How to Buy Cigars in Havana, Cuba (applies to U.S.customers only) 

My pleasure bro. I hope you have a great trip and experience in Cuba. Maybe I'll schedule a trip with viewers from the channel in Sept this year. I'll see what the level of interest is

​@Cuban Cigars and Anime hi what's your email?

I have tried to email you but didn't get a reply. Would you please let me know it's the email I sent you is correct

Thanks for the comment Michael. I try to be honest and upfront without a filter to share info that great people and personal experiences have afforded me.

Thank you for watching and your comments! Much appreciated!

Make sure you leave a comment on the recent video about the giveaway for a chance to win some great LCDH custom rolls !

@@KimoKapaku Thank you will do!

Much appreciated! Thank yoy for viewing my vids!

Where? Havana or Cancun?

@cruciferousvegetable I can tell you that the boxes of cubans I've bought in Havana for the most part are perfect and burn extremely well so I don't know where your point of reference is from. I believe you can get crappy cuban cigars not based on location but due to environmental amd storage factors not being ideal

Enjoy! Hope you can try the custom roll "Margarita" from the Comodoro Hotel shop

@@KimoKapaku when I was there in October of last year I had some farm rolled cigars unsure of what type but enjoyed the cigar. The experience and those around was what made it memorable. Thanks again for the content you provide I really enjoy it..

Sorry Fred, I had thought I was wearing my shell lei. THis one is called "Wili Wili" seed and it comes from a plant that grows in the mountains of the big Island of Hawai'i. You can find these online on ebay or if you google search "Leis"

Thanks for your comments amd subscribing. If you bring back some customs from the LCDH in Cancun, they are not banded and when bringing them back into the U.S. they have no idea of their origin. For that after they can be Mexican cigars from Veracruz. Not sure what the quantity allowed before duty but I doubt tsa knows either. Have a great trip amd hope you make it to Playa del Carmen for a day!

Thanks for watching. I only try to give the viewers what no one else on you tube has the balls to do without trying to monetize it for themselves

You may get away with putting more in your checked bags but putting boxes in your checked bags also invites bags to be opened without you being called. I have 4 trips to Havana and I tend to be more conservative with putting sticks in checked bags. 2 bundles of farm rolls per checked bag is what I do

For my carry on I carry 2 additional custom/farm bundles and the boxes I buy. Not sure what you're buying but my carryon is sufficient size to carry the boxes I cone back with (7-10) boxes

Also I'm already bringing 100 sticks in checked bags since 2 bundles per bag goes without any question. I control my carryon much better where my high value boxes are along with facturas.

4 trips and over 50 boxes later I can say what works for me. If others have their own methods, power to them

@@KimoKapaku , I have gone on far more trips than you. Last time I went, I bought back 36 boxes. Mind you, that was pre-price increase.. But all of them were in checked luggage. I have been in that customs room where they call you to if they see boxes in your checked luggage many times. Never once in all my years of going have they opened a box or any luggage without me being present.

@joescopo8933 shoot me an email

​@@KimoKapaku, ok, but I don't have your email address.

Thanks for watching. I think lighters are a personal choice. I prefer to light with cedar when I'm in a lounge but for everyday outside use, I use torch lighters with Xicar high performance butane (black can) bc I cannot afford dupont lighters like my friends use!🤣🤣

The receipt or factura means nothing to the U.S.customs. declaring cigars from Cuba is an auto.atuc confiscation especially when entering thru Florida (Miami or ft Lauderdale) I'm sorry your friend lost money

Thanks for watching John!

In Havana you pay with a MLC card (cuban debit card) amd yes they will give you a facura or receipt. Just be sure to ask for one and have your passport with you as they need to write the info

Great question! Since finding Limitados are the toughest, I would day they're #1 so with that said: 1) Any edicion limitados; 2) LCSH exclusives; 3) Aged boxes of anyrhing, the OLDER the better! I found 2 boxes of Hoyo especiales from 2017, 2 boxes of Hoyo epicure#2 2018, 1 cabinet box (50count) of Ramon Allpnes Specially selected 4) Great custom rolls for under $15/:; 5) Cohiba esplendidos or siglo6

The situation you described is acceptable when leaving Havana since you will have facturas for your boxes. As for customs coming back into the U.S. that's the gamble. I would avoid Miami or Ft. Lauderdale as they have a reputation of asking if you are bringing back tobacco. Most of the customs officers ask if you're bringing any food, produce or agriculture to which the answer I give is NO. They sometimes will ask if I'm bringing alcohol which is also a NO. If they ask me if I'm bringing cigarettes, the answer is NO...If they ask if I'm bringing tobacco, the answer is I brought some cigars for souvenirs. If they check me, oh well. This is NOT TELLING ANYONE WHAT T9 DO OR SAY. CUBAN PRODUCTS ARE ILLEGAL AND THERE IS NO "PERMITTED" QUANTITY

I visited Havana in June and bought 4 box plus 40-50 single sticks, with a friend back to Newark. Custom officer asked “did you buy anything in Cuba?” I said I bought some cigars for personal consumption. He asked how many. I said around 50. He picked up a paper hanging there for a second and waved hand let me go😂

Better believe it! Check out my previous video on "Prices in Havana" to see the customs I buy. You won't regret it!

La Escogida de Tabaco shop at the Comodoro hotel. Best custom rolls in Havana!

