Blend Suggestions?

[Guest RobbieG]

Hi guys, new member around here. Long time lover of the leaf revisiting Cuban cigars. I must admit that I've been disappointed recently with the last half dozen Habanos I've burned. The only thing I have to compare to is the relative heyday of the 80s. It seems like the processing of the tobacco is where many of late fall down - as if the fermentation process is rushed. Fine line between young and green...

In any case I thought I might reveal what my regular rotation is and ask the membership to list Cuban brands and vitolas you think would be a good place to start to rekindle my Cuban flame. Here's what is in my regular rotation for non Cuban sticks:

Padron 1964 diplomaticos/Torpedos

Padron 1926 #1/#9

Liga Privada #9 Toro

Liga Privada T52 double corona

Tatuaje 7th Reserva

Tatuaje Havana Cazadores

Tatuaje Black Petite Lanceros

Tatuaje Cojonu 2012 Broadleaf/Habano

Illusione Epernay Le Grande/Le Petit

Illusione Holy Lance

Illusione 888 Maduro

Opus X Perfection #2/Fuente Fuente

All pretty full bodied blends obviously. Thanks in advance for any steers you might give.

[CanuckSARTech]

Ramon Allones and Partagas.

[Diamondog]

I would take a look at the following:

Bolivar Belicoso Finos

Bolivar Royal Coronas

Bolivar Petit Coronas

Cohiba Siglo VI very pricey but worth every penny in my book

Cohiba Robustos very pricey but worth every penny in my book

Cohiba 1966 very pricey but worth every penny in my book

Cohiba Behike very pricey but worth every penny in my book

Cohiba Piramides Extra only had 1 of these so hard to make a final decision but it was excellent

Upmann P2

Hoyo Ep. Esp

Hoyo Ep. No. 2

Juan Lopez No. 2

Montecristo No. 2

Partagas Serie No. 2

Partagas Serie D No. 4

Partagas 898

Ramon Allones Specially Selected

Ramon Allones Small Club Corona

Ramon Allones Extra

Vegas Robaina Unicos

I had similar tastes smoking NC's. I have moved entirely over the last 2 years to soley Cuban cigars and these are staples in my humidors. When I shifted to Cubans I was coming from smoking in your face power house NC's and for a while I missed the pure strength. Too many NC's focus on pure power. Cubans are so much more balanced IMO on flavour and strength. If you are like me, it takes some time to adjust but I have never looked back...

[Marker]

Then just as DD did, firesale the NC.

[CaptainQuintero]

Bolivar Royal Corona

Romeo y Julieta Cazadorez

Partagas P2

Partagas 898v

Montecristo Edmundo

H.Upmann Mag 46

I think if you don't find any love for a few of the above then you might just enjoy the NC flavour profile more than Cubans nowadays

[Guest RobbieG]

Generic question to the above posters. Did you pick what you did because they tend to be on the full side of body as far as Cuban cigars go these days or flavor profile? (much of the NCs I smoke are in that sweetish cocoa, coffee with at least some and sometimes a significant amount of pepper, spice or both).

I guess if I forced myself to recall Cuban cigars that I liked partagas D4s and Ramon Allones Specialy Selecteds would make the list as would Monte 2s and edmundos and Belicosos Finos. I was never much for grassy notes and in fact down right despise the flavor sometimes enough to not be able to smoke the cigar. I associated Cohiba a lot in the past with that profile and with some exceptions generally haven't liked many Cohibas. I have had a few Behike 52s and 54s though which I loved. And the recent run of 1966 has been exceptional IMO.

Any more depth on body and flavor profiles as compared to nica blends will be appreciated. I will say though that I consider myself fairly experienced and one who can appreciate tobacco enough to know that while Cuban soil does produce certain flavors which can't be found elsewhere, the fermentation and bale aging of the leaf and the care at that stage is much more important than growing region. I chuckle sometimes when people taste poorly fermented Cuban cigars and immediately just default to it being young. It doesn't matter how long you lay down a green cigar. It's gonna be green in ten years too. lol. Like the flavor profile or not it's tough to beat the consistency of NC cigars these days. So many great cigars it's tough to find a bad one. And they all tend to draw well with hardly any plugged sticks, etc. But then again, there are very few subtle nica cigars and that is something I miss. To be honest the Illusione Epernay and Holy Lance are the only two cigars from the region i have found that absolutely hit it out of the park as more subtle but insanely complex cigars. Of course with Cubans that is more the norm profile so I'm looking forward to discovering. Hopefully the co sistency of the blends and construction will continue to improve. Nice to have someone like Rob who is a true lover of the leaf and knowledgeable to make acquisition of the better boxes possible in the event of inconsistencies. I'm rambling. Any comparative info on body and flavors will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[cigcars]

