{"id":14205,"date":"2023-02-07T09:27:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-07T08:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.my-watchsite.com\/blog\/?p=14205"},"modified":"2023-02-10T17:26:36","modified_gmt":"2023-02-10T16:26:36","slug":"cuba-si-cuba-cigars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.my-watchsite.com\/blog\/cuba-si-cuba-cigars\/","title":{"rendered":"Cuba si, Cuba cigars"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Obispo street, Havana.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On 27 and 28 September 2022, panic spread\u00a0across Vi\u00f1ales as well as San Juan y Martinez, as Hurricane Ian blew through the main tobacco-growing region, with winds over 200kph. Cuba was put through the wringer. The electrical grid was shot to pieces, 40,000 people were rendered homeless, and 10,000 of the island\u2019s 12,000 tobacco leaf dryers\u00a0were destroyed, as well as the year\u2019s crop. For those who roll the best puros<\/em> in the world, this was nothing less than a disaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the time losses were mourned and arrangements were made to fix what could be fixed (only 5,000 leaf dryers were rebuilt), Cuba was feeling the consequences of the shortage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Price adjustments<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Europe, the aisles of tobacconists remain empty, and people are quick to point fingers any which way. Chinese smokers, American dealers all to happy to eat the forbidden fruit (the US embargo against Cuba prohibits all trade with the island, so no cigars can be officially sold there), or narcos hidden away in the Gulf, never to be outdone when it comes to a good deal. As a result, importers fighting over the few boxes that can be delivered are applying hair-raising markups. It\u2019s the law of offer and demand, you see… Basic units are now dangerously approaching the 10 euro mark, nicer Havanas are priced around 15 to 20 euros each, while lighting up a high-end vitola can set you back over 50 euros. A costly smoke indeed…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Smoking nice Havanas is a luxury few can afford.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the streets of Havana, where the average salary is below a hundred euros, the mind boggles. So the Cubans once again prove how resourceful they are. Down here, the cigar is part of the everyday. Everyone, no matter their age or social class, enjoys the pleasure of puffing away on a puro<\/em>. That photograph showing Fidel and the Che, stogies\u00a0hanging from their mouths, albeit legendary, illustrates just how commonplace this is, a scene familiar to the island\u2019s 11 million inhabitants. In Cuba, smoking is about being social, it\u2019s a shared delight, a break that is enjoyed as a group. If this ordinary activity becomes a luxury over the border, then there must be some cash to be made. Smart. Alternatives are popping up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The shop at the Nacional<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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A strange fellow keeps watch over the door of the cigar shop at the Nacional.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

During their stay, visitors will discover the cigar ritual. They will inevitably want to acquire for themselves the object of happiness, best enjoyed with a sip of ron<\/em>, Cuban rum, the other national claim to fame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our first suggestion: crossing the threshold of government-owned shops, selling the best-known brands, Partagas, Hupmann, Cohiba, Romeo y Julieta, etc. Air conditioning, well-stocked shelves, perfectly aligned boxes, and smiling shopkeepers. Magnificent. Yes, but spirits are soon dampened by the price tags \u2013 they\u2019re nearly the same as those in Paris, Barcelona, London, and Berlin. No good deal to be had, then. Although, they can be bought individually everywhere you go, making it easy, with a little paper, to end a night of mojitos, lobster, and salsa on a high note.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Nacional hotel in Havana.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the same vein, it might be a good idea to visit the stately, official shop\u00a0on the ground floor of the mythical Nacional hotel in Havana. Truly marvellous. The sight of one of the country\u2019s finest cellars is a feast for the eyes, but some units are verging on 100 euros each (Cohiba Esplendidos). \u201cDo you sell a lot of these?<\/em>\u201d I enquired.\u00a0\u201cSeveral, every day,\u201d<\/em> admitted the shopkeeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cigars are sold individually in dollars in official shops.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You could also go straight to the source and visit a cigar manufacture, for example Partagas in Havana. Don\u2019t expect a miracle on the rates, they\u2019re not getting any lower. But still, it\u2019s a pleasure to see the brand\u2019s whole range so beautifully displayed, and you get to witness live hand-rolling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The shop at the Nacional hotel in Havana.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The BHK rumour lives on<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Enough of that, let\u2019s find another solution. Forget the streets, \u201ccigars, my friend, Cohiba, amigo?\u201d. Too hit and miss. You get them for a song, but they\u2019re rip-offs, obviously, made to look real using bands and seals. The illusion breaks as soon as you light one up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seek and ye shall find.\u00a0 Speak with market-savvy Cubans that you can trust: a guide, a neighbour, a driver, a hotel waitress. This informal circuit lives on through friends of friends of friends, and through boxes that have, as they say, fallen off the back of the truck. Truth be told, these are underground operations, organised by workshop employees trying to earn a bit of spending money. Every brand is fair game. The upside: these are genuine, although missing their official seals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The distinctive band of a Cohiba cigar.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Their appearance runs the gamut, from bundles in newspaper to officially-labelled boxes you would find in a shop. Rates vary at the seller\u2019s discretion. About a hundred euros for the best stuff \u2013 Monte Cristo or D4, Cohiba if you\u2019re lucky. Although… Rumour has it that the underground circuit is the key to finding Cohiba Behike 56, the Rolls Royce of Havanas. These can run upwards of 160 euros in select tobacconists back in Europe. It\u2019s just a rumour, of course…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rough and ready<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another option: foreign visitors are allowed to pop into the government shops tasked with unloading cigars intended for the local population. Nothing like the products sold by big-name exporters funnelling dollars into the country\u2019s budget: these are made from less noble leaves, sometimes even offcuts or scraps, and machine-rolled. Surprise, their quality is actually nothing to sneeze at. They sit on the shelves alongside basic necessities \u2013 oil, rice, sugar, eggs, soap, paid for using rationing tickets. Cigars are also part of subsidised rations: 25 units per person per month. Admittedly, these are a bit rough and ready, not exactly a delicate product, but some people can\u2019t get enough. Selling prices are piddling, only one euro per stogie. A visitor asks if he can get one of those. Um, yes se\u00f1or, but not so loud, please, and the price is now at 5 euros. No matter, the seller\u2019s happy, and so is the buyer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The alternative is downtown shops selling… religious paraphernalia\u00a0(for example, at the corner of Obispo and Habana in Havana). They are popular with local practitioners of a form of voodoo (many Cubans have Haitian ancestry), and cigars are part of the worship rituals. These are sold loose, and although not all are created equal, it only takes one look to sort the wheat from the chaff. Some are surprisingly good, and they\u2019re only about 50 cents. Well worth a little wink to the big man upstairs. Deo gratias, muchas gracias.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE NACIONAL HOTEL WEBSITE<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read also:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Watch And Cigar, The Great Lovestory<\/a><\/blockquote>