Real Cohibas on the horizon?

[Robb]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2877617/Cuba-releases-US-prisoner-Alan-Gross.html


Obama tries 'new approach' on Cuba with normalized trade relations and diplomacy between Washington and Havana for the first time in a half-century

President Barack Obama declared the end of America's 'outdated approach' to Cuba Wednesday, announcing the re-establishment of diplomatic relations as well as economic and travel ties with the communist island – a historic shift in U.S. policy that aims to bring an end to a half-century of Cold War enmity.

So, same as Amnesty, he just wills it so. Hopefully the openness that comes with normalized relations will be the end of the communist govt.

[CO Hugh]

Only smoke real cohibas if you like the taste of blood and tyranny in your tobacco. The Chinese also offer cheap fast organ transplants: orgin unknown.

[sandman76]

All the good Cuban growers and rollers left Cuba long ago. Nicaraguan and Dominican smokes give you what you need these days.

[wctriumph]

I've smoked real cuban's in the UK. Nothing special that could not be had for less over here in a quality cigar from south and central America.

[PugnacAutMortem]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2877617/Cuba-releases-US-prisoner-Alan-Gross.html


Obama tries 'new approach' on Cuba with normalized trade relations and diplomacy between Washington and Havana for the first time in a half-century

President Barack Obama declared the end of America's 'outdated approach' to Cuba Wednesday, announcing the re-establishment of diplomatic relations as well as economic and travel ties with the communist island – a historic shift in U.S. policy that aims to bring an end to a half-century of Cold War enmity.

So, same as Amnesty, he just wills it so. Hopefully the openness that comes with normalized relations will be the end of the communist govt.

All I know is that I will be sitting on a rooftop cafe in Havana having a Johnny Walker Blue Label, neat, smoking a Cohiba with my brother here soon because of today. It's been a plan for years to do said trip and now we will soon get to do it legally. All the better in my opinion.

And Hugh...I hear blood and tyranny have a nice smooth taste with a pronounced, but not overbearing finish.

[Irving]

I know people that go to Cuba every year, and have for years, and openly talk about it. The one guy brings back Cuban's and gives me one every time.

[Great-Kazoo]

I know people that go to Cuba every year, and have for years, and openly talk about it. The one gut brings back Cuban's and gives me one every time.

You get a cuban gut ? That covered on your medical plan

[Gman]

Sounds more like a mule to me. Shoves the contraband into his gut from the back side.

[Irving]

Ooops, didn't see my spelling error. To be clear, these are street cigars where you can buy a bundle of 25 for $5.00. Still alright.

[Dave]

Having lived in MI and been able to hop over to Canada for Cuban cigars I can honestly say they aren't worth the premium people seem willing to pay. If I'm going to drop more than a few bucks for a cigar I'll get a nice Montecristo Double Corona (Dominican) and enjoy it with Glenlivet 18 on the rocks.

[KestrelBike]

blood and tyranny.. yeah, the Cuban government aren't saints, but have people forgotten who holds all of our debt and who we cheerfully continue to sell more to? Talk about hypocrisy.

[glenncal1]

I had some Cuban Monte-Cristos in the Bahamas a few years ago.. mmmmmmmmmmmm good

[Zundfolge]

An older gentleman I used to work with years ago was a big cigar smoker, he said he remembered the heyday of Havana before Castro and that Cuban cigars really were far and above the best. Over the years after the embargo started he'd get his hands on them occasionally and by the mid to late 70s the commies had ruined them and they were crap.

I think its more of a forbidden fruit and nostalgia thing than real quality.


All Obama has done is strengthen the Castro regime (which is his intent anyway ... I'm sure he's jealous of the Castro bros).



blood and tyranny.. yeah, the Cuban government aren't saints, but have people forgotten who holds all of our debt and who we cheerfully continue to sell more to? Talk about hypocrisy.

We've been hearing this same old crap for years ... Truth is China owns only about 8% of US debt. Unless of course you were referring to the Federal Reserve (which holds about 12%) Those bastards are evil!

[Aloha_Shooter]

All I know is that I will be sitting on a rooftop cafe in Havana having a Johnny Walker Blue Label, neat, smoking a Cohiba with my brother here soon because of today. It's been a plan for years to do said trip and now we will soon get to do it legally. All the better in my opinion.

And Hugh...I hear blood and tyranny have a nice smooth taste with a pronounced, but not overbearing finish.

So you have no problems supporting a government that has engaged in bloody terrorism and repression for 50 years as long as you get to enjoy a cheap smoke. Gotcha. One of the reasons the embargoes haven't had the intended effects for the last 5 decades was Democratic/European opposition and undermining of the embargoes and the shortsightedness of consumers who had to have their Cuban cigars.

[Lurch]

So you have no problems supporting a government that has engaged in bloody terrorism and repression for 50 years as long as you get to enjoy a cheap smoke. Gotcha. One of the reasons the embargoes haven't had the intended effects for the last 5 decades was Democratic/European opposition and undermining of the embargoes and the shortsightedness of consumers who had to have their Cuban cigars.

