SamuelClemens
Member
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2017
- Messages
- 21
** This report is abit dated now because it was back in April, but I wanted to post it as a basis for follow ups. I've returned to Cuba every month since April**
My first trip to Cuba - if you are considering it... don't wait, take the plunge. I'm going again in 2 months!
Flight was an easy non-stop 4.5 flight from LAX to HAV $344 roundtrip on Alaska Air. Declare that you are person to person educational trip. It’s the easiest to qualify for as you state that you are learning about the culture, food, music, cigars etc through independent travel. I booked a casa particulares. This is a private owned home on Airbnb. The government has started to allow private business for Cuban home owners. This is cheaper than hotels because the hotels are state owned management that was charging $600+ for “a 5 star” which in Cuban terms is a 3.5 star. We paid $70 per night per room for a beautiful casa with a pool. (includes breakfast) Currency, US dollar has a 10% penalty as well as a 3% conversion charge to cuban convertible peso. So I bought Euro then changed to cuban. I lost 6% in conversion vs. 13% for US dollar.
Rum: dirt cheap. Havana Club 7, Santiago 7, Legendario was $6.50 per bottle. These are quite decent and go for $40-60 here in the US. Santiago 11 and Havana Club Mastro was $40. Found 2 bottles of Barrel Proof for $100. I prefer Santiago. Smooth, hint of sweetness, caramel and woody. The Santiago 25 was amazing but I am a cheap bastage so I didn’t buy any bottles. $240.
Cigars: This is where it gets long. We were blessed in our guide, the ex-president of Habanos SA. This guy new everything about everything about Cuban cigars. I learned more in a week than 27 years of smoking Cubans. This guy makes more working as a tour guide. He charges $150 per day which includes a car. Which is what you would pay anyway for an english speaking driver with car. But he made it VIP the whole week. He had all the master rollers on speed dial. We never paid for factory tours or farm tours. For example, we sat in all the VIP lounges while the managers and master rollers sat and smoked with us. Hirochi Robaina pulled up a chair in the middle of his work and brought out his private stash of personal cigars to smoke with us!
Our first stop was the mecca of Cuban cigars, the old Partagas factory which is now shut down and just a La Casa Del Habanos. It felt like Olivanders wand shop. Just so beautiful it makes you want to cry. Met our first torcedor, La Chine. Torcedors are allowed to make extra money by custom rolling cigars which they split 50% with the state. $25 a month is average salary for a Cuban. I was abit disappointed in La Chine pyramides and robusto. Very light (refined taste?) but after 6 cigars that day I couldn’t taste them for shit they were so light. $5 per stick.
Alex at the Comodoro Hotel. The youngest torcedor in present cuba at 31 years old. His cigars were incredibly amazing. He offered any size, and length. His canonazo was the best for me. 54 by 6. $5 per stick. And his behike 52. Also $5
Yolanda at the Melia Habana. Her robusto was amazing, but my tastes give Alex the slight edge. $5 . She was incredibly gracious. Definitely the queen of her domain, which includes the Comodoro and Melia Habana as she runs the place. She stayed and smoked a cigar with us, wanting to talk to foreigners.
Jorge, took over for Enrique Mons. His Lonsdale was very good, but his other sizes were unimpressive for me. $7 stick.
Cueto, his cigars have gone down in quality. Taste is still amazing to me but underfilled with less complexity than years past. $7-10.
While talking with Hirochi, Tobacco leaf was supposed to be best harvest ever. Truth was leaf quality is good but output is at less than 50%. Large sizes and top boxes were nowhere to be found. Searched 10+ stores and no behike. Was told that top boxes will be scarce for at least 2 years now, so buy up what you can. Its only going to get worse.
Obama removed import limits. Brought home 22.5 bundles and boxes. In excess of 600 sticks. Had to buy another cabinet humidor.
10 bottles of rum. Santiago 11 and legendario.
