TJGladeRaider Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 I have a Client who has one of the best Law Firms I work for. He has been buying what he believes to be Cuban cigars from a local bartender. I think they are fake. Is anyone knowledgeable about this sort of thing? Is there a source known to sell genuine Cubans? Are they more dangerous/difficult to have sent than rep watches? Thanks for any help. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alextor Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 I have a Client who has one of the best Law Firms I work for. He has been buying what he believes to be Cuban cigars from a local bartender. I think they are fake. Is anyone knowledgeable about this sort of thing? Is there a source known to sell genuine Cubans? Are they more dangerous/difficult to have sent than rep watches? Thanks for any help. Bill Hello Bill, I only get my cubans from the duty free shop....(myself and traveling friends) Apparently is much easier to get cubans in Florida (no pun intended) and maybe your bartender has a source there. The one person to ask is your local tobacconist...mine used to get a few now and then and kept me posted...but then I moved. Another way to get them was to have them shipped without the labels and paper rings...those can in turn be mailed in a regular envelope separately... I've learned however and IMHO, that the non-cubans that taste more like cubans are the Davidoffs grand cru (I like #4 or #3)... Hope this helps...somehow PM sent...after 700club's post Cheers Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
700club Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 PM sent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
700club Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 if you are in the US dont do it. the penalties are to stiff: Criminal penalties for violation of the Regulations range up to $1,000,000 in fines for corporations, $250,000 for individuals and up to 10 years in prison. Civil penaltiesof up to $65,000 per violation may be imposed by OFAC. Suspected embargo violations may be reported telephonically to OFAC's Enforcement Division at (202)622-2430 or via facsimile at 202 622-1657.Date 09/30/2004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJGladeRaider Posted August 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 if you are in the US dont do it. the penalties are to stiff: Criminal penalties for violation of the Regulations range up to $1,000,000 in fines for corporations, $250,000 for individuals and up to 10 years in prison. Civil penaltiesof up to $65,000 per violation may be imposed by OFAC. Suspected embargo violations may be reported telephonically to OFAC's Enforcement Division at (202)622-2430 or via facsimile at 202 622-1657.Date 09/30/2004 Thanks for the PM WTF is the matter with this Country? You cannot get in that much trouble for importing coke - what a crock! I should have bought some nice Cohibas when I was in Geneve Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
700club Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 I understand your point, to Americans they are just cigars but if you were able to visit Cuba and see what it is like to live under Castro you may agree with why we do not support the Dictator. I mean no disrespect to you my friend. Best Wishes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
700club Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 Thanks for the PM WTF is the matter with this Country? You cannot get in that much trouble for importing coke - what a crock! I should have bought some nice Cohibas when I was in Geneve Bill BTW this is being enforced. Think 3 times before your order. http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Ar...322,480,00.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotoman Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 Here is the real deal - there is a big industry in cigars coming from other south american countries that get sold as fake cubans in the US. Most cubans sold in the US or in carribien cruise ports are fakes. I got a connection that can get the real deal, i did it once for a client of mine. 120 a box. And my wife's cousin (wife is cuban) actually went there 6 months ago and brought back a handful of cigars. Which i also gave one to one of my clients. - I don't smoke - but the point i am making is, they are not really any better than a dozen others. THe only real appeal is that they are illegal. I would recommend waiting a few months, looks like the world will change there very quickly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slay Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 first off, I always thought that embargo against cuba was more than hilarious... viva la revolution! now, how to spot a fake? 1. Do not buy from street vendors (okay, you have no other choice because you have such a nice gov't) 2. Print on the little paper thing has to be crisp and proper 3. Zigars in a Box HAVE to be sorted from the lightest on the right to the darkest on the left 4. Those little paper things all have to be on the same spot 5. some sort of tax mark should be on it 6. all cigars have to have the same weight and size 7. only a cohiba tastes like a cohiba! and last of all: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJGladeRaider Posted August 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 I understand your point, to Americans they are just cigars but if you were able to visit Cuba and see what it is like to live under Castro you may agree with why we do not support the Dictator. I mean no disrespect to you my friend. Best Wishes As with all things, there is a flip side to this coin. I grew up in Guantanamo, our Navy Base in Cuba from the mid sixties, until I graduated from High School in 1975. There is a reason why Castro has been popular - and make no mistake, he was VERY popular - that has nothing to do with brutality. This guy should never be compared to the brutal despots of the world. In the 1950s, Cuba, under Batitsa, was essentially one big sugar plantation - a slave state to US interests, both sugar and oil. Some of you may find the following to be of interest. Operation Zapata - you may know it as Bay of Pigs More about Zapata The bottom line is, Cuba was a place where a very small group of "have gots" lorded over an entire population of "have nots" in subservience to US interests. Castro nationalized everything, took the wealth of the "have gots" spread it among the "have nots" and kicked the US interests out . . . sort of sounds like another revolution a couple of hundred years prior. Study the situation and check what the stats say about educational levels, infant mortality rates, average income, life expectancy as it existed under Batista, and as it is under Castro. You don't even want me to get started on the hero JFK and the way he stared down the Kremlin in the Cuban Missile Crisis - if the chicken-[censored] gutless puke hadn't abandoned the US CIA trained . . . no, let's just stick to watches. Thanks so much my friend for that other, wonderful, information. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linder Posted August 22, 2006 Report Share Posted August 22, 2006 (edited) While we're on the subject of Cigars, if you fancy a free Montecristo White, there is a sample offer for another 9 days here: http://www.montecristosampleoffer.com/ Edited August 22, 2006 by Linder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
