Topic: Cigars?

[mephisto_kur]

I also enjoy a good cigar, My personal Favorite is the Cohiba, I am not sure if they are available here in the states, I have a friend that travels to Jamaca and usually brings in a box or two. it is the torpedo gold band cohiba, a very fine smoke. Nice clown Allan 

Hey Major, are those red dot Cohibas?  (big red dot in the O)
Be aware that if they are not red dot, you should keep it to yourself .  The red dot Cohibas are Dominican and can be bought just about anywhere that sells decent sticks.  The non-red dot Cohibas are Cuban, and illegal in the US.

[mephisto_kur]

Okay, so next up is Cigars International.

The cigars I have received have been in great condition.  They are not dried out, and still have that slightly oily feel they are supposed to have.  The prices seem better than Thompsons', and they arrive very fast.  I grabbed a sampler and a 5 pack of Rocky Patel Decade torpedos.

All together that has cost me about 35 bucks.  The sampler included all 90+ rated cigars except one, which by reading reviews online pointed at it being a mediocre stick at best (El Mejor Emerald robusto).  I chucked that one.  After smoking the first 91 stick I got from them I have decided that I am not smoking anymore crap.

The two cigars I have smoked from the sampler were:

Indios Viejo LE 00
What a nice cigar.  Mild but flavorful, the smoke felt good in the mouth.  Enough pepper in the first half for my taste, but not so much that my sinuses or throat felt the burn.  I added this ring to my "keeper" pile.  I was annoyed that I didn't have time to finish the cigar, and had to stop at just a bit more than the halfway point.

Padilla Hybrid torpedo
This one is a bit harsher at first.  I struggled with the edge of bitter from the first 1/8th of the cigar, and wondered if I could continue.  At the 1/8th mark, the flavor opened nicely, and the bitter toned down drastically to just a slight edge.  It didn't work for me as well as the Indios, but was a pleasant smoke, and the ring was added to my "if on sale" pile.  I smoked this one further than any of the others I have smoked, getting down to the last third before the heat and pepper got too overwhelming.  My oldest actually came out and sat with me while I smoked this one - he seemed to enjoy the smell except when the smoke got in his face.  That's the first time that has happened.

Also from CI, I bought a real ashtray.  Just their branded house 3 finger puck, but it is nice to not have the burn end sitting on plastic or have to worry about the cigar rolling off the deck railing .

[mephisto_kur]

My first 95 rated cigar...

Rocky Patel Decade
Booooorrrrriiiiiiing.  This stick looked beautiful.  A nice, dark and oily wrapper.  The draw was very fast - honestly it felt too fast.  Made for a surprisingly quick smoke.  Uneven burn past the halfway mark.  It started out with a slightly astringent flavor (I finally know what means), and didn't really change over the course of the cigar.  Didn't even change when I was smoking into the last 3rd, just got hotter.  I see reviews of this and "creamy" smoke - I didn't get that at all.  The smoke felt like nothing in my mouth.  The flavor was mild to medium, but there was little that stood out from it.

Maybe I'm just not into this far enough to taste what others tasted.

[mephisto_kur]

My Gurkha experience:

Gurhka Regent Torpedo

Crap.  Smoked to the nub and tasted nothing but burn.  Tossed the ring, I'll never get those.  

Gurhka Legend Robusto

Started out similar to the Regent.  I thought I had another dud.  About a half inch in, it became almost pleasant.  Nice quick draw, thick smoke.  A bit woody - I picked up a new flavor.  At the 1 inch mark, it became nice.  Mild, airy and still that thick smoke.  At the halfway point, I stopped putting it down except to turn pages on the book I was reading (Deathbird Stories by Harlan Ellison).  I smoked it to the nub and wished it was a Toro.  I would have liked another inch to it.  This ring goes in my keep pile.  After the smoke, I have a slightly metallic flavor - possibly from the tea I was drinking with it.  A slight honey taste - not sweet, but just a hint of that honey flavor.

