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

[wine_junkie]

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!

[The Squiggler]

I'm a little confused.  Did you smoke all 14 cigars or just light them all and gather some impressions from the first few puffs?

22 minutes ago, wine_junkie said:

Cohiba Corona Robusto

Medio Siglo?

[wine_junkie]

Cohiba Robusto - my apologies. 
 

All cigars were smoked down 2/3’s ultimately...

[rcarlson]

Your tastes will change and circle back around over time.  Go for variety rather than focusing too much on one profile.    

[The Squiggler]

19 minutes ago, wine_junkie said:

Cohiba Robusto - my apologies. 

Gotcha, I was thinking maybe Medio Siglo since it kind of resembles a short robusto

19 minutes ago, wine_junkie said:

All cigars were smoked down 2/3’s ultimately...

Phew... that's relieving to hear.  I thought maybe you just lit them all for a taste and then smoked the one that grabbed you.  Part of the problem with sampling multiple cigars at once (or even in sequence), IMHO, is that the bolder cigars tend to pummel the palette, and the milder ones don't get a fair shake.  A lot of the sticks pictured, for me anyway, have a place in the humidor for certain occasions/to fit a certain craving.  I'd say make a record of your tasting notes and think about which ones you'd be most likely to grab for and put them on your wish list for 24:24.  I tend to make sure my humidor is stocked with a few 'large' cigars (typically churchills, some robustos... not a fan of the jawbreakers), a lot of small cigars (petit coronas and some panatellas), and as many of my favorite lonsdales, lanceros, and laguito 2s as I can get my hands on.  That way I've got something perfect for whatever occasion arises.  Of course, the task of stocking one's humidor is never complete...

[The Squiggler]

Also--and it's been said 'round here before--the discovery portion of your Cuban cigar journey is a special one (possibly the best and most exciting part, IMO).  Try to savor it.  Smoking something you haven't smoked before is an experience you only get to have once (or 5 or 10 times, given the consistency of some CCs).  I think it is very ambitious to sample 14 cigars at once in an effort to expand your knowledge and narrow your preferences, but the enjoyment you might have derived from sitting back and taking in the experience of each of those sticks one at a time could have been even more valuable.  It's obviously not my place (or anybody's) to tell you how, when, what, or how many to smoke... I just want to see you maximize your enjoyment.  Cheers!

[Kitchen]

41 minutes ago, wine_junkie said:

Cohiba Robusto - my apologies. 
 

All cigars were smoked down 2/3’s ultimately...

How did you not vomit; were you on a kidney dialysis machine filtering out all the nicotine?  

I would be on the floor by the 4th or 5th stick.  

[wine_junkie]

I completely agree and still have a varied cache of cigars.  Really looking for advice on what Cohiba direction to go to try but will always maintain a variance. 
 

This was with a buddy...not smoked alone!

[wine_junkie]

3 minutes ago, Kitchen said:

How did you not vomit; were you on a kidney dialysis machine filtering out all the nicotine?  

I would be on the floor by the 4th or 5th stick.  

Not smoked alone!

[Bri Fi]

@wine_junkie I’m now curious how you narrowed down your wine palate... 

[SCgarman]

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!

[dshot]

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. 

[wine_junkie]

Thanks for all the help so far guys ?

[wine_junkie]

4 hours ago, Bri Fi said:

@wine_junkie I’m now curious how you narrowed down your wine palate... 

Multiple ways on the wine front. Drinking wine has been a passion (sounds better than addiction ? ) for the last 20 years and my group of friends consume a fair amount of it. This passion turned into a business! My friend also runs the biggest Food and Wine event here in the U.S...

 

Some regions that we’re ignorant too we taste this way. We’ll get 6-10 of us and maybe 10-14 bottles of wine from the region. We’ll usually pick 4-6 top tier producers from the region and maybe 3-4 of their wines a piece ranging from the “best” wine they make to the entry level. (One vintage - usually considered “classic”) Open them, taste thru them quickly...take notes revisit...with food...without food...with hours on the decant, etc. 

