Personal Roller

[jolsensen]

Hello there!

I recently saw in a documentary on Cuban cigars a guy based in Cuba who is a sort of Bunchero/Torcedor to hire.
He was making taylor made cigars for well off westerners (French and Spanish in particular).

His selling point is the consistency in draw and presentation and the selection of high quality long fillers and "creme de la creme" wrappers.

Has any of you guys had the opportunitty to try one of these taylor made cigars?

I am quite curious and could be potentially interested for gifts to clients or good friends with a customized ring.

Thanks in advance for your feedback

[Deano]

Yep had a few from various events in the last year or two - and Cgars are still selling a few from one of the rollers.

Rumour has it that at the 2nd anniversary UKCF herf we will be getting roller to join us from Cuba............

[nicwing]

Capn Bob (on here from Canadia) told me that he goes to Cuba so often (twice a year) he has a personal roller.

When he get's into town he orders up the required qty of sticks to his own blend, developed over many arduous hours of testing, and retires to the beach.

Few days later they are ready to be collected.

That's what I call Bespoke .

[Kdot]

Yep had a few from various events in the last year or two - and Cgars are still selling a few from one of the rollers.

Rumour has it that at the 2nd anniversary UKCF herf we will be getting roller to join us from Cuba............

you're such a tease!

Im lucky enough to have a custom rolled cuban sitting in the humi that I recieved a few days a go courtesy of a member on this forum, looking forward to trying it.

[Cigar-aficionado]

Whenever we are in Cuba we alwats get a relative of a friend of ours to roll stuff for me, always good quality and a top notch smoke. Rumour also has it that the next Gibraltar cigar dinner may tie up with their annual visit from a roller

[TJCoro]

Personal Roller!

Once a year don TJ takes a trip to a secret location to, among other things, pick up a small stash of custom rolled puros from Jesus Parez Lara, cousin to the legendary Avelino Lara and one of Fidel's personal rollers.

Avelino's Back story here originally posted by senor Vision here!

[kingcohiba]

I have got some custom rolled double ligero shag foot churchills coming soon from a roller named reynaldo. Supposed to be some very good sticks.

[jolsensen]

you guys are such a tease...

i need to go to the next events featuring some of these rollers and get connections.

I don't know about cigar events in London. is there anything that is schedule for the next few weeks?

[PoohBore]

Re: Personal Roller

Got me 2 torpedos rolled by armondo at the bath and west show last year. Thinking of taking them back to Cuba to smoke next week. What do you think ?

[jolsensen]

Got me 2 torpedos rolled by armondo at the bath and west show last year. Thinking of taking them back to Cuba to smoke next week. What do you think ?

I think I hate you

really need to plan this trip the the mecca of cigars.

Or is the mecca nicaragua now ? I am getting confused

[PoohBore]

I think I hate you

really need to plan this trip the the mecca of cigars.

Or is the mecca nicaragua now ? I am getting confused

Go wash your mouth out now !

I'm gutted I'm only there for 3 weeks

[jolsensen]

Go wash your mouth out now !

I'm gutted I'm only there for 3 weeks

only for three weeks, hey...

poor you. You must feel horrible

[cbob]

Capn Bob (on here from Canadia) told me that he goes to Cuba so often (twice a year) he has a personal roller....
That's what I call Bespoke .

Canadia indeed!
But the bespoke part is right on.
Many of my friends have established "relationships" * with several of the more renowned torcedores in Havana. They have favorites and regularly buy custom-rolled smokes when visiting The Island. There are even a couple of rollers who have e-mail addys and one can pre-order some bundles if you are making a quick trip.

Some of the better known names that are dropped amoung the cognoscenti include:

• Jaime "Hamlet" who still rolls out of the now closed RyJ factory.
• Leopoldina "La China" who rolls at the Casa del Habano at the Partagas factory.
• Reinaldo Jimenez who runs the Casa del Habano at Hotel Conde de Villanueva (he has several rollers working for him)
• Yolanda who rolls at the Casa del Habano "Casa Robaina" at the Melia Havana hotel.
• Cristanto Santos who rolls at La Escogida, the Casa del Tabacos at Hotel Comodoro
• Taboada, who used to roll at the old La Corona factory has now retired but apparently spends a lot of time in Mexico and like The A Team, IF you can find him...

My previous "go-to" Torcedor in Varadero has retired to Florida and I've lost touch although I still have a few of his excellent cigars resting in my humidor.
Lately I've been spending quite a bit of time in the Miramar area of Havana so I've become friends with Sr. Santos. I consider him a MASTER.
Most of these better known rollers have access to some great tobaccos as they have all been long-time employees at various Havana factories. Typically they roll 4 or 5 different vitolas for sale at their place of business but all are able to roll specialty sizes and shapes if given the time. Normally the custom rolled smokes sell for less than what a similar size would fetch when branded and boxed and if you find some you like they can be a real bargain.
At the moment, Cuba allows only 23 "non-boxed" cigars to be exported but that can be a moot point when they never seem to inspect your cigars at the airport, at least in Varadero.

It's always a great idea to search out and sample some of the great smokes being rolled "outside the factory" as long as you understand that they are FRESH cigars and while they are great ROTT (right off the table) if you really want the best from them, they need at least 15 days of rest and most will certainly benefit from a minimum of two years in the humidor.

* relationship : you give the roller money and tell all your friends and send everyone you know to this "best" roller so you get treated like a "best friend".

[kingcohiba]

• Reinaldo Jimenez who runs the Casa del Habano at Hotel Conde de Villanueva (he has several rollers working for him)

this is where my churchills are coming from! tried them bob?

[Cigar-aficionado]

The rollers at the Conde de Villanueva rolls some excellent cigars, last year I survived a whole week there smoking only his custom rolled figurados