Monsdales in saran wrap?

[habana mike]

Where's the starfoil? Just saying.....

[icaminero91]

That's how they handled them to me in the presence of Jorge.

I will ask him next time i'm in town why there was no foil.

If there is any doubt about the provenance or authenticity you can ask him about two dominican guys that visited him during Memorial day weekend. He might remember and confirm that he sold a bundle to us.

I stand behind all the cigars i provide.

Best regards,

Irving

[habana mike]

Hey Irving,

I imagine it's possible and someone I know mentioned to me they've observed the same.

Every time I've been to Club Habana and all Jorge's house rolls I've picked up or purchased in the past were in the foil.

Maybe he was out at the time, it happens.

[CanuckSARTech]

Never ever seen them in anything but the starfoil, and then some custom wooden boxes to celebrate the 20th (??? I think) anniversary of the Club Habana LCDH (which was the first LCDH). 

Never seen them in saran wrap ever.

Cuba is Cuba, however.  Would need to see, feel, smell them to be able to know 100%.

[nick2021]

[quote author=CanuckSARTech link=topic=41988.msg172037#msg172037 date=1498166238]
Never ever seen them in anything but the starfoil, and then some custom wooden boxes to celebrate the 20th (??? I think) anniversary of the Club Habana LCDH (which was the first LCDH).  

Never seen them in saran wrap ever.

Cuba is Cuba, however.  Would need to see, feel, smell them to be able to know 100%.

[/quote]

Within the last week, was given a partial bundle from jorge in saran wrap....same with another person who was there picking up a bundle for himself--also in saran wrap.  The funny thing is he didn't even roll the bundle I was given, somebody else was rolling the cigars which he picked up from the table and gave me lol

[CanuckSARTech]

[quote author=nick2021 link=topic=41988.msg172045#msg172045 date=1498183103]
Within the last week, was given a partial bundle from jorge in saran wrap....same with another person who was there picking up a bundle for himself--also in saran wrap.  The funny thing is he didn't even roll the bundle I was given, somebody else was rolling the cigars which he picked up from the table and gave me lol
[/quote]

You are talking about Jorgito, at the Club Habana LCDH, correct???

[url=https://lights-sirens-and-cigars.com/2016/01/22/havana-trip-nov-2015-cigars-smoked/]https://lights-sirens-and-cigars.com/2016/01/22/havana-trip-nov-2015-cigars-smoked/[/url] (very bottom of the page, in that link)

Mateo's post is actually pretty good on there too...

[url=http://cubancigarsculturelifestyle.blogspot.ca/2013/10/jorge-lopez-master-roller-at-club.html]http://cubancigarsculturelifestyle.blogspot.ca/2013/10/jorge-lopez-master-roller-at-club.html[/url]

I had a picture from our Nov 2012 trip as an FOH group, where it was a picture of me with Nino and Jorgito, in front of that (newer at the time) painting of Alejandro Robaina, but I don't know where it is right now.

Anywho, I guess I should modify my earlier statement...

I've never heard or seen Jorgito giving anyone Monsdales in a bundle of 25 or a bundle of 50 in anything but the star foil.  For singles, five-packs, ten-packs, etc., I've always seen them put them into those little cardboard LCDH sampler boxes (the fold-up style with the little handle holes).  But, who knows - maybe they're doing saran wrap for that, upon request????  Or maybe to save costs due to the price of those little fold-up boxes????  Or hell, maybe some gov't official told them to stop using the LCDH sampler boxes if it's for custom rolls only; that those are to be used for authorized Habanos singles only???

But again, never seen it on full bundles of 25 or 50.

And, that said, my info/knowledge may be "old" then.  My last trip was in Nov - it's been 7 months now, so perhaps, "times they be a changin'".  As I mentioned before, it IS Cuba, so who knows.

However, another thing I'm thinking from your post is the statement of "somebody else was rolling the cigars".  To the best of my knowledge, Jorgito is/was the only one rolling Monsdales (aside from Enrique, before he handed them off to Jorgito).  However, now that Enrique's been passed away for a few years, perhaps Jorge has his own protégé now???  Maybe that protégé is of the skill level / that Jorge is pleased enough, that Jorge's letting the protégé roll them under his supervision (similar to what Mons started with Jorgito, back in the early 2000's, if I recall correctly).  It's really hard to say.  One would need to have a conversation with Jorgito to find out what the status is for sure.

