Weekend Poll Comp: Non-Cubans

[MoeFOH]

This week's Weekend Poll is all about NCs... it's a chance to see what portion of a regular rotation NCs take up for folks, these days, and to showcase something that's blowing your hair back at the moment in the NC realm by posting up a pic over the weekend! 

Answer the Poll and/or post up some pics & info of what you're smoking and all participants will go into a draw to win a Nudies Lancero 5-Pack (3 up for grabs) 

Poll closes midnight Mon 7th Bris time - draw done Tues morning. 

(Note: no brownie points for PD/MOFOH pics... but welcomed, of course, if you feel suitably compelled in that direction )

Have fun with it and have a great weekend - enjoy! 

[mikejh]

The Punch Gran Puro is one of my favorite non-Cubans. Young or aged these have always performed well for me, and I have smoked a ton of them. Managed to get a box for $4 a stick last year. Has the perfect mix of sweetness, earthiness, and spice. Look how majestic it is.

[WestCoastSmokin]

This MOFOH Robusto blew me away the other day. I was pleasantly surprised after the first one I smoked a year ago was the complete opposite of this one. Idk if it was just an odd one out or if letting these sit for a year really helped. Well either way I’m looking forward to buying some more here soon! 

[JohnS]

My inventory consists of 7.5% Non-Cuban cigars (including Fabrica 5 product) and I would guess that I smoke a Non-Cuban cigar once for every 15 to 20 Habanos cigars I smoke. For me, I like a change of pace with either a Padron or Arturo Fuente Hemingway Series cigar, usually.

[Deeg]

Regrettably, NCs now constitute 100% of my purchases, and any Cubans I smoke are from the dwindling stock I've had since before it all went crazy. I say "regrettably" not because there aren't some great NCs out there, but because it would be nice to have smoking them be a choice.

In terms of what NCs are my go-to's, at this point if I had to pick one manufacturer it would be Illusione. I'm increasingly enjoying my experiments with Nudies, Fuentes have always been consistently high-quality, and I enjoy others. But Illusione seems to represent the best QPR out there among the big guys. So many lines, all good to superb, and very reasonably priced.

 

 

[Ford2112]

Half and half for me. I love Cuban tobacco ,but I also love NC tobacco. To me the best maduro is the Padron 64 Anniversario. I smoke a lot of Nudies. I am discovering other brands like Plasencia, Foundation,the Saka stuff. I always grab a Fuente Cameroon when the mood strikes me. Oliva Melanios are great. Lots of gems in a field of unending options,much of which I find to be crap. 

Cuban tobacco to me is much easier to like across all marques. I have smoked an awful lot of NC dog rockets. But I like variety, and get different experiences from the different regions. Its fun learning and trying new stuff. Always have an open mind. For me anyway.

[Ruggerpgh99]

My inventory is about 60% NC, and 40% CC, but I probably smoke NC 75% of the time. I am new to consistently having CC, and a good amount of what I have is aging, and waiting for the right time to smoke. I have had some absolutely stellar NC smokes lately. El Pulpo the Eel, was very complex, lots of transitions of flavors. I have also been loving Warped cigars, the Cloud Hopper was so good, I bought a box while smoking it, and the devils hands was stupid good, but waiting to pull the trigger on a box of them as well. 

[unaslob]

About 10%. We have a great cigar bar that is part of best cigar prices nearby. Great hang out. Great food. Great atmosphere. Since they sell cigars I do feel kind of odd bring Cubans in to smoke there. They have no policy against outside smokes but I just feel weird. So I typically will have a NW that I got there or at an event they have. But still will take a Cuban stick there from time to time. any thoughts on that ?

This Opus X was a miss for me. One note. Don’t finish. Very odd I I support the opus marcas in general.

 

This CAP Amazon basin was amazing.

A golf course stick can’t go wrong with a fat Fundy. 

[chaka451]

Outside of Nudies (Ninfas in particular), this has been my favorite value NC cigar.

[DennyPaul]

These late hour panatelas are the perfect way to inject a bit of malty flavor during a round of fetch. 

[Çnote]

11 hours ago, unaslob said:

any thoughts on that ?

If there's no rule and you're buying stock, I'd 100% discreetly light one. Only a couple lounges I've been to have hard rules on no CC, and that's more to curb faux CC sales. 'No outside sticks' is often ignored if you buy whatever quantity of cigars qualifies for a discount and be chill about things. I used to just tip in CC, but it's not cost effective anymore.

This is one 'smoke now' box. There's maybe 10 CC in here. There's about 3 more boxes with zero CC. Buy the time all those are gone, my CC boxes should be about ready to smoke, if I can bear to smoke $100 bills.

