[RickJ]

Yep!

You'll find that right near the border they're very expensive. Go inland a bit for better prices.

[Curlyben]

I smoke a cigar occasionally. I've smoked Cubans (legally; in Canada) and found them way too harsh.

I like mild; my favorite being Butera.

Cubans HARSH, somebody obviously saw you coming and sold you're a "cutting room floor" smoke there.
Cuba makes the most amazing cigars going.
Some worth trying are Montecristo, Bolivar, Upmann and the ultimate are Cohiba.

Have a look Here for an amazing range.
These guys trained me in the care and storage of quality Havana cigars, an amazing course ;)

[RickJ]

Maybe "strong" is a better word than "harsh".

Are there "mild" Cubans?

[augustknight]

A harsh Cuban? Not possible. They are renown for their smoothness, almost tasteless smoke. If it was a real Cuban it wasn't handled properly and became harsh because of that. There are a lot of counterfeit Cubans also. Tobacco exported illegally from Cuba and rolled elsewhere, usually Miami. The quality isn't the same and the rollers aren't as experienced. A poorly rolled cigar will have soft spots and also may burn faster on one side. Which makes the cigar burn hotter and thus harsher.
To the counterfeit eye, a cigar looks much like another. Even a knowledgeable smoker can be fooled. When it comes to paying $25 for a "Cuban" cigar you really want counterfeit. Interesting it isn't the cigar that you want to look at, it's the box. A cigar box legally exported has government stamps attached to it. So what the scam artist does is sell the cigars counterfeit or out of the box. He will explain that it was necessary to remove the cigars from the box to sneak them past security. Another ploy is to buy cheap cigars, remove the bands and replace them with a well known name.
The major growers outside of Cuba are mostly exiles from Castro's farm reform debacle. Patron, Vente, Trinidad, Cohiba are some of the big ones. As it is going on 50 years, these growers have managed to produce world class cigars outside of Cuba. Mind you, they took their seed with them. As favorable as certain regions of Cuba are to growing cigar tobacco that still doesn't mean they have the skilled growers of the past. The growing and manufacture of cigars is a labor intensive effort. Also requiring a lot of held up capitol, as a leaf generally takes 5 or more years from harvest to box.
That type of management is best suited for a capitalist endeavor and not so well under Communism, which tends to expect more rapid return for capitol outlays. Thus, Cuba may have the best growing conditions for tobacco leaf, but without the old time growers and the skill that they have, many cigars rival or surpass the legendary Cuban.
One more thing, Cuban cigars are not rolled between the thighs of virgins. But it is a nice thought none the less.

[RickJ]

Great stuff, augustknight, thanks! No doubt, then, that my experience was with either a fake - a poorly made one - or one that was improperly handled...

... LOL, and I'm glad to know I can take "rolled between the thighs of virgins" off my list of "potential urban legends" to check out :p

[Zipper]

... but of course, that doesn't mean that YOU can't roll them between the thighs of virgins (although they may be harder to find than a Cuban cigar! )

[nfacciolo]

Go to
Thompson Cigars and Cigar Humidors and look at their selection. I quit smoking Feb 13 th 2005 due to a major heart attack caused by smoking. Recently I asked my cardiologist if I could have a cigar once in a while since that was one of my passions. He said I could and it wouldn't kill me but he wouldn't recommend it. Don't start if you don't have to.

[hardik2000]

Wills are the best brand. Another one is CLASSIC REGULAR

[DMay03]

My personal favorites are Romeo Y Julieta's I've never had a bad one. Most are mild. It just depends on what kind you are looking for and how much you are willing to pay. Romeo's are good cigars and well priced.