dememihel Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Hey guys, I know I read somewhere on this board about pre-embargo Cubans. Oddly enough my cousin is in San Fran staying at the Fairmont and there is a cigar shop there that does in fact sell pre-embargo cigars. Here is the site. Unfortunately his cigar list doesn't work on his site, so I emailed him hoping he had a list. From the reviews on yelp and other sites, this store does get good reviews. www.vendettablu.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 thanks for sharing, sounds like a place to visit if traveling through San Francisco... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nedule Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 I was there last January, stayed at the Fairmont & visited the vendetta shop. Nice store, owner was friendly & there was a lot to chose from. Most of the pre-embargo cigars were in ziplock bags in the humidor, a little beat up but we are talking about 50+ yr old stock. Prices were steep & unless you really want to smoke an old cigar your money will go a lot further on relatively new stock. If I can remember right it was $80 - $200 a stick. I ended up keeping my money … I mean giving my money to Rob. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iahawk36 Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Are cigars that old any good to smoke? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangolf18 Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 I've been there. Not worth the money in my opinion. A 1959 Montecristo No.2 runs around $260. Small petit coronas go for around $80 I think. Personally,if I had $260 to spend on a single cigar I rather buy a cuban Davidoff or Dunhill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earthson Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Are cigars that old any good to smoke? I've often wondered that same thing, even been eying some "clear havanas" for sale. The thing with me, though, is that although my experience is limited to less than 15, I have not exactly enjoyed the 16 year old cigars I've had. They were a nice change of pace, but I'm starting to suspect that my sweet spot for your average cigar is somewhere between 1 and 8 years of age or so. Sometimes someone will gift me a cigar I'm not thrilled to try. These go in the long-term corner of the humid until they get that aged flavor. Anybody with some old cigar experience want to chime in or, better, post a review? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo17pip Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Damn that’s nuts. I would only spend that kind of coin on one of those cigars if I knew or was guaranteed it was going to be amazing/life changing. I’d rather invest that money into newer cigars that probably smoke better anyway and I’ll have 25 not just one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dememihel Posted January 16, 2015 Author Share Posted January 16, 2015 I've been there. Not worth the money in my opinion. A 1959 Montecristo No.2 runs around $260. Small petit coronas go for around $80 I think. Personally,if I had $260 to spend on a single cigar I rather buy a cuban Davidoff or Dunhill. Were can I buy a Cuban Davidoff? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangolf18 Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Davidoff Shop in London or perhaps JJ Fox. I know the Davidoff shop has them for sure. Can't get them stateside though. They are not pre-embargo. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Napa_Smokes Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 I've been there and was gifted one by the owner of the shop back in the late 90's after buying my first humidor there. Having been back since I would have a hard time spending that kind of coin on something that is supposed to be pre-embargo yet just stored in a plastic ziplock bag. I still go in for fun and to look, I just keep my wallet in my pocket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmittyinAZ Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Cool to find a store like that. Never had one but I find just because something is aged doesn't make it a superb item to drop a paycheck on. Might be better served spending some coin on cigars from the mid 90s versus pre. just my .02. Well worth a check out for some 'window' shopping when in San Fran tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdnstogie Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Dont think I could bring myself to spend that kind of money on one cigar either. North of 250.00 for 1 cigar? Though if you have the money to burn... why not :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CUBANO Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Dont think I could bring myself to spend that kind of money on one cigar either. North of 250.00 for 1 cigar? Though if you have the money to burn... why not :-) X2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikek Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 I have smoked two pre embargos in my life, while a lot of people might find them good they lost what I look for in A cigar! I guess if I was to buy one I would try and find something that is full body! I guess if I just won the lottery I would try the Monte #2! Been over 25 yrs. since I've been to S.F. great resturants! I can feel my self gaining weight just thinking about it! Have Fun!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Twain Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 I've smoked a good number of Clear Havanas that are pre-embargo. Clear Havanas were rolled in the US from bonded Cuban tobacco. I have a friend who is a member of this Board, Nick from Gotham Cigar Museum. I bought a box of Clear Havanas, made in Tampa in the 1940s, from Nick a few years ago and shared them with FOH members, including Rob, who visited Tampa a few years ago. Here is a link to an FOH writeup about that get together with extensive pics of these Eden cigars. http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=82555&page=2&hl=eden#entry86670 Old cigars, properly stored, can taste great. Some take on olive or tea flavors. They taste different than younger cigars but can be an outstanding smoking experience. The web site for Gotham Cigar Museum has a lot of information on the topic, and has cigars for sale. It's an entirely legal enterprise since these are pre embargo products. http://gothamcigarmuseum.com/ I don't believe that sharing this site link violates our Board rules against discussing sources since these are legal for purchase world wide. Prices are quite reasonable in my opinion. FYI, here is a review I posted of one of these cigars, It includes a link to video of Nick opening and sharing a special box from the 1920s. http://cigarians.com/review/peter-schuyler-perfect-a-clear-havana/ 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Interesting article from that website below: http://www.vendettablu.com/cigars/cigar-smoking-history.