I need a cigar education!

[bm11]

Jeez! Dilettantes! Can't event tell the difference between a proper maduro and a natural...*lookin down, shakin my head in wonderment*



OK, what we have in this picture are 2 maduros, a natural, and 3 maduros.



BULLSHIT! WRONG! When was the last time I smoked a Natural wrapper? Ancient history! Don't do it, gave them all away to GI's and friends.

The first cigar, the BLUE 601 is a Maduro
The second cigar, a Green 601 is an Oscuro
The third through sixth cigars are all MADURO

Now lets discuss a maduro wrapper for a second or two. Maduro is a fermenting technique that makes tobacco darker, and sweeter. Some maduros are twice fermented, some are single fermented, and some are thrice fermented. An Oscuro is fermented as much as, or more than a maduro to get an extremely dark color and a very nice sweetness.
Now the strength of these cigars, well, the only one labeled as medium strength is the Liga Privada No 9. The rest are all full bodied with lots of flavor and will make a newb turn green and puke in short order.
The essence of what I said here is that the maduro wrapper will have many shades, some lighter, some darker than other cigars, but it is still a maduro regardless of the shade and as such will offer a basic profile of slight sweetness, a little cocoa, a light espresso, and a bit of toast.

School's out, go find a good maduro, a pour of something tasty, adn sit down and relax and enjoy it, IT's FREAKIN FIRDAY!

Thanks for the pic, and the lesson. I have all the above but the 601's in my humidor. The only confusion is that I have two Padron 1926 40 Year Naturals in my humidor, and the recent five 1926 40 Year Maduro's I bought are almost the same color, where the 1964 Maduro's, the Family Reserve No. 45 Maduro's, and the 1926 80 Year Maduro's are all much darker than my newly acquired 1926 40th Maduro's.

THAT is what made me doubt the maduro aspect, combined with the fact that the 40th Maduro also tasted quite different from the 1964 Maduro and the No. 45 Maduro.

But if I follow you, I believe the lesson is as follows- maduro is a fermentation process that produces a dark color, but the dark color is certainly not uniform by any stretch, there may be a wide variety of colors in different cigars all of which are maduro. And according to your pic, the 1926 40th Maduro is on the lighter end of the maduro spectrum where the 1964 and No.45 maduro's are both at the darker end of the spectrum.

I'll muddy up the waters a bit and post my six remaining 40th's when I get home and see if you can pick out which are the naturals!

ETA: the Liga Privada #9 is also an Oscuro, by the way! Only happened to know that because I smoked one a few weeks back.

 

[maxx]

Nubs are great smokes let them rest for a couple days when you get them. I just ordered a box of 4x64 Maduro (10), Genesis the project 6.x52(10) and Perdomo Reserve Limited Oscuro R 50x5 from CI (10). I usually buy 2 (Genenis and Nub) of my regulars and look for a new one to try every month (Perdomo).
Already looking for next months smokes. Did smoke a Ghurka Black Ops nothing super but smokeable. Ghurka Beast and Warlock seem to be my favorite Ghurkas at the moment.
Got 5 Media Noches Edmundo Monticristos the other day from a friend,I smoked 1 and save the rest for a special occasion, that was a relaxing cigar.

 

[rjacobs]

BigJoe got his stogies today. I think he already gave them all out. Hopefully he comes in here.

 

[Switchblade]

Maduro is a leaf, AND a curing/fermentation process. Connecticut Broadleaf is a fine leaf, as well as Brazilian, Nicaraguan, and Dominican as well as Hoduran. The fermentation process is what usually darkens the leaf to the really dark shade we tend to see. The bad part about trying to pick, accurately and precisely, a Maduro wrapped cigar from a Natural wrapped cigar is that some shades of each are so close to looking identical that it will confuse the most well trained eye as well as the cigar professional. I watched a Gurkha rep who stopped by my old residence/business to set up my account and give me a ton of demo stuff, not only tell me a Natural was a Maduro, but do so a few times before catching himself.
The color doesn't mean so much when they are looked at, but when they are TASTED, well THAT is where the huge difference is found.
Where taste is concerned, the Natural will be lighter, but not necessarily lighter bodied. The maduro will have more strength to it, usually fuller bodied, but again, not necessarily. Body strength, is usually a property of filler blend, and binder. The wrapper rounds out the flavor and gives it a stronger base. Beware ye who think the lighter wrapper will have less body and strength(some call this power). Check the reviews and note what the shop says if online and act accordingly. Some of you know the body strength of a great ciagr, others, well, you will turn green, forehead will sweat, adn you will feel like warmed over shit and you will learn

 

[bm11]

Maduro is a leaf, AND a curing/fermentation process. Connecticut Broadleaf is a fine leaf, as well as Brazilian, Nicaraguan, and Dominican as well as Hoduran. The fermentation process is what usually darkens the leaf to the really dark shade we tend to see. The bad part about trying to pick, accurately and precisely, a Maduro wrapped cigar from a Natural wrapped cigar is that some shades of each are so close to looking identical that it will confuse the most well trained eye as well as the cigar professional. I watched a Gurkha rep who stopped by my old residence/business to set up my account and give me a ton of demo stuff, not only tell me a Natural was a Maduro, but do so a few times before catching himself.
The color doesn't mean so much when they are looked at, but when they are TASTED, well THAT is where the huge difference is found.
Where taste is concerned, the Natural will be lighter, but not necessarily lighter bodied. The maduro will have more strength to it, usually fuller bodied, but again, not necessarily. Body strength, is usually a property of filler blend, and binder. The wrapper rounds out the flavor and gives it a stronger base. Beware ye who think the lighter wrapper will have less body and strength(some call this power). Check the reviews and note what the shop says if online and act accordingly. Some of you know the body strength of a great ciagr, others, well, you will turn green, forehead will sweat, adn you will feel like warmed over shit and you will learn

Very nice explanation, thank you! I am finally getting to the point where I can sit down and fully enjoy a nice, strong cigar without fighting the nicotine the whole time. The 40 year is supposed to be very strong, as is the Opus X, and neither of them bothered me in the least (though I did feel it a bit.)

