Can you rank your Double Corona\'s For me.

[El Presidente]

Can you rank your Double Corona's For me.

I received an epmail from Havana this morning which in part asked for my opinion on the current state of DC's.

I have struggled with recent DC's excluding the SLRDC and occasional Cab of Partagas.

Can those that have smoked a DC over the past say 90 days, provide me a summary of your experience and perhaps a month code of the DC you have smoked.

If you have smoked several...do one for each and rank them for me.

The Double Corona is not a cigar which I reach for often and your input will certainly improve my understanding of how they have been performing. I have had some mixed experiences and am struggling to get a consistent line of thought.

[habanohal]

Hoya DC - TO mild. Barely no flavor for me. Like something is missing. One dimensional.

Partagas Lucitaina- Alright normal Partagas flavor. Still mild. Not really any change through the cigar

SLR DC- Great flavor and strength. Nothing like the rest of the marca.

LGC Tainos- probably thew best DC I have ever smoked. Very full of fruity and mixed cream flavor. Changeing through out with spice towards the end.

H. Upman Monarcs- Flavor is spot on. Again with spice towards the end but with 2 inches left it starts to get to spicy where it burns the skin off your cheeks.

I do wish someday (SOON) LGC can start rolling Robusto or Corona Gorda cigars.

My feeling on most o f the larger formats , especially DCs' is that the flavor is lost. I would rather smoke 2 robustos than a DC.

Too mild for my tastes and not enough filling flavor to be satisfied.

[smokum]

I picked up the 5 singles selection a while back...I thought the Hoyo was damn good with lots of smooth flavor...coffee and cream...not strong at all but very good down to the nub...thats was a couple weeks ago and they have been sitting in the humi for a few months. I wanted to order a 25 box but all that is available was cab or 25 loose and I need that damn box for storage !The others I tried OTT... Party DC I tried was not at all good to my tatse buds..which was quite a disappointment to me..I can't recall the VR ,Punch or SLR...but it was a waste to smoke any of them OTT...if I find a couple hours this weekend I will give the VR and Punch another shot.

[Colt45]

I won't be much help here, but will throw in my two bits just the same.

The SLR and HdM are the only DCs I've smoked multiples of.

SLRs have been from '05, most recently smoked in May '07. The best example to date,

but I feel they are still far from peak. High quality all around.

HdMs have been from '02. Also high quality. I enjoy them, but I find they lack just a bit

of depth.

VR Don Alejandro - smoked June '07. Slightly underfilled and a bit bland.

RAG - the one I have smoked had a channel running the length that kept smoke volume

to a whisp.

Punch DC - I honestly don't recall this one, which leads me to believe it was no great shakes.

Partagas Lusitania - a very loose draw prevented the flavor from coming to the fore,

but what flavor there was to be had was enjoyable.

To be quite honest I much prefer the churchill for a large format.

[Sandman]

Punch DC's from 03 and 06 are excellent. Medium-full bodied, sweet, honey, woody deliciousness. The main thing that stands out for me is that they are consistantly great cigars, and I have smoked quite a few in the past 3 months.

The only other DC I have smoked recently has been an 06 SLR which started very mild and somewhat flavorless, that transformed into full bodied goodness.

[Mike33]

SLR DC- Young ones, from early '06 I believe. I have had 4 or five and all have been fairly good and remarkably consistent. Will be fantastic smokes in 4 or 5 years.

Partagas Lusi- Been smoking on a box of '98s for a little over a year. Very un-partagas like in that they are more refined and lack spice. They make up for it with loads of earth and balance. Very good smokes.

Hoyo DC- Only smoked one in the past year or so. From '98 and was a very good smoke. Creamy and complex.

SCDH El Morro- Smoked 6 or 7 from an '05 box before selling it. Not very complex and a tad harsh. Could be b/c they were in a sick period. I kept 2 to re-evaluate in another year or so.

[nugget]

Hope this helps.

Partagas Lusitania - BGE ABR 06 - First one out of the box last week. Very traditional Partagas flavors, lots of rich and full bodied smoke that was heavy yet smooth. Very enjoyable, can't fault a bit. Even construction and draw was second to none.

