How I spent $1,000 on cigars in Cuba!
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2018
- In this video I will show you current pricing of cigars that i purchased at the La Casa Del Habanos official cigar shops in Havana Cuba as of August of 2018. I also go over pricing of some rum and coffee. Prices are in CUC (cuban convertible pesos), which is pegged to the US dollar.
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That’s one hell of a haul man
Excellent Haul! Money well spent on an amazing selection of choices. Thanks for sharing and for the price info, I own a lot of the cigars in this video so it would make a great reference.
What an excellent haul. Love the variety in the selection. Awesome price breakdown. Loved the video and, truth be known, I’m just a bit jealous. Enjoy in good health
Very nice and you are living the life !! Congratulations!!!
Been smoking cigars my whole life and the R&J Belicoso and Montecristo No.2 are my favorites. Have not had one in years.
Retired now on a fixed retirement and certainly cannot afford to smoke those beauties anymore. Enjoy !!!! and thanks for the very enjoyable and informative video. I can almost smell those wonderful cigars......lol
Thank you for taking the time to share this info. Hope you will enjoy them all.
Thanks for posting! Those are good prices! Good Haul!
That was fun to see your selection and seems like very reasonable prices. Love to visit Havana someday!
Try a cruise for the first trip... i suggest august/sept/oct and don't book too far out... no more than a month out because they often run specials that time of the year.
MemoryLaneCinema, you misunderstood the title of the video. It was not bragging on how much I spent... it was my choices on what to purchase with a $1,000 limit, which i had set for myself. If i had purchased everything i had on my list with no restraints, i would have spent about 4 times as much!
So what if he was bragging? It's his money to spend and as far as I'm concerned MONEY WELL SPENT!!!! I spent over a $1000 just last week on a couple boxes from my cigar shop (2 boxes of Arturo fuente Destino al Siglo and 5 sticks of Fuente FFOX BBMF)
What I would like to see is your list !
brag away mate, people want to act like a grand is a lot when they spend that every year on cable television or other consumables easy
No need to justify your spending, my friend. Your hard work earned it, you spend it as you wish! Great haul there, enjoy in good health!
@@Vortigan07
Exactly
nice stuff sir hope u are enjoying so how ita that box of Romeo& Julieta example is this exactly habanos de cuba
Hell I would spend that same amount too no problem LOL!! can't miss the opportunity 👌🏽 great collection man salute!
I have to get to Cuba! Outstanding prices. Excellent choice of Habanos. Enjoy #onlysmokegoodshyt!!!
It's possible to find prices as good, maybe better, online if you look around. Just as an example, I just had a box of Hoyo Epi #2 arrive today that cost me $169. They're only a year old but at that price this box is for smoking, not aging.
You made some good choices. Nice haul!
I admire your self restraint in keeping the purchase to $1k, it's easy to spend way more 😂
I would have spent my kid’s college money 🤣😂😅
Thanks for the info very helpful
Thanks for sharing good info nice choice of sticks
The open master is one of the best cigars i ever had they’re outstanding!!
Great video man really helpful planning my trip for next year 👌🏽
Did u go?
great video! thanks for sharing
So when you brought the cigars back to the ship did they give you any trouble bringing it on board?
Thanks you so much for this video. Subscribed!
As of May 7, 2019- Could you go tomorrow and buy $1,000 of the same items AND go through U.S customs with the same result? (planning to go this summer) How did you bring it back? Had an extra empty suitcase?
Yes, the rules are the same now. Except you cannot go on group people to people visa. Now the best way to go is through support of the cuban people visa. Google it to see what qualifies... I bought a used army dufflebag (top loading with shoulder straps) and that is what i carried the cigars and rum in... It was handy for carrying through the streets of Havana and a suitcase would NOT be so handy... If you only plan to buy a few boxes then just carry a backpack.
THANKS for sharing i hope i'll get there one day.
Great video, do you know the current payment methods being accepted at LCDH stores in Cuba 2022?
Yeah man i’ve been twice for two weeks the last 6months. Its card only in havana. Also card only at a lot of government hotels.
