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Good Cigars or Dog Rockets

Boomer52

Boomer52

Good Friends, Good Cigars
Joined
Nov 6, 2007
Messages
442
When I seriously got into cigars I did some research and purchased a variety of what I thought I might like or would like to try. That was before I found CP. Over the last few months I have been reading the “Reviews”, “What Did You Smoke Today”, and other threads and most of what I see is Fuente, Opus, Sharks, DPG, some Padrons, and a lot of other IMHO, expensive cigars. Until I find what I like and develop my palate, I would prefer not to spend that kind of money for something I can not yet appreciate.

My question: are the cigars I purchased reasonable picks for a newbie? I have found some of them mentioned in the various threads but my question was not answered. I would appreciate some input from others with more experience.

In addition to the list below I have a few singles that were in a sampler I bought and am working my way through. The list is what I have bought 5ers or more of.

I am pretty much out of room in the humidor so a “Newbie Sampler Trade” is out of the question for now and I don’t think the FOG’s would be interested in anything I currently have.

Having smoked some of these cigars, I am leaning toward the medium to medium-full bodied smokes.

So here we go. Good cigars or dog rockets?

Macanudo Hyde Park Maduro
RyJ Vintage #2
H. Upman Connoisseur Cabinet 96-20
Montecristo Cabinet #30
La Gloria Cubana – La Gloria Maduro
Hoyo de Monterey - Dark Sumatra Ebano
JR Ultimate Toro
CAO Gold Robusto
Gurkah Expedition Toro
5 Vegas Gold Toro and Churchill
Gispert (sampler with various sizes)

Thanks for the input/suggestions.

Sorry if this topic has been beat to death. I did not find much with search.
 
I am nub as well and haven't tried many on that list. It is only you that can say whether something is good or dog rocket IMO. Some peoples trash, etc etc etc. Having said all that, I have not been wrong listening to the advice of the FOGs here. :) They have real good taste, and not all of the cigars that are highly recommended are high price sticks! Just my humble .02
 
They may be dog rockets to some, but the only thing that matters is if you enjoy them..... don't worry about what others think!
 
Like myself and I'm sure others, I've smoked plenty of those when I started out and loved them at the time. Seem like some good picks there. That's the fun part, experimenting and trying every brand you can get your hands on to see what you like.
 
I'll echo the same sentiment. Taste is subjective. I have a good friend who's opinion I've followed on many cigars. Most of the time we agree...but there have been times I like something he doesn't and vice versa. Regardless of whether or not you're a newbie, if you're a cigar smoker and you see something in a store you've never tried, you'll want to try it and see if its your cup of tea or not. Buy what you like, and enjoy. :)
 
As has been said, taste is very subjective, as I am sure you've picked up from your reading here on CP. One guy raves about a certain cigar he has just tried, you rush out to buy one, smoke it, and go WTF!

You have a nice selection of smokes to sample, I would recommend you make notes about what you like or dislike about a certain stick, then read up on it to see what it's made of, where it's from, etc. That way if you like it, you know a similarly constructed cigar from the same region of the world will probably fit your tastes. After a time, you'll read reviews here from people who have similar tastes to your own, and if they mention a particular smoke they have tried and enjoyed, you might want to give it a shot as well.

Welcome to CP, there's a wealth of information to be gleaned from here, and don't be afraid to ask questions, and take the time to read some of the older threads, as they contain several lifetime's of knowledge.
 
Boomer52 said:
Until I find what I like and develop my palate, I would prefer not to spend that kind of money for something I can not yet appreciate.
Click to expand...

Excellent move. :thumbs: In the meantime, smoke everything you can lay your hands on and take notes so you can review what you liked.

Also,I think your understanding of the Newbie Sampler is incorrect. You send an amount of money you are comfortable with to the "at bat" FOG in the thread, he sends you a selection of smokes or comparable value or better. Out of the 25 or so cigars I got, I had only tried 3 or 4. In fact, I got some brands I had never even heard of. It was great fun taste testing them! I had an excellent experience and I highly recommend it.
 
Oh yeah, it's always good to buy a few of each cigar. One day you might not like it so much, a few months later you might love them. Maybe you'll get a dud, the next will be fantastic. You'll learn that alot of factors can effect your experience on a cigar. (Environment, full or empty stomach, over or under humidified, drink paired, etc...)
 
I kinda like those Gispert. A descet smoke for a low price. Good luck with your new collection, expirementation is the key. Other wise just have fun and enjoy. I learn every time I smoke a new cigar and forget have of what I learned. Its all good and this the place to learn.
 
They are only dog rockets if you do not like them. The term is relative to your tastes.

Some of the stuff I smoke others consider cheap crap, but I like them.
 
