Poll: "Cubanesque"--A Real Thing, or BS Marketing?

[suggs]

Hi all,

I've seen this term thrown around a lot when people talk about NCs, but I'm highly skeptical of its use. I haven't been smoking Cubans for too long (a year or so), but I have enough smoking experience to distinguish between flavors, body, etc. I've picked up on what I would consider to be distinctly "Cuban" flavors, but I'm often puzzled when other people use the term to describe cigars. What are people's thoughts on this issue?

Thanks,

Tyler

[MIKA27]

I've always said Cuban cigars are Cuban cigars and NC's are Non Cubans. Both have their own followers, admirers and one can not compare them or for me at least, I would never say an NC is Cubanesque.

It would be like eating a piece of Beef and saying it's Pork-esque!

[garbandz]

The term "Cubanesque" was originally coined by a comittee of low grade sales people and marketing failures in an attempt to raise the sales level of a now-dead Dominican cigar brand.

That comittee are all dead now and roasting in Hell.

Any sales /marketing team currently using this term are going to Hell.........

[suggs]

I've always said Cuban cigars are Cuban cigars and NC's are Non Cubans. Both have their own followers, admirers and one can not compare them or for me at least, I would never say an NC is Cubanesque.

It would be like eating a piece of Beef and saying it's Pork-esque!

Thanks for your response, Mika. I wonder, though, if it's correct to lump all Cubans under one category and all NCs in another. It would basically be like saying there's a certain essential quality that Upmanns, Montes, Bolivars, etc. all share.

Tyler

[vinnyvega]

I thought the Ramon Allones Extras were cubanesque.....

[TheLiquidGator]

This sums it up well.

[MIKA27]

Thanks for your response, Mika. I wonder, though, if it's correct to lump all Cubans under one category and all NCs in another. It would basically be like saying there's a certain essential quality that Upmanns, Montes, Bolivars, etc. all share.

Tyler

The way I look at it, I enjoy both CC and NC and would say that many CC's are similar to each other.

NC's on the other hand could be more varied as NC's are produced in various countries and soils.

I would never compare and in saying that, that is not to say that IMO Cuban cigars are Superior to NC's. IMO and I have always stated this, each to their own. Some people love NC's and others love CC's. I myself like both I select a CC for their merit and I equally select the NC's I enjoy for theirs.

As far as lumping all Cubans in one category, why not? I only say this purely because as much as I love NC's, I only like a handful of them and majority are from Nicaragua, not so much into African Sumatra/Indonesian wrappers etc whereas Cuban cigars, I've enjoyed all the Marcas and whilst these can be different in many ways, for me, the majority can have some minor similarities which can be attributed to the soil they are grown in.

Just my opinion. I hope people can understand what I mean.

[suggs]

I know what you mean, Mika. Thank you for your thoughts.

Tyler

[Habana Mike]

My favorite line ever regarding the meaning of "Cubanesque". It means it's not Cuban!

That said, in my many blind tastings I occasionally have considered a Cuban having non-Cuban characteristics and vice versa.

There have been a number of blind tasting challenges over the years across various boards to see who can discern the difference. Not always easily done......

[kuma]

This is marketing 101 mates! Remember also, if you can't "beat them" join "them"

[MIKA27]

My favorite line ever regarding the meaning of "Cubanesque". It means it's not Cuban!

That said, in my many blind tastings I occasionally have considered a Cuban having non-Cuban characteristics and vice versa.

There have been a number of blind tasting challenges over the years across various boards to see who can always discern the difference. Not always easily done......

I've never done a blind tasting Mike, perhaps will do so for the next FOH iteration.

[Colt45]

It would basically be like saying there's a certain essential quality that Upmanns, Montes, Bolivars, etc. all share.

I've come to the personal opinion that Cuban cigars do share core traits - that they generally have more in common than they have great differences. To tag onto Mike's reply - blind tastings of Cuban cigars can be an eye opener.

[Habana Mike]

I've come to the personal opinion that Cuban cigars do share core traits - that they generally have more in common than they have great differences. To tag onto Mike's reply - blind tastings of Cuban cigars can be an eye opener.

I'm speaking more of a blind tasting of both CC and NC with a goal of identifying which is which.

May have to set one of these up for my Friends - I can think of a couple that could throw you either way

[Colt45]

I'm speaking more of a blind tasting of both CC and NC with a goal of identifying which is which.

