Best Mild & Mild/Med Cigars from 2016

[rxavier1979]

So I'm new to CCs as some of you may know and I'm currently sampling many of the different CCs offered on the 24:24s and Rob's sampler packs. I tend to gravitate towards Partagas and Bolivar but last night I was blown away by an HdM Epi2 that I paired with a nice Pinot Noir. I found it have a medium body but extremely flavorful. Maybe I'm confusing body with flavor, but it was definitely a milder cigar than what I'm typically used to smoking, especially coming from NCs.

This got me thinking that I really need to understand what makes a good mild or mild/med CC and would love to get your thoughts on the best representations on a nice/complex cigar that fits this bill so I can stalk them out on upcoming 24:24s to give them a try.

Thoughts?

[jschrader510]

I'm pretty new as well and have found that HDM cigars (particularly Epi #2), Por Larranaga (PC's) and Montecristo suit my palate very well. I have also been meaning to try some Fonesca #1's but they sold out really fast the last time they came up.

H. Uppmann cigars, while having more body than most of the ones I mentioned(obviously depends) also suite my palate quite well (especially with a bit of time down). I've found reading through the forums and other people's opinions on the site to be very helpful in shaping how I have gone about trying different marcas / vitolas.

One last point, I noticed a big improvement in my smoking experience when I dropped the RH down from the mid 60s to right around 60% (thanks to Piggy and everyone else on the forum).

[SloppyJ]

I've been in the same boat that you're in OP. I am currently still on that journey. My favorites have been a SLR Serie A and PL Montecarlos. 

[JohnS]

I think our dear friends @Fugu and @NSXCIGAR would immediately think, "Get ready for lots of different replies to this one!" Then again I wonder if @Smallclub would think the same, then espouse the view that enjoying Habanos cigars with the quintessential 'Cuban Draw' (where there is enough resistance in the draw for the smoke not to come out in the clipped head) matters, once you've worked out your preferences (and it seems you have!).

I would add that if you can get well-constructed cigars, where you get a slight resistance, and they give off a good amount of smoke per draw, that is what you should seek. Then if you follow @PigFish's advice, you store them optimally.

You seem to favour 'earthy' cigars, I would recommend you stick with those as your 'go-to' allocation. The Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.2 will benefit from aging to get it super-mild and 'creamy'. In this case, you may find you don't favour 'creaminess'.

It's all a journey, but what I really think you are asking is, "What other marcas such as Hoyo de Monterrey" are light in strength because I'd like to seek them out. Be mindful that marcas such as Bolivar, Partagas and Ramon Allones are full-bodied, on the other end of the spectrum.

 

[Sophistic]

Age and low moisture content. Try to get your hands on 4+year old hoyo des dieux and hoyo du prince. 

[Siberian Bear]

From HDM lineup I would also suggest Epicure de Luxe. Another mild but flavorful - ERDM Choix Supreme. PLM is outstanding as well. Upper echelon: Trini Coloniales and Cohiba Siglo series.

[Texwrangler]

If you ever get a chance, H U No 1 is worth a try, not too aggresive, nice draw and nice aftertaste.  Of course this is just my humble opinion...

[Danimalia]

Cuba does "mild/medium, but with lots of flavor" very, very well. In that vein, I have recently enjoyed some H. Upmann Connie #1 and Majestics. Very nice, approachable cigars that really deliver the goods. Punch Double Corona, I'd consider medium, but it also had a bit of earthiness that I tend to associate with stronger cigars, so kind of a best of both worlds situation there. Lots of good stuff!

 

[Smallclub]

50 minutes ago, Texwrangler said:

If you ever get a chance, H U No 1 is worth a try, not too aggresive, nice draw and nice aftertaste.  Of course this is just my humble opinion...

I guess you mean the HU Connoisseur No.1, one of the best mild/medium habanos, and not the Upmann No.1, a lonsdale discontinued 15 years ago…

[Fugu]

Oh, "Get ready for lots of different replies to this one!"

Well to add another one, as you mentioned you like Bolivar, one of the mildest Bolis I remember was a 1999 cab of Coronas Gigantes, but very nice sticks. As quite typical whithin a marca's offering, the Churchill often being the mildest, smoothest expression of a blend (with the exception of Cohiba perhaps) with a nice evolution.

[rxavier1979]

2 hours ago, Siberian Bear said:

From HDM lineup I would also suggest Epicure de Luxe. Another mild but flavorful - ERDM Choix Supreme. PLM is outstanding as well. Upper echelon: Trini Coloniales and Cohiba Siglo series.

Lucky for me I have an ERDM Choix Supreme and a Trini Coloniales in my sampler pack and on deck to try in the coming weeks.

