ERDM Choix Supreme - Cab 50 vs Box 25?

[ChanceSchmerr]

Perhaps an old debate, but I searched back and no one has asked this on here about this particular cigar...

I enjoy the ERDM Choix Supreme, and have been considering investing in a Cab 50, vice a regular box of 25. With the imminent discontinuation of the Cab 50 of these smokes, it appears time is running out for this choice, so I am wondering now - is there a discernable difference between Choix Supremes in a cab vs. a box? I would have guessed that the cab would be better, but I had a conversation with a british gentlemen in the Toronto LCDH over the holidays, and his opinion (rather strong one) was that the CX needs a bit of a box press to burn properly, so the Cab50 CXs are inferior.

Can anyone corroborate this? The ones I've had have all been singles from 25 boxes....I can't find a single from a cab 50 to try to find out myself.

Thanks!

[Colt45]

I had a conversation with a british gentlemen in the Toronto LCDH over the holidays, and his opinion (rather strong one) was that the CX needs a bit of a box press to burn properly, so the Cab50 CXs are inferior.

This is something I've never heard before. Though I can neither confirm nor deny it's validity, I find it very doubtful. In this day and age, there should

be no quality difference between dress box and cab. With the fifty cab you get twice as many cigars! Personally, I don't care for the box press - both

aesthetically and in that I don't like the compression (some times quite a bit) of the tobacco, and it's potential effect on draw.

[tigger]

This is something I've never heard before. Though I can neither confirm nor deny it's validity, I find it very doubtful. In this day and age, there should

be no quality difference between dress box and cab. With the fifty cab you get twice as many cigars! Personally, I don't care for the box press - both

aesthetically and in that I don't like the compression (some times quite a bit) of the tobacco, and it's potential effect on draw.

This

[PigFish]

This is something I've never heard before. Though I can neither confirm nor deny it's validity, I find it very doubtful. In this day and age, there should

be no quality difference between dress box and cab. With the fifty cab you get twice as many cigars! Personally, I don't care for the box press - both

aesthetically and in that I don't like the compression (some times quite a bit) of the tobacco, and it's potential effect on draw.

x2 -P

[hoyopr]

You may also find that the 50 cab may have more age as these probably don't sell at the rate 25box would. Check with your supplier also to inspect their current inventory of each and recommend which to go with.

[Mel]

This is something I've never heard before. Though I can neither confirm nor deny it's validity, I find it very doubtful. In this day and age, there should

be no quality difference between dress box and cab. With the fifty cab you get twice as many cigars! Personally, I don't care for the box press - both

aesthetically and in that I don't like the compression (some times quite a bit) of the tobacco, and it's potential effect on draw.

Damn Colt quit ***** footin around the plain truth. Need a box press to burn????? That English bloke is just testin to see how much **** you will believe. LOL If cigars burned better as squares they'd roll-em that way. A cab is exactly twice as good a as DB. All in fun guys overall I prefer the cabs.

[stargazer14]

This

2x

[Colt45]

Damn Colt quit ***** footin around the plain truth.

Melvin!!

[shrink]

The "British Gentleman" is full of crap. A cab, especially of fifty, is always superior to a dress box. And they age better, too.

[Ken Gargett]

agree with colt and all.

hard to imagine too many circumstances where one would prefer a box to a cab, all other things being equal.

as for the burn better theory, i'd be asking for some scientific basis.

and never believe a brit, lovely folk and all but delusional. this bloke would probably tell you they still have an empire.

[Ellery]

I'd get the cab. I like how they look, and bottom line, you'll have more cigars.

[semery74]

I see his point where a box press can be beneficial to a Hermoso No.4 This vitola is notorously a fast burner. I see it with the Upmann, the RyJ, the SLR and the ERDM, but the VR which is the only boxed pressed version I have of the Hermoso No. 4 is the only one that shows resistance on the draw. Otherwise it's just a throttling issue which has proven difficult for some friends that I share cigars.

[bassman]

Depends. I have a particular code of 09 DB Bolivar PCs that are fantastic. I would pick up another DB of the same code over a cab of a different code.

[Mel]

Colt what has happened to you? Is that all the come back you got? Was I to rough?

I have to argue that a cigar rolled properly will burn well pressed or not. Can any one tell me why some DB cigars are well pressed and others not? I have quite a few cigar in the dress box that are round without the square press?