"Taste is subjective."

Sure. It's true, but it's also not all that helpful. It's sort of like saying the sun shines during the day. It does, and it is, but what do you do with that knowledge? Keep in mind that while taste is subjective, we all taste things somewhat similarly. Otherwise we'd never be able to communicate that a MacIntosh tastes more like a Rome than a Golden Delicious. Over time, as you share your experiences with other smokers, both differences AND similarities in how you receive a particular cigar will serve to expand your vocabulary. And in tasting, much of the art is in the development of a meaningful, shared vocabulary for talking about our experiences. I'm sure you've heard folks say, "I don't know what it is about cigar X, but I know I like it." Well, if you can express what it is that you like and have someone understand that, then they might then be able to suggest similar and/or contrasting cigars for you to try. That is one way to hone one's ability to appreciate the cigar.

"Smoke the cheap stuff until you're ready for real cigars."

If you're budget conscious, by all means do so. The main reason this makes sense is that there are a ton of inexpensive cigars out there and many, many bundle selections. I smoke bundle cigars. Who the hell can afford to smoke a $15 cigar every time out? Who would want to? Not me. If you have the fiscal means, do not hesitate to dive right into what other smokers are finding compelling. Another reason that advice seems to make sense is that sometimes we worry about "wasting" a cigar, about not getting everything out of it that we possibly can. Well, I'll let you in on a secret. It happens to all of us at one time or another. I have had off days where I've lit and put out 3 cigars in a row and burned up $50+ in doing so. It sucks, but it happens. Other times, I dig the hell out of a $2 stick and I'm on Cloud Nine. My advice is to smoke, not all cheap stuff, or all expensive stuff, but to smoke broadly. Experience all you can and try to do so with an open mind.

When you're starting out, and your confidence in your own taste may be lower than that of an experienced smoker, you are more likely to be swayed by "advice" and opinions. That's ok. Same as with cigars, take advice from a variety of source. Read, ask, smoke, enjoy, think, reflect, rinse, repeat. That's the way of things.

Wilkey
 
Oh, I should add that you've got some good sticks in there. I think you'll find that the consensus on the LGC is that they are good and tasty cigars. The HdM Dark Sumatra are one of my favorite budget cigars and I just love the rich, full, cocoa-espresso flavor. The JR Ultimate is a good stick too. A decent value and nice heavy flavor. There are some in your list that I don't care for but I only found out because I tried them. In fact, I think the only two I have not tried are the RyJ and the Upmann. I do like the Upmann Vintage Cameroon though.

Happy smoking!

Wilkey
 
Ginseng said:
"Taste is subjective."

Sure. It's true, but it's also not all that helpful. It's sort of like saying the sun shines during the day. It does, and it is, but what do you do with that knowledge? Keep in mind that while taste is subjective, we all taste things somewhat similarly. Otherwise we'd never be able to communicate that a MacIntosh tastes more like a Rome than a Golden Delicious. Over time, as you share your experiences with other smokers, both differences AND similarities in how you receive a particular cigar will serve to expand your vocabulary. And in tasting, much of the art is in the development of a meaningful, shared vocabulary for talking about our experiences. I'm sure you've heard folks say, "I don't know what it is about cigar X, but I know I like it." Well, if you can express what it is that you like and have someone understand that, then they might then be able to suggest similar and/or contrasting cigars for you to try. That is one way to hone one's ability to appreciate the cigar.

"Smoke the cheap stuff until you're ready for real cigars."

If you're budget conscious, by all means do so. The main reason this makes sense is that there are a ton of inexpensive cigars out there and many, many bundle selections. I smoke bundle cigars. Who the hell can afford to smoke a $15 cigar every time out? Who would want to? Not me. If you have the fiscal means, do not hesitate to dive right into what other smokers are finding compelling. Another reason that advice seems to make sense is that sometimes we worry about "wasting" a cigar, about not getting everything out of it that we possibly can. Well, I'll let you in on a secret. It happens to all of us at one time or another. I have had off days where I've lit and put out 3 cigars in a row and burned up $50+ in doing so. It sucks, but it happens. Other times, I dig the hell out of a $2 stick and I'm on Cloud Nine. My advice is to smoke, not all cheap stuff, or all expensive stuff, but to smoke broadly. Experience all you can and try to do so with an open mind.

When you're starting out, and your confidence in your own taste may be lower than that of an experienced smoker, you are more likely to be swayed by "advice" and opinions. That's ok. Same as with cigars, take advice from a variety of source. Read, ask, smoke, enjoy, think, reflect, rinse, repeat. That's the way of things.

Wilkey
Click to expand...

