If You Didn’t Smoke Cubans

[ElLoboLoco]

1 hour ago, StogieSteve23 said:

I'd be upset with the fact that CC's were out of the picture for enjoyment and flavors sake, but I wouldn't stop smoking cigars.  I still smoke plenty of NC's just more selective of the ones I do than I was before.  Lots of great NC marcas out there that deliver the same amount of enjoyment (not necessarily flavor profiles) for me.  

If that did happen, all of our collections would skyrocket in price and I bet few people would actually be selling them.  Just my personal opinion however. 

Agreed, there are some amazing Boutique Cigars out there. 

[PigFish]

I would likely not smoke cigars.

I was given a choice some decades before. I made a move because CCs were/are better. 

It remains a problem sorting cigar trash from smokable, enjoyable cigars, Cuban cigars or otherwise. The task was too difficult in the NC cigar world. While I enjoy smoking cigars, wasting my time and money on garbage is not a good use of my resources. 

Cheers! -Piggy

By my standards today... only Rob/Hamlet customs are NC cigars that I would smoke.

 

[TBird55]

2 hours ago, PigFish said:

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By my standards today... only Rob/Hamlet customs are NC cigars that I would smoke.

I concur.....

[rascalmonkey]

i've been smoking for 17-18 years - and switched to entirely CC after a few years

every time i try a NC about half-way through i think the same thought: "if this was all there was i'd stop smoking."

[Cigar Salute]

Before I started smoking Cuban cigars almost exclusively, I smoked about 2-5 cigars a week.  Maybe 2-4 Cubans a month.  After deciding that I didn't even want to bother with NC's anymore, I immediately began smoking every day, often 2-3 cigars a day.  Something about Habanos makes me crave them in a way I never felt for NC cigars.  I absolutely love & connect with Cuban tobacco on a level that I feel I would never have achieved with NC's.  If they were to magically vanish from the world market, I'm hoping I'd have had enough connections in the community to get a decent heads up, and I'd stockpile HARD!  If there was no warning, I'd cherish my current stockpile, and try to stretch it out as long as possible.  I think if many of us here were to ration our Habanos consumption to 1-2 cigars weekly, we'd likely be able to make them last quite a few years!  If they magically all vanished from planet earth, I'd probably find another hobby ?‍♂️ I RARELY find myself curious about anything NC coming out these days, and many of my old favorites from years just don't do it for me anymore.  I may smoke one here and there (few times a year...MAYBE)  but it would NEVER be on the level which I enjoy Cubans.  UGH, I can just imagine the cringe-inducing marketing that NC's would take if Habanos disappeared: "Introducing our latest blend "Neuva Vuelta Abajo"  This magical blend was crafted in the traditional Cuban method using the finest Nicaraguan ligero fillers from Ometepe with a special silky Ecuadorian CT wrapper using seeds smuggled from the Cuchillas de Barbacoa that travelled all the way to Ecuador inside of a condom tucked behind Hirochi Robaina's ? before the great extinction.  This 6.5 × 72 Super-Robusto is relentlessly "Cuban-esque", and is a true call-back to the Legendary Montecristo no 2 with it's barrage of heavy spices and leather raisinets.  And for those seeking a true harkening back to  centrally planned commie goodness, check out   "Havana Havoc!"  This Pete-Johnson blended masterpiece has his most potent leaves yet...Say it with us "We don't need no Esplendido" (in the Pink Floyd melody)

[Cazador]

Dion Giolito would be sending me personal thank you notes for my contributions to his business.

[GVan]

The above is a very interesting discussion for those of us relatively new to CC's (~ 8 month of collecting for me).  Been smoking cigars for over 30 years but mostly NC's and every once in a while a CC that a friend offered on a golf course or other social occasion.  I never really collected just bought a few boxes of what I liked to smoke and being in the US - this was NC's.

My first CC foray was a box of Monte 2's that I payed a crazy price for while golfing in Scotland.  Really enjoyed them but put them away in my Tupperdore and luckily forgot about them.  I still have about 8 of the (EAR FEB-02) left and now have an idea of what a well aged CC can taste like.  Same goes for a box of Padron 1964 Anniversary Maduro A's that I bought in 1998 and somehow had below the Monte's.  Finished those up with my boys last Christmas and we all agreed that they were as good as any cigar we ever smoked.

When I decided to get into CC's (shortly after I found FoH) I quickly realized that I needed to develop a plan or it was way to easy to just buy everything.  My current inventory is 714 CC's and 382 NC's.  The plan has 7 Objectives:  from (#1) Purchase, store and age enough cigars so that each calendar year I have enough good, mature cigars to smoke and share -- to (#5) Always have good NC's as a minor part of the rotation .....

My palate is still developing but, one thing that I am positive about (and is reflected in my plan) is that there are really good cigars out there from many places.  My humidor will have a varied collection of smokes that fit exactly what I like (my current rotation), what my family members like to smoke, what my friends like and recommend and even some really mild smokes for the "first timer" that wants to be one of the boys and smoke with us.

If all of the sudden I couldn't get CC's; (very possible with our ever changing social climate and crazy politics lately) I'd still have some great, mature NC cigars to smoke.  And, much like "preppers" do with food (and other items), I'd still have a few years of solid CC's to hopefully weather the storm. 

I'd gladly share my plan with anyone that wants to see it - it's a newbie's plan that is still a work in progress and clearly will evolve over time.  Just PM me your email and I welcome any and all comments on the plan.  Always willing to hear from anyone willing to share their wisdom and sound judgement from a lifetime of learning .....