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Cigar smokers?

S stickmanMember
quote:
Originally posted by haggis:
quote:
Originally posted by mdsphoto:
quote:
Originally posted by g-man:
or better question is there any davidoff's worth smoking this year?

store just opened @ my work place


Never been a huge Davidoff fan, but I do like the Nicaragua puro. Interested to try the fairly new Escurio.


I am very curious about the Especiales <<7>> Robusto Real, which they give 99pts (!!)...

I have smoked a lot of Davidoff, but never one that I would put in that stratosphere. I have had only one Cuban, for that matter, that would rank that high.

Eek 99pts! The same stick I believe Cigar Aficionado (again a big grain of salt) gave 87?! I gotta' say: you've piqued my interest, if for no other reason than to see what would cause such a discrepancy of opinion.
haggishaggisMember
quote:
Originally posted by stickman:
quote:
Originally posted by haggis:
quote:
Originally posted by mdsphoto:
quote:
Originally posted by g-man:
or better question is there any davidoff's worth smoking this year?

store just opened @ my work place


Never been a huge Davidoff fan, but I do like the Nicaragua puro. Interested to try the fairly new Escurio.


I am very curious about the Especiales <<7>> Robusto Real, which they give 99pts (!!)...

I have smoked a lot of Davidoff, but never one that I would put in that stratosphere. I have had only one Cuban, for that matter, that would rank that high.

Eek 99pts! The same stick I believe Cigar Aficionado (again a big grain of salt) gave 87?! I gotta' say: you've piqued my interest, if for no other reason than to see what would cause such a discrepancy of opinion.


Yes, huge disparity! It was Charlie Minato, I think, who reviewed it for HW.
mdsphotomdsphotoMember
I'm not sure if this will be of interest here since many smoke more CCs than NCs, but this is a piece I did for a novice cigar community.

I've been getting deluged with Top Cigar lists for 2015 and when I read them I wonder what the hell these people are smoking. Clearly cigars are a very subjective topic, but these lists are all over the place. Some of the magazines/blogs are clearly kowtowing to their advertisers/sponsors and some make some very valid selections.

So how is a novice cigar smoker supposed to make sense of all these lists. Well, obviously taste is subjective so its hard to take one reviewers opinion as gospel. So I decided to look at a number of top cigar lists and mapped out the cigars that appeared on at least 3 or more lists, yes I am a cigar geek.

I looked at the lists of 4 magazines and 6 very well known cigar blogs and compared and contrasted their top cigars. Of the 10, only 2 recognized the same cigar as #1. Below I have listed the cigars that appear most often on those 10 lists and have ranked them based on the number of times they appear on the lists.

While this is not a de facto list it does provide some cigars that many reviewers enjoyed in 2015 and can be a great starting point for exploring some new sticks.

1. El Gueguense- Ranked #1 on two lists and appears on 6 of 10 lists
2. Drew Estates Undercrown Shade- Ranked #1 on one list and appears on 5 of 10 lists
3. Matilde Oscuro Toro- Ranked #1 on one list and appears on 4 of 10 lists
4. Don Reynaldo Regios- Ranked #1 on one list and appears on 4 of 10 lists
5. Davidoff Escurio-Ranked #1 on one list and appears on 3 of 10 lists
6. Camacho Barrel Aged- Shows up on 5 /10 lists with a high ranking of #2
7. Flor Del Valle Sky Flower- Shows up on 4/10 lists with a high ranking of #2
8. RoMa Craft Neanderthal-Shows up on 4/10 lists with a high ranking of #2
9. La FLor Dominicana La Nox- Appears on 4/10 lists with a high ranking of #3
10. Illusione-ECCJ-20th- Appears on 4/10 with a high ranking of #3
11. Laranja Toro- Shows up on 4/10 with a high ranking of #5
12. Senorial Maduro Appears on 4/10 with a high ranking of #6
13. D'crossier Seleccion 512 Lancero- Appears on 4/10 with a high ranking of #8
14. Joya de Nicaragua Cuatro Cinco Reserva Especial- Shows up on 4/10 with a high ranking of #9
15. Sobremesa- Appears on 3/10 with a high ranking of #2
16. Avo Syncro Nicaragua Toro-Shows up on 3/10 with a high ranking of #4
17. AJ Fernandez Enclave- Appears on 3/10 with a high ranking of #4
18. La Mission Du L'atelier 1959- Shows up on 3/10 with a high ranking of #5
19. Crowned Heads La Imperiosa- Appears on 3/10 with a high ranking of #6
20. Warped Futuro- Shows up on 3/10 with a high ranking of #8
21. La Boheme- Appears on 3/10 with a high ranking of #10
Last edited by mdsphoto
mdsphotomdsphotoMember
quote:
Originally posted by marcb7:
Interesting list....best cigar by a long shot IMHO is number 18. The Toro in this cigar is also quite good.

