Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

My 2 cents.
I wouldn't go to Cuba. There are plenty of other destitute, and not so, islands in the Caribbean.
I smoke mostly Cuban cigars because they are cheaper for the value. I haven't bought any in a few years because my income doesn't justify having a ten year supply vs. a five year one. I haven't bought any NCs either.
You would be insane to invest or finance anything in Cuba unless you could deal with them like a drug lord. The whole world could if they wanted to and they don't.
Besides it being a brutal, dictatorial, police state, oligarchy, (wait, that sounds familliar ;) ), it may be a nice place.
Nothing has changed as far as trade goes. Where do I go to sell them a few containers full of vitamins and pet supplies?:r What would they pay me with? Chinese yuan? Oh yeah, those would be containers from China anyway. I could have them drop shipped.
I hear they got a lot of nice girls out there, a haw haw haw, a haw haw haw haw.
You can go there and bring back $100 worth of stuff, big cheer.

Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

How were CC's viewed before the 60's? Anyone around here old enough to remember? We're they seen as anything special before the embargo?

Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

Not old enough but know some of the history. Basically before the embargo a cigar was a cigar, it just happened that a lot of cigars or cigar tobacco came from Cuba. A lot of tobacco came to the US for rolling, which resulted in Havana Clears, a term describing tobacco cleared by Customs. And I know several old timers who recall cc being available in stores for quite a while after the embargo.

Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

Yes they were and actually a lot of American rolled cigars were using Cuban tobacco. NC grown tobacco was in the minority for sure.

Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

Absolutely they were, though of course they didn't have the "forbidden fruit" air about them. I remember some of my father's comments about Cuban cigars (he started smoking cigars in the years before the embargo), and as a passing element of historical research I've noticed advertisers' emphasis on Cuban cigars, or at least Cuban tobacco. Realize that there were something like 920 different brands of cigars made in Cuba before the embargo...granted, many of them were regional, city-specific, or even neighborhood-specific within Cuba, but at the same time many of the marcas were American-owned and targeted at the American market.

Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

I recall reading (maybe in the book on the Cuesta-Ray story) that, when the Embargo came crashing down (almost) out of the blue on February 7, 1962, the American cigar industry was caught in a panic, so much had they come to depend on Cuban leaf.

Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

The more intriguing question should be "what cigars outside of Cuba grown tobacco were popular at that time"?

Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

A photo of Che Guevara, and a blaster issued from the Empire to senior clone squad leaders.

Do I win anything?

Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

And exactly two years TO THE DAY from this "wager", an awesome fiver of CCs shows up at my door. I had no idea what they were for until Bill reminded me of this. A man of integrity, with great taste in cigars! Thank you, Bill, you are a gentleman and great BOTL. :D

Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

:cl Very cool!

Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

But it's only the 16th today. There's still one day to go!

Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

Unless you're related to Raul, I think I'm good. ;)

Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

We are all sons of Adam and daughters of Eve, brother.

Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

Wow, that's awesome. WTG, Bill!

Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

I've met Bill. And herfed with him on multiple occasions.
I couldn't agree more, Tom.

Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

I'm nobody's daughter. Thomas. But I am, and always will be, your friend. Live long and prosper.

Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

Back at you, but live longer and prosperer. :D

Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

Very cool thing to do, Bill!

Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

I can remember crap like this but not what I had for dinner two nights ago. :D

But I figured Tom deserved a little Christmas cheer regardless for what he (and Peter) do for all of us here. They commit a lot of time to keeping the funny train running.

And for those of you who really pay attention, I have to confess I slipped an Epicure No. 2 in there. ;)

Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

Obviously YOU pay pretty close attention, Bill. ;) :r

Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

Awesome thing to do, Bill.

Re: Cuba relations thawing
 

United is flying direct to Havana from Newark.