I woke up screaming

[Perla]

If it doesn't vibrate, I don't like it. 
Just saying 

[Cigar Surgeon]

16 hours ago, mprach024 said:

You are missing out, don’t close your mind too quickly.  The HDM Rio Secco and Trini Topes are some of the best cigars in production the last 2 years.  

You're not wrong. I absolutely abhor large ring gauge stuff and I bought a box of Topes. 

 

So I've had a few 'off the record' and frank conversations about large ring gauge stuff with manufacturers, shop owners and consumers in the NC market about this. Primarily because large ring gauge stuff just pisses me off. It's a waste of good tobacco, and if you go look at what a 'Master Blender' or the GM or any significant person is smoking in the factory, it's a corona, lonsdale, or something similar.

Because they know from decades of experience that a smaller ring gauge cigar is just going to be a better, more elegant cigar.

One of the brilliant a-ha moments I had was hanging out with a friend in Chicago. He said 'Surgeon, we're not all 5'9" medium shirt wearing guys from Canada. I'm a big dude, with big hands, and I want a cigar that looks and feels comfortable for me."  At least I can understand where the instinct comes from, that makes sense to me.

I think the real root cause is that a large percentage of tobacconists in the US don't have any interest in educating their clients and are just looking for the SKUs to turn. So if someone wants to come in and buy a handful of super large ring gauge stuff they're happy to sell it. These are the same shops that will claim small ring gauge stuff just doesn't sell for them, meanwhile down the road there's a shop where their number one vitola seller is lanceros.

I can confirm from my time in cigar retail, even up here in Canada, large ring gauge stuff absolutely flies off the shelf. 

[rckymtn22]

This cigars have Monica's seal of approval! 

[Akela3rd]

Mel Ramos Hav-a-Havana #9 2014

Sent by spooky action at a distance
 

[Meesterjojo]

Jaysus. That's too big. Who wants something that big in their mouth? How is that enjoyable? 

I bet it's not nice tobacco. Like flavored coffee- it's garbage with a pretty wrapper. 

I'm deeply offended looking at it.

[SCgarman]

23 hours ago, Cigar Surgeon said:

You're not wrong. I absolutely abhor large ring gauge stuff and I bought a box of Topes. 

 

So I've had a few 'off the record' and frank conversations about large ring gauge stuff with manufacturers, shop owners and consumers in the NC market about this. Primarily because large ring gauge stuff just pisses me off. It's a waste of good tobacco, and if you go look at what a 'Master Blender' or the GM or any significant person is smoking in the factory, it's a corona, lonsdale, or something similar.

Because they know from decades of experience that a smaller ring gauge cigar is just going to be a better, more elegant cigar.

One of the brilliant a-ha moments I had was hanging out with a friend in Chicago. He said 'Surgeon, we're not all 5'9" medium shirt wearing guys from Canada. I'm a big dude, with big hands, and I want a cigar that looks and feels comfortable for me."  At least I can understand where the instinct comes from, that makes sense to me.

I think the real root cause is that a large percentage of tobacconists in the US don't have any interest in educating their clients and are just looking for the SKUs to turn. So if someone wants to come in and buy a handful of super large ring gauge stuff they're happy to sell it. These are the same shops that will claim small ring gauge stuff just doesn't sell for them, meanwhile down the road there's a shop where their number one vitola seller is lanceros.

I can confirm from my time in cigar retail, even up here in Canada, large ring gauge stuff absolutely flies off the shelf. 

I know for fact that non Cuban cigar makers still make coronas, lonsdales, and even lanceros. So there is still some sanity within the industry, despite these ridiculous and in my opinion "novelty" sized cigars. I pay no attention to them and basically find them comical. And the folks that buy these are more concerned with the way they look smoking these donkey poles than the actual smoking experience of the cigar. It is merely "flexing", just like posing with an expensive car, watch, gold jewellry or any other "en vogue" item. 

[Enduin]

Asylum 9x90 'nuff said. Yes that is a 90RG cigar. It started as an April's fool and instead people started asking where they could buy it because they didn't understand it was a joke. The demand was so high that they ended up making the cigar for real. You can't make this up...