Which NC cigar has earned it's place alongside your traditional Cuban rotation?

[mikenaps715]

1) Arturo Fuente Casa Cuba Line

2) Foundation Cigars Olmec 

3) CAO Amazon Basin 

 

All currently in my Non CC rotation.  I live in NYC. 

[moneyneversleeps]

Illusione Epernay

Arturo Fuente Short Story

Nudie Ninfas

[Edicion]

NUB 

Oliva Belicoso

My Father #4 & Oliva Lanceros

Nudies Carlota(s)

Villa Zamorano Churchill 

Very soon... Ninfas 

[Frances_Zappa]

Casa Cuba divine inspiration and shark

Davidoff Grand cru

Casdagli daughters of wind

Tatuaje miami line and TAA releases

Padron 1964 family reserve maduro

Freud carlos y maria and agape

 

[Tinny]

Padron 3000 maduros 

Davidoff winston churchills

Illusione singulare

Olmec claro robusto

 

[BrightonCorgi]

I've enjoyed the Davidoff Winston Churchill series along with H. Upmann 1844 Reserve line.  Anything from either is a worthy NC. 

[raggie]

I quite like some of the Warped marcas. Not sure I can name a specific vitola but the ones I’ve had were solid.

Related to the AF line, I really enjoy the God of Fire (read: Prometheus) line. Don Carlos has made some of my favorite NC blends.

[targa88]

In no specific order:

Drew Estate Liga Undercrown Maduro and/or Shade Corona Viva

Oliva V Lancero

Illusione Epernay La Grande

Foundation Charter Oak Connecticut Shade Lonsdale

Used to really enjoy the Davidoff Nicaragua Diadema

[BG318]

I'm counting on the nudies to save the day.

Otherwise

I have always enjoyed AF Hemingway, most Davidoffs (especially selection 2 ), and the occasional Padron 1926 and 1964.

Since most of my cc collection is young, I need them as much as placeholders while the CCs age as I do as a price hedge. Most of the NCs mentioned aren't really that cheap either.

[pohlmad]

My Father La Opluencia 

Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro

Davidoff Nicaraguan Line

[SMELTZ]

Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Eye of the Shark

Padron 1964 & 1926, my favorite is 80 years Maduro

Oliva Melanio and V Lancero

 

[Cigarsmoker81]

I bought roughly 100 sticks of various nc cigars to try but the ones I’ve boxes of are: 

Opus x angel share 

EP Carillo allegiance 

AF Hemingway work of art 

Padron 1926 

Hopefully I’ll find others that I want to smoke regularly but it’s been hit and lots of misses for me. 

[MrFolgers]

Sin Compromiso - really anything that Saka puts out is gold. Liga Privada hasn't been the same since he left.

Davidoff Late Hour, Churchill size. Paired with a nice scotch is euphoric.

[Elgallo55]

Fuente Hemingway and Don Carlos

Warped la colmena

FOH cañonazo 

[Phonics]

Davidoff Nicaragua

Fuente Anejo, GoF, and Opus X Lost City

Padron 1926 Natural

[BatFastard]

Pretty much any Serie V Melanio for me. 

[charx]

Interesting thought problem  Sooo.. if Cuba sunk into the sea and I had to live on NCs here's what they'd be:

Companies:

Padron (24 natural, Family Reserve blends especially)

Viaje. Most releases are stellar to my taste

Casdagali.

With nods to specific cigars: Davidoff Nicaragua Box Press Maduro, Caldwell Anastasia 2022 yellow label, Fuente Casa Cuba, Tatuaje 15th Anniversary Rosado Oscuro.

 

[cigcars]

          *For me, the NC's that have "done it" Cubanseque-wise are *Casdagli Daughters of the Dust  *Andalusian Bull  *And Fuente's Don Carlos cigars 

[GVan]

16 hours ago, VeguerosMAN said:

Serious question: I personally can't stomach Padron 1926 in strength.  If you can stomach and enjoy full strength NCs then how can you enjoy mild Cubans? I can stomach 6 Bolivar Royal Coronas a day and can smoke Cubans all day (when I am in Cuba).

I get your question!  I love my CC's because compared to NC's the single origin Cuban tobacco (most of the time) produces awesome transitions while still being mild to medium in strength and body.  Many (not all) NC's seem to use only one origin of tobacco (a lot of pure Nicaraguan out there).  However, there are many NC blenders that are using multi-sourced, different country tobacco to produce some very good cigars with flavors way beyond just black pepper.  

As far as Padron goes, most in my collection are the "64 Anny's because blend-wise they are somewhat milder than the '26 Annys.  The 26's are more medium to full-bodied and definitely a richer smoke (to my palate).  I only have 2 boxes of the 26's; one from 2011 and one from 2014.  The 26's get smoother and more nuanced with additional age.  The boxes have clearly reached this age because I only reach for one when I want a fuller-bodied smoke usually with a strong decaf coffee or a bourbon after a big dinner where a richer smoking experience is desired.  They definitely have their place in any collection, if only for the friends that know and want a Padron.  I recently posted about a duck hunting trip that I went on with 14 guys where despite the fact that I brought 30 cigars with 10+ great Cubans, the first 4 cigars picked for around the campfire were the 2021 Padron Maduro Monarcas.  As several FOH members commented that's probably because that's the cigar with the most name recognition.

