Cigar Chewers Sound Off - Page 2

All that talk of Indian Tabac cigars reminded me I had a super fuerte maduro burning a hole in my humi, so I sparked that up while watering the greenery last night. Don't let the name fool you; it's really not that strong. Maybe a hair above medium, but with such a toasty, choclaty top note, they're really very tasty. Nice slow burn, too.

I smoked a Don Diego (the regular label, not the Playboy) on the ride home from work last night. This was a delightful little smoke. Mild with a very pleasant aroma, but still very flavorful. Maybe not quite as good a mild cigar as a Griffins, but probably better than a Gurkha Connecticut. Considering how much I like all things Gurkha, that really says something.

Just because I'm curious, I was wondering if those who have replied to this thread so far (or any other cigar smokers in general, for that matter) have a favorite size they prefer to smoke? Personally, I like what's often called a toro. 6" long, 50+ ring guage. Just long enough that you get a lot of enjoyment out of it, but not as long a smoke, which you may not always have time for, as a churchill or presidente. And thick enough to have a nice amount of ligero in there; more so than a corona boasts.

But do my fellow Cigar Chewers feel differntly? Do you prefer torpedos, and their even larger ring guages and the alleged flavor concentration the tapering affords? Do you HAVE the time to smoke churchills, and prefer them over puny robustos or toros? Do you find the quickness of a robusto or corona to be what the doctor ordered?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Smoked an Avo 787 on the way home from work last night. Nice. Not as good as most other Avo products (I LOVE the original blend, the Domaine and the maduro) IMO, but still a very good smoke. Full & hearty, but never overpowering. Strong hint of sweetness on the opening puffs, which faded considerably. Shame, too; I'd have enjoyed it a lot more if that stayed around. Mostly a toasty character after that.

Smoked a Gurkha Crest the other night. I have never heard of or seen this particular blend before; it was included as part of a sampler I got from Cigar.com when I ordered a Black Dragon & a few miscellaneous hi-priced singles. They don't offer it for actual sale, so I have no idea where to get one. But if you happen to run across it, here's my $.02: Started out w/ a strong hint of sweetness on the opening. It faded out for awhile, replaced by toast & earthiness. Me3llow & maybe just a hair north of medium bodies. The sweetness came back about 2" in, and stayed for the next inch. Draw was a LITTLE too tight, but not intolerably so. Overall, a pretty enjoyable smoke. The one serious drawback, unusual as this sounds, it gave me FEROCIOUS dragon breath for 2+ days. I've never had a cigar do that before, and it was a touch annoying (especially since my wife wouldn't kiss me). Anyway, if you can live w/ that or take stronger measures than I did (although I did brush my teeth, chew gum and eat a couple times, so I'm not sure what other measures can be taken), and if you can find one, have at it. It won't disappoint (as Gurkhas rarely do).

All cigars, regardless of quality or price, (except, inexplicably, the specimen of The Griffins that I smoked a few years ago, which remained cool & pleasant until it was too short to smoke w/o burning my fingers) will get harsh at the end. It has to do w/ them getting too hot. That's also why puffing on a cigar too much is not recommended. It's a little tricky finding that balance of just right puffing, as too few & it will go out, but too many heats it up too much, and makes the amoke harsh. It's a process of trial & error, & varies from cigar to cigar depending on the size, the composition, the shape, and the conditions it was humidified under, among other things. But even if you achieve perfect balance, you have to just give up the ghost & abandon them all at some point.

Smoked a Carlos Torano Reserva Select last night (I am currently on vacation, & drank beer & ate some funky cheese & crackers and reading a collection of horror short stories while I was at it - indulging almost all of my passions at once; it doesn't get much better). It was an awesome cigar. Mellow and creamy. Not harsh at all. Maybe a hint of sweetness. Very flavorful. Expensive as hell, and kind of hard to find, I think, but well worth trying. Well constructed, too, it stayed lit w/o a problem & burned slow & even. Better than the 1916 Cameroon, and at least as good - probably a bit better - than the Casa Torano, another mellow entry from them that I liked. Good show overall.