Yet everyone will still buys up everything China makes.

[PugnacAutMortem]

So you have no problems supporting a government that has engaged in bloody terrorism and repression for 50 years as long as you get to enjoy a cheap smoke. Gotcha. One of the reasons the embargoes haven't had the intended effects for the last 5 decades was Democratic/European opposition and undermining of the embargoes and the shortsightedness of consumers who had to have their Cuban cigars.

Do you buy American made products? Do you utilize anything in any industry that is government subsidized? Because you are supporting a government hell bent on taking away every single right they possibly can in the shortest amount of time possible.

What's that you say? That's different because you aren't supporting the government when you do those things, you're supporting the businesses that manufacture that product or provide that service? I would agree with you.

I defy anyone to find me a government over the last 100 years that hasn't repressed/terrorized/encroached/prevented/stolen/crushed/murdered some of their governed. Now you might take that as myself being anti-government, but that actually couldn't be further from the truth. I absolutely think that there should be leaders and representatives in our communities (citywide/statewide and federally). The problem is that people are imperfect, so when you throw billions or trillions of dollars and lots of power at imperfect people, bad things happen almost always.

If I go to Cuba, that action isn't a declaration of my support for the Castro regime any more than every time I turn on the lights in my house it's a declaration of my love for everything Obama. People should be free to make their own choices. If my choice is to go to Cuba, then great. If the consequences of my choice to go to Cuba and enjoy their beautiful country and culture is that I am arrested and put into prison a la Alan Gross, then that is something that I will have to be ok with.

And FWIW...the embargoes haven't worked because embargoes by design don't really work. There's always money to be made, and there's always countries and individual people who are willing to make money, regardless of the criminal or political backlash.

[Hummer]

I'll smoke a Cuban cigar when the Cuban people hang the Castros. All of them.

[Aloha_Shooter]

Do you buy American made products? Do you utilize anything in any industry that is government subsidized? Because you are supporting a government hell bent on taking away every single right they possibly can in the shortest amount of time possible

Hmmm ... let's see ... stopped buying Government Motors vehicles years ago, in fact, stopped buying new cars period. Never did buy anything "made" by Solyndra and I rarely buy sugar but it's rather difficult to get away from corn products. In any event, the US government, bad as SOME elements of it are, doesn't hold a candle to the Cuban government in terms of brutal repression or out-and-out participation in terrorism.


I defy anyone to find me a government over the last 100 years that hasn't repressed/terrorized/encroached/prevented/stolen/crushed/murdered some of their governed.

Tibet under the 14th Dalai Lama (despite his admittedly Marxist bent). [Coffee] If you let me go back 125 years, I'll cite the Kingdom of Hawaii.

Regardless, there's a big difference between the repression in Singapore (where yes, you WILL get lashed for spitting in public and they'll jail people associated with Jemaah Islamiyah without "due process" as the ACLU considers it) and the brutalities in Cuba or the PRC. I don't recall any stories of forced abortions or organ donations in Singapore.


If I go to Cuba, that action isn't a declaration of my support for the Castro regime any more than every time I turn on the lights in my house it's a declaration of my love for everything Obama.

... and that's BS because every tourism dollar in Cuba is going to the Castro regime, NOT the "beautiful country or culture."


And FWIW...the embargoes haven't worked because embargoes by design don't really work. There's always money to be made, and there's always countries and individual people who are willing to make money, regardless of the criminal or political backlash.

Embargoes DO work when the people actively working to undermine them for their own ideological (e.g., Clinton, Obama, Conyers, etc.) or selfish pleasure reasons is small. Embargoes don't have to apply a hermetic seal to be effective. This particular embargo has been undermined from day 1 by the Europeans and Socialists and people who just HAVE to have that Cuban cigar -- and yet, it HAS had great effect in that Castro had to cut back on his adventurism when his support from the Soviets dried up because the numbers of European vacationers has been pretty small. The Cuban economy is STILL crap compared to what it was pre-Revolution.

Can we get away from a global economy? It's difficult -- but what provoked my comment was the nonchalance of your original response that demonstrated you really don't care that the Castros are 10x the autocrat Obama is as long as you get to enjoy a cheap beachside villa and a Cuban cigar.

[ColoWyo]

All the good Cuban growers and rollers left Cuba long ago. Nicaraguan and Dominican smokes give you what you need these days.

I smoke about three cigars a year. Usually in Punta Cana DR on a layover. The locals on the beach told me the exact same thing. I absolutely agree with it. I just liked the DR cigar better. No question.

[akumadiavolo]

This isn't really a huge deal. You can easily order them online and have them shipped in from Europe. There is just no way customs can catch a significant percentage of them.

Plus as Sandman said, once the embargo hit, most of the best growers took their seeds and left. There are still a number of good cigars coming out of there, but it just a shadow of what they were during their prime.

[BushMasterBoy]

I wanna go to the Bay of Pigs for some bacon...