You came out great on those single cigars
How did u go into Cuba And buy?
Question ? Is better la casa del tabaco instead OF el museo del tabaco ( prizes , and brands ??)
THANKS .. im gonna be in Cuba next Month
Maybe you can google it, but i can tell you from my personal experience i would go to the state run store. I paid $7.50 per stick for R&J wide church at the La casa del habano official store and my buddy paid about a dollar more per stick by going to another place. There are several official La casa del habano stores in Havana.
Thank you for this video. Would you be able to say that buying cigars from Cuba is way cheaper than buying in the US ?
Cuban cigars are not available in the US. So, i assume you mean would cigars in the US of similar quality and size to those in Cuba be more expensive... the answer is yes. They are more expensive in the US for similar size and quality.
don't think I would have the restraint to limit my spending...….ryj short churchills are a real treat, enjoy!
GREAT VIDEO and I loved that website for CC pricing. When coming back are cuban customs pretty strict in regards to the $ you are taking out? I have a similar budget ($1000-$1500), but will also be bringing back 4-5 bottles of RUM along with coffee.
Thanks in advance.
Cuban customs requires you to declare all cigars (verbally) when leaving the country. They have 3 levels... the first level is you can take out up to 20 loose or in unsealed boxes of cigars without a receipt. Second level is up to 50 cigars, but they have to be sealed in original boxes and you still do not need to show a receipt. Third level is that you can take out over 50 cigars, but they have to all be in original sealed boxes with the state seal intact AND you have to be able to produce the receipt on demand that corresponds with every box. There is a limit of no more than $5,000 CUC (pegged to the dollar), but few people would exceed that in one trip anyway, so not a big deal. Now, the way i read the cuban customs page is that you can not bring back 20 loose cigars PLUS the larger amounts.... maybe i am wrong, but to be safe, i was going to declare the 20 singles i bought as my wife's cigars and the larger amounts in sealed boxes as mine. I brought back boxes of 3, 5, 10 and 25, but i made sure the seals were intact and i had all the receipts from the official La Casa Del Habano stores. I also brought back several bags of coffee and 4 bottles of rum. Kept receipts for all of them to take through customs. I declared everything to cuban customs and they didn't even look at me... just motioned me on through the line....but the US customs had a talk with me about bringing back so many because i had a large duffle bag full of cigars. Bottom line is they are for personal use and they just said it looked like it could be for commercial sale due to the numbers but they let me go on through. All are for personal use and i plan to age a lot of cigars for the future.
Bama Biologist thank you so much for your reply and taking your time.
Greatly appreciated!
@@Israel-xi7zb hey one more thing i forgot... technically, on the US side of things you can import as many cigars as you want for personal use, however, the duty free limit is 100 cigars for up to $800 in value... anything over that will be subject to federal duty tax at 4%, but that is a small amount and it didn't cause me any heartburn to have to pay that... i did disclose my cigars and showed invoices to US customs and tried to pay the tax, but was just told i was pushing the limit of personal use and they let me go on through without paying anything. I was certainly ready to pay the 4% but they moved me on through the line!
did you have to pay tax on the extra stuff? im planing on going to cuba and bring more. just wondering bc i can find it on google. thank you
They did not require me to pay the duty on the extra. However, i was fully prepared to do so. It's only 4%, so not a big deal.
Very nice haul
Great video
Shit all u had to tell them is that u live in the Projects bringing the Fam a Gift 🎁They let u Right through 🤟🏾😎
Great video . The wife and I are visiting in March . Can’t wait .👌
Hey Victor, me and my wife are you going in March too. Arrive March 24th leave on the 30th. First two nights in Vinales then 4 in Havana. What dates are going?
Team Brown I believe it’s the same dates as you folks . Hope we run into y’all.🤙🏽
@@victorhernandez2629 if the dates are the same shoot me an email so we can link up. Tripas72@gmail.com
Team Brown Eye absolutely 🤙🏽
Just don't buy any fake cigars, there are no cheap deals in Cuba. if it isn't an official government owned store, especially a La Casa Del Habano, chances are very high you will buy fake cigars
Nice video, I really like the fact about the umbrella and toilet paper, I will take 2 pack and trad it for cigar :). Do you know what the limit of how much cigar you can bring it with you?