In any case, like you, I really prefer a maduro. Tonight I smoked a Tatuaje Cojonu 2012 Sumatra, and didn't much enjoy it. I didn't prefer the last sumatra I smoked either. Something about the flavor profile just doesn't jive with my taste, this one tasted similar to the La Flor De La Antilles I smoked a few weeks back. A well constructed cigar, just not my thing.

Rjacobs- glad to hear that Joe got the cigars. I hope he's enjoying them!

 

[bm11]

Tonight I smoked a Fuente Anejo #77 Shark. A really cool smoke! The prelight draw, to me, was all chocolate.


As it progressed, I got a lot of coffee and the cognac aging definitely was prominent in this stick. The body progressed from medium to medium/full, and I really enjoyed this. Would I like it at the $35 a stick it retails for online? Hell no! Special edition Padron's blow this away (the Family Reserve No. 45 comes to mind.) However, at the price I paid ($13 a stick,) I think that it's great! At it's heart, it tasted like a Fuente, but much more refined than the standard line, and very very smooth smoke. Overall, a very enjoyable stick.

One thing of note: the ash held on FOREVER!

 

[rjacobs]

WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT....

Do I see PLASTIC Adirondack chairs in these pictures of yours?

What kind of Mainer are you?

Smoking expensive cigars whilst sitting in a chair worth LESS than your cigar is a sin.

I do like your GIGANTIC round ash tray though. Going to take you a decade to fill that up.


Im in Alaska right now with my folks and havent had a cigar in 5 days. KILLING ME. But the view out of the bus is pretty awesome every morning.

 

[bm11]

Ha, I know! I SHOULD get some real ones. They don't last more than a couple of years and are pricy, but they are definitely nicer than the Wal-Mart specials.

Why didn't you bring a travel humidor?

 

[Switchblade]

I'm in Alaska right now with my folks and haven't had a cigar in 5 days. KILLING ME.

A guy who is serious about cigars enough to be missing them after only five days didn't pack any?

If I had more motivation, I would probably go downstairs into my storage closet, remove every dang rubbermaid box to get to the tough box at the rear most bottom position just to get a 5ct cigar caddy to make sure you learned form this, but damn, Panty 6 has 10 such boxes packed with stuff on top of, and in front of it...that's WORK!

Something tells me you know better too, and have the ability to not do it again in the future.

Aw damn, I just went to look for my travel stuff...it's in that damn box too! Ah well, guess today is going to be fun!

Why didn't you bring a travel humidor?

I had a pretty nice smile from this too!

 

[rjacobs]

Why didn't you bring a travel humidor?

A guy who is serious about cigars enough to be missing them after only five days didn't pack any?

If I had more motivation, I would probably go downstairs into my storage closet, remove every dang rubbermaid box to get to the tough box at the rear most bottom position just to get a 5ct cigar caddy to make sure you learned form this, but damn, Panty 6 has 10 such boxes packed with stuff on top of, and in front of it...that's WORK!

Something tells me you know better too, and have the ability to not do it again in the future.

Aw damn, I just went to look for my travel stuff...it's in that damn box too! Ah well, guess today is going to be fun!

Im with my parents, they dont know I smoke cigars as much as I do. They would probably kill me if they found out, well my old man would. My mom, probably not so much. My grandpa(dad's dad) smoked 2-3 packs a day and died of lung cancer before I was born. My dad hates smoking and tobacco of any kind. I have a travel humidor(I travel for a living, are you kidding me, not have a travel humidor, no way, that thing comes with me weekly on the road). It was a conscious decision not to bring it. But my parents traveling partner told me yesterday I should have brought em. He's been smoking an electronic cigarette and says he hates it and would kill for a good cigar after 3 months away from home.

 

[bm11]

Another Padron '64 Exclusivo Maduro tonight. This one tasted a bit different. Sweeter than the other ones. I liked it, but have liked the others I have had better. Odd, as they have all been out of the same box.

 

[Switchblade]

But my parents traveling partner told me yesterday I should have brought em. He's been smoking an electronic cigarette and says he hates it and would kill for a good cigar after 3 months away from home.

Always bring them along. You just have to keep the humidor in the car or in your bag if it is not acceptable to leave out on the bedside. My grandfather smoked Camel Cowboy Killers for years, as did I. He quit in favor of White Owl, American Market Robusto's (candela's for you who do not know JFK's favorite smoke that was a 1200ct purchase before he enacted his embargo on Cuba) and as he sat in hospital before his death, smoked a Punch a day for his last 20 days after having multiple heart issues in 1977. Granny never minded me smoking, actually LIKED me having a camel in the house where grampa sat. Pop just gave me 'the looks', and Mom hated it. Panty 6 was the big motivator for me quitting Camel's but that only worked for about three to four years before I would relapse and go back for two or three months at a time...still been well over 4 years this time, adn fortunately there is no money for those tasty little Cowboy Killers. If I stick with a good maduro, I'm usually fine. If it's with friends, even more so!

