Habanos & the Middle East

[Spartan]

I was just speaking to a friend who recently returned from the middle east (Turkey, Kuwait, Yemen) He's into cigars so we got around to talking about recent smokes. He went on to tell me how during his stay he endulged in a variety of habanos and how disappointed he was with them. Now I would assume he most likely obtained fakes, but on the other hand he was in the middle east. There's no embargo and where he was sure as **** isnt a tourist hot spot. Just had me wondering is the black market that widespread?

[Tampa1257]

Just had me wondering is the black market that

» widespread?

In a Word, Yes

Also the storage of the cigars is important and the countries you mentioned are also known for lack of proper storage so the cigars could have been real, and just not properly maintained.

[Trevor2118]

» There's no embargo and where he was sure as **** isnt a

» tourist hot spot. Just had me wondering is the black market that

» widespread?

No embargo in Cuba either but everyone sells fakes.

Embargo has nothing to do with it whatsoever.

[winelover]

It is possible to get good cigars in the middle east, well at least in Amman airport and dubai international. Outside of airports, I would be wary unless LCdH etc.

[El Presidente]

There is a serious buck in peddling fakes particularly in places where there is a large foreign business and tourist transient population.

[cohiba]

They might not have been ready. I have smoked numerous cigars before they were "on", and didnt care for them at all. Then a year later, i wish i had stocked up!

The siglo 2 i had at the National in Havana was definatly not ready. I knew that, but what about some jo blo that doesnt. He could be very disappointed in general.

[Spartan]

»

» No embargo in Cuba either but everyone sells fakes.

»

» Embargo has nothing to do with it whatsoever.

I'm pretty surprised that it's so widespead. I was under the impression that the only lucrative market for bogus cubans would be the US. One would think the counterfeit market in general would be only profitable in places where you cant get the real deal.

[El Presidente]

» I'm pretty surprised that it's so widespead. I was under the impression

» that the only lucrative market for bogus cubans would be the US. One would

» think the counterfeit market in general would be only profitable in places

» where you cant get the real deal.

There are many people around the world who are not familiar with Cuban cigars and yet buy a box fo themselves or for family and friends back home. That is the key target market.

Wherever a cruise ship docks, wherever there are tourists or large numbers of foreigners abroad, wherever cigar knowledge is minimal...you will find plenty of fakes.

[BlackFriar]

Like many others have told you real or fake is only half the equation. Storage is a huge concern. Let's look at the gulf. I was banished to the Iraq / Kuwait border near the mouth of the Tigris for 2 months in summer (long story) and the biggest entertainment we had was betting on whether the thermometer hit 140 degrees Fahrenheit that day (if not it was 139). We were lucky if it was 95 at 2:00 AM. Imagine what that will do to your cigar if you take it out of a humidor at 65 percent humidity and 68 degrees. I've bought from airports like Kuwait in the past and have enjoyed my purchases, but they needed time to recover.

I love the delicate flavors of Cuban cigars, but it takes a great deal of loving work and patience to coax the best out of our cigars. Wouldn't have it any other way though, that's half the fun.

Chris

[sje]

i have purchased in the Gulf (never had a problem) only buy from LCDH or high quality cigar shops rather than any corner store.

[Boston Mike]

Maybe he just does not like Cuban cigars?

[matthew261]

» I was just speaking to a friend who recently returned from the middle east

» (Turkey, Kuwait, Yemen) He's into cigars so we got around to talking about

» recent smokes. He went on to tell me how during his stay he endulged in a

» variety of habanos and how disappointed he was with them. Now I would

» assume he most likely obtained fakes, but on the other hand he was in the

» middle east. There's no embargo and where he was sure as **** isnt a

» tourist hot spot. Just had me wondering is the black market that

» widespread?

There are lots of counterfeit items for sale in the US that are otherwise legally available in the US: watches, purses, designer clothes etc... The sad fact is, there's truly "a sucker born every minute," and for every sucker there's at least a hundred people willing to take his money. Cigars are certainly no different. Cubans possess worldwide mystique and cause people to do some pretty stupid things. My cousin was given a box of Cubans as a gift one time. Nothing extraordinary, RyJ Robustos I think. He was pleased, but even more pleased when a guy offered him $700 for the box. After asking the guy if he was sure he wanted those cigars that badly, he sold them for a 100% profit and for much more than they were worth. Those were genuine Cubans, but some bonehead was willing to part with 3.5 times what they were worth just because they were Cubans and he didn't know any better. Would that same guy buy counterfeit Cubans in Abu Dhabi, Mexico or Cuba for a dollar a stick? Of course he would...