mds.....what cigars do you typically smoke? Do you have a favorite vitola?


I tend to like medium-full bodied cigars with little to no strength. Favorites are most offerings from Tatuaje, Crowned Heads, Drew Estate & L'atelier. My preferred vitolas are lancero/petit lancero, petit corona and robusto.

How about you? What are your current go to brands and sizes?
G g-manMember
quote:
Originally posted by marcb7:
quote:
Originally posted by g-man:
anybody try the davidoff chinese new year monkey edition?



Overpriced and have yet to have a Davidoff worth the money...plenty of other cigars that smoke much better IMO....But, Ill be curious of your take on this particular cigar.


i'm pretty much a non smoker and know close to nothing but a few basics about cigars but i'm a sucker for advertisement =)
M marcb7Member
Gman....nothing wrong with that...be interested on your thoughts.

msd....I smoke about 80% from the island and 20% from everywhere else. I prefer island smokes with age, minimum 5 years typically. Non island sticks are mostly My Father, Tat/L'attelier, Fuente (Opus), and Liga. I have a buddy in the buisness so he gives me stuff all the time to try, he apparently trusts my pallet for some odd reason Eek
The trend seems to be larger ring guage cigars. I prefer cigars in the 46-54 ring guage although the BHK 56 isnt all bad. I also prefer fuller bodied cigars.

Im lucky because I get to try pretty much anything that is released and am given the chance to purchase upon release...but honestly I keep coming back to stuff from Cuba, something about that tobacco that "hits the spot". I will say, consistency with cubans is improving which has always been a deterrent. But most of my stuff is bought from 08' box codes and earlier so those cigars tend to be more "hit or miss". But when they are on, there is no comparison IMO.

My dream....as a few forum members and I have discussed in the past, is the embargo gets lifted and we get to see what Pete, Pepin etc can do with a blend of cuban and non cuban tobacco....that will change the world of cigar lovers.
mdsphotomdsphotoMember
quote:
Originally posted by marcb7

My dream....as a few forum members and I have discussed in the past, is the embargo gets lifted and we get to see what Pete, Pepin etc can do with a blend of cuban and non cuban tobacco....that will change the world of cigar lovers.


I think that will be a long way off. I read an article the other day where the copresidents of Habanos hinted at, but did not divulge, their plans to capture a significant share of the US market. One point they did make was that they would not be sharing their tobacco with anyone. This makes sense for two reasons one is that they want establish their brand in the US and the second is, they will not be able to keep up with demand once the embargo is lifted. Recent reports confirm they are already struggling to keep up wth global demand, with outages of major and regional brands.

I would be interested to hear your's, and other's, take on how the distribution will roll out in the US. I hear retailers saying they look forward to the day they are selling CCs, but if I'm Habanos why would I dilute my profits by using US retailers? If I were them I would build a LCDH in a few major cities and then develop my own mail order network.

Thoughts?

BTW- I'm about 1% CC and 99% NC, mostly due finances and limited access.
W wine+artMember
quote:
Originally posted by marcb7:


My dream....as a few forum members and I have discussed in the past, is the embargo gets lifted and we get to see what Pete, Pepin etc can do with a blend of cuban and non cuban tobacco....that will change the world of cigar lovers.


Well, if the one we all experienced together in Vegas that you so graciously gifted us is what we could expect, they would indeed change to upper end cigar world forever.

I'm still holding my other one.
M marcb7Member
quote:
Originally posted by wine+art:
quote:
Originally posted by marcb7:


My dream....as a few forum members and I have discussed in the past, is the embargo gets lifted and we get to see what Pete, Pepin etc can do with a blend of cuban and non cuban tobacco....that will change the world of cigar lovers.


