Disappointed if it isn't a real "cracker"?

[BuzzArd]

How many among us are let down if every cigar isn't just a fantastic experience?

[Knilas]

I tend to stay fairly realistic and know that not every stick smoke is gonna be a "cracker". Although a few do possess a Graham cracker note to them...

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[jwr0201]

Only when the cigars are not near what most describe them as.  Helps determine which to gift to friends!  

[Philc2001]

1 hour ago, BuzzArd said:

How many among us are let down if every cigar isn't just a fantastic experience?

That would be me in some cases. I am disappointed when a popular and sought after vitola turns out to be short of the hype. There is also disappointment when premium priced vitolas are average or worse in flavor. 

I smoke 3-5 cigars a week, I want each one to be satisfying and fulfilling, each and every time, I don't want to waste my time on a shitty stick. 

[stogieluver]

I'd say I'm more than satisfied and pleased at least 90% of the time.  The few duds are just part of what you would expect with any handmade product.

[Notsocleaver]

The biggest let down for me is when I pull a dud out of a box that has just been excellent up to that point.

[Kbb]

Without a dud here or there how can you determine what a "cracker" is?  Not happy to get a dud, but it is just part of the process.

[planetary]

My biggest disappointment came early on, before I found FOH, when I realized that an entire box of 3 year-old Lanceros I bought (from a reputable vendor) was absolutely and unsalvageably plugged.  I clearly recall going out to the trash can on the side yard and dumping the clipped, poked, torn carcasses.  Very nearly swore off Cubans in that moment.

[jrusso14]

Generally if I have time to sit down and smoke, I am going to try and make the best of it. With that said, I always have a backup ready to go if the cigar I lit up is very disappointing/un-smokeable  

[Islandboy]

CC’s have changed everything for me in a surprisingly short while. I sort of expect every NC I grab now to leave me wanting, and while I do find more of them disappointing simply because they don’t have that Cuban element, some still shine.

On the flip side, I haven’t gotten to the point yet where I’ve really been disappointed by a CC. I find even the mediocre ones more interesting in taste than most of my best NC’s. 

[dvickery]

Yes

the odd plugged cigar ( maybe one a year ) but never had a whole box that doesn't perform .

maybe I have lower than normal expectations but I find almost all of my cigars (strength and flavours and balance wise ) are somewhere between magnificent and fabulous .

but then (as has been said already) ... if you don't get a dud every year or so ... how can you tell that you smoke great cigars all other days ???

derrek

[Danimalia]

I would say I'm in the camp that tries to be realistic. Not every cigar is going to be amazing, and I love trying new cigars, so coming across a disappointment is just part of the deal....

BUT... I do judge cigars based on price, and I am far less forgiving on expensive cigars that suffer from poor construction or bad draws. Shouldn't happen.

[Ethernut]

On 4/8/2017 at 8:06 AM, BuzzArd said:

How many among us are let down if every cigar isn't just a fantastic experience?

I used to be, back when I was chasing elitism and perfection. Now that I know that every cigar absolutely cannot be a cracker (...and for some of us, that conclusion doesn't come cheap). These days, I find I enjoy them more when I don't have strong expectations. 

I'll add the top two things I've changed that have elevated my experience is keeping RH under 63% and smoking slooooowly.. 

This might not be popular, but I am convinced the exact same cigar will provide a completely different experience based on mood, the company you're with, the setting, and the stage of life you're in.

[kcmontie]

for me I just have to remember this is a hand made product and nothing is 100%

[zeedubbya]

Just had a conversation with another member a few weeks back about how much better it has gotten.  How a lot of people buying cigars now have it incredibly easy.  When I hear complaining about shipping times being too long or getting a box which doesn't have the perfect wrapper I chuckle a little. 

 I recall getting a box of RG Lonsdales and nearly half of them were plugged.  In early 2000's there were some really crap boxes being sent our way.  Odds of getting fakes, a half plugged box, or a wrapper coming off was more the norm.  I bought a box of Punch Petite Coronas Del Punch back then which a buddy sold me for $50.  I thought I could unplug them.  Nope, they were nearly all tent pegs. And the ones that weren't plugged had fireproof wrappers.  Got about 2 cigars out of that box to smoke and they weren't that great to begin with!  My buddy got the better end of that deal.   

I thank my lucky stars every single time I light up a cigar that tastes great and burns well.  Admittedly I am not as experienced as a lot of the people here, but I believe what's come from Cuba the last few years has been some awesome stuff. The occasional annoying or bad cigar is just that, an annoyance.  

[LLC]

I agree with a lot of what has been said. Am I disappointed when I get a dud, yes. Am I elated when I get an out of this world experience, yes. 90% of what I smoke are about what I expect. Like with wine, every now and again you get a dud, it is part of the expectations.


