Not for ten years. After the revolution, the best blenders fled the country not wishing to have their businesses nationalized. They started again in the dominican republic and nicaragua. They taught the growers there how to get the best from their land. They taught the rollers all over again.
They learned the new leaves, experimented with new fermenting and aging (if you want to know how to properly cure pot, ask them).
And eventually they learned to make cigars that commonly equal or surpass cubans. (It isnt the leaf but the artisan).
Now the best cubans are still the best cigars but anything else pales. Hell, they even smuggled cuban seed out if tge country in diplomatic pouches.
Some settled in miami, the ones who were there all along adjusted. Most figured it was all temporary. The ones whi didn't prospered.
Now they are all dying. I lamented frank llaneza''s death a few years ago. He, in my opinion was the best cigar maker who ever lived. These guys all die in their 90's btw.
Finally, there are dual legal trademarks for most brands that eminated from cuba.
Two romeo y julieta, two montecristo, two bolivar...
So the courts will have to sort it all out.
What i want to see is how blenders of renown will handle cuban leaves in their cigars. I cant imagin what a three country blend with cuban lines in them will be.
Yum.
But when i talk cigars, i always hear someone bring uo cubans (not you). As though they are the holy grail. Like temple balls when speaking in hushed tones of hash.
Of course much of the Nepalese of the later years was crap.