The vacation continues. This afternoon, while my son napped & my wife shopped, I enjoyed an Acid Cold Tea Infusion. I liked it, but not as much as I like the Acid Nasty or, even more so, the Kuba Kuba. To me, the aromatics in all Acid cigars I've tried so far taste the same, and the only difference is the tobacco's they flavor. While the aromatics do taste good, I kind of wish there was more of a discernible difference from blend to blend. The Cold Tea is blurbed in the CI catalog as "Light, refreshing taste". Indeed, it is that. BUt IMO, the aromatics tend to overwhelm so light a blend. That's why I like the Kuba Kuba better; the tobacco is a BIT more robust, and anble to assert itself in a more complimentary manner. Still, the Cold Tea has a good draw & an even burn going for it, and if you like light stuff, you'd probably like this better than I did. Nothing wrong with it, per se, but not a favorite for the above reasons.

On the penultimate day of my vacation, I was fortunate enough to enjoy a 5 Vegas Limitada 2006 edition. They've done a Limitada every year since 06, and at first I paid them no mind b/c they were described as full flavored. But There recently appeared new, nore detailed descriprtions in the CI catalogs, which promise complex and varied flavors. So I figured I'd give 'em all a try, and picked up one of each while in the CI store in Bethlehem last month. The 06 was very good, but I kind of expected more from it. According to the blurb, they used several different kinds of tobacco: some for their smoothness, some for their spiciness, some for their sweetness, and some because they're aromatic. Maybe it's just because it's been sitting on the store humidor's shelf for nearly three years of aditional aging & mellowing, but it was a lot milder than I expected, and not nearly as spicy as I was hoping for. It did have a very enjoyable sweetness to its aftertaste, though, and overall it gets a thumbs up. If this idea intrigues you, move fast, because there aren't many of these left. CI had a nifty little 6 cigar sampler, w/ 2 '06's, 2 '07's & 2 '08's in it, for something like $35.00. I'm looking forward to trying the 07 & 08, which I think, judging by the written descriptions, may be even more flavorful.

Fear not, friend Renn. This thread can guide you.

In other news, I smoked a Sol Cubano Maduro tonight while watching the fireworks, on this my last day of vacation, and it was OK. Not great by any means, but nice and mellow, with a really slow & true burn. The draw was maybe a wee bit too tight, but not overly so. Nice hint of slightly sweet spiciness. Far from the best maduro ever (Avo, Perdomo La Tradicion & especially Nestor Plascencia have it beat by miles), but for the money it wasn't bad. Cigar.com had a sampler I bought to get this one, w/ 2 maduros, 2 Connecticuts & 2 Sumatras in the 6 x 50 toro size, and 2 Cuban Cabinet Churchills. For $29.95, it can't be beat for economy. This was the 1st of that batch I've tried, and I've been looking forward to smoking them for a long time now. I have high hopes especially for the Cuban cabinet.

As I understand the process by which Acid cigars are made, which is far from complete, as they're kind of secretive about the whole thing, Acid tobaccos (and probably finished cigars as well) cure in large humidifiers that are "lined" with what they claim to be 150 herbs, oils & botanicals. Cognac could very well be among them, but as far as I know they consider the ingredients trade secrets, so I don't think the general public knows for sure. After being exposed in some way to these substances (and I'm not clear on how flavors are "infused" into cigarsin general, I admit) they absorb their flavors and aromas. The Kuba Kuba is a fine smoke. My fvorite Acid blend of all those I've tried. I don't think I'[ve ever had a cognac flavored cigar, but I know they are made (the Gurkha Platinum being one exmple). I HAVE had cigars flavored with rum, red wine, and bourbon, and seen for sale cigars flavored with Irish whiskey, Scotch, & tequila. All the ones I've had have been good (the red wine one was a Thompson house bland, the Lugano cheroot, supposedly mad ein Switzerland. Short smokes, and maybe a bit full and harsh, but still intriguing in a way I can't put a finger on). Normally I shy away from house brands, but this one wasn't bad a'tall. Wolf Bros. Sweet Rum Crooks, a cheapie brand I've occasionally sen sold in CVS, is also a favorite, despite their low price. Made w/ tobacco grown in PA, they are nice & moist & burn very slowly, with an incredibly mild & sweet taste & arome. They may be machine made, but another excpetion proving the rule, IMO. I'm also told that because the wrapper leaves are so moist, they make great blunts, because they burn so slowly and taste so good.