[Chibearsv]

You all know what I’m gonna post here. Another glorious 21 N1 Rosado. Down to 2 bundles remaining, no reason to slow down, they are perfect for me. This one will be the benchmark for cigar of the month. It’ll take a 95 pointer to beat it.

[Lucas Buck]

Probably smoked about half a dozen NC over the past 15 years, mostly gifted sticks. Ninfas being my favorite size I had to try the Nude. Very mild but great flavor. 

[Gubbins]

Illusione - Cruzado (50x5.2)

Cruzado; translated to ‘crossed’ and listed as ‘crossed hands’ is a reference to Houdini, and his struggle and fascination with the concept of the afterlife. More is mentioned about the cross over from earthly to none earthly realms. To me it just looks like a cigar. But that’s definitely a sales pitch.

Nicaraguan fillers and binders with a rosado corojo wrapper, these are rolled at the Aganorsa leaf factory I believe. I didn’t try the original iteration of the blend, but have tried one of these about 6 months ago from the same box and wasn’t bowled over. This was much better than the first and I was pleasantly surprised. I would guess these have around 3 years of age. Whether the improvement was due to additional time in the humidor, more age, or simply because the sun was out, I’m not sure, but this stick was up there with some of the better NW cigars I’ve had of late.

It is a rich and creamy cigar, with a unique profile. Medium to full bodied and very smooth without pepper. A lot of baking spice flavours, with touches of black coffee, a sweet nuttiness, cedar and some earth/leather towards the final third. It transitioned well and at no stage did it become a bore.

<key emblem referencing Houdini >

The construction and draw were spot on, and despite the burn slowing towards the final third, I smoked it to the nub. The cigar evaded common traits of pepper and late-bitterness that I often associate with some Nicaraguan cigars. The burn line was wavy in parts but I put that down to wind.

I got a good hour out of this and the key take aways were; cream, baking spices, the rounded balance of flavours and the massive improvement vs. the last one I had. 

I usually reach for Epernays with Illusiones, but this was a welcome change of pace that brought something different to the table.

90 points.  Better than expected; maybe I was just in a good mood.

[DaBoot]

I most always fire a Cuban. I have many and smoke less often now. NC just don’t have the flavor profile, period. This beauty from 2019 was a pleasure to burn.

[Gubbins]

2 hours ago, DaBoot said:

I most always fire a Cuban. I have many and smoke less often now. NC just don’t have the flavor profile, period. This beauty from 2019 was a pleasure to burn.

Also have a box of these from 2019 (MSU FEB 19). They are top shelf. Curious as to what your box code is?

[Boxer31]

Over winter 60-40 NCs, prob switch back to 60-40 CC with nicer weather.  Padron 64s, Oliva Melanio, a few from Saka, Sonata and a couple from Serino.

[tbelle7]

I only own a few boxes of NC's. I've tried all the popular sticks. I have only found two that I consistently enjoy.

[MagicalBikeRide]

I’m 25% NC and they’re almost exclusively Fab5 at this stage. When combined with a pint or a coffee, they’re bliss. A class act.

 

[DaBoot]

3 hours ago, Gubbins said:

Also have a box of these from 2019 (MSU FEB 19). They are top shelf. Curious as to what your box code is?

MSU are the best. Still got a box of BBF with an MSU code.  This was put into a singles pile, box code unknown… 

[Tunkat92]

<5% for me, I just love my Cubans and rarely reach for NCs. Last week I smoked my first Warped Maestro del Tiempo and it was delicious. The Nudie Ninfa is also up there for me too. Sorry no pics though.

[TacoSauce]

44 minutes ago, Tunkat92 said:

Last week I smoked my first Warped Maestro del Tiempo and it was delicious

Bad timing. Warped has now discontinued that blend.

[eaglebear29]

I smoke 75-90% NW. It depends on how much time I have to enjoy the CCs. There more of a special smoke while the rest age.

Lately I’ve been trying all the different nudies that are new to me, and figure out which ones to add to the humidor defender rotation. So far I like them all.  

[GVan]

The collection is ~ 25% NC's (880/3547 at last count). I'm probably smoking a few more NC's nowadays but I tend to go in spurts of all CC's and then all NC's. Since it's "the season" in Florida and that means a lot of golf, I generally only smoke NC's on the golf course. I'd rather save the CC's for a nice evening on the porch where the flavors are better detected. A few of the latest NC's below...

[cbenham73]

 These are my current favorite non-Cubans. The Bandelero Series C has been excellent so far. It may be my “go to” cigar. The Villiger TAA is very good as well. The Don Carlos God of Fire is top tier also. Tatjuae Verecio has been good and very consistent.