Thread: US to Ease Cuba Embargo and Sanctions

I have enjoyed Cuban cigars for many, many years, and still do. Since the embargo there has been some risks involved for Cuban cigar lovers, in the U.S., to enjoy the cigars. Confiscation obviously and more importantly having reliable sources and knowing without question that what you are smoking is indeed genuine is of course key. Counterfeiters have profited enormously, especially in the last 10+ years, marketing to the U.S. primarily out of huge Swiss warehousing systems which also store and ship legitimate Cuban cigars for many of worlds best online suppliers. The fake dress boxes, bands, seals, factory stamps and Cuban date codes will fool the best buyers, especially novices who could not tell a real
Cuban cigar from garbage. This market for the fakers is worth millions of dollars and will no doubt continue even when Habanos S.A. controls the market in the U.S. for Habanos cigars. Experienced Cuban cigar lovers can tell a Cuban cigar without issue by sight and smell alone without having to light the cigar. Cuban soil is unique in the world and the tobacco produced there is some of the very finest in the world.

The consensus among some of the largest supplies of Habanos cigars and many of the worlds most famous collectors and Cuban cigar lovers in general has been to stock up on your favorites. With the embargo lifted the concern is the demand in the U.S. for Cuban cigars will trigger production in Cuba to be severly compromised for several years producing
cigars, again, with draw problems because the time will not be taken to utilize the draw machines that took so long to get into general use in Cuba will be ignored, and worse, the maturation process and aging process will be compromized as well initially because of demand. An additonal concern is Cuban tobacco crops that would have been considered sub standard now and limited to cigars and cigarettes consummed in Cuba will find it's way into
the U.S. market. Yet another consideration is the resurgence of the dreaded tobacco beetle in the islands cigars. It has not been that long since Habanos S.A. imposed strict QC in terms of freezing to control and kill the beetles eggs. Prior to freezing, tobacco bales were subjected to treatment by Phostoxin in pressure chambers to kill beetles, larva and eggs. This was sometimes hit and miss. It was common practice here in the U.S. for Cuban cigar lovers to segregate new boxes from your regular supply for a period of time to insure no
beetle problems. I regularly would freeze new boxes to about 14 below for 7 to 10 days.

Before any distribution of Cuban cigars in the U.S. will be lengthy legal battle over "Brand" names. Most non-cuban cigar producing countries began marketing the brand names
unique to Cuban cigars in the market.

A concern about the embargo lifting that concerns the "green" ecological side of me worries about the potential for abuse of one of, if not the last, un-molested living reef systems in Cuban waters that has been protected in Cuban waters. There are species surviving in that sole reef system that have completely dissapeared from the rest of our planet.


I wish for the very best for the Cuban people in all of this political drama.

Enough of my rambling. My cigars are my last vice and I find a good Habanos cigar to be
good medicine for me at one a day.

Oh, did I say to stock up!