Choosing cigars.

[Eddie]

People keep going on about being allowed into humidors in shops to look at box dates and codes etc.

I'm of to cuba in 2 weeks, what should I be looking for WRT codes etc. Is it the older the better? What do the codes mean?

[SmokeyDave]

A great website here that explains what the codes mean:

http://www.cubanlous.com/cuban-codes-i-12.html

[Simon Bolivar]

Hi Eddie, from my recent experience (Feb) I expect 90% of what you find will be 2009/10. I did find a couple of older boxes but they are quiet hard to find. If you want to smoke them straight away, then unless your chosing EL's, I'd go for a box that's at least a yr old. Older isn't always better but personally I rarely smoke anything with less than a yr on it.
I did find some Monte Especiales from 2005 & wish I could have brought them but the limits are tight & I was looking for bigger fish. Good hunting!

[monkey66]

2008 has been a great year and 2009 is looking good too, they are the years I would go for. Once you go older you are into a more specialised area and the risk is higher.

[Eddie]

Does anyone have a list of factories and their consistancy?

That Link above is very informative, thanks smokey.

[Deano]

Hi Eddie, from my recent experience (Feb) I expect 90% of what you find will be 2009/10. I did find a couple of older boxes but they are quiet hard to find. If you want to smoke them straight away, then unless your chosing EL's, I'd go for a box that's at least a yr old. Older isn't always better but personally I rarely smoke anything with less than a yr on it.
I did find some Monte Especiales from 2005 & wish I could have brought them but the limits are tight & I was looking for bigger fish. Good hunting!

Exactly what I was going so say. 99% of stock is 2010/2011 and I also saw the odd Cuaba Pyramid LE 2008 (very nice they are too) and that was about it - and I went to the majority of Casas/stores in Havana and Varadero.

[Smallclub]

Important: don't purchase singles or 3 packs or 5 packs! The clerks in the shops often steal cigars and swap them with counterfeits…

Focus on full boxes, and check everything carefully (ie the 2 layers of each box). Cigars sold in Havana shops don't go through the fumigation process, the risk of bringing back beetle eggs is real.