Well, if the one we all experienced together in Vegas that you so graciously gifted us is what we could expect, they would indeed change to upper end cigar world forever.

I'm still holding my other one.



I have maybe 5 or 6 left W+A, which size do you have, the 54 or 56? I had the 54 a week or two ago and it was smoking beautifully...my guess the 56 would have some more time to go. If I can get a warmer day up here and a few hours of time, ill light one up and let you know.
M marcb7Member
quote:
Originally posted by mdsphoto:
quote:
Originally posted by marcb7

My dream....as a few forum members and I have discussed in the past, is the embargo gets lifted and we get to see what Pete, Pepin etc can do with a blend of cuban and non cuban tobacco....that will change the world of cigar lovers.


I think that will be a long way off. I read an article the other day where the copresidents of Habanos hinted at, but did not divulge, their plans to capture a significant share of the US market. One point they did make was that they would not be sharing their tobacco with anyone. This makes sense for two reasons one is that they want establish their brand in the US and the second is, they will not be able to keep up with demand once the embargo is lifted. Recent reports confirm they are already struggling to keep up wth global demand, with outages of major and regional brands.

I would be interested to hear your's, and other's, take on how the distribution will roll out in the US. I hear retailers saying they look forward to the day they are selling CCs, but if I'm Habanos why would I dilute my profits by using US retailers? If I were them I would build a LCDH in a few major cities and then develop my own mail order network.

Thoughts?

BTW- I'm about 1% CC and 99% NC, mostly due finances and limited access.



Id be shocked if CC's would be sold in the larger B&M's and not at a specific LCDH with prices very similar to north of the border. They dont have the product to satisfy the demand, and if they tried to meet the demand, the quality would really depreciate.

In regards to blending....These guys like Pete and Pepin will find a way Wink
S stickmanMember
quote:
Originally posted by mdsphoto:
I'm not sure if this will be of interest here since many smoke more CCs than NCs, but this is a piece I did for a novice cigar community...

1. El Gueguense- Ranked #1 on two lists and appears on 6 of 10 lists
2. Drew Estates Undercrown Shade- Ranked #1 on one list and appears on 5 of 10 lists
3. Matilde Oscuro Toro- Ranked #1 on one list and appears on 4 of 10 lists
4. Don Reynaldo Regios- Ranked #1 on one list and appears on 4 of 10 lists
5. Davidoff Escurio-Ranked #1 on one list and appears on 3 of 10 lists
6. Camacho Barrel Aged- Shows up on 5 /10 lists with a high ranking of #2
7. Flor Del Valle Sky Flower- Shows up on 4/10 lists with a high ranking of #2
8. RoMa Craft Neanderthal-Shows up on 4/10 lists with a high ranking of #2
9. La FLor Dominicana La Nox- Appears on 4/10 lists with a high ranking of #3
10. Illusione-ECCJ-20th- Appears on 4/10 with a high ranking of #3
11. Laranja Toro- Shows up on 4/10 with a high ranking of #5
12. Senorial Maduro Appears on 4/10 with a high ranking of #6
13. D'crossier Seleccion 512 Lancero- Appears on 4/10 with a high ranking of #8
14. Joya de Nicaragua Cuatro Cinco Reserva Especial- Shows up on 4/10 with a high ranking of #9
15. Sobremesa- Appears on 3/10 with a high ranking of #2
16. Avo Syncro Nicaragua Toro-Shows up on 3/10 with a high ranking of #4
17. AJ Fernandez Enclave- Appears on 3/10 with a high ranking of #4
18. La Mission Du L'atelier 1959- Shows up on 3/10 with a high ranking of #5
19. Crowned Heads La Imperiosa- Appears on 3/10 with a high ranking of #6
20. Warped Futuro- Shows up on 3/10 with a high ranking of #8
21. La Boheme- Appears on 3/10 with a high ranking of #10

Wow! Thanks for the work; 'interesting statistics. I haven't tried all of these, by any means, but my "best of list" would certainly include 7. Flor del Valle, 9. La Nox, 10. Illusione ECCJ 20th, 15. Sobremesa, 18. La Mission Du L'atelier, and 20. Warped Futuro. I'm pretty surprised with #1&2 though. While I think they're both very good cigars, would I put them at the top of a "Best of the Year" list? Not if I'm comparing them to La Mission du L'atelier, Illusione ECCJ 20th, and La Nox... not even close IMHO.
S stickmanMember
quote:
Originally posted by marcb7:
Interesting list....best cigar by a long shot IMHO is number 18. The Toro in this cigar is also quite good...