The Partagas factory does not officially sell cigars. You will be offered to buy sticks individually that are sold by the guides. Retail shops are the best. Check out some of the videos from the Meila Habana hotel (LCDH) and the La Esogida shop at the Comodoro

Justin, I'm not in the cigar business, HOWEVER, when I return to San FranSHITHOLE this summer I can ship some of Reynaldos custom D4s to you. Send me an email at konablacksand@yahoo.com for details if you're interested. I'm not in the business of selling cigars but I can ship you a few to try

I could not make a loving selling cigars. I have 2 kids in college to support so I won't be quitting my day job anytime soon! 🤣🤣🤣

D4 selling in Havana LCDH is $16/stick 😅

@@Aardwolfzhu this made me sick!!! I’m paying 52$ a stick for R&J wide Churchills right now 😂😂

Does anyone have any Hoya they would like to let me try! I can send email if you would like. Just can’t get to Havana

Great question unfortunately I don't have an answer for you. I am sure that any discontinued lines would not be announced publicly. If you have favorites that are not popular or good sellers I would stock up bc at least prices won't be getting cheaper

@@KimoKapaku Thank you . As a not only smoker but collector as well i am long time ago focused in the lines you mentioned ...limitadas, LCDH editions travel and special humidors and regionals also some hard to find regulars like lusitanias and choix supreme and many others ..but I believe Habanos if announce any discontinued cigars they will do this long after they stop producing so smokers dont have many chances to look and find them :}

I would not buy at duty free in Havana. Prices are higher than the shops and selection is very limited. The shop is basically a small stand in the gate area

So basically it is a one time prepaid card and you CANNOT ADD ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO THE CARD. This is why I recommend getting an idea of the amount of boxes you want to buy from a given shop amd buying a card thats closest to the total. The card I showed was a $1000 card and I have $195 left. I should have bought a $500 , $200 & $100 to run for $800. You have ti be creative but I will be back in Havana again this year once or twice more so I'm not worried about but I recommend asking the shops if you can use multiple cards. I know the Comodoro will accommodate this but you can't ASSume consistent practices in every shop because IT'S CUBA!

@@angelobeaini facturas only allow you to leave Cuba with boxes because the Cuban g9vt wants to make sure you paid your taxes for them. You are permitted to take 50 cigars out of cuba without a factura. The U.S. currently does not permit the import of cubam products

But with factura how many? Disregarding the destination country.

Thats illegal braddah. How you bring them in is something I cannot comment on

Just take the bands off

Biden could have easily changed it back but did not.

Each president can change the cuba olicy but does not. Hussein only allowed $800 in cigars and cuban products to be brought into the U.S. since 1968 there have been 10 presidents that could've changed policy on cuba but did not. Repub or Democrat is not the side people are on. It's the problem of repub and dem as a whole

Jesse if you're on a cruise you're most likely going to be waved right thru customs/immigration. They will ask if you have anything to declare...assuming they even ask you given all the ppl coming off the ship. If you have "nothing" to declare then the answer is No 😉

@@KimoKapaku Thank you!

You need the facutrs to get the boxes out of Havana. Your country's tobacco import laws apply when you enter your home country

The factura is what you will be asked for when you enter Havana airport security. If you don't have a factura for any amount after 50 cigars, you are subject to confiscation by Cuban security

Im not sure what you mean by "Original" cigars. All cigars in Havana are original, even ones you buy off the street. As far as authentic brands, any state run shop such as LCDH or Caracol.

Steve it depends. There are 3 online companies me and other friends have used in the past with good experiences. You can find that video on my channel for ordering online. One thing to note is that as with everything in life, nothing is 100% guaranteed. There was a Swiss online business called Montefortuna that admitted to selling fake cuban boxes. Kudos to them for coming clean as they were duped themselves but doesn't make it much better. My motto when buying Cuban Cigars is TRUST BUT VERIFY!

@KimoKapaku Thanks for the heads up. I just subscribed to your channel. Keep those videos coming. 👍

Technically, None. You risk your haul being confiscated if you declare them

@@KimoKapaku ANd probably fines plus confiscation if they aren't declared.

@@KimoKapaku coming back into Miami is it better to come in carry on or checked bag 💼 if your trying to bring back cigars. What would be a lower risk?

Ihavanas Com is a high quality shipper as is cigarsofhabanos and cigar shop litin are sites I've personally used and friends have used without issue.

Technically and legally....NONE

Try ihavanas.com or cigarsofhabanos.com. both sites guarantee delivery and will reship if confiscated. I have ordered from ihavanas in the past.

you made plenty of mistakes on your trip amd plans to bring cigars back. Before embarking on anything that involves breaking the law you first need to know what the laws are, how to work around them and make a conscious effort to avoid all pain points in order to achieve your goals. In this case, tou didn't know the current state dept laws regarding importing cuban products, you chose the worst possible airport next to Miami and the net result was a confiscation. In short, you made a rolling stop thru am intersection tht was directly in front of a police station and you received a ticket and ask whether there was a change in traffic laws which by then, it was already too late

In a nutshell... help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-82?language=en_US

Effective as of 24SEP2020....Did you check the state dept page before you left? Did you research bringing back cigars thru U.S. customs? Did you research the worst entry points for customs to bring in cigars from Cuba? Or was the main response to all these questions begin with "well I thought...."

You need to read and understand the letter of the law. I'm not telling you what to do, but you are dead wrong with the statement cuban alcohol or cigars are permitted help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-82?language=en_US

And for the record, my friend just had a box of Cubans confiscated by customs that he ordered from ihavanas.com

Konablacksand@yahoo.com

you can email me at konablacksand67@gmail.com

Thank you, I will write the email as we speak

konablacksand@yahoo.com

Thanks Ryan. I'm glad you enjoy them amd hopefully get good info to use later on when you visit Cuba or Mexico

@@KimoKapaku I’ve been to Cuba five times in the last two years as well as Mexico and the Dominican but I still learned a bit from your video so it’s appreciated :) very concise and current info ! When I was in Havana, they refused to take cards. They only wanted cash probably because they would put it in their pocket and that was at an official store. They always say the machine is broken, but that’s not the case.