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Price vs Quality

W

wasy

Active Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2006
Messages
1,186
Location
Toms River, NJ
Boy have I got a lot to learn, I figured the price of a stick was directly related to the quality. Primarily I've been smoking Padron 3000 and 6000 Maduro's and have really enjoyed them, they are also reasonably priced. Today I went to they local B&M and picked up a Monticristo #2 for $12.00, I figured it was a sure fire winner right? Wrong, the Monticristo imo was very below average, burned uneven and for the first half tasted somewhat nasty. Lesson learned I guess.
 
Read the cigar reviews. I find them to be candid and pretty accurate so far. I've found that price DOES translate to quality, but there are exceptions. The uneven burn is the clue here.
 
Welcome to the world of cigars! Definitely keep reading reviews and keep trying out different smokes. Other guys here are always happy to turn you onto different smoking options. Some cigars you'll find really have that 'bang for the buck' and others are just learning experiences. :D The ones I don't like too much I always end up giving a second chance, after some time in the 'dor. And some of 'em I end up actually liking even though I didn't initially, like the Punch Rare Corojo Roth.

Enjoy :laugh:
 
Ahhhh ... the education process in action! If we all would admit it we have have probably experienced what you just described.

I read reviews from the perspective of strength and burn primarily. The ethereal descriptions provided by many are, in my opinion, very subjective and subject to a level of fantasy. Keep in mind many will disagree!

Some of my regular go-to smokes cost less than $5. Some of my "special" smokes don't cost much more and a few are in the range that I consider expensive for me. The last ones I only smoke on very special occasions.

My advice would be to look to strengths and sizes you enjoy. By some singles/5-packs, etc. and experiment. My education process is always on-going and I may smoke 20 different new ones and keep only one or none on my keeper list.

Like I said...this is just my approach & opinion.

Mellow smoking!
 
I go for the quality first and also if the stick floats my boat. I may drop the bucks to taste one (I am in the exploratory mode) , more likely two sticks before taking the plunge, again if I like the smoke. I have enjoyed sticks that may appear as dog rockets to some when one only consider the price. On the other side of the spectrum, my price ceiling----I found out that I won't pay for a $50.00 siglo IV when I was in quebec :D
 
Taste is extremely subjective and I definately found that out today. Just because a stick is pricey doesn't mean it's necessarily pleasant to my pallet.
 
I remember my first Diamond Crown and when I was really new to cigars. I thought...a $20 stick had to be good right? Wrong... :laugh: I learned that lesson also the hard way but many many many moons ago. I still dont read reviews. i just ask the guys at the shop if they think I would like it. They've picked me out alot of winners so far and my old shop I used to go to in Nebraska had about a 95% on the mark picking as well. :D
 
From what I've seen price has no relation at all to the quality of the cigars. I've had plenty of 16$ sticks and lemme tell ya I wouldn’t pay 6$ for them let alone 16$ again. A good amount of the time your paying for the name not for what it really is. Reviews really help, if you've got a good shop owner don’t be afraid to ask questions either. There’s been plenty of times I’ve walked in to my favorite shop and asked “hey pat, what do I wanna smoke today” The guy hasn’t recommended a rocket yet.
 
wasy said:
Taste is extremely subjective and I definately found that out today. Just because a stick is pricey doesn't mean it's necessarily pleasant to my pallet.
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This is a very accurate quote from Mark Twain regarding taste.

"No one can tell me what is a good cigar - for me. I am the only judge... There are no standards - no real standards. Each man's preference is the only standard for him, the only one which he can accept, the only one which can command him."

You must experience each cigar on your own terms. :thumbs:
 
There are so many over priced cigars on the market that avoiding them can be difficult at times. You would like to think that if a cigar is priced over 10 bucks you are getting a top of the line smoke, unfortunately that isn't the case.

The Perdomo Edicion De Silvio is probably the worst offender at 20-25 bucks a stick. In regards to the comment above about the Diamind Crowns, I respectfully disagree. They are in my opinion one of the best high line cigars out there. If you shop around you can find them at 10-13 bucks a stick and at that price point they are a good value in my opinion. I smoke at least 5 Diamond Crowns a week.

There are also some great values in the high line depertment such as Padron Anniversary Maduros and Opus X. Both can be found at 9-15 bucks a stick depending on size. Both are world class cigars that stand alone in their uniqueness.
 
Reviews can be helpful, but with this caveat: you have to learn the point of view of the reviewer. If you find you prefer a cammie or Connecticutt shade wrapped cigar, reading a review by someone who prefers maddies may not be too helpful to you. I wouldn't take a free Perdomo named cigar; if you like Perdomos you shouldn't put much weight behind my recommendations.
 
From what I've seen price has no relation at all to the quality of the cigars. I've had plenty of 16$ sticks and lemme tell ya I wouldn’t pay 6$ for them let alone 16$ again. A good amount of the time your paying for the name not for what it really is. Reviews really help, if you've got a good shop owner don’t be afraid to ask questions either. There’s been plenty of times I’ve walked in to my favorite shop and asked “hey pat, what do I wanna smoke today” The guy hasn’t recommended a rocket yet.
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Agreed and well said. Many times I've been to the shop and thought I'm gonna try something new, dump $10-$15 on a stick that I've never tried. Some are good and I wouldn't mind smoking them again, but not for that price.
 
As some have already said - it depends on the cigar. In my opinion, Padron Anniversarios and 1926s are worth every penny as are OpusX, Diamond Crown, and the Avo LE5. Edicion De Silvios and Partagas Decadas are a couple that come to mind that are NOT worth paying a premium for. Give me an Exclusivo Maduro or OpusX #5 (each under $10/stick) any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Also, there are plenty of quality budget cigars out there. Padron 3000 and 6000, Fuente Short Stories, Don Lino Africas, etc.
 
Thanks for the help guys, your input is always informative.

Realizing that I'm just a baby in the world of cigar smokers however, Padron 000 series are definately a quality smoke for the money imho.
 
ironmike5 said:
Yeah, the stick price doesn't ever guarantee quality.
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Yeah, that's for sure. ;)

However, I like Monte #2's, but they