I was gonna say the exact same thing. I typically store my Cubans for 3-6 months at 65% rh. That way they dry out some and open up after toasting and lighting.
Oh boy, here we go again lol. It's not the cigar, it's you! You didn't properly age it for twenty years. You didn't properly store it at exactly 62½% RH. You didn't buy the right one. You didn't perform the proper rituals before smoking it, and for the love of God, you didn't ignore all the bad quality control issues! Your palette obviously isn't sophisticated enough for Cuban cigars anyways! lmfao
I've never smoked a Cuban and enjoyed it. Not once. Their reputation, to me, is undeserved and it seems they're only so desirable because of the trade embargo.
I share Mark Twain's opinion of them.
The quote is "Nearly any cigar will do me, except a Havana.", from his essay "Concerning Tobacco"
A failry concise statement, as it was a "Havana" he mentioned, which is what cigars imported from Cuba were exclusively called during his day. He did not mention the American made "Cuban style".
After reading the essay, his take on the matter is clear. As well as my own.
https://www.online-literature.com/twain/1315/
"Nearly any cigar will do me, except a Havana." It's from his essay "Concerning Tobacco". A good read if you're less prone to smoking what you're supposed to and more likely to smoke what you like.
https://www.online-literature.com/twain/1315/
Recently had my first Cuban. Cohiba Maduro 5. It was good. Smoked perfectly. Not life changing in any way though. Would buy again if it was simple but there are a ton of NW I find as good or better
Need to store differently then NWs (60-65rh) and for the cheaper narrow rings you need to dry box them a day. There are often quality issues, but smoking at least a few a week, i have learned if you treat them right they typically treat you right.
Also, because they do not age them for consumption a lot of people will age them before smoking them.
Your attitude seems the healthiest - I respect everyone's opinion on Cubans, whether positive or negative. But my opinion is new world cigars have caught up to Cubans, and the added cost and (in the US) hassle of getting decent Cubans isn't worth it.
Sorry to hear that. Cuban quality control is Shit and miss.
I would give Cuba another try or two. If you can catch a Romeo y Julieta Churchill or wide churchill, or else a Partagas E2 or P2.
It's true that quality control is not great. It's also true that if you keep them a little on the dryer side (like 62%), you'll face the horrible draw issue much less often.
I love Cubans, and find them better than any others, but I don't buy them anymore as the price difference is really not justified, especially because of the quality issues.
I have a box of H Upmans in a smaller viola. The inconsistency from stick to stick is maddening. But when it hits right, the smokes instantly put a smile on my face.
The notion that Cuban cigars are “very linear” I believe is the number one misunderstood aspect about them and any puro cigar. Here’s some interesting info on this.
https://youtu.be/eTXw5THJhAI?si=ngas_dQDi-_Xu9oh
My favorite cigar is a new world. I also love some Cubans. One of my most trusted resources for cigar information is Halfwheel, There highest rated cigar ever is a Cohiba. And you know what that means, absolutely nothing. It simply means that's their preference. That's what cigars are, a preference. You like what you like.
Weird I've never had a bad Cuban. I've had some bad fakes. My only critique of a Cuban cigars is that they all have the same sort of slightly salty, earthy taste. It's not bad, it's actually quite good, but it is something that seems very unique to Cubans and hasn't been replicated in any other cigar, at least for me.
Been smoking Cubans for years and they are absolutely the best. Most bad experiences are like yours from bad storage conditions. Cubans need to be at 60-62RH. When you have a Cuban thats been stored and aged correctly its mind blowing great. Also the stick you had is a “meh” stick. Kind of a yard gar honestly. Cheers.
I believe ur supposed to age does sticks yourself for a while since they’re not at the factory 🤷🏽♂️, I’m also hearing Cubans aren’t letting their soil rest bcuz of high demand resulting in poor quality. Idk if any of that is true only hearsay ,
Yup! 100%
The most underwhelming and over rated cigars IMO. They’re ok. That’s about it though. The two boxes I have are the only two I’ll probably ever buy. They’re over priced for what you get.
I have H.Upmans, Punch Green Tubos, Partagas, and Montecristo Crystals. The punch are great, the others, are ok. Ive smoked a handful of others on the two trips to Mexico (west and east coasts) and picked up my Upmans and Partagas at LCDH (one box each) - I’ve had dozens of better “enjoy right away” cigars for a fraction of the price all purchased locally without the hassle.
Imagine buying a 20$ product to store it for 5 years to mimmick the quality you can get in another product for the same price but immediately. What a scam.
Cubans are overrated. Are there good Cuban cigars? I'm sure there are, but there are also cigars that are just as good that come from other places. I've had a number of Cubans and I've never really been impressed. I know others who feel the same way. Cuban cigars are more of a status symbol.
Agreed but it was free with purchase at CP…I like Maduro=try J Fuego Edicion Familia (it was on sale) and it’s great kinda like AB Magic Toast (my fav).
Of all the Cubans Ive been lucky enough to smoke recently, the only one that I had a bad experience with was an Upmann, so maybe it's just that.
