- 14 Sticks, 1 night (not an adult film) -

[SmokyFontaine]

4 minutes ago, Wookie said:

Screw caps or composite corks...anything airtight for wine. Smoke permeates the palate much more insidiously than grape juice. Baguette can cleanse the palate for wine tasting....haven't found anything that does it for cigars. 

I don't think I would want to smoke two cigars back to back given the ability and time (at most, I could go one in the morning, one at night, but that's me), anyway, I was listening to a fella say that at some of the rolling factories in the DR, they will drink seltzer water, and eat a couple of unsalted almonds as a palette reset. The guy was at some level of business with General or Altadis, or some other massive cigar producing conglomerate. It sounded interesting enough that I was going to give it a shot. Something about the oils in the almonds doing a nice cleanse. 

Personally, I have noticed that a citrus-flavored sparkling water does wonders for cleansing as well. Stumbled across it after smoking, drinking a water, brushing teeth and going to bed, and not tasting that delightful morning after a cigar flavor in my mouth. Game changer for attempted morning festivities with the wife

[Ken Gargett]

bread is pretty good. fresh green apples, water crackers, a glass of water all help. 

as for seals, i'm not a great fan of composite corks but a lot depends on how much the winery will pay. 

[wine_junkie]

38 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

the difference with wine is that you can legitimately taste and spit and then move on to the next one. lot easier to do than umpteen cigars (i'm with colt on the cigars). 

ps - bottle variation would not be so significant if winemakers would only realise that screwcaps are an infinitely better way to seal wine than dead tree bark. but until then, absolutely agree. it is huge. 

Agreed! Although it wouldn’t help them with the more dominant and crippling problem of “pre-mox” (which doesn’t even taste like oxidization). I can’t tell you how many $500-$2k bottles have gone up in smoke because of that. Mainly in whites from Burgundy. 
 

To be fair I didn’t ask anyone there opinion on how I tasted and my process to arrival. I am not a teenager shooting my load looking for the last cigar brand to buy. I am not new to life or its riches...where do the comments of “don’t rush the journey” and the like come from? I have been smoking cigars on and off for 20 years.   I’m just getting back into the full swing of things. I have boxes of everything but Cohiba. I simply asked for direction on the Cohiba brand and every “I know better about what you’re doing, how could you” chimed in.  I appreciate the care for the hobby/passion and I’m doing it no disservice. 

 

Very Happy to have found this place but it could use a few less soapboxes.  ?

[Ken Gargett]

1 minute ago, wine_junkie said:

Agreed! Although it wouldn’t help them with the more dominant and crippling problem of “pre-mox” (which doesn’t even taste like oxidization). I can’t tell you how many $500-$2k bottles have gone up in smoke because of that. Mainly in whites from Burgundy. 

fortunately that seems to be largely fixed but they have done themselves so much damage. we simply call it the pox down here. so much damage to white burgs. mate of mine has probably poured $250K or more down the sink. he is not happy. still has that much unopened in the cellar and no idea what to do with it. 

the pox did wonders for other chardies from here, the states etc. i have not bought any white burgs for years. simply not worth the risk when so much good stuff from other places. do buy some chablis. 

[FHFinster]

I can’t say I agree with your method but that title is funny as heck.


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[wine_junkie]

3 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

fortunately that seems to be largely fixed but they have done themselves so much damage. we simply call it the pox down here. so much damage to white burgs. mate of mine has probably poured $250K or more down the sink. he is not happy. still has that much unopened in the cellar and no idea what to do with it. 

the pox did wonders for other chardies from here, the states etc. i have not bought any white burgs for years. simply not worth the risk when so much good stuff from other places. do buy some chablis. 

It has definitely NOT been fixed. Not by a mile. I still experience VERY often with producers like Ramonet, Leflaive, Roulot, Vincent Dauvissat, Leroy, etc.  wines that are 2015 and 2016!
 

Lafon used to be a HUGE offender as well.  

They truly have no real idea what causes it. There is scrutiny and a lot of guesswork....Leflaive thought it was corks. 
 

Coche Dury and Arnaud Ente have been lighter offenders.  

[Ken Gargett]

Just now, wine_junkie said:

It has definitely NOT been fixed. Not by a mile. I still experience VERY often with producers like Ramonet, Leflaive, Roulot, Vincent Dauvissat, Leroy, etc.  wines that are 2015 and 2016!
 

Lafon used to be a HUGE offender as well.  

They truly have no real idea what causes it. There is scrutiny and a lot of guesswork....Leflaive thought it was corks. 
 