700club Posted August 22, 2006 Report Share Posted August 22, 2006 While we're on the subject of Cigars, if you fancy a free Montecristo White, there is a sample offer for another 9 days here: http://www.montecristosampleoffer.com/ thanks for the tip. cant beat a free stick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linder Posted August 22, 2006 Report Share Posted August 22, 2006 Mine just came in and proved to be legit which reminded me to post the offer to others. Hope you enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erd04056 Posted August 22, 2006 Report Share Posted August 22, 2006 8 Decent sticks + humidor for $15 www.cigarsintl.com/sa677 I posted this on RWI too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddhead Posted August 22, 2006 Report Share Posted August 22, 2006 As with all things, there is a flip side to this coin. I grew up in Guantanamo, our Navy Base in Cuba from the mid sixties, until I graduated from High School in 1975. There is a reason why Castro has been popular - and make no mistake, he was VERY popular - that has nothing to do with brutality. This guy should never be compared to the brutal despots of the world. In the 1950s, Cuba, under Batitsa, was essentially one big sugar plantation - a slave state to US interests, both sugar and oil. Some of you may find the following to be of interest. Operation Zapata - you may know it as Bay of Pigs More about Zapata The bottom line is, Cuba was a place where a very small group of "have gots" lorded over an entire population of "have nots" in subservience to US interests. Castro nationalized everything, took the wealth of the "have gots" spread it among the "have nots" and kicked the US interests out . . . sort of sounds like another revolution a couple of hundred years prior. Study the situation and check what the stats say about educational levels, infant mortality rates, average income, life expectancy as it existed under Batista, and as it is under Castro. You don't even want me to get started on the hero JFK and the way he stared down the Kremlin in the Cuban Missile Crisis - if the chicken-[censored] gutless puke hadn't abandoned the US CIA trained . . . no, let's just stick to watches. Thanks so much my friend for that other, wonderful, information. Bill Great points. The other point I will make is that we have or advocate free trade agreements with regimes that are equally or more brutal than what cuba is purported to be. I mean, mainland china? while gains have been made, where in the world is there more religous persecution than there? you could probably name a dozen other countries that equally stomp on human rites (if you do not believe me read some amnesty international publications) but we trade with them. we think long and hard about imposing sanctions on anybody becasue ideologically, our position is that global trade is good... it socialized democracy as well as captialism and raises world-wide living standards. it provides the venue for introducing western democratic values. sanctions by comparison hurt the very people who are victimizied by totalitarianistic regimes. so why the hard-on for cuba? it is not the brutal dicatator factor, it is our history, the blackeyes we suffered and its geographic proxemity to the US. and it is ridiculus. we hurt ourselves as well as disadvantaged cuban citizens whose living standards would be raised by increased tourism and trade with the us. ok off my soapbox again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slay Posted August 22, 2006 Report Share Posted August 22, 2006 8 Decent sticks + humidor for $15 www.cigarsintl.com/sa677 I posted this on RWI too. too bad they dont ship internationally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OiRogers Posted August 30, 2006 Report Share Posted August 30, 2006 While we're on the subject of Cigars, if you fancy a free Montecristo White, there is a sample offer for another 9 days here: http://www.montecristosampleoffer.com/ Sweetness. Slipped in under the wire. Free quality Cigars without the effort or pain of buming em off my friends... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manuel Posted October 15, 2006 Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 Here in Spain we dont have such restrictions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest aclaimsman Posted October 15, 2006 Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 Bill, I did an internet search on this subject about 2 weeks ago and found several companies willing to ship to the US and guarantee delivery. I am not sure if they are legit, but could be worth a try? My .02 Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retep Posted October 15, 2006 Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 Hoyo de monterrey was the one for me. try it and you will not regret. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alextor Posted October 15, 2006 Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 Hoyo de monterrey was the one for me. try it and you will not regret. You are right! I'm salivating as I recall a couple of cuban Hoyos I had in Portugal last year...sadly in the States cubans are not worth the risk of going 'under' to get them...I found, IMHO that the best non-cubans that taste like cuban montecristos (#4 my favorite) are the Davidoffs grand cru Davidoff cigars Cheers Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Manny Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 Why worry about importing Cubans when you have great Dominican cigars. Same taste, better quality. Now I won't get into Castro and his festive red panties/plum smugglers but don't let the laws keep you from great cigars. Cheers, CM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OiRogers Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 I'll back Chicken Manny on this one... I've had a few cubans over the past several years... Yeah they were very good cigars... but I must admist the Dominicans and other such fine south/central american makers are also putting out a fine product... Hopefully someday soon the ban on Cuban cigars will end... till then I'll be puffing Dominicans... and the occasional Cuban when my friend feels generous enough to share. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krustybrand Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 (edited) Cubans are quite legal and easy to get here in the great white north. That being said, I've always felt that cigars look and smell like you are sucking on a burning turd. Edited October 16, 2006 by krustybrand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hansolo Posted October 17, 2006 Report Share Posted October 17, 2006 You want knowledge about cigars go to the forum: www.cigarfamily.com Ask questions in the "Fine Cigar" room... BOTL (brothers of the leaf) will come to assist... hansolo45 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.