What are the cigars with the most noticeable taste difference over the years?

[El Presidente]

What are the cigars with the most noticeable taste difference over the years?

let's keep it to this decade and to cigars with which you are well acquainted with.

What are your observations? for better or worse with the cigar/s you are discussing, detail the flavour/body changes as you see them.

[El Presidente]

Do you mean taste difference as in result of aging or taste difference in production from year to year?

Good point

Magste we will cover the effects of aging over the weekend.

for now, the difference in taste over cigars produced this decade

[Tarks]

I'll briefly talk about the Partagas 898V.

I have heard rumblings that the blend changed in 2005. My experience would agree. Pre 2005 898's were strong, full bodied cigars that (for me) had much darker flavors. Earthy, coffee bean notes with lots of black pepper is the best way I can describe them. Recent production (05-09) 898's are completely different cigars IMO, and better suit my palate. Recent production are med bodied and much lighter in flavor. Woody, creamy with dusted cocoa is the best way I can describe them.

btw, great question Rob. Can't wait to see what people come up with.

[Smallclub]

Bolivar Royal Corona, and some other Bolivar as well…

I have the impression that they were much stronger in the early 2000's. My 2007 and 2008 are less earthy, less peppery, sweeter with nutty notes.

Different ligero? Less ligero? I don't know but I must say that I prefer the recent blend…

Bolivar petit corona : in my memories it was a much stronger cigar as well, sometimes almost unsmokable when young…

[laficion]

As mostly a Corona Gorda smoker, the most noticeable taste differences for me are the SLR Series A

and the HdM Epicure No.1.

The SLR's had a lighter strength and more of a honey & caramel mixed with

a café creme taste, where as today starting from 2008, it shows more of a darker tobacco with animal tastes rather then vegetal.

For the HdM Epicure No.1's, from a light but mostly grassy with lots of creamyness, it has become, also since 2008,

a bit more earthy with leather and a more animal profil but has kept an unctuous & silky touch.

Another that has also changed,is JL Seleccion 1's , from a light smoke, it has become medium-full to

full and with more character.

[Smallclub]

The SLR's had a lighter strength and more of a honey & caramel mixed with a café creme taste, where as today starting from 2008, it shows more of a darker tobacco with animal tastes rather then vegetal.

To me, you're describing the Regios. Recent Serie A's are darker, ok, but they always had these "animal tastes"…

For the HdM Epicure No.1's, from a light but mostly grassy with lots of creamyness, it has become, also since 2008, a bit more earthy with leather

I agree, although I smoke very few Epic1; the profile is completely different but not in a good way IMO…

[anacostiakat]

From recent memory the one that jumps to mind for me is the HU Connie #1. Went from being a mild cigar to one with body and fuller flavors.

[bassman]

I have totally different experiences than a couple poster. Party 898s- 2001 & 2004 mild to the point of blandness. 2008 good strength & flavor. Boli PCs- 2002 strong & earthy, 2004 bland. 2008 strong & earthy. 2009 INCREDIBLY strong & earthy.

[khomeinist]

I think that this is an interesting topic, but difficult to address because most of us don't see enough boxes to really assess 'change' as opposed to 'random variation' due to quality control and so forth.

I have noticed a clear change in JL #1. For the better in my opinion.

Bolivars have been all over the map for me. I think that this has more to do with wrapper variation. I have decided to stop ordering Bolivar blind.... I am not as fond of the claro wrappers for this particular marca.

Frankly most 08/09 cigars are in good form, which is probably a result of reduced production. Tasteless PSD4 and Lusitanias be gone!

The greatest 'change' is probably just the deletion of many of my favorite vitolas.

Tasting air (even with the aid of memory) is a much different experience than the blends of previous years!

[El Presidente]

As mostly a Corona Gorda smoker, the most noticeable taste differences for me are the SLR Series A

and the HdM Epicure No.1.

The SLR's had a lighter strength and more of a honey & caramel mixed with

a café creme taste, where as today starting from 2008, it shows more of a darker tobacco with animal tastes rather then vegetal.

For the HdM Epicure No.1's, from a light but mostly grassy with lots of creamyness, it has become, also since 2008,

a bit more earthy with leather and a more animal profil but has kept an unctuous & silky touch.

