Matt Holtz

I don't know why, but I've never gotten into Trinidads ... the flavor just isn't there for me.

Pros: I like him bringing attention to smaller, artisanal companies when he does. Cons: Pretty much everything else. I dislike all of the airs and forced behavioral nonsense that he goes through in order to "look" the part of a gentleman. He's what I imagine would occur if you trained an AI robot to be a gentleman. "Bellend" is a perfect descriptor for him.

Just curious, does anyone know if the price normalization that happened across all Casa del Habanos locations happened in Cuba as well? I haven't been back since this happened, but the prices appear to be the same.

@Corylax18 Thanks so much for sharing! I'll definitely be making a trip out to Pinar del Rio when I'm there next time, and I'll check out the farm. I think I found it on Google Maps as "Hector Luis Prieto Tobacco Plantation" unless I'm missing something.

I was planning to visit La China on my next visit, but now you're making me think I ought to reconsider! Do you know if Hector's customs only available at his farm in Pinar del Rio, or can you find them in Havana as well? Thanks again for all of your help! Matt

@Corylax18 Thank you very much, Cory! I look forward to trying the Nudies. I'm just getting into custom-rolled cigars now because the prices for my favorite sticks are no longer within my budget. If you had to choose just one roller to visit while in Cuba, who would it be, and are his/her cigars comparable to the those at the higher end of the market (e.g. Siglo VI) in your opinion?

Hey @RobBooth if it's not too much trouble, may I have Jose's contact info?

Hi @Fuzz is this at the Hotel Comodoro?

Hi folks, this is my first post in the Watering Hole/I'm a newb here, so go easy on me if I've missed something from before! I've been into Habanos for quite some time, and apart from Cigar Aficionado, what would you guys say are the most trusted ratings sources that score new cigar releases? Also, who would you guys say are the most trusted cigar reviewers these days? Best, Matt

Hi folks, My name is Matt, I live in NYC, and I'm a longstanding fan of Habanos and great bourbon. I've been to Cuba multiple times, and I'm currently planning a follow up trip. I'm very excited to be a part of this community, and I've already had a fantastic experience with @LizardGizmo, who was kind enough to lend me a copy of Min Ron Nee's book, which I was finally able to purchase about a month ago at a not astronomical price I'm looking forward to meeting everyone and can't wait to dive in! Best, Matt

That's incredible, thank you so much! I'll DM you now!

Does anyone have a copy of this (even remotely) close to NY? I've never got my hands on one and I'd love to read it, even if it's only for a short period. Happy to send the lender a bottle of nice whiskey if so.

Thanks for letting me know! Is there a good thread for more recent travel info?

@El Presidente was the full writeup of this post ever published anywhere?

Hi folks, my name is Matt, I'm from New York, and I've been enjoying Cubans since I was a young'un. I've been to Cuba a couple of times and loved the experience, and I also have wild ideas about having a mini cigar farm one of these days. Random fact: I grew some CT shade tobacco in my apartment from seedlings, the plant sprouted up to about 5', and then my wife yelled at me and told me to move it outside. After curing those leaves, that smoke ended up being one of the best I've ever had, apart from getting sticks hand rolled over dinner at Hotel Nacional in Cuba. Looking forward to meeting you guys!

I feel for you being a Cubs fan. Went to school in Chicago, and I was there for the Steve Bartman mess

The Fundadores from around that time are incredible smokes. I'd hold onto them. The aged market is picking up like crazy, and ever since China discovered Habanos, I don't think the price is going anywhere (https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/china-becomes-top-market-cubas-legendary-cigars-2021-05-05/).

Thanks so much for this great resource! Where can we find the summary PDF?