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Newbie Dumb Ass Questions

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dondford

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Newbie here, with several dumb ass questions, please be gentle:

Mata Fina - Just got in a lb. of this and looking forward to using it. WLT has described it as "upper plant location", does this mean it has Ligero like strength?

Corojo 99 & Criollo 98 - Are the numbers the year the tobacco was harvested or just part of the variety name?

ISOM tobacco - It's no secret that Cuban cigars are sneaked into the US, but does Cuban grown tobacco find its way here for RYO'ers?
 

Raodwarior

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The Mata Fina you have is not as strong as ligero but adds a nice spice sweetness to the blend.

On the Corojo 99 and Criollo 98 that is the year that strain was introduced into planting/growing

I am told there is some ISOM tobacco in the states but best of luck getting your hands on any, those that can get it aren't telling anyone.

All good questions.
 

Knucklehead

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Several varieties that originated from Cuba will be available from the FTT seed bank soon. I'll be sending in seven varieties, and Vuelta Abajo is already there.
 

webmost

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A dumb ass question beats a smart ass question any day, far as I'm concerned.
On the other hand, a smart ass answer is better than a dumb ass answer.

Funny how that works.
 

garryr

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well, one thing for sure, the guy that asks the "dumbass" question, usually gets answers, so he/she becomes "educated", the real dumbass, that never asks the question, ..well sad to say, continues along through life, remaining the same, "a dumbass".
A friend of mine here, recently was telling me about when he was working in the US, apparently his neighbor was a "little old lady", from Cuba,and she rolled her own cigars, with real cuban tobacco,... hint,..if there is any kind of Cuban community, near where you live, that would be where to start asking around, ...In Florida there are many, but don't know about DE,...however not to far from you NY, and I am sure there are some Cuban communities (neighborhoods).
 

dondford

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I have a Son living in Tampa that I visit regularly; I suspect I could go to Ybor City, ask around and find someone that would sell me, what they claimed, was Cuban tobacco. But one thing for sure, I doubt it would be the real deal and I sure as hell wouldn't know the difference. I don't even know if the Cuban government allows raw tobacco be exported, wouldn't be surprised if not. If I were to become serious about it (I'm not at the point where I know what the hell I'm doing with non-cuban tobacco) I would talk to someone in Canada, maybe Mexico.

D
 

chuditch

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Also a newbie and I have gotten so much information from this site to do with tobacco and rolling cigars and so forth.
I only have burley light tobaccos growing at the moment my first attempt at growing I have the Cowboy Light and the Golden Light varieties
I have some seeds coming from one of the people on site for Florida Sumatra so I can have wrappers for next season.
Learning from all my mistakes which is good value of course. Failed to take off the little side shoots and not removing flower heads have affected my leaf sizes.
I am going to save seeds from the biggest and strongest looking plants as being the ones that acclimatised best to my environment.
I am a bit of a girl I suppose (for a bloke) as I like the milder cigars I turn green if I try a punch de punch and others of that style.
During this year I hope to be a bit more learned in what I might like as filler for my cigars.
And then start the begging emails for seeds :)
It is a strict no no in my country (Aust) to grow your own tobacco it is a federal offence (Govt. loosing the tax) and a bigger penalty than growing weed which is a state offence.
My favourite style of cigar is what I believe is a very old fashioned shape the perfecto and am tracking down a press/mould as I speak.
Next is the panatella never seen a mould for them on eBay so far so could be a winter project trying to make a mould myself.
My wife smokes cigarettes and heaps of them and I have used the side shoots with leaves that I removed from the plants and air dried them then into a very rudimentary kiln made from a foam box with a light in it as the heat source and at present spaying some water in when needed and a jar of water under the light. I also have a 12 volt fan from an old computer creating air flow. It with a little experimenting for the right sized light bulb is running at 48.8C constant and at 75% to 83% humidity.
What can I say but it has worked fantastic. I have cured sufficient tobacco for her to make her first 100 cigarettes. Using a Powermatic Mini and some tubes.
She loves them loves the tobacco, loves the smoke and enjoys shredding and filling her cigarette tubes. A 100 cigarettes would cost $100 of the ones she buys and it has cost $3.48 in tubes. The whole set up has only cost me $200 so another hundred and twenty five there about will see us at break even point.
On cigars I have been importing mine from America for the last few years. If I get away with customs duties is fantastic if I don't I am still around half to two thirds the price to buy the same ones here in Australia. So far I am batting 50/50 on getting away with the customs duties.
Half way through building a kiln to replace the temperary one. Using nearly all recycled items.
I have bought a temperature controller and a humidity controller via China for $24 and $10 respectively other than that its an old freezer with a stainless steel liner a heat lamp and a fan to provide some air circulation.
I have build a rack to put into it that I have used old fridge racks that I can put my leaves on to cure after air drying.
This is still a work in progress but fingers crossed will work better and hold way more than the temporary one.
Well just my small deposit of information and please more than happy to be told "you shouldn't do it that way". Only way to learn.
Thanks for a great site guys and all the great information on it.
Alistair
 

