Gillman Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 (edited) I wasn't smoking but two people were, next to me at a party here (Toronto). On the table were Blanton Gold and Buffalo Trace (no comparison tasted side by side like that, the Gold easily won with its intense focused yet elegant taste). So it reminded me of a Gazebo, where many smoke cigars as the sipping proceeds. At the Gazebos, I find the smell and scent later (on clothes) of the cigars very strong - not complaining, it's part of the experience and it wouldn't be the same without it - but it's an overpowering, pungent hit for those not accustomed.On this occasion, while I certainly noticed the smoke, it didn't have the same strong effect. The smell too was different, in a way I find hard to describe, but I said to myself, this isn't like at Gazebo. My clothes after had the odor but it was much lighter than what I recall in Bardstown.I asked the gent who brought the cigars what they were, he said, Cohibas from Cuba. They were about 7 inches long and as thick as a quarter I'd say.I don't know anything about cigars but am wondering now if the Cuban originals are lighter and milder in effect than cigars made elsewhere. Or is it just the type of cigar he brought? That is, I assume there are different types and grades in Cuba as well...Gary Edited July 9, 2012 by Gillman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KYPayne Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 I'm not the biggest fan of the Champagne line as they are in general too mild for me, so but the Champagne Noir with the bourbon barrel aged maduro makes for a nice change of pace... Though it is still a bit less rich than most maduro that I have had. This could factor into why you like the natural more... You may be expecting more from the maduro and it just isn't fully there taste wise.My biggest issue with finding cigars is that I can't determine which cigars are full-bodied or mild. I don't really have a point of reference as far as what a full bodied cigar tastes like because I don't know if I've found a full bodied cigar. Cigars that I find on the internet that tend to be full bodied aren't necessarily the ones that I find at the store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtexaslonestar Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Started an Alec Bradley Tempus working in the garden, and now enjoying it watching Nature's fireworks from afar. What an awesome smoke it has been! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clavius Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 Just smoked an Oliva Serie V belicoso. Not too impressed with this one, to be honest. Just kind of... boring. Wasn't bad per se but it just didn't blow me away. Not sure what I was expecting.Draw was kind of tight. But I may not have cut it far enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayMonster Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 I asked the gent who brought the cigars what they were, he said, Cohibas from Cuba. They were about 7 inches long and as thick as a quarter I'd say.I don't know anything about cigars but am wondering now if the Cuban originals are lighter and milder in effect than cigars made elsewhere. Or is it just the type of cigar he brought? That is, I assume there are different types and grades in Cuba as well...GaryA few things here. 1. If this story was based in the US, I would question the authenticity of the Cohibas, but am less inclined to do so since Cuban are legal in Canada. (Yet still Cohibas is one of the most knocked off brands in the world) 2. There is no hard and fast rules as to what makes one cigar "stinkier" than another. That being said, milder cigars tend to have less bite in both flavor AND smell. That is partly why brands like Macanudo (and Cohiba) are the best selling.It is like Jim Beam White... Not particularly exciting, but simple non-offensive enough for most. 3. And of course, amount of exposure (time) as well as the mixture of different tobaccos around you. Two guys smoking Cohibas is going to smell less offensive than 10 (or more) people smoking a variety of things, just as the smell of bourbon is good, but blend that in with the smell of what everybody else is drinking and... Well... Does anybody like the smell of a bar the next morning? This is oversimplified for the sake of (relative) brevity, and to sum it up... No you cannot assume based on country of origin that a cigar is good (taste or smell) any more than you can assume a bourbon is good based on the town where it is distilled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayMonster Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 My biggest issue with finding cigars is that I can't determine which cigars are full-bodied or mild. I don't really have a point of reference as far as what a full bodied cigar tastes like because I don't know if I've found a full bodied cigar. Cigars that I find on the internet that tend to be full bodied aren't necessarily the ones that I find at the store.Even if you don't know at the time, I would think it would be difficult at least afterwards to find a cigar that hasn't been reviewed by somebody on the Internet. Browsing a store for a cigar is not much different than browsing for bourbon. There are always the brands I know and trust (Fuente, Punch, Macanudo, etc), and then there is the rest. There are two ways through those, either trial and error or research. When in doubt, the or faced with a brand I don't know, I will usually stick with the known. Life is too short for wasting on a bad cigar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clavius Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Smoked the Oliva Cain Daytona Double Toro earlier. I wasn't sure what to expect from it. But it turned it to be a pretty mellow and enjoyable smoke. I couldn't finish the whole thing as I generally just don't have the patience for a cigar that lasts more than an hour. But I enjoyed what I did smoke of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happyhour24x7 Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Smoked an Alec Bradley Prensado last night. This was Cigar Aficianados cigar of the year, so I was really looking forward to trying this. It had a beautiful reddish brown wrapper, and was box pressed; a gorgeous stick. After some significant spicieness on lighting, it settled into clouds of rich, full bodied smoke for the rest of the evening. Halfway through, it burned a little unevenly and self-extinguished a couple of times, but lit right back up with little increase in tar. While slightly too powerful to take the place of my favorite cigar, it was undoubtably one of the best cigars I've ever smoked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtexaslonestar Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 Smoked the Oliva Cain Daytona Double Toro earlier. I wasn't sure what to expect from it. But it turned it to be a pretty mellow and enjoyable smoke. I couldn't finish the whole thing as I generally just don't have the patience for a cigar that lasts more than an hour. But I enjoyed what I did smoke of it.Just asked about this on your thread. If you want a shorter smoke, try a different size if they offer. The Daytona I was going to pick up was a Torpedo, but they had Robustos and the Double Toro available. I mainly smoke robustos unless I have more than an hour