No limit from the standpoint of the Cuban customs. However if you buy a lot then you must have full boxes and KEEP the official receipts from the state store
How much where their gurkhas ??
WTF...in Canada you can’t bring more than 50 cigars at a time!
Same in Finland man. Max 50 cigars from abroad, from another EU country. Can't order cigars online at all either. Nanny state
In the United States the only requirement is "for personal use"... that is a tricky thing to pin down... if you don't go to cuba but once every 5 or 10 years then you might bring back a big haul like i did. Personal use also includes gifts for friends. The cuban government also has requirements that you must meet, which is only 20 loose cigars OR if you take out more than that then you need original store receipt and the boxes MUST be sealed.... so no opening boxes to check them before you buy! That being said the cuban officials didn't even check my bags.
You would think Canada being so tight with Cuba ,people could bring 200
At least 25% of them will be unsmokable because of a shitty roll! Cuban cigars are well over hyped and over priced!
big yan 100% agree! And the quantity of fakes is just crazy!
It’s funny how many Americans tip services like these. In Europe we call it their job, they get paid for this service. However, I do have respect for this kind of generosity.
If I get a lot of custom rolls ( over 50) will I run into trouble
Not if you don't get caught by cuban authorities... if you do they will confiscate. Over 50 has to be in sealed box and you have to keep the receipt of the purchase.
Nice collection, I just came back fro DR and bought a bunch of Cubans,they are much cheaper than in Cuba,especially the Montys and Cohibas
You may want to google Cubans in the DR. Not saying they are fakes for certain, but the Cuban govt sets the pricing on Cuban cigars and it is the same across the board. It is tough to believe they would be cheaper than in Cuba with the added shipping cost from Cuba.
Cubans cheaper in Dominican?didn't think any country could beat Cuba's paid 33bucks for a cigar in Canada they're ridiculously high
and you got fakes. guaranteed
Where are your other videos on the exchange rate
I will get a video posted on exchange rate and tips soon...
Damn, y'all are able to bring back more cigars than us Canadians and we never had an embargo! We're only allowed to bring back 50 per person :(
Great video! How close were the cigar shops from the cruise terminal?
There is one that is only a few blocks, an easy walk. It is the La Casa del Habano in the Hotel Conde de Villanueva. I didn't visit that one because i had planned to go to it last because it was so close to the cruise terminal. I ran out of time and found most of what i wanted at other locations. The Hotel Nacional and Hotel Habana Libre both have really nice La Casa del Habanos. Good selection of boxes and single sticks at both. They are very close together (less than a half mile apart). If you have a list of cigars to buy and have time, i would encourage you to visit them. They are about 5 km from the cruise terminal. If you are a good negotiator, it should cost you around $5 or $6 CUC for a cab from the terminal to either of those hotels, otherwise it will be around $10. (If you have more than one person, be sure to negotiate cab fare based on everyone. In other words, you may agree to $10 and you have 2 people and then it is common for the cab driver to then insist the price was per person... so be sure to clarify that up front before you get in the cab).
@@bamabiologist2945 I was told that there are shops in the same area where you go through customs. Is that true?
@@iceburg04 while you can get cigars almost anywhere in Havana, but only buying from the official state run shops will ensure 1) authentic cigars and 2) correct pricing. Hotel conde de villanueva La casa del habano is only about 2 blocks from the cruise terminal and i would go there.
It’s so much cheaper buying it straight from the source, second hand supplier are charging close to double of what you were calling out. For instance I paid $60 for that five box of Cohiba Siglo ones But this video is three years old I just noticed
prices have skyrocketed for cubans. If they had any sense at all they would allow tourists in cuba to buy at a good discount to get tourists to come to cuba and spend money on lodging and meals and taxis etc.
