Cigar flavors enhanced by...

[BTWheezy]

The day you had??

Today has been insanely busy and stressful for me. After (literally) 11 hours of Zoom, I fired up a Mag 46 from a box that has been really good, but not what I’d call *excellent*. But this particular stick was excellent!  One could chalk it up to intra-box variations, but I also think it might be my mental state right now.  Have you ever experienced this?  A good cigar that was became as a great cigar, simply because of a long, rough day?

The bourbon might be a factor too.  Hard to say...

Hope you are all well and healthy!

- Wheezy

[JohnS]

Yes, just yesterday in fact. I had a stressful day which required driving my daughter after work in traffic from back to where I came from. I figured I deserved a treat when I finally got home. A Sancho Panza Non Plus from 2018 (to see how the box is coming along) enhanced by a delicious Mint Julep.

[NSXCIGAR]

I don't know--I've had several boxes over the years where one cigar in the box was by far better than the other 24. 

[rcarlson]

Gotta be in my chill zone for the Weezy Effect.  Couldn't do it after an 11 hour stress-a-thon.  Takes me longer than that to decompress.  Bourbon helps though. . . 

[rcarlson]

Gotta do it another time.  Non-work priorities for me tonight.  

[mrmessy]

The one cigar that my father and i shared together before he passed was the epi2. Not my favorite cigar, but every time i light one up, it's the best damn tasting cigar ever.

Sent from my SM-N976U using Tapatalk

[JohnS]

10 minutes ago, BoliDan said:

You jerks are up. Let's Zoom

Haha, I wish I could. My sabbatical at home ended a few weeks ago. Will need to be weekends for the foreseeable future.

[BTWheezy]

I’m done smoking for the night.  And halfway in the bag.  ?

[StogieSteve23]

Glad you enjoyed it, Weez. A good cigar and stiff pour are many a times the perfect remedy to get over a long day.  

[djrey]

State of mind can make or break any experience imo. When I sit outside on a beautiful Friday afternoon after getting out of work, fire up that cigar. It’s about the best damn thing in the world.

[medzikone]

7 hours ago, StogieSteve23 said:

Glad you enjoyed it, Weez. A good cigar and stiff pour are many a times the perfect remedy to get over a long day.  

TBH when I had a stressful day I prefer not to drink. Cigar - yes, alcohol - no. 

Maybe it's silly but I don't want to tell my brain: stress = alcohol.

He's already know that: new day = expect cigar, you deserved it

[Fuzz AI]

9 hours ago, JohnS said:

Yes, just yesterday in fact. I had a stressful day which required driving my daughter after work in traffic from back to where I came from. I figured I deserved a treat when I finally got home. A Sancho Panza Non Plus from 2018 (to see how the box is coming along) enhanced by a delicious Mint Julep.

Mint julep? Did you also dress up in a white suit as well?

[JohnS]

9 hours ago, Fuzz said:

Mint julep? Did you also dress up in a white suit as well?

[WalterG]

I'm honestly the other way around. I've learned from my mistakes but there has been times where I'd light up a nice stogie after a stressful day but I don't enjoy it. I find that if my day was not as stressful then I will enjoy my stick better. But hey that's just me haha.

[Colt45]

I don't know that I've had actual flavor enhanced by stress / state of mind, but I've surely had cigars make me feel the weight lifted from my shoulders.

[Pharmacovigilant]

I find that my state of mind, bourbon-induced or otherwise, can definitely have an impact on my perception of cigar flavor and overall enjoyment of the experience.  When I think of the “best” cigars I’ve ever had, I often wonder whether it was truly an exceptional cigar or the fact that I was just in a good place at the time.  I’m sure it’s some combination of both - and that’s fine with me.

[Glass Half Full]

On 8/17/2020 at 10:10 PM, NSXCIGAR said:

I don't know--I've had several boxes over the years where one cigar in the box was by far better than the other 24. 

This is a bit of an old thread, ...but that's the beauty of FOH:  You start looking up things, and end up learning and wanting to share, ...and then learn more from the added responses. 

I have to agree with NSXCigar that there can be wide variations within the same box of CC's, and (when the gods are smiling) things you least expect can be almost transcendent.  That, to me, is part of the beauty of Cuban cigars.  (NC's are very consistent, but relatively few are transcendent.  It's happened for me more than a few times, notably with the La Escepcion Selectos Finos, and (on occasion) with Trinidad and with some other special or aged regular production cigars (...though I must admit that expectations may have often played a role).  (Kind of like the incredible dining experience or a wonderful movie either of which you'd entered with lesser expectations and then were "Wow'ed!" by the experience.)   ...But in saying that, I must say reiterate that -- in my relative inexperience -- I've found CC's to be inconsistent, and in a strange way that is part of the allure.  The baseline for most CC's is good to VG, ...but on occasion they raise to the spectacular like few others.  Just my 2 cents. 

[NSXCIGAR]

2 hours ago, Glass Half Full said:

That, to me, is part of the beauty of Cuban cigars.  

I don't know about that--I'd like them all to be as good as that one. Or at least flip it to 24 great and one dud. 

I can tell you that in the 90s that it was much more likely to be that way. I recall smoking entire boxes of 25/25 winners. Usually it was at least 23 winners. 

I miss those days. 

[BuzzArd]

Bri, I’ve had that experience with boxes of Mg46 anyways.  One excellent, the rest just okay.  Haven’t bought a box in 5 years now.  
But I will say state of mind certainly has an influence as does the company I’m keeping during the smoke. It’s an interesting phenomenon, but I certainly think it’s valid.