Question about Cuban cigar and all

rzaman

Dear friends, if you have any question about Cuban cigar or any cigar related questions please post them to this thread. I will try my best to find all the answers for you while I am in Cuba. I am going to meet some top cigar people there.

firetruckguy

No sir, no questions........... just take my fat a$$ with you!

Bigshizza

firetruckguy:

No sir, no questions........... just take my fat a$$ with you!

+1 zillion!!

catfishbluezz

My question is....can you please have Hiroshi send me a box.

Actually, what I am more interested in is cultivation, fertilization, organic secrets or tactics, etc...

zeebra

With most of the cuban cigars, why do they not age them like non cuban manufacturers before shipping them out? Will they ever start that process so when I get a box of 2011 Cohiba Robustos, I don't want to have to wait almost 3+ years before really enjoying them. Most all cubans require a lot of aging. Is it the crops that make the difference year to year? The 2011's are already smoking great on the CoRo's and a few others, but usually this is not the case.

I know you will enjoy your trip and very envious of your journey!! Enjoy Rip!

beatnic

I'm impressed by the amount of oils that I notice in cuban cigars. They seem to make the smoke soo much more creamy. How do they keep the oil in the leaves?

allsmokedup

zeebra:

The 2011's are already smoking great on the CoRo's and a few others, but usually this is not the case.

Good to know... I might be picking up a box of something or the other when I go overseas. Where would I find more lnfo like this? As in what year of what brand is good.

zeebra

allsmokedup:

zeebra:

The 2011's are already smoking great on the CoRo's and a few others, but usually this is not the case.

Good to know... I might be picking up a box of something or the other when I go overseas. Where would I find more lnfo like this? As in what year of what brand is good.

Just reading reviews on cuban forums and what is smoking good right now, and since I had a box from 2011, I lit em up and they were really really damn good!! Just hope they dont have a "sick" time when I light up another ya know, then it might be the waiting game again.

blurr

zeebra:

With most of the cuban cigars, why do they not age them like non cuban manufacturers before shipping them out? Will they ever start that process so when I get a box of 2011 Cohiba Robustos, I don't want to have to wait almost 3+ years before really enjoying them. Most all cubans require a lot of aging. Is it the crops that make the difference year to year? The 2011's are already smoking great on the CoRo's and a few others, but usually this is not the case.

I know you will enjoy your trip and very envious of your journey!! Enjoy Rip!

I'll second this rip. Get some info on what they are doing to tackle the pre release aging issue. Seems with 2011 and up I'm smoking they are making improvements, but just some info on what they are doing to end the 3 to 4 year wait for home aging. That's a major conundrum, how can you know what to buy when it takes years to develop when most smokers don't keep the huge aged inventory some of us do. Its especially difficult when I shop Cubans thinking I'm buying it now to smoke in 3 years. Its frustrating.

jliu

zeebra:

With most of the cuban cigars, why do they not age them like non cuban manufacturers before shipping them out? Will they ever start that process so when I get a box of 2011 Cohiba Robustos, I don't want to have to wait almost 3+ years before really enjoying them. Most all cubans require a lot of aging. Is it the crops that make the difference year to year? The 2011's are already smoking great on the CoRo's and a few others, but usually this is not the case.

I know you will enjoy your trip and very envious of your journey!! Enjoy Rip!

shawn you took the words right outta my mouf. I'm also very interested in this.

Bigshizza

Anybody want to taste a fake?

blurr

Does it have dog hairs and banana leaves and local flora from puerto rico in it? Many fakes are decent cigars just NC fairly quality tobacco. Nc mexico and the like fakes...reminds me why I hate changing my sons poopy diapers..just uggghhhhh.

Bigshizza

blurr:

Does it have dog hairs and banana leaves and local flora from puerto rico in it? Many fakes are decent cigars just NC fairly quality tobacco. Nc mexico and the like fakes...reminds me why I hate changing my sons poopy diapers..just uggghhhhh.

They're from Costa Rica .. One did have a somewhat Liga look and taste..sort of... But are not true ISOM's

jliu

Bigshizza:

blurr:

Does it have dog hairs and banana leaves and local flora from puerto rico in it? Many fakes are decent cigars just NC fairly quality tobacco. Nc mexico and the like fakes...reminds me why I hate changing my sons poopy diapers..just uggghhhhh.

They're from Costa Rica .. One did have a somewhat Liga look and taste..sort of... But are not true ISOM's

I personally recommend anyone to take this offer up from Jimbo. It's actually a pretty cool learning experience.

marineatbn03

I just want to know everything you know and find out Rip. That should just about cover it.

reggie713

Bigshizza:

Anybody want to taste a fake?

ok i'll bite! i would like to try a fake

bigharpoon

I'd like to know whether the recent price hikes are going to remain within the border of Cuba or are going to increase the price of cigars for distributors world wide. Thanks, and have a great trip!

JDH

I'd like to know why the Cuban coffees are so good, and if there are any changes coming regarding the box codes.

kuzi16

jliu:

zeebra:

With most of the cuban cigars, why do they not age them like non cuban manufacturers before shipping them out? Will they ever start that process so when I get a box of 2011 Cohiba Robustos, I don't want to have to wait almost 3+ years before really enjoying them. Most all cubans require a lot of aging. Is it the crops that make the difference year to year? The 2011's are already smoking great on the CoRo's and a few others, but usually this is not the case.

I know you will enjoy your trip and very envious of your journey!! Enjoy Rip!

shawn you took the words right outta my mouf. I'm also very interested in this.

this is a combination of tradition, market pressures, and Government involvement.

the tradition was to wet pack cigars (pack them in boxes immediately after they apply the damp wrapper leaf) creating a "box pressed" cigar. these cigars had, what we would consider, a "light" box press. they are mostly very rounded corners with "flatter" sides. such as:




the market pressures come in because there is a huge demand for this product.
not sure if i need to explain that one much.

the government run cigar companies want to take advantage of the fact that this is a high demand product. i mean, who wouldnt? these cigars sell, on an annual level, just as fast as they can roll em up. they cant keep with demand.

it wasnt so long ago (99ish-2003ish) where not only were they not aging the cigars in an aging room post roll, but they were not fully fermenting the leaves before the roll. Cuba has since corrected this issue for the most part but unless they feel like losing a decent amount of income all at once, correcting the "aging room issue" will take time.

they have started down the path though. many of the later box codes (2011ish) are smoking well young but still have much potential for age.

most that are into cuban cigars dont have much problem holding them for a while. part of the fun is discovering how they age.

zeebra

kuzi16:

jliu:

zeebra:

With most of the cuban cigars, why do they not age them like non cuban manufacturers before shipping them out? Will they ever start that process so when I get a box of 2011 Cohiba Robustos, I don't want to have to wait almost 3+ years before really enjoying them. Most all cubans require a lot of aging. Is it the crops that make the difference year to year? The 2011's are already smoking great on the CoRo's and a few others, but usually this is not the case.

I know you will enjoy your trip and very envious of your journey!! Enjoy Rip!

shawn you took the words right outta my mouf. I'm also very interested in this.

this is a combination of tradition, market pressures, and Government involvement.

the tradition was to wet pack cigars (pack them in boxes immediately after they apply the damp wrapper leaf) creating a "box pressed" cigar. these cigars had, what we would consider, a "light" box press. they are mostly very rounded corners with "flatter" sides. such as:




the market pressures come in because there is a huge demand for this product.
not sure if i need to explain that one much.

the government run cigar companies want to take advantage of the fact that this is a high demand product. i mean, who wouldnt? these cigars sell, on an annual level, just as fast as they can roll em up. they cant keep with demand.

it wasnt so long ago (99ish-2003ish) where not only were they not aging the cigars in an aging room post roll, but they were not fully fermenting the leaves before the roll. Cuba has since corrected this issue for the most part but unless they feel like losing a decent amount of income all at once, correcting the "aging room issue" will take time.

they have started down the path though. many of the later box codes (2011ish) are smoking well young but still have much potential for age.

most that are into cuban cigars dont have much problem holding them for a while. part of the fun is discovering how they age.

As always Matt, thanks for your knowledge on cigars!!

jliu

zeebra:

kuzi16:

jliu:

zeebra:

With most of the cuban cigars, why do they not age them like non cuban manufacturers before shipping them out? Will they ever start that process so when I get a box of 2011 Cohiba Robustos, I don't want to have to wait almost 3+ years before really enjoying them. Most all cubans require a lot of aging. Is it the crops that make the difference year to year? The 2011's are already smoking great on the CoRo's and a few others, but usually this is not the case.

I know you will enjoy your trip and very envious of your journey!! Enjoy Rip!

shawn you took the words right outta my mouf. I'm also very interested in this.

this is a combination of tradition, market pressures, and Government involvement.

the tradition was to wet pack cigars (pack them in boxes immediately after they apply the damp wrapper leaf) creating a "box pressed" cigar. these cigars had, what we would consider, a "light" box press. they are mostly very rounded corners with "flatter" sides. such as:



right on Matt. thanks for sharing your knowledge. I tend to gravitate more and more towards newer marcas b/c I have zero problems exploring the journey w/ how they age and what not.
the market pressures come in because there is a huge demand for this product.
not sure if i need to explain that one much.

the government run cigar companies want to take advantage of the fact that this is a high demand product. i mean, who wouldnt? these cigars sell, on an annual level, just as fast as they can roll em up. they cant keep with demand.

it wasnt so long ago (99ish-2003ish) where not only were they not aging the cigars in an aging room post roll, but they were not fully fermenting the leaves before the roll. Cuba has since corrected this issue for the most part but unless they feel like losing a decent amount of income all at once, correcting the "aging room issue" will take time.

they have started down the path though. many of the later box codes (2011ish) are smoking well young but still have much potential for age.

most that are into cuban cigars dont have much problem holding them for a while. part of the fun is discovering how they age.