H.D.M DC - GTL JUL 06 - Again first one out of the box also last week. Quite mild in flavour and didn't present a hell of a lot of complexity. Although still a great cigar would like to see a bit more strength. Typical of this cigar in my veiw but I will keep buying them as smooth and mild staple.

Sancho Panza Corona Gigants - JMZ SEP 03 - This was my first ever of this cigar a couple of weeks ago. May have to leave them in the humidor a while. Found a great deal of dusty dirty taste and also a somewhat dry bark flavor. Hope the others are better. :crying:

[hoyopr]

Rob both of the following were first experiances with these, here are my limited notes.

Hoyo DC,

Box date unknown, smoke July 26th.

Beautiful maduro wrapper, fine tooth, solid ash, excellent burn with only one touchup. The smoke was medium and the flavor very mild for the first 2 inches. At 2 inches I got a good shot of pepper and thought yahoo maybe this is going to develope, but no. This cigar had a mild fruit / raisin and tobacco through out and really didn't change for the full 1 1/2 hrs. A good cigar, I just expected more based on it's rep.

Partagas Lusitania, Box MRB Dec 06, smoked August 6th.

Started with sweet spice from the start and worked into exotic spice and licorice hints great cigar in every way. Smoke was very full and smooth. This was the first Lusi I’ve tried from a box putchased from LCDH shop in Varadero in May. I must save these for very special times.

[shrink]

Can you rank your Double Corona's For me.

Here are my rankings, in order of preference:

Partagas Lusitania - Half-way through a JUN03 box. Very good, medium bodied, smooth cigar with classic flavors. Just sampled from a ENE07 box. Excellent, showing greater strength and flavor than the '03s, with a peppery finish. These are going to be even better in a year or two. Highly recommended.

Ramon Allones Gigante - These, from a JUN05 box, are superb. Medium bodied, but full of classic RA flavors, reminiscent of the great 898V's of the past. I'm torn between smoking 'em and letting 'em age. I'll do both, and stop when they're half gone for a couple more years. Recommended if you can find 'em from this vintage.

Saint Luis Rey - I've only had three from my '05 cab, and they aren't ready yet. I'd also rank them lower than the '01s I've smoked, but that's no surprise, eh? These show promise, but I'd have to say that the jury is still out on this one. I'll try 'em again in a year.

Hoyo de Monterrey - I've sampled some '06s, but they weren't interesting enough for me to get a box. Too mild, without the depth and complexity I want in a cigar.

[anacostiakat]

DC is my favorite size but while I try to make time I do not always have time for it. For me it is a relaxing multi-hour retreat where I can nip sip a beverage and let my hatred of people in general go.

I am not sure but I think my last SLR DC from a cab dated OCT04 was within your 90 day limit. Having been received in OCT06. My recollection is that these are deliciously complex. A medium bodied cigar with the dried fruit and honey flavors. While these are so very good I think they will improve with age to magnificent. I am therefore letting them. :-D

I have smoked about one a week from a box of VR Don Alejandros from ABR05. They are totally consistent in their complexity and how they build in fullness and flavor. From the cream and nuttiness to earth and decadence. It is usual for me to find no harshness in them and to smoke them down.

I have recollections ;-) of a Lusitania from a cab dated OCT04 that was a joy to smoke as well. Smooth but earthy and a slight peppery finish to make it a monster with a nip of something.

None of these were under/overfilled. No wrapper problems and burn was good.

[Claudius]

» Can you rank your Double Corona's For me.

»

» I received an epmail from Havana this morning which in part asked for my

» opinion on the current state of DC's.

»

» I have struggled with recent DC's excluding the SLRDC and occasional Cab

» of Partagas.

»

» Can those that have smoked a DC over the past say 90 days, provide me a

» summary of your experience and perhaps a month code of the DC you have

» smoked.

Partagas Lusitanias AOR ABR 06: nice looking, well smoking, slightly undefilled, good aromas but medium bodied, weaker than they used to be.

Ramon Allones Gigantes SVF MAY 05 fantastic, wonderful spice, probably the best DC I have ever smoked.

Ramon Allones Gigantes, POS NOV 06 (IIRC), same tunnel problem as above, muted.

[bassman]

The only recent DC I've smoked is a DIC 06 SLR DC which quite frankly was bland & disappointing. Dis the blend change? The 01 are very powerful.

