Smallclub Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 And your point is? after months/years of Nics and other tobacco bombs,your palate is clouded by the heavier tobaccos in these cigars. Years ago I smoked heavy hitters,LFD,Liga,etc....at the time I too could not enjoy a cuban cigar. Simply.
joeboxer Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 It sounds to me like you may be looking for strength that is not found in Cubans in order to feel satisfied with a cigar. Occasionally when I am craving something with strength that can deliver a little punch in the gut, I find myself reaching for NCs. Just a thought, but I definitely agree with previous commenters who suggested that you may need to give your body and taste buds some time to adapt to CCs.
mi000ke Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 I went (and am still going) through exactly the same experience as you. I have been smoking full bodied Nicaraguans for years (love the ligas, tats, my father, oliva, man o war, etc.) but wanted to finally see what the deal with CCs was. I purchased several boxes of CCs after doing a lot of reading and reseach (Boli BF, Parti Lusitanias, Parti 898, PD4, RASS, RyJ Cazadores, Monte #2, some cohiba behike singles, and rob's rotation sampler). My initial experience was that they were all awful - harsh and not much taste. I posted here, and the great brothers of habanos suggested they were too moist, and that was exactly the problem. I was keeping them at about 66% but after dryboxing for a couple of days, they were so much better. I now keep them at about 61-62%. I keep my NCs in a separate humidor at about 67% Next, they are just a different tasting animal altogether. I found myself overly critical and making conscious comparisons to my NCs while I was smoking the first few becase they were CCs and the experience was new. But as I learned to just lay back and smoke them and appreciate them for what they are my tastes began to adapt. I especaily needed to become used to the signature twang i get from all of them. But now they are one more great taste option. Not neessary better or worse than NCs, but certainly different. And finally not all CCs are created equal - just lke NCs. I also do not like RASSs (so far) but am putting them away for a while to see if that makes a different. I love the 898s and PD4s. The Boli BFs and parti Lusitanias are also very good. The RyJ Cazadores were not so much to my liking but again maybe age will help. One other thing. It can get very humid in the summer here in New England, and I smoke CCs only when the ambient RH is in the low 60s or below. Much above that and I get flavor problems again. Which for whatever reason does not happen with most of my NCs.
SloppyJ Posted July 10, 2015 Author Posted July 10, 2015 ^^ Thank you for the response! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
SCgarman Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 I'm scratching my head over this. Really? Why? Taste in cigars and all other things with flavor is subjective. Maybe Cuban cigars are just not his cup of tea. He seems to know what cigars he likes, and it sounds like he is forcing himself to try to enjoy something that just might not be for him. I drink Coca-Cola. You might not enjoy Coke and love Pepsi. To each his own.
jacksfull Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 Definitely watch the humidity level and make sure your hygrometer is calibrated. If it reads off a few % make a note of if its plus or minus and what % off it is. I like to not exceed 62% to 63%. ^ This It may not be the whole story, but it certainly makes a big difference. A lot of vendors store and ship very wet. Time to acclimate, as well as dry boxing, may change the OP's outlook.
DrinkSmokeGolf Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 Is this simply a case of time? Should I let my CCs rest for 6 months or so and try again? Yes!
SloppyJ Posted July 10, 2015 Author Posted July 10, 2015 Are there alternatives to dry boxing? In the summer here it's normal for the humidity to stay in the 90s. What other options are there? I thought about getting some lower RH boveda packs and making a tupperdor setup but that's the only thing I can come up with. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
jholen Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 I'm just about to hit a year in this hobby, so still very new at this. If I'm honest, I don't think I had the palate to appreciate the nuances and more subtle flavor typically found in Cubans (compared to most NCs), had I smoked them when I was new and probably even up until the six month mark. I've just now started appreciating them more in the past few months and see myself transitioning to a more balanced mix of CCs as well as the NCs I see myself still smoking (A. Fuente/RoMa/Aged LFDs/Padron). It should also be said that a lot of NC smokers come into CCs with unrealistic expectations. I remember being reminded by a veteran in the hobby that "CCs don't come with the promised BJ." I think many come into them expecting the world, when really they're expecting something to match the fullness in flavor/strength found in the NCs they've come to like, and feel underwhelmed.
Smallclub Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 Yes! No. If his Epi2 from June 13 and Monte 4 from Sep 13 are not good now to his taste, it's an education/taste/habit issue, the age of the cigars isn't the point.
DrinkSmokeGolf Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 No. If his Epi2 from June 13 and Monte 4 from Sep 13 are not good now to his taste, it's an education/taste/habit issue, the age of the cigars isn't the point. There are no hard and fast rules on how much age a Cuban cigar needs. I think the bigger issue is the cigars have not been resting very long in his humidor. He says he has acquired these sticks "over the last few months" I would guess these cigars will get much better in the coming months as they settle down from their journey.
Smallclub Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 I would guess these cigars will get much better in the coming months as they settle down from their journey. Habanos don't need more than a few weeks to "settle down from their journey", in the worst case. Again, the OP's problem is not the cigar, but his palate.
Lant63 Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 Habanos don't need more than a few weeks to "settle down from their journey", in the worst case. Again, the OP's problem is not the cigar, but his palate.I agree with this. Some of the best cigars I have smoked have been right after I received them. Sent by telepathic super powers -Stogie Boy
DrunkenMonkey Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 It sounds to me like you prefer non-Cuban cigars.
Quint Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 Habanos don't need more than a few weeks to "settle down from their journey", in the worst case. Again, the OP's problem is not the cigar, but his palate.I agree with this. I didn't like scotch years ago many of my friends did. I kept at it, a sip here and there until one day I actually enjoyed it. Then I started picking up the nuances of different ages and and different brands and now I love scotch. Same thing with gin martini's, my parents loved them when I was growing up. I thought the tasted like Christmas trees. I would sip from theirs here and there, make myself one, and again one day I enjoyed it and have never looked back. It's an acquired taste and takes time to realize the subtleties of cigarS, pipe tabacco, wine, scotch whatever. In the end it maybe "heaven forbid" he doesn't like Cubans. 1
jholen Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 I agree with this. I didn't like scotch years ago many of my friends did. I kept at it, a sip here and there until one day I actually enjoyed it. Then I started picking up the nuances of different ages and and different brands and now I love scotch. Same thing with gin martini's, my parents loved them when I was growing up. I thought the tasted like Christmas trees. I would sip from theirs here and there, make myself one, and again one day I enjoyed it and have never looked back. It's an acquired taste and takes time to realize the subtleties or cigar, pipe tabacco, wine, scotch whatever. In the end it maybe "heaven forbid" he doesn't like Cubans. Black coffee anyone? Don't think I've ever come across someone who enjoyed their first cup straight up.
Lant63 Posted July 11, 2015 Posted July 11, 2015 Black coffee anyone? Don't think I've ever come across someone who enjoyed their first cup straight up. Love black coffee.... now that is. I hate it with anything now besides the occasional drop of honey. Sent by telepathic super powers -Stogie Boy 1
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