I would take a look at the following:

Bolivar Belicoso Finos

Bolivar Royal Coronas

Bolivar Petit Coronas

Cohiba Siglo VI very pricey but worth every penny in my book

Cohiba Robustos very pricey but worth every penny in my book

Cohiba 1966 very pricey but worth every penny in my book

Cohiba Behike very pricey but worth every penny in my book

Cohiba Piramides Extra only had 1 of these so hard to make a final decision but it was excellent

Upmann P2

Hoyo Ep. Esp

Hoyo Ep. No. 2

Juan Lopez No. 2

Montecristo No. 2

Partagas Serie No. 2

Partagas Serie D No. 4

Partagas 898

Ramon Allones Specially Selected

Ramon Allones Small Club Corona

Ramon Allones Extra

Vegas Robaina Unicos

I had similar tastes smoking NC's. I have moved entirely over the last 2 years to soley Cuban cigars and these are staples in my humidors. When I shifted to Cubans I was coming from smoking in your face power house NC's and for a while I missed the pure strength. Too many NC's focus on pure power. Cubans are so much more balanced IMO on flavour and strength. If you are like me, it takes some time to adjust but I have never looked back...

+ what he said

[Guest RobbieG]

Yes, I forgot to mention VR. Never had one I didn't like. And the RASS and D4s have traditionally hit the mark for me. Every Cohiba I've had with the exception of the Behikes and the 1966 has had some of those vegetal grassy qualities. I do absolutely LOVE the honey and cream aspects though so if I can ever have that minus the grass I'd go to the ends of the earth to get it.

[CaptainQuintero]

Maybe try the Por Larranaga Robusto or Belicoso Extra from Asia Pacific 07 and 08 release, still plenty around (Rob has them in stock) they are honey and sweet toasty tobacco that builds up into a dark and broody smoke

[Guest RobbieG]

I have to say though maybe my pallet is just sort of reconditioned for fuller body but I haven't found the most recent RASS or D4s to be very full bodied. I suppose what Nica calls medium body is pretty full for Cuba and likewise even the highest priming ligeros from Pinar del Rio have the body of visos from Esteli...

[Diamondog]

I have to say though maybe my pallet is just sort of reconditioned for fuller body but I haven't found the most recent RASS or D4s to be very full bodied. I suppose what Nica calls medium body is pretty full for Cuba and likewise even the highest priming ligeros from Pinar del Rio have the body of visos from Esteli...

I was only smoking power house NC's, Padrons, Opus, Tats etc and it took me a while to "recondition" my pallet. What I found as I smoked more and more Cubans my perception of strength changed because of what I was smoking and many of these listed have now become the full cigars that I gravitate to. About a year ago I still had some LFD's left and I fired up an airbender and it layed me out, whereas a year prior I could smoke one for breakfast...

[maverickdrinker]

4 marcas: cohiba, RA, Montes and Trinidads....

[Guest RobbieG]

I was only smoking power house NC's, Padrons, Opus, Tats etc and it took me a while to "recondition" my pallet. What I found as I smoked more and more Cubans my perception of strength changed because of what I was smoking and many of these listed have now become the full cigars that I gravitate to. About a year ago I still had some LFD's left and I fired up an airbender and it layed me out, whereas a year prior I could smoke one for breakfast...

Yeah, of course body and strength are two different animals though often used interchangeably, but I hear you. I can and do smoke Padron 80 years or Opus #2s for breakfast, and then can have another one back to back on the golf course just afterward. Nicotine tolerance ebbs and flows, but it will be interesting from a flavor perspective. I can't see myself ever forsaking my love for those cigars though. Just different animals. Nica is firing on all cylinders these days. Just amazing tobacco and the bar is just so high in terms of caring for it. The Cubans have supply and demand issues that force them to cut corners on a lot of the tobacco. I'm looking forward to the day when guys like Padron and Saka and Pepin can bulk and bale age and blend tobacco from both regions. How wonderful to experience the best of both worlds. Ive always been a little annoyed when people compare the two and make a "this is best" judgement. Two different animals. For starters the process is so different. In Nica, really thick leaf is en vogue and is piloned for so long and much is bale aged for such a long time. So the cigars are ready to smoke and usually don't benefit as much from aging. Whereas in Cuba the tobacco is fermented less and then rolled much quicker with the expectation consumers will be aging the tobacco as complete product