This one tasted a bit different...Odd, as they have all been out of the same box.

This is due to the fact that the cigars are rolled, then box pressed in amounts larger than a typical box. What you are experiencing is a lot for box pressing that had more than one wrapper lot assigned to it. Could be the roller ran out at the 20 mark, or even the last part of the press shelf, and grabbed wrapper from his neighbor's lot.

On manufacture of cigars specific to very upscale brand fronts(such as Padron's Anniversary series and 80 Years)

These cigars are usually, USUALLY, manufactured by a single or a very small team of only the highest experienced rollers. They are each given a lot of filler, binder, and wrapper leaves. If one of them runs out of say a wrapper, or a binder, they simply look to the left or right to get what they need to finish out a box or a press shelf. This is where the very slight inconsistency will come from when smoking a single lot of upscale cigars. This is a small problem no manufacturer has been able to overcome. They do trust each roller with their top line cigars. They also trust that they will do the right thing. They ALL agree though, that when it comes to two people rolling your top shelf cigar, that if one runs out of a binder or wrapper, the other will provide. This is the only thing that will usually cause a LOT variance.
When considering the lot variance, it is also an issue of the bundle the wrapper came from. Outer leaves will be different from inner leaves, not a lot, but ever so slightly in sweetness, or just some random highlight.


Dang, for the last few days I have been seeing more and more on those damnable American Market Cigars. The Candela wrapper was born in Cuba for the weak Americano palate. It was a ugly green wrapper no self respecting Cuban would have anything to do with. It is the mildest of wrappers, it lacks power, body, and has the minutest amounts of highlight tastes in it. It does offer creaminess, and smoothness. If you insist in smoking these, and still desire a medium to fuller bodied cigar, try these:

http://www.laflordominicana.com/wp_temp/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/claro2.jpg The strongest of the candela's

If you are an amateur still trying new stuff, try this one out of the bunch, it will be better than any others:

Camacho Candela - Cigars International[Bx/25]&utm_campaign=Camacho%20Candela&gdftrk=gdfV25743_a_7c2192_a_7c8270_a_7cCB_d_K7A5050_d_C_d_25


I will never recommend the Candela wrapped cigars to anyone because I simply do not like them, and they are far too mild, even for most beginners. BUT, the two aforementioned are the best examples of the Candela if you must go there.

 

[EventHorizon]

In South Beach, Miami and enjoyed this Davidoff Puro Delicioso. It was very nice, earthy, nutty and a decent spice kick at the foot. Became mellow to mild early and was a mild bodied smoke. Went well with the Chilli-Passion Martini.

Loving South Beach...

 

[EventHorizon]

BM - first your crotch and now a dogs arse... You are defining extreme cigar photography...

 

[enigmamdw]

Spoils of a long deployment.

 

[enigmamdw]

...and the pic.

 

[bm11]

It's an English Bulldog ass, and a mighty fine one at that!

That Davidoff looks tasty, I really enjoyed the one I had.

Switch, as always, I enjoy learning from you the finer points of cigars and manufacturing.

 

[Switchblade]

Went well with the Chilli-Passion Martini.

Loving South Beach...

Sour, my friend, Chili Passion Sour. Yes, you know where this is going...

Martini is simply a slight damping of the shaker with a little Vermouth, and the addition of say a nice pour of Broker's Gin, shaken til ice cold, then poured over a spear of bleu cheese stuffed olives or a twist of lime. All else that is not Gin, and yes, Vodka too, is not a Martini. That appley, grapey, fruity stuff is a simple sour

 

[bm11]

Hey, lets recap the Cuban list real quick! I'm headed to Quebec City for the weekend and I'm going to smoke as many Cubans as I can while I'm there.

So far the list is as follows:
Montecristo #2
Partagas Serie P. No 2 (or maybe Serie D No. 4.)
Cohiba Siglo VI
Cohiba Behike BHK 52
I know Bolivar made the list but what vitola? Anything else?

 

[Graham]

Bolivar Corona. The Petit Corona is also very good.

In that size range, if you can find it, the Cohiba Exquisito.

Edited to add: The Cuban Romeo y Julieta and Partagas Coronas are not to be missed either, when available.

 

[bm11]

Within the next day or two I'll get my tasting notes up from this weekend. For now, I'll post up a pic of one of my receipts.

 

[rjacobs]

$85 bucks for a stogie, better have been DAMN GOOD. Those drinks are CHEAP for Canada. I paid $9 for a Stella one night in Montreal.

I paid $90 for an Opus at Casa Fuente in Vegas, but I figured at least half of that was Vegas tax. I paid $33 for the Montecristo #2 Habano I had in Ottawa a few months ago.

 

[30calDeath]

Last week I smoked a Kristoff Ligero...I liked it but I drank it with a few glasses of red wine and I think that was a major mistake. About 45 minutes after I finished the cigar I felt like death. I wont be making that mistake again!

 

[bm11]

$85 bucks for a stogie, better have been DAMN GOOD. Those drinks are CHEAP for Canada. I paid $9 for a Stella one night in Montreal.

I paid $90 for an Opus at Casa Fuente in Vegas, but I figured at least half of that was Vegas tax. I paid $33 for the Montecristo #2 Habano I had in Ottawa a few months ago.

