Day 6 and “The Shocking Conclusion”
We all packed our bags in the morning (included would be my $100 worth of legal Cuban Cigars and alcohol combined) had my last Cuban Coffee in Cuba and 2 more cigars before we got ready to Hurry-Up and Wait! This is what I hate most about traveling, especially out of the country and even more so to and from Cuba. They want you there 5 hours early and the plane will be at least 2 hours late. That’s the way it was going down and that’s the way it was going home. Long line of folks with way too much luggage. Not me, but “other people.”
So here is a FYI, Cuba stamp passports now! Coming in and going out. I have heard over the years that some U.S. citizens sneak into Cuba through Mexico, Canada, Aruba and other countries. And the Cuban Customs Agents know this and insert a blank piece of paper in your passport and stamp that. Well, that might have been the way they used to do it, but that has all changed now. They stamp the passport, and if you’re doing it illegally, then U.S. customs will now know about it. This information is shared across the world. Be careful, it is a crime (Trading with the Enemy Act) and there is no need to do it illegally anymore because I will tell you how to do it legally… but first.
Here is another FYI, Cuba charges you 25 CUC’s (about $30) not to come in, but to LEAVE! That’s for visitors, not for their residents… for them, it is way more costly and complicated. Be sure to save at least 25 CUC’s or you are screwed. If you have your Visa, Passport and 25 CUC’s and you’ll be fine.
Before I get to The Shocking Conclusion, Thank-You’s all around to everyone on my trip. Usually there is that “one person” who messes things up and just doesn’t belong, but I didn’t see it…everyone was outstanding. Oh no…Does this mean If I didn’t see “that guy” that… oh no… I was “that guy?” I sure hope not. These 6 days were a real experience for me and I would bet the same for all the others on the trip. Going to Cuba was way high on my bucket list, and I have been tempted over the years to do it illegally but I didn’t. When this opportunity to do it the right way came up, I jumped on the first opportunity and I am so glad I did.
A huge thank you to Colin Ganley from www.CigarTourism.com who put this outstanding adventure together. He knows Cuba, Cigars, and his Rum and got us in to see things nobody ever sees, let alone a gringo like me. We were treated like V.I.P.s and were escorted behind the scenes. I have now seen things only few have or will ever see. We had a full time schedule of educational and people to people activities. We spent our time with Cuban people, talking about life in Cuba, what they do and whatever else came up in conversation. The experience was second to none for me.
If you want to go on a trip with Colin, he is not only doing it again, but planning to do it continually. His next scheduled trip is May 3-8 and it will be much of the same as I explained, but as I said in the beginning, we were the guinea pigs and some little improvements will happen including a stay this time in the “Hotel Nacional,” when in Havana. I understand it is fabulous. If you are interested, please contact Colin directly at colinganley@gmail.com and he will send you the details. This next trip will be 15 people and should fill-up fast. Contact Collin now, he will need time to get your paperwork in order. Also, be sure to tell Colin I sent you and maybe he’ll send me some of that outstanding Twin Engine’s Coffee he makes in Nicaragua.
OK… here I go. The following are my thoughts and feelings based on the information I saw with my own two eyes, what I heard with my own two ears and what I learned in the 30 years I have spent in the cigar industry. These are my feelings, thoughts and beliefs only and not those necessarily of the people I traveled with at all.
The Shocking Conclusion
First off, God Bless America! I am so lucky to have been born here in the United States of America with the right to pursue happiness, wealth and success. We all complain about things here in America but when you travel to other places you start to appreciate what we all take for granted. We can work and become successful if we want. The good, hardworking people of Cuba can’t. That being said, it is honestly not as bad as I thought it was going to be there. They do get free housing and nobody is homeless. They get free health care and I did see lots of old people (or so they looked). They get free education including college along with some rations. There is no unemployment either, they all get jobs but the pay is only $30 per month.
They have History, Culture, Music and Art. They seem happy and they are more informed about what is happening around the world than I thought they would be. They are not stupid! Some parts of Cuba seem like the Dominican Republic, some parts seem like Nicaragua. I even see some areas that seem like Florida and some seem like New Orleans with people singing, dancing and partying in the streets.
Once I got past all the propaganda signs, billboards and posters I actually felt safe. Crime is very, very low. There were no drugs, no signs of weapons or guards like in some countries… it was very civilized.
Nobody seemed like they were trying to get out. Actually I asked. I thinks the ones that wanted to leave, left and those that remain are alright with it. They certainly would like improvements with their freedoms but so would we. They see improvements happening now and expect them to continue where Americans feel we are losing our rights and freedoms and expect it to continue. I spoke candidly with someone who not once but twice asked me to run for President (I’m sure joking…but) because of my thoughts of how to improve Cuba. It really wouldn’t take much to turn it around in a big way… which takes me to how their product really is.
The Cuban’s believe that the world believes (along with them) that Cuba has the best Cigars, Rum, Sugar and Coffee. Everyone knows that right? This is what I believe: They don’t.
Cuba stopped caring in 1960. It is a Communist Country and Communism doesn’t work to make people do and be, the best they can be… it’s just the way it is. The old Cuban way exists for this reason, they don’t have the tools and supplies to do it the new and improved way. The rum barrels are 3rd generation from all kinds of different sources. Not because it is better, because it is cheaper and is available to them. It can’t be consistent and it isn’t. They are living off an old reputation and a belief that simply is not true. Modern day sanitation hasn’t hit there yet and hasn’t for the past 55 years. I was appalled at some of the things I saw. And as for the cigar industry, I can go on all day on that but I will try to hit the bullet points of it.
