Your daily cheap and cheerful

[TobaccoRoad]

Tapados ARS ABR 18. Burn and draw spot on. A little one dimensional on the flavors but that's OK sometimes too. Still like the Mananitas better though.

[TobaccoRoad]

HU Half Corona LMB JUL 18- first one out of this box. Good smoke- lot of bang for the buck.

[Bijan]

Fonseca Delicias. Probably best short filler cigar I've had. Not entirely convinced it was short filler. A little milder than I'd like but had that marshmallow flavour of Fonseca.

Quintero Panatela. Plain and dreary. Not much flavour. Smoked it out of habit more than anything else gave up somewhere in the final third.

[TobaccoRoad]

RG Petit Corona GOS JUN 17- Pretty good smoke- about 2/3 of the way through this box. They've all been well constructed- good draw, even burn, nice toasty wood flavors with a subtle pepper on the retro. Good smoke for me after supper on a work day when I'm tired and just want to relax and smoke without having to think too much. 

[TobaccoRoad]

Revisited the Tapados except did the water dip technique that I saw on this forum. Didn't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear but it did improve the smoke. Still one dimensional but I liked the flavors better. Before there was a strong mineral taste that I didn't care for. This cigar didn't have as much of that and had a creamier flavor. Almost a buttered toast. 

[Hollywood Ninja]

Revisited the Tapados except did the water dip technique that I saw on this forum. Didn't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear but it did improve the smoke. Still one dimensional but I liked the flavors better. Before there was a strong mineral taste that I didn't care for. This cigar didn't have as much of that and had a creamier flavor. Almost a buttered toast. 

Interesting. I’ve felt the same way about those smokes. I’ll have to give the dunk method a test. Did you wipe it down before smoking?


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[TobaccoRoad]

2 hours ago, Hollywood Ninja said:

Interesting. I’ve felt the same way about those smokes. I’ll have to give the dunk method a test. Did you wipe it down before smoking?


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After I dunked it I rolled it in a paper towel while I walked out to my shop. When I unrolled it the wrapper was sort of damp feeling but wasn't really wet.

[Bijan]

Partagas Aristocrats.

45 minutes. Spice, pepper and twang.

[Akela3rd]

Partagas Aristocrats.
45 minutes. Spice, pepper and twang.

One of my favourite cigars, cheap or otherwise. Glad to see there's someone else out there that appreciates these tasty little buggers.

Sent by spooky action at a distance

[TobaccoRoad]

Mille Fleur ESL OCT 18- out of my second box of MF's. These are OK but the first box- UEB ABR 19 was better. Good construction on both boxes but these are not as flavorful as the UEB box. 

[Bijan]

H. Upmann Epicures. It is one of two 35 ring gauge cigars left along with the RyJ Sports Largos. Both outstanding for the price.

Started with coffee and shortbread standard H Upmann flavours, then went to pepper in the second half of the first third and then later to citrus and shortbread in the second third, then back to H Upmann flavours with a tobacco taste during the final third.

None of the harshness I sometimes get with the smaller H Upmanns even the half corona. 45 minutes not quite to a nub.

Both the epicures and sports Largos are great value compared to the entreactos and the Petit Coronas as they can be had for $100 or even less a box and smoke almost twice as long as an entreacto and very close to a petit corona or about the same as a minuto.

They were always handmade unlike most cheap and cheerfuls so they are really in the same category as entreactos and minutos not petit coronas and cremas. The entreactos being 30x100 and the minutos 42x110, where the epicures are 35x110 and the sports largos 35x117.

I went heavy on entreactos (all 3) and minutos (much more the Partagas shorts, which I now regret as the other 3 minutos I like even better) this past year, but I think I'll look towards getting more of these 35 RG ones next year.

Edit: I didn't do my research  They were both machine made, before 2003 and 2002, for the epicures and sports largos respectively. Still solid cigars to me though!

[Bijan]

RyJ Sports Largos.