Yeah the price makes it tough to recommend Quebec to a cigar aficianado looking to try some cubans. Societe Cigar was the most expensive place in the city, but the only humidor I saw that it actually looked like they gave a shit about the condition of the cigars. I had some real bad cigars at real high prices, I'll get into that in a bit.

The Monte #2 I smoked at Societe was $55 plus sales tax (about 15%) so about double what you paid in Ottowa. Still, I felt better about paying $63 for a Monte Cristo than I felt paying $30 for a Partagas that cracked and revealed a moldy binder, or $28 for a tiny Cohiba Siglo I that straight up wouldn't draw.

 

[bm11]

Last week I smoked a Kristoff Ligero...I liked it but I drank it with a few glasses of red wine and I think that was a major mistake. About 45 minutes after I finished the cigar I felt like death. I wont be making that mistake again!

Yeah I find, especially with strong cigars, I need to keep my drinking in check because the two can be a BAD combo.

 

[rjacobs]

If you ever make it to Ottawa(I highly recommend the city) the two places I have gotten cigars have been:
Globe Mags, Cigar and Shisha on Williams St.

and

Ottawa Cigar Emporium on Clarence St.

That whole area of town is where all the bars and restaurants are and its a really cool place.

I have had good experiences at both places, but Globe seems to be slightly cheaper, but its more less a convenience store type of place that has a pretty good cigar selection. Usually the guy working doesnt know his ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to cigars so know what you want before going in there. Also some of their cigars to me looked a bit questionable as far as quality so make your selection wisely. Cigar Emporium is WAY better in that its a cigar shop, but the prices are a little bit higher. Their quality is a better too.

 

[Switchblade]

Hey, lets recap the Cuban list real quick! I'm headed to Quebec City for the weekend and I'm going to smoke as many Cubans as I can while I'm there.

So far the list is as follows:
Montecristo #2
Partagas Serie P. No 2 (or maybe Serie D No. 4.)

I know Bolivar made the list but what vitola? Anything else?

Bolivar Corona Extra. It's a 5.35 x 44. The only other size that I would recommend was discontinued, and I smoked one last year from 2009. The Immenso is 7 x 47, and will definately take every bit of an hour + to enjoy, as smoking it in less than an hour may well turn your skin a nice shade of green. I am staying with the less than 50 ring sizes because what you are looking for is BALANCE in trying a different cigar. The balance between filler, binder, adn wrapper is best exemplified by the Petite Corona diameter of 43 - 46 ring. The 47 to 50 ring for the Rothschild or Robusto(neither of which Bolivar makes), does slightly overbalance on filler vs wrapper. ps I still do not like Cohiba's of any shape or form and would only smoke one of their newer maduro wrapped cigars with a twisted arm

 

[bm11]

Hey, lets recap the Cuban list real quick! I'm headed to Quebec City for the weekend and I'm going to smoke as many Cubans as I can while I'm there.

So far the list is as follows:
Montecristo #2
Partagas Serie P. No 2 (or maybe Serie D No. 4.)
Cohiba Siglo VI
Cohiba Behike BHK 52
I know Bolivar made the list but what vitola? Anything else?

What I ended up smoking, in order:
Montecristo #2
Cohiba Siglo I
Bolivar Petit Corona
Cohiba Siglo IV
Partagas Serie P No. 2
Cohiba Siglo I
Cohiba Siglo V

 

[Switchblade]

OK, so you smoked the Cuban cigars. How about a description of taste notes for those who are less fortunate?(I can give a pretty good description on my favorites, but I'll leave this to you) YOU GOT THIS!
The way I see it, you owe descriptions for:

Montecristo #2

Cohiba Siglo I

Bolivar Petit Corona

Cohiba Siglo IV

Partagas Serie P No. 2

Cohiba Siglo V


Me, I just want to see what you have learned

 

[backyardsniper]

tag for future education

 

[bm11]

OK, tasting notes (for Switch and all others)

First, the wife and I stayed at the Chateau Frontenac, here is the view of the St. Lawrence river from the room:
http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss100/bm11_2009/20130810_110702_zpsdbfc83b6.jpg

We had a great time, enjoyed a lot of great food, drink, and cigars. In order, here are my tasting notes:

1: Montecristo No. 2:

Overall, a smooth, creamy smoke. Having never smoked a Cuban (since being "into" cigars,) it immediately struck me how white the ash was. The contrast between the white and the black of the ash was beautiful. The draw was a bit too tight, and there wasn't enough smoke production. It went out with 1/3 remaining, and I needed to clip the foot up further to get it going again. Off and on, I was getting hints of mint throughout the whole smoke. Overall, I would say this was an enjoyable, milder smoke.

2: Cohiba Siglo I
http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss100/bm11_2009/20130810_152258_zps69800ec6.jpg
I smoked this in the park while my wife was in the art district, buying some paintings. The flavor was much bolder that the Montecristo, but with a similar base flavor I can only describe as "Cuban," the same way Nicaraguan cigars taste very "Nicaraguan" to me. Very smooth, and I did notice a more pronounced "sour" flavor that was present in the Montecristo. I enjoyed the flavor of this cigar immensely, and was sad when it was finished.

3: Bolivar Petite Corona (I think this was the size.)

Similar in flavor to the Cohiba, but much more "in your face." At times, it was a little "harsher" but a super enjoyable smoke nonetheless. A similar "sour" flavor to the Cohiba, but stronger. The storage quality was a bit suspect on this cigar (purchased at Tabac Tremblay,) I saw some green spots that may have been mold on the wrapper that wouldn't rub off.

