Non-Cubans

[havanaclub]

All good choices sir!
The padron will not let your down, and I think you will also enjoy the la imperosa.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[HoyoFan]

All good choices sir!
The padron will not let your down, and I think you will also enjoy the la imperosa.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I also recommend you try a Padron Anniversary for more complexity and flavor transitions

[Danimalia]

 

On 4/5/2017 at 10:06 AM, Stick burner said:

Dmpotocek

The FdLA were recommended by the shop owner and are one of their best sellers so I decided to follow his advice.

havanaclub

I heard so many good things about Tat Black Label I couldn't resist it either. Out of all of them I'm most excited about the Tat and Padron




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You know how Rob sometimes says that he "can't fault" a cigar. That's the Flor de las Antillas to me. Just a very nice, well-made stick that checks all the boxes for me. It's not my favorite cigar, but it's one I'm constantly buying and smoking. 

I finally tried my first Warped last night, the La Hacienda. Good smoke, but not earth-shattering. Going to try the La Colmena or El Oso tonight.

[rxavier1979]

 Based on what everybody has been saying about Tatuaje on this thread and the fact that I have very limited experience with them (a few smoked when I first started with cigars and my palate was very unrefined), I decided to get a nice spread to sample from Stogies herein Houston. 

I picked up a couple of the tatuaje black labels(1 in Lancero), the TAA for 2016, the Cojonu 2012 and a store exclusive for stogies which is a Lancero blended by tatuaje. 

O M G. The Cojonu 2012 is so flavorful, complex and smooth. I'm blown away so far...  this Cigar is absolutely box-worthy!

 Thank you guys for the inspiration to go out and try them again.

 

[havanaclub]

 Based on what everybody has been saying about Tatuaje on this thread and the fact that I have very limited experience with them (a few smoked when I first started with cigars and my palate was very unrefined), I decided to get a nice spread to sample from Stogies herein Houston. 

I picked up a couple of the tatuaje black labels(1 in Lancero), the TAA for 2016, the Cojonu 2012 and a store exclusive for stogies which is a Lancero blended by tatuaje. 

O M G. The Cojonu 2012 is so flavorful, complex and smooth. I'm blown away so far...  this Cigar is absolutely box-worthy!

 Thank you guys for the inspiration to go out and try them again.





 

Amazing sticks. Wait until you get to the taa16. That cojonu is a Sumatra wrapper. They also come in broadleaf (black double band) and habano (gold double band)
If you like that Sumatra go back to that shop and buy the tatuaje 7th capa especial. Excellent cigar.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rxavier1979]

12 hours ago, havanaclub said:

 

Amazing sticks. Wait until you get to the taa16. That cojonu is a Sumatra wrapper. They also come in broadleaf (black double band) and habano (gold double band)
If you like that Sumatra go back to that shop and buy the tatuaje 7th capa especial. Excellent cigar.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I just realized later after my post that they had three wrapper options for this release. Which one is your fav?  I loved that Cojonu so much and couldn't get it out of my head so I lit up the black label Lancero later last night. Good. Not as good as the one with the Sumatra for me. I'd order a box but I want to try the Habano first to make sure this one is the belle of the ball for me.

 Based on what you're telling me, it looks like I'll be smoking the TAA tonight and hunting down that 7th capa especial tomorrow. 

Thanks for the suggestions!

[havanaclub]

I just realized later after my post that they had three wrapper options for this release. Which one is your fav?  I loved that Cojonu so much and couldn't get it out of my head so I lit up the black label Lancero later last night. Good. Not as good as the one with the Sumatra for me. I'd order a box but I want to try the Habano first to make sure this one is the belle of the ball for me.

 Based on what you're telling me, it looks like I'll be smoking the TAA tonight and hunting down that 7th capa especial tomorrow. 

Thanks for the suggestions!

If you liked the cojonu Sumatra you will love the capa especial. The cojonu is the brown label blend. So pick up a few brown label. The 7th (same size as capa) and the cazadores are excellent.
My fav of the cojonu is the broadleaf. But I am a bit of a BL junkie. The habano is my least favourite of the bunch.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CanuckSARTech]

Padron serie 1927 and 1963 (or whatever the date years are, if I screwed that up) and then Hamlet's Tabaquero line-up.

Those are really the only NC's for me.

 

 

[HoyoFan]

Figured I'd fire this thread up again. I'm curious for those of you guys still smoking NC's, what do you recommend that isn't a pepper bomb. 

 

Personally, I really don't like pepper flavors in my cigar and for some reason these days it seems that full-body must equal pepper bomb and nicotine bomb for most NC's. Another reason I love the world of CC's. 

[Guest Nekhyludov]

15 minutes ago, PadronFan said:

Figured I'd fire this thread up again. I'm curious for those of you guys still smoking NC's, what do you recommend that isn't a pepper bomb. 

I also don't really care for the Nicaraguan and Honduran pepper bombs. 

I've tried a couple of Caldwells recently that were really good. They're billed as full-bodied, but I round them to be medium, with nice complex flavors - no pepper to speak of, except a bit on the retrohale. And the usual reliable performance. 

I like the Eastern Standard line. 

[Stump89]

Haven't had a NC for a while, but I came across some EP Carrillo La Historia while checking my cooler out today. I remember them being very rich and full bodied with some great coffee and milk chocolate flavors. They didn't have any pepper that I recall and were very enjoyable.