Cherry and a hint of charcoal. Then some rosewater and/or Turkish delight.

35 minutes vs 45 minutes for the Epicures above. But that one was heavy (6g) and this one was light (4.5g). I'd say 35-45 minutes is my range for these vs 20-25 minutes for an entreactos.

[Bijan]

Partagas Aristocrats. Spice and leather. A little light in flavour. I've had better luck with Romeo y Julieta cheap and cheerfuls lately, used to love the Partagas ones...

[Bijan]

RG Perlas. Bittersweet this time, rather than sweet.

[Bijan]

Super Partagas.

Mainly Partagas spice.

[Bijan]

Another Partagas Aristocrats.

[griller]

Love this subforum! Here's an H. Upmann Regalias from 2020 (can't remember factory code) that was just fantastic! Leather, cafe con leche, nuts, and that Cuban twang. Picked up a box for under $100 and looking for a 2nd now!

[Bijan]

RyJ Regalias de Londres. Solid 🍒 flavour.

[TobaccoRoad]

21 hours ago, griller said:

Love this subforum! Here's an H. Upmann Regalias from 2020 (can't remember factory code) that was just fantastic! Leather, cafe con leche, nuts, and that Cuban twang. Picked up a box for under $100 and looking for a 2nd now!

Absolutely agree! The HU Regalia is one of my favorites too.

[griller]

This is a HdM Palmas Extra from a 2020 box (again, sorry don't have factory code) that I lit up a few weeks ago. Got the box for under $100. Gave about 45-50 minutes of smoke, with flavor overtones of leather, earth, cream, and slight spice. Not a cream bomb like some other HdM sizes like the EE, Epi 1 and/or 2, but just excellent construction & flavors throughout. Would definitely recommend.

[TobaccoRoad]

Definitely my favorite Cheap & Cheerful- Mille Fleur ESL OCT 18. Not sure what it is about these but I just keep pulling them out of the humidor when I'm browsing for a smoke. Already over 1/2 way through my second box of these. I don't question these things. I just go with it. I've got more on the way.

[TobaccoRoad]

PLPC TOS FEB 17- keeping the Cheap & Cheerful Train rolling with another really good smoke

[griller]

Picked up this JP Conservas a couple of months ago (unfortunately factory & date unknown; came from a box of 5). Got to say I was impressed! Burn & draw were spot on, even with a wrapper that exhibited a couple of large veins. Flavor was mild to medium, with some "grassiness" at the 1st third, and overtones similar to some Montecristos I've smoked (No.'s 4 and 5). Right at the end of the 2nd third of the cigar, the flavor shifted to a bittersweet baking chocolate. Caught me off guard it was so distinct, as I wouldn't call my palate exactly refined. Anyhow, I took it down to the nub over the course of 80 minutes or so. I've got 4 more that will go great as I man the grill this spring (or am I allowed to say "man" anymore after reading our NASA thread, LOL). 

[Chibearsv]

On 4/13/2021 at 8:57 AM, griller said:

Picked up this JP Conservas a couple of months ago (unfortunately factory & date unknown; came from a box of 5). Got to say I was impressed! Burn & draw were spot on, even with a wrapper that exhibited a couple of large veins. Flavor was mild to medium, with some "grassiness" at the 1st third, and overtones similar to some Montecristos I've smoked (No.'s 4 and 5). Right at the end of the 2nd third of the cigar, the flavor shifted to a bittersweet baking chocolate. Caught me off guard it was so distinct, as I wouldn't call my palate exactly refined. Anyhow, I took it down to the nub over the course of 80 minutes or so. I've got 4 more that will go great as I man the grill this spring (or am I allowed to say "man" anymore after reading our NASA thread, LOL). 

Maybe the cigar tastes better than expected because you're drinking a Schlitz 🤣 - and out of an Old Style pint of all things.  You must've lived around Chicago at some point.

Your timing on this post is perfect since I was just considering buying and trying some of these.  Thank you!

[Mrcpt]

I love these little guys