Hey bama thanks a lot for the video. A lot of great information. Question....are the prices of cigars as is? Like do they have taxes?
No taxes. No discounts for buying a full box vs a single! A box of 25 that cost $10 cuc each will be exactly $250 cuc
@@bamabiologist2945 great. Thanks bama.
@@bamabiologist2945 hey bama: did you freeze your cigars when you get back?
Great prices! RASS box of 25 is just for $150! I would have bought 100 boxes if I could...
I have just had my 4th RASS from this box and they are aging quite nicely. Really smoothed out from the first one of the box back in 2018. They are on my list to buy more next time.
Wish this was only 1K still. Now this is like 10K with the price hikes
Great Great!!
Yeah remember when it was like that 5 years ago. These days you can buy 2 boxes for the same amount i just purchased a box of petit edmundo nearly 500 euro. Smh
My wife and I going to Cuba in May. Since the convertible peso equals the dollar. Is there a reason why you didn’t just use the dollar? Can you not use the dollar in Cuba?
you have to exchange your usd for the cuc - it's exchanged one to one, but there is a 13% conversion fee. so really 1 usd actually equals .87cuc.
You can sometimes use dollars for things like catching a cab, but you can't use them at the official La Casa Del Habano cigar shops and many other places. Even if you do use them for cab fare, they will use it as an excuse to upcharge you, so better to exchange some dollars for CUC. I have a video posted now on exchanging money in cuba.
Just FYI- Partagas isn't pronounced Par-Tay-Gas. It is pronounced Part-a-gos as told to me by a factory rep a few years ago after I pronounced it the way you did. Nice haul.
This is an incredible haul. But regarding customs, I really don’t get it. I hear horror stories of customs throwing out peoples Cuban cigars when they try to bring them into the states, even if it’s for personal use, and you’re saying that they just let you pass? Like how does that work? What steps did you take? Cause I really wanna bring some back home with me if I were to ever go to Cuba
When he went it was legal to do all of that. Trump changed the laws in October 2020 so cuban alcohol and tobacco are prohibited in US
no longer legal to bring back for personal use to usa. maybe it will change back at some point. but prices have skyrocketed.
Wow..I want to shop like that..1000$.but buy some Scotch as well.
just wondering. if you bought twice that limit and gave half of it to your wife per say and it was in her suitcase, can she say this is for her and yours is for you or is the limit somewhat to the total number of people traveling together?
first and foremost, due to the recent changes implemented by the trump administration before they departed office, it is no longer legal to import cigars from cuba to the us. Now, i do believe that the new administration will be more favorable toward us travel to cuba and those limitations will be lifted but that is just a guess on my part. Prior to these changes, the us customs officers would treat a husband and wife as 2 individuals and no matter who's suitcase had the cigars, the limit was split between the two.
@@bamabiologist2945 Still waiting on Biden to open up Cuba 😒
You can buy as many you want online
Would all of these cigars require freezing to destroy and chance of cigars Beatles?
Nice haul tho buddy!!!
ABSOLUTELY freeze any cigars you bring back from cuba for at least 72 hours!!!!
Fridge for 1-2 days, freezer for 3 days, back in fridge for 2 days. Slow acclimation keeps them in good shape.
@@metalguyn yep, i should have gone into more detail. That's exactly what i did.
@@bamabiologist2945 as long as you keep them in a temperature below 80 degrees, preferably around 70 with around 72 percent humidity, the bettles are practically a non-issue.
Man look at all this gold!!
How about the price in 2023?
crazy high
I just paid the equivalent of $50 for the big hoyo de mon. Haha
I can not believe those prices!!! I’m from the U.K. so the tax is astronomical. The San Juan you got for 10 pesos goes for £34 a stick here 😩
jeypeepsv1 Correct no such thing as a cheap cigar in UK. Have you checked Mike Choi Boutique smokes? UK site selling a limited selection of NW cigars at a reasonable price.
