AboutJames Yee Expertise My main area of expertise is Cuban cigars but I can also assist you with cigar etiquette and humidor maitenance. Unsure of a certain cigar brand? Wondering what a certain cigar tastes like? Have any questions about Cuban cigars? Just let me know! (NOTE: My main focus is on premium, hand-rolled cigars and not cheap, machine made, convenience store cigars.) IMPORTANT: PLEASE NOTE THAT I DO NOT PROVIDE CIGAR OR CIGAR-RELATED APPRAISALS. If you have a vintage cigar item and you want to know if it's worth something, please contact an antique dealer that specializes in "TOBACCIANA".
Experience I currently have 15 dedicated years of cigar smoking (an average 4 cigars a day) and counting. I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigars and most reputable non-Cuban cigar brands on a regular basis so I know a fair bit about taste profiles, cigar etiquette and other fine nuances to cigar smoking. For 5 years, I studied with Cuban torcedores (rollers), catadores (taste testers) and revisadores (inspectors) on every aspect involving the production of the Cuban cigar and I am currently writing a book that will help beginners understand everything they need to know about cigars and cigar smoking.
Question QUESTION: Hello Mr.James,
I just came from visiting Lebanon, my home country, to the USA. I bought 50 sticks of Cohiba Siglo 3, but to prevent the embargo, I had to throw away the Cohiba rings. But when I was about to smoke one of them, I realized that I wish I did't throw them away because it is a joy to look at these golden rings.Anyhow, how important is the ring of a cigar, specially a good one, is important to keep? Is it a must?Or should I not worry a lot about it?
And please write me a quick review for the Cohiba Siglo 3. How good is it compared to other Havanas?BTW I am a new cigar lover!
Thanks a lot
Bassel Boogi
ANSWER: Hi Bassel,
Whether or not you should keep or discard the cigar rings is entirely up to you. Keeping the rings is not important for most smokers but many people do prefer to keep them as a way of advertising or showing off (no disrespect intended) that they enjoy good cigars. Keeping the rings also helps you identify the cigars in your humidor. Having unmarked cigars in your humidor (especially if you have a large collection) can be quite confusing if they all do not have any cigar bands on them.
Also, keeping the cigar bands is not an absolute necessity but many cigar purists prefer to keep the original boxes and rings because it makes them feel more comfortable. The most important thing is that you enjoy your cigars without any concern or doubts so if you're quite comfortable smoking a cigar without a cigar band, then you should not worry about the missing cigar rings. If you prefer to keep the rings next time, then there are ways of also bringing them back to the United States. What some people do when they bring cigars into the United States is remove the bands and then mail them separately to themselves and later reapply them back onto the cigars.
Cohiba Siglo III is a really good cigar (and one of my top 10 favourites). Cohiba has high quality construction and tobacco and their Siglo cigars are some of the nicest Cuban cigars ever made. (Siglo IV, V & VI are also worth trying.) Cohiba cigars are medium to full bodied, rich and well-defined in flavours and age incredibly well. Siglo III is also a good size that is comfortable to hold and smoke. Overall, it's an excellent cigar.
Hopes this answers your question. If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.
Regards,
James
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QUESTION: Mr.James,
Thanks a lot for the wonderful and quick reply!Although I give you the best rating possible, I can tell that you are a true expert, and personally I give you a 15/10. Appreciate that a lot!
Btw, is there any place I can order the cohiba rings by themselves?
Thanks Again
Bassel
ANSWER: Hi Bassel,
Thank you for the kind words and good rating, I really appreciate it. At the moment, I can't think of any places that allows you to order extra cigar bands. There are indeed websites, private sellers and retailers that you can order mass-produced cigar bands from (I can't remember the websites right now so you'll have to search on google) but they are not genuine Cuban cigar rings so their print quality may be questionable.
As always, if you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.
Regards,
James
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QUESTION: Mr.James,
Is there any "trusted" web site or somebody I can call that can provide me Cubans, knowing that I am in Houston, Tx, USA.
Thanks Again
Bassel
Answer Hi Bassel,
Yes, there are many online companies/retailers that ship Cuban cigars worldwide but many of these companies that ship to the United States will remove the Cuban cigar rings and boxes before they ship to you. (Many will ship the cigars in non-Cuban cigar rings and boxes.) The reason why they do this is to reduce the chance of having your cigars confiscated by US Customs (because Cuban cigars are illegal in the US). Some companies do ship cigars in their original rings/boxes but because you live in the United States, there is never a 100% guarantee that you'll receive the cigars safely. There is a 50/50 chance of receiving your Cuban cigars via mailorder in the United States.
Also, because I am not affiliated with any mailorder companies, I do not publicly endorse any mailorder retailers. I also do not recommend buying cigars via mailorder because there is less buyer's protection when buying through this method. When ordering cigars via mailorder, you cannot visually inspect the cigars before you buy, you may receive damaged cigars (physical damage, mold and/or tobacco beetles), you may receive counterfeit cigars and you may have to wait the long shipping times just to receive your cigars. Also, you may have your cigars confiscated by Customs or be heavily taxed by Customs and/or the postal service. Also, there are a lot of counterfeit retailers on the Internet who will send you bad cigars and then take your money and run. Many times, it is extremely hard or a hassle to get your money back.
If you do decide to order cigars online or via mailorder, my best advice is that you thoroughly research all retailers/websites and find second opinions and advice from other people about these websites/retailers. There are a lot of fraudulent companies selling fake Cuban cigars and it is very easy to be taken advantage of. Visit Internet cigar message boards, messages forums as well as local cigar shops in your area and speak with customers to see if they have any information or opinions about a certain website that you are interested in ordering from. Try to get as many opinions as possible before you decide to buy.
As an alternative, if you travel a lot or know people that travel frequently, try buying Cuban cigars in person. There are many Habanos SA-approved cigar shops all over the world (including neighbouring Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean) so you can buy cigars from a shop and feel confident because 1/you are able to inspect before you buy and 2/you are buying from a genuine, reputable retailer.
Hopes this answers your question. As always, if you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask.