I smoke a fair amount of DCs, but nothing too recent.

02 VR DA- strong, delicious

01 SCDH El Morro- medium, the ones that draw taste good

02 RAG- medium, delicious

01 Hoyo DC- bland

02 Lusi- bland

and...

05 Punch DC- too tannic to enjoy. These could be great, but not for a while.

[stever]

RAG (05): Rich and complex. Needs more time to settle down and gel.

Partagas Lusi (02): Very flavorful, spicy tang.

SLR DC (05): Flavors a bit muted. A bit boring after the first 2/3rds.

SLR DC (06): Great constrction, rich complex flavors. Very promising.

SLR DC (07): Like '06s, but more tannic due to youth.

[COJ]

Very seldom smoke DC's and not something I buy by the box.

But I did bought and smoked a Partagas Lusitanias this summer.

As it was bought from a local shop so I dont know the box-code.

I had it sitting in one of the humidors for a couple of weeks, knowin that most retailers store there sticks way to humid.

But it didnt help much, poor draw and burn...very litte taste from the small amounts of smoke I got.

Will be a long time before I buy another....if ever...

[Tom Bolivar]

1. SLR DC - from 05 or 06 (dunno since I bought some singles) great taste, great cigar (I want a new cab from 05 or 06. But can not come up with a convincing excuse to tell my wife)

2. Punch - from 01, interessting taste, nice change of cigar during the smoke, almost herbal/menthol like good aged vintage cigars (and I don't really like Punch!)

3. Hoyo - from 07 (picked up directly in a factory during the festival) nice smoke, complex with a hints of wood

4. Monte - from 01 ;-) ugliest cigar I have smoked apart from Culebras, nice EL tastes (a bit sweet, a bit herbal), good smoke and complex

99. Hoyo - from 05, nice, OK, but nothing special (came out of a three pack)

BTW all of them had a perfect burn!

[winelover]

Just had a lusitania from a mid-2004 box. It really didn't do the trick as I only smoked about 3/5ths of it. Just gets bitter and encounter burn issues beyond the half way mark.

[Mel]

Let me start by saying I get less construction issues with the DC format than the Churchills. I find the draws to be better on average. I buy DCs by the cab of 50 and that is an impressive lot of cigars.

SLRDC good dependable smokes of quality tobacco.

RAGs love-em, full of flavor and spice but hafve had a few tight ones.

Lusi are more mild than the marca as a whole and could use a bit more lijero.

VRDA best wrappers of the bunch but look better than they taste to me.

SCdlH El Morro are just a diversion for me and rank as the least favored DC.

Punch only have had one but the Punch line is not one of my favorites.

Hey Rob what do you think they were getting at? Flavors, Construction , Sales, Popularity?

[kjellfrick]

Punch DC -02. I'm really beginning to enjoy this cab. The last one I smoked was very filling with great draw and taste.

SLR DC -05. These haven't gotten through to me yet. Takes sooo long for anything to happen and even then the taste is muted. I'm in no hurry to try my cab from -06.

Lusitanias -00. The draw in this box is bad at best. Never found out what they ought to taste like...

Lusitanias -98. This box draws ok but the taste of the cigars never jumps out. Works as a morning smoke though.

[strayvector]

I very rarely smoke DCs and in the past 6 months, I've only smoked 3. Of the three here are the rankings:

1. '05 Partagas Lusitania - loved the progression of flavor and body to this cigar, from mild to medium with wonderful coffee and cream overtones and a spicyness that slowly strengthened. Wonderfully long finish. Construction was flawless.

2. '06 HDM DC - First half was boring, second half was awesome. This cigar took too long to establish its flavors. Started off flat and ended up with sweet fruity flavors. Contstruction was good with a good even burn but slightly tight draw.

3. '05 SLR DC - Started off with some sour notes and ended with the same sourness. Had a bit of a salty undertone which I did not enjoy. Probably could use quite a bit more aging time. Middle part of the cigar was outstanding. An interesting bit of flavor that I detected was that of banana leaves or green papaya. Very intriguing. I think I would have enjoyed the cigar much more if not for the sourness and saltiness that I encountered.