Damn, cigars are so cheap in Cuba. Here in germany they are atleast double the price
If I go to Cuba, I am going straight for boxes of Cohiba double coronitas #2, Cohiba Siglo VI and RYJ Churchills..and as many Behikes as I can find! $1000 easily if not more
Right on. My favorite sticks
How you crossing the customs
The customs permissible limit is twenty cigars, equal to one cigar box
Or 200 cigarettes
When the hilton hotels in all Alexandria branches is just having about fifty genuine cuban cigars.
The price for one cigar from 30 to 60 usd
Except for the brands Bolivar, Vegas Robinia, Quai D' orsay. It does not exist at list at all
Just some of monte , cohiba's and cohiba's and monte oh we have some romeo's
The customs rules have changed. No longer legal for anyone to bring cuban cigars into the US in any amount. That will likely change under Biden, but it may take some time.
Cool stuff... American went to Cuba for cigar shopping. Lucky guy. Thousand bucks (plus) in cigars. It ain't cheap buying a lot of cigars and storing em lol. Luxury. Great prices there. Yeah cohiba is overrated overpriced actually. No wonder he likes them more than cohiba
Hey can I buy a couple from you?
Gerrid If he sells them I don’t think it would be considered personal use anymore
It will be a gift no money exchange who will know😉
Ha! No, i am trying one of each and then aging them for 3 years then trying a few more of each and then gonna age for 2 more years... i say that because the Montecristo open regatta had plume on it... the result of natural aging and it was the MOST UNBELIEVABLE CIGAR of my life! Strong notes of coffee and chocolate and then dark chocolate towards the end... burned my fingers nubbing it! Never got bitter even at the end. If i can get the others to be half that good, it will be worth the wait. I gave a friend a box of 3 open master tubos and he said the same thing... they had been aged and were awesome....
@@bamabiologist2945 imho montecristo is a far superior cigar to cohiba. i think the ramon allones specially selected is probably the best, most consistent cigar that comes out of cuba. i'm actually having a monte leyenda right now - i bought it 365 days ago exactly and this is a superb cigar. great video and review - you did well for yourself! i'll tell you it makes me a little sad knowing what i've been buying many of these cigars for - i should probably book a cruise!
You also have to go deep into Cuba 🇨🇺 to find the best but be safe
Is it dangerous in cuba for an American? I could pass as Spaniard so maybe I would just blend in unnoticed? Until I make verbal contact of course 😄
FRIENDLY JEW Act like you’re deaf 😂
How is the coffee ??
I don't drink coffee, it was a gift. I was told it was good.
That’s what I would love to try I’m pretty sure it’s Goooooood😎With a Cohiba and a cruse down the river on a warm day Solo🌊
Average income is more than 30 a month I just left there. Hell the taxi drivers making a killin
yes, many of the jobs that rely on tourism make far more than $30 a month. But average across the island is $30. Taxi drivers often attempt to charge US prices because many foreigners don't understand the expectation of haggling over cab fare.
i paid $90 for 3 tube vigia at a mexico airport 😭😭
It appears to be a video of one of the smugglers
If u go next time if I send u a couple bucks could u buy me a couple boxes
How did u carry these all home in ur luggage safely and humidified?
After buying them, i immediately put them in large ziplock bags. You could also buy the Boveda or other type of humidity packs, but i didn't do that...
havana club is such low grade rhum.. In france thats our bottom shelf rhum and cheap bars rhum
Not the same.
1200 gets you max 3 boxes now
This would have been a $4k purchase in 2024
What I don't get is this. If Cubas economy and dollar is of less value than ours, why are cigar prices $6 to $10 and more in Cuba itself? How can locals afford to smoke in Cuba their own product if the average income is $30 per month? Anybody answer this question?
They cannot afford them and they do not buy them. The smoke what are called peso cigars. Not the quality but they are affordable to locals.
@@bamabiologist2945 Thank you! One day I hope to visit there.
Why does it say Dominican republic
which ones? i haven't looked at this video in a while. i have some non cubans too.
Regretfully the website is no longer operational
So these people only make about $30 a month, that is about $1.25 a day in labor. Each person make about 15 to 30 cigars a hour by hand. That is about 1 cent they get paid to make a cigar. So who is getting the rest of the dollars that they get for their cigars?
