CUBAN CIGAR BUYING GUIDE
There are some rules you
should follow when buying Cuban Cigars in
Cuban Currency (CUC)
Everything purchased in cash in Cuba must be made
in Convertible Pesos (CUC). You will be able to get CUC’s at exchange offices
and hotels through-out Cuba. 1CUC is valued at $1.12US or around $1.25CDN. DO NOT BRING US$ IN CUBA, you will lose another 11%
from the rate mentioned above! If you bring ANY other currency, there will be
no added tax on your exchange rate, just make sure you aren’t getting
ripped-off by the exchange desks, do the math also! If this sounds too complicated,
you can pay with your credit card. Since the Credit Card companies don’t take
CUC’s, the charges have to be in US$. So what they will do is convert your
purchase from CUC to US$ by adding 12% more from the CUC prices. But just so
you know, it comes to the SAME THING! So if you pay cash in CUC’s or with
your Credit Card, it doesn’t matter! Happy shopping.
My (Blank)
Works at a Cigar Factory
It seems like every Cuban "knows" someone who can get
you "real" Cuban cigars. Usually it's the bartender, lifeguard or
just someone in the street giving you their story about an uncle, friend or
brother who works in a cigar factory. For some reason, people still believe
these stories. It's tempting to get a great deal on a box of Glass Top “Cohibas”
but they WILL be fakes. Would you buy a bottle of Dom Perignon from a guy on
the street in France? What if he told you that his brother works at the factory,
would you still drink it?
“Real”
If you buy cigars off the street or beach,
there is only a miniscule chance you could actually get the real deal, but that chance is
more like 1 in a 1000! Most likely, what you will be getting are cigars made
with homemade tobacco leaves, tobacco crumbs or even banana leaves!!! Plus the
cigars are usually of very bad quality and they will taste NOTHING like the
real thing, they could even make you sick! Save yourself the trouble and get
your cigars at the authorized stores, at least you will get the real Cuban cigar
taste that you will enjoy. The most popular fakes you will find are the Cohiba
Esplendido. It just so happens that this cigar is made by only a handful of
employees in Cuba so the chances of them being “real” are even slimmer, ohh and
they NEVER existed in a glass top humidor either!!
Price
A REAL box of Esplendidos costs $460CUC!!!
Yeah it's not a typo, they cost almost $20CUC for 1 cigar!!! If they are REAL
why is he selling them for $25 a box?! Cuban
cigars ARE expensive, even in Cuba, it's just that they are EXTREMELY expensive
in
No
Receipt
New in 2004, when you buy a box of cigars in
PS: You don't need an official receipt if you are buying a few single cigars or
5 packs, but why not ask for a plain cashiers receipt just to be safe.
WHAT TO
BUY?
Most of the people in the stores who sell cigars don`t know much
about them, so don't rely to much on their opinion. They will most likely tell
you the most popular cigars are the Montecristo 4 and the Romeo Y Julietta
Tubos. Those are actually average cigars, there are some better cigars than these.
I'll try and give you some suggestions below.
First off, the price of an individual cigar is the same even if you buy the
whole box of 25, so if you find a store that sells single cigars out of opened
boxes, you can get yourself more variety! Just watch out for the cashiers who
like to over charge you $1 or $2 per cigar to line their pockets! Some cigars
also come in 3 or 5 packs, PERFECT for tasting, building variety or for gifts!
Click
Here To Check Out What Cigar Packs You Can Find In Cuba.
TOP CUBAN CIGAR BRANDS
COHIBA: ALL these are great cigars, but they do cost twice the price of
a comparable-sized cigar. Still, you have to try one if you're in
MONTECRISTO: The No.2 is considered one of the best torpedo (pointed) cigars
in the world... it IS! You can find these in 3 packs (6.85CUC each). The other
Montecristos are a little stronger and not as tasty.
PARTAGAS: A brand that is fast becoming the most popular among cigar
smokers, it has some of the best cigars you’ve
NEVER heard of. A must is the Partagas Series D No 4 (PSD4 6.05CUS). Now
availible in 3 packs, this cigar packs tons of smoke and has the best cap of
any cigar. Try the
ROMEO Y JULIETTA: This cigar brand is the GM of cigars. It has the most variety
of ANY Cuban cigar brand. That means they have really horrible cigars and some
really good ones. I wouldn’t suggest buying the
Romeo Tubos, those are very average at best. If you absolutely want a tubed
cigars, try the Churchill (10.15CUC), fantastic light cigar and the best Romeo
Y Julietta cigar you can buy!
EL REY DEL MUNDO: Never heard of this brand? Well it’s no surprise, it’s
a very small brand but they are my personal favorite because they are a VERY
light cigar and they are really affordable! Check this cigar out if you can
find it: Lunch Club (61.75CUC a box of 25!)
If you want to email me:
marty@514crew.com