Completely understood - my add on thought is that it's been shown that identifying Cuban vs. Cuban is not the easiest task...

[Habana Mike]

^^ Absolutely, that's been well proven out by Rob's blinds here!

[leftimatic]

I've come to the personal opinion that Cuban cigars do share core traits - that they generally have more in common than they have great differences. To tag onto Mike's reply - blind tastings of Cuban cigars can be an eye opener.

I just did a personal half assed blind taste of some Cuban and non Cuban Petit coronas. 7 Cuban and 5 nonCuban. To be fair I picked NCs as close to size as the CCs as I could. And I could sort of tell them apart but I gave them straight away to wife who disbanded and numbered them immediately so there was no studying on my part. I got 8 out of 12 which is pretty good I think. Couldn't tell my Upmann from a RYJ ( I think with some aging I could of but hey what do I know) and a Nat Sherman from an Alec Bradley. The Trinidad pigtail was a give away but the rest I was working for. The NCs were different tasting all together. I could tell them mostly because they were just lacking. There was no real mistaking them. And the Cubans were surely different but similar I may have even tasted the Cuban twang! Somewhat more giving and full. Complex dare I say. This coming from someone with just shy of 4 tastebuds. But I call bull poop on the whole Cubanesque thing they are very much their own cigar.

[CaptainQuintero]

I've certainly smoked some NC that have been Cubanesque, but they were never advertised as such.

I think those that do, seldom have it.

+1 also to CC having similar traits. I'd hazard a stab and say that around 70% of all Cubans cigars blends are the same or at least very similar to each other. From that core foundation the last 30% or so added is what differs them from each other.

Just from my experience

[laficion]

Hi all,

Cubanesque Is BS Marketing to sell off THEIRE smokes.There Is NO such thing as a Cubanesque cigar unless It

comes from Cuba.The rest Is COPIED packaging and bands. A cigar N.C. will always be an N.C. smoke,

no matter what the makers say.

Guy

[egoo33]

Its Cubanesque when its convient but they will be the first to tell you Cuban cigars are overrated, plugged, over hyped etc... Talking out both sides of their mouth

[joeypots]

"Cubanesque" is a term used by vendors who sell non Cuban cigars. There may be good cigars made out side of Cuba but none are Cuban puros. MHO FWIW

[cigarbreak]

I haven't yet tried enough of a mix of NC's (same with CC's) to conclude that there is such a thing. In fact when I buy NC's it is for a change of pace from the Cuban Profile. Generally I will find notes that resemble notes that I've tasted in CC's but the cigar was not Cubanesque by any standard....Its hard to say, but I would lean towards that it is more marketing than anything, while keeping up the hope that I will one day smoke an NC that screams "buy me because I taste like Cubans"

[CaptainQuintero]

I haven't yet tried enough of a mix of NC's (same with CC's) to conclude that there is such a thing. In fact when I buy NC's it is for a change of pace from the Cuban Profile. Generally I will find notes that resemble notes that I've tasted in CC's but the cigar was not Cubanesque by any standard....Its hard to say, but I would lean towards that it is more marketing than anything, while keeping up the hope that I will one day smoke an NC that screams "buy me because I taste like Cubans"

Grab a few singles of illusions cg:4 in natural, not maduro.

Its the only box of NC I own, great size too

[ogus]

Some Fernandez sticks while not Cubanesque could be described as Cubanesque-ish

or perhaps Cubamesque-ishy

[rmill3r]

Grab a few singles of illusions cg:4 in natural, not maduro.

Its the only box of NC I own, great size too

There are so many Illusione cigars that I never even bother. Too many choices. Same with Tatuaje. But maybe I'll give that one a shot...I'm interested in finding an NC that actually holds up against a good CC.

[cigarbreak]

Grab a few singles of illusions cg:4 in natural, not maduro.

Its the only box of NC I own, great size too

Nice. I've seen a couple serial CC collectors/smokers reach for an Illusione (or speak well of it) so your added vote definitely makes it an easy choice next time i'm in a BnM in the US. So far my favorite NC is the Herrera Esteli Norteno. Reminds me of a RASS in terms of that citrus aspect. Well balanced like the majority of strong CC's and good from beginning to end unlike many NC's that i've had the chance to try, which usually gets hard to bear in the last third.