Cohiba is a brand name, not a style of cigar. They gained their fame as one of the finest Cuban blends before & for some time after the Revolution, and were impossible to get - legally - in the States for decades. Whether they still are that good is a matter of opinion. Having smoked one in Vancouver last year, IMO they aren't. BUt I'm not a fan of strong cigars generally speaking, so it may just be a matter of taste.

Nowadays, there is another Cohiba brand that originates in Central America (Nicaragua, I think). Because there's no connection to Cuba other than the name, these CAN legally be sold in the US. These may be the cheapies you mentioned. Occasionally, a cigar maker discontinues a size or something because it doesn't sell well, and retailers sell them at cut rate prices. Cohiba is always fucking around with the sizes their cigars are made in. It is also, unfortunately, the most frequently counterfeited cigar brand in the world, because of its Cuban rep. Perhaps you got some of those.

So far as I know, a glass top doesn't affect anything; as long as the seal is tight, the smokes within should be fine. All those are good humidors for the money. There are of course trade offs; the Sienna is a little larger & can hold more cigars, has a hygrometer you don't have to open the humi to look at (which, frankly I've never seen before, & is a damned fine idea) and probably looks a little nicer, but is more expensive. The glass top one has the potential minor drawback of not surrounding the cigars on all sides w/ aromatic & preservative cedar, but really, how many of us have palates that sensitive that we'd be able to tell? I would think the biggest value is the Bally w.o the glass top, because I don't (often) find myself needing much more than a 100 cigar capacity myself, and it's the cheapest. I also like cherry wood humis best, aesthetically speaking. Ultimately, you can't go wrong with any of them, I think. Go forth and humidify!

BTW, was I right about CI or what? Fucking fantastic, no?

Also, I smoked a Gurkha Black Dragon last night. Nice medium to full body, toasty & leathery in character. Not their best blend by any stretch, IMO, (nowhere near as good as the Master Select, Legend, Beast or Ancient Warrior, for example) but better than the Crest, Connecticut, and maybe event he Boer (although the Boer had the intersting-ness of a floral hint going for it). Are they worth $13.00 apiece? Probably not. But no Gurkha is cheap.

I literally just finished smoking a Gurkha Castle Hall. What a beautiful smoke. Mild to medium in body, with a very creamy foundation, and a hint of earthy sweetness. The blurb says look for hints of roasted nuts, and I did, but didn't detect any (I did detect very strong nutty nuances in the Gurkha Grand Master, a veritable bat at 8 1/2" x 52, w/ 2 wrappers in barber pole style; a little heavier than the Castle Hall, but still a damnded fine smoke. . . all 3 1/2 hours of it). The Castle Hall also had a nice, even burn, and an effortless draw. Cigarsintl.com is selling these ridiculously cheap now, because despite their obvious quality, for some reason they aren't selling, so they're looking to liquidate the stock. I recommend juming on that deal while it lasts. I think they're going for $15.00 for a five pack; a $3.00 Gurkha is almost unheard of. Particularly one this good. I'd rank this one right behind my previously listed Gurkha favorites.

Whilst watering the lawn this evening, I smoked an Acid Deep Dish. An amazing cigar. It's the 7th Acid blend I've tried (the others being the Roam, Nasty, Cold Tea Infusion, Extraordinary Larry, Wafe, & my favorite, the Kuba Kuba). While the Kuba Kuba is still my favorite, the Deep Dish comes in a very, very close second. The description in the CI catalog says it's smooth, mellow and velvety. It is all that, the velvety tag being particularly apt. It seemed the aromatics were toned down a bit in this blend. If so, perhaps Drew Estates realized - correctly, I think - that a smoke as smooth as this didn't need them to be as in your face as they often are in Acid blends. It was very smooth & mellow indeed, complemented well by the aromatics - more so than any other blend aside from the Kuba Kuba. And as for velvety, some cigars pump out thick smoke that you can really FEEL on the palate. I've never smoked a cigar with thicker, richer more. . . well. . . velvety smoke than this. The clouds fairly billowed forth from it, and hung on the air, thick and cohesive, until slowly pulled away by the wind. And it burned V-e-e-e-r-r-r-r-y slowly, the ash hanging on for dear life, & not easily tapped off (a sign of good construction, it is generally thought). I only had to relight it once. I highly recommend this one, particularly if you like Acid cigars, or flavored/infused cigars in general.

