June 2017 Trip Report

[flinthills]

Gentlemen,

This is my first post so please forgive me as I am sure I am breaking some rule(s). I was in Cuba from June 10 through June 16, 2017. This was my first time to Cuba and my first time buying Cuban Cigars. After much research I felt like I was going down with a good plan and high hopes to find some premium cigars. 

My final take included:

• Box of 25 - 2016 Romeo y Julieta Limited Edition Capuletos (Marking "TOS FEB 17") - Purchased from LCDH Varadero
• Box of 25 - Cohiba Maduro 5 Genios (Marking "SUM MAR 17") - Purchased from LCDH Varadero
• Cabinet of 25 - Cohiba Robustos (Marking "OBM FEB 17") -  Purchased from LCDH Varadero
• 2 x Box of 15 (Small boxes of 3) - Montecristo No. 2 (Marking "SAT MAR 17") -  Purchased from Romeo y Julieta Factory Store
• 2 x Box of 15 (Small boxes of 3 tubos) - Partagas Serie E No. 2 (Marking "ETP DIC 17") - Purchased from LCDH Hotel Nacional
• 10 Metal Tubos - Cohiba Siglo VI - Purchased from LCDH Hotel Nacional
• 10 Metal Tubos - Cohiba Piramides Extra - Purchased from LCDH Melia Habana
• 2 (Individual Cigars) - 2016 Trinidad Topes Limited Edition - Purchased from LCDH Habana Libre
• 2 x Box of 5 (Individual Boxes) - Cohiba Siglo IV - Purchased from LCDH Club Havana
• 2 x Box of 5 (Individual Boxes) - Cohiba Siglo III - Purchased from LCDH Club Havana
• 2 x Box of 5 (Individual Boxes) - Cohiba Coronas Especiales - Purchased from LCDH Club Havana
• 12 x Behike 52 Custom Rolls from Yolanda at Melia Habana LCDH
• 6 x Behike 56 Custom Rolls from Yolanda at Melia Habana
• 12 x Piramides Custom Rolls from Yolanda at Melia Habana
• 1 x Montecristo 80th Anniversary Custom Rolls from Yolanda at Melia Habana - She threw this one in for free and said I have to try it, it's a great cigar.
• 12 x Lanceros Custom Rolls from Jorge at Club Habana LCDH
• 8 Hotel Nacional Ashtrays
• 1 Cohiba Behike Ashtray - Purchased from LCDH Melia Habana
• 2 x Cohiba 50th Anniversary Lighter/Cutter Set
• 2 x Cohiba 50th Anniversary 2-Cigar Travel Case
• Limited Edition LCDH Hotel Nacional Humidor (Numbered 4/30)

Overall, there were very few full boxes of Cohiba's for sale at most LCDH - I visited 8 different LCDH over the seven days I was in Cuba. Most of the Cohiba boxes available for sale were Siglo I and Exquisitos. Otherwise the only other full boxes of Cohibas we found were at the LCDH in Varadero where we had our biggest score. I was able to pick up the Romeo y Julieta Limited Edition 2016 Capuletos, Maduro 5 Genios and the Robustos in one stop. This was after many days of disappointment. Surprisingly Montecristo No. 2's were very tough to find. We found an open box, with eight remaining cigars in LCDH Hotel Libre and it wasnt until our second to last day when we found 6 boxes of 15 (5 - 3 packs) at the Romeo y Julieta Factory Store. 

I do not speak much Spanish which seemed to get me a lot of "No!" at LCDH around Cuba. I would usually have to spot something in the walk-in humidor - which we were often not allowed to walk in - and have the employee go get me the box I wished to purchase. This was true in the case of all three boxes in Varadero, none were sitting out on the shelves, it was also true for the humidor I purchased at Hotel Nacional. 

I think everyone will find this interesting... Our second to last day in the country we were at the LCDH at Melia Habana. As you walk in there is a large glass cabinet that runs the length of the right side of the shop. At the end there is another cabinet with high-end rum. To the left of the Rum cabinet is a red curtain. When I pulled the curtain back I found two boxes of 25 Montecristo No. 2, two boxes of 5 Montecristo A and one box of Montecristo 80th Anniversary. I got really excited! (Only to be later let down.) When asked the answer was "Those are not for sale, that is why they are behind the curtain." Those were the only A's we saw, the only 80th Anniv. we say and the only full boxes of 25 No. 2's we saw the whole trip. This makes me believe that the good stuff gets held back most of the time. 