HIM

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I have a Son living in Tampa that I visit regularly; I suspect I could go to Ybor City, ask around and find someone that would sell me, what they claimed, was Cuban tobacco. But one thing for sure, I doubt it would be the real deal and I sure as hell wouldn't know the difference. I don't even know if the Cuban government allows raw tobacco be exported, wouldn't be surprised if not. If I were to become serious about it (I'm not at the point where I know what the hell I'm doing with non-cuban tobacco) I would talk to someone in Canada, maybe Mexico.

D

Theres a few rollers that roll customs with Cuban leaf but you are correct that Cuba doesn't export their leaf.
 

dondford

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Ah yes, Cuban Leaf. Most of the cigars sold today are rolled with "Genuine Cuban Leaf", which we know usually means that the seeds for that tobacco originated from Cuba. We know that, but of many the buying public does not; I have friends who will buy a cigar, read the label and think they are smoking a Cuban cigar.
 

Raodwarior

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Theres a few rollers that roll customs with Cuban leaf but you are correct that Cuba doesn't export their leaf.

Cuban tobacco has been and continues to be exported to every other country but the US. Although after the Altadis merger they curtailed the amount drastically. Currently if you believe the Central American sources and I do, Cuba is importing more tobacco then they are exporting.
 

Cigar

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I agree with you dondford all you have to do is add the name "Cuban" to any cigar to get sales way-up lol..when I first started growing my own tobacco few years ago I searched for any seed that had the name "cuban" with it thinking that was best way to grow 'real cuban leaf' Im sure was not only one who did that:rolleyes:


Cigar
 

HIM

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Cuban tobacco has been and continues to be exported to every other country but the US. Although after the Altadis merger they curtailed the amount drastically. Currently if you believe the Central American sources and I do, Cuba is importing more tobacco then they are exporting.

Cuba exports tobacco products but Ive never seen anything more than rumor of them exporting their whole leaf cigar tobaccos. The problem with any source outside of Cuba is they have something to gain by either saying they use Habano leaf or Cuba is using theirs. So unfortunately by nature you have to question the legitimacy of their claims. Plus they grow so much tobacco and use so little of it for cigars it doesn't make sense to import it. I won't say its impossible but to pay for and import it without a single person letting the cat out of the bag just seems unlikely to me.

For what its worth I saw this a while ago but haven't been able to find any other sources backing it up or any other mention of it so far....

http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=35831
 

buck

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We have cigar shows here where cigar rollers from Cuba or Nic tour the various cities across Canada and roll cigars to promote various cigar brands.
I managed to get a Nic roller's contact info and he in principle has agreed to bring extra leaf for me and glue etc.. the next time he comes down.
I try this year to do the same for a Cuban roller, maybe be able to get some leaf this way. Don't see any other way of getting leaf from Cuba besides this.
 
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