I was talking with a friend at my coffee house who used to smoke cigars. The topic came up about lifting sanctions against Cuba and allowing cubans to be sold legally here.
Personally, I think a lot of Americans, myself included, will be disappointed with the Cubans, as a lot of us are used to, and prefer, a full flavored, full bodied smoke. The few Cubans I have had did not impress me so much. I'd rather smoke a nice full flavored Nicaraguan / blended cigar any day! I could be wrong, but the Cubans I have had were medium flavor at best and, while tasty, just didn't kick in for me.
Am I making generalizations? Are there full flavored Cubans out there, maybe maduros, that I am unaware of?
Actually, I kind of hope Americans take to them, it may lower the price of my favoriets (right now Patron 62 maduros, but that changes regularly...).
Anyone else have anything to add to this? Just curious...
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Oops, Padron 64...d'oh!
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Your assumption that most everyone prefers full-flavored non-Cuban cigars is way off base.
I could just as easily say a lot of us think the full-flavored powerhouses cater to the "strong so it must be good" mentality.
Personally, I prefer a medium strength, complex smoke that Cuban cigars seem to deliver consistently.

My :-) and worth as much.
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I agree I prefer a nice medium strength Cuban.

Now Americans probably would be disappointed with Cuba the country as it's not quite up to the standards Americans are use to. I loved it there. But not having eggs at your hotel one day and no cheese the next has it's drawbacks...
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I have always loved a full flavor cigar. But there are times when I want something with a different profile. I have really enjoyed the CC's that I have had. I for one would like to experience more of them, so lifting the embargo would be a good thing in my opinion.
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Thanks for the input! I figured I may be a bit off base here, so figured I'd put it to you guys. I sometimes think because I like something, most others will too. Totally wrong, I know! I mean, I love lima beans and brussel sprouts too...lol. Anyways, no matter my preference in smokes, I too think it would be a good thing to get the cigars to market, as a larger variety is nothing but a good thing for the industry.
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Yes a larger verity for sure but there are allot of great stogies out there and I'd personally liked to start smoking other countries finest. This is the largest reason I'm going to the Seattle Cigar expo. I wanna find what else is out there. I know Cuban brands inside and out but...
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In my opinion, lifting the embargo will only allow more choice. I don't think that the overwhelming majority will suddenly switch to CCs, although I'm sure that many will want to try the formerly forbidden fruit. The main influence I would expect to see is that the NCs will lower their price since CCs tend to be a lower price for a comparable quality cigar. I think that would be a good thing.

In the end, it is important to know what you like and like what you smoke. That's the only way to look at it, IMO.
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I agree plus the prices for the primo brands could hopefully drop also.
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Although I enjoy a full bodied smoke once or twice a week, I am pretty much done with the peppery ligero bombs which are currently the rage. I prefer depth and complexity in an every day smoke which is why I smoke about 75/25 Cuban cigars. :-)
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I don't know why people are under the false impression that just because a cigar is Cuban it MUST be better than every other cigar that isn't. It seems to me many people believe all Cuban Cigars will always blown their mind.

There is definitely a preference, and there are good and bad Cuban cigars. I think because everyone here in the U.S cannot get them regularly they talk them up to being so much better than the rest.

I'm with Peter, my preference is the medium bodied complex smoke. I'm not too much for those full bodied smokes. If you are though, Cubans are not for you.

Also I don't see why most people think if the embargo were to lift it would be the greatest thing in the world. The prices would skyrocket with taxes. No thanks.

This to me is a classic example of people in the U.S thinking things are better elsewhere without knowing anything about it. Also not knowing how good we currently have it.

:-) (worth much less)
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As many people here are fond of saying "Smoke what you like, like what you smoke". If you like the fuller-bodied NC's then more power to you -- enjoy them!

I like a variety of cigars. Sometimes I smoke a Padron because that is what I want. Sometimes I smoke a Cohiba because that is what I want.

I think the best thing for us all is a variety so that everyone has choices.

I'm not sure that the prices of NC's will drop when the embargo is lifted. CC's are less expensive for us right now because there are no taxes on them. Once the government starts taxing CC's the same as NC's the prices of the CC's will go up. I can still hope that the prices of the NC's will go down as the competition increases (more variety of cigars means more competition, which would be a good thing).

Just my :-)
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Beating the dead horse here...."Like what you smoke, smoke what you like".

For me, that's about 95% Cuban. But I have really enjoyed some NCs this year, including Esencias, Illusiones, Cain Daytona, some Viaje. It's all about the enjoyment, not what anyone else thinks is better or worse.
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having never smoked a cuban cigar Image, I'll just say that while some cuban cigars maybe better then cigars from other countries that's not to say that all cubans are better then all other cigars. any country can put out a good cigar and any country can put out a bad one.
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Has anyone thought about an increase in fakes and a decrease in quality of cigars coming from The Island?? I only hope that we do not open the flood gates....
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I have never had a good cigar made in Mexico.
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I have thought about this a little bit. What I think would happen, should the embargo go away, is that at first Cubans will become very expensive due to the new indulgent American demand. If Cuba doesn't drop its quality to make more then I will be surprised. That would probably last several years.

The second thing to happen would be a slowly rising blended market. Alot of NCs are not puros, but are blends of this and that from all over. With Cuban leaf allowed, in 10 years or so after the lift, blends with Cuban leaf will show up. These will probably be very popular, but probably not very good at first because blenders will take almost any crap from Cuba just so they can label their premiums as Cuban blend.

After the blended market lessens and levels out, the real great blends will rise to the top and there will be a revolution of cigars with the best of all leaf from the best of all areas of the world. Imagine Dominican/Nic fillers with that gorgeous silky Cuban wrapper that makes them look so distinct. Or super-smooth Cuban fillers with a toothy Nic oscuro wrapper. This will probably take another decade to get itself together and stable.

All in all, I'm fine with the embargo. Although in 20 years post-embargo I predict the best cigars the world has ever known, I will be too old and properly enjoy them and the wait while the market stretches and contracts around the new supply and new demand will not make me enjoy my hobby any more than I enjoy it now. Very selfishly, I say leave well-enough alone.

--bob
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Cuba does not allow raw leaf exports today. Were the embargo to drop in the near term, I could only imagine they would be all the more adamant about this policy.

Why do so many people imagine raw Cuban leaf suddenly becoming available? Its unavailability has no direct relation to the US embargo.
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Have I smoked as many Cubans as some of the guys here, hell no. But I have had my fair share of Cuban cigars and I prefer a Nicaraguan just about any day of the week over a Cuban. And I'm not talking about a kick you in the head strong cigar either. But of course that's just me, doesn't make it right or wrong.
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If the sanctions are lifted anyone buying them would be dissapointed with the build quality as we all are from time to time, but the taste, mystique and Cuban persona will win out and there will be a shortage like never before, causing even worse quality and steep prices for several years until things even out.
:-)
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