Another that has also changed,is JL Seleccion 1's , from a light smoke, it has become medium-full to

full and with more character.

Agree Guy. They are three of the cigars which to my mind/taste have altered the most.

And who-ever influenced Partagas Lusitania blend in 08....there should be a statue of you in revolutionary square

[El Presidente]

Agree Guy. They are three of the cigars which to my mind/taste have altered the most.

And who-ever influenced Partagas Lusitania blend in 08....there should be a statue of you in revolutionary square

Let's not forget the magnum 48. Years in the wilderness from 2001-2007. Then BAM! back to best in class form 08. full, rich, complex.

[laficion]

Let's not forget the magnum 48.

I'm thinking you mean the Mag 46 Rob..............

[ChanceSchmerr]

Agree Guy. They are three of the cigars which to my mind/taste have altered the most.

And who-ever influenced Partagas Lusitania blend in 08....there should be a statue of you in revolutionary square

The only Lusitania I've tried (and loved) was pre-08..........Forgive me if this is talked about in another thread, but I'm curious now, How has the Lusi blend changed?

[El Presidente]

I'm thinking you mean the Mag 46 Rob..............

Correct Guy! mag 46!

[CanuckSARTech]

Yes, I would agree with the Mag 46 as well. But I've only had the tubos versions of the recent stuff - can't say for sure what the cabinet/boxes are doing, but I presume the same (it is the same cigar after all, just a different "after-effect" with the packaging).

[MrGlass]

So the impression I'm getting here is that even if I don't necessarily love a cigar, try it again next year as it may be completely different?

Keeping up with this could be difficult...

[Dbone]

I haven't been into the game long enough to add any useful info for this topic. It's interesting to read what others have said has gone from good to bad and vise-versa.

[El Presidente]

The only Lusitania I've tried (and loved) was pre-08..........Forgive me if this is talked about in another thread, but I'm curious now, How has the Lusi blend changed?

They were in the wilderness (in the main) for a large chunk of the decade. Yes, you could get good boxes but there were many which were just devoid oany flavour or complexity. It started turning around (consistency of true blend) in 2007 and hit a new level in 08.

[El Presidente]

So the impression I'm getting here is that even if I don't necessarily love a cigar, try it again next year as it may be completely different?

Keeping up with this could be difficult...

Seek opinion from those who have purchased and are smoking them. The curse of the Habanos is that quality/flavour ebbs and flows often within the same year. It takes me 1/2 year to discern a trend (change). A full year to feel confident in it.

[88keys]

I also think of Epicure #1 when this topic comes up. I had many 01s which I loved. When I finally got more from 05 or so I was very disappointed. The ones I have now are 08, good ones from Czar. The old boxes had a sort of fruity aroma and were lighter. They started with wood but tended toward fruit and sometimes even perfume. The new ones also start from wood but as Guy described now go toward leather and even earth. They're rougher. Sometimes I think I get some of the old taste in the last third. I don't think it's only inconsistency which you get for example in Monte #2, another of my old favorites. I gave up on those for a while, although I'll probably try again after the good reports recently. With the Hoyos I thought the blend actually must have changed.

[Colt45]

I haven't smoked through enough boxes of any one particular cigar to comment objectively. My personal experiences make it a bit

difficult to differentiate between intentional changes in blend and inconsistency / quality control.

[CigarZen]

From recent memory the one that jumps to mind for me is the HU Connie #1. Went from being a mild cigar to one with body and fuller flavors.

As far as change due to aging (as opposed to blend change), I agree. I would say that HU is the marque that changes most with age, really expressing the HU flavor profile. Try the HU no 2, smoking them over 7 years or so. It is very surprising, imo.

[rahko]

RyJ Churchills. Where's the cream and cherry, and what is this spongy underfilled tasteless crap?? Pretty steep downhill most of the decade in my experience. I did have some good 04's if memory serves.

[cellinisart]

The trinidad line.

[El Presidente]

The trinidad line.

trinidad moved to Pinar factory for production since 2005 if my memory serves me correct. The Fundadores suffered most albeit of late they have staged a comeback which is still in its infancy. Let's wait and see.