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[rhcolbert]

2 hours ago, planetary said:

My biggest disappointment came early on, before I found FOH, when I realized that an entire box of 3 year-old Lanceros I bought (from a reputable vendor) was absolutely and unsalvageably plugged.  I clearly recall going out to the trash can on the side yard and dumping the clipped, poked, torn carcasses.  Very nearly swore off Cubans in that moment.

Had a similar experience early on. Box of  RyJ Belicosos in 2006. Was livid, the most I had ever spent on cigars up to that point in life.  

[planetary]

2 hours ago, Ethernut said:

This might not be popular, but I am convinced the exact same cigar will provide a completely different experience based on mood, the company you're with, the setting, and the stage of life you're in.

I think the stage of life observation is particularly apt, especially for folks around middle-age, when you start to feel the value of time in your bones.  Complex things, for some reason, become more valuable, too.

[99call]

I think sometimes it can be connected to how deep your pockets are too. If someone only has a couple of cigars a year as a special treat and they underwhelm, then thats a bloody shame. But if your smoking everyday, you get a pretty clear percentage in your head of the quality you've bought, and the hit ratio you expect.

Personally, I only smoke about 3-7 cigars a week, and my outlook is this. If my cigars are enjoyable and representative of their brand, I'm happy, anything over and above is a bonus.  On the flip side though, if I hadn't of experienced magic moments, or was told I would have any in the future, I would definitely think long and hard about giving up on cigars. 

[boilers183]

As others have said, I am only really disappointed when a cigar has poor construction. Duds happen, but as long as it is smokable, I typically smoke at least half of it before laying it down for good. 

[El Presidente]

8 hours ago, BuzzArd said:

How many among us are let down if every cigar isn't just a fantastic experience?

I get disappointed if it isn't good. 

I get seriously pissed off if it is bad. 

I get blown away when it is stunning. 

The fact that I still get "blown away" shows to me that the experience is still far from the norm. 

Having a Mag 46 currently. Good cigar performing well. "blown away" no. Disappointed? No. 

Last "Blown away" cigar experience was a H. Upmann Connie 1 on Friday. One of those cigars that made me "stop, prop" and celebrate how great cigars can be.  Had another from the same box later in the day. Very Good but not to the same brilliant level. Disappointed? No. 

Such is the world of Cuban cigars.  When they are good they are consistently among the finest cigars in the world. When they are stunning, nothing comes close. 

[NSXCIGAR]

7 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Last "Blown away" cigar experience was a H. Upmann Connie 1 on Friday. One of those cigars that made me "stop, prop" and celebrate how great cigars can be.  Had another from the same box later in the day. Very Good but not to the same brilliant level. Disappointed? No. 

Such is the world of Cuban cigars.  When they are good they are consistently among the finest cigars in the world. When they are stunning, nothing comes close. 

I've had too many of the 1-cigar-in-the-box-is-stunning experiences to think it's a coincidence. I'm torn between getting upset at HSA for the terrible batting average or thanking HSA for one truly great cigar! I try to stay positive in that one sublime cigar gives me hope that truly great--yes, the hands-down best--cigars in the world can still be produced in Cuba, and perhaps one day we will see the level of quality and consistency that was common in the mid-90s and before.

[Danimalia]

14 hours ago, Ethernut said:

This might not be popular, but I am convinced the exact same cigar will provide a completely different experience based on mood, the company you're with, the setting, and the stage of life you're in.

Oh, I think this is absolutely true for me as well. 

[BuzzArd]

I guess the question came up in my head the other day when I lit a Mag 46 for a two hour drive home....  Now, I've been trying to practice my retrohale especially during the blind tastings we're all involved in to heighten my ability to appreciate different flavors.  As soon as I lit this stick up I noticed I could retrohale without any stinging sensation, eye watering etc. that I usually experience when I try that technique.  Basically there was no strength to the stick at all. It smoked beautifully, but just didn't have a great depth of flavors.  I thought about comments I've read in "Daily smoke" where some folks are clearly disappointed in their cigar's performance, and some even toss it to start in on another.  I guess the only thing I'd toss one for is if it was so plugged it would mean a two day headache to get through it....  It just would never occur to me to have tossed this Mag 46.  Agreed that they won't all be amazing, but I paid money for it and I'll get to the end or else...!  

And it turned out to not be that disappointing by the time I was finishing, but it certainly was no "cracker"

[cigaraholic]

When I started smoking cigars almost everything I smoked was a "cracker", today it's very rare for me to smoke one.

Luckily for me a cigar is just a cigar, I'm only disappointed when it's a bad experience. Not smoking wind tunnels has reduced my disappointment to almost zero.