Do Cuban Smokers Fuss The Way We Do?

P

PUFFNMO

Lowland Gorilla
I've often wondered about this question. I have the feeling that in Cuba and other cigar producing countries, they are not so meticulous with storage, temperature, humidity etc. I'm even wondering whether they use humidors at all, since their climate is much more "cigar - friendly."

Anybody know more about this?

Going out now, looking forward to your opinions... Cheers, Larry.
 
You're right, they don't need humidors since Cuban humidity is optimum for cigars. As for "fussing"... I've no idea, never been there! ;)
 
Well, maybe "fuss" is the wrong word. I'm thinking that in Cuba, DR etc. they don't concern themselves much with the beads, the humidity gauges, the temperature, the rotation in the humidor, what kind of humidor, which cigar sits next to which, cello or no cello, tube or no tube, cedar box or dress box, etc.
I think that perhaps they light a stogie the way we pop open a can of Pepsi...
 
PUFFNMO said:
Well, maybe "fuss" is the wrong word. I'm thinking that in Cuba, DR etc. they don't concern themselves much with the beads, the humidity gauges, the temperature, the rotation in the humidor, what kind of humidor, which cigar sits next to which, cello or no cello, tube or no tube, cedar box or dress box, etc.
I think that perhaps they light a stogie the way we pop open a can of Pepsi...
Click to expand...
Mmmmmmm
stogie pepsi
 
BamaDoc77 said:
cubans dont age cigars...it would be analogous to use aging Marlboro lights.
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Maybe they are missing out on something and don't know it. If they tasted their own cigars after 5 years in the humi, they might decide to raise the price...
 
Anybody from Cuba , DR, Honduras out there? Anybody? Arturo.....Nick .... where are you...


Actually, I was hoping that there would be a reply from someone just back from Cuba (maybe in Europe or Asia) who would give a detailed run-down on the taste and smoking qualities of freshly rolled Havanas, and maybe an interesting tale of a small cigar maker hidden away on a side street who makes stogies so delicious that people from all over come to see him and beg to be able to buy a box. Nobody will divulge his name in order to protect their source. It has been rumored, however, that Tony Blair paid a visit to the shop in '07 and gladly handed over $325,000 for a box of 25.

I'm feeling feverish. The thread is definitely up for grabs... Larry.
 
Been there once. The only cigars I saw Cubans smoking were peso cigars, which they buy in a baggie from a street vendor. I imagine these products see very little in the way of care as we would describe it.
 
Everything I've ever read indicates they don't worry about humidification or rotation because the climate is naturally around 70% humidity. Go into a bodega in the old days and they'd just have boxes sitting out in the open.
One of my books has an older picture of Raoul Castro inspecting a field, and he had five or six cigars in his shirt pocket. No tubes or special carrier...just cello'd cigars, in his pocket.

And their prelight ritual was very simple...bite off one end, light the other!
 
PUFFNMO said:
I think that perhaps they light a stogie the way we pop open a can of Pepsi...
Click to expand...

Or perhaps they have a "soda culture" of aging, temperature, rotation and pre-opening rituals that WE would look on as a bit strange!

"You paid HOW MUCH for a sixer of 1977 Coke in bottles from the Atlanta plant????!!"

:D
 
No.

They dont have the money or means to fuss over cigars. Most are worrying about food and paying there bills day to day.

The cigars they smoke are pedestrian. They dont care about humidification at all. The weather down there makes Cuba one big humidor itself.
 
RPB67 said:
No.

They dont have the money or means to fuss over cigars. Most are worrying about food and paying there bills day to day.

The cigars they smoke are pedestrian. They dont care about humidification at all. The weather down there makes Cuba one big humidor itself.
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I'm no expert, but my guess would be very much the same.
 
Hello to all....

I try to only post nowadays wheb I have something new to add.

I am very close to a family who is half-Cuban down here and we have talked about this a lot:

1). Remember this a Socialist / Communist country, full of excellent people but with a political doctrine that goes against most of the Western world

2). The "Common Good" of the people means that most workers receive the equivalent to 15$ usd a month plus a stipend that gives them one big bottle of cooking oil, rice and beans

3). Those who are better off work in tourism and receive tips or work in restaurants and take food from their work (which is not allowed but accepted)

4). As for your question regarding the cigars... Those that can get their hands on something really good will try and sell them to tourists and they smoke the "Pesos" which is better than a Swisher Sweet but is analogous to Marlboros for them.

I hope this helps to answer your question in regards to Cuba..
 
M1903A1 said:
Or perhaps they have a "soda culture" of aging, temperature, rotation and pre-opening rituals that WE would look on as a bit strange!

"You paid HOW MUCH for a sixer of 1977 Coke in bottles from the Atlanta plant????!!"

:D
Click to expand...


It wouldn't surprise me at all! Seriously, there are a number of cross-cultural phenomena such as this, as for example the insatiable demand in Japan for used and worn Levi jeans.

It seems that anything coming from a far distant place carries an aura of mystery and desirability. As has been said, premium Havanas are valued in Cuba mainly as items to sell to tourists.

I seem to remember a member posting some time ago that the Fuente family and those who work for them will often light up a fresh Opus and then toss it after smoking an inch or two... Larry.
 
PUFFNMO said:
It wouldn't surprise me at all! Seriously, there are a number of cross-cultural phenomena such as this, as for example the insatiable demand in Japan for used and worn Levi jeans.

It seems that anything coming from a far distant place carries an aura of mystery and desirability. As has been said, premium Havanas are valued in Cuba mainly as items to sell to tourists.

I seem to remember a member posting some time ago that the Fuente family and those who work for them will often light up a fresh Opus and then toss it after smoking an inch or two... Larry.
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Can't say I blame them, fresh OpusX are horrible IMO. I an understand where they're coming from though. Look at how much tobacco they have, probably millions of pounds of it. I think they would think we're crazy for going to an all you can eat restaurant and wasting tons of food.

My Dad said in Africa people that are lucky enough to even have a car will have something from the 60's and would probably be in the junkyard here. He said they will have 15 people in it. Yet here people trade in vehicles every 2 years and don't think anything of it. Also, cigars are seen as a luxury product here, probably not so much there. I imagine they would trade places with us in a heartbeat.
 
PUFFNMO said:
Well, maybe "fuss" is the wrong word. I'm thinking that in Cuba, DR etc. they don't concern themselves much with the beads, the humidity gauges, the temperature, the rotation in the humidor, what kind of humidor, which cigar sits next to which, cello or no cello, tube or no tube, cedar box or dress box, etc.
I think that perhaps they light a stogie the way we pop open a can of Pepsi...
Click to expand...

True

My grandfather always told me that when he was in Cuba, what he craved for was a freshly rolled cigar, not one that was "aged"
 
Well the humidity in New Orleans rarely goes below 70 but that is outside. A/C system in your home sucks the humidity out. So I would think you would still need a storage solution.
 
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