[rxavier1979]

2 hours ago, Danimalia said:

Cuba does "mild/medium, but with lots of flavor" very, very well. In that vein, I have recently enjoyed some H. Upmann Connie #1 and Majestics. Very nice, approachable cigars that really deliver the goods. Punch Double Corona, I'd consider medium, but it also had a bit of earthiness that I tend to associate with stronger cigars, so kind of a best of both worlds situation there. Lots of good stuff!

 

I definitely see that point and am completely loving it. It's like my eyes have been opened up to the truth after years of being in stasis state in a pod. My shameful attempt at a Matrix analogy...

And once again, lucky for me I've got a Connie 1 on deck as well!

[Orion21]

Years ago I asked these same questions on a different forum.  Having come from Non-Cuban cigars I found that almost all Cubans basically met these descriptions, but for varying reasons, compared to Non-Cuban cigars.  Sample as many as you can and enjoy!

[rxavier1979]

Super excited to sample these all. Here is my on deck lineup. I was thinking to try the Quai D'Orsay as I've heard that it's on the more milder side. I kind of assumed I wouldn't really enjoy it for that reason, but the fun is in finding out yourself.

 

I know the rule is no politics, but I'm definitely going to need a great cigar for tomorrow night. One for the cheers and another for the tears...

[foursite12]

I was going to suggest the Q d'O Coronas, which is in your photo.

IMHO, the Mag 46, LGC, JL2, Regios or RA Superior would not be considered by most to be mild.

The RACA exhibits a little power in the last inch or so but is generally on the milder side, with no lack of flavor.

[dicko]

San cristobal range is medium bodied imo

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[ksblazer]

I like the Rafael Gonzalas petite coronas for a mild but flavorful cigar.

[Bill Hayes]

H Upmann Connie A. Smooth, classy medium body IMHO.

[CdnLimitada]

I am not a big fan of full bodied cigars.  I can't stand most NC for that reason but I digress...

My favourite mild-med cigars:

HdM Epi 2

QdO Imperiales

Trini Reyes

Upmann PC

Only had one Connie A but it was outstanding and in the mild-med body

But my number one is the Connie 1

 

 

[Bohn007]

9 hours ago, Siberian Bear said:

From HDM lineup I would also suggest Epicure de Luxe. Another mild but flavorful - ERDM Choix Supreme. PLM is outstanding as well. Upper echelon: Trini Coloniales and Cohiba Siglo series.

You would consider the Cohiba Siglo series "Mild"?

[cashews39]

Does everyone consider recent vintage Hoyo Epi 2 to be mild/med? I find 2015/2016 to be much more flavorful than a few years back. I wouldn't call them full bodied, but solid medium. All relative to taste of course, just wondering if others have seen the shift that I have with one of my recent favorites. 

[Hurltim]

RyJ Churchill qualifies as mild/med to me. Be sure to get the rosado wrappers. Fantastic smoke.

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[rxavier1979]

17 minutes ago, Hurltim said:

RyJ Churchill qualifies as mild/med to me. Be sure to get the rosado wrappers. Fantastic smoke.

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I agree. I had the RyJ Churchill in Greece on the beach in Zakynthos. I'd bought a couple of RyJs for my fiancee, No1 and 3 and decided to get a Churchill for me. I tried some of hers and I wasn't impressed.  They weren't bad cigars, just not memorable enough to go out of my way to purchase again. So when I had the churchill, I was expecting more of the same and didn't have high expectations. I was floored by how delicious the flavors were and definitely a nice medium body to me. Went perfect with the greek beer I was having watching the sunset.  It did get a little bitter in the last third but I just chalked it up to perhaps being a bit young as well as the breezy conditions that were starting to cause burn issues. I didn't hold that against the cigar.

That is why I'm excited to try the RyJ Wide Churchill that I've heard so many good things about.  I might have one of those tonight while watching the political storm pass through this evening.

[Siberian Bear]

10 hours ago, Bohn007 said:

You would consider the Cohiba Siglo series "Mild"?

When I said mild(actually mild-medium), I meant strength, definitely not flavor! Siglo VI is one of the most flavorful sticks I've ever smoked, although my stash is running thin, I have only 3 sticks left from a 10 year old box. Compared to similar age CoRo, yes, Siglo is milder to me. Maybe current Siglo production is more robust, that's why I ordered Siglo II from recent 24:24 in the name of science  I usually prefer Trinidad, since I find their profiles VERY similar but cheaper

less expensive than Cohiba.

[NSXCIGAR]

There are lots of "mild" cigars, but the key is finding the more unusual flavorful/complex/rich mild as opposed to the "bland" kind of mild.
 

I'd have to also submit the RyJ Churchills of 2014-2016 as right up there as one of the best mild cigars being made right now.  I'd also say the PL Picadores I had earlier this year also fit the bill. The perennial choice is the ERDM CS. 

I'd have to also note that I think many HdM, Fonseca, QdO, SLR and JL--among others--have moved out of the "mild" category and into the medium category in recent years.