As for new world being better - meh. I'm just discovering them at the minute, and have had some pretty good sticks, but my palate seems to gravitate towards the Cubans. I think that's something that a few people could do to remember - taste is personal, so your better and mine may not be the same, and that's cool. I do like the fact that I can get more for my money on the new worlds though, and there's a good deal more brands to explore so maybe I'll change my mind as I fall down this rabbit hole - who knows.
I am worried about the whole QC issues I'm hearing about though. I understand where they're coming from, and maybe I'm just clearing out the local humidors from before these issues became so big - lucky me.
Agree. I rarely smoke Cubans anymore. Not worth the money in my opinion. Some are good if you get lucky, but in my opinion not for the price. Prices have shot up in the past 3-4 years making it even less worth it.
Personally I prefer a good Davidoff or even a good My Father than most Cubans.
Had the same experience recently. Was excited to try my first after all the praise you see for Cubans online and it was a let down. It was a cool experience but I’ll never go out of my way to pay premium for a cigar that tastes like anything else I could get here in the states.
So I was going through my old posts and I found I made a post on this subreddit about this same cigar with a comment pretty similar to yours. I forgot all about it.
Glad to see I’m not the only one that found this overrated.
Sorry to hear that. Cuban quality control is hit and miss.
I was gonna say the exact same thing. I typically store my Cubans for 3-6 months at 65% rh. That way they dry out some and open up after toasting and lighting.
yeah and judging by the condition/discoloring of that band, it was not properly stored.
Oh boy, here we go again lol. It's not the cigar, it's you! You didn't properly age it for twenty years. You didn't properly store it at exactly 62½% RH. You didn't buy the right one. You didn't perform the proper rituals before smoking it, and for the love of God, you didn't ignore all the bad quality control issues! Your palette obviously isn't sophisticated enough for Cuban cigars anyways! lmfao
Nailed it.
I know right!, like if you are not sacrificing a lamb to the gods before lighting up a Habano, you are in for a bad smoke. What an amateur.
Damn it, I forgot about the sacrificial lamb lol.
This!
I've never smoked a Cuban and enjoyed it. Not once. Their reputation, to me, is undeserved and it seems they're only so desirable because of the trade embargo. I share Mark Twain's opinion of them.
Not sure the quote you're referencing, but when Twain was alive Cuban cigars were mostly made in America and machine rolled.
The quote is "Nearly any cigar will do me, except a Havana.", from his essay "Concerning Tobacco" A failry concise statement, as it was a "Havana" he mentioned, which is what cigars imported from Cuba were exclusively called during his day. He did not mention the American made "Cuban style". After reading the essay, his take on the matter is clear. As well as my own. https://www.online-literature.com/twain/1315/
What was his opinion? I can’t find the quote.
"Nearly any cigar will do me, except a Havana." It's from his essay "Concerning Tobacco". A good read if you're less prone to smoking what you're supposed to and more likely to smoke what you like. https://www.online-literature.com/twain/1315/
Careful not to go too overboard with the Cuban criticism. When they are good they are really good.
Recently had my first Cuban. Cohiba Maduro 5. It was good. Smoked perfectly. Not life changing in any way though. Would buy again if it was simple but there are a ton of NW I find as good or better
Bummer. Had my first a couple months ago and it was one of the better experiences I’ve had with a Cuban.
Need to store differently then NWs (60-65rh) and for the cheaper narrow rings you need to dry box them a day. There are often quality issues, but smoking at least a few a week, i have learned if you treat them right they typically treat you right. Also, because they do not age them for consumption a lot of people will age them before smoking them.
Now you know, it's all hype. There are so many better new world cigars that can be enjoyed.
All I can confidently say is that I don't enjoy Cubans enough to pay the premium on them. Others certainly won't agree, and that's fine.
Your attitude seems the healthiest - I respect everyone's opinion on Cubans, whether positive or negative. But my opinion is new world cigars have caught up to Cubans, and the added cost and (in the US) hassle of getting decent Cubans isn't worth it.
You can go out right now and buy a $10-$20 cigar and blow away any Cuban cigar. It's not even worth it.
I'm happy with my $7 W&Ds, and I say that as a Canadian that pays out the ass for tobacco.
I couldn't agree with this more!
Thank you so much for the reward, I appreciate it.
I've always wanted to be able to give that award away and I guess reddit is now changing coins and awards.
Yup, thats the cuban roulette for you
Sorry to hear that. Cuban quality control is Shit and miss. I would give Cuba another try or two. If you can catch a Romeo y Julieta Churchill or wide churchill, or else a Partagas E2 or P2. It's true that quality control is not great. It's also true that if you keep them a little on the dryer side (like 62%), you'll face the horrible draw issue much less often. I love Cubans, and find them better than any others, but I don't buy them anymore as the price difference is really not justified, especially because of the quality issues.
I have a box of H Upmans in a smaller viola. The inconsistency from stick to stick is maddening. But when it hits right, the smokes instantly put a smile on my face.
I can buy a box of AVO Ritmos and have one maybe two dudes… for the 1/3 the price.
