Yikes! What is going on with those RGs!!

[Philc2001]

54 minutes ago, Cep said:

What do you suggest we do to change it?   

Move, I did! 

Actually, I didn't leave because of sin taxes, I moved for the weather. But although Canada's sin taxes are high, they at least go toward paying for healthcare. There are far worse places to live.

[Erm310mce]

For me, up to 50 gauge has always been fine and I'd never really had a lot of smokes above 50 in my rotation. I've had occasional Behikes and other 52 gauge but that's been large enough. 

Last year I had a buddy go to Beirut and I asked him to pick me up a box of the 35th anniversary regional release. For some reason I thought they were robustos. When he returned they were 55 gauge montescos and I was disappointed. 

Then I had my first and totally changed my perception. They have been excellent: full flavor with a great draw. I truly look forward to each as they are some of my favorite smokes right now.

I also recently had a custom roll at 55 gauge that was mind blowing and I finally tried a wide Churchill that was excellent. 

I guess my perception has changed and now I keep an open mind. I would have missed out on some great smoking experiences if I just ruled out that 55 gauge box. 

[godpheonix]

2 hours ago, Erm310mce said:

For me, up to 50 gauge has always been fine and I'd never really had a lot of smokes above 50 in my rotation. I've had occasional Behikes and other 52 gauge but that's been large enough. 

Last year I had a buddy go to Beirut and I asked him to pick me up a box of the 35th anniversary regional release. For some reason I thought they were robustos. When he returned they were 55 gauge montescos and I was disappointed. 

Then I had my first and totally changed my perception. They have been excellent: full flavor with a great draw. I truly look forward to each as they are some of my favorite smokes right now.

I also recently had a custom roll at 55 gauge that was mind blowing and I finally tried a wide Churchill that was excellent. 

I guess my perception has changed and now I keep an open mind. I would have missed out on some great smoking experiences if I just ruled out that 55 gauge box. 

never said that big RG's don't have tasty cigars, it's just how fat does a cigar need to be? and that's the issue. i mean they roll out an 80th anniversary montecristo with a 55 rg....why? the only thing its got going for the fact it's HUGE is the dam price! ridiculous really! don't even get me started on the cohiba majestuosos or the 50th anniversary ones. i mean if your gonna roll out some of these anniversary editions, at least make more than one size, maybe add a corona gorda to the mix or something along those lines.

[Erm310mce]

9 minutes ago, godpheonix said:

never said that big RG's don't have tasty cigars, it's just how fat does a cigar need to be? and that's the issue. i mean they roll out an 80th anniversary montecristo with a 55 rg....why? the only thing its got going for the fact it's HUGE is the dam price! ridiculous really! don't even get me started on the cohiba majestuosos or the 50th anniversary ones. i mean if your gonna roll out some of these anniversary editions, at least make more than one size, maybe add a corona gorda to the mix or something along those lines.

No worries mate, I wasn't directing my comments to anyone, just general thoughts I had. 

I agree with you that some of these releases are incredibly expensive and too big. I am not a buyer of the 80th Monte, even though reviews have been very good, I'm just not interested. 

I guess my point was that as a smoker who does focus on what he likes in regular production, I've been pleasantly surprised by 55 ring gauge cigars this year. There are some really awesome smokes being rolled. Price aside. 

I don't like the size, but I can't deny the fabulous smoking experience they have given me. 

[QuaiDorkay]

Something to the fact that more restrictions squeeze out the every day cigar smoker in a way.  Then you get new and excited smokers looking for special occasion cigars which tend to be bigger.  Just a thought.  

[godpheonix]

2 minutes ago, Erm310mce said:

No worries mate, I wasn't directing my comments to anyone, just general thoughts I had. 

I agree with you that some of these releases are incredibly expensive and too big. I am not a buyer of the 80th Monte, even though reviews have been very good, I'm just not interested. 

I guess my point was that as a smoker who does focus on what he likes in regular production, I've been pleasantly surprised by 55 ring gauge cigars this year. There are some really awesome smokes being rolled. Price aside. 

I don't like the size, but I can't deny the fabulous smoking experience they have given me. 

i agree with you on the RyJ wide churchills, they tend to be very good and i did get a box of the partagas E series lately as well. so i'm not totally against it. but i get the same or similar profile from other smaller RG's in the RyJ and  Partagas line. that's the point i'm trying to make.