Haha; I concur (though I may like some of its competition more than you)! 'Guess I should have read your post before I responded to the list. But yes, what a gorgeous cigar, and consistently so!
S stickmanMember
quote:
Originally posted by mdsphoto:
... Favorites are most offerings from Tatuaje, Crowned Heads, Drew Estate & L'atelier...

I like your taste! Cool Add Don Pepin/My Father and a few Illusiones, and you'd pretty much have my list, though with Liga losing ground and L'atelier quickly gaining ground. Seeing that you enjoy small ring gauges, including lanceros, have you tried Warped's La Colmena, especially the No.36? Excellent stick!
mdsphotomdsphotoMember
quote:
Originally posted by stickman:
quote:
Originally posted by mdsphoto:
... Favorites are most offerings from Tatuaje, Crowned Heads, Drew Estate & L'atelier...

I like your taste! Cool Add Don Pepin/My Father and a few Illusiones, and you'd pretty much have my list, though with Liga losing ground and L'atelier quickly gaining ground. Seeing that you enjoy small ring gauges, including lanceros, have you tried Warped's La Colmena, especially the No.36? Excellent stick!


Yes, the La Colmena was one of my favorite 2014 cigars. The Crux Nonfamaniac was also another skinny I really enjoyed that year.

Of the list above, the only stick I tried was the La Imperiosa which was a good smoke. I do have a UC Shade in my box right now and just waiting for it to settle a bit so I can see what all the fuss is about.

While I love the blends Pepin does for Pete and his brother, I find his own blends too peppery for me.
S stickmanMember
Okay, so I just realized that Halfwheel, who is my #1 go-to for industry news, compiled an extensive "Consensus Top 25" list (from 29 different top 5, 10, and 25 lists), which you can find here. The problem with all the consensus lists (and I don't see a better way around it) is that not every cigar gets considered by every source. I appreciate that mdsphoto published how many lists each stick appeared on, as I'm willing to bet that low-production sticks, like the Don Reynaldo Regios and Sobremesa, probably weren't even considered by every source for the sheer fact that they couldn't get access to them.

That given, I'm curious to know what WS forum members recall as their stand-out sticks this year. IMHO, the tops this year were:
1a. Tatuaje Tobacconists Association of America 2015: Like eating a beef brisket sandwich, with grilled meat, toast, and dough-like flavors. Decadent and delicious; I seriously can't get enough of this!
1b. Illusione ~eccj~ 20th: Wow-complex, like an Epernay Le Taureau brought into clearer focus, with some added citrus and floral notes. The yin to Tatuaje TAA's yang; I can't decide between the two, so they share my #1a-b.
3. La Mission du L'atelier 1959: Easily the best San Andrés wrapper stogie I've ever tried. I love this with a great root beer (Bargo's Bark is perfect), where this comes across like a hypothetical gourmet Snickers bar, made with dark chocolate, but there's also Cubanesque, earthy grassiness to keep it in balance. Its biggest draw-back: it's always over too soon!
4. Tatuaje The Jackal: All the elegant sweetness that I love from the L'atelier LAT52 (they both share my beloved Sancti Spiritus wrapper), plus rich but balanced coffee and cream notes. 'Makes me feel like royalty to be able to smoke it.
5. Sobremesa: All the vitolas have something unique to offer, but the one thing they all share is a decadent, exotic, baking spice character that is to die for! If I had to choose just one vitola, it would probably be El Americano.
6. La Flor Dominicana La Nox: The bane of every cigar maker is consistency from stick to stick. When these are on, they're wow-good, but they're so dense with flavor, that the flavors can sometimes come across as opaque and get in the way of each other, IMHO. Even then, it's still a great stick!
7. Flor del Valle Sky Flower: I don't find that most Nicaraguan sticks benefit much with age, but if I had to pick one that might, this would definitely be it! So much potential in complexity, IMHO! If this ages as I hope it will, it may become the best on this list!
8. Warped Futuro: More obvious than the Sky Flower, with gorgeous, creamy vanilla and cinnamon, but not as interesting IMHO.