The government owns most if not all cigar factories. As for that $30 a month, it's kinda complicated. Cuba has 2 currencies, the Cuban Peso, and the Cuban Convertible Peso which was made post-embargo to match the American Dollar. One CUC (the Cuban Convertible Peso) is equal to 25 Cuban Pesos, and the average salary for people is around 500 Cuban Pesos a month with opportunities for bonuses in most cases. The CUC is used in all Resorts and most government owned stores, and is the main if not only currency tourists and other foreigners will use for purchases. When I was down there on vacation I would generally tip 5-10 CUC, sometimes 20 if people were really exceptional. Given how many resorts there are and how many staff they all take, not to mention the people who run and work the off-resort excursions, a good portion of people do make much more than just salary.
I am fairly certain the cigar rollers, especially the good ones, are paid more than that. $30 a month is a rough average. However, you are correct that the govt gets the majority of the profits.
Cohiba anything is 10X these prices, hope he aged these!!
Could be pushing the limit of personal use? Bro at the border clearly does not have cigar acquisition disorder
Yep i caught a little bit of hell and questions about personal use... but i told them who knows how long it will be legal to bring them into the usa. Really rings true now they cannot be brought in any more.
Don't listen to idiots, best 1000 ever spent.
Fuck they're pricey as fuck, you would think that if you go to Cuba to buy them, they be a lot cheaper, no wonder they're freaking economy so freaking bad, here I was thinking that I go to Cuba and buy me a shitload of them, there goes that plan!
TOM PIPPS . FOAM - BATON ROUGE LOUISIANA USA . HI HELLO &
Please note at this time cigar imports are no longer legal from cuba to the usa. This is due to the changes that the trump administration enacted over the last few months. As of this time NO cigars or rum can be imported in luggage. This may change with the Biden administration but who knows if and when that will happen.
Only a thousand? Guess you are regretting now. 🤣
Money straight in the pockets of the dictators
Yes, but the money spent on tips, cabs, tour guides and meals in small privately owned restaurants and rooming houses is beneficial to those struggling to survive. Holier than thou statements by citizens of a country that supports Saudi dictators and many other dubious regimes are wearing thin. American arms sales seem to smooth over many human rights abuses but if there's no monetary gain, then crush the little guys trying to survive in the name of 'liberty".
Don’t worry about those, worry about the ones in your backyard, the Pelosi, the Mueller, The Comey and all the other scumbags.
Why bother tipping the people?!?!? Sure they make less than $50 a month, but their wonderful government provides everything they would ever need 🤣
Pretty much average cigars here except few exceptions (P2, RA specially selected, San Juan...). I don’t know if you are into Cubans, but I think there exist better options by far.
So if you want advises next time let me know. Here in Europe we smoke cubans everyday and I personably tasted almost every single one of them... And you know what, even for a specific cigars, you have series that are way better and aged better than other. For example boxes of Juan Lopez n2 from feb 18 are top notch. One of the best batch since 2015. Wrapper is darker, the smoke is a bit more powerful, aromas are deeper...they will undoubtedly age better.
So depending on the cigar, you have to pick boxes from the good years. For example the HdM double co is a bit better now than over the last two years, but not as good as the aug 2015 batch.
Partagas is the most consistent brand year in year, and I don’t see major changes in flavour profile and quality. But for other brands the difference is sometimes massive.
The most boring cigars in the world are Cuban. No aging, no fermentation, very little variation between brands. They are priced on a dead legacy.
Keep smoking your non Cubans, more for us
maybe so but give them some age in your humidor and they are quite good.
I have quite a few boxed of Cubans in my vault...pre-price hike. I'm not saying they are shit...it's that they don't have variety, part of the price of poor Government@@bamabiologist2945
that is nothing. most "collectors" have way over 10 000 us dollar in cuban cigars
Rome wasn’t built overnight.
MemoryLaneCinema what a sh*tty comment. Do you feel better about yourself now?