Another NC Nuclear Spice Bomb!

[Sean3]

So, I made the mistake of attempting to smoke a NC...an E.P. Carillo Dark Rituals Robusto.  I have been slowly reducing my NC stock and have been increasingly smoking more CC's as they suit my palate much better in general.  It's been a cracker day as Rob would say, 69 degrees F with low humidity, perfect for an afternoon smoke outside.  After lighting up I give it a while before retrohaling, pretty much a necessity with NC's these days.  About 2 inches into it I retrohale...BOOM!  A thermonuclear detonation in my nose, and this my friends, is why I prefer CC's.  While I don't mind some spice and pepper, there are limits.  I still enjoy some NC's, but I am more particular than ever about which ones I will smoke.  There are other reasons I prefer CC's, but I am really tired of pulling the pin on a spice grenade.  Cheers.   

[Ethernut]

That "spice" or "pepper" that folks refer to with far far too many NC's is what I call dogsh**. When I hear/read someone describe that as a primary flavor I find myself laugh a little inside. 

My grandpa used to have a saying when describing the process of attempting to make something mediocre (that'll always be mediocre) better that it really is.. It was, "Shining the turd." 

Those NC "Spice Bombs" in my world are simply turds.. Get a big ole whiff, tastes like sh** doesn't it?

?

 

[raymond5737]

You got to smoke them for what they are and try to find the silver lining. That is what I do every time I light up and I smoke 99 per cent CVs.

[PaulPower]

1 hour ago, Ethernut said:

That "spice" or "pepper" that folks refer to with far far too many NC's is what I call dogsh**. When I hear/read someone describe that as a primary flavor I find myself laugh a little inside. 

My grandpa used to have a saying when describing the process of attempting to make something mediocre (that'll always be mediocre) better that it really is.. It was, "Shining the turd." 

Those NC "Spice Bombs" in my world are simply turds.. Get a big ole whiff, tastes like sh** doesn't it?

?

 

I would go further... "Pepper" is a manifestation of the pain receptor. It's a chemical irritation, desirable in cigars only in moderation. That's why the unrelated chemicals Piperine and Capsaicin can invoke the same "flavor;" pepper taste is just a reaction to a noxious chemical.

That being said I love spicy food, but spicy dishes generally don't have delicate favors that the pepper is covering up.  Cigars do.

Some may differ from my opinions, but that's how I feel.

[Jimmy_jack]

I'm new to CC for the most part, certainly no where near as familiar as those here. I'm here to learn and enjoy. For that I thank you. Those that I've enjoyed so far have truly been just that...enjoyable, memorable.

I will say this for NC. I think many companies in the market are there for the $$$. Not longevity, not a brand name that's here to stay. So many "boutique" brands are on the market today. If you have $$$ you can meet someone that rolls and start a brand. Fly on down to Esteli or DR and start boxing them up. With zero pedigree.

All of that to say this(sorry for the rant). You must find the NC that have flavor and character. They do exist. Not one that's just stuffed with ligero for that "spice bomb".

All of that without consideration for the development of taste, character and quality.

My .02


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[Sean3]

Clearly we all have different tastes, I was ranting a bit when I posted this topic.  The cigar was not only spicy, it was just bad...that being said, I had a Diamond Crown Maximus with 9 years age on it and it was exemplary.  Generalizing a bit, but I find CC's to have more depth, complexity, and balance than NC's.  It's all good though, whether you like CC's, NC's, or both...just relax and enjoy, that's the beauty of cigar smoking.

[lafabrica]

 

unsure where the OP is located, but in the states, this is regularly a $2-3 cigar, listed as a med-full profile smoke.

for perspective in the $8-10 range and a broadleaf wrapper, might i suggest an oliva master blends III or arturo fuente anejo?  these are not simply bargin basement and have well thought out blends.

[Philc2001]

There are spice bombs and crappy cigars being peddled all over the market. But there are also some good value well made cigars. Unfortunately, it is increasingly challenging to find a decent, well made, flavorful, reasonably priced NC. Sure, there are PAMs and Opus and so on, but you have to break the bank on them. An exception for me has been The Griffins robusto, which is fairly cheap on CigarBid when you catch them. Another is the PdR 1878 Habano Sun Grown. Finally, I second the previously mentioned Oliva MB3. Three NC cigars I can tolerate without going broke.

[leftimatic]

The only NC I find I enjoy are Quorum Coronas. A buck a stick and have never really let me down. I am not a strong cigar fan no matter where they come from NC or CC. What little taste buds I have can't handle the stress. I generally go milder and pick up way more flavour. Which is sort of to bad and good because I am finding most of my two year old CC's are no where old enough for me to enjoy. But way more tolerable than when they were just of the truck. So I sit there longingly but at the same time I am learning a thing or two about patience. That's a good thing.... right?  

[Stogieninja]

Different strokes. I enjoy a pepper bomb every now and again. My Father and Tatuaje often is laden with that pepper. Still great cigars with quality tobacco and a good complexity to them. They're different from CCs and that's a good thing. Variety is the spice of life.