Coche Dury and Arnaud Ente have been lighter offenders.  

leflaive was a huge offender. had varying experiences with some of the others. lafon for a while, as you say. don't recall ever seeing a coche with it, fortunately. plenty of others. 

heard endless theories from corks to fertilisers to cover crops to infections in wineries and more. 

but i'd say that we have seen far less of it in recent years. at least down here. 

[wine_junkie]

39 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

leflaive was a huge offender. had varying experiences with some of the others. lafon for a while, as you say. don't recall ever seeing a coche with it, fortunately. plenty of others. 

heard endless theories from corks to fertilisers to cover crops to infections in wineries and more. 

but i'd say that we have seen far less of it in recent years. at least down here. 

I agree...less with some producers and more with others unfortunately.  Even Pierre Yves Colin Morey suffers from it (albeit his older stuff) and he threw the book at pre mox....premium corks, wax tops, no batonage and tons of s02 on bottling.  They are fresh young but have had too many pre moxed as well ?. 
 

Love what the Loire valley is putting out as well and I can’t get enough Northern Rhone...

[Ken Gargett]

3 minutes ago, wine_junkie said:

I agree...less with some producers and more with others unfortunately.  Even Pierre Yves Colin Morey suffers from it (albeit his older stuff) and he threw the book at pre mox....premium corks, wax tops, no batonage and tons of s02 on bottling.  They are fresh young but have had too many pre moxed as well ?. 
 

Love what the Loire valley is putting out as well and I can’t get enough Northern Rhone...

the wax tops is an interesting one. if your cork works, it becomes pointless. we had a period late 70s of some makers putting corks under screwcaps, the first time they tried to bring them in. 

[Chibearsv]

3 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

the wax tops is an interesting one. if your cork works, it becomes pointless. we had a period late 70s of some makers putting corks under screwcaps, the first time they tried to bring them in. 

Like wearing a belt with suspenders

[leapingknown2]

I'm a brand whore!

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[Hollywood Ninja]

Oooph, all those smokes in only 4.5 hours? That’s quite fast smoking my friend.


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[Lotusguy]

To answer your question on Cohiba, the only ones I smoke regularly are Siglo III and CCE. These vitolas really speak to me and I prefer smaller cigars these days. I’d recommend you try them.

[Chibearsv]

I think if everyone answered your specific question, you’d here about every Cohiba. For my 2 cents, I’d recommend Esplendidos and Siglo V. Both are terrific elegant cigars. 

[HarveyBoulevard]

17 hours ago, wine_junkie said:

To be fair I didn’t ask anyone there opinion on how I tasted and my process to arrival. I am not a teenager shooting my load looking for the last cigar brand to buy. I am not new to life or its riches...where do the comments of “don’t rush the journey” and the like come from? I have been smoking cigars on and off for 20 years.   I’m just getting back into the full swing of things. I have boxes of everything but Cohiba. I simply asked for direction on the Cohiba brand and every “I know better about what you’re doing, how could you” chimed in.  I appreciate the care for the hobby/passion and I’m doing it no disservice. 

You posted a picture and people commented.  You post a picture like that and you should expect a few opinions.  It is a cigar forum for lovers of cigars and you posted a cigar murder scene...

Just like most things in life, people will provide you with their opinion regardless of whether you ask for it or not   No offense intended and you are entitled to your methods and opinions.  I'm glad you had fun and enjoyed yourself.

[rcarlson]

2 hours ago, HarveyBoulevard said:

You posted a picture and people commented.  You post a picture like that and you should expect a few opinions.  It is a cigar forum for lovers of cigars and you posted a cigar murder scene...

Yup.  Pretty cringeworthy.  

[Chas.Alpha]

I love the way everyone morphed this conversation into wine, because otherwise...?

[The Squiggler]

3 minutes ago, Chas.Alpha said:

I love the way everyone morphed this conversation into wine, because otherwise...

barring some minor offense given and taken, I think this discussion has been emblematic of the positivity of this forum.  The sampling method pictured may clash with people's sensibilities, but most are willing to discuss it constructively and with civility.  I find that it's a give-and-take when you engage in discourse with 'old heads'--if they're gracious in their impartment of knowledge and you're gracious in the receipt of that knowledge, discussion flourishes, everybody benefits.

[Derboesekoenig]

I hope that y'all weren't sharing those sticks ? 

But wow, that would be quite a night. I'd have to have zero alcohol, plenty of food and snacks, and many, many...palette cleansers.

[The Squiggler]

13 minutes ago, Derboesekoenig said:

I hope that y'all weren't sharing those sticks ? 

