What happened in the US immediately after the Cuban Embargo?

[tippexx]

Strange question I know. But the reason for asking, and which will lead to a second question, is prior to 1962 it was legal to smoke and for tobacconist to sell Cuban cigars in the USA. Therefore, given the size of the USA, there must have been a considerable amount stock warehoused or on shelves.

Q. Did the tobacconist have to remove their stocks, presumably to be destroyed, or were they allowed to sell them, and which if they were holding a large amount of stock may have taken some considerable time.

Q2. I occasionally come across references, usually in Reviews, to 'the old Cuban taste'. The change from old to new appears to roughly coincide or have occurred just after the imposition of the Embargo. I was thirteen when that happened and obviously far to young to be smoking cigars. Even today I don't really know what the old taste was. Was the change in the taste of the cigars due to Cuba's cigar industry loosing what would have been its primary market, and then adjusting the cigar blends to suit European tastes. Although to be honest I don't see why 'tastes' should not be universal.

[El Catador]

Didn't J.F.K. buy them all before he signed the bill?

[bambini]

Not sure about Q1, but I'd guess that tobacconists could sell their remaining stock, and there was probably a mad rush that maent that stocks sold quickly.

As for Q2, my understanding is that is wasn't the embargo that changed the taste of CCs, but Castro's actions when he came to power in 1959. He kicked out the American companies and nationalised the cigar industry and he loss of expertise and many good manufacturers was the biggest influence on the flavour of CCs.

Feel free to correct me though

[jibjob79]

I could be wrong but I think all cubans in the USA could still be smokes, traded and sold as they are pre ban. Any cubans brought into the USA after the signing were then illegal. Now I'd like to know just how much of a price hike did cubans jump as every cigar smoker in the USA ran out to try an grab a box or two of their favourite brand.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bambini]

Didn't J.F.K. buy them all before he signed the bill?

Romour has it he bought 1000 petit upmanns. Bit of a mistake if you ask me - if it was going to be the last CCs you ever smoked, wouldn't you go for something better?

[Seriesteve]

My belief is that...
Pre-Embargo Cigars may still be bought legally by US citizens in the US, to this date.
Ss

[Aussiewaz]

My belief is that...
Pre-Embargo Cigars may still be bought legally by US citizens in the US, to this date.
Ss

Yep, thats my understanding as well. If it was in the US pre embargo then it is still legal.

[moidoid]

Romour has it he bought 1000 petit upmanns. Bit of a mistake if you ask me - if it was going to be the last CCs you ever smoked, wouldn't you go for something better?

Unless they has the 'old' Cuban taste and were the best cigars in the world at the time!

We will never know...

On a side issue, in people's experience do well-kept cigars over 20 years old taste better or worse than cigars with just a few years on them?

[tippexx]

On a side issue, in people's experience do well-kept cigars over 20 years old taste better or worse than cigars with just a few years on them?

I think Monkey did a post on this issue. If I remember correctly.

Cigar vigour and storage over a long period is achieved by systematically reducing the humidity level.

The taste of the cigar may go through a cycle of peaks and troughs throughout their aging. Some years they will taste fine others not.

[monkey66]

Yup, quite a lot of discussion on the pros/cons of ageing here

http://www.ukcigarforums.com/showthread.php?t=6007

and here

http://www.ukcigarforums.com/showthread.php?t=4688

The thing is that very old sticks may be great/different but 'better' than a great youngish stick is very subjective.

There is a certain quality to very old smokes (and wine for that matter) that cannot be replicated and I guess this is the rare taste that we chase. It is however fair to say certainly a practice of diminishing returns after a while (isn't this true of most callings?).

[Aussiewaz]

Much like chasing women at the pub methinks!

[moidoid]

Thanks Monkey & sorry Tippexx for hijacking the thread.

I only asked because I had some very old Sancho's & Upmanns from Christie's a few years back that were awful, but I understand that many of those lots were not well kept.

It is however fair to say certainly a practice of diminishing returns after a while (isn't this true of most callings?).

But there's no need to bring my love-life into it....

[tippexx]

Thanks Monkey & sorry Tippexx for hijacking the thread.

I only asked because I had some very old Sancho's & Upmanns from Christie's a few years back that were awful, but I understand that many of those lots were not well kept.

No Worries Moidoid because I think the ageing issue is relevant to the questions.

There will I've no doubt for example be well-kept boxes of pre-Embargo Cuban cigars in collections somewhere. These will possible be examples of what is called 'old taste'. The truth though I would think is that nobody is going to smoke one to find out and in doing diminish the value as a collection box.

[bambini]

Sorry if this is hijacking, but I've had an indirectly related question on my mind for a while...

Do you think that years to come, "Castro-era" cigars will be particularly coveted in the same way as pre-embargo ones are? I mean, once Fidel and his brother die the chances are that the regime will collapse and something (perhaps less socialist) will take its place. The embargo will probably also end, and these factors will in all likelihood affect the cigar industry.

[neilini]

It's fine to smoke and sell pre embargo stock to this day I believe. In fact I'm sure I remember a thread about one botl's trip to Vegas and he posted some pics of the mirage casinos humidor with pre embargo stock in it. Or I could of been dreaming