4: Cohiba Siglo IV

I smoked this the second night at Societe Cigar. This was the best cigar of the trip IMO. The flavor was like that of the Siglo I, but much longer lasting. The burn was perfect and the cigar was immensely enjoyable.

5: Partagas Serie P No. 2

This cigar was bought as a tubo and when I pulled it out, there were some cracks that were not present in the shop the day before. These immediately proved to be an issue with the burn, getting bad enough that I clipped off the foot, and started over. Unfortunately, the burn got real bad in a hurry again and I ended up pitching it. While wrestling with the burn I noted that the flavor was still "cuban" but more like toast than the other ciguars.

6: Siglo 1 (another.) I had a bit of time to kill so I bought a Cohiba Siglo I at JE Guigere. This cigar was defective, the draw was way too tight and I tried to return it but they wouldn't, even though it had only been 5 minutes, because "we don't guarantee cigars." I can't consider JE Guigere to be a reputable tobacconist at this point.

7: Cohiba Siglo V, last cigar of the trip:

After two bad cigars in a row, I bought a Siglo V at Societe Cigare, needed a "sure thing" after two bad cigars in a row. This cigar was still good, but not as good as the Siglo IV. Same basic flavor but more mild and less smoke production than the Siglo IV. Again, a "sour" cuban cigar taste.

Overall, very enjoyable experience. You'll notice other than a few small notes, I didn't list a lot of the flavors that I get in other cigars, like "earth" or "coffee." That is because nothing jumped out at me other than "this tastes distinctly different than non cuban cigars." I'd probably need more time to pull out the flavors, and a palate more tuned in to the suble nuances. The best analogy I can give would be to that of bourbon vs scotch. Scotch is complex and flavorful (cuban) but good non cubans are complex, flavorful, and STRONG, so that when you get used to stronger, more pronounced flavors, all you get when smoking a cuban is "this is a nice, refined cigar, without any strong flavors popping out."

Hope you enjoyed the read!

-BM

 

[Switchblade]

The problem with Cuban cigars leads right back to aging, and manufacturing. The tobacco's are not getting the age they really need leaving a bitter sourness to the leaf in the filler. This is also the problem with the construction when a cigar does not burn proper due to being rolled too tight(MANY current Cuban's are), too loosely, or just not rolled correctly.

A good Monte Cristo should have the following notes:

Light leather, a slight sweetness, nutmeg, vanilla, heavy creaminess, and a nice even toasty finish with slight cedar

Your Partagas:

Nice dark notes of coffee, a little earth, leather, and a darker toasty finish

Bolivar:

mild sweetness, leather, coffee, slight cocoa, slight spice(nutmeg, allspice), with a long toasty finish

Cohiba's:
Note my bias here, I do not hide it.
Grassy, way too much cedar, a nondescript sourness, bitter as all get out, and just not good(I have yet to smoke one that will tell me different, which is why I do not like them)

Of the above listed, walking up onto a burning Monte Cristo, one should smell a creamy vanilla scent with a little nutmeg in the air. They are a pleasure to be around, and definitely not grampa's stinky dime store cigar.

I have a nice Monte Cristo I shall smoke the first free weekend after school strarts. If I think to do so, I'll try to remember to take photos, but I am usually on teh phone BSing with my favorite smoking fiend up north

 

[bm11]

The problem with Cuban cigars leads right back to aging, and manufacturing. The tobacco's are not getting the age they really need leaving a bitter sourness to the leaf in the filler. This is also the problem with the construction when a cigar does not burn proper due to being rolled too tight(MANY current Cuban's are), too loosely, or just not rolled correctly.

A good Monte Cristo should have the following notes:

Light leather, a slight sweetness, nutmeg, vanilla, heavy creaminess, and a nice even toasty finish with slight cedar

Your Partagas:

Nice dark notes of coffee, a little earth, leather, and a darker toasty finish

Bolivar:

mild sweetness, leather, coffee, slight cocoa, slight spice(nutmeg, allspice), with a long toasty finish

Cohiba's:
Note my bias here, I do not hide it.
Grassy, way too much cedar, a nondescript sourness, bitter as all get out, and just not good(I have yet to smoke one that will tell me different, which is why I do not like them)

Of the above listed, walking up onto a burning Monte Cristo, one should smell a creamy vanilla scent with a little nutmeg in the air. They are a pleasure to be around, and definitely not grampa's stinky dime store cigar.

I have a nice Monte Cristo I shall smoke the first free weekend after school strarts. If I think to do so, I'll try to remember to take photos, but I am usually on teh phone BSing with my favorite smoking fiend up north

Cool, I'll referance these notes next time I have the pleasure of smoking one of these again. When I have a cheat sheet to go off I habe an easier tike picking out flavors, though I try hard not to bullshit myself and only note flavors I really taste and not those that I "should."

 

[EventHorizon]

By coincidence I'm in Montreal...

Last night I had my first Cohiba Siglo VI ( a gift thankfully...) and it was very very good. A good, pronounced spice pretty much all the way through, a great buzz, with solid earthy, refined tobacco flavour and smell. The ash is a really ragged looking affair with colours of dark grey and black along with the lighter ash. Interesting to compare to a Padron - I enjoyed the the Siglo more to be honest, but I can tell the Padron (either #2 or #9) is a better made cigar. It's like comparing a top of the line Porsche (Padron) to an Aston Martin (before they really got their shit together). The Porsche is a better made, engineered car but you'd always want the Aston even with the quirks...

