How to play it safe?

[Troels]

With only two years of experience with cc's, I've found that most of the brands/vitolas I've tried has been hit and miss - even within the same batch. Is it simply to be accepted, that cigars is handmade and therefore never a uniform product - or could you recommend any that delivers every time? (and is cheaper than cohibas, wich actually hasn't let me down yet)

Best

Troels

[Colt45]

Firstly, welcome to FOH (an introduction never hurts).

Secondly, purely subjective on my part, if you're looking to play it safe, don't buy Cuban cigars - it's that simple. You'll end up with any number of sugestions / opinions - off the top top of my head, the cigars I've always had good luck with have been Upmann Sir Winston, Bolivar Coronas Gigantes and PCs, Hoyo Epicure No.1 and Churchill. There are other Havanas I enjoy, but consistency is another matter.....

Young cigars, aged cigars, production years, etc...........

[Troels]

Background for this post is, that I have one of my sparse evening without family obligations, start out with an upmann 48 el 2009 - terrible draw, end up slicing it to pieces trying to get sim smoke through. Replace it with a short churchill, box code 2011 - bland so so taste for te first half and an unpleasant "green" taste thereafter.

The ryj could be in its sick period - anyway, I could use a piece of advice - how do you secure good smokes?

[Troels]

Oops, clearly new here :-)

Thanks Colt - for the welcome ( will introduce ) and your advice - a little depressing if it's the general picture that you have to toss a cigar every now and then, but after all I guess the good ones make up for it

[Justmi]

Hi Troels, why don't you ping an email to the Prez with the vitola size / flavours you are looking for when you want a new box, he'll tell you what's "on" at the moment.

[CaptainQuintero]

Can't believe no one has said this yet - send an email to Rob and ask him or the team to pick you out a HQ box of whatever you fancy. You are always going to run into issues with any handmade product, sure CCs you get some bad sticks but I can't remember the last time I had a stick with bad construction that was from 2008 onwards. There re not many people who I would choose to supply cigars to me blindly but Rob is on that list!

Certainly I don't think you have to resort to NC cigars, there are some brands/cigars that do just suffer from bad construction on the whole. RyJ is one of those sadly so you went to a second stick with a high chance of bad construction.

Personally I've found great consistency in:

-Bolivar Royal Corona

-Hoyo Epicure #1

-Hoyo Epicure #2

-Hoyo Epicure Especial

-Hoyo Short Robusto

-Upmann no 2

-Upmann Mag 46

-Upmann Sir Winston

-Juan Lopez #2

-Partagas P2

-Por Larranaga petit Corona

-QDO Corona

-SLR Regio

-SLR Serie A

[David67]

Also don't give up on a box if you have had a few bad ones, might just need more age. Also "Dry Boxing" a few days before smoking can help with certain cigars. Rob also posted the other day about putting tight cigars in the fridge for a while. Now these things help with some smokes however if the cigars are just not up to the mark than....?

[Troels]

Thanks folks

Good advices - will see if I can make Rob find me some hq's

[Dara]

I've never had a bad Upmann Royal Robusto.....Mayr I've just been lucky but the last 3 boxes I got all had lovely chocolaty wrappers on them and smoked a treat!

As others said, ask Rob to recommend some cigars to suit you and maybe get 2 or 3 sticks of each as a sampler to see what you prefer then get a HQ box of those from him!

[CanuckSARTech]

For me, consistency has been a hallmark of the H. Upmann Magnum 46's especially. You just always know what you're going to get with those.

[mk05]

Sounds like you smoke fresh cigars at the moment.

I would try cigars that are known to be good young, instead of ones which change and get much better with age - most do, but these are just as good fresh.

QdO Corona, Trinidad Robusto T, PL Panatela

[Wil]

PL Panatela

These are great young and inexpensive.