riazp Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Hey all, Just got back from Havana with my lady for a week. We had an amazing time there, It was my second time going and my girl's first time. Basically, All the stores I visited had all regular production cigars from mostly 2015, few boxes here and there from 2014. didn't see anything older than that. Habana Libre was the best stocked store by far, had about 10 boxes of Club Allones when I was there. Melia Habana, Melia Cohiba and Conde de la villanueva was worth the trip for the custom rolls, but all had just regular stock on the shelves. No LE's to speak of. Did not have time to go to Partagas or Club Habana unfortunately. The Varadero airport little cigar shop had two boxes of RG CE, the only note worthy cigar in there There is a full write up on my new blog, the link is in my signature. Hope you guys enjoy the write up, I deceided to give this blogging thing a try! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stogieluver Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Good report and nice blog. Was there a roller on duty at the Libre? If so, who was it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 From your blog, it's good to hear how you found the Dip. Excelencia in the most unlikely place, Riaz. I look forward to your write-up when you smoke this and the RA Club Allones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riazp Posted February 6, 2016 Author Share Posted February 6, 2016 Good report and nice blog. Was there a roller on duty at the Libre? If so, who was it? I recall there being a roller yes, It was a man, but I dont know who it was. Didnt really pay much attention to it. I looked at the sticks but they seems to be overpriced comparted to what Reynaldo and Juanita charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLC Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Glad to hear you had a great time Riaz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luv2fly Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Cant wait until I can give a report. Thanks for your information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riazp Posted February 6, 2016 Author Share Posted February 6, 2016 Oh and for those wondering about the Nacional Ashtrays...not for another year according to the guy i talked to at the Nacional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Gargett Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Hey all, Just got back from Havana with my lady for a week. We had an amazing time there, It was my second time going and my girl's first time. Basically, All the stores I visited had all regular production cigars from mostly 2015, few boxes here and there from 2014. didn't see anything older than that. Habana Libre was the best stocked store by far, had about 10 boxes of Club Allones when I was there. Melia Habana, Melia Cohiba and Conde de la villanueva was worth the trip for the custom rolls, but all had just regular stock on the shelves. No LE's to speak of. Did not have time to go to Partagas or Club Habana unfortunately. The Varadero airport little cigar shop had two boxes of RG CE, the only note worthy cigar in there There is a full write up on my new blog, the link is in my signature. Hope you guys enjoy the write up, I deceided to give this blogging thing a try! when i was at the club a few months ago, they had stuff older than 14, but it was very mixed. picked up a stunning box of 13 lusi's but there were other boxes, younger and older, you would not use in the garden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilsner14 Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 I recall there being a roller yes, It was a man, but I dont know who it was. Didnt really pay much attention to it. I looked at the sticks but they seems to be overpriced comparted to what Reynaldo and Juanita charge. The roller at the libre was really on an island out front of the shop......nowhere near the entrance to the shop. No fanfare at all either the multiple times I was there. An older gentlemen who looked like he would have rathered to be somewhere else. Jd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCgarman Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Jeez, while I have never been to Cuba the reports from folks posting here sound as if the supplies are slim pickings in the LCdH's and you need to travel all over multiple shops to try and find anything worthwhile. Does Habanos essentially send the majority of cigars made out for export to all corners of the world? You would at least think there would be more to choose from than said here. I guess if I ever have the opportunity to travel there it will be more for the experience and less for buying boxes of cigars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maverickdrinker Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 How was your resort? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riazp Posted February 7, 2016 Author Share Posted February 7, 2016 Jeez, while I have never been to Cuba the reports from folks posting here sound as if the supplies are slim pickings in the LCdH's and you need to travel all over multiple shops to try and find anything worthwhile. Does Habanos essentially send the majority of cigars made out for export to all corners of the world? You would at least think there would be more to choose from than said here. I guess if I ever have the opportunity to travel there it will be more for the experience and less for buying boxes of cigars. Well actually I travel the different shops to go cigar hunting and pick up customs as well. If you are just shopping for regular production cigars, you can walk into any lcdh and pick up essentially any cigar you want, other than say QdO or LGC, those were no where to be found. As for LE's yes they were scarce on the island by far. Only two shops had RA Club Allones on the shelves. If they keep the majority for export, I am not places to answer that. Also, as I have mentioned before, Rob essentially sells cigars on FoH at basically the same price Habanos sells cigars on the island. Sometimes even cheaper than cuba prices if he running a sale. Thats one thing that i did notice. So for the americans on FoH, Visit Havana for the city, its restaurants, its museums, the culture, the art. For cigar shopping your almost better off here! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riazp Posted February 7, 2016 Author Share Posted February 7, 2016 How was your resort? I will email you about it buddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stogieluver Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Also, as I have mentioned before, Rob essentially sells cigars on FoH at basically the same price Habanos sells cigars on the island. Sometimes even cheaper than cuba prices if he running a sale. Thats one thing that i did notice. So for the americans on FoH, Visit Havana for the city, its restaurants, its museums, the culture, the art. For cigar shopping your almost better off here! This is good advice, but also go for the experience of smoking a Cuban cigar in Havana, preferably on the back porch of the Nacional with a Cuba Libra in the other hand. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riazp Posted February 7, 2016 Author Share Posted February 7, 2016 This is good advice, but also go for the experience of smoking a Cuban cigar in Havana, preferably on the back porch of the Nacional with a Cuba Libra in the other hand. I agree, there is nothing quite like smoking cigars in Havana. I can easily smoke 3-5 cigars a day there while in montreal, i can barely manage two cigars in a row if im out with friends and whatnot. Nacional make the best mojitos IMO. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCgarman Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 This is good advice, but also go for the experience of smoking a Cuban cigar in Havana, preferably on the back porch of the Nacional with a Cuba Libra in the other hand. You mention Cuba Libre drinks which is basically a rum and Coke. I hear there is no Coca Cola in Cuba. What do they use? A Cuban equivalent of Coke? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riazp Posted February 7, 2016 Author Share Posted February 7, 2016 You mention Cuba Libre drinks which is basically a rum and Coke. I hear there is no Coca Cola in Cuba. What do they use? A Cuban equivalent of Coke? No there is Coca-Cola in cuba, they get it from mexico. its actually better than the coca cola we have in north america. the mexican version is made with cane sugar. they also have their own version which is TuKola, which I enjoy personally when i order a cuba libre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rckymtn22 Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Coca Cola has been in Cuba since at least 2009 as I saw in Havana then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oliverdst Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 No there is Coca-Cola in cuba, they get it from mexico. its actually better than the coca cola we have in north america. the mexican version is made with cane sugar. they also have their own version which is TuKola, which I enjoy personally when i order a cuba libre I could see it just once in Melia Cohiba. Maybe big hotels and resorts work with it. Street stores and markets don´t have it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riazp Posted February 8, 2016 Author Share Posted February 8, 2016 I could see it just once in Melia Cohiba. Maybe big hotels and resorts work with it. Street stores and markets don´t have it. Yes it is availeble at most hotels and resorts. Street markets no I have not seen it either. but hey for some reason I prefer tukola Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khamy Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Thanks Riazp for the article and blog, it was very helpful for me indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Gargett Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 I agree, there is nothing quite like smoking cigars in Havana. I can easily smoke 3-5 cigars a day there while in montreal, i can barely manage two cigars in a row if im out with friends and whatnot. Nacional make the best mojitos IMO. i would have agreed re the nacional until i tried them at el cocinero on the last visit. crackers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyC Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Thanks Riazp for the report and prospective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irratebass Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Thanks for sharing with us , I look forward to hearing about the Dip. Excelencia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riazp Posted February 8, 2016 Author Share Posted February 8, 2016 My pleasure guys. @Ken : I did not have the chance to go to El Concinero, i will check it out my next trip. I had a couple of Mojitos at Fabrica de Arte and my god the thing is 3/4 rum with a splash of sparkling water 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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