After that, I could give honorable mentions to Ashton Symmetry, Matilde Oscuro, Avo Syncro, El Güegüense, and Undercrown Shade (in that order), and I didn't get to try everything on mdsphoto's compiled list (like Don Reynaldo and Neanderthal, among others), but to me, they just don't compare with the eight I numbered. Also, I must mention that I didn't try any 'new' island sticks this year, thus their absence from my list.

So what were your favorite 'new' sticks this year? I usually base my exploratory purchases off of colleagues' recommendations, not professional reviews. Please, guide me. Cool
mdsphotomdsphotoMember
Thanks Stickman. I also use Half Wheel for most of my news, but really don't find their reviews match my tastes for similar cigars I've tried. I also find Charlie Minato over reaches for superlatives in his reviews.

I agree with your assessment regarding each of the lists not all trying the same cigars in their review cycles. There are just too many new releases each year to smoke them all.

My problem is that I only smoke 1-2 cigars a week and I like to let them rest for 3-4 months before I smoke them, which means I don't get to many of the new sticks in the year of their release. That being said I went back and looked at the cigars I sampled last year that were "new to me" that I really enjoyed and have listed them in no particular order.

Blanco Nine Lancero
Recluse Iconic OTG
Tatuaje Black Corona Gorda
Crowned Heads Mason Dixon South
Oliva V Melanio Maduro Torpedo
Fuente Hemingway Between The Lines
Tatuaje Cabaiguan Guapos rx
La Jugada Prieto 6x60
Ramon Allones Special Selection
262 Paradigm Lancero
La Palina El Diario Kill Bill II
Crowned Heads JD Howard Limited Edition Petit Lancero
La Palina Red Label Petite Lancero
Illusione HL Maduro Lancero
S stickmanMember
quote:
Originally posted by
Tatuaje Black Corona Gorda
Oliva V Melanio Maduro Torpedo
Ramon Allones Special Selection
La Palina El Diario Kill Bill II

I haven't tried all the sticks on your list (not even close!), but I can certainly agree with the above. Just a couple of years ago, I posted that I thought the Ramon Allones SS (after being introduced to it by the godfather) was the most under-rated Cuban I had come across. Now they're #2 on CA's top list. Oh, great; just great! Mad Wink I'm a huge Tatuaje fan, and the Corona Gorda is my favorite of all the black labels. I dig your taste! I'll try to check out some of the others on your list, which I haven't tried... Yet. Wink
G g-manMember
quote:
Originally posted by stickman:
quote:
Originally posted by g-man:
ouch 39$ a stick for the davidoff year of the monkey special here in NY

Yeah. In general Davidoff's seem to justify maybe half the price they demand. Nice cigars, BUT...


the one thing i really liked was that the humidor they set up was legit

70 degrees and you can feel the humidity

that tobacco smell was incredible

i'd pay that money just to get one stick and chill there to see what a properly stored cigar should taste liek.
S stickmanMember
quote:
Originally posted by g-man:
the one thing i really liked was that the humidor they set up was legit

70 degrees and you can feel the humidity

that tobacco smell was incredible

i'd pay that money just to get one stick and chill there to see what a properly stored cigar should taste liek.

There is that, for sure. When a group of forumites visited Casa Fuente in Vegas, I felt the same thing. The smell of the place alone was worth the trip! Then you smoke a pristinely shipped and stored, rare stick - maybe it's only sold there. Then add a first-rate mojito, served by lovely wait staff... Yeah, the experience is worth the premium. Hell, yeah! Cool
S stickmanMember
I don't mean to make more of this than it deserves, but this has been eating at me, since I checked out the "Top ____" lists. I sincerely thought that CA had it right, when they didn't really have many truly 'new' sticks on their list. My experience this year was that the vast majority of really great sticks were fairly difficult to obtain - not a recipe for making 'the lists.' When I saw El Gueguense and Undercrown Shade at the top of mdsphoto's compilation, I thought, "Did I miss something?!" I had both sticks earlier in the year and was fairly under-whelmed. So I decided to revisit both sticks and made sure I tried the vitolas that were getting the rave reviews... Then I smoked one of my La Mission 1959's. I'm kinda' at a loss for words. I get that there are inexplicable matters of taste and stick variation, but still. Eek Roll Eyes How anyone, let alone a consensus, would rank the EG and US as the best of the year is just beyond comprehension! "I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!" Just, wow.