Where does Wilkey come up with this stuff? Show of hands... Has anyone ever read something he wrote and disagreed? I don't see any hands. Nicely put Wilkey. :thumbs:
 
When I was starting out I smoked everything did not matter cost fact was I had no idea what I liked so I just smoked until I found a flavor profile that fit me. I would not say any of your sticks are dog rockets good starter kit imo. The gurkha Expedition is in my regular rotation.

As for reviews and what are you smoking threads i think most put in a special cigar they may have had recently. I believe there are very few people who smoke expensive fuente and such everyday some do I am sure most dont simply because for those cigars you need to sit down and enjoy them and most of us smoke while doing something else like yard work.

One thing that helped me decide what i liked was the ci brown bag sampler for a low price you get a couple good sticks normally and a few yard gars. Dont confuse yard-gar with dog rocket A yard-gar is just simply an everyday smoke that is relatively inexpensive. My personal pallet changes regularely as well something i like today a couple months from now i may not like as much or just feel like a change.
So just smoke what you like and enjoy your new hobby I am sure 6 monthes from now you will have changed or developed your pallet more.

Dale
 
Boomer52 said:
So here we go. Good cigars or dog rockets?

Macanudo Hyde Park Maduro
RyJ Vintage #2
H. Upman Connoisseur Cabinet 96-20
Montecristo Cabinet #30
La Gloria Cubana – La Gloria Maduro
Hoyo de Monterey - Dark Sumatra Ebano
JR Ultimate Toro
CAO Gold Robusto
Gurkah Expedition Toro
5 Vegas Gold Toro and Churchill
Gispert (sampler with various sizes)
Click to expand...

IMHO, I think you have some decent smokes here. Although I prefer fuller bodied, stronger-tasting cigars, I do enjoy the RyJ Vintage line. It is the only RyJ line (NC) that I like. I also like the CAO Gold and the Monte Cabinets in smaller ring gauges. The Monte Cabinets I prefer to smoke with a strong alcoholic beverage, while the others I smoke with coffee as a drink.

As others have said, taste is quite a subjective thing, but you did ask for opinions :laugh:

Do try the Newbie Sampler Trade. I have smoked cigars for many years but with a limited selection. I tried the NST last spring and it really opened my eyes to a wide range of tasty smokes, many of which I would have never tried otherwise. Once you begin to understand the real variety of tastes and flavors out there...well, life may not be quite the same ever again.

Cheers,
antaean
 
I wouldn't consider any of those cigars dog rockets. Most of us started off smoking a similar line-up and then branched out from there.

As others have said above, smoke what you've got there and take some notes on what you like and don't like about them. When you narrow the field some, let us (or your local B&M) know what you liked and why. We can help point you in the direction of other cigars you might want to try.

The best advice I can offer is to jump into the pool headfirst and start paddling.
 
...I see one name missing; Padron. You can get the Padron x000 series (2000, 3000, 4000, etc.) for very reasonable prices. I always keep a couple of boxes of Padron 2000's around; one in maduro, one in regular. They are hands down my all time favorite "less than $3.00" cigar. Usually a reasonably complex, always well constructed cigar. I seem to smoke at least one a week.

Smoke what you like, like what you smoke. When the day comes where you find yourself thinking "....you know, this is good, but I wonder...." there are plenty of folks around here that can help your slide into the "Dark Side".... :laugh:

Cheers - B.B.S.
 
If you are in this hobby for the enjoyment of smoking, less expensive sticks are/can be the best sticks to have in your collection when starting. As you start out, you are experiencing different wrappers, blends, tobaccos. A Dark Sumatra or H Upmann are GREAT cigars.

After a while you may enjoy trying more complex cigars that can offer different flavor profiles, stronger flavor, more nicotene.... A wise man just told me, "I wish I could find a $3-4 cigar that could provide the flavors, strength and body that I can find in my favorite premium cigars. That is the challenge that can provide a lot of enjoy!!

If the Dark Sumatra is knocking your socks off with flavor and you enjoy it as much as a Padron '64, be happy the Sumatra. I'm not saying you should not try other smokes, but you many be able to enjoy them as much as a premium in some cases.

Happy holidays.
 
WOW, I am blown away by all of the responses. Thanks to all.

Looks like the general consensus is that I am on the right track. I am pleased to find out that some of the cigars I have listed are smoked on a fairly regular basis by many of you. Guess I will keep doing what I am doing and keep reading.

From day 1 I started keeping notes on everything I bought and smoked. My intent was to compare each cigar over time to see if I could tell a difference with age. (The cigars, not mine) I find I am using it more to note what I like or dislike. In any case, it is becoming a very useful tool.

Guess I’ll go look up those Padrons suggested by B.B.S.

Thanks again.

Dave
 
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