As always Matt, thanks for your knowledge on cigars!!

jliu

oops... I meant to just quote and say this

right on Matt. thanks for sharing your knowledge. I tend to gravitate more and more towards newer marcas b/c I have zero problems exploring the journey w/ how they age and what not.

blurr

Sorry I meant Costa Rica not Puerto Rico. I don't even have to ask and I guarantee I know the vendor because I've told people prices that are too good to be true..Well you know the rest. But most people still have to place an order with them thinking just maybe...it will be real. Its not. I've seen people talking about being in the factory where they are rolling Costa Rican tobacco and making almost perfect Cuban bands/boxes, so I learned early on to not order from there, before I even found my first few good sources.

rzaman

Shawn, they do age tobaccos before roll them. Cuban cigar manufacturing tradition is different than other countries. Cohiba Gran Reserva tobaccos are from 2003, Cohiba 1966, Montecrsito Gran Reserva tobaccos are from 2005 but they come with hefty price tag. They started aging longer than before. More they age, the price go higher. The Cuban cigar smokers are also little different- they buy now and smoke later. They maintain good ratio in their humidor. Also the reputated B&M do not sell the cigars the same year. They age them in their aging vault before offering the boxs to their customers. You can always buy couple years aged CC but each years of aging the price go higher. However, I will still ask the question during my trip..

zeebra:

With most of the cuban cigars, why do they not age them like non cuban manufacturers before shipping them out? Will they ever start that process so when I get a box of 2011 Cohiba Robustos, I don't want to have to wait almost 3+ years before really enjoying them. Most all cubans require a lot of aging. Is it the crops that make the difference year to year? The 2011's are already smoking great on the CoRo's and a few others, but usually this is not the case.

I know you will enjoy your trip and very envious of your journey!! Enjoy Rip!

rzaman

I will see what I can get from Hiroshi. He does have a good collection of Robian's fav. sticks. Robina used to roll just for himself. I have a dedicated day just to talk about cultivation. I will share whatever I learn from the trip.

catfishbluezz:

My question is....can you please have Hiroshi send me a box.

Actually, what I am more interested in is cultivation, fertilization, organic secrets or tactics, etc...

rzaman

Lot of good questions. I will compile them and get the answers for you.

pross

I always wondered if there is a market in Cuba for NC blends.

0patience

I've always been curious as to how they cultivate their land.
I mean, if they are growing tobacco continuously on one plot, the minerals and all that would eventually deplete out.
Do they rotate tobacco crops out with another crop?
What fertilizers do they use? Manure, nitrogen enriching or what?

It sometimes seems like Cuba does things differently to cultivate their land. I'd be curious how and what is done differently, if anything.

I know, not the cigar questions one would expect.

kuzi16

0patience:

I've always been curious as to how they cultivate their land.
I mean, if they are growing tobacco continuously on one plot, the minerals and all that would eventually deplete out.
Do they rotate tobacco crops out with another crop?
What fertilizers do they use? Manure, nitrogen enriching or what?

It sometimes seems like Cuba does things differently to cultivate their land. I'd be curious how and what is done differently, if anything.

I know, not the cigar questions one would expect.

they may do things differently but the real difference in the land is the soil composition and climate. that combo is found nowhere else on earth.

zeebra

rzaman:

Shawn, they do age tobaccos before roll them. Cuban cigar manufacturing tradition is different than other countries. Cohiba Gran Reserva tobaccos are from 2003, Cohiba 1966, Montecrsito Gran Reserva tobaccos are from 2005 but they come with hefty price tag. They started aging longer than before. More they age, the price go higher. The Cuban cigar smokers are also little different- they buy now and smoke later. They maintain good ratio in their humidor. Also the reputated B&M do not sell the cigars the same year. They age them in their aging vault before offering the boxs to their customers. You can always buy couple years aged CC but each years of aging the price go higher. However, I will still ask the question during my trip..

zeebra:

With most of the cuban cigars, why do they not age them like non cuban manufacturers before shipping them out? Will they ever start that process so when I get a box of 2011 Cohiba Robustos, I don't want to have to wait almost 3+ years before really enjoying them. Most all cubans require a lot of aging. Is it the crops that make the difference year to year? The 2011's are already smoking great on the CoRo's and a few others, but usually this is not the case.

I know you will enjoy your trip and very envious of your journey!! Enjoy Rip!

Yea, I do have a the BHK and one of the 1966 as well, and yes, their price tags are much higher than the average!! My next in line is the new Cohiba Primide, but will wait a bit till the first rush is gone and maybe pick up a 3 pack of them.

big chunks

I got a question, I heard a few decades ago they used to create different blends for different vitolas in the same brand to make each size unique, do they still do this?