The Anti-Review: Why I am tiring of Cuban cigars.

[PigFish]

54 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

who?

Me thinks this is tongue-in-cheek!

[spicycorona]

10 hours ago, PigFish said:

 

Quote

Here's the gig. I want to smoke a good cigar. I don't what to have to smoke a cigar from before 2008 to get one.

 

  Can't say that I'm as experienced as some of you, (I've seen you around forums since I started with cigars in general about 11 years ago Pigfish, But...

 

  Then, it was you'll never have a mid 90's Cohiba, or any Cuban for that matter again. And stay away from anything from 99-2001. And the new tabacco2k or whatever the strain is called will never be as good as the pre-2000 tobacco. And now, you're looking back to 2008 and griping about quality. There has been a lot of really great tobacco in the last 10- 12 years, IMO. And construction issues have been better than when I started out to be honest. Certainly never had one like that.

  I haven't been smoking or buying nearly as much lately, but from what I have had I'm impressed with the 'resurgence' of marques like H. Upmann and RyJ. Entering the Cuban market, I was most excited about those two among others, and they were brutal. I've seen the Monte brand go to pieces, IMO. Same with Trinidad. My short stores could only hold so much Robusto T and Extra. And then poof, while the Reyes started to become unsmokable. Seems like a pretty dynamic thing from my perspective between quality of manufacture, tobacco marques etc. 

 

I could keep rambling but just looking for some feedback from a vet.

[Ethernut]

This thread is pure Piggy with the safety off! ??

[MooseAMuffin]

Very interesting, Ray! I got into cigars back in 2013, started with NCs of course. Bought my first box of CCs from our host in 2014. A 10 count of RyJ Short Churchills(from 2014). I am slowly moving away from NCs to CCs and I wanted to throw my 2 cents in.

For some of the opinions on today's CCs, look at the community comments/reviews from this POV: Since I started started WAY after you, I unfortunately doubt I will ever be able to understand where you are coming from. This is mainly due to what cigars I have access too. I know there are a few, probably a small number, on this forum like me: low 30s, have young kid(s), still in the early side of our careers, etc. Because of this, I am pretty much stuck with purchasing today's stock only. Anything aged or on the secondary market usually costs an arm and a leg for people like me.

For example, I have a quarter box of Sir Winston from 2017. I smoked one and enjoyed it. But what made me buy them in the first place was all the talk on the forum of Winston's from 2008 and 2013. Was my 2017 as good as those? I will probably never know. Same goes for plugged or underfilled cigars. People like me will never know the QC difference between now and then. It's kind of like a "Well, back in my day." scenario. I will just have to take your word for it! 

Now I am not complaining about this, I enjoy the cigars I have! If I had the means, you can bet your last dollar I'd search for and purchase some of age stock you mention! But, don't get too down by what you see in the cigar community. As a wise man once said "Forgive them, for they know not what they do." You might have to put up with some of us 'young-uns' and our lack of knowledge around what a CC was back in the day. Let's be honest, it does suck since you are not the only one on this forum to boast of cigars from 2000-2009, but we all have to start somewhere! 

Also...and yes, I say this all the time and it sounds ridiculous but, the JLPs I've had from 15-17 have been good. Especially for the price. Low risk, high reward! lol

[El Presidente]

Mate you can stop buying them.....anytime!

Now you know I love you but for someone who rants against the system (Cuban Govt/Habanos/QC) you certainly smoke a lot of cuban cigars 

We had a great poll on the issue of QC.  In the main people are getting 22-23 good ones in a box of 25.  It should be 25, it's not. It's not going to be anytime soon. 

NC's are calling for you. There you will likely find 100% QC

......but there is a problem isn't there.......

[nKostyan]

But!! but!  I do accept that if the cigar community is currently saying "DO NOT! buy any SP non plus, unless you're a self harmer"  then I do comply to some sort of odd logic, that if I do buy a box of non plus, and they are terrible........then I have some part of the blame. 

 

 

Let me argue, Stefan. I bought a box of SP Non plus 2016 and now it's amazing cigars: the taste of ash, black pepper, earth, salt, cream, unique aroma in the room. Even SP Sanchos-you throw half in the trash because they have a stopper and it is impossible to smoke them, but other copies will give the highest pleasure. But this applies to aging and vintage. To smoke Cuban cigars without disappointments, it is necessary to understand them deeply and be ready to play the lottery.

[Philc2001]

18 hours ago, mbflash80 said:

Im of the opinion that CC QC has greatly improved from 10 years ago...at least that has been my experience.

In my experience I have come across fewer plugged cigars, but a significant rise in 'underfilled' and tunneling cigars. I haven't smoked many younger boxes as I smoke through my aged stock, but I've smoked through perhaps a dozen boxes with production dates of 2013 or newer. I find one in three to four cigars is underfilled, or poorly rolled, with uneven filler. Cuba seems to be weeding out some plugged cigars, but they are letting a lot of other crappy cigars pass through. Most recently a box of 2014 Montecristo Tubos was a disgrace where the first 4 of 10 I've smoked from the box have been underfilled. The rest of the box are also soft to the squeeze, also underfilled. It's the most disappointing box I've had in recent years.  

[joeypots]

One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch. As annoying as it is to get a  poorly constructed cigar, it's not as bad as it used to be. I'm pretty lucky since I haven't had too many bad cigars in the last 12 or  so years but If I do encounter one I toss it post haste. Life is short. Letting a bad cigar get under my skin might ruin the next one for me.

