I see a few threads on pipes, but nothing recent on cigars. They are a major hobby for me, and really a big part of my life. Anyone else into the lovely bundles of rolled up fermented leaves?
Which RP are you into? I've been hearing some good things about the new Patel Brothers stick that just came out, but I haven't had a chance to try it. Some of his 'seasonal blends' were pretty tasty!
I'll puff on a chair leg every now & then. Hoyo de Monterreys are my old stand-by, but I've found I really enjoy several of CAO's offerings... particularly the Italia and Brazilia lines. Likewise, for a good value stick, Perdomo has a few series that please the palate but don't bruise the wallet.
I love a good cigar. I have a cohiba habit on a King Albert budget though. I tend to smoke things like the Rigiletto Black Jacks I get from Rite Aid. Also getting to be a big fan of the Parodi cigars. I order from Thompson or Finck now and then. Usually one of their Maduro wrapper house brands. Fuzzy
Cohiba, Carlos Torano(esp. silver), Punch Rare Corajo, are my faves. Lately I've been sucking down 5 vegas. A nice smoke for a nice price. I also have to recommend http://www.cigarsinternational.com for anyone who hasn't used them yet. They have a nice selection and great prices. I prefere thme to Thomson. They also have a nifty daily deal that allows you to pick up smaller quanities of cigars you've been wanting to try but haven't been willing to buy a box of.
I have a wine fridge crammed full of cigars, but I haven't smoked anything in months. I'm a big fan of Padron's, Pepin's & Fuente's. Its hard to make time to enjoy a cigar these days.
best cigar ever: Rocky Patel Decade - Churchill Of course, the environment ALWAYS has something to do with the smoke........... Picture this: Perfect California day........70 at the most Sunny beach in Cambria Checking out tide pools with my Daughter Manhattan in my travel mug and.....................there ya have it The best EVER !!
Looks like we have a few friends of the leaf in here! It's a great hobby for my traveling, since I can visit cigar shops in every state (except for Iowa). It's also something I can collect, but I still burn through the stash. With living out of a suitcase, or an RV, I have to be careful with what I collect. We have a Vinotemp 28 bottle at home that is filled with my cigars, is that what you use Whisker? I'm not sure what I'll do when we go back to the RV. I even had custom drawers made for it last year.
I was given one to try by a California distributor a few months back, its the only RP I like (tried pretty much all of them by now). Full flavored, spice and lots of espresso/chocolate notes. I am mostly a Nicaraguan cigar smoker, switched back to Nic tobacco back in mid '90s (just love full on flavor and body), although try new sticks/lines as they come out. Current favorites are 601 Red, Illusione, AB Tempus, DPG Black.
I agree on the Nic's. I love Padron's! You have a great list of favorites. I've been lucky enough to meet up with Alan Rubin and Don Pepin Garcia, both were great great guys. If you like the Tempus, keep your eyes open for the AB Family Blend, I'm head over heels for that stick. I just missed an even with Dion Giolito, but I did manage to get him to sign a box of his culebras for me. I'm scared to become as passionate about shaving as I am about cigars, but I see how they go hand in hand. Both are a time honored ritual that revolves around taking your time and enjoying the simpler, and finer things in life.
I use a 50 bottle compressor type fridge that I don't keep plugged in. Here in the mountains its cool enough that I don't have to worry about beetles. The only reason I picked it up was because it looked nicer than a cooler and cost less than a decent desktop. It was way too much room though and of course it took no time at all until it was completely full.
Sorry, I only smoke 2 cigars a decade whether I need to or not. The pipe and the pulverized lip weed (snuff) are the extent of my tobacco indulgence. Ironically, I grew up in the Cigar City (Tampa) and both parents were the two cigarette smokingest people I've ever seen or even heard of but I never took either habit.
Very bold statement. Very good smoke but not my best. For me hands down is an Oliva V serie. I do enjoy my cigars in the warm months and tend to go for a more mild cigar. Favorites for me include a Padron 3000 , Ashton VSG , Oliva V serie, Onyx punch( I think thats the name, it's the little stubby guy) , Tatuaje is a very good up and coming cigar brand.
It is a bold statement, but I think he was saying that it was HIS best cigar, and that's because of the situation in which he enjoyed it. Although, I might have misread it ( = I've been trying all the new cigars from the convention in August. So far my favorite from that is the Don Pepin Garcia stick My Father Le Bijou 1922. Very tasty! I think I'm going to test out the Cubao Maduro here in a few minutes.
I say it's bold because there are so many to choose from!! Ahhh the Don Pepin, I had bought a 10 pack of the black labeled cuban classic and enjoyed that smoke as well but found it very spicey after about four smokes in. If you want a good place to get cigars in 10 bundles or humidors dirt cheap I HIGHLY recommend cigarbid.com . I know some people have had bad experiences with them but personally I never had an issue. Also another cheap cigar that was very very surprising was Indian Tabac Maduro.
I'll put in a vote for RP Decade AND for Oliva V. I really started looking for Oliva just this year. They're EXCELLENT. And I'm with Greg on the CAO Italias. Good stuff. Anyone have experience with the Gurkha range?
They both are amazing smokes, but at nearly 10 dollars a cigar I would take a Oliva V for 6-8 a stick. The Patel is great though! I also forgot to give honorable mention to Perdomo ESV cigars as well, too many to mention!!
I've had one of the Gurkha shaggys. It has some punch and a nice full flavor. Not much experience with the rest of them, as many of their offerings are above my comfortable price range for flammable indulgences.
I think the most unbiased way I can respond to the Gurkha question, is with a similar response. I'm not a very big fan of them, but they are consistent, and they are good sticks. I do think they are overpriced, and there are other cigars I'd rather pay that premium for. The quality is top notch, and some people really enjoy how they taste.