[Baldy]

1 hour ago, godpheonix said:

never said that big RG's don't have tasty cigars, it's just how fat does a cigar need to be? and that's the issue. i mean they roll out an 80th anniversary montecristo with a 55 rg....why? the only thing its got going for the fact it's HUGE is the dam price! ridiculous really! don't even get me started on the cohiba majestuosos or the 50th anniversary ones. i mean if your gonna roll out some of these anniversary editions, at least make more than one size, maybe add a corona gorda to the mix or something along those lines.

Well said, for those who like large RG cigars good on you.  Habanos SA is taking care of you that way.  For some of us who enjoy a smaller RG cigar more, throw us a few bones.

[Baldy]

8 hours ago, Philc2001 said:

Move, I did! 

Actually, I didn't leave because of sin taxes, I moved for the weather. But although Canada's sin taxes are high, they at least go toward paying for healthcare. There are far worse places to live.

For me it's not even about the taxes.  That I can understand.  However, allow grown men a place to smoke.  Allow Cigar stores to have a smoking lounge.  Allow us to smoke on some balconies.  Not all of us needs government protection from ourselves.  We are going to smoke anyways, prohibition don't work. AFAIK, the biggest veggie eater that works out 20 hours/day will still die.

No lounge, no balconies, no parks, no beach or any public place.  Next up for them will be no smoking within our house and garage.  It's coming.

[NSXCIGAR]

12 hours ago, cigcars said:

    * From the very beginning of when I became an aficionado of the Leaf, I'd be schooled by the various tobacconists about these ring gauge actions: it seemed that the larger and fatter the ring gauge on quite a few of these smokes - the more airy and light in flavor they were - practically NO taste or strength at all. The tobacconists would advise me that in actuality - this was just a ruse to make the public think they were getting more for their buck, when in reality the darn things would be deliberately underfilled with tobacco.  I have found this to be this to be the case even with some Regional releases. I'd acquired a fat corona gorda size Regional Por Larranaga for the UK market, and I might as well have been puckering my lips and just sucking in open atmosphere for all the tobacco quality there - and yes, this was from a legitimate vendor. The smaller petites and so on are generally nicely packed tight with enough leaf to be a very satisfying smoke for its short durability in time. But I've always been a lonsdale and torpedo shaped preferrer of the leaf. 

I do agree that large RG cigars since 2000 are frequently on the milder or blander side and I've previously offered my theory as to why. Aside from the fact that the North American market has for decades had a strong demand for larger, milder cigars I believe that Cuba has had a surplus of volado leaf relative to quality ligero and seco ever since Corojo was abandoned around 2000. These large RG cigars are a perfect method of disposing of it--particularly with special productions that will sell irrespective of quality and where no real consistency can be discerned from year-to-year. 

It didn't used to be that way, however. Most of the >47RG cigars prior to 2000 and certainly the mid-90s tended to be very robust in flavor. Of course, I don't believe there was any cigar with a RG over 52 from the Revolution until the introduction of the Sublimes vitola in 2004. Blenders used to take advantage of a large RG to create robust and complex flavors that simply couldn't be achieved in smaller RGs. So while I prefer RGs of 38-42 in general my favorite cigars were the BRC and the RyJ Ex4--50 and 48 RG, respectively. 

Now, personally, my main beef with large RG cigars is that in my experience, they are indeed more likely than <46 RG cigars to suffer performance issues and be less flavorful. As far as physical size, I personally prefer my cigars in the 38-46 RG range with my favorite RG being 44 which is only found in the Trini Coloniales these days and only ever appeared on a few vitolas ever made post-Revolution, most notably the BCE. I also tend to like cigars no larger than Churchills and Robusto Extra (Gordito) in general but I really do find 52+ RG parejos to be uncomfortable in my mouth. 

These days, do not judge a cigar by its size. A PLMC or MdO4 has as much flavor--or more--than many mega monsters. The HUPC is indistinguishable in flavors and strength from the HU No. 2. The RyJ Belvederes or even the Sports Largos can be more flavorful than the Ex 4, or even a Churchill.