and a half to relax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtexaslonestar Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 relaxing on the front porch with a Oliva Series V torpedo before making one last run through the garden, and then start pickling peppers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayMonster Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I have so much in my humidor and coolidor, yet time after time, and I keep reaching for a Mayorga Maduro Torp. Inexpensive and tasty and never fails to satisfy. Paired up again tonight with some WTRB, neither overpowers the other and is a great way to end the day and at the same time not break the bank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtexaslonestar Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Smoking my first CAO tonight. The OSA sol line has been very nice to me and a beautiful night to boot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clavius Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Getting ready to smoke a Rocky Patel Fifteenth Anniversary here in a few minutes. I'll let you all know what I think later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clingman71 Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Padron anniversario 1926 with wheated Willett 17 yr, beautiful combo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clavius Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Padron anniversario 1926 with wheated Willett 17 yr, beautiful combo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clavius Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Getting ready to smoke a Rocky Patel Fifteenth Anniversary here in a few minutes. I'll let you all know what I think later.Honestly, I don't know what the general consensus is here pertaining to Rocky Patel cigars... but, the Fifteenth Anniversary that I just smoked was absolutely incredible. Now granted, I haven't smoked too many cigars. The Fifteenth Anniversary was just perfect. Second best cigar I've smoked after the Padron 1964 Anniversary Exclusivo. Just creamy, chocolatey and mellow in my opinion. I will definitely be going back to pick up a few more of these once I get the humidor up and running! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ejmharris Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Honestly, I don't know what the general consensus is here pertaining to Rocky Patel cigars... but, the Fifteenth Anniversary that I just smoked was absolutely incredible. Now granted, I haven't smoked too many cigars. The Fifteenth Anniversary was just perfect. Second best cigar I've smoked after the Padron 1964 Anniversary Exclusivo. Just creamy, chocolatey and mellow in my opinion. I will definitely be going back to pick up a few more of these once I get the humidor up and running!Not sure about general consensus either, but I have liked everything I have smoked by him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happyhour24x7 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Not sure about general consensus either, but I have liked everything I have smoked by him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayMonster Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 You guys make me almost want to give Rocky Patel another try... almost.But I was so put off by his cigars, back when they were called Indian Tabac, and even when he first changed the name, that I put them aside and never looked back.Patel, a former lawyer to the stars, certainly knows marketing, and he used his connections to promote his cigars.He doesn't actually make cigars... he contracts them from Nestor Placencia. And while Placencia makes some good cigars, I have found most of what he makes to be inconsistent. Some lines come consistently loosely rolled, others have a tight draw to almost being plugged more often than I care.But perhaps with the cigar glut, they have improved.But while they may have gotten better, there are far too many brands out there that I know are good to be bothered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 I've enjoyed every Rocky Patel brand that I have ever tried. Have never had one that didn't draw flawlessly, burn evenly, and taste wonderfully. Not expensive, and readily available. Plus, he's a very gracious and approachable guy. I've been at cigar events where it's packed, and he has always taken time to chat, sign boxes, and genuinely seem interested in my opinions. I like the man, and I like his cigars. Listen, if you're the kind of person who stops in the cigar shop now and again to pick up a few smokes (that's me), it's hard to go wrong with RP's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayMonster Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 If my comments on Rocky Patel came across harsh, I am sorry. It was not intended as such. It is just my opinion with some extra facts thrown in, intended to enlighten, not be harsh.I don't know, nor have I ever met Rocky Patel, and I don't hold anything against him... I just didn't care for his cigars when I tried them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clavius Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 If my comments on Rocky Patel came across harsh, I am sorry. It was not intended as such. It is just my opinion with some extra facts thrown in, intended to enlighten, not be harsh.I don't know, nor have I ever met Rocky Patel, and I don't hold anything against him... I just didn't care for his cigars when I tried them.Not harsh at all. Personally, I value your input and look forward to reading your comments whenever I see that you've posted in the Smokes section of the site. Taste is SO subjective though. And my palate with cigars is beginner level, at best. Maybe a year or so from now I could smoke the same Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary and find it atrocious. Who knows?I'm always looking for recommendations though. I even joined the forums over at Cigar Aficionado's website! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 I don't know why you thought your opinions might be construed as harsh. You simply offered one, just like everyone else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happyhour24x7 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Smokinjoe's comments are right on the mark, matching my experience. Jaymonster, your comments were not news to me either, and didnt come across as harsh in my mind. My comment is that very simply, if you haven't tried any since Indian Tabac, it's probably worth giving some of these a shot. I would put the '90 and '92 vintage and the Decade lines on top. There was one with a purple band called Royal Vintage, I think, that didn't turn me on, and the sun grown line was not to my personal tastes. Yes, there are a lot of good smokes out there, but I would these couple of blends up there above many of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayMonster Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 I don't know why you thought your opinions might be construed as harsh. You simply offered one, just like everyone else?When I re-read it (my comment)... I realized it sounded a bit "dry" and thought saw that it could have been construed that way, and I just wanted to ensure it wasn't taken as such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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