Lived two years in Cuba and went on to sample the best cigars in the world made in Nicaragua for one third the price. The future belongs to Nicaragua Padron, Plascencia, Perdomo etc..
I agree entirely! It's certainly not a popular opinion but for me, Cuba was surpassed by Nicaragua some time ago as the country that produces the best cigars in the world, box for box. Cuba neglected its quality control for years and slashed one classic vitola after another from its catalogue until you have what it is today, an industry whose *serious* efforts go into producing a plethora of sub-standard regional this and limited that, with all their style over substance, dressed in their multiple glittery bands and laid in highly polished boxes, all wrapped in velvet. Not to mention the more than a little suspect "Añejados" program which appeared out of a clear blue sky a few years ago. There are still some very good cigars to be found, of course, HdM Epicure #2 and Bolivar Belicosos Finos, to name two, but it's a shame that Cuba's cigar industry has largely become one that prioritises investors, collectors and box flippers, leaving the smokers to scrap over whatever is left over. To a degree, we, the smokers have to take some of the responsibility for what happened to Cuba. How many countless times have we seen poor quality control waved away with a laugh as people say, "Ahh it's just Cuba being Cuba". I cannot imagine any other world renowned company being given a fool's pardon in response to producing sub-par merchandise. Cuba has enjoyed and doubtless will continue to enjoy it's reputation for producing the best cigars that money can buy but in my humble opinion (and many others) it's a reputation no longer justified. A reputation that they grew reliant on and became lazy, over time. Year on year, Nicaragua (and others) are producing some staggeringly good cigars by the likes of Oliva, AJ Fernandez and Tatuaje in addition to the companies you mentioned above. Reliable, consistent cigars that sometimes are unbelievably competitively priced. And the likes of Nick Melillo at Foundation is just knocking it out of the park with everything he does. And for anyone thinking that Nicaraguan cigars are one dimensional with nothing more to offer than to have your head blown off in a pepper blast, please think again because that, although probably quite accurate at one time, is now a far outdated label! So yeah, Nicaragua is most certainly where I park my hard earned coin these days.
Absolutely brilliant review great fun and you guys are the best in the business. Thanks to you LD, Nick the Hamster and Tomash for making these brilliant productions 👍🏻
spot on with the 'they're well constructed when they are first issued and then they go to very poor Habanos construction' , so frustrating, this is why so many of us have a love hate relationship with cuban cigars
Absolutely, it's a sentiment many aficionados share. The inconsistency in construction can be maddening, especially when you know the potential for greatness is there. It's part of what makes the journey with Cuban cigars so intriguing and sometimes exasperating. But when you do find that perfectly crafted stick, it's a moment of pure bliss that makes it all worthwhile. Cheers to the love-hate relationship we have with these tantalizing treats!
I'm glad you enjoy the cigar chats! Unfortunately, RU-vid's decisions can be frustrating. However, we're working on a solution to make past videos accessible again. Stay tuned to our Twitter account where we'll be slowly uploading them. Your patience and support mean a lot!
Thanks for the feedback! We're glad to hear you enjoyed the cigar as much as we did. It's a shame about the band, but sometimes the experience of smoking a great cigar can overshadow those minor details. Cheers!