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonVivant Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 pre-embargo? wow, in San Francisco? Taste some after embargo cigars Go to Cuba, the President of US made it possible - 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallclub Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Clear havanas are fun but don't offer anything special or even specific when it comes to flavors. Their wrapper is not cuban, and on a thin rg cigar (like most clear havanas) the taste of the wrapper is prevalent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canadianbeaver Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 For my 50th birthday ( a few years ago), I was given a Davidoff Dom Perignon by a trading partner on another forum. It was an incredible smoke. Another friend from this forum and another, who attended the herf in Montreal, Dan, is an expert on the subject. Many here know him. We traded some coffee for a broad selection of vintage cigars. In the true world of vintage cigars, I learned they start at 15 years and go from there. Matthew and I were unable to smoke the 1970's and before. They were just too harsh. Perhaps if you have the highest quality, like Davidoff or Dunhill, it may be different. Personally, I am thrilled with a fantastic 2005+. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Twain Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Clear havanas are fun but don't offer anything special or even specific when it comes to flavors. Their wrapper is not cuban, and on a thin rg cigar (like most clear havanas) the taste of the wrapper is prevalent. I haven't smoked any Habanos from this era so I can't comment on their relative flavors. I'm curious what your source is for the comment that the wrappers on Clear Havanas are not Cuban. I'd never heard this and would be interested to learn more. Since I live in Tampa I am very interested in this history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post nivanov Posted January 19, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted January 19, 2015 In relation to the topic of clear Havanas, the preferred wrappers for cigars between the 1880-1950 were imported from Java and Sumatra, mostly Sumatran wrapper was used. The big question is why? Could it have been that the Sumatran & Javan wrappers were superior to Cuban? Tons of Cuban tobacco was being imported into the USA and only some cigars were made with Cuban wrapper, was it a cost issue? To say that ALL clear Havana cigars were made using non Cuban tobacco is false. Many of the top clear Havana marcas like Antonio & Cleopatra, La Corona, Garcia & Vega, Optimo, Eden, etc used ALL Cuban tobacco materials, filler, binder and wrapper. Bonded warehouses were special, the customs agent who signed for the bales of Cuban tobacco had strict control (to avoid adulteration) of the warehouse where the tobacco was stored thereby assuring ONLY Cuban tobacco was used in the making of "bonded clear Havana" cigars. Clear Havanas with all Cuban tobacco were also made outside of "bonded" warehouses . We all assume that Cuban filler, wrapper and binder is superior to Connecticut broad leaf binder and Sumatran wrapper, I don't think that's true across the board, I would give and edge to Cuban filler and maybe binder but the wrapper to me is a toss-up! Why would more than 20,000 (4,000 factories in Pennsylvania alone) USA cigar makers have chosen to use Sumatran wrappers for their cigars for nearly 70 years? I would love to see and smoke a Cuban cigar with Cuban filler, Connecticut binder and Sumatran wrapper, combine the best and hope for the best! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Very interesting Gotham, thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canadianbeaver Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Just for those in the slower class like me, who had to look up what "Clear Havana" cigars are The assortment of vintage cigars can be confusing. A true pre-embargo Cuban is made entirely from Cuban tobacco and was wrapped in Cuba - that's the priciest, and don't expect to pay less than $150. Another variety is the "Clear Havana" - cigars that were made decades ago in U.S. factories with Cuban tobacco (those are called "Clear Havanas" because customs officials used to sit in the factories, and clear the tobacco through customs as it was brought up from the warehouse basement). These tend to run about $50 to $150. Source: http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/18/pf/fortune_goodlife/index.htm 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nivanov Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Just to clarify some of the confusion, there were only customs agents in "bonded" factories and not all factories. All imported (into the USA) Cuban tobacco had to clear import customs (for tax purposes) however not all factories used customs agents and only a few were "bonded". A clear Havana can be considered as such even if certain parts like the binder and wrapper are not Cuban, manufacturers of cigars in the 1880-1930 time frame did not consider it necessary to identify from which parts of the world the tobacco was being sourced. Why? Because nearly all clear Havana cigars made in the USA used Cuban tobacco, no need to differentiate. Clear Havana cigar manufacturers began to identify Cuban materials used in their cigars in the late 1930's until the late 1950's as a way to attract customers. I will post some examples. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cigcars Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 In relation to the topic of clear Havanas, the preferred wrappers for cigars between the 1880-1950 were imported from Java and Sumatra, mostly Sumatran wrapper was used. The big question is why? Could it have been that the Sumatran & Javan wrappers were superior to Cuban? Tons of Cuban tobacco was being imported into the USA and only some cigars were made with Cuban wrapper, was it a cost issue? To say that ALL clear Havana cigars were made using non Cuban tobacco is false. Many of the top clear Havana marcas like Antonio & Cleopatra, La Corona, Garcia & Vega, Optimo, Eden, etc used ALL Cuban tobacco materials, filler, binder and wrapper. Bonded warehouses were special, the customs agent who signed for the bales of Cuban tobacco had strict control (to avoid adulteration) of the warehouse where the tobacco was stored thereby assuring ONLY Cuban tobacco was used in the making of "bonded clear Havana" cigars. Clear Havanas with all Cuban tobacco were also made outside of "bonded" warehouses . We all assume that Cuban filler, wrapper and binder is superior to Connecticut broad leaf binder and Sumatran wrapper, I don't think that's true across the board, I would give and edge to Cuban filler and maybe binder but the wrapper to me is a toss-up! Why would more than 20,000 (4,000 factories in Pennsylvania alone) USA cigar makers have chosen to use Sumatran wrappers for their cigars for nearly 70 years? I would love to see and smoke a Cuban cigar with Cuban filler, Connecticut binder and Sumatran wrapper, combine the best and hope for the best! Well shut my mouth!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.png.15b5f6bc4159a73805a9f118f79a68ca.png)
.png.b3f36db1fa6419bcbd6e13572153fd45.png)
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now