BuckeyeBoy34":iqtwkdr0 said:
I ve smoked and enjoyed a few 5 packs of Jose L. Piedra cigars (spelled correctly) from Canada. They are pretty good smoke but do look a tad rough. The cigars are nice and spicy and quite affordable. I think they costed around $20-$22 per box of five. You cant beat a $5 buck Cuban. Piedra's are very very popular on the Cuban domestic market kind of the offical cigar of the "Cuban peasant".
I think Piedra cigars are harsh and not anywhere NEAR the best of what Cuba has to offer. I just bought a 50ct cabinet of RASS. It came out to 6.60 a stick SHIPPED. It's a CC that smokes well ROTT and I would be hard pressed to find ANYTHING in the states at 3-4 times the price I would rather smoke.
BB34, this next comment is
NOT directed at you. When I find people going on about Cuban's being over-rated it typically (but not always) comes down to one of 3/4 things.
1) They have smoked only fakes
2) they smoked the wrong cigar at the wrong time
3) they smoked a cigar they didn't know about and it wouldn't like the profile
4) they confuse strength with flavor
Case in point. I threw in a CC as an extra when I did a trade for a guy. It was a Monte from 06 and smoking beautifully. Rich flavors yet refined, and just the right amount of complexity. "Ah, it was OK. I have had and was expecting something stronger. Fine, go smoke a Padron and experience some dirt.