Cuba November 2025!

[Ryan]

Thanks Ryan, that was a really interesting read and you make it sound like Cuba is still well worth visiting.

There's a fine line in Cuba. Stay away from the tourist traps, generally terrible food, scams and just bad. There are some exceptions to that rule.
Also, don't think you can go and live on $5 a day for food. You can, there is 50c pizza to be had but you'll get sick, and you'll be scammed.
But you can find out where the ex-pats go and where some Cubans with money go. Then you can have a great time on $40 for two good meals a day and, honestly, $30 in a nightclub will go a long way.
One of my last pictures, that's a bottle of 11 year old Santiago rum, bucket of ice (I've never had a problem with the ice there, some have) , six colas (we like our Cubatas) , some beers and the VIP table (because we bought a bottle) for 13,000 pesos. Add another 10,000 pesos or so for tips. And that was four of us drinking for 2 hours with live music at a VIP table for less than 50 euros. The bottle of Santiago 11 alone in a cigar shop is $48. Tipping goes a long way in Cuba, especially in a place that you might revisit, staff remember and spread the word among themselves.
Instagram is a good start for what's new in Havana.
And bring mosquito repellant!
A good example of tipping. I was at the opening Partagas event, Simon was there too but at an "early-bird" table! I was down the back with a Dutch retailer who found chairs at his table for me and my American friend.
All drinks were included in the ticket price but there weren't enough servers to manage. They were good enough, just not enough of them. Tables were going thirsty. I went to the bar, got four rums, I think Cubay 10 year old, and for €5 took the bottle with me. Another €5 to a waiter brought 8 beers to our table every 20 minutes. People forget to tip when there are free bars so servers remember tipping. €10 meant the table of 8 of us didn't have to get out of our chairs or wonder where the next drink was coming from for the night. I'm not "special" and it's not rocket-science, just experience.

[liles]

Really excellent write up from both. Loved the pictures too.

I'm surprised Ryan about your comment on natural processed coffee being under appreciated by the market. I'm a bit fan of new wave speciality coffee and as a result have enjoyed a lot of light/medium roast naturals and love the fruity and funky aspect you get. I know the majority of "coffee" drinkers expect cheap over-roasted blends, but I expect that market isn't your intended audience

[Ryan]

Really excellent write up from both. Loved the pictures too.

I'm surprised Ryan about your comment on natural processed coffee being under appreciated by the market. I'm a bit fan of new wave speciality coffee and as a result have enjoyed a lot of light/medium roast naturals and love the fruity and funky aspect you get. I know the majority of "coffee" drinkers expect cheap over-roasted blends, but I expect that market isn't your intended audience

I agree with you. But there is a segment of the market that knows that beans that go through the washed process have to ripen longer on the plant than the beans going through the natural process. In my pictures earlier you'll see almost all deep red beans going into the washing / depulper. While the beans drying on the concrete pad are more green. Washed process beans are also more labour intensive as each plant has to be visited multiple times to collect the beans as they ripen to deep red. Thus more expensive to harvest, For many, more expensive = better.
I will be doing naturally processed coffee too. There are very few washing systems in Pinar del Rio, natural is much easier there.
But starting with washed-process, single origin Pinar del Rio. Then single-estate, then micro-lot. And I have just the micro-lot. One hectare where the coffee plants get even more shade than normal and take weeks longer to ripen the fruit, adding to the complexity of the coffee. It's not just marketing!
I have my roasting programme set after much experimentation. The beans will be medium dark, nowhere near 2nd crack. This will bring out the sweetness while keeping some acidity and preserve the terroir. I know that sounds pretentious. But roasted right and this coffee brings me back to Pinar del Rio every time. I think it's quite a good coffee. It has always scored in the specialty range with the (5) Q-graders in this country.

[mcdee]

Would love to have a chance to sample your coffee at some point.

[moteyi]

Thank you Ryan and Simon for taking the time to chronical your exploits - with photos an added bonus. Fascinating and very much appreciated.

Sent from my SM-S921B using Tapatalk

[Ryan]

Waiting on finalising a UK distributor. There's some interest but I have a Plan A and a Plan B.
I'll see what I can do to get samples to some forum members early in the New Year.
I think it's arriving tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

[liles]

I'd love a taste too!

Are you aiming for a filter or espresso style bean?

[Ryan]

I'd love a taste too!

Are you aiming for a filter or espresso style bean?

The roasting profile is for professional espresso machines. As my intended market is cigar lounges.
But adjust the grind and the beans will work in anything. I have it in Pinar del Rio strained through a pair of tights!
Other than the tights, I haven't tried it through a regular drip filter but, French press, aeropress, it performs well. Bialetti style Moka pots work very well and give the coffee a good crema.
I found a guy near me who is working with compostable nespresso pods. I will do a roast for that too, that will have to be darker as there is less coffee in those pods. Some lounges still have Nespresso machines and it's another product for a market.

[ha_banos]

The roasting profile is for professional espresso machines. As my intended market is cigar lounges.
But adjust the grind and the beans will work in anything. I have it in Pinar del Rio strained through a pair of tights!
Other than the tights, I haven't tried it through a regular drip filter but, French press, aeropress, it performs well. Bialetti style Moka pots work very well and give the coffee a good crema.
I found a guy near me who is working with compostable nespresso pods. I will do a roast for that too, that will have to be darker as there is less coffee in those pods. Some lounges still have Nespresso machines and it's another product for a market.

