Reminiscing Cuba's Black Market

[Milan]

I'm not sure there is such thing as "too many freedoms". How would you feel about a politician that said "too many freedoms can create problems".

Well... there actually is a such thing as too much freedom, this is why there are laws. I would support a politician who said "too many freedoms can create problems" if I believed the freedoms he was talking about were creating problems. This is kind of what politics is about. The problem is when it's forced on you. That sucks.

 

[docwatson]

I agree, let's have this moved to the Rubber Room or get back on the Cuban Cigar thread!!!
OK, to start I'll ask if anyone here has had the pleasure of tasting the true Cuban Bolivar, or el Rey del Mundo cigars if they are still being manufactured???
I know that we can get Cubans from pipes2smoke.com which is Max Engel's company in Toronto and a fine man to deal with. It may be time for me to do some comparison tastings again.
Doc

 

[szyzk]

OK, to start I'll ask if anyone here has had the pleasure of tasting the true Cuban Bolivar, or el Rey del Mundo cigars if they are still being manufactured???

Absolutely, Doc, they're still being manufactured!

The Bolivar Belicosos Finos, Coronas Extra, Royal Coronas and Petit Coronas are some of my favorite cigars. I have a few Gold Medals and Inmensas in the humidor but I haven't tried them yet.

The ERdM Choix Supreme is another cigar that I really enjoyed, but I've only had a few and haven't ever bought any more.

 

[Milan]

I smoked a lot of Hoyo de Monterrey coronas because they were affordable. We smoked a number of Montecristo, Cohiba, and Romeo y Julieta Churchills. It's been so long it's nearly impossible for me to compare Cubans to non-Cuban cigars. I'm more into cigars now than I was then. Fuente, Padron, Camacho, and many other companies make some pretty outstanding cigars that I imagine could give 85% of Cubans a run for their money? The Cuban cigar market is kind of a novelty, but I'll never forget staring at the soil and thinking how beautiful it was. There has to be something to the soil, climate, traditions, seed strains, etc... that make some Cuban cigars the best in the world?

 

[docwatson]

Thanks for the replies gents. I can see that your palates are far more experienced than mine when it comes to Cuban smokes.
And yes, Milan, the reason that Cuban's have such a special flavor and quality to their leaf is definitely all that you stated. Soil, location, seed, temperature, etc. all add a special quality to ANY tobacco throughout the world. That is what makes connoisseur's desire to have certain makes.
As to whether Cuban cigars are still considered the best in the world is left up to the individual smoker, as I always say "it's purely personal preference". Everyone's palate is like fingerprints, different.
Keep on puffin'
Doc

 

[Hermit]

Everybody's tastes differ, so there is no "best" cigar.
Habanos do taste different.
Some people like that.
Since I smoke so few cigars these days,
(1 or 2 a week) I always grab a Cuban
unless I'm doin' yard work.
I pass off my NCs on my son. :twisted:

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

OK, to start I'll ask if anyone here has had the pleasure of tasting the true Cuban Bolivar, or el Rey del Mundo cigars if they are still being manufactured???

Absolutely, Doc, they're still being manufactured!

The Bolivar Belicosos Finos, Coronas Extra, Royal Coronas and Petit Coronas are some of my favorite cigars. I have a few Gold Medals and Inmensas in the humidor but I haven't tried them yet.

The ERdM Choix Supreme is another cigar that I really enjoyed, but I've only had a few and haven't ever bought any more.

Yup, Boli Royal Corona is one of my all time favorites. Monte #4 is another really good one. If you told me the only cigar I could smoke for the rest of my life was one of the two, I wouldn't be upset.

Cuban Cigars really taught to appreciate smaller cigars, too. Ramon Allones Small Club Coronas, San Cristobal El Principes, Partigas Shorts, etc. Really really great flavor.

 

[szyzk]

I smoked a lot of Hoyo de Monterrey coronas because they were affordable.

I consider the HdM Epicure No 1 to be one of my top 5 cigars, hands down. They are absolutely incredible.

Soil, location, seed, temperature, etc. all add a special quality to ANY tobacco throughout the world.

You bet! The amount of sun, temperature, rainfall etc can be duplicated (to an extent) but not the soil... That has to be one of the biggest reasons Cubans are different. By the way, PM me your address and I'll send you a few...

Everybody's tastes differ, so there is no "best" cigar.

I agree...

Habanos do taste different.

I agree even more...

I pass off my NCs on my son.

Bwhahahahaha!

 

[szyzk]

Yup, Boli Royal Corona is one of my all time favorites. Monte #4 is another really good one. If you told me the only cigar I could smoke for the rest of my life was one of the two, I wouldn't be upset.

Cuban Cigars really taught to appreciate smaller cigars, too. Ramon Allones Small Club Coronas, San Cristobal El Principes, Partigas Shorts, etc. Really really great flavor.

The Monte #4, Partagas Shorts and SCdlH El Pricinipes are all on my top 5 Cubans list! To me they have the perfect balance of just about everything that I look for in a cigar! Since I named the HdM Epicure No 1 above, I might as well round out the top 5 with the Cohiba Robusto!

And yes, the Cubans nailed the smaller sizes (petit coronas, coronas, marevas, etc). I wish more non-Cuban manufacturers would follow suite instead of trying to outdo each other ("Look at my baseball bat-sized cigar!", "No, look at my telephone pole-sized cigar!", "No, look at my Blue whale-sized cigar!").