One thing I will say, the Siglo I had had been aged for a couple years. It wasn't an out of the box one and everything I've read suggests the majority of Cubans need some humidor time whereas the Padron are aged before you get them.

Montecristo #2: Perhaps I should reserve judgement because the place I got this from had their humidor very humid. Frankly it sucked. Very tight, had to triple puff to get a decent draw and smoke (but when I did, the flavour was good and creamy, a mellow profile). It went out it not frequently tended and I'm hoping this much lauded cigar was a victim of poor storage than an accurate example of the line.

 

[KATLarsen]

Would appreciate some bird dogging on this. Three or so years back a couple of my friends went to a smoking lounge and brought back a couple cigars. One that I particularly enjoyed was an oil black, box pressed Maduro on the sweet side. If anyone has any idea what this superb smoke might have been, I'd be much obliged.

 

[Switchblade]

KAT, you just described several Oscuro and Maduro cigars. What, sir, may I ask did the label look like?
What does come immediately to mind is the Blue or Green 601. These are however, not too sweet, and are a nice lovely box pressed, full bodied, rich, cigar.
The Sancho Panza Double Maduro is on the sweeter side and for a less pricey cigar, quite good. They also present a very nice vanilla mocha scent when walked up on.
The only other one that comes to mind is a very inexpensive CI stick, the Nestor Oscuro which is a fairly sweet box press, but usually not found in a lounge.





On ASH COLOR:

Ash color tells only about the soil the leaf was grown in. This is influenced by what additive nutrients the grower puts into the soil. The color of the ash is directly related to one particular nutrient, magnesium. The more magnesium, the lighter the ash is. Anyone tells you they can say it comes from Nicaragua, Cuba, or Panama, based on ash color is bullshitting you. It is nothing more than the burned Chemical, Mg, Magnesium.




On Rh, or what you call Humidity in a cigar:

A cigar pulled right from a STORAGE humidor at 65%Rh - 75%Rh will pull hard, go out, and probably burn only half way before it turns to bitter crap from too much acidification of left over internal smoke and resin. A cigar needs to be properly 'conditioned' to about 58%Rh for perfect smoking. I know this doesn't really work for out and about, but it does work fine at home


On SMOKE:

So you know what the cigar weighs. You feel it's heaviness in hand as you roll it betwixt your fingers. You see the nub at the end and an ashtray full of ash. So how much does the smoke weigh?
Weigh the cigar before it is lit.(1)
Weight the Ash, and the nub.(2)
1 - 2 = The Weight of Smoke

 

[royboy]

Great thread, thank you.
I have been smoking cigars for some 20 plus years, these are my thoughts.
I have done the Cuban cigar phase and found if you can find a real one they can be hit or miss. When you find a great one like a Partagas series D stay with it.
When the cigar boom hit what a disaster!!! This was a big turn off, high prices, tons of crap new brands and unaged cigars. I think they are still getting rid of the junk. Today, life is much better. There are some outstanding new brands and blend but the prices are killing me. I have gone for bang for the buck.
Cigar International their line of name brands 2nds is where I have gone. I really like the super premium 2nds madero Rothchild 25 for $40
I also like J.R Cigars J.R. Ultimates they are a solid dependable med/full smoke all for less than 4 bucks a stick. I like the cabinet no. 20.
Cigars are real personal thing to each there own. Try everything you can and enjoy,By the way a good Islay scotch and cigar = heaven.

 

[Switchblade]

Royboy,
Life is far too short to smoke mediocre cigars, even when sampling. I and my fellow fiend have smoked darn near every new cigar brought to market in the last three or so years. Between the two of us, we have tossed some damn mediocre cigars into the field. If I had to smoke a lower cost cigar because I smoked every day, I would have to go with the following:

$2 - $4 a stick, or about $40 - $80 a box(20)

Diesel
Gurkha Vintage 1999
Xicar HC Series Maduro
Indian Tabac Maduro
La Gloria Cubana Serie N, R
Leon Jimenez Imperial Maduro
Punch
Sancho Panza Double Maduro
Victor Sinclais Bhemian Black Oscuro

These are my picks based on what I have smoked, and what I have walked up on. I am currently awaiting La Gloria Cubana Seroes N, and R to try, but I have smoked all the opthers and found them to be quite good for their price point

As to a nice Islay, I do like my Islays, but each cigar goes well with either bourbon, Scotch, Tequila, Rum, or other. It all comes down to how the cigar is cured and it's overall tastes. I would really hesitate to smoke an Essencia or Joya de Nicaragua Antano 1970 with their heavy spices with a Scotch. They would not mix well. A good bourbon, or a nice Rum with their sugars would go very well, as would a nice Cognac. That Punch, or Diesel though, all day long a nice Scotch. With the Gurkha Vintage, I would go with my '92 Port Finish Speyside Craggenmore


damn, now that I have started...

$4 - $6 a stick:

Joya de Nicaragua Anteno 1970
Torano Casa Torano and Master Maduro
La Flor Dominicana L/DL Series Maduro/Oscuro
601 Oscuro/Maduro
Oliva Cain
Punch Deluxe Maduro

$6 - $10

Ashton Aged Maduro
Ghurkha Beauty/Titan/Warlord/Ghengis Khan/Black Dragon/Vintage Shaggy/Beast/Legend Vintage 2001/
La Flor Dominicana Gran Maduro
Man O War
Essencia


$11 - $50

Diamond Crown Maximus
La Aurora Preferidos
Liga Privada
La Flor Dominicana Special Editions
Camacho Triple Maduro
Padron Anniversary Series


Now mind you, these are not my list of top ten, if I could only choose ten...those have been listed already. These are solid picks for price point that is what anyone would find online


damn, all this thinking about, and looking at cigars has me thinking about the deck, a nice stick to burn, and a pour of something tasty to go wiht it!

