Battle of the short smokes: NC vs CC

[nikesupremedunk]

With the weather getting colder for many of us around the world, it's natural to try and get some short smokes to get you through the winter. I was able to get a box of the highly praised H. Upmann Half Coronas and I ended up buying a tested and proven AF Short Story so I decided to compare them.

Both sticks are pretty even in length and should provide around 30-45 minutes of smoking. The short story has a figurado shape and has a larger RG than the HUHC. This particular SS is the Maduro version, which is supposedly better than the natural version and harder to find.

I smoked the AF SS first and the construction is always pretty solid on the AF's. The wrapper had some excess glue but it was rolled well. Draw was also good and with the tapered tip, it was very easy to light. The burn can be a little off to start but it will generally even out. The SS starts out with a chocolatey and milky profile with a sprinkle of pepper. It is pretty sweet and the best I can describe it is that it tastes like you are smoking a AF Anejo which I love. This continues for the first half but after that it starts to lose the taste. The Anejo flavors disappear and just generic tobacco flavors remain. It doesn't suddenly become a bad tasting cigar, but it's kind of like drinking a 7-11 slurpee where you are left with water diluted sugar drink.

Ahh, the HUHC. (My favorite shot so far!) This was my third stick and pretty much ROTT. I believe the box date is something like JUN 12 so they are very young. I left it in my Herfador and when I opened it the cat piss ammonia smell almost knocked me out. The construction on these aren't the best either, as I've had some with the top of the triple cap not completely glued down. Fortunately, the cigar smokes very well and there's no ammonia present when you smoke it. As soon as you take the first draw, you are immediately introduced to a mouthful of rich, flavorful and somewhat full bodied smoke. This cigar doesn't build you up, it just gets directly to the point. You get rich, creamy, dark coffee flavors and the cigar stays strong until finish. In the end, it satisfies you and it's perfect for when you want a hour's worth of smoke in half the time. No wonder these are selling like hotcakes right now!

After comparing both, I have to give it up to the HUHC. Not because we're on a CC site, but it's such a great cigar that delivers a full size smoke in a much smaller package. The AF SS starts out very nice but loses the flavors midway. The HUHC leaves you satisfied, while the SS leaves you wishing for another cigar after. I wish the half coronas are more widely available in the future because these can be squeezed into your daily schedule where all other cigars can't. They are pretty pricey, about the same as a PC vitola, but definitely worth picking up a few boxes if you can find them.

[ritan]

Awesome shoot-out. You're so right, the HUHC is very, very good and demand far outstrips supply right now.

I know I have some AF SS somewhere in the humidor and to be honest can't really recall what they taste like.

Sounds like you had fun doing this. Thanks.

[dicko]

Really enjoyed this comparison review! Thanks

The Huhc are a big hit!

[Jszeto]

Thanks for the review. Nice way to review a NC and a CC

[backslide]

I have found that the ssm needs a bit of age, unlike the natural version. My go to short smoke is the Illusione ~68~ followed by RASCC

[canadianbeaver]

In my NC days the SS was a regular but went for the ones a bit bigger, including the rare barber poles. The tastes were nice on maduros in particular. After switching to almost a pure CC inventory, when I tried a fiver of maduro Signatures, I just could not return.

[kuzi16]

are you going to compare any other shorter NC cigars?

[GammerSmokes]

The AF SS is a glorious smoke. I will have to hunt some down now for that pesky half hour of power! Never tried the HUHC but have heard many negative reviews. Might give it a go at some point.

+1 on the RASCC, I think I have 3 maybe 4 left.

Actually, I also will nominate the ERdM DT, this is a great spicy, earth and dark roasted coffee smoke. Nam. Got one left in the humi somewhere!

iExplore on my Tappytalk part duex

[Guest RobbieG]

I would agree that the maduro SS is superior to the Camaroon capped version and both are definitely infinitely better in the front half than the back. That particular vitola is tough to maintain a heat balance in such a small stick. They just smoke too hot in the back half. And "hot" is especially bad news with maduro cigars IMO. Just really accentuates that burnt wood characteristic...