to be so scornful.

I know a lot of "those guys" too, who hate Cuban cigars. For me it's about 50/50 as to those who smoke them every now and then (try new vitolas, etc) simply don't care for Cuban cigars, and those who have hardly tried any and yet decided they hate them, lol. The latter to me is pure silliness.

Of course, I know just as many (more?) people who are the opposite and hate non-Cuban cigars. That's more like 30/70 there, with only about 30% trying our friends' recommended non-Cubans and simply not caring for them and 70% having not had a decent non-Cuban in months/years (or considering a Dominican Montecristo to be the best non-Cubans have to offer ... eeew!) and decided they all suck and are inferior in every way to even the worst POS machine-made mixed-filler Cuban, lol. Again, silliness to me.

The first 5-10 Cubans I had I didn't care for at all ... tons of construction problems and not much flavor. But then I found some nice ones and changed my tune (not on the construction issues, though, lol).

That's what I thought. He even said when the embargo is lifted it wouldn't mean much for them. He's crazy! He then said Cuban Cigars will be over produced which mean poor quality.

Well on that count, he's right. If the embargo goes before the Castros do, Cuban cigars will suck @$$ for a decade. The US will demand so many Cubans that in the first 2 years you'll see non-Cuban sales drop in favor of the no-longer-forbidden Habanos. Cuba will choose to over-produce to meet demand. That will result in quality plummeting far below what it is (tons of green tobacco, construction problems, etc) and all nation's Cuban cigars will suffer terribly (sorry, Rob, this would make your job much harder for a few years). After a couple years the US Habanos-noobs will decide that Cubans are inferior, and go back to their non-Cuban cigars. But it will take many years for Cubans to recover.

That is why, as an American, my hope is not that the embargo ends, but that Cuba is free! Besides, those people deserve freedom regardless of how it effects our cigars.

[Ellery]

I met Jose Oliva a couple of years ago, and he was saying the same thing. I didn't question too much, and we were sort of just shooting the ****. But what I liked about him was that he didn't really harp on the whole cuban/noncuban thing. I guess as long as his cigars are selling, he's a happy man.

[CanuckSARTech]

opinions are like starfish ..........

Opinions are aquatic creatures?

Chocolate starfish....

[cigcars]

*Years and year and years ago (okay, 1992) first the rumor went out that Camacho cigars were secretly importing and using Cuban tobacco for their wonderful cigars. Then, about 5 years after this, the rumor was out (stated w/sound of authority from local tobacconists' customers) that Cuba was importing Nicaraguan tobacco..."Cuba just can't possibly meet the worldwide demand with their scarce tobacco..." was the chatter going around. Davidoff cigars, while nice and very attractive, just don't cut the mustard when it comes to flavor and taste, as well as Cuban "Twang" strength!

As I've said before, I wouldn't mind trying a multi-blend, multi-national tobaccoed cigar primarily of cuban variety. The Dutch, German, and Swiss countries make their dry-cured and other machine made, hand bunched cigars of Sumatran, Indonesian, Havana, and other tobaccos already. I've acquired some. They are very delicious!

[SCgarman]

I heard the same sort of thing that Cuba is importing tobacco from Nicaragua and Honduras from the owner of a cigar store here in the US that went to the Habanos festival a couple of weeks ago. When he told me this, I was in disbelief. I told him that Habanos denies these rumors and I personally don't believe it. Would El Prez care to weigh in on this subject?

[edameff]

I had a disappointing meeting with Avo Uvezian at Corona cigars about 2 months ago. He is a very nice man and comes there to hang out quite often. On day one I spoke to him and took a couple of photos, he gave me several cigars and we had a wonderful conversation. The next day I went in and he was there again, this time he have me more cigars and autographed his CD for me. I made a mortal mistake (trying to be nice) and gave him a Siglo VI that I had. He smoked it and as I was leaving he pulled my aside and said he could not let a "friend" be defrauded, and proceeded to tell me that the cigar I gave him was a fake. This cigar came from a reputable source who is friends with the "Czar", very sad that he cannot say anything positive about a cigar that is not his.

[kiwifruit]

I had a disappointing meeting with Avo Uvezian at Corona cigars about 2 months ago. He is a very nice man and comes there to hang out quite often. On day one I spoke to him and took a couple of photos, he gave me several cigars and we had a wonderful conversation. The next day I went in and he was there again, this time he have me more cigars and autographed his CD for me. I made a mortal mistake (trying to be nice) and gave him a Siglo VI that I had. He smoked it and as I was leaving he pulled my aside and said he could not let a "friend" be defrauded, and proceeded to tell me that the cigar I gave him was a fake. This cigar came from a reputable source who is friends with the "Czar", very sad that he cannot say anything positive about a cigar that is not his.

Was it a recent release VI? There was another thread where Siglo VI are suffering in quality and that could be the why he thought it was a fake.

[El Presidente]

Couple of facts:

1. Cuba now has 4-5 years of general baled tobacco supplies.

2. No supplier of said "NC tobacco to Cuba" has ever provided evidence of a bill of lading, purchase contract, document of any kind.

3. It would be suicide for the Cuban cigar industry to import NC tobacco.

These rumours are underpinned by self interest and nothing more.

When the embargo lifts, prices will rise. Production will rise no doubt but currently factories are producing at under 1/2 capacity. There are some 150 million cigars in both Havana and distributor warehouses around the world. Even should US take 50-75 million cigars in the first 12 months (and there are more than rumour that 20-30 million cigars are already set aside in a special warehouse outside of Havana for such an eventuality), I doubt that the raised calamities will eventuate.

[Habanakane21]

Couple of facts:

1. Cuba now has 4-5 years of general baled tobacco supplies.

2. No supplier of said "NC tobacco to Cuba" has ever provided evidence of a bill of lading, purchase contract, document of any kind.

3. It would be suicide for the Cuban cigar industry to import NC tobacco.

These rumours are underpinned by self interest and nothing more.

When the embargo lifts, prices will rise. Production will rise no doubt but currently factories are producing at under 1/2 capacity. There are some 150 million cigars in both Havana and distributor warehouses around the world. Even should US take 50-75 million cigars in the first 12 months (and there are more than rumour that 20-30 million cigars are already set aside in a special warehouse outside of Havana for such an eventuality), I doubt that the raised calamities will eventuate.

Thanks for you input Rob. Sort of what I figured....just a rumors. To bad some companies have to stoop to such levels. Cheers!

[SCgarman]

Thanks Rob for your input on the subject. It definitely would be "suicide" for the Cuban cigar industry to import tobacco from other countries. And I hope it never happens.

[#2 man]

Chocolate starfish....

Thanks for clearing that up

[LuciusSulla]

I really enjoyed reading this thread.

[Guest Elektrobot]

What Rob said

Plus

I figure a Communist country would first cut production and raise prices before spending the $ to buy tobacco from a different country.

I f I remember correctly, wasn't there an agreement between Cuba and Nicaragua for the production of the machine made "Mini's"? I wonder if this has fueled some of the NC rumors-

[CanuckSARTech]

Thanks for clearing that up

LOL. Don't know how he couldn't have got it with that!