Although all three were outstanding cigars. I think in five years time, the SLR will probably age the best, but right now the Lusi is the best of the bunch.

[greenpimp]

I would rank what I have smoked in the past few months as follows:

1) Hoyo DC, 05. High quality, flavorful, still a bit milder than I would like, but good.

2)Punch DC, 03 and 06. The 03s were some of the worst DC's I've ever had. Flavorless, unless you count the bad flavor. The 06s were much better, but still somewhat muted. So really last and second, respectively.

3) Partagas Lusitania, 04. Very good but on the milder side of medium. Took the better part of an hour to really get going.

4)Ramon Allones Gigante, singles from 05 and 06. Very mild, uneventful, somewhat insipid.

In general, I find recent Double Coronas to be way too mild for me to purchase boxes on a regular basis. It is rare when I can devote 2+ hours to a cigar, and when I do it better damn well entertain me, and I have yet to find a DC from the last few years plus that will do that, except some Lusis from 97 I've been squirreling away. I wish they would reblend them again, get some kick ass DC's like there were before they dumbed down the blends.

[Ken Gargett]

briefly, any SLR i can get. just about finished the box of 97 lusi's and they have all been fantastic bar the most recent one, a week or two ago. the cohiba le 03's brilliant but a very rare pleasure.

[Claudius]

» 3) Partagas Lusitania, 04. Very good but on the milder side of medium.

Just smoked another Lusi, no underfill as I said earlier, but you are definitely right on them being medium at best, good but you have to wait a long time for them to come out and bring up memories of last century's box dates. Good but wayyy too mild. Like Mel says, "Mas ligero!"

[El Presidente]

» Hey Rob what do you think they were getting at? Flavors, Construction ,

» Sales, Popularity?

It followed on from a conversation earlier this year where I bagged some of the DC's I had smoked. Specifically, I felt the RAG's had lost their fruitiness and strength, The Hoyo's had become a shadow of thier former selves with far too many "papery" examples, the Don Alejandro's aren't a patch on the the earlier years, the Lusitania's so hit and miss that selecting a great box is like playing Lotto, The El Morro needs a personality implant, the Punch DC a shining light with real potential because of its tannin lick and the SLR DC consistently excellent although there is more variation in 2005/2006 than there was in 2001..and I hoped that this was a trend that they could correct.

The DC's hold a special place in the hearts of Habanos s.a as being in general the largest vitola in the different Marque's, they are also a benchmark cigar which should characterise the Marque itself.

The constructive criticism was taken well but I assumed it would be quickly forgotten. It was with some suprise that the e-mail looking for an update was received.

[havanaclub7]

» » Hey Rob what do you think they were getting at? Flavors, Construction ,

» » Sales, Popularity?

»

» It followed on from a conversation earlier this year where I bagged some

» of the DC's I had smoked. Specifically, I felt the RAG's had lost their

» fruitiness and strength, The Hoyo's had become a shadow of thier former

» selves with far too many "papery" examples, the Don Alejandro's aren't a

» patch on the the earlier years, the Lusitania's so hit and miss that

» selecting a great box is like playing Lotto, The El Morro needs a

» personality implant, the Punch DC a shining light with real potential

» because of its tannin lick and the SLR DC consistently excellent although

» there is more variation in 2005/2006 than there was in 2001..and I hoped

» that this was a trend that they could correct.

»

» The DC's hold a special place in the hearts of Habanos s.a as being in

» general the largest vitola in the different Marque's, they are also a

» benchmark cigar which should characterise the Marque itself.

» The constructive criticism was taken well but I assumed it would be

» quickly forgotten. It was with some suprise that the e-mail looking for

» an update was received.

Rob,

I agree with you 100% about the Hoyos. I also have had some disappointing Don Alejandros - although some have been very nice too. You hit the nail on the head about the Lusis. I've had a few and none have been great. In fact, two went out about halfway through and I couldn't even get a decent re-light going and pitched them. I have a couple of Punches in my humidor and haven't had the chance to fire them up yet - but will try soon.

[Mr. Japan]

1) Partagas : Lusitania, from a box of 2002

2) SLR : From a cabinet 2005

3) Punch and Hoyo : smoked not so many. Same level, quite mild mainly the Hoyo. But still great smokes in early afternoon.