Even though I have only been smoking cigars for only a year I have been fortunate enough to experience some of the best and difficult to get cigars. Lately, because of a good and reliable connection, I started smoking Cuban cigars almost exclusively. I have visited authentic Habano Authorized stores and inspected plenty of cigar boxes in most Habano brands. Now I don't claim to be a cigar expert and much less a Cuban cigar expert but here are some observations to take into account.1) There are some excellent non-Cuban cigars out there which I would rather smoke any day over most Cubans. Among them the AF Don Carlos and Hemingway lines and the Padron Aniversarios. Of course the hard to get Patragas 150 series is superb, way above just about any other Cuban or non-Cuban cigar. Bottom line, if its excellent flavor and consistency you like there are plenty of non-Cuban options.2) The quality and consistency of the average Cuban cigar (Romeo Y Juleta, Rey Del Mundo, Allon Ramones etc. is par with the average non-cuban cigar. In the average box of Cuban cigars you will find plenty of variations in wrapper shades, sunspots, veins on the leaf etc. I find that some cigar magazine writers and self proclaimed experts mention this total perfection in consistent wrapper shade, size and construction. A load of BS. Remember these are hand-made products and while a master grade roller is capable of excellent consistency, perfect consistency is impossible to obtain. I found better consistency in the Padron or Davidoff (to mention a few) lines than in almost any Cuban box.3) While in the topic of rollers we know that a lot of Cubans master rollers are just not there any more. A number of them have left Cuba and are working for Nick Padromo, Arturo Fuente etc. I am not saying that there are no Master Rollers in Cuba just that there are also plenty of shall we say non-Master rollers. I have found plenty of inconsistencies in the boxes of Cubans I have smoked recently. Some hard to draw, cigars I have to keep on re-lighting or burn fairly uneven. Now before you say anything let me remind you that I bought these boxes personally from a legitimate Habano Authorized store. And I am talking about Romeo y Julieta, Ramon Allones, Punch and Sancho Panza (I bought five boxes last time). We even had to go through a few Montecristo LE robustos to get five with a nice even consistent dark wrapper.
Now I am not putting down Cuban cigars. There is no doubt about the quality in construction in a Cuban cigar; my points above are on the consistency not the quality. The pre-light aroma of a Cuban cigar is pure glory and unmistakable. The taste is also unique and distinct. While not all Cubans are to my liking there are some that quite frankly I dislike, just like there are some non-Cubans I dislike (like Opus X for example). I am sorry if I am adding confusion to the Cuban issue/myth. Also, this is not post is not meant to criticize any particular member I just felt it necessary to clear the air on something I notice is more legend than truth.
Now I am not putting down Cuban cigars. There is no doubt about the quality in construction in a Cuban cigar; my points above are on the consistency not the quality. The pre-light aroma of a Cuban cigar is pure glory and unmistakable. The taste is also unique and distinct. While not all Cubans are to my liking there are some that quite frankly I dislike, just like there are some non-Cubans I dislike (like Opus X for example). I am sorry if I am adding confusion to the Cuban issue/myth. Also, this is not post is not meant to criticize any particular member I just felt it necessary to clear the air on something I notice is more legend than truth.