[Focused Moments]

When I was in Cuba I went to a Cigar factory - moment i took my camera out someone very quickly asked me to put it away

[mephisto_kur]

Commie!

[raVen]

I tried cigars only a couple of times, both the times it was Romeo y Julieta smuggled in by a daring scotsman  . It was supposed to be a premium cigar, but I guess I didnt know enough to appreciate it. As I was a cigarette smoker, I kept inhaling the smoking and that didnt help either.

[mephisto_kur]

Did you puke?

Those are normally rated in the low 90s. Getting a sampler seems to be the suggested way to go, which is why I did that. Ratings will help make sure you don't get a dog, but mean nothing for subjective tastes.

[mephisto_kur]

Nester Reserve Maduro

I was sent two of these in trade for a Rocky from a good friend of mine that has recently decided this is his favorite.  93 rated.

Decent smoke. Not quite up my alley, but pleasant. It had a woody\ashy flavor at first that slipped into a very mild "cigar" flavor. Almost no pepper burn, but I had difficulty with a bitter edge that went through the whole smoke. The smoke itself was pleasant and thick, and the draw was just about perfect.

Definitely not a dog, and I would smoke more if I had them, but chances are I won't buy them myself. I just like something more... I'm not sure how to describe it, but "flavorful" is close (but not right, there is plenty of flavor). Maybe complexity? Not sure. Still have one more, maybe I'll be able to quantify a bit better when I smoke the second.

[Focused Moments]

If I do a tour de states I'll bring you one ... you want something Cuban?  I'm guessing we have stuff more readily available up here from Cuba than you guys

[mephisto_kur]

CAO LX2

91 rated.
Mine was the Maduro Robusto.  Alright smoke.  Enough flavor for me to enjoy, but very mild.  Plenty spicy, tho.  The smoke was thick and heavy, and LOTS of it even on light puffs.  My youngest did not like the smell.  Good, but forgettable is what I come down to.

One side thing.  After smoking this one, my hands smelled like tar.  Not pleasant at all.  It is not unusual to have a slightly smokey, tar scent on your hands after smoking a cigar, but this was a strong tar smell, very chemical and reminiscent of our new driveway.  yeck.

[mephisto_kur]

Perdomo Habano Maduro

88 Rated.
The initial taste was toast.  Seriously, it tasted like fresh toast.  It was pleasant, and light.  Almost made my keeper pile until I hit a snag.  At the halfway point, I suddenly started having to nurse it.  Set it down for a minute it was out.  Even had to re-light it at one point in this.  Two other times, it was so close to out that I had to puff far more than I should, turned me green in the gills.  Really a shame as I very much liked this stick until that started happening.  Felt well rolled even where the trouble started, so I'm not sure what was up.

[anomaly]

with some kinds of tabaco the resin from the burning leaves rolls back into the unburnt leaves, clogs the airways making less fuel for the fire and also might make the flash point raise.

so near the end its harder to pull on and or it might go out on you.

you might try to just clip off about an inch once you hit that point and relite it. may work out for you.

[mephisto_kur]

I'll keep that in mind.  It would be a shame with a robusto like this one was, tho.  Already so short :/ .

[mephisto_kur]

Oliva Serie V

Rated 94

I smoked the torpedo robusto maduro.

Once again... meh.  Really not much to say about it.  The draw was quick but not too fast - right where I like it actually.  The smoke was thin and unsatisfying, and the flavor was bland.  I really couldn't pick up anything that stood out as a signature flavor for the cigar.

I was wise enough, since it is a maduro to start with a robusto (short, robustos are normally 5 inches or less), and stopped when I started to feel the nicotine hit.  Still got a little green from it, but didn't puke like I sometimes do with maduros.  I will not buy any more maduros, they just hit me wrong.  I only have a couple left, and I've already settled on a natural wrapper as my mainstay, and I have a Connecticut wrapper cigar that I like as well.