Hi Eddie! Those Montecristos shown in the duty free magazine on the Iberia plane did say, "Made with 100% Cuban Tobacco", but maybe these are only sold on domestic or OTHER international flights. Maybe those they give "US" are those with Dominican tobacco. Who knows. I wanted to try, but didn't want to worry passing through customs with a plainly market box of puros.

With any luck the embargo against Cuba will be lifted within a year or two, as our policies change. But, in the meantime, like MadridMan, I enjoy a few good Montecristo's while I'm in Spain, and checked out the Duty Free section enroute home, and found the cigars were Dominican, under the Montecristo labeling.

I agree about the real thing making a nice treat to offer friends in Spain, who smoke cigars. Nothing goes over bigger than offering them a package of Montecristo cigars after a meal. It kind of insures you a great meal the next time around too...

What I found interesting is that there are a lot of older Spanish men who don't smoke, except when they have a Cuban cigar. It surprised me that they could be such casual smokers, and still enjoy them so much.

Wolf

Hey James,

If you are near Chueca, there is a cigar shop with brands from all over on Calle des Infantas where it crosses Calle Barbieri. I spent 6 wks. in the city and would go there at least once a week for my cigars.

Today appeared an article in '20 minutes Madrid' (for free newspaper), about a shop in madrid offering the greatest variety of cigars. It's called 'Cava Magallanes' at Calle Magallanes 4.

You guys gave me a great idea for a Christmas gift for my husband. I'm going to Barcelona on Thursday (for 2 weeks) and think I'll get him a humidor and various brands of cigars for Christmas. 1. Do they make cool ornate humidor's in Spain and if so, can they be found anywhere or will I have to search? 2. I saw a couple of suggestions for brands of cigars to try-any others? 3. Is it illegal for me to bring Cuban cigars back into US via Spain (I don't even know my own laws - ugh!) 4. Are there any cigar factories that one might tour?? I think it would be cool to see how they are made.

Thank, Tammy

FirstTimeVisitor,
I don't know if they have ornate, handmade, very-special humidors in Spain but I IMAGINE they do. I have one here which is NOT FROM Spain but is lined with Spanish cedar (Spanish cedar seems to be the most common kind of liner for humidors).

I CAN PERSONALLY recommend the Don Julián brand cigars. (see website link at left) Few cigars are actually made IN Spain or from Spanish tobacco but Don Julians are (last I heard) from the Canary Islands. They come in a variety of sizes.

Last time I was in Madrid I bought a box of the Nº5 size. That is, I bought ONE BOX which contains 5 "packs" within and each of those 5 packs there are 5 cigars, EACH individually wrapped. Well, I'm no cigar aficionado but I like these and they're not those big fat cigars nor are they the little tiny ones (which I like too, by the way, because it doesn't take 30 minutes to "consume").

Cigars from Cuba are found in every tobacco shop in Spain (well, almost) and are usually the most expensive too. And yes, it IS illegal to take these through customs to the USA.

Let me tell you a story.... I KNOW SOMEONE whom was visiting Madrid once and went SO FAR as to remove all of his cuban cigars from their boxes, took off all the rings, and put those cigars in zip-lock plastic baggies in order to bring them back to the USA. I ALSO HEARD OF SOMEONE ELSE whom asked his sister to get him some Cuban cigars while abroad and at the airport tobacco shop they actually (and happily) removed the cuban cigars, took off their rings, and put them in an unmarked cigar box JUST for this situation! Seems to be a common practice for them.

Since there are few cigars made in Spain I doubt there are few (if any remaining) cigar-making factories in the country. I could be wrong. Maybe there are some still remaining in Sevilla... I know there USED to be once several hundred years ago after Christopher Columbus returned from "The New World" and bringing back the first tobacco. There used to be (and maybe it still remains??) a BIG tobacco factory in the city of Sevilla... wasn't it RIGHT ON the Guadalquivir River on a small island?? I think some corporation recently (in the last 100 years) bought and moved the factory from the island. Not sure.

DISCLAIMER: MadridMan is NOT a "smoker" and only occasionally smokes a Spanish cigar, maybe one cigar every 2-3 months. MadridMan NEVER SMOKES cigarettes and never tried them... NOR ANY OTHER KIND OF SMOKEABLE "MATERIALS".

FYI, you will find cigars/cigarettes sold in "Estanco" tabacco shops on nearly every city/neighborhood block.

Good luck and have a great time in Spain!

Saludos, MadridMan

Ok, I'm not smoker, and less for cigars... but I have been told that some of the Dominican cigars are actually BETTER than the cubans...

However, since the cuban cigars are forbidden... well, it gives them an angle You decide! But as for the potential problems to bring cubans into the United States...

removing bands and re-boxing is the best bet for getting in a box of cubans...but be aware that customs knows this trick...and technically if they can't prove that they're illegal, they're OK...but why mess with people that can order a strip search and a cavity check...
i now just bring in a couple of 5 packs...fit in jacket pocket and since your luggage is more likely to be searched than your person a little easier to get in...
i have to admit that i've stopped bringing in a box at a time...figure all it takes is once and then i'll have a black mark next to my name in the computer...and it'll make it that much harder for me to bring in what really counts...jamon and chorizo...which interestingly enough now carry much harsher penalties than smuggling drugs!

Big Jamon, you have guts! I don't dare even think about it! The maximum fine is $50,000 and jail term if the authorities are in the mood! Ave Maria! Enjoy the Habaneros in Madrid with a cafesíto!

yeah booklady i know the fines are stiff but for a box confiscation is more the rule...a nice box of cohibas makes a good gift for the boss...who needs the aggravation of processing another cigar "smuggler".
now if you get caught with a few boxes that big fine becomes more of an reality.
the real dangerous act now is the food smuggling...if you don't declare and get caught, even with legal items, they are slapping $10,000 fines on the scofflaws...no fooling around...
i guess the bosses aren't too keen on jamon yet...