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Cam..altough it is in certain ways true that now SOME brands (mostly the popular ones), are not as good as they were in the past in Cuba, due to excessive plantation, lack of land rest, modernization (well sometimes even in Cuba), and uncontrolled production, the truth is that the real jewels of Cuba have not lost their place.
Brands like Partagas, Cohiba (originally Cohiba was only for Cuban officials till 1985 if I am not mistaken), H.Uppman (the famous cigars Kennedy orederd the day before the embargo) Sancho Panza and Romeo Y Julieta (one of my favorite sailing cigar is the nr. 2 cedros), have remained very very true and un-altered, mainly becaue the real customer is strong and they know it..and if they changed...we would invade Cuba, even if we had to swim there...
Then came companies like Vegas Robaina, makes very good cigars too, and are beting in good quality..so they can't afford to sell bad cigars..
The good ones are by far still the best in the World...the brands that are not as good as before are brands like Montecristo (never cared much for them either), J.L Piedra, Hoyo, etc..have lost a little the edge, but still a good damn cigar..even comparing to DR's best. It's the typical joe golfer with a cigar in the corner of his mouth, that spreads that rumour...I tried to read cigar aficionado once, and it's like reading sail magazine...causes nausea..
I have visited the DR many times, and have smoked many cigars from there...(funny enough I bought a few boxes once, from a small store in Santo Domingo, that sold a pretty decent cigar called Caoba, was an America managing it then, and they were very enjoyable smoking).
The problem with the DR is they do have some good cigars, BUT also a lot of crap, cheap imitations and parallel branding causing confusion (since many of the families that were in Cuba, fled to the DR and other places taking the brand with them, and the Cuban government took over the cigar brands maintaining it)..also DR sells big time to the US, and since in the US you can't get (legally) Cubans, the DR cigars are overpriced, because the regular Joe golfer buys them...so they start going downhill.
In cuba in out of 100 cigars 5 are bad, in DR in 100 cigars 80 are bad...too much too bad...
I have bought excellent Brasilian cigars, and already smoked 3 boxes, in the last 2 years...they had a good puff.
The rest simply doesn't appeal to me...
I do it as a hobby, I enjoy byuing them and celebrating the box, as much as I do smoking...everytime I buy a box, such as the one above that is a little harder on the wallet, I end up spending a whole afternoon talking in the store, drinking some wine, smoking a few trial puros, and the whole thing is an expereince..my wife knows that when I go cigar hunting as she calls it, I am off al day...it's a rare occasion to flavour life, and meet interesting people and their stories..we get to talk about so many things...
I don't smoke at weddings, parties, crowded places or golfing...
I smoke with the upmost respect for the people that over a year, made that cigar I have in my mouth, and I let the cigar die with dignity, after he gave me what he had to give me...I don't flick the butt away, I let it sit in the tray, and once dead, I put it slowly in the garbage. Out of respect for those that made it.
When sailing, with the family (cruising in the south) I smoke one every day, after dinner, and as I come out to enjoy being alive with my family one more day.
When I sail during the day, if the conditions are met..I smoke one too..I have a fully stocked humidor on the boat...with anything from an Entreacto passing thru a Julieta nr 2, a Lusitano all the way to a Siglo V...now I'll add 2 or 3 Esplendido...(rated 9.5 out of 10!!)
Last edited by Giulietta; 11-17-2008 at 08:42 PM.
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Although, I am happy for you. 