[BrightonCorgi]

Bought a case 2000 Clerc Millon as futures and has been stored with utmost care.  First bottle tremendous.  2nd bottle; corked... 

[Hammer Smokin']

I follow the mantra, when you spark up a cigar, and it is plugged, or hollow, or whatever, just chuck it and light up another.

Our time on this earth is too short to worry about fighting through a human rolled cigar.

[RDB]

This is like a guy in the street with his shirt off, screaming for a fight in front of his favourite bar, which is full of friends who just want to buy him a drink. 

[TBird55]

After reading some of the responses, I feel like I have been blessed by the cigar gods. Since 2015, I have purchased over 200 boxes of CC. Probably 4 or 5 boxes have been what I would call very disappointing (mainly under filled). Sure i get the occasional under filled or plugged cigar, but all in all I am extremely pleased with the quality of cigars that I have purchased. Most if not all of the disappointing boxes have come from other vendors.

[Kaptain Karl]

There's people who smoke nothing but DR Davidoff's and Fuente's for this reason. If flavor isnt the most important part of your cigar experience, than CC's probably arent for you. 

[ErikB72]

I can relate , in the sense that every now and then exasperation sets in and I concentrate on Nicaraguan cigars for a while. And then say , a Partagas Aristocrates or a RG Panatelas Extra will bowl me over and make me see the error of my ways....

[TomF]

On 11/18/2018 at 2:52 PM, juri said:

you think things are bad now you should of been around in the 90s when you would get an entire box of plugged cohibas

I got entire box of plugged Cohiba Siglo III's in 2015, and it was before I found the Perfect Draw so most of them were trashed.

[cigaraholic]

I’m a level 9 roller.....in California ?

But seriously how hard is it to roll a Fing cigar....really how hard is it to grab enough tobacco to roll a well filled cigar.

Some people just can’t roll...but why does HSA keep those people on?

The under filling in Cuban cigars is a disgrace!!!!!!

Almost every box has 5 cigars that belong in the trash.....and the cigars are expensive enough without adding a 20% POS tax.

I’m lucky enough to live where CC’s are as cheep as they come....a $30 under filled Monte 4 would have me on a hit list for rollers?

Take those stupid draw machines and trade them for scales!

At least it it gives the street vendors in Cuba a new selling pitch.....these are cigars made from all the tobacco they don’t put in the cigars they roll at the factory.

[Ken Gargett]

5 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

Bought a case 2000 Clerc Millon as futures and has been stored with utmost care.  First bottle tremendous.  2nd bottle; corked... 

screwcaps.

best storage in the world won't save a bottle if the cork is stuffed. 

[BrightonCorgi]

4 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

screwcaps.

best storage in the world won't save a bottle if the cork is stuffed. 

Third bottle was fabulous.  I don't plan on opening another bottle any time soon.

[Puffington]

Ray, 

c'mon over next time.  I'll give you a lancero to kick your wounds.  

[Philc2001]

7 hours ago, TBird55 said:

After reading some of the responses, I feel like I have been blessed by the cigar gods. Since 2015, I have purchased over 200 boxes of CC. Probably 4 or 5 boxes have been what I would call very disappointing (mainly under filled). Sure i get the occasional under filled or plugged cigar, but all in all I am extremely pleased with the quality of cigars that I have purchased. Most if not all of the disappointing boxes have come from other vendors.

The frustrating thing for many CC smokers is that roll quality is easy to fix. Every cigar rolling country in the world has mastered it; Africa, DR, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, US, and everywhere in between. Quality control is atrocious in CCs. And it's not just draw issues, we see the result of very lax controls in length, width, color, box labels, cigar labels, warped boxes, and so on. 

But as consumers we vote with our money, so the only way the situation improves is if people stop buying until quality improves (never gonna happen). 

 

[MD Puffer]

33 minutes ago, Philc2001 said:

But as consumers we vote with our money, so the only way the situation improves is if people stop buying until quality improves (never gonna happen). 

 

Privatization and a free market would resolve the QC issues.  As you stated, "Every cigar rolling country in the world has mastered..."

 

[ponfed]

3 hours ago, MD Puffer said:

Privatization and a free market would resolve the QC issues.  As you stated, "Every cigar rolling country in the world has mastered..."

 

Privatization would/will bring it's own slew of problems. You think cigars are getting too big now and it's a race towards 54 and higher rg? Just wait until privatization.

Lonsdales gone. Montecarlo gone. Most PC gone. LGC will produce Toros. Series le hoyo wiped out and we keep San Juan and higher rg cigar.

Forget demi tasse etc...

A hundred and fifty Marcas with gaudy packaging. Then marketing.... 

 

[Ken Gargett]

6 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

Third bottle was fabulous.  I don't plan on opening another bottle any time soon.

so 2 out of three. a poor hit rate, even for cuban cigars. surely three out of three, if under screwcap, is preferable? 

and if you are ferreting them away, certainly not the worst idea, wouldn't it be better to know that you had no worries with taint building and ruining some of the rest? 

[Colt45]

7 hours ago, MD Puffer said:

Privatization and a free market would resolve the QC issues.

I'm another who wouldn't mind seeing privatization, or more distinctly in my eyes, the opening up of competition to independents in the production of Cuban cigars.

[HarveyBoulevard]

16 hours ago, crking3 said:

Man I’m that case, please you have to provide a tutorial about how to store cigars so that you can teach the community ..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Your in luck!!! He has about 1000 threads on here and a bunch of videos you can watch about cigar climatology.  

Great working and looking humidors to boot