The above two posts are correct (Although I don't really like bullet punches & prefer a cutter; punches tend to mash the tobacco & impede the draw, IMO). As far as lighting goes, the technique I use (from the Cigar Companion), is hold the very tip of the cigar (out of your mouth at this point) in contact w/ the flame; roll it around until you have a slight & even char all the way around. Then, put the cigar in your mouth, and hold the tip about 1/2 " above the flame, but not in contact w/ the flame itself, whilst rolling it around & puffing. Eventually, the whole tip will just ignite all the way around; allow it to burn a second or two, blow out the flame, & inspect it to ensure you have an even burn going, blowing on it to make the embers light up; if the burn isn't even, repeat step two of the process until even burn is achieved. Take a good pull, but don't savor the flavor yet (the tip is probably very hot at this point, and the smoke will be harsh & not taste good, but you do want the burn to reach back into the cigar a bit, so it's necessary. Then let it rest 10-30 seconds (depending on your willpower). Then enjoy as normal, remembering not to puff on it too much, so as to keep the tip from getting hot & harshing the smoke. If it goes out, Tap off the remaining ash, blow OUT thru the cigar (to blow out any stale smoke), & relight as you did the 1st time. Matches over a lighter? Purists say yes, but using the above technique, you have any IDEA the # of matches that'd take? IMO, lighters just work so much better (torch lighters even more so, if you can get one). Brands? Canaria d'Oro, Macanudo, or Helix is a good place to start, & usually readily available. Dunhill, Gurkha Connecticuts, Rocky Patel Connecticuts, Avo's regular blend (NOT the XO, 787, Signature or the Domaine!) or the Griffins, if you can find them, are good (albeit more costly) choices as well. Enjoy! You must share when you've made & tried your purchases!

Oh, and while we're offering advice for newbies on cutters & such: A double bladed one is better than a single, and while you don't have to spend a fortune on a mother of pearl inlaid bubinga wood number or some such (a good plastic one will work just fine), don't get a $.99 cheapie, either. Make sure it's sharp, above all. Nothing can ruin a good cigar more than a bad cut by a dull blade (I recently reminded myself of this by getting lazy & using a dull cutter & tearing the hell out of a wrapper). And make sure it's big enough to handle the kind of ring gague you're going to be smoking. I was ina friend's wedding party last year, and one of the favors he gave the groomsmen was a monogrammed cigar cutter. But it's too damned small to cut the 50+ ring gague cigars I usually smoke; I've never successfully used it. Again, enjoy!

Smoked a Graycliff Professionale Vintage 99 at a BBQ today. This is a rare "accident", in that the Graycliff factory discovered a number of Professionale robustos that had been misplaced & were sitting in the humidified warehouse unintentionally aging since 1999. They were sold by CI for a little while, then disappeared from the catalog, presumably because they were sold out. But on my expedition to the CI Superstore in May, I found a small number of them still being sold & bought one. I hadn't been too anxious to try the Professionale blend because a) Graycliffs are very expensive and b) the Professionale was reputed to be very full in flavor. But the Vintage 99 is supposed to have mellowed from the additional aging. truth to tell, while I'm sure full flavored fans would have been enamored with this cigar, I thought it was just OK. Even with the aging, this one still tasted very full. Much fuller than I normally like. It had a strong hit of nuts, which was kind of cool, but reminded me more than anything else of the Avo XO, which I really didn't like. I can only imagine what the stahdard blend, w/o the additional aging, tastes like. And imagine it is all I'll be doing, I think. I didn't like this one enough to try the parent blend, and it's been crossed off my wish list.