Trip was worth every penny. Already booked for return trip. Feel free to ask questions.
My first trip to Cuba - if you are considering it... don't wait, take the plunge. I'm going again in 2 months!
Flight was an easy non-stop 4.5 flight from LAX to HAV $344 roundtrip on Alaska Air. Declare that you are person to person educational trip. It’s the easiest to qualify for as you state that you are learning about the culture, food, music, cigars etc through independent travel. I booked a casa particulares. This is a private owned home on Airbnb. The government has started to allow private business for Cuban home owners. This is cheaper than hotels because the hotels are state owned management that was charging $600+ for “a 5 star” which in Cuban terms is a 3.5 star. We paid $70 per night per room for a beautiful casa with a pool. (includes breakfast) Currency, US dollar has a 10% penalty as well as a 3% conversion charge to cuban convertible peso. So I bought Euro then changed to cuban. I lost 6% in conversion vs. 13% for US dollar.
Rum: dirt cheap. Havana Club 7, Santiago 7, Legendario was $6.50 per bottle. These are quite decent and go for $40-60 here in the US. Santiago 11 and Havana Club Mastro was $40. Found 2 bottles of Barrel Proof for $100. I prefer Santiago. Smooth, hint of sweetness, caramel and woody. The Santiago 25 was amazing but I am a cheap bastage so I didn’t buy any bottles. $240.
Cigars: This is where it gets long. We were blessed in our guide, the ex-president of Habanos SA. This guy new everything about everything about Cuban cigars. I learned more in a week than 27 years of smoking Cubans. This guy makes more working as a tour guide. He charges $150 per day which includes a car. Which is what you would pay anyway for an english speaking driver with car. But he made it VIP the whole week. He had all the master rollers on speed dial. We never paid for factory tours or farm tours. For example, we sat in all the VIP lounges while the managers and master rollers sat and smoked with us. Hirochi Robaina pulled up a chair in the middle of his work and brought out his private stash of personal cigars to smoke with us!
Our first stop was the mecca of Cuban cigars, the old Partagas factory which is now shut down and just a La Casa Del Habanos. It felt like Olivanders wand shop. Just so beautiful it makes you want to cry. Met our first torcedor, La Chine. Torcedors are allowed to make extra money by custom rolling cigars which they split 50% with the state. $25 a month is average salary for a Cuban. I was abit disappointed in La Chine pyramides and robusto. Very light (refined taste?) but after 6 cigars that day I couldn’t taste them for shit they were so light. $5 per stick.
Alex at the Comodoro Hotel. The youngest torcedor in present cuba at 31 years old. His cigars were incredibly amazing. He offered any size, and length. His canonazo was the best for me. 54 by 6. $5 per stick. And his behike 52. Also $5
Yolanda at the Melia Habana. Her robusto was amazing, but my tastes give Alex the slight edge. $5 . She was incredibly gracious. Definitely the queen of her domain, which includes the Comodoro and Melia Habana as she runs the place. She stayed and smoked a cigar with us, wanting to talk to foreigners.
Jorge, took over for Enrique Mons. His Lonsdale was very good, but his other sizes were unimpressive for me. $7 stick.
Cueto, his cigars have gone down in quality. Taste is still amazing to me but underfilled with less complexity than years past. $7-10.
While talking with Hirochi, Tobacco leaf was supposed to be best harvest ever. Truth was leaf quality is good but output is at less than 50%. Large sizes and top boxes were nowhere to be found. Searched 10+ stores and no behike. Was told that top boxes will be scarce for at least 2 years now, so buy up what you can. Its only going to get worse.
Obama removed import limits. Brought home 22.5 bundles and boxes. In excess of 600 sticks. Had to buy another cabinet humidor.
10 bottles of rum. Santiago 11 and legendario.
Trip was worth every penny. Already booked for return trip. Feel free to ask questions.
Inconceivable! I just can't see Neal in short shorts, rollerblading down the way with an albino boa on his shoulders.