Today’s modern cigar tobacco farmer in Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Mexico and USA grow in fertilized land in a rotation rested farm and use different seeds to grow different types of tobacco. Not so in Cuba.
Today’s modern day cigar tobacco farmer cares for his cigar tobacco plant by pruning the flowers off the plant as to keep the nutrients going directly to the leaf. Not so in most of Cuba.
Today’s modern day cigar tobacco farmer uses 6 priming’s when removing the leaves, starting from the bottom removing priming number 1 and resting the plant while removing the tiny plants that soon grow where the removed leaf was (known as suckers) as to keep the nutrients going directly to the leaf. Not so in most of Cuba.
Cuba has only 3 priming’s and are all used in every cigar. That’s right, they are all used in every cigar, every brand, and every size. The bottom third (first priming) is used for combustion, it helps the finished cigar burn well. Nothing is wasted here, “Volado” or Sand Leaves (leaves that might touch the ground) that might be discarded in some fields are used in Cuba, and nothing is wasted. The 2nd third is used for aroma, it makes the finished cigar smell good when burning. And the top third of the plant is used to add strength to the cigar. That’s it! Oh… I forgot to mention “flavor”… and so did they. And what about the “blend”. Get this… there is no blend. For all you Cuban cigar fans out there… if you believe what I’m saying here, you have to be shocked, I was.
Cuban cigars are a commodity like wheat and grain. Sure there are brands, but that is not determined until the finished cigar is size and color sorted. WHAT! Say it isn’t so! Every factory is making every brand because they are just making finished cigars. Then later it will be determined what cigar it is, based on size and wrapper color only.
What about the Cuban “Master Blenders?” What about “not” the Master Blender but just the “regular” cigar blender? I looked everywhere for him… I asked. I met the farmers, the rollers, the folks that dry the tobacco in the barns, I met the tobacco sorters, the tasters and the people in packaging. I saw every part of production in the 6 days I spent in Cuba but I never met a blender… I never heard of one. Is it possible that there are no blends? Every single cigar brand is the same, using tobacco from any farm as long as tobacco used in the cigar has tobacco equally from all three priming’s. By doing so, every cigar will burn acceptable, have an acceptable aroma and some acceptable strength. I believe that is exactly what is happening.
After the cigars are rolled they are color sorted by size and color. After a box full of matching size and color are together they are brought to the room where many brands are packaged at the same time. Banded, boxed and sealed. By the way, these finished cigars are not placed in aging rooms to rest for 9 months or even 9 minutes, they are ready, or so they say. The tobacco was bailed just 9 months ago and it’s on a cigar that is ready to be sold today. This is way too fast in my opinion.
Now, let’s look at the cigar roller. Most by the way were young on the factory floor, not that there is anything wrong with that, just making the observation. But I couldn’t help but notice their tools. Dull “Chavetas,” Tobacco knives, cracked wooden cigar molds (they will call them vintage) or cheap plastic molds is what I saw in Cuba as opposed to precision, interlocking polyethylene molds you see everywhere else. Can they do a great job with old, worn out tools? I don’t believe so.
“Puro” in the cigar world means a cigar is pure of one country blend. Cuban cigars are “puro” and use their own tobacco (Criollo meaning local) and do not blend using tobacco with other countries. A “puro” cigar to me has always been quite one dimensional, like making a pasta sauce with just tomato’s from one area and not adding any meat or spices to it. You can eat it but it is just going to taste like tomato.
I smokes about 50 cigars in 6 days folks (don’t try this at home, I’m a professional). I smoked every brand I could find, different sizes and different colors, on different days and at different times. I took this journey very seriously. The cigars, and I am speaking for all of them, were young, meaning not aged long enough, they were under-filled, they were over humidified, too wet, I could hardly keep them lit and had to re-light over and over again. It was a disappointment because I was expecting much more. These were not the first Cuban cigars I’ve ever smoked and I’ve honestly never been a big fan but I did have some belief that they were better than I detected. I believed I was missing something, maybe they just weren’t up my alley but were great cigars for people who like that flavor. Today I don’t believe that at all. I don’t believe they are great or even very good, they are what was on my tasting notes in the factory which was “sufficiente” of “sufficient”…”regular” or “acceptable” at best.
To my friends in the cigar business, the ones who own and operate cigar factories, to my colleagues, that sell non-Cuban cigars… here’s the good news; Stop Worrying when the embargo ends… it will end someday and you’ll be fine. When the forbidden fruit, “Cuban Cigars” are NOT forbidden anymore, they will not only not sell well due to losing their mystique to Americans, but the rest of the world will open their eyes. Cuba will have to get with the times and improve or grow something else.
To the American cigar smoker… I have been smoking and selling cigars for over 30 years now. I’ve smoked them all and consider myself somewhat of an expert in the field as pretentious as that sounds. I truly believe Americans are smoking the best cigars today. Better than any time in history. Light up a great cigar today and enjoy what has been consistently improving for over 500 years, Premium Handmade Cigars.
And if you read through all of this, Thank-you, hey I’m no writer (I know that), I just have been asked and told my story so many times already, I thought I’d put it down on paper.
Yesterday: Day Five
-Dave
