Cigar Confucius covering the issue of Custom-Made Vs Branded Cigars

[El Presidente]

Could be challenged on so many levels 

It's only an opinion people. 

[BJack]

I rather just choose my palate. It always tells the truth. Custom or branded. I pick a cigar I'm curious about and if I like the experience I get a box/bundle. If I don't like it, no harm no foul I just don't invest my time into again. It's a simple process for me. As the years pass I have been gravitating toward customs for some reason. I just like new experiences. 

[JPark3]

I believe him.

[Ford2112]

I watched the whole thing. 

[El Presidente]

35 minutes ago, Ford2112 said:

I watched the whole thing. 

...Stay strong brave soldier 

[laficion]

Hi all F.O.Hers,

All I can say is , O.K. I believe him but I never had a very bad custom. It has nothing to do with JUST how much it costs. It has to do with coming down to the roots and tasting something "homegrown". "Something authentic" without all the ribbons for something that today is made ONLY for the tourists and not for the Cubans. BUT THEN why go so far if it"s to have cigars you can have at home, at least for me. Why not have something unique that you can ONLY have in Cuba ???.

Guy

[Arabian]

We Agree

 

Hasta luego..

[laficion]

Dear ARABIAN,

I was talking about CIGARS and only about CIGARS, as for the rest, 

                                 WELL  !!!!!!!!!

Guy

[WestCoastSmokin]

It’s funny how he’s trying to justify the price of a Cohiba, Trinidad, Double Coronas etc. I don’t ever smoke Customs simply because I want to stock up on the banded stuff since I’ve only been doing this for a few years, but eventually I do plan on trying some. My take is, smoke what you like. Doesn’t matter if it’s banded or unbanded. I understand he has to make content though. 

 

[JohnnyO]

Do not beleive this fool for one minute. Factory trained rollers have formulas in their head and there are do's and don'ts. Double and Triple Ligero being the biggest no-no or putting ligero in a cigar that doesn't require any, like the Lancero. Problems arise when you have a roller that is using leaf that is not factory and they doesn't not know if it has fermented/aged/processed to factory standards. This can happen in Havana but is a bigger problem in Pinar. The guajiros don't use molds, they use yellow pages/old Granma newspapers. Ink coming off the newspapers on your cigars and they may go through several sick periods because they haven't been aged correctly. Something a self respecting Habanero would not do. Yes, custom rolled cigars will not parody any of the top line cigars. But they represent value when you don't have $100 for cigar. In one of Hamlet's master classes he spoke of this, a leaf broker gave him some leaf that was not cured while he was in Cuba for an event. It was in its sick period and he went ballistic. Stuff from the countryside, not the factory. John

[ATGroom]

Every other day I am contacted by someone who goes to Cuba and has a story along the lines of "I met a guy who knows the manager of El Laguito and he can get me singles from the factory for a very good price."

I always tell them the same thing, which is firstly that they're probably fakes made in somebody's apartment, but even if they are what they say they are, you're never going to be certain about the cigars and you're supporting corruption and criminals.

If you're in Cuba and you want cheap cigars, you're far better off buying customs. You get to support an honest person, you get to see the process, you get to have direct contact with the roller and develop a relationship and will ultimately get something more special out of it then you would buying some dodgy Cohiba from a guy.

If you value the box and the branding and are willing to pay the money then buy factory cigars.

[Arabian]

16 hours ago, WestCoastSmokin said:

It’s funny how he’s trying to justify the price of a Cohiba, Trinidad, Double Coronas etc. I don’t ever smoke Customs simply because I want to stock up on the banded stuff since I’ve only been doing this for a few years, but eventually I do plan on trying some. My take is, smoke what you like. Doesn’t matter if it’s banded or unbanded. I understand he has to make content though. 

He is a Habanos Ambassador and works for Mohebi (UAE & Oman distributor), so I understand him pushing the narrative, it's his job after all. I take those clips as an entertainment 'not always'.

[JPark3]

16 hours ago, JohnnyO said:

Do not beleive this fool for one minute. Factory trained rollers have formulas in their head and there are do's and don'ts. Double and Triple Ligero being the biggest no-no or putting ligero in a cigar that doesn't require any, like the Lancero. Problems arise when you have a roller that is using leaf that is not factory and they doesn't not know if it has fermented/aged/processed to factory standards. This can happen in Havana but is a bigger problem in Pinar. The guajiros don't use molds, they use yellow pages/old Granma newspapers. Ink coming off the newspapers on your cigars and they may go through several sick periods because they haven't been aged correctly. Something a self respecting Habanero would not do. Yes, custom rolled cigars will not parody any of the top line cigars. But they represent value when you don't have $100 for cigar. In one of Hamlet's master classes he spoke of this, a leaf broker gave him some leaf that was not cured while he was in Cuba for an event. It was in its sick period and he went ballistic. Stuff from the countryside, not the factory. John

I bet Hamlet did go ballistic. 😂😂 Custom rolls are definitely on my to-do list, I've always heard good things. I don't need parody, I just want a tasty experience.

 

[Capn_Jackson]

On 12/17/2025 at 1:08 AM, Ford2112 said:

I watched the whole thing. 

I did too. Painful, wasn’t it?

[Lucas Buck]

Custom Rolls will always have a place in my humidor. They probably make up about 20% of my usual rotation. I have always found them to be a nice compliment to official Habanos. You want to talk about consistent great cigars, a seasoned roller/blender will make you some. In the world of Havana cigar roulette we live in when I pull from my Custom Roll stash I know I’m in for a great smoke. 

[Ford2112]

2 hours ago, Capn_Jackson said:

I did too. Painful, wasn’t it?

As usual I don't really get this guy.

[ha_banos]

I asked ChatGPT about him. Using AI to summarise a video is an amazingly useful function. I don't have to watch this twat to see what he's spouting this time.

It said:

While calling him a "pawn" might be harsh, his financial and professional incentives are undeniably tied to the official monopoly.

Distributor Margins: Distributors make more money on high-margin luxury goods. Promoting $100 cigars is simply better business than acknowledging that a $15 farm roll might be just as satisfying.

Brand Protection: As a "Master of Habanos," his role is to protect the intellectual property and "recipe" of the brands. Admitting that an independent roller can match a Cohiba blend would undermine the very "knowledge and authenticity" he sells [3.1].

 

[El Presidente]

On 12/19/2025 at 5:57 AM, ha_banos said:

 I asked ChatGPT about him. Using AI to summarise a video is an amazingly useful function. I don't have to watch this twat to see what he's spouting this time.

It said:

While calling him a "pawn" might be harsh, his financial and professional incentives are undeniably tied to the official monopoly.

Distributor Margins: Distributors make more money on high-margin luxury goods. Promoting $100 cigars is simply better business than acknowledging that a $15 farm roll might be just as satisfying.

Brand Protection: As a "Master of Habanos," his role is to protect the intellectual property and "recipe" of the brands. Admitting that an independent roller can match a Cohiba blend would undermine the very "knowledge and authenticity" he sells [3.1]. 

Wow. Insightful 

[Puros Y Vino]

The video is gone?