Your surprise cigar

[Buffalo]

After smoking a Upmann Majestic yesterday and being pleasantly surprised with just how good it was, I am curious who here has had that same experience with smoking a cigar in which you didn't have high expectations, but subsequently became a fan. 

[Cubadust]

Had my first Partagas Habaneros two months ago, been laying in one of my singles boxes for I don’t know how long. Pale, wrinkled wrapper. I honestly thought that I would pinch it half way through before I smoked it. I ended up nubbing it and it’s one of my top 5 cigars this year and I bought a box the next day.

[MrBirdman]

HdM San Juan - really don’t like fat cigars but the cream flavor was off the charts delicious and I bought a box. 

[JohnS]

Mid-2018 Romeo y Julieta Exhibicion No.4. I wasn't expecting anything but a recommendation from a dear friend (yes, you know who you are!) has seen the first three cigars smoked in the last few weeks all deliver in the flavour department!

[99call]

Trinidad Coloniales is a wayward gun. Indeed it's liable to miss the target completely 4 times out of 10.   But when it hits, Lordy does it hit.     When they get it right it's the De Dieux of the Trini line.  Sandalwood. Cashew nut. Sweet Donuts. Flowers. Slight umami savoury note......a triumph in blending.....would love to hit a seam of good boxes/codes

[RDB]

Rafael Gonzalez PC. Can be dismissed as just a mild stick, but when it’s on it’s the total shiznitz.

[Thatsze]

Punch 48, first two I had were meh, pretty mild. Every single other one I've had from the box has been exceptional. I like the profile much more than Punch's regular production. It's got the same spice in the background, but the peanut flavors are turned up a notch. I just wish Punch had cigars with the same notes in a thinner vitola for more intensity than the 48. The Punch 898 does that for me, but I cant buy or smoke those regularly ?

[NSXCIGAR]

3 hours ago, JohnS said:

Mid-2018 Romeo y Julieta Exhibicion No.4. I wasn't expecting anything but a recommendation from a dear friend (yes, you know who you are!) has seen the first three cigars smoked in the last few weeks all deliver in the flavour department!

I had to jump on the bandwagon earlier this year after hearing some very positive things about them and I got a 6er of ABO AGO 18s. Unfortunately, I was not pleased. Murky, muddled, tannic. I had to give some away. As one of my favorite cigars in the 90s I want to like these again so badly but every few years I try some and I keep striking out. 

As for my biggest surprise, I guess I would have to say JLP Petit Cetros and Partagas Chicos. Largest disparity between expectation and experience. 

[toto]

bought a few boxes of RnJ no.1 in A/T as give away cigars.  Gave most away then I had one.  Blew me away w the strong candied cherries and molasses cake profile.  I don't seem to be able to find strong cherries flavor in any of my other RnJs.  Should have tried and kept a few of the boxes.

[99call]

10 hours ago, Lrabold89 said:

good luck! lol ...i get mostly boring woody flavors out of a good 75 percent of these that i smoke

Sort of why I put it in the surprise cigar category.........

The first few boxes of Coloniales I bought were consistently excellent, and I continued to buy with those expectations, but the last two boxes I've smoked through have been very wayward,  that said within those wayward boxes where were a few 93-95 point cigars.  

Hence, much like a Monte 2 which can be extremely average 70% of the time,   when you get a good one, they can rank well up there with some of the best CC experiences. 

[Deeg]

1 hour ago, 99call said:

Sort of why I put it in the surprise cigar category.........

The first few boxes of Coloniales I bought were consistently excellent, and I continued to buy with those expectations, but the last two boxes I've smoked through have been very wayward,  that said within those wayward boxes where were a few 93-95 point cigars.  

Hence, much like a Monte 2 which can be extremely average 70% of the time,   when you get a good one, they can rank well up there with some of the best CC experiences. 

Have you guys noticed any trends with these - box codes, anything that would improve the odds?  I'm toying with jumping on a box but too many posts like this scare me a little.

[Joeyjojo]

Partagas Mille Fleur.

I bought a box as they were good value for money, and when they arrived they looked a bit 'rustic' to say the least.

But to be fair, they smoked really well and had the classic Partagas flavour profile and the box ended up empty a lot quicker than I anticipated.

[99call]

54 minutes ago, Deeg said:

Have you guys noticed any trends with these - box codes, anything that would improve the odds?  I'm toying with jumping on a box but too many posts like this scare me a little.

I would wait for El Pres to put up some PSP.   

They smoke very well, with a straight colorado wrapper, good sheen, and uniformity of roll across the box.     It's the boxes of anaemic, claro,  that tend to smoke like sour tasting paper.    If you see boxes with dull, thin, claro wrappers,  I would give them a strong pass. 

Boxes that I've gone through that were awesome were RAG 18's I think

[Deeg]

2 hours ago, 99call said:

I would wait for El Pres to put up some PSP.   

They smoke very well, with a straight colorado wrapper, good sheen, and uniformity of roll across the box.     It's the boxes of anaemic, claro,  that tend to smoke like sour tasting paper.    If you see boxes with dull, thin, claro wrappers,  I would give them a strong pass. 

Boxes that I've gone through that were awesome were RAG 18's I think

Thanks, much appreciated.  What is RAG now - BSM?

[99call]

30 minutes ago, Deeg said:

Thanks, much appreciated.  What is RAG now - BSM?

Not much of a code follower, so i'm not sure.  All I recall is that there was a really bad period for Coloniales through 17 then an uptick came accross for both them and the Fundies in the RAG 18s.

Just my opinion, but rather than codes, I think with these cigars it's going to boil down to just the in box appearance, aroma  etc   Again an El Pres PSP pick would steer you where you want to go