But wow, that would be quite a night. I'd have to have zero alcohol, plenty of food and snacks, and many, many...palette cleansers.

I gathered it was a 2-person pow-wow, 14 sticks fired up, puffed, compared and discussed over the course of 4.5 hours (each re-lit a few times presumably).  Considering OP is big into wine, I assume the process conformed to the OP's wine-tasting process (palette cleansers and the whole nine), but this assertion is purely speculative

*I don't mind letting an interested party puff on my cigar de jour so long as they don't hot-box it... nothing wrong with that in my mind... not that I'd let some bum off the street plant his lips on my smoke

[CanuckSARTech]

On 2/7/2020 at 5:53 AM, NYgarman said:

There is no way one or two people can smoke all those cigars within a day and have a clean palate and be able to differentiate different flavor profiles and nuances. And I speak from over 30 years of smoking cigars. BTW, hope you don't taste test wine this way also!

 

On 2/7/2020 at 6:01 AM, dshot said:

I know with my palate I'd be tastless/burnt after a few sticks. How did you manage to even taste the difference after a few or did you just smoke the first third on all of them? If you only smoke'd the 1st third then that's not a good representation of the whole experience. Cigars evolve as you burn them down. Take your time with them. My personal recommendation is to smoke them over 14 days and write down your notes so your palate is fresh every-time. 

This and this. But in the case of NYgarman’s comments, “only” 22 years so far for me! Lol.

Kinda cool photo to start things off (would look pretty neat printed large format and framed in a man cave). But then I started thinking...was this a Cigar Aficionado taste testing, where not even the first 1/4 or so of a stick is tasted, and you can’t really appreciate the full complexity of a cigar??? What’s the point then?

But even with the added comments that all were smoked 2/3s thru...

I think you did yourself a disservice. Too many intermingling flavours and muddied-together waters, IMO. If you ended up only smoking the starts like it initially looked, it’s a fail for wastage. But you said that wasn’t the case. However then, if you went back-and-forth between all of them constantly, it’s a fail because of cross-pollination while smoking. And if you smoked one at a time slowly after that picture, it’s a fail because after lighting them and letting them go out while sitting there waiting, a cigar goes acrid after about only 20 mins or so, and you won’t get the “fresh” flavour profile that that particular cigar might be special for.

Only win I see is for that picture though. Pretty cool.

On 2/7/2020 at 3:57 AM, wine_junkie said:

Hey all! Did quite the lineup last night. I purchased a whole slew of singles to narrow down my preferences and give me a general direction in which to indulge in the 24:24. 
 
If you’re curious about tasting notes I remember most of them quite well and will be happy to share if it piques your interest.  They were all high quality smokes and enjoyable in their own ways but for what I look for in a smoke the Cohiba Robusto stood out. 
 
I am no brand whore and as some others have stated and before I lit the smoke I gave the Cohiba the side eye. 
 
The Cohiba ended up being the clear winner for me. Not because I necessarily loved the flavor profile...it was the overall smoking experience....the depth/complexity - thickness of smoke - rich, creamy mid palate...overall just luxurious.  
 
The other sticks in this lineup were delicious and unique in their flavor profiles and experience but the Cohiba just spoke to me. 
 
That said, are there any other Cohiba’s you recommend I get my hands on? I have a box of Esplendido’s en route from a recent 24:24 and have had the most experience with Siglo VI in the past (which is the first cigar I got a buzz with and a little too rich at the time)
My flavor profile tends towards the Monte 2 and I do enjoy a great Lusitania and Hoyo Double Corona. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 
 
Thanks in advance!

 

On 2/7/2020 at 11:37 AM, wine_junkie said:

Agreed! Although it wouldn’t help them with the more dominant and crippling problem of “pre-mox” (which doesn’t even taste like oxidization). I can’t tell you how many $500-$2k bottles have gone up in smoke because of that. Mainly in whites from Burgundy. 
 
To be fair I didn’t ask anyone there opinion on how I tasted and my process to arrival. I am not a teenager shooting my load looking for the last cigar brand to buy. I am not new to life or its riches...where do the comments of “don’t rush the journey” and the like come from? I have been smoking cigars on and off for 20 years.   I’m just getting back into the full swing of things. I have boxes of everything but Cohiba. I simply asked for direction on the Cohiba brand and every “I know better about what you’re doing, how could you” chimed in.  I appreciate the care for the hobby/passion and I’m doing it no disservice. 
 
Very Happy to have found this place but it could use a few less soapboxes.  

