I have been wondering for a while, as this is mainly a US forum, how many of you Gents like Cuban cigars?

I consider myself a bit of an aficionado, even though i am but a poor man and can only look forward to my single Robusto as an end-of-the-week treat! My favourite brands are Partagas & Bolivar.

I suppose i started this thread because i read the other day in this article that Governor Schwarzenegger could face prosecution as it is illegal for US citizens, due to the dated embargo, to purchase any Cuban products.

I also understand that 'Cuban' cigars purchased in the US come from Dominican Republic/Honduras etc.

So what are peoples' opinons of the Schwarzenegger story/ the ongoing embargo/Cuban cigars in general etc.

Discuss.

(I just finished a wonderful Partagas Serie D No.4 - one of my favourites )

I say we let them ship us all the Cigars they want.

I was able to enjoy a nice cigar with a glass of Walker Blue when I spent a month in Panama. Was on someone else's dime so it was even sweeter hehe.

It's an expensive and humiliating death. You are better off without them.

Bah! I really wanted to smoke a cuban cigar in my younger days. It just looks so... enjoyable.

But the anti-smoking thing and realising how bad it is for you made sure i`ll never innocently enjoy it - ever.

I did get to smoke a pipe for a while though...

um yes.

quote:

Originally posted by SeaFireLIV:

I did get to smoke a pipe for a while though...

um yes.

Got trak!?

I know a couple of cigar smokers and they like Cubans, but don't think they are the "best." They do say it is all up to personal taste. That said, there are way too many worthless and stupid laws in the U.S. Like everything with Cuba and a legal drinking age, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by arthursmedley:

quote:

Originally posted by SeaFireLIV:

I did get to smoke a pipe for a while though...

um yes.

Got trak!?

meh! this was at a time when i wanted to smoke, but didn`t like the look of cigarettes, or the smell.

On the other hand, pipes had that nice tobacco smell (my Head teacher always had a pipe) and it looked quite distinguished. I also noticed that a lot of RAF WW2 pilots seemed to like smoking pipes.

Being different to everyone else I didn`t care how weird it looked for a 23 year old to be smoking a pipe, so started...

Just as I was making myself totally ostracised from modern society, the girl of my dreams (or so I thought) made a beeline for me and the pipe was the first thing to go out the window.

I`d probably go back to a pipe now, but having a 16 year old daughter at home makes that pretty unlikely.

One thing they never say about smoking pipes is that it has a rather positive physical effect on your..um.. interactions with the ladies, at least for me.

More than that I cannot divulge. Almost worth taking up pipe smoking just for that advantage!

Always willing to give a good Cohiba a go. Add a good Whiskey to it within the propper circle of friends and you can have a very feudal evening.

quote:

Originally posted by SeaFireLIV:
One thing they never say about smoking pipes is that it has a rather positive physical effect on your..um.. interactions with the ladies, at least for me.

Hum... it depends on how you use your pipe. And remember: size matters. Pipe 'em hard!

quote:

Originally posted by Schwarz.13:
...as this is mainly a US forum...

Where did you get that from?

Though I grant that it's likely the people posting at the same time of day as you may be mainly from the US.

I was just gonna say that . Seems at least 50/50 Americans and Euros if that

As for the Cuban Embargo, I don't think it really benefits anyone, if anything engaging in trade with a country increases mutual influence, which would actually give the U.S. some leverage.

As for Cigars in general I have had a few with friends now and again, in spite of the fact I generally don't smoke, I find puffing on a good cigar very nice. I'm no cigar aficionado by any means though.

quote:

Originally posted by Tully__:

quote:

Originally posted by Schwarz.13:
...as this is mainly a US forum...

Where did you get that from?

Though I grant that it's likely the people posting at the same time of day as you may be mainly from the US.

I stick to cigars made in Honduras or the Dominican Republic. Couldn't stomach the thought of any of my dollars going to the Castro Regime.

You have personal experience with the regime? If you don't I hope you don't buy anything from China either, their not too good in the human rights area either, oh and I hope you don't use gasoline either, again contributing to oppressive regimes.

quote:

Originally posted by Cossack13:
I stick to cigars made in Honduras or the Dominican Republic. Couldn't stomach the thought of any of my dollars going to the Castro Regime.

Tried a number of different "Cuban" cigars, most were "ehh", even those bought in Cuba (the best I had oddly bought over in Loreto, Baja Mex. from a street vendor who had maybe 30 cigars with him)......No idea on the names.

The BEST cigar I ever had though was a "Royal Honduran Especial"...Only saw them for one year which is not that odd....Almost black, rich, a little spicey yet almost sweet giving me the faint impression of chocolate....and lastly almost wet so fresh... an incredible smoke....and like Seafire will NOT tell you what I'd be willing to do for a box of them

K2