"inferior product and infuriated that it’s held in such high esteem around the world."

[RijkdeGooier]

Quesada is right. He refers to the generally backward production methods and lack of QC in Cuba, founded in the party that robbed him and many like him. 

All premium NC producers are better in terms of QC. 

Imagine the combination of Fuentes/Padron/Davidoff managing El Laguito to work with Cuban tobacco. 

This does not necessarily translate in a better tasting cigar, due to the specific Cuban soil. 

[Colt45]

44 minutes ago, RijkdeGooier said:

Imagine the combination of Fuentes/Padron/Davidoff managing El Laguito to work with Cuban tobacco.

I they were to be shackled by the same underlying infrastructure and bureaucracy, I can't imagine much difference.

[RijkdeGooier]

29 minutes ago, Colt45 said:

I they were to be shackled by the same underlying infrastructure and bureaucracy, I can't imagine much difference.

Obviously with them running the show. Or with them having acces to Cuban tobacco. 

[RijkdeGooier]

17 minutes ago, SenorPerfecto said:

He's trying to sell you cigars. And apparently succeeding.

 

Enjoy your Quesadas

Of course he is selling his product in the article, nobody is blind. 

However he does use an oft heard and correct argument about the production and QC.

In that he has a point. Why would we otherwise hunt boxcodes, productiom years and appreciate the service vendors like Rob provide?

Still doesn't make a NC taste like a CC of course. 

[Notsocleaver]

43 minutes ago, SenorPerfecto said:

I do not read this article -- nor other similar remarks by the guys who run NC companies -- as being limited to disparaging the QC alone. They make ridiculous statements to try to tear down CCs in favor of NCs because of their own business interests. I've seen it often.

Of course the average NC company is superior to Cuba in terms of QC. No question.

I simply take issue with the motives of people like Quesada when they tear into Habanos for their own personal gain -- not to mention to try to score some political points against the dictators. We get it. We're working on it.

 

Just agree that NC and CC are different, and leave it at that.

Okay, but if that is how you read the article, can we also agree that your criticism and name calling comes from a narrative you invented based on anecdotes, not on the contents of the article or anything Quesada actually said there in?

Do you understand how toxic that attitude is? Do you want this to be a community where you can just dismiss valid criticism with accusations of bias and insults?

[NSXCIGAR]

Same old song and dance from NC producers. Has nothing to do with the seizure of the Cuban land, as I agree that was immoral. That's a separate issue that hopefully eventually gets resolved one way or another. 

Cigar tobacco grown in Cuba tastes the best as determined by the world's consumers. QC is important, and I do appreciate it, but it's not as important as taste. The "mystique" factor of CCs only applies to the US. The rest of the world sells CCs right next to NCs, and the people have spoken and continue to prefer CCs. 

I hope NC cigars continue to evolve and improve, and at the end of the day I could care less where my cigars are made as long as they taste good and smoke good enough, and so far I've not found any NCs that are comparable in taste to CCs, at least for me. NCs have made incredible strides in the last 20 years, and perhaps 20 years from now we'll all be smoking NCs. But the the characteristics that a given geographical region's soil and climate impart on tobacco appear to be something impossible to overcome.

[Notsocleaver]

So can I take that as a yes on all counts then?

[clutch5150]

IMHO opinion CC's rule with the flavors and always have. What they do not rule in is QA.  It is so up and down and agree with article about the QA rolling statements. The build consistency itself with non-CC is never a large issue overall. I mean if one ever had the opportunity to do a massive sampling just in the rolling and build aspects between the two,  I feel CC's would get hammered in the percentages.

A perfect example of just one vintage brand I seek out and smoke is the Trinidad Robusto Extra and the T's. I have lost count the number of under filled sticks I have encountered. I mean it's shocking how many boxes of 09 through 12 I pick through are just so under filled at times. It bewilders me how so many have gotten through...Still, it's my favorite among most others I smoke except the Parta GR.