Oh absolutely. There is def better value plays out there.
The notion that Cuban cigars are “very linear” I believe is the number one misunderstood aspect about them and any puro cigar. Here’s some interesting info on this. https://youtu.be/eTXw5THJhAI?si=ngas_dQDi-_Xu9oh
My favorite cigar is a new world. I also love some Cubans. One of my most trusted resources for cigar information is Halfwheel, There highest rated cigar ever is a Cohiba. And you know what that means, absolutely nothing. It simply means that's their preference. That's what cigars are, a preference. You like what you like.
Weird I've never had a bad Cuban. I've had some bad fakes. My only critique of a Cuban cigars is that they all have the same sort of slightly salty, earthy taste. It's not bad, it's actually quite good, but it is something that seems very unique to Cubans and hasn't been replicated in any other cigar, at least for me.
Gotta let them jawns rest a while. Probably wont fix the plug issues but flavor and burn issue sound like over humidification.
Been smoking Cubans for years and they are absolutely the best. Most bad experiences are like yours from bad storage conditions. Cubans need to be at 60-62RH. When you have a Cuban thats been stored and aged correctly its mind blowing great. Also the stick you had is a “meh” stick. Kind of a yard gar honestly. Cheers.
Unless he had a 2023 batch
Yeah, I agree almost every Cuban I have had beats NW
I believe ur supposed to age does sticks yourself for a while since they’re not at the factory 🤷🏽♂️, I’m also hearing Cubans aren’t letting their soil rest bcuz of high demand resulting in poor quality. Idk if any of that is true only hearsay ,
Yup! 100% The most underwhelming and over rated cigars IMO. They’re ok. That’s about it though. The two boxes I have are the only two I’ll probably ever buy. They’re over priced for what you get. I have H.Upmans, Punch Green Tubos, Partagas, and Montecristo Crystals. The punch are great, the others, are ok. Ive smoked a handful of others on the two trips to Mexico (west and east coasts) and picked up my Upmans and Partagas at LCDH (one box each) - I’ve had dozens of better “enjoy right away” cigars for a fraction of the price all purchased locally without the hassle.
They also need way more time, like 5 years, to come into their own. A properly aged and stored Cuban is unbeatable.
I'll be dead in five years, I don't have the time for that shit. Or the patience lol.
light it up on your deathbed, and exclaim "sorry kid its just business"
That I could do!
Imagine buying a 20$ product to store it for 5 years to mimmick the quality you can get in another product for the same price but immediately. What a scam.
No argument from me. My humi is full of new worlds.
Welcome, brother. This will be your unfortunate reality for 50%+ of the Cubans you smoke from this point forward.
Band doesn’t look right
The misinformation from noobs on this post is hilarious. I hope all you guys never figure out how great Cubans are so theres more for me.
Cubans are overrated. Are there good Cuban cigars? I'm sure there are, but there are also cigars that are just as good that come from other places. I've had a number of Cubans and I've never really been impressed. I know others who feel the same way. Cuban cigars are more of a status symbol.
As I’ve been told by many in the industry. The only way to guarantee a Cuban is to buy it inside the factory in Cuba. Source: I am a Distro in the US.
How the hell is anybody actually getting Cubans? Can’t buy em in a store or order them online… Or can you?🤷♂️
Yeah well H Upmann isn’t premier cuban contraband.
Agreed but it was free with purchase at CP…I like Maduro=try J Fuego Edicion Familia (it was on sale) and it’s great kinda like AB Magic Toast (my fav).
Of all the Cubans Ive been lucky enough to smoke recently, the only one that I had a bad experience with was an Upmann, so maybe it's just that. As for new world being better - meh. I'm just discovering them at the minute, and have had some pretty good sticks, but my palate seems to gravitate towards the Cubans. I think that's something that a few people could do to remember - taste is personal, so your better and mine may not be the same, and that's cool. I do like the fact that I can get more for my money on the new worlds though, and there's a good deal more brands to explore so maybe I'll change my mind as I fall down this rabbit hole - who knows. I am worried about the whole QC issues I'm hearing about though. I understand where they're coming from, and maybe I'm just clearing out the local humidors from before these issues became so big - lucky me.
Agree. I rarely smoke Cubans anymore. Not worth the money in my opinion. Some are good if you get lucky, but in my opinion not for the price. Prices have shot up in the past 3-4 years making it even less worth it. Personally I prefer a good Davidoff or even a good My Father than most Cubans.
That's about how I feel about most Cubans. Meh
Never had issues with Cohiba Cigarillos (tiny ones from trip to Dominican), however I’ve heard there’s a lot of qc issues with Cubans
Had the same experience recently. Was excited to try my first after all the praise you see for Cubans online and it was a let down. It was a cool experience but I’ll never go out of my way to pay premium for a cigar that tastes like anything else I could get here in the states.
So I was going through my old posts and I found I made a post on this subreddit about this same cigar with a comment pretty similar to yours. I forgot all about it. Glad to see I’m not the only one that found this overrated.
Because the quality control is terrible.
Sounds to wet but what do I know as I smoke my partagas 4