Hi from Bali,
Our outlet store here sells a full range of Cuban and Indonesian Cigars with a smattering of Honduran, Dominican and Nicaraguans for good measure. We are located in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia and our first floor is dedicated to cigars and pipes and our second floor to a very comfortable smoking bar/lounge. I think you would be quite at home in our shop.
As for the debate on cuban quality I would only suggest that some of the best cigars in the world come from Cuba and some of the worst cigars in the world come from Cuba. Just last week I smoked a COHIBA Maduro robusto size and a Montecristo Limited Edition double corona size and I would say they were two of the worst smokes I have ever had! Both were so badly rolled they were akin to smoking a brick! I find that 3 to 5 sticks in every box of Cubans I open now are unsmokable. I believe nothing will crash faster than the myth of cuban quality once El Norte ends the embargo. Don't get me wrong I love a well rolled Trinidad Robusto Extra and the cigars of Vegas Robaina are truly exceptional but the vast majority of the others are of little interest to me. As someone said earlier, nothing tastes better than something that is forbidden.
China is adding a lot of demand pressures to the cuban market but remember that 90% or cigars purchased in China are bought as gifts by someone who has no intention of ever smoking a cigar! They want the most expensive cigar because they are buying favors and it is about face not quality. I never saw as many fake romeo and juliettas anywhere as I saw in shanghai a few months back. The State Tobacco Monopoly will tell you themselves that this is the case but the demand in China is so huge even when only half of the sticks are legitimate they are a big demand issue for Cuban producers. And you haven't lived til you have smoked a chinese piece of brown paper rolled "tobacco". I would never insult a stoagie by calling those chinese things a cigar!
Having lived a few years in Honduras I would add to the comment that cuban seed does not a cuban make, that stealing the brand of a cuban family does not make a fine cuban cigar making family tradition. Look to the true cuban families of Honduras and Nicaragua if you want fine cigar making tradition not to Havana collectives. Once upon a time Cuba was a paradise of great stoagie makers, that cuba died in the 50's and though some Spanish money and marketing has tried to revitalize it, it is easy to debate whether or not they have succeeded.. Just my humble opinion of course and plenty of things to debate here. Smoke on, Balibob
