Interesting Take On Cuban Cigars

[smokemifugotem]

Unfortunately I have heard this tale a few times since I started smoking in 2009 ish from credible people in business, on this forum and more importantly close friends that have traveled there almost every year to habanos festival and are very close with master blenders (that part of his story is total bs...it is like saying since he went to Chicago and didn't see Michael Jordan he doesn't exist) have said for years. It is just the way that it is...doesn't really change anything. also for the record not a huge fan of this guy and his pod casts...charging $75 for 3 sticks and opportunity to meet pete Johnson in his store...etc etc etc.

I am an nc guy but I do like CC's. Still smoke them even having heard this the first time. Like I said it is what it is. Makes a lot more sense than people give it credit. A money hungry government run group of companies skimping more and more year after year.

 

[JuzCallMeDee]

 

[Mr. McSquirelly]

^thats because they're buying Nicaraguan filler

Now there's a story. Man, if you could break that story, Don Pepin himself would hand you the Pulitzer!!! LOL!!! Maybe skip all that, and go on Dave's radio show to say you saw it with your own two eyes.

 

[StogieNinja]

Now there's a story. Man, if you could break that story, Don Pepin himself would hand you the Pulitzer!!! LOL!!! Maybe skip all that, and go on Dave's radio show to say you saw it with your own two eyes.

No, you're doing it wrong. What you say is "I didn't see them not using Nicaraguan filler, so they must not be not using it!"

 

[sofc]

Now there's a story. Man, if you could break that story, Don Pepin himself would hand you the Pulitzer!!! LOL!!! Maybe skip all that, and go on Dave's radio show to say you saw it with your own two eyes.

You really think Don Pepin doesn't know exactly what goes on in Cuban cigar factories?

 

[hdroadglide]

what ara said^^^^

 

[Mr. McSquirelly]

You really think Don Pepin doesn't know exactly what goes on in Cuban cigar factories?

Nope, not in the slightest. He knows everything from seed to cigar.

 

[cosmoker]

This is me. I work in a small family-owned manufacturing business, and while I do love my cigars, it's American industry (and good ol' fashioned capitalism) that not only allows me to afford cigars, but also to do better for myself and my child, than I would be able to do if I were living on government dole, with no opportunity to advance in life.

Now, I won't readily scoff at communist industry - look at what the Soviets did in WW2; they turned out a massive war machine when they had to, that solidified them as a world power for the next 40 years - but hey, where's the Soviet Union now? (Not hating on Russia, or anyone from Russia - just saying, look how communism worked out over there...) Ever read Atlas Shrugged? This guy could easily pass as Ayn Rand, based solely on some parts of his editorial...

So yes, I'm inclined to believe (at least some of) what the guy is saying, because of my own predispositions. The truth is probably somewhere in between.



This is actually one thing that I found easy to believe - not that the fields aren't cared for, but that he witnessed flowers on plants and suckers on the ground. How many folks here grow a garden? And how many of us pull weeds every single day? He says the flowers havn't been clipped and the suckers havn't been pulled - I suspect they just havn't been clipped or pulled yet.

Great book
Who is John Galt

 

[Mr. McSquirelly]

I hate to beat a dead horse here, but I finally had the chance to watch Dave Garafolo's entire radio broadcast on Youtube to the bitter end. And I do mean 'bitter'. I won't comment anymore on his statements, because I've said everything I wanted to. But judge for yourselves. Is this man the type we want representing us down there in Havana? Are these impressions biased, or valid? Did Habanos S.A. really allow this man access into their secret production methods? Anyway, here's the link to same video I posted above. The discussion begins at 1:25:45:


P.S. Dave Garafolo will be broadcasting a rebuttal tomorrow morning on this same radio show.

 

[jfettlol]

Ugh... Mr. Six Days said all cc's taste similiar. Nothing else he says matters after that bold statement.

 

[ChefBoyRG54]

Ugh... Mr. Six Days said all cc's taste similiar. Nothing else he says matters after that bold statement.

The h upmann no2 and bbf were starkly contrast. Not that I needed to make that point but just saying

 

[Craig Mac]

The horse is dead... Like for real

 

[Mr. McSquirelly]

Here's Garafolo's explanation for his article, his findings, etc.. I'm still not quite sure what the hell he's talking about. It begins at 21:00-41:00. Judge for yourselves.

 

[mdwest]

The horse is dead... Like for real

+100000

Garafolo's opinion.. whether valid or not.. means ZERO to me.. as far as I am concerned, he is a turd that should be flushed from the cigar industry.. his marketing practices and his behavior when it comes to answering to consumers about his marketing practices alone makes anything else he may have ever done for the cigar community and/or industry valueless..

I wont buy from him.. most members here "in the know" wont buy from him...

so why are we continuing to talk about him?

I think a conversation about Kim Kardashian's photo shopped ass.. or whether or not Bruce Jenner is really a cross dresser would be of more interest..

Lets move on...

 

[Xavier Dredo]

Do people actually watch/listen to this show? I've lived in New England my entire life and that is the most annoying voice I've ever heard!

 

[StogieNinja]

Claims 100's of emails... and almost everything he read was from one thread on BotL!

I'll be the first to admit that I could be wrong about his palate. Maybe he can smoke 50 in six days and not have palate fatigue. Maybe he can smoke 8 "before breakfast" and not have an issue. Maybe panelists can smoke "12 cigars in one sitting." Maybe he's taking CA style, only the first inch? I dunno.

Either way, I'm glad he was willing to admit that his argument was, in fact, "I didn't see a blender, therefore blenders don't exist." It's a crazy, illogical argument, but I guess he's entitled to it.

 

[The Munt]

I want to start by saying I am not posting this to create a discussion on which is better between CC vs. NC, we all have our own personal preferences. Smoke what you like.

I came across this article this morning and there are some pretty bold claims being made by a guy with over 30 years experience in the Cigar industry on the retail side. He was recently in Cuba for 6 days and published this article. Some of them seem pretty crazy, but given his experience in the business I found it interesting.

Some of the claims in the article are:

1. Care isn't given to the fields or plants grown in the fields
2. Cuba only uses 3 primings where other countries use 6
3. There are no blends
4. There are no master blenders
5. Every single cigar brand is the same, using tobacco from any farm as long as tobacco used in the cigar has tobacco equally from all three priming’s
6. Cigars are not aged at all once rolled
7. Rollers have dull chaveta's, broken and cracked Cigar molds

All of which he claims effects the quality and consistency to him only being a able to describe the 50+ Cigars he smoked on his trip as "“sufficiente” of “sufficient”…”regular” or “acceptable” at best".

Take a look for yourself. Curious to see what others think.

http://thecigarauthority.com/editorial-daves-trip-to-cuba-legally-the-conclusion/

I'm biased the other way. Habanos til I die baby, I don't care if they are rolled in the trash so long as they keep them coming at the same quality they are now.

Like I said biased though...