Moka pot! Music to my ears

[Simon Bolivar]

So, Cuba.
Arrived on November 12. First week, meetings and meetings with friends. The euro at 490 pesos. Stayed around that during the tip, dropping briefly to 460.
Lump of cash required. I think that was about €1,500, or 727,500 pesos.

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Found the perfect room to host a coffee / cigar pairing in February. Just opened.

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Monday night before Partagas Festival, a friend had an event in a house in Santa Fe, west of Havana. Our driver Rita at the end of the night

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Restaurant Antojos in the old town has a new room upstairs that is really very nice. Food and service not quite matching yet though.

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My assistant Amanda works for a humidor and ashtray company. Went to her event on the Saturday after the Partagas festival in a very nice newish cigar lounge by the river, All Mar.

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Tuesday, we went to the trade fair in ExpoCuba. I usually hate trade fairs, but this was quite fun and successful too.

Tipsy by 10:30 am

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My old favourite rum Caney Añejo Centuria has been relaunched. I tihnk it's quite similar to the old version. At the moment, only available in the airport in Havana but 12 USD a bottle isn't bad.

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A friend of mine Fidel, graphic designer, built quite a few of the stands at the trade fair for some of the Cuban state companies and private companies. He had a month and a half of all hands on deck but worth it for him. It bought him his Mercedes EQS.
I called out to the fair to see him the week before it started. This was the Crystal beer stand on the Friday and then on the Monday.

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They had a nightclub of sorts set up inside the giant can. It was pretty cool. He didn't like the varnish but the client insisted.

Behike 58 in a box spotted for the first time at the trade fair.
Going on sale in January. I asked the Habanos representative how much they'd be going for, "about $250" he says. I nearly spit out my rum laughing. I'd be surprised if they'll be less than $500 anywhere and more like $700.

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The rest of the day went well. More contracts signed. All very nice.

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Fidel also built the "Bucanero Fest" built stage and stands. A ticket for 500 pesos (about 90p) got you 10 beers. A nice place to finish off the day. Festival goers were legless. I believe it was mayhem by the end of the week, but I was in Viñales.

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I've wanted one of these ashtrays for a while but didn't want to spend money on it. A waitress brought us a new one at the fair during lunch for our cigars.
I offered her $5 for it, "no". $10 and she couldn't get it wrapped up fast enough! Throw in two beers, two waters and two pork sandwiches and one of the better $12 lunches for two I've had!

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More to come.

Wonderful to catch up on your time in Cuba Andy, so glad things went well on the business front; how nice to be able to stick it on expenses!
Wish I could have come with you to Pinar del Rio, instead of Varadao, which just bores the t*ts off me! Love PdR & your pic's took me back to our time there in 2011. I love your plan to set up a social centre, to bring the community together, I hope you succeed in that. De-population is an escalating problem, it can reach critical cliff point, where only the elderly & the youngsters are left & no one left to work the farms or man the services (similar to some of the outlying Scottish islands).

I think there is two types of visitor to Cuba at present. The pure tourist, looking for something different but still expecting a more 'normal' holiday with all the usual frills & those of us who go with a strong interest in cigars, the culture & the people. The former are the group that is dropping like a stone & is needed to help the Cuban economy. They will be hardest to to win back, as I mentioned we were quoted Pre Covid 5m, now less than 2m visitors p.a. The later, will still find things to interest them but if you are just going for a fortnight for your first time, you're unlikely to find out about the interesting places to visit that Andy mentions.

Perhaps having set up your coffee business, you should write that guide mate? It really would help the first timers get more out of the experience & then perhaps find enough to want to return, despite the shortages & cuts ect. The Cuban people really need cash input, but for the avge tourist it's currently a hard sell, when e.g. D.R. is just next door & the hotels & food are far better.

[Ryan]

Wonderful to catch up on your time in Cuba Andy, so glad things went well on the business front; how nice to be able to stick it on expenses!

Great to see you Simon. Yes, the trip was mostly company expenses. It's my company though, I still have to come up with the funds!

[Ryan]

Perhaps having set up your coffee business, you should write that guide mate? It really would help the first timers get more out of the experience & then perhaps find enough to want to return, despite the shortages & cuts ect. The Cuban people really need cash input, but for the avge tourist it's currently a hard sell, when e.g. D.R. is just next door & the hotels & food are far better.

A good guide would be very useful. The problem is, Cuba changes so quickly that a written guide goes out of date before it gets published. Every trip I go on there seems to be the new "in" restaurant and bar. Sometimes 3 or 4 of each. And then they change. For example a chef, Raulito, opened a restaurant in Vedado, "Grados". I was there in June of last year and fantastic. A 7 course tasting menu for 26 USD. Some of the dishes world standard. Then, last February, he decides to turn his restaurant into a nightclub for 2-3 nights per month, during dinner hours. He removes most of the tables and brings in a DJ or two. Now I won't go back as I'm too lazy/busy to find out if it's restaurant or nightclub on any given night.
If a guide has a recommendation for his restaurant and readers go and find a nightclub, that's some unhappy guide-buyers. And it's the unhappy ones who make the effort to find out where to leave an online review.
A website could work but would need constant updating and those websites don't make money.
A live Havana event guide would be very useful though. Art, Live music (by genre), bars, restaurants, nightclubs. That would have to be run by people on the ground. There are plenty of people in Cuba who would do it. Weirdly it hasn't happened yet. There are some Whatsapp groups, but they are scattered and selective.
Mobile data 3G/4G was made available, almost unannounced, in Cuba in December 2018. By January 2019, Cuba had its (privately developed) version of Uber running, "La Nave".
Anywhere else, getting an app like that live from scratch would be at least 18 months, probably more.