[nick2021]

You are correct sir, and the store pretty much looks the same as those photos in 2015.

I don't know who the individual was at the rolling table, it was a petite female who was rolling while I was there.  Like I said, when I asked if any monsdales were available for immediate sale, I was given the partial bundle right off the table the female was rolling from.  That being said, it could be that because it was only partial and she was in the process of rolling the remainder of the cigars, that could've been why they were wrapped in plastic.  However, there were two other individuals there paying for complete bundles that were not in foil.

Regardless of who rolled them, I was happy just to get what I got....they smell incredible too!  Extremely strong "chocolate" smell....


[quote author=CanuckSARTech link=topic=41988.msg172063#msg172063 date=1498228314]
You are talking about Jorgito, at the Club Habana LCDH, correct???

[url=https://lights-sirens-and-cigars.com/2016/01/22/havana-trip-nov-2015-cigars-smoked/]https://lights-sirens-and-cigars.com/2016/01/22/havana-trip-nov-2015-cigars-smoked/[/url] (very bottom of the page, in that link)

Mateo's post is actually pretty good on there too...

[url=http://cubancigarsculturelifestyle.blogspot.ca/2013/10/jorge-lopez-master-roller-at-club.html]http://cubancigarsculturelifestyle.blogspot.ca/2013/10/jorge-lopez-master-roller-at-club.html[/url]

I had a picture from our Nov 2012 trip as an FOH group, where it was a picture of me with Nino and Jorgito, in front of that (newer at the time) painting of Alejandro Robaina, but I don't know where it is right now.

Anywho, I guess I should modify my earlier statement...

I've never heard or seen Jorgito giving anyone Monsdales in a bundle of 25 or a bundle of 50 in anything but the star foil.  For singles, five-packs, ten-packs, etc., I've always seen them put them into those little cardboard LCDH sampler boxes (the fold-up style with the little handle holes).  But, who knows - maybe they're doing saran wrap for that, upon request????  Or maybe to save costs due to the price of those little fold-up boxes????  Or hell, maybe some gov't official told them to stop using the LCDH sampler boxes if it's for custom rolls only; that those are to be used for authorized Habanos singles only???

But again, never seen it on full bundles of 25 or 50.

And, that said, my info/knowledge may be "old" then.  My last trip was in Nov - it's been 7 months now, so perhaps, "times they be a changin'".  As I mentioned before, it IS Cuba, so who knows.

However, another thing I'm thinking from your post is the statement of "somebody else was rolling the cigars".  To the best of my knowledge, Jorgito is/was the only one rolling Monsdales (aside from Enrique, before he handed them off to Jorgito).  However, now that Enrique's been passed away for a few years, perhaps Jorge has his own protégé now???  Maybe that protégé is of the skill level / that Jorge is pleased enough, that Jorge's letting the protégé roll them under his supervision (similar to what Mons started with Jorgito, back in the early 2000's, if I recall correctly).  It's really hard to say.  One would need to have a conversation with Jorgito to find out what the status is for sure.

[/quote]

[mk05]

[quote author=CanuckSARTech link=topic=41988.msg172063#msg172063 date=1498228314]I've never heard or seen Jorgito giving anyone Monsdales in a bundle of 25 or a bundle of 50 in anything but the star foil.
...
But again, never seen it on full bundles of 25 or 50.[/quote]

[img]http://i1308.photobucket.com/albums/s618/tkim052786/mk05/received_10213477437798371_zpsx5ievqmm.jpeg[/img]

[CanuckSARTech]

Wow.  Awesome picture then - thanks very much for posting that Mark!  Can't beat that for authenticity really!!!  LOL.

When was that?

There must be a major price-change for the star foil, or an availability issue for it then - Jorgito always shied away from saran wrap.

[mk05]

IIRC the aluminum/foil comes from Russia, so it depends on the supply? I am unsure on that. As for the saran pictured, that was late 2016 / early 2017, and done for a 50 cab.