Confused Confused Confused

El Gueguense: good balance of toast and spices, nothing offensive, all the vitolas 'work,' best aspect of the cigar for me = aroma. I've met Nick and really like him - nice, easy-going guy. Congrats on a successful debut, but the best of the year?! My mind is officially boggled.
Undercrown Shade: well-made, lovely profile of subtle honey, hay, and cream, fills a niche in the market, not necessarily "my kinda' cigar" admittedly, I personally get more pleasure out of the filler than the wrapper, so I prefer the Toro. I like Willy Herrera's style (especially the Herrera Esteli torpedo - though I've had a couple really 'off' examples), but if I've got a hankering for this style, I get more out of the EP Carillo New Wave CT.

Even granting stick variation and differing tastes, the only measure by which I'd give these the highest marks is availability. This is like going to the WS NY Wine Experience and telling me that a $30 CA Merlot was better than the La Fleur-Petrus. Crazy pills! A world gone mad!

Aficionado's top 2: Le Bijou box-pressed torpedo and Ramon Allones? Yeah, I totally get that, even if they didn't debut this year. EG and US? That's just a whole different world, my friends. Summary: I think this was a bit of an "off year," save the small-production smokes. Stick to your stand-bys from last years, or seek out the small-batch stuff. My 2 cents.

I'm smoking La Mission 1959 mentioned above literally as I write this, which got me inspired to rant like this. If you've tried a San Andres wrapper before and weren't convinced, try this one!
S stickmanMember
quote:
Originally posted by mdsphoto:
I also use Half Wheel for most of my news, but really don't find their reviews match my tastes for similar cigars I've tried...

Funny you should mention that. In years past, it's been very much hit-or-miss for me with Halfwheel's assessments. When I started looking at 'the lists' recently, however, I was shocked at how much I agreed at least with their top 4 (then we depart company entirely)! Maybe I should pay more attention to their reviews. They did introduce me to the Quesada Espana Short Robusto (what a gorgeous little stick!), after all.
haggishaggisMember
quote:
Originally posted by stickman:
quote:
Originally posted by mdsphoto:
I also use Half Wheel for most of my news, but really don't find their reviews match my tastes for similar cigars I've tried...

Funny you should mention that. In years past, it's been very much hit-or-miss for me with Halfwheel's assessments. When I started looking at 'the lists' recently, however, I was shocked at how much I agreed at least with their top 4 (then we depart company entirely)! Maybe I should pay more attention to their reviews. They did introduce me to the Quesada Espana Short Robusto (what a gorgeous little stick!), after all.


I have relied on them a fair bit. Like you, I also first tried the Espana thanks to them.
mdsphotomdsphotoMember
quote:
Originally posted by stickman:
I don't mean to make more of this than it deserves, but this has been eating at me, since I checked out the "Top ____" lists. I sincerely thought that CA had it right, when they didn't really have many truly 'new' sticks on their list. My experience this year was that the vast majority of really great sticks were fairly difficult to obtain - not a recipe for making 'the lists.' When I saw El Gueguense and Undercrown Shade at the top of mdsphoto's compilation, I thought, "Did I miss something?!" I had both sticks earlier in the year and was fairly under-whelmed. So I decided to revisit both sticks and made sure I tried the vitolas that were getting the rave reviews... Then I smoked one of my La Mission 1959's. I'm kinda' at a loss for words. I get that there are inexplicable matters of taste and stick variation, but still. Eek Roll Eyes How anyone, let alone a consensus, would rank the EG and US as the best of the year is just beyond comprehension! "I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!" Just, wow.

Confused Confused Confused

El Gueguense: good balance of toast and spices, nothing offensive, all the vitolas 'work,' best aspect of the cigar for me = aroma. I've met Nick and really like him - nice, easy-going guy. Congrats on a successful debut, but the best of the year?! My mind is officially boggled.
Undercrown Shade: well-made, lovely profile of subtle honey, hay, and cream, fills a niche in the market, not necessarily "my kinda' cigar" admittedly, I personally get more pleasure out of the filler than the wrapper, so I prefer the Toro. I like Willy Herrera's style (especially the Herrera Esteli torpedo - though I've had a couple really 'off' examples), but if I've got a hankering for this style, I get more out of the EP Carillo New Wave CT.

