Popular Post clutch5150 Posted March 25, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted March 25, 2017 Just got back from Cuba, and while I did not make it to Pinar del Rio this trip I had an hour conversation with Carlos at the Casa del Habano on the corner of 5th Avenue and 16th Street, Miramar, this time with my interpreter! He's such a joy to to talk with and a very funny man. It was interesting to hear that there is another crop growing at the farm (same season) and he told me this has not happened in 124 years. He says the new plants are about waist high at the moment and they are very excited about the 2nd crop due to some fantastic conditions. He also mentioned there are several other farms in the area experiencing the same conditions with a 2nd crop. Carlos also will be going to Vegas this summer with Hiroshi for the Big Smoke for the very first time, as well as visiting America for the first time. He laughed when he was telling me he had his Visa for the last 5 years and has never used it. He said America needs better rum and cigars! I told him I have some 25 Year Santiago I can bring to Vegas, but he said I probably don't have enough for his visit. LoL. The highlight of my visit was Carlos bringing me into the famed vault and pulling out a aged farm rolled cigar from 2011 for me to have. I look forward to seeing him in Vegas. 21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy_jack Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Very nice. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foursite12 Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 I can't even imagine what the aroma in that room must be like. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oliverdst Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 It sounds naif but I thought one crop instead of two was on purpose. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonVivant Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 happened last year, according to this: "While all Cuban crops have suffered, delicate tobacco plants are especially vulnerable. Rains have wiped out production at some plantations and severely damaged others. In response, tobacco farmers are replanting now, out of season, in hopes of salvaging the 2015-2016 harvest." http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-usa-cigars-idUSKCN0V62GK "The weather wasn’t cooperating in Cuba’s Vuelta Abajo tobacco-growing region during the 2015-16 tobacco season. Heavy rains this past winter meant some farmers in western Pinar del Río province lost their crops in soaked fields and had to hastily replant." http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article92667462.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clutch5150 Posted March 25, 2017 Author Share Posted March 25, 2017 1 hour ago, foursite12 said: I can't even imagine what the aroma in that room must be like. It was pretty special along with the steel and wood door getting into that room! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oliverdst Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 35 minutes ago, BonVivant said: happened last year, according to this: "While all Cuban crops have suffered, delicate tobacco plants are especially vulnerable. Rains have wiped out production at some plantations and severely damaged others. In response, tobacco farmers are replanting now, out of season, in hopes of salvaging the 2015-2016 harvest." http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-usa-cigars-idUSKCN0V62GK "The weather wasn’t cooperating in Cuba’s Vuelta Abajo tobacco-growing region during the 2015-16 tobacco season. Heavy rains this past winter meant some farmers in western Pinar del Río province lost their crops in soaked fields and had to hastily replant." http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article92667462.html I understand these articles are related to the strong rain that destroyed plantations and after that they had to re-sow. Not sure but what Robaina said is there was another crop after the usual one. Not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSXCIGAR Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 3 hours ago, oliverdst said: I understand these articles are related to the strong rain that destroyed plantations and after that they had to re-sow. Not sure but what Robaina said is there was another crop after the usual one. Not sure. From what I understood second crops had been planted by some farmers after the November/December 2016 harvests, which had been corroborated by more than a few people. This second harvest was finished a few weeks ago. Some farmers had delayed planting altogether until January 2017. Apparently Robaina is saying there were more plantings in Feb or March 17? A bit unclear... The weather has been absolutely flawless for the last 6 months though, so I guess make hay while the sun shines... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SignalJoe Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 2019/2020 should be a bumper crop for cigars of all vitolas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gweilgi Posted March 26, 2017 Share Posted March 26, 2017 1 hour ago, SignalJoe said: 2019/2020 should be a bumper crop for cigars of all vitolas. Let's wait and see. They may plough the extra leaf into more anejados, RE and LE products rather than general production runs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSXCIGAR Posted March 26, 2017 Share Posted March 26, 2017 2 hours ago, SignalJoe said: 2019/2020 should be a bumper crop for cigars of all vitolas. Tobacco from late 2016/early 2017 harvests should start appearing in production in early 2018 through 2019. Some volado filler and binder and, importantly, some wrapper may start to be used as early as very late 2017. But the seco & ligero filler won't start being used to roll until early 2019 through early 2020. Based on the less-than-ideal 2015-2016 harvests, quality may get worse before it gets better. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a bit of a dip in quality in 2017 production that gets back on track beginning early 2018. Fortunately, I think we have some great cigars to look forward to starting in 2018 and carrying through to 2020. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blakes Posted March 26, 2017 Share Posted March 26, 2017 I wonder if the tobacco from the second crop will differ in quality given the soil wouldn't have had the usual rest before replanting the next season. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helix Posted March 26, 2017 Share Posted March 26, 2017 Soil is going to be an issue in general going forward . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattb82 Posted March 26, 2017 Share Posted March 26, 2017 Time will tell but I'm pretty excited about what's to come Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybermadhatter Posted March 26, 2017 Share Posted March 26, 2017 great photo btw. I was in the vault with maria, in November, and she was pretty strong telling me No Photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Presidente Posted March 26, 2017 Share Posted March 26, 2017 20 hours ago, Blakes said: I wonder if the tobacco from the second crop will differ in quality given the soil wouldn't have had the usual rest before replanting the next season. During good growing seasons, the planting of a second crop is not new on some fincas. They need a ready water supply to pull it off be it underground or a stream running close by that they can access. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshapiro Posted March 26, 2017 Share Posted March 26, 2017 Awesome! I live in Las Vegas. Let me know when you are in town. I would like to meet up with you and hopefully Carlos. I have visited with him in Havana on a few occasions. @clutch5150 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clutch5150 Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 On 3/25/2017 at 3:05 PM, NSXCIGAR said: From what I understood second crops had been planted by some farmers after the November/December 2016 harvests, which had been corroborated by more than a few people. This second harvest was finished a few weeks ago. Some farmers had delayed planting altogether until January 2017. Apparently Robaina is saying there were more plantings in Feb or March 17? A bit unclear... The weather has been absolutely flawless for the last 6 months though, so I guess make hay while the sun shines... Correct, according to Carlos, their 2nd crop is about waist high at the present time and will be picked sometime in April. Also this "2nd crop" was only being grown on a special section on the farm. I did not ask how large the crop was on this parcel of land they were using for this extra crop. Carlos also chuckled and told me "maybe we will have more Behikes", as he knew I liked them a lot. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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