 

That would just give us a starting point and we will further explore other producers other vintages and revisit our favorite producers from the last tasting. We constantly do this because as with all things agricultural, there are variances. Im this case, producer, storage, bottle variance (which is HUGE even with small production stuff like Grand Cru Burgundy)

 

[fungi]

Wow, that's quite the night! How many hours did this take?

[wine_junkie]

2 minutes ago, fungi said:

Wow, that's quite the night! How many hours did this take?

4.5 hours! It was a great night

[Bri Fi]

@wine_junkie the event sounds amazing. My wife and I are enthusiasts as well. We live in Northern California so we are pretty spoiled when it comes to selection. Many of us on the forum are wine enthusiasts as cigars and wine are very similar. Can’t say they pair well for me but I enjoy them both. 

[wine_junkie]

3 minutes ago, Bri Fi said:

@wine_junkie the event sounds amazing. My wife and I are enthusiasts as well. We live in Northern California so we are pretty spoiled when it comes to selection. Many of us on the forum are wine enthusiasts as cigars and wine are very similar. Can’t say they pair well for me but I enjoy them both. 

Oh, Wow! I’m down in Monterey but get up to San Francisco all of the time. Have you heard of Pebble Beach Food and Wine?

 

What kind of wines? We do tastings down here fairly often...

[Bri Fi]

I’m from salinas (Monterey’s black eye for everyone else reading this). I never had the chance to experience it, but I’ve heard amazing things. 
 

during the colder months my wife and I usually stick to cabs and barberras and in the summer it’s chards and the occasional sauvingnon blanc. 
 

It’s hard having a little kid, but we used to take trips to Carmel. So, when it becomes easier I may have to take the lady down there.  

[wine_junkie]

1 minute ago, Bri Fi said:

I’m from salinas (Monterey’s black eye for everyone else reading this). I never had the chance to experience it, but I’ve heard amazing things. 
 

during the colder months my wife and I usually stick to cabs and barberras and in the summer it’s chards and the occasional sauvingnon blanc. 
 

It’s hard having a little kid, but we used to take trips to Carmel. So, when it becomes easier I may have to take the lady down there.  

Ahh! Small world! Yes, absolutely love Nebbiolo, Barolo, Chard (unfortunately my taste pushed me to Burgundy) and pretty much any other varietal as long as there is balance in the wine making style and typically cold weather and high altitude. 
 

We’ll have to grab a smoke/drink soon!

[Fuzz]

4 hours ago, Kitchen said:

How did you not vomit; were you on a kidney dialysis machine filtering out all the nicotine?  

I would be on the floor by the 4th or 5th stick.  

That's a standard consumption rate for Havanathon (the night before is only 6 or 7 cigars). God, I miss those!

[Fuzz]

As for your foray into Cuban cigars, please take this advice, take the long winding back roads, not the highway. You're in for a very long and enjoyable journey, if the flavours are to your liking. I'm still learning what I like, and I have been smoking Cubans for more than 20 years (with a short break delving into NCs for a few years).

[El Presidente]

18 minutes ago, Fuzz said:

As for your foray into Cuban cigars, please take this advice, take the long winding back roads, not the highway. You're in for a very long and enjoyable journey, if the flavours are to your liking. I'm still learning what I like, and I have been smoking Cubans for more than 20 years (with a short break delving into NCs for a few years).

Amen ?

[Ken Gargett]

4 hours ago, wine_junkie said:

Multiple ways on the wine front. Drinking wine has been a passion (sounds better than addiction ? ) for the last 20 years and my group of friends consume a fair amount of it. This passion turned into a business! My friend also runs the biggest Food and Wine event here in the U.S...

 

Some regions that we’re ignorant too we taste this way. We’ll get 6-10 of us and maybe 10-14 bottles of wine from the region. We’ll usually pick 4-6 top tier producers from the region and maybe 3-4 of their wines a piece ranging from the “best” wine they make to the entry level. (One vintage - usually considered “classic”) Open them, taste thru them quickly...take notes revisit...with food...without food...with hours on the decant, etc. 

 

That would just give us a starting point and we will further explore other producers other vintages and revisit our favorite producers from the last tasting. We constantly do this because as with all things agricultural, there are variances. Im this case, producer, storage, bottle variance (which is HUGE even with small production stuff like Grand Cru Burgundy)

 

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. 

[Wookie]

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.