Additional notes... I would typically ask LCDH employees when the last time they had Behike and Esplendidos in stock. Most answered Behike's sometime around February or March and Esplendidos since well before that but few would give me a specific month.

All in all it was a great trip and I am off and running with my new Cuban Cigar obsession. 

Please enjoy the photos below and I will be happy to answer any questions anyone has.

 

[shlomo]

Heck of a first post!

Might want to post an intro, welcome to the forum.

[Inthestix]

Outstanding write up!! Thanks for sharing. Welcome!


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[semifan1]

very good haul.

[ElJavi76]

Hey Flint,

 

Congrats on your haul and on your trip to Cuba. I can't help but feel a lil jealous. Not in a negative way... I'm happy you got into the hobby and shot right for the cream of the crop. The haul you have right now, takes guys months and sometimes years to amass. Great job!  I have to ask, at these LCdH's what's the retail pricing for a box of Cohiba Robusto for example? Are the prices we can find here or other sites out of Geneva competitive? I wonder if they are experiencing shortages there with all the exporting they do. I find it interesting they don't present more in terms of full boxes. The idea of short supply makes me wanna get another humidor and keep piling on while there's still supply to be had. No full boxes of Monte #2?  Seems crazy to me. 

I haven't returned to Cuba since I left 37 years ago this June, by choice mostly. I'm holding out until free elections or for some other movement of good faith by the Cuban govt. I still find joy in knowing some folks are enjoying the beauty my island has to offer. 

Saludos,

Javi

[paris1129]

Awesome first post! Thanks for sharing your experience! I'm definitely jealous!

Out of curiosity, how much was the box of capuletos?

[flinthills]

I found this price list to be accurate (prices listed in CUC). Not sure how it compares to other sellers prices.

[mbflash80]

very nice haul! I was in Havana in May and found the experience to be very similar to yours...not much in the way of Cohiba boxes and always felt like the good stuff was being held for certain customers...

[Isaac]

Still want one of those ashtrays.  Nice Haul!!

[flinthills]

2 hours ago, Isaac said:

Still want one of those ashtrays.  Nice Haul!!

PM Sent

[Puros Y Vino]

Nice haul and first post.  Maybe post an intro? Tell us a bit about you.     A lot of LCDH's hold stock for customers they form relationships with over the years.  

[havanaclub]

Very nice haul sir. Those ashtrays are the bomb!!

Yes I am too surprised that full boxes of monte 2 at those shops weren't available. I also saw many at the airport dutyfree in Cayo Coco. Now this was back in February. I didn't see hardly any Cohiba. Mind you I went to a crappy LCDH in Cayo Coco. And just the hotel and airport.
Only saw one 3 pack of esplendido at the hotel humidor I was staying at and one box of siglo 6 at the airport. That's it.
Sounds like you had a great trip


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[flinthills]

2 hours ago, havanaclub said:

Very nice haul sir. Those ashtrays are the bomb!!

Yes I am too surprised that full boxes of monte 2 at those shops weren't available. I also saw many at the airport dutyfree in Cayo Coco. Now this was back in February. I didn't see hardly any Cohiba. Mind you I went to a crappy LCDH in Cayo Coco. And just the hotel and airport.
Only saw one 3 pack of esplendido at the hotel humidor I was staying at and one box of siglo 6 at the airport. That's it.
Sounds like you had a great trip


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It wasn't just full boxes. We were only in two LCDHs that even had Monte 2s available individually. (One of those two also had the boxes of 15).

[Smoking Ninja]

Oh man, nice haul sir!!  Love those ashtrays!!!!  I have been looking for those as well... PM me if you would like to trade one!!

[Luca]

Awesome post! Did you see any Cuban Regional Releases at all when you were in Cuba?

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[flinthills]

6 hours ago, Luca said:

Awesome post! Did you see any Cuban Regional Releases at all when you were in Cuba?

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I did not. Only 4 of the 8 LCDH I went to let me inside the walk-in humidor and as I mentioned I felt like the good stuff was being held back. It is possible they had some stored away, but nothing out for sale in singles or full boxes.

[Luca]

I did not. Only 4 of the 8 LCDH I went to let me inside the walk-in humidor and as I mentioned I felt like the good stuff was being held back. It is possible they had some stored away, but nothing out for sale in singles or full boxes.