 

[bm11]

A couple quick notes from the recent smokes:

Thursday 8/15/13- Rocky Patel 1990 Toro Tubo. I used to love this cigar, but I guess my tastes have changed. It just didn't do it for me. Some nice flavors at some points but an overall bitter taste that wouldn't quit, making me glad I didn't buy a box back when I thought that was a good idea.

Friday 8/16/13- Rocky Patel Edge Maduro Torpedo. A much better cigar than the 1990. Richer, full bodied smoke with a much nicer flavor of coffee and chocolate. A number of construction issues plagued this cigar, taking away from an otherwise enjoyable smoke.

Saturday 8/17/13- Diesel Unholy Cocktail. Wow. This was actually a FANTASTIC smoke. It didn't taste cheap at all. I expected it to he not as good as the first one I had smoked (that one having a couple years of age on it,) but if anything it was better. A very rich flavor profile similar to the Edge with a lot of coffee and chocolate, but deeper and better, and with absolutely zero construction issues to worry about. I loved this cigar, and am happy I bought a box of 30.

Sunday 8/18/13- CAO La Traviata Divino. A well constructed full bodied cigar, with lots of spice throughout. I didn't enjoy it though. The flavor was similar to the My Father Flor De La Antilles, with a sweet smoke that reminds me of marshmallow but makes be a bit sick to my stomach (like eating too much pecan pie.) This one is not for me.

 

[30calDeath]

For my upcoming Virginia City trip I decided to order some smokes from Famous Smoke as opposed to buying for 2x+ the amount from my local cigar shop. I wanted to try a few new smokes and since I am still a rookie smoker I decided to order some singles to see what I like. I ordered 4 cigars total, Ill smoke 1 before my trip and one each night that I will be in VC. This is what I ordered
Davidoff Millennium Blend: Davidoff Millennium Piramides 1ct
Kristoff Ligero Maduro : Kristoff Ligero Robusto 2ct
Padron Serie 1926 : Padron Serie 1926 #6 1ct
I tried to order some different Padron singles but they didnt sell a lot in single form so I decided to go with what they sold and one that had a high rating.
I hope I did well. I didnt want to spend a ton of $ since I said I was a rookie smoker so this is what I came up with.

 

[bm11]

For my upcoming Virginia City trip I decided to order some smokes from Famous Smoke as opposed to buying for 2x+ the amount from my local cigar shop. I wanted to try a few new smokes and since I am still a rookie smoker I decided to order some singles to see what I like. I ordered 4 cigars total, Ill smoke 1 before my trip and one each night that I will be in VC. This is what I ordered
Davidoff Millennium Blend: Davidoff Millennium Piramides 1ct
Kristoff Ligero Maduro : Kristoff Ligero Robusto 2ct
Padron Serie 1926 : Padron Serie 1926 #6 1ct
I tried to order some different Padron singles but they didnt sell a lot in single form so I decided to go with what they sold and one that had a high rating.
I hope I did well. I didnt want to spend a ton of $ since I said I was a rookie smoker so this is what I came up with.

From my experiences, those are all excellent smokes. Congrats!

 

[bohem]

wow, the cigar prices in Canada are stunning.

I just scored a box of the Camacho 10th Anniv. Torpedo's on special, normally about $11/stick in the US and I got the entire box of 21 for $84 delivered. I'm more than pleased with them. EH and I stumbled across them in a Camacho sampler and I've been trying to locate a whole box for a couple of months now, very smooth, rich smoke, medium to full flavored. The build quality is excellent, the flavor is consistent with a creamy smooth flavor overlaid with spice, I'm looking forward to another one.

 

[bm11]

For my upcoming Virginia City trip I decided to order some smokes from Famous Smoke as opposed to buying for 2x+ the amount from my local cigar shop. I wanted to try a few new smokes and since I am still a rookie smoker I decided to order some singles to see what I like. I ordered 4 cigars total, Ill smoke 1 before my trip and one each night that I will be in VC. This is what I ordered
Davidoff Millennium Blend: Davidoff Millennium Piramides 1ct
Kristoff Ligero Maduro : Kristoff Ligero Robusto 2ct
Padron Serie 1926 : Padron Serie 1926 #6 1ct
I tried to order some different Padron singles but they didnt sell a lot in single form so I decided to go with what they sold and one that had a high rating.
I hope I did well. I didnt want to spend a ton of $ since I said I was a rookie smoker so this is what I came up with.

From my experiences, those are all excellent smokes. Congrats!

I've actually been craving a Davidoff Millenium myself.

 

[bm11]

Monday 8/19- Smoked a Brickhouse Maduro. I liked this much better than the regular Brickhouse! Construction was excellent and had a really nice, sweet maduro flavor. I would definitely smoke this one again.

Wednesday 8/21- Smoked a Padron 1964 Exclusivo (Maduro.) I have had a number of these at this point and they continue to impress. Full of great chocolate and coco bean flavors, in the perfect size for a one hour smoke. Every one has tasted great right up until the nub is too small to hold.

Thursday 8/22- First cigar of the day was a Camacho Triple Maduro, Robusto. Very sweet, strong maduro flavor. Reminded me of the Kristoff Maduro I smoked. The draw was damn firm, but it didn't have any other construction issues. I enjoyed this one enough that for $10, I'd have another.