Your fear is justified. The aromatics from Kuba Kubas or other flavored cigars are meant to infuse themselves into cigars, after all, so if the rest of your stash is left exposed to a large number of them for a protracted period of time, the rest will take on their flavor. Buying a box of them if you don't have the facilities to store them seperately may not be the move.

I think, and again, I'm not 100% sure, but they sure taste like they are the same flavorings used in every Acid blend I've tried so far, so I don't think that's likely to be a problem if all you've got in your humi at any given time is Acids.

I smoked a Sol Cubano Cuban Cabinet the other night, and was let down a little. It's a 7" churchill size, but less than a 50 ring guage. Perhaps for that reason, I had a hard time tasting it. It did noticeably get stronger in flavor about 3" in, and had some leathery and toasty notes. Not BAD, per se, but I was kind of hoping for some sweetness or spiciness. None to be found. I have another that came in the sampler pack, so I'll give it another day in court before too long. Sometimes a second try gives a better impression.

I also smoked a Chateau Real on the drive home from work last night as well. These are made by Drew Estate, the same company that makes Acid, but they aren't flavored or infused. Reputedly mild & flavorful; mild yes. Flavorful? Not really. A fairly straightforward toastiness, none of the detectable nuances that make a cigar great, IMO.

been continually neglecting to mention that I smoked two Gurkha Vintages as of this writing. This is a brand that I hadn't seen advertised in awhile, & believed to be extinct. But I found a few stray 5 packs lying around the CI superstore in May, & scapped one up. I was eager to try these because they're reputed to be mellow and I generally like mellow cigars. While they are mild, they're not very flavorful. At least, nit by gurkha standards. They were certainly good, but nowhere near as good a mild cigar as say, a Rocky Patel Connecticut, a Nat Sherman Host or a Griffins. And not even the HALF of Gurkha's best blends (like the Legend, Regent, Ancient Warrior or Castle Hall). They taste almost exactly like the Guurkha Connecticut, which I was never a big fan of, either. Pleasant enough, but maybe my palate is evolving and a mild cigar has to really WOW me to be considered a favorite these days.

I also smoked a Victor Sinclair Connecticut Yankee this afternoon. Flavor wise, this was a good smoke. Especially toward the beginning of the cigar, there were noticeable hints of toastiness and chocolate. The chocolate faded a bit as the cigar wore on,but the toastiness remained pleasant and never got harsh. The greatest drawback to this cigar, IMO (and some may not se it this way), is that the wrapper leaf is very thick. It burned very slowly & unevenly. You really ahd to pull on it to get the burn going again between puffs because the wrapper was so thick & slow burning. An easier draw and more even burn would have improved this cigar from good to very good, I think.

Edited to add: Well, Wydren? What'd you end up buying? You'll probably be enjoying them by Tuesday if you ordered from CI on the 25th. Their delivery is incredibly fast. Anxiously looking forward to you sharing your experiences.

Well played, sir. My mom & brother get me brown bag samplers for X-mas or my birthday every once in awhile, and while there's stuff in there I might not have ordered myself, there's usually a lot of good stuff I would have, too. And the things I may never have ordered for myself often turn out to be really good, too. That's how I discovered the CAO Black, and the ITC Super Fuerte, among others. If nothing else, it's a cheap way to experiment, and figure out what you DON'T like. As for the torpedo sampler, there's really good stuff in there, too. Pay particular attention to the CAO Black (it will be abit harsh the 1st inch or so, but trust me on this and bear with it. . . look for vanilla nuances), the 5 Vegas Gold and the RP Connecticut. Samples of these were in the Mild n' Mellow sampler I started my ordering history w/ CI with, and they all remain favorites. I'm also very curious about the Graycliff 1666. It's a new blend and I haven't tried one yet. You must post a review after you've tried it. Happy Herfing!

Edited to add: Here's a suggestion: Herf-a-Dors work surprisingly well. Maybe you can take some of the largest Acids out of the sampler tin and store them in there rather than in the general population, so as to minimize cross-flavoring. Just make sure you re-soak the herf-a-dor's sponge every 5 days or so, and whatever you have in tehre should keep almost as well as it would if you had it in a regular humidifier.

