Cuba

[Snowdin]

I'm sure there are a bunch of folks who have been there. We are planning a trip sometime this winter to Veradaro. How many cigars can you bring back to Canada? Where would be the best place buy them? What would you expect to pay? PS What is your favorite Cuban? I like the H Upmann brand.

 

[X-it]

The life guards at the beach are the ones to ask, the most expensive one's you could get in a nice wooden box where only 60 bucks (cohiba) 80 dollars a cigar here. If i remember correctly two boxes of cigars, montecristo seemed to taste the best back when i smoked.

 

[Pinner]

You're allowed 2 boxes of 25 per person. Probably buying them at the airport would be easiest. Lots of counterfeit cigars in Cuba, buy them from a store.

 

[X-it]

I bought one box from the cigar factory in Havana and one from the life guard and another from a street bum. The one from the street bum you could tell he made his own not to well rolled, the best tasting cigars ever. And as far as banana leafs ..come on you would have to be dam stupid not to tell the difference with a banana leaf.

 

[rubirose]

I'm sure there are a bunch of folks who have been there. We are planning a trip sometime this winter to Veradaro. How many cigars can you bring back to Canada? Where would be the best place buy them? What would you expect to pay? PS What is your favorite Cuban? I like the H Upmann brand.

OMG Dan, you and your beloved cigars. The old indian trick did not work, now you have to actually go to where they make them.lol

 

[frock]

What pinner said, you're allowed 50 without having to pay. I looked for a few days for a driver that spoke decent english then hired him and his taxi for the day to take us to Havana and back. There is tours that take you there, but you are stuck to there schedule and it was cheaper for us this way. The main reason I wanted to go to Havana was to go to the Partagus Cigar Factory. Try the Trinidad Fundadores, prior to going to Partagus if you can find them. I bought a box at Partagus to bring home, they come in boxes of 24. Try Monte Cristo as well, they are pretty good. I brought back a box of No. 3's as well as the Trinidads.

 

[the_real_wild1]

When you are there they will tell you dont buy cigars from anyone on the street. Only buy from a store. I bought a pile of them there. One case from a dude on the street. They were fakes. Really really good fakes. The only way I knee for sure was to cut them open. The tags were real and the box looked real except it was missing the date mark on the bottom. Bought some singles from the resort we stayed in. Some were ok, some were ch!t. Also bought some from the factory store(case) they were ok. I was pretty disappointed in what they had really. Sadly the best ones I had were the freebie ones they left in our room.

 

[the_real_wild1]

And yeah I think the best one I bought from there were the montecristos

 

[thegeneral]

try this guy while your there, he is a general physician so his english is very good and he knows pretty much everything there is to know about Cuba
Osnay Mederos Lamelo
Tel: 01-5-261-9404
24 hrs

 

[RMK Junky]

Cohiba, Monte Cristo, Romeo Juliet, Punch, and a few other's I'd purchased from the resort, downtown Havanna and Veradero, and at the airport. It will cost you 10% more if you use your credit card because they reflect on the US dollar. Either way it's still way cheaper than buying them back in Canada. $24 for a 5 pack of #5 Monty's there and $96 here at home. It's all the taxes I was told ... Oh, and don't forget the rum. Two bottles of 750ml allowed per person.

 

[the_real_wild1]

If you like rum try a bottle of Legendario. I was told it is 7 year old rum mixed with red wine. It will fawk you up if you have more then a few. Really got shot while smoking a cigar.

 

[rubirose]

If you like rum try a bottle of Legendario. I was told it is 7 year old rum mixed with red wine. It will fawk you up if you have more then a few. Really got shot while smoking a cigar.

Our home made "Port" wine does that also to people, Snowdin would know.lol

 

[Riverjet]

I've never been there but a coworker who has tells me he takes a pile of toothbrushes to Cuba with him and hands them out on the streets. Apparently they are hard to come by.

 

[byronkentgraham]

Cohiba's are excellent cigars bought 10 in Rome for 10 Euro. Quite an interesting story behind them to.

Had a box of 5 Guatamera's I got in Banff for $20 last year, they tasted like soap.

 

[Snowdin]

Thanks everyone for the reply's. Yes will definatley check out the rum also. We can compare it to your port Rubirose

 

[Snowdin]

Speaking of taxes. I bought some cigars in Edmonton last week and noticed the price went up. The dude said yes the government increased taxes. Couple days ago I paid 50.58 for a bottle of Gibbsons in Grande Prairie. I pay 41.50 in Whitecourt. I know Grande Prairie is expensive but dammit did taxes go up that much.

Dear Government of Alberta: I enjoy a Whiskey before supper and a cigar after. Please stop messing with the things I enjoy in life

 

[RMK Junky]

Had a box of 5 Guatamera's I got in Banff for $20 last year, they tasted like soap.

I tried these also and didn't care for them either

 

[Bogger]

the first time I went south I had a shopping list from our local physician as I'm not a big fan of cigars... his top choices were.

1. Bolivar Coronas
2. Cohiba Esplandidos (expensive fuggers)
3. Montecristo Especiales

The 100 cigars we brought back with us would have cost him over $3500 locally, I paid $325 CAD he paid me $650 CAD...

But I didn't buy in Cuba, I bought in the Dominican from the guys on the beach who smuggle them over. when I checked them out back at the resort it turns out 1 of the four boxes was fake, I went back the next day and questioned them and as soon as they knew that I had done my research they replaced the Cahibos with authentic...

I didn't find the prices in Cuba to be all that great, ended up bringing back lucky strikes from there....

 

[intmid8or!]

go on the tour in havana, hit the cigar tour, dudes that make them sell them to you right from their bench

 

[Snowdin]

go on the tour in havana, hit the cigar tour, dudes that make them sell them to you right from their bench

Yes this is what I was wondering. You would think the place that make them must sell them too and that would be the cheapest place to buy.

By the way not a fan at all of any of the Monticristo's.
Haven't tried a Cohiba yet heard they are good. Maybe that why they are expensive fuggers.