Second cigar of the day was a fresh purchase- a Padron 1964 Imperial Maduro. Being that I love the Exclusivo and Torpedo both in the 64 Maduro line, I jumped at the chance yesterday to try a different size when I found it for sale. Well, it was a disappointment. Nothing at all wrong with the construction of the cigar, and it put off a ton of smoke, and the smoke didn't taste bad at all. However, it was completely lacking the full, rich, deeply complex flavor I am used to from this line. It never developed. A much milder, smooth flavor than I am used to, it just didn't deliver at all what I was hoping for.

 

[Switchblade]

30cal, full belly before any of those. The Davidoff will gain strength as it burns. The Kristoff is smooth but holds a full body and power that will make some rookies get a little green.
The Padron will do you the same way, but more so. It holds a velvety smooth richness that gains in power throughout. A bourbon or rum will hold up to all of those, as will the other fine libations. I would counsel you to choose your drink over ice, but with a residual sugar to assist the body in allowing all that strong nicotine to absorb without wasting good food to the ground

 

[30calDeath]

30cal, full belly before any of those. The Davidoff will gain strength as it burns. The Kristoff is smooth but holds a full body and power that will make some rookies get a little green.
The Padron will do you the same way, but more so. It holds a velvety smooth richness that gains in power throughout. A bourbon or rum will hold up to all of those, as will the other fine libations. I would counsel you to choose your drink over ice, but with a residual sugar to assist the body in allowing all that strong nicotine to absorb without wasting good food to the ground

Last cigar I smoked was a Kristoff Ligero a few weeks ago. It was powerful I believe in the nicotine sense, I did like always smoke on a full stomach but I screwed up and smoked with a few glasses of red wine...rookie mistake! I felt good till about 45 minutes after I finished then I felt like death. I will also enjoy these nice smokes again after a nice meal out. I am excited to smoke these. I think I will get some sort of humidor in the future so I can buy more than singles, just dont want to buy more than one of the same cigar and have it go to waste by not smoking it in time.

 

[nfhjr62]

Do what i did when i went on our anniversary cruise signed on to Cigar Aficionado web sight found what were the realty GOOD cigars to get, found a cigar store in Aruba and sent several boxes home by UPS they got home before i did and my father was enjoying a very good smoke when he picked us up at the airport.

 

[Switchblade]

Humidors:
Those nice wooden boxes that sooner or later one must buy to cater to the habit of the fermented leaf. Most usually look and say,"Oh, I don;t get that many cigars, only 20 or so to a box, I'll get this 50ct/100ct box" BIG MISTAKE
I will caution anyone entering into this who is serious about buying and holding a nice collection to not buy anything smaller than a 200ct box. Use your Bing Fu to search out the aspects of what is known as 'The Treasure Dome' humidor. Yes, it is large. Yes, it will hold a lot of cigars. That is not the real why though. Construction. This box is made right. It has a raised floor, and offset sides so that air circulates inside the box. This lets your cigars not contact the bottom(this means you have to open it up, and rotate stock monthly).
You 'LIKE' this box. For the budget, it is THE BEST. Sure, if you have money, you can buy a mahogany box for $650+ to store your puros long term, but a box better suited to holding your stash is not found with the same construction. They are simple boxes.

Polymer static media Humistat:
This is clear to cloudy crystal media that sucks up Distilled Water:20% Propylene Glycol mix. It holds the median Rh of 65% - 73% all day as long as it's between 60*F and 80*F

Digital Hygrometer:
You want this. You NEED this. We shoot, therefore we are about precise accuracy. Digital Hygrometer. Nuff Said.

Where to Buy it? Call Mike at Tampa Humidor. Tell him that guy from the old Distorted sent you. Why? Because he supports Vets and Active Service. Nuff Said

 

[30calDeath]

what is known as 'The Treasure Dome' humidor. Yes, it is large. Yes, it will hold a lot of cigars.

Where to Buy it? Call Mike at Tampa Humidor. Tell him that guy from the old Distorted sent you. Why? Because he supports Vets and Active Service. Nuff Said

I just started a 2nd p/t job doing remodels with a guy I know. As soon as I get some hours under my belt with him I am going to buy this humidor and start buying in bigger quantities. This way I can smoke more often. Thanks for the info!

 

[Switchblade]

... I am going to buy this humidor and start buying in bigger quantities. This way I can smoke more often...

When you start to buy, look for 5ct packages of the same cigar first. When you get your 5pk, set it inside your humidor for two weeks. Smoke one. Wait a month. Smoke another one. If it is that good, save one for 6 months then smoke it to really tell how good it is. BUT, if after the second smoke, you find it mediocre, or the same as something else that is better, set it aside. Buy a smaller sized box. These are what you offer fiends, and fiends of fiends who stop by. When you have sampled all there is to sample(remember that list way up above that RJW mentioned, and I added to? BTDT, we have done it for you There hasn't been a decently high rated cigar we haven't tried from 2012, what we refer to as the 'Year of Mediocre Cigars'. There were really no noteworthy cigars to come out last year. This year, well, so far, nothing noteworthy. The La Gloria Cubana Sere R, and Serie N, were probably understated, as well as under rated from last year. Good smokes, a cut above mediocre so far, but they still need to condition a bit to really sample so the flavors really come out...do not smoke this one with high octane barrel proof. It will not stand up to barrel proof. It WILL, however, stand nicely with barreled in bond, and lower.