bdc30
BoM May '11
Trip update post! Sorry it's taken me a couple weeks but wanted to pop in and say a huge Thank You to Ryan for posting the detailed information about the rollers. We did end up taking a trip to Havana on one of the days with an amazing tour guide - Yosel from I love Cuba tours, highly recommended. He asked when he picked us up what types of things we wanted to see and I showed him Ryan's post. He was able to plan for two stops on our tour.
While we were on a walking tour in Old Havana, we hit Hotel Conde de Villanueva where we met Reynaldo. He was just hanging out in the shop with a couple other guys, not actively rolling, but he was very gracious. Yosel our guide was an english professor at the university in Havana so was able to easily translate for us which was an added bonus. Initially when Yosel told him we were there looking for custom rolls, he took me over to a large humidor and opened it up, I was excited...until he started pulling drawers to show me they were empty...He got to the top drawer and finally there were some cigars. Sorta. There were about 10-12 super robustos that look to be 60rg or so. Not my favorite size but grabbed a few nonetheless. As we were walking to the cash, disappointed, Reynaldo asks what my favorite size of cigar is, so I answered Corona Gorda. He disappears in to a back room, and low and behold comes back with a full bundle of CG's, plus an extra. Score! He lit up the extra one meticulously using a couple cedar strips and handed it to me so I got to continue the rest of my tour of Havana puffing on a great cigar, prepared for me by one of the finest rollers in the world...Not bad...
The next stop as far as cigars goes was the LCDH at Club Havana. We didn't have a lot of time so weren't able to stay and see the facilities there but it was a beautiful property and great shop. Jorge is the roller there, but according to Yosel's translation, had called in sick that day due to a sore shoulder. There was another gentleman there filling in for him but I can't recall his name. He was gracious enough however to take me in to their private walkin and allow me to select from some Jorge's they had stored within. I was able to get a 50ct bundle of monsdales as well as a 25ct of BHK56 clones. I haven't smoked either as yet though but they look and smell immaculate.
The only other customs we came across were at the shop on the main strip in Varadero. I didn't get the name of the roller there, as he was kinda grumpy and standoffish, but did manage to at least grab a 25ct bundle of robustos that he had in his table. He also gave me an extra and lit it up for me and it was excellent.
I also grabbed a few regular production boxes since, as Ryan mentioned, prices for cigars here are just insane and I had bought all the customs I could get my grubby mitts on and still had some allotment left. Picked up Monte 4's, Boli PC's, Robaina Famosos, PSD4 and PSE2 boxes. The PSD4's actually had some mold on one of the sticks which was disappointing (can see it in the pic I'll post on the far left) and the quality of them was pretty disappointing, but everything else looked to be ok. I've put them through the freezing process as well and now they're going down for a significant nap.
Anyway, I'll post some more pics as able but here's the cigar stuff anyway...lol Again, thanks so much for all the information guys.
While we were on a walking tour in Old Havana, we hit Hotel Conde de Villanueva where we met Reynaldo. He was just hanging out in the shop with a couple other guys, not actively rolling, but he was very gracious. Yosel our guide was an english professor at the university in Havana so was able to easily translate for us which was an added bonus. Initially when Yosel told him we were there looking for custom rolls, he took me over to a large humidor and opened it up, I was excited...until he started pulling drawers to show me they were empty...He got to the top drawer and finally there were some cigars. Sorta. There were about 10-12 super robustos that look to be 60rg or so. Not my favorite size but grabbed a few nonetheless. As we were walking to the cash, disappointed, Reynaldo asks what my favorite size of cigar is, so I answered Corona Gorda. He disappears in to a back room, and low and behold comes back with a full bundle of CG's, plus an extra. Score! He lit up the extra one meticulously using a couple cedar strips and handed it to me so I got to continue the rest of my tour of Havana puffing on a great cigar, prepared for me by one of the finest rollers in the world...Not bad...
The next stop as far as cigars goes was the LCDH at Club Havana. We didn't have a lot of time so weren't able to stay and see the facilities there but it was a beautiful property and great shop. Jorge is the roller there, but according to Yosel's translation, had called in sick that day due to a sore shoulder. There was another gentleman there filling in for him but I can't recall his name. He was gracious enough however to take me in to their private walkin and allow me to select from some Jorge's they had stored within. I was able to get a 50ct bundle of monsdales as well as a 25ct of BHK56 clones. I haven't smoked either as yet though but they look and smell immaculate.
The only other customs we came across were at the shop on the main strip in Varadero. I didn't get the name of the roller there, as he was kinda grumpy and standoffish, but did manage to at least grab a 25ct bundle of robustos that he had in his table. He also gave me an extra and lit it up for me and it was excellent.
I also grabbed a few regular production boxes since, as Ryan mentioned, prices for cigars here are just insane and I had bought all the customs I could get my grubby mitts on and still had some allotment left. Picked up Monte 4's, Boli PC's, Robaina Famosos, PSD4 and PSE2 boxes. The PSD4's actually had some mold on one of the sticks which was disappointing (can see it in the pic I'll post on the far left) and the quality of them was pretty disappointing, but everything else looked to be ok. I've put them through the freezing process as well and now they're going down for a significant nap.
Anyway, I'll post some more pics as able but here's the cigar stuff anyway...lol Again, thanks so much for all the information guys.