To be fair, you DID ask people their overall opinions. You posted it - why get flustered at the various responses?

You say you have boxes of everything, but however, you also initially said you purchased a whole slew of singles to narrow down preferences. So I think my impression (and maybe others’ too) was simply to point out what a group consensus might say is a disservice to your journey. That’s all.

Again, great picture though, and hopefully a fun night with your buddy!


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[Derboesekoenig]

On 2/7/2020 at 5:07 AM, wine_junkie said:

To be fair I didn’t ask anyone there opinion on how I tasted and my process to arrival. I am not a teenager shooting my load looking for the last cigar brand to buy. I am not new to life or its riches...where do the comments of “don’t rush the journey” and the like come from? I have been smoking cigars on and off for 20 years.   I’m just getting back into the full swing of things. I have boxes of everything but Cohiba. I simply asked for direction on the Cohiba brand and every “I know better about what you’re doing, how could you” chimed in.  I appreciate the care for the hobby/passion and I’m doing it no disservice.?

Cool story bro

You seem to know what's best. Good luck

[Mikeltee]

Unlike bottles of wine, cigars change to quite a different degree in a box code and even a box. Like wine, every year will change but the DNA is still there.

 

Some cigars are horrible young, and excellent after proper rest. Some cigars are better young.

 

I dont even form an option on a cigar until I have had 5. That opinion will change when I broaden the vintage of said cigar.

 

I have never met a CC I didnt like. With 24:24, it seems the most expensive and hardest to get cigars go fast. This has absolutely nothing to so with how good the cigar is. When shopping on 24:24, look for the best bargain and/or unexceptional quality for that vitola. After a few months of daily viewings, it will finally click.

 

Bottom line is that your 14 stick test was probably a huge waste but it did make for a good thread, a story to tell the grandkids, and some good pics. CoRo is a great stick... I could go the rest of my life smoking only those, but like I said, I never met a properly aged CC that I didn't like. Some argue that cigars roll down the line and several different bands will be placed on that batch. Rarely do we see marcas with a unique vitola. With your palette, a blind test with several marcas in the same vitola would be a great experiment. Especially with rare double banders that cost 3 times the amount of the regular production. That would make a great thread... hint hint

[Derboesekoenig]

22 minutes ago, Mikeltee said:

Unlike bottles of wine, cigars change to quite a different degree in a box code and even a box. Like wine, every year will change but the DNA is still there.

 

Some cigars are horrible young, and excellent after proper rest. Some cigars are better young.

 

I dont even form an option on a cigar until I have had 5. That opinion will change when I broaden the vintage of said cigar.

 

I have never met a CC I didnt like. With 24:24, it seems the most expensive and hardest to get cigars go fast. This has absolutely nothing to so with how good the cigar is. When shopping on 24:24, look for the best bargain and/or unexceptional quality for that vitola. After a few months of daily viewings, it will finally click.

 

Bottom line is that your 14 stick test was probably a huge waste but it did make for a good thread, a story to tell the grandkids, and some good pics. CoRo is a great stick... I could go the rest of my life smoking only those, but like I said, I never met a properly aged CC that I didn't like. Some argue that cigars roll down the line and several different bands will be placed on that batch. Rarely do we see marcas with a unique vitola. With your palette, a blind test with several marcas in the same vitola would be a great experiment. Especially with rare double banders that cost 3 times the amount of the regular production. That would make a great thread... hint hint

That would have been much more beneficial. Pick a vitola or similar vitola in each marca and pull the bands off and do one of these blind. I wonder if your results will be skewed.

[Mikeltee]

1 hour ago, Derboesekoenig said:

That would have been much more beneficial. Pick a vitola or similar vitola in each marca and pull the bands off and do one of these blind. I wonder if your results will be skewed.

Prez does a blind contest where he selects 5 sticks, pulls the bands, and offers a prize to the winner. You are lucky to get 2 right. I believe all winners had 4 right. As far as I know, all of these sticks have been regular production so you are already looking at a 1 in 3 or so chance to guess it right. So all these guys around here smoking cigars for 30 years with extreme pallets are lucky to get 2 right when they have a 33.3% chance to guess it right.

 

Imagine doing this experiment blindfolded, tips cut off the perfectos and someone holding the cigar so you dont know the ring gauge. I am willing to bet you have just as much chance as winning the lottery as you do figuring out what you are smoking.

 

With all do respect... the cigar industry's marketing has more to do with flavor than the actual blends. At least with CCs, you are still going to be happy no matter what is underneath that fancy band. Ghurka just applys a real thick layer of lipstick to a pig.