visiting cuba for cigars - article in the new york times

[Ken Gargett]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/travel/cuban-cigars.html?em_pos=large&emc=edit_tl_20151120&nl=travel-dispatch&nlid=62389403&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0

[Ken Gargett]

i thought it was not a bad article in general but i did love the fact that he heads off down some dodgy dark alley with a spiv called jorge, who he knows is as wonky as can be, and then buys a box of "real" monte 2's.

and then later in the article talks about how 'undiscerning tourists' can get swindled into buying fakes and poor quality local smokes, without the slightest hint of irony.

[LordAnubis]

Didn't that guy buy a "fake" box of cigars? Didn't know Habanos distributes through the second floor of a dilapidated building by a bloke named Jorge and a shirtless old man

EDIT: Ohh, didn't read your second post there Ken

[Anth87]

Great article - apart from the price of a "real" box of no 2s lol

[laficion]

I did love the fact that he heads off down some dodgy dark alley with a spiv called jorge, who he knows is as wonky as can be, and then buys a box of "real" monte 2's.

The Cubans now know who they can sell off all their FAKES to !!!!!!!!.

With guys like him, no Wonder the glass top boxes sell so well.

Guy

[stogieluver]

Pretty good article, but I guess the guy still thinks he bought a genuine box of #2's.

[Drguano]

A mate sent me the article and here it has already been posted. The good news is the tourists will be looking for Jorge and leave the shops well stocked for the rest of us. The writer does seem to be enamored of Cuba.

[JohnS]

"It’s estimated that some five to eight million Cuban cigars reach Americans each year by way of countries like Canada, Switzerland, Australia and Mexico. Most experts agree that eased trade sanctions are far from opening a retail gateway between the United States and Cuba. It will take years, they say, for sellers to clear the byzantine network of international politics, trademark restrictions and F.D.A. regulations."

It's nice to know that certain countries are playing their part in maintaining the culture of Habanos for Americans!

[SCgarman]

"It’s estimated that some five to eight million Cuban cigars reach Americans each year by way of countries like Canada, Switzerland, Australia and Mexico. Most experts agree that eased trade sanctions are far from opening a retail gateway between the United States and Cuba. It will take years, they say, for sellers to clear the byzantine network of international politics, trademark restrictions and F.D.A. regulations."

It's nice to know that certain countries are playing their part in maintaining the culture of Habanos for Americans!

5 to 8 million cigars is most likely an underestimated number. Since they are contraband, how do they really know?

[ChefBoyRG54]

5 to 8 million cigars is most likely an underestimated number. Since they are contraband, how do they really know?

Possibly taking their audited shipment findings and multiplying. Just a guess

[El Presidente]

5 to 8 million cigars is most likely an underestimated number. Since they are contraband, how do they really know?

It is a hard to quantify.

Within the industry, the amount of Cuban cigars that find themselves in the US is regarded as high as 30 million cigars.

[cigcars]

*Thank you for the article, Ken Of course, what I'd really like to know is how experienced this guy is in cigars and their various flavors. Most of you guys out there who are aficionados can tell exactly what you're smoking, what possible country your tobaccos are from, even the brand you're smoking without looking at the band for name identification. How much does THIS guy know?? Otherwise, the references for where to shop, eat, lay one's head, etc. are pretty beneficial here and there. My 2 cts.

[Fosgate]

I couldn't read the whole thing. I was just thinking about the three guys on youtube bashing cubans and had to fight vomiting.

[oliverdst]

If NYT reporters are like that imagine the rest...

[JohnInCleveland]

If i continue my torrid pace of stockpiling daily deals, the 5-8 million a year estimate might be very lowball...

[Al3xanderdelag]

I couldn't read the whole thing. I was just thinking about the three guys on youtube bashing cubans and had to fight vomiting.

Who was this?

[CigSid]

If i continue my torrid pace of stockpiling daily deals, the 5-8 million a year estimate might be very lowball...

I was thinking exactly the same thing...

[maxcjs0101]

The author bought a box of Monte 2s for 80CUC from a guy name "Jorge". That's real legit stuff there.

Hahahaha. Classic.

[msm1771]

If those monte 2's are legit then I guess I'll start buying all my real luxury watches on canal street for 50$

Sent from my 86" White Testarossa

[irratebass]

A regular brought this into the shop for me to read yesterday, besides the history this was the only thing I found interesting and wanted to remember for a reference.

From 1998 to 2005, Cuban cigars never scored above an average 88 on a 100-point scale, compared with its typical 90-plus average in years beforehand.

[cigarbigboy]

Great article Ken, thank you. Now I know what I have to do if I want some Monte 2's on the cheap.

[mi000ke]

What actually is a "fake" Cuban cigar that is puchased at the end of a dark alley in Cuba from some friend of a friend? I mean, the tobacco must have been Cuban, as I can't imagine the knock-offs are being made with imported tobacco. So if they are made from Cuban tobacco what are you getting when you buy these fakes? Are they made at home from tobacco some roller lifted from the factory? Could they actually be real ones lifted from the factory? And if they are made from Cuban tobacco and look to be well constructed, how bad could they be? Just curious.

[jazzbass]

So he wasn't fond of the Hotel Conde de Villanueva ?? I dunno, I really love that place. Their custom rolls are Very nice IMHO, and the lounge is just a fine place for a drink. If you poke around in their walk in you can sometimes find a box with a few years on it as well.

To answer mi00ke.. Yes, it IS real Cuban tobacco, and real Cuban floor sweepings, real Cuban banana leaf filler and I've actually found real Cuban bits of plastic after dissecting a few counterfeits.

[wabashcr]

What actually is a "fake" Cuban cigar that is puchased at the end of a dark alley in Cuba from some friend of a friend? I mean, the tobacco must have been Cuban, as I can't imagine the knock-offs are being made with imported tobacco. So if they are made from Cuban tobacco what are you getting when you buy these fakes? Are they made at home from tobacco some roller lifted from the factory? Could they actually be real ones lifted from the factory? And if they are made from Cuban tobacco and look to be well constructed, how bad could they be? Just curious.

My understanding is they could be anything from floor sweepings to legitimate cigars that really were smuggled out of the factory, with the likelihood being somewhere in between. They probably are rolled with Cuban tobacco, but it could be chop/short filler, Cuban sandwich (mixed filler) or very poor quality long filler. I've heard there are good cigars to be had on the black market in Havana, but not likely from someone soliciting you in an alley or tourist area.