As to the assertion that a cab of 50 ages better I have to ask how this has been established? I can understand that they will last longer because there are twice as many cigars.

[Colt45]

Colt what has happened to you? Is that all the come back you got? Was I to rough?

Naw mate, it's the new me. The kinder, gentler me.

Besides, a mutual friend mentioned you recently rode your harley down to Key West wearing nothing but chaps,

and I didn't want to come off as insensitive

As for the fifty cab of cigars, perhaps if you could hold on to one long enough, you might be able to share your

findings with us

[hoyopr]

I realize I didn’t comment on the point in the OP re / pressed vs cab, simply because it doesn’t make sense to me, although I’m not a fan of ERDM. I would mention that my wife an I spent Christmas in Palm Springs and during the trip I smoked NC exclusively (bad idea but something new to try), all of the Padron 64’s I tried were seriously box pressed and construction and burn were outstanding.

ps any further trips to US will have rebanded cigars from home.

[thechenman]

I personally prefer cigars in the round, so finances and space permitting, a cabinet would always be preferable to a dress box. Unless of course you like the attractiveness of a dress box; however you can't smoke the box. If cigars in dress boxes came in the round, cabinets still win out for the purpose of aging the cigars, if you are into that sort of thing.

Interesting questions was brought up earlier though. Is the difference in the level of box pressing amongst the different vitolas and marcas strictly an aesthetic thing, or is there some better reason for it?

[riderpride]

Unless space is really an issue, I'd go for the cab.

Did you have a chance to head out to the Rez when you were out there?

[audio1der]

The "British Gentleman" is full of crap. A cab, especially of fifty, is always superior to a dress box. And they age better, too.

This man speaks the truth. I've only ever tried one CS, but I have a 50 cab en route

[ChanceSchmerr]

Thanks for all the input so far, fellas. My inclination was always towards the cab 50 (my supplier would definitely be Czar - I trust Rob and Lisa could find me a kick-ass cab once I'm ready to buy!), I was just thrown a bit by the guy I spoke to in Toronto. That, and I'd never heard either way about Choix Supremes in cabs vs Dress boxes. The Box Press debate is an interesting one, with fuel on both sides - Look at those Padron's that hoyopr mentioned - the 1926 and the 1968(?) serie cigars are all severely box pressed, and the few I've had smoked like a dream and were quite tasty.

I would want to age the Choix Supremes for a few years at least in the czar locker service, so that's another point for a cab.

Ken gets hilarity points for calling the brits delusional! Most are lovely folk, but there is always a few who like to call us Canadians (and I assume Aussies too) "Colonials".......dem's fisticuffs words!

semery74, I havn't noticed the hermoso No.4 to be a fast-burning vitola, but at least we don't have a unanimous confirmation of the cab version being superior. I will have to try those other hermosos again to see!

riderpride - I never actually got out of the Toronto Area aside from a day trip to see family in Hamilton so no trip to the Rez yet for me - although in mentioning it to my fiancee in passing, it was actually HER idea to swing by there on our next trip to Kingston Wife approval! Whoohoo! I've been in contact with them too, so at least I know what I'm looking at there.

[riderpride]

riderpride - I never actually got out of the Toronto Area aside from a day trip to see family in Hamilton so no trip to the Rez yet for me - although in mentioning it to my fiancee in passing, it was actually HER idea to swing by there on our next trip to Kingston Wife approval! Whoohoo! I've been in contact with them too, so at least I know what I'm looking at there.

It's always nice to have the support of loved ones

[Colt45]

Interesting questions was brought up earlier though. Is the difference in the level of box pressing amongst the different vitolas and marcas strictly an aesthetic thing, or is there some better reason for it?

Unless things in Cuba have changed, it's simply a matter of how tightly the cigars are packed in the box - how much the lid "squishes" down on the cigars.

Unlike many NC producers who intentionally press their cigars pre-boxing to produce the effect.

[thechenman]

Unless things in Cuba have changed, it's simply a matter of how tightly the cigars are packed in the box - how much the lid "squishes" down on the cigars.

Unlike many NC producers who intentionally press their cigars pre-boxing to produce the effect.

Colt...

Thanks for clearing that up for me.