[Islandboy]

8 minutes ago, Nekhyludov said:

I also don't really care for the Nicaraguan and Honduran pepper bombs. 

I've tried a couple of Caldwells recently that were really good. They're billed as full-bodied, but I round them to be medium, with nice complex flavors - no pepper to speak of, except a bit on the retrohale. And the usual reliable performance. 

I like the Eastern Standard line. 

+1 on Eastern Standard. Warped has a few I like as well - La Colmena & Flor de Valle come to mind. I also find RoMa Craft Intemperance in the EC line to be fairly mellow and tasty. 

[HoyoFan]

Thanks guys I also figured that since I brought this up, I should provide a few of my own examples as well that I've enjoyed recently:

Las Calaveras 2016
Rocky Patel Sun grown Maduro
Fuente Anejo

[JamesKPolkEsq]

If you don't like pepper:

• Fuente - Anejo or Don Carlos
• Durbarton Tobacco - Sombremesa 
• Camacho - Triple Maduro
• Padron - Panatela
   

 

[Danimalia]

18 hours ago, PadronFan said:

Figured I'd fire this thread up again. I'm curious for those of you guys still smoking NC's, what do you recommend that isn't a pepper bomb. 

 

Personally, I really don't like pepper flavors in my cigar and for some reason these days it seems that full-body must equal pepper bomb and nicotine bomb for most NC's. Another reason I love the world of CC's. 

I got recs....  In no particular order.

I will second the reccomendations for the Caldwell Eastern Standard line. I generally don't care much for Caldwell, but that is a very nice cigar. Great, darker, CT-seed wrapper. I reccomend the 7x48 "Cream Crush" vitola

Fuente Rosado Sungrown: The 47 RG "44" vitola probably is the best size, but when I'm at the shop, I smoke the "54" because I like bigger smokes at the lounge. Both excellent

Fuente Don Carlos: My favorite Cameroon-wrapped cigar out there for my palate. Super rich.

La Galera Habano: This is a pretty gutsy smoke for a Dominican cigar, but not a lot of pepper. Delicious, and very affordable. One of my faves from 2016.

Sobremesa: Expensive and super-hyped. True. But it's also one of the best cigars I've smoked in the past few years. Starts off mediumish and creamy. I get notes of strawberry. As you smoke, it gains intensity and richness, but it never becomes overpowering. It is a sensational smoke. I'll be buying a box of the "Cervantes Fino", which is a CG/Lonsdaleish 6.25x46. The "Elegante en Cedro" is tremendous too, at 7x50.

La Palina Nicaragua Connecticut: Made by AJ Fernandez. It is an excellent, flavorful CT-wrapped cigar that never strays above medium in body or strength.

Oliva Gilberto Oliva Reserva: Brand new. Kind of a traditional release for Oliva in that it is quite delicious, and very affordable. I have only had the Sungrown (Sumatra) version, but there is a CT version that I hear is good. The SG version to me, I would peg as similar to the Serie G (A very good medium cigar in its own right) in terms of strength/body. I suspect these will be a big hit. I love the corona size, which is 5.7x43. 

Just my own 2 cents. Hope this helps!

 

[HoyoFan]

I got recs....  In no particular order.

I will second the reccomendations for the Caldwell Eastern Standard line. I generally don't care much for Caldwell, but that is a very nice cigar. Great, darker, CT-seed wrapper. I reccomend the 7x48 "Cream Crush" vitola

Fuente Rosado Sungrown: The 47 RG "44" vitola probably is the best size, but when I'm at the shop, I smoke the "54" because I like bigger smokes at the lounge. Both excellent

Fuente Don Carlos: My favorite Cameroon-wrapped cigar out there for my palate. Super rich.

La Galera Habano: This is a pretty gutsy smoke for a Dominican cigar, but not a lot of pepper. Delicious, and very affordable. One of my faves from 2016.

Sobremesa: Expensive and super-hyped. True. But it's also one of the best cigars I've smoked in the past few years. Starts off mediumish and creamy. I get notes of strawberry. As you smoke, it gains intensity and richness, but it never becomes overpowering. It is a sensational smoke. I'll be buying a box of the "Cervantes Fino", which is a CG/Lonsdaleish 6.25x46. The "Elegante en Cedro" is tremendous too, at 7x50.

La Palina Nicaragua Connecticut: Made by AJ Fernandez. It is an excellent, flavorful CT-wrapped cigar that never strays above medium in body or strength.

Oliva Gilberto Oliva Reserva: Brand new. Kind of a traditional release for Oliva in that it is quite delicious, and very affordable. I have only had the Sungrown (Sumatra) version, but there is a CT version that I hear is good. The SG version to me, I would peg as similar to the Serie G (A very good medium cigar in its own right) in terms of strength/body. I suspect these will be a big hit. I love the corona size, which is 5.7x43. 

Just my own 2 cents. Hope this helps!

 

This is awesome thanks so much for all the great recos. I'm curious how does the Don Carlos compare to Hemingway?

[Danimalia]

To me, the Don Carlos is more full-flavored and rich. I haven't had one in a few months, but I still remember how rich it was. Lots of woody notes (pine and cedar) like most Cameroon-wrapped cigars. I think it has some similarities to the Hemingway and regular Fuente Cameroon lines, but like, the intensity is kicked up a notch. They're a bit pricey at my local B&M, or I would smoke them more often. 

[Guest Nekhyludov]

Caldwell Eastern Standard robusto. 

[Wilzc]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk