Newbie from Connecticut

[DrStogie]

Greetings FoH members, newcomer from Connecticut here.

I am not only new to the forum but relatively new to habanos as well and look forward to learning from more experienced forum members.

I'm a young newcomer as well, in my mid 20s. I first got into habanos about 5 years ago. The youtube reviews and this forum, where I primarily just lurked until now, were an immense help to me in those early days. 

Here is a list of the habanos I have tried so far:

Montecristo

• No. 2 
• No. 4
• Edmundo

Partagas

• Serie D No. 4
• Lusitanias 

Cohiba

• Siglo II
• Robusto 

Chronologically I believe I tried these in the order listed above from first to last. I thoroughly enjoyed them all.

I love the controversial Monte 2s though I can see why they have that reputation. Most from the boxes I purchased were lovely, laden with rich waves of cream, coffee, leather, and milk chocolate in a medium-full body. However, I noticed the construction was inconsistent. At least 20% of the cigars, though delicious, were plagued by uneven burn and wrappers falling apart. Still, I find it worthwhile to endure the duds. They seem to be an exception to the rule. 

In many ways I was more impressed by the Monte. 4s. These are recommended as a beginner cigar, but I  immediately saw why experts regularly stock these in their humidors as well. It delivered much of the same flavors as the No. 2, except it was less chocolatey but even creamier with an under medium body, which was quite pleasant. Certainly less complex than the No. 2, but one expects that in a shorter format. 

The Edmundos were delightful. The box I purchased was rife with hideous olive-green wrappers, yet the cigars were exquisite. I found them to be a dead set medium. I enjoy how these tease the palette with inconsistent yet plentiful notes of typical Montecristo characters like milk coffee and cream. What excited me most about it was the addition of a rich cedar flavor throughout. Great young cigar. It probably doesn't have the legs to age into anything else, but it is what it is and I love it for that. 

My first introduction to Partagas was the Serie D No. 4, which lives up to the hype. It packs so much into a small package. It's got the peanut butter, it's got raisins, it's got the Christmas cake spice, replete with cinnamon and nutmeg, it's got a cedar profile to it with occasional hints of cream. The body is medium-full and I love how this tastes like taking whiffs of a box of cigars, cedar and all. 

The Lusitanias knocked my socks off. Medium, bodied and perhaps the spiciest cigar I have smoked. The Christmas cake spice is much more dominant in this cigar. So is the cream and cedar. You seem to get draws where these flavors are individual as well as draws where they all collide in a divine sensation on the palate. These certainly have the best aging potential of any mentioned thus far. 

I was also blown away by the Siglo II. This was easily the best constructed cigar I have tried and it burned perfectly. An absolute triumph of a cigar delivering subtle notes of clementine/tangerine, coffee, cream, and vanilla buttressed by a grassy, hay flavored core with an under medium body. 

The Cohiba Robusto delivered similar flavors to the Siglo II, though the body was more medium. I found it less subtle, but this was in no way a bad thing. Where the Siglo boasted sophisticated notes of flavor, the Robusto packed intense wallops and each draw seemed to promise these flavors layered in a different order. Cohiba is clearly the masters of blending tobacco. I also found it creamier with more citrus and cedar, which is a great combination. 

What do you think of my first cigar picks? My favorites were probably the last three, the Lusitanias, Siglo IIs, and Cohiba Robustos, but these are expensive sticks that are more of a treat than a regular smoke. I have woefully gotten away from habanos as a hobby these last few years because I have just been too preoccupied by other things in my busy life, but I think I am ready to start stocking my humidors again. I started by ordering a box of Partagas shorts. Judging by what I thought of the cigars I already tried, please let me know if you have any recommendations for what to try next. Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2s are at a good price right now from the vendor I use. How are these smoking right now? I'm also in the market for a good long skinny regardless of price point. I would appreciate a good "bang for your buck suggestion" and a good suggestion for a premium stick to treat myself with. Furthermore, I intend to finally start contacting my vendor to request certain wrappers, dates, and box codes so feel free to include this information if you have it. 

Thank you all members and thank you FoH moderators and admins for your unparalleled expertise

Cheers 

 

 

 

[Squarehead]

Welcome to the FoH forum and happy smokes

[Connoisseur Kim]

Welcome to the FOH! Partagas Lusitanias is my all time fav CCs unless puffing it in cold windy weather buddy ?

I recommend you to try skinny CCs like Montecristo No. 1 if you're looking for flavorful CCs. Monte 1 is one of the best Lonsdales I've ever had!

[Paladin865]

Welcome from Western Massachusetts

[Greenhorn2]

Welcome toFoH from a fellow newbie!!! You asked a question? Sit back and hold on to your hat because these folks are going to line you up! Lol. Happy smokin.

[StogieSteve23]

Welcome to FOH!

Fundadores, Monte Especial No 1 or 2 & PLMC's for skinnies. LGC MDO4's if you can find them. Grab some Connie 1's, Epi Especial, PLPCs to name a few. 

Where in CT are you from? I grew up in Wilton.  

[DrStogie]

7 hours ago, Connoisseur Kim said:

Welcome to the FOH! Partagas Lusitanias is my all time fav CCs unless puffing it in cold windy weather buddy ?

I recommend you to try skinny CCs like Montecristo No. 1 if you're looking for flavorful CCs. Monte 1 is one of the best Lonsdales I've ever had!

Thanks for the recommendation, I appreciate it. I was already highly considering Monte 1s for my next box. It’s good to know they’re a sound choice. 

[DrStogie]

14 minutes ago, StogieSteve23 said:

Welcome to FOH!

Fundadores, Monte Especial No 1 or 2 & PLMC's for skinnies. LGC MDO4's if you can find them. Grab some Connie 1's, Epi Especial, PLPCs to name a few. 

Where in CT are you from? I grew up in Wilton.  

Thanks for the input! All look like good suggestions. You pretty much nailed what I’m looking for. 

The Fundadores are definitely one I’d like to get my hands on. I’ve been eyeing a box of them along with Lanceros for some time now as I’m sure most enthusiasts are. Sadly, they’re out of my price range at  the moment. I’ll have to start looking for those after a good raise or bonus, or if I win the lottery lol. 

Montecristo Especial No. 1s are out of stock from my vendor but the 2s are in and at a great price so as far as Montecristo, I’m considering those along with 1s and 3s, which from what I hear are all smoking terrific right now. Of those, I think the Especial No. 2 is the front runner because I assume they’re probably harder to come by? 

LGC MD04s also look great, but they are also out of stock for me.

Connie 1s are also out of stock for me... in boxes. However, they do have sampler packs of 6 which include the Connie 1 along with the A and Bs which sound like they’re also winners. The sampler is at a good price and the A and Bs aren’t even on the map anywhere else for my vendor so this is also something to consider. 

Epi Especials are in at a good price and in boxes of 10 which I like because I’m thinking I want to diversify rather than buying too many 25, 50 boxes. 

PLPCs are in stock and at a great price. They only come in cabinets of 50 though but they seem almost universally lauded. At $5 a stick I don’t think I can go wrong. I can’t see myself not enjoying these. It also sounds like they have good aging potential which is only made easier with 50 so I think all signs point to yes. 

PLMCs are also in for boxes of 25 at $5 a stick. These look glorious, both PLs are such a bargain.

I’m willing to spend about $500 on Cubans this month. I want to try new things but I’m also just starting to restock the humidors so I also want to add some familiar faces. I’m going to want some Montecristos, Partagas, and Cohibas all there for safety’s sake. 

The way it’s looking right now. I’m leaning towards 25 Montecristo Especial No. 2s and 25 PLMCs, which leaves me $130 for a couple 3 or 5 pack Cohibas. 

I’m from greater Hartford area. I’ve lived in a lot of towns/cities. Manchester, Glastonbury, Hartford, Middletown, and now I’m in the process of moving to Storrs. I just applied to UCONN to finish my degree. 

[Connoisseur Kim]

On 11/23/2020 at 10:47 PM, DrStogie said:

Thanks for the recommendation, I appreciate it. I was already highly considering Monte 1s for my next box. It’s good to know they’re a sound choice. 

Absolutely! They're tasty skinny CC indeed ?

[Raskol]

Hi! & Welcome To FOH!!

[DrStogie]

On 11/23/2020 at 8:47 AM, StogieSteve23 said:

Welcome to FOH!

Fundadores, Monte Especial No 1 or 2 & PLMC's for skinnies. LGC MDO4's if you can find them. Grab some Connie 1's, Epi Especial, PLPCs to name a few. 

Where in CT are you from? I grew up in Wilton.  

PS I see you're in Florida, the Australia of the US lol. I also lived down there for a couple years. Winter Park/Orlando at first and then Naples. That's where I bought my first cubans and solidified the hobby. Much better climate for cigars than where I'm at now lol. 

[nKostyan]

Welcome to FOH!

[cleelv]

Welcome!

[captaincaveman]

Welcome from Philadelphia!