Thats unfortunate Im a bit worried as I am looking at going for the festival next year and Im hoping on getting some special RE's. Were the staff a bit rude at any of the LCDHs? How was the "vibe"?

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[flinthills]

7 minutes ago, Luca said:

 

Thats unfortunate Im a bit worried as I am looking at going for the festival next year and Im hoping on getting some special RE's. Were the staff a bit rude at any of the LCDHs? How was the "vibe"?

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I don't know that I would call it rude, but their first response to any question was "No!" If I was asking them to do any kind of work, let me in the humidor, check the back, ask for something I didn't see, get a box from the humidor... all "No." Once I started spending some money they started opening up a bit. The LCDH in Varadero loved me by the time I was finished with my purchase, but were not helpful when I first walked in. Initially, they said they had no Cohiba boxes other than the Maduro 5 Magicos sitting out (and appeared to have been handled quite a bite) and no Limited Editions. Once they saw I was a serious buyer they "found" a cabinet of Robustos and I was able to spot some RyJ Limited Edition Capuletos through the window of the humidor as well as the three boxes of Genios. I found this to be the case almost everywhere I went. I could never figure out why it was this way, whether it was my lack of Spanish speaking (I tried but I my Spanish is very poor), maybe it was that I am American or possibly something else altogether. Either way, no one was ever excited to help me or sell to me. It felt like I was inconveniencing them.

I'm sure that's not the answer you were looking for.

[Customsfan]

I just got the impression that a lot of cigars are being sold.  Wonder if they can keep up. When I was at the Comodoro, guys were walking in and just stacking boxes on the counter.  They were buying all the larger gauge customs. 

Edited June 23, 2017 by craigcigars
Spelling

[tak8426]

Nice post Flint,

Did you stay at Hotel Nacional, it sure looks like you scored a lot of stuff from them!

I really love those Hotel Nacional ashtrays, it looks like you hit the jackpot. I saw one on eBay that looks a lot like one of them in your picture. Before I place my bid I wanted to check to see if it was yours so I would know it is authentic. Check out the link below and let me know and hopefully I can get one of those for my collection. 

Cool post!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/112448807775?_trksid=p2380057.m570.l6027&_trkparms=gh1g%3DI112448807775.N35.S1

Quote

 

 

[flinthills]

16 hours ago, craigcigars said:

I just got the impression that a lot of cigars are being sold.  Wonder if they can keep up. When I was at the Comodoro, guys were walking in and just stacking boxes on the counter.  They were buying all the larger gauge customs. 

I would agree. The individuals at most LCDHs said Americans were buying in very large quantities. They had seen a big increase in sales and difficulty keeping boxes - especially Cohiba in stock for very long at all. Didn't see a lot of others purchasing customs while I was in the big stores but that may have just been timing.

[flinthills]

11 hours ago, tak8426 said:

Nice post Flint,

Did you stay at Hotel Nacional, it sure looks like you scored a lot of stuff from them!

I really love those Hotel Nacional ashtrays, it looks like you hit the jackpot. I saw one on eBay that looks a lot like one of them in your picture. Before I place my bid I wanted to check to see if it was yours so I would know it is authentic. Check out the link below and let me know and hopefully I can get one of those for my collection. 

Cool post!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/112448807775?_trksid=p2380057.m570.l6027&_trkparms=gh1g%3DI112448807775.N35.S1

 

We did stay at Hotel Nacional. Interesting place. Very dated. Great location and fantastic back patio/seating area with excellent views. The rooms were just ok and I felt there were probably some nicer hotels we could have stayed in. But why not stay at the Hotel Nacional on your first Cuba visit - I had to! 

Yes, those are mine on eBay, I might have spent a little too much money on the trip..... 

[dshapiro]

New writing style on those nacional ashtrays. I like. 

[Lotusguy]

I would agree. The individuals at most LCDHs said Americans were buying in very large quantities. They had seen a big increase in sales and difficulty keeping boxes - especially Cohiba in stock for very long at all. Didn't see a lot of others purchasing customs while I was in the big stores but that may have just been timing.

One look at Facebook and you know why anything Cohiba and Behike is snapped up immediately - instant 100%+ profit. 200% profit on "Monsdales".

[geosmoke]

On 6/22/2017 at 2:13 PM, Luca said:

Awesome post! Did you see any Cuban Regional Releases at all when you were in Cuba?

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My friend found me a box of SLR Marquez in Varadero on June 26. That was the only RE/LE from the last 2 years on shelves