On a more general note, cigars generally come wrapped in cellophane. There is some debate as to whether they should be humidified with the cellophane on or off. Personally, I go by what the Cigar Companion says, namely that there doesn't seem to be any difference in how well the cigars are humidified either way, and leave the cellophane on. I do this mainly to avoid damaging the wrappers as the cigars are handled. You are advised to avoid handling cigars in a humidor as much as you can. But I often find I can't help myself! I love to look through there & see what I've got left, buried beneath the newer purchases, and I often come across soe pleasant surprises ("I still have some of THOSE!? I bought that box nearly two YEARS ago!"). If you've got greater self control or have settled on a brand or two as your everyday smokes and do less rooting around than me, go ahead and take the cellophane off if you want to (they certainly LOOK nicer lined up in your humi that way). But if like me you can't resist sticking your hand in the cookie jar, you may want to keep 'em wrapped.

Here are a couple suggestions, but you may not be able to find all of them in a local shop. You may be able to get suggestions based on these if your tobacconist is knowledgable enough, and I know all of them are available from CI except the Nat Shermans.

1. La Vieja Havana Leather Patches; as the name implies, these have a pronounced leathery flavor.Better than it sounds, trust me.

2. Alec Bradley's The Maxx; very strong sweet spiciness.

3. Gurkha Class regents; leather, earth & hints of black cherries.

4. CAO Black: Spice & vanilla.

5. Nat Sherman Gotham; Spice.

6. Nat Sherman Omerta: earthiness.

7. La Aurora 1495; Leather (but not as much as an LVH) and spice (but not as much as a Nat Gotham or Maxx).

8. Graycliff Purple Label: Floral sweetness.

9. La Gloria Cubana: Creaminess.

10. Carlos Torano 1916 Cameroon (NOT the Silver label!) Leather, earth & chocolate.

11. Indian Tabac Super Fuerte Maduro: Chocolate.

Most of these aren't mild beginner's cigars, bt if I like them (as I do), they aren't powerhouses either, and these were some of the most noteworthy palate expanders for me. Many are all time favorites. Let us know what you find and what you think.

Some people don't like cutting the ends off cigars because I guess thay feel like they use some of the usable length, and/or they damage the wrapper, which may cause it to unravel. These people prefer punches that make a hole in the end of the wrapper instead. It's a matter of taste; my friend Jay uses a punch and seems to like it. I avoid them b/c I think they impede the flow of air thru the cigar, and you get a better draw w/ a wide cut as opposed to a smaller hole or V. To each their own.

BTW, another cutting tip: if you look at the end of a standard cigar (but not a torpedo or perfecto; i.e., one tapered to a point on one or both ends, respectively), you'll note that a seperate piece of leaf is used to cap the end of the wrapper. When cutting the cigar, be sure not to cut all of the cap off. If you do, you'll cut directly into the wrapper itself and cause it to unravel, which makes for a sloppy, difficult & less flavorful smoke. Cut the cigar a little closer to the end than the line where the cap ends and the wrapper itself begins, if you can.

Hurry, man! I'm all a-twitter!

Smoked a Graycliff Crystal this wekend. What a sublime cigar. One of the descriptions I read of it somewhere said that it's made w/ a rare variety of Greek tobacco. Perhaps that accounts for some of the flavor nuances. It had hints of toast & leather, and just the right touch of sweetness, which made it wonderful, IMO. But there were other flavors - good ones, mind you - I can't say as I've ever tasted in a cigar before, and I am at a loss to describe them. Full in flavor and body, yes, but not so much so that it beats you into submission. If these weren't so damed expensive (a robusto cost $15.00 from CI, who sells them at cut rates. They sell toros for $20.00, and I saw them once for sale in the gift shop of the Borgata casino hotel in Atlantic City for $40.00.), I'd consider making them a semi-regular favorite. But at these prices, it will have to remain a rare treat. But if you have the disposable means to treat yourself some day, I heartily recommend going for it.