Even granting stick variation and differing tastes, the only measure by which I'd give these the highest marks is availability. This is like going to the WS NY Wine Experience and telling me that a $30 CA Merlot was better than the La Fleur-Petrus. Crazy pills! A world gone mad!

Aficionado's top 2: Le Bijou box-pressed torpedo and Ramon Allones? Yeah, I totally get that, even if they didn't debut this year. EG and US? That's just a whole different world, my friends. Summary: I think this was a bit of an "off year," save the small-production smokes. Stick to your stand-bys from last years, or seek out the small-batch stuff. My 2 cents.

I'm smoking La Mission 1959 mentioned above literally as I write this, which got me inspired to rant like this. If you've tried a San Andres wrapper before and weren't convinced, try this one!



Like I said in my first entry, lists are subjective and many of the list makers have other agendas for who makes it and who does not, so I don't put a lot of stock in the #1 cigar. That's why I looked across lists to see what is consistently mentioned.

If our palates are aligned it sounds like I will enjoy the UC Shade. I also like the EPC New Wave and love the Gran Habano Zulu Zulu lancero when seeking a more mild blend.

Small Batch Cigar had 25% off Crowned Heads and Tatuaje the other day so I thought I would pick up some of the La Missions, but they were sold out (See how those lists can impact sales). I did pick up 6 of the Jericho Hill 12 Angry Men for a very nice price.
M marcb7Member
quote:
Originally posted by stickman:
quote:
Originally posted by
Tatuaje Black Corona Gorda
Oliva V Melanio Maduro Torpedo
Ramon Allones Special Selection
La Palina El Diario Kill Bill II

I haven't tried all the sticks on your list (not even close!), but I can certainly agree with the above. Just a couple of years ago, I posted that I thought the Ramon Allones SS (after being introduced to it by the godfather) was the most under-rated Cuban I had come across. Now they're #2 on CA's top list. Oh, great; just great! Mad Wink I'm a huge Tatuaje fan, and the Corona Gorda is my favorite of all the black labels. I dig your taste! I'll try to check out some of the others on your list, which I haven't tried... Yet. Wink



Agree on the Tat and definitely on the RA, hopefully the special selections dont diminish in quality because of it Wink

Another very good short smoke Stickman is made by My Father Le Bijou....the petite robusto is always spot on.

Id also put Bolivar in the mix with RA as being under rated, for the price, it cant be beat IMO.
S stickmanMember
quote:
Originally posted by mdsphoto:
Small Batch Cigar had 25% off Crowned Heads and Tatuaje the other day so I thought I would pick up some of the La Missions, but they were sold out (See how those lists can impact sales). I did pick up 6 of the Jericho Hill 12 Angry Men for a very nice price.

If you could find a good deal on any Jericho Hill, nice move! Also from Crowned Heads, I've never met a Headley Grange I didn't like.

There's no doubt that the lists impact sales, but fwiw I've always found the La Missions (especially the short robusto) difficult to track down, which is why I've always considered them 'limited production,' even though technically they're listed 'regular production.' So worth the search, IMO!
S stickmanMember
quote:
Originally posted by marcb7:
Another very good short smoke Stickman is made by My Father Le Bijou....the petite robusto is always spot on.

For whatever reason, I've never tried the short robusto of the Le Bijous. I will rectify that! Thanks for the rec!

Heck, add the Le Bijou to a collection of the Hoyo de Monterrey Petit Robusto, Quesada España Short Robusto, L'Atelier LAT 52, and La Mission 1959, and I'd say you've got a wide field of tastes covered just in short robustos! I like it. Cool
S stickmanMember
I just recently found a source with some aged sticks, so I tried a few that I really liked when they were first released. Not all of them have aged so gracefully (again, consistent with my experience of most Central American sticks), but one surely did: Tatuaje Miami 10 Bon Chasseur! Wow, what a magnificent cigar! These were from the original 2013 release, and they've mellowed into a medium-bodied, elegant smoke that's even better than when they were first released (which is saying a lot IMHO)!
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