Personally, I love very mild cigars (ex: HU Mag 50's / Caldwell Yellow Cakes) to very strong - or should I say mongrel - cigars (ex: Ashton VSG and young Tatuaje Black Labels or PLPCs) - it just depends on my mood.  I agree with your point that many days I do smoke two to three CC's.  I can't think of a day in the recent past where I have smoked multiple Padrons.  To me, variety in the rotation is important and you clearly have me beat - I don't think I've ever smoked 6 cigars, of any type,  in one day.  But again, that's just me - I'm sure they're are plenty of members that do multiple Padrons / NC's a day.

[Ford2112]

2 hours ago, VeguerosMAN said:

I don't think I could do multiple Padrons a day- too heavy.  I am just a bit surprised that Padrons are in members' rotation, for I thought most Cuban smokers would go for something milder and more Cubanesque flavor profile. 

If I want Cubanesque I'll smoke a cigar from Cuba. The Nicaraguan Honduran Dominican and the like scratch an entirely different itch. I prefer Cuban tobacco to almost anything out there. But I do love Maduro cigars these days and have been exploring that avenue of late.

[eaglebear29]

On 1/29/2024 at 9:42 AM, jazzboypro said:

My problem with Padron is that over here their price is not far from a many Cuban cigars especially the Anniversary line. Price wise they are not an alternative to Cuban cigars and frankly AFAIC they are not good enough to warrant that price. Unfortunately prise wise the same goes for the AF Opus X line but i never had one so i can't speak about the taste.

With that being said, I like:

Perdomo 20th Anniversary Maduro

Crowned Heads La Imperiosa Duke

Plasencia

 

I'm still new to this and newer in the Cuban regard having only a handful. With NW I've had an average of a cigar a day for the last 4-5 months. Yeah, me personally I've found that NW don't seem to be much "cheaper" (sure some are) and with the few CC I've had are a totally different thing, amazing, and I like to keep my Cubans as more of a treat, since to me they have been. I also keep many NW as treats as well so that's not just a CC thing they are both their own thing. Opus X seems out of my price range and I've never had one so I can't speak on it as well, all other cheaper AF for the most part I have enjoyed.

Plasencia has been my main go to in my rotation because of consistency, quality, and they seem to have imo the best prices for quality sticks. I have anywhere from 1-7 Plasencias a week depending on how many other NW I'm trying.

I have also like quite a few Crowned Heads and Perdomo so far with there quality.

I really love the more research I do on Plasencia, and how much they grow for so many other big brands. Its as if you can just cut out the middle man and get their products now strait from them and many for a good price too. I haven't had a bad one yet and I tend to give other brands multiple tries on the chance if it was just a bad one and that has sometimes been the case, but with plasencia, they have all been good, for me.

[jazzboypro]

21 hours ago, eaglebear29 said:

I'm still new to this and newer in the Cuban regard having only a handful. With NW I've had an average of a cigar a day for the last 4-5 months. Yeah, me personally I've found that NW don't seem to be much "cheaper" (sure some are) and with the few CC I've had are a totally different thing, amazing, and I like to keep my Cubans as more of a treat, since to me they have been. I also keep many NW as treats as well so that's not just a CC thing they are both their own thing. Opus X seems out of my price range and I've never had one so I can't speak on it as well, all other cheaper AF for the most part I have enjoyed.

Plasencia has been my main go to in my rotation because of consistency, quality, and they seem to have imo the best prices for quality sticks. I have anywhere from 1-7 Plasencias a week depending on how many other NW I'm trying.

I have also like quite a few Crowned Heads and Perdomo so far with there quality.

I really love the more research I do on Plasencia, and how much they grow for so many other big brands. Its as if you can just cut out the middle man and get their products now strait from them and many for a good price too. I haven't had a bad one yet and I tend to give other brands multiple tries on the chance if it was just a bad one and that has sometimes been the case, but with plasencia, they have all been good, for me.

My experience with NCs is that when I get over 20$ CAN for a cigar it's not worth it. So far AF has not done it for me but I still have a few of their higher end cigars that I will try this summer. So far all the Plasencia I have tried have been good so I purchased 3 boxes (3 different vitolas). Can't go wrong with Perdomo, as for Crowned Heads I've only had the Imperiosa Dukes and I really like it.

[mcicvara]

Caldwell LLK

Plasencia Alma fuerte 

Illusione Epernay

 

[PimpNasty]

Mostly Davidoffs and Nudies. Most recently the Plasencia Reserva Original line. The sweetness and flavors on those are out of this world which I didn’t expect from Plasencia since I’ve had some not so great ones in the past. Definitely going to be in my regular rotation from now on along with my beloved nudies

[helix]

Vivonte factory cigars, POP, DR.