www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Mendobrew is absolutely correct. Also, even in that tourist cigar shop near the Presidente, fakes have been spotted. Best bet is to buy at the duty-free, or to smoke for the taste, not the brand. I frankly prefer Don Benigno cigars to most Cuban brands I've tried, although one can find some truly excellent habanos if one looks hard enough.

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Pura Vulva! Wandering through the dark, I am El Ciego.

BTW, I believe that Don Benigno cigars are rolled from Cuban-grown tobacco and wrappers. Perhaps Muffdiver or Mendo can verify this?

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Pura Vulva! Wandering through the dark, I am El Ciego.

Smelvis wrote:


You can “legally” bring back 50 (two boxes) of non Cuban cigars duty free… Habanos, none .
Legaly you only can bring back one ltr of booze … The reality is as long as you declare less than $500, most customs agents really don’t mind a few extra bottles or a few extra cigars’ s long as there not Cuban. The only time I have ever had my luggage looked at I had 7 bottles of rum and 3 boxes of cigars… customs agent just saw the Costa Rican seal on the cigar boxes and waved me through. To much paperwork for a couple of $’s in duty .

Don Melos are made in Honduras… never seen them in CR.

ZB prices are a “normal” high… but what a great selection in the new humidor room. A Montecristo #2 (my “benchmark cigar”) is about $20+/- at ZB, same as most of the Hong Kong cigar importers… that same cigar is $8 at duty free in El Salvador… But what a GREAT cigar to spend $20 on. Eddie is a big Partagas fan so he usually has a good selection, and once again ask him for a suggestion, he knows his cigars… and is pretty good at picking staff I might add . If you have never had a “real” Cohiba, ZB has a couple styles… not worth it IMHO… ZB cigars cost $8 - $30… but once again you are paying for the atmosphere of a good cigar bar and a great MP…

El C wrote:

Benigno uses Ecuadorian wrapper and a mix of Costa Rican grown Cuban seed tobacco and some actual Cuban tobacco that he gets somehow… a very good blend! Benigno makes private label cigars for several members of congress that are shipped via the embassy down the street; the list is very interesting…

Puros Vida…

Mendo

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"It takes a lot of good beer to make a great wine"

Thanks Mendobrew
I smoke the cohiba red dot and the new blacks at home, I also like the partagas black as well as numerous others. The only times I have had habanos they were mostly very good, I asked about the cost difference because if it wasn't great I would like to sample and might as well support the ZB lounge. I do however have to try a Real Cohiba regardless of the cost.
Thanks for the info. about 20 days left before my virgin trip

I have alot of friends that smoke cigars as I do not. A friend of a friend of another friend, brought home a box of Cubans he purchased from the street outside the DelRey (a box of 25 for $40). The guys loved them an all said they smoked great. Like I said I do not smoke but they said they were great.

Food for thought.

Well Sensei, I do smoke cigars. If your friend indeed bought real Cuban cigars outside the del Rey for forty bucks for a box of 25, I'll eat the freaking box. How is it possible that street hustlers could sell a 25-box of real habanos for more than $100.00 off the Cuban government price for their cigars? It does not compute.

Look...the street vendors outside the del Rey and Presidente might as well be selling manure rolled in grocery bags...so I don't know what kind of experience your friend of a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend has with cigar smoking.

BTW, I actually prefer some of the less expensive Costa Rican and Honduran smokes to the few habanos I've tried. And, non-Cuban cigars are legal to import (50 cigars max) into the U.S.

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Pura Vulva! Wandering through the dark, I am El Ciego.

Do not trust the duty-free shops out side the US I have been sold fakes before. I have given up on Cubans Don Benigno cigars are made from Cuban tobacco imported to Costa Rica. Go to the factory store and take the tour. Make sure you have the phone number have the driver call for directions or you will never find it.

Well, my flight leaves in about 8 hours. Time to hit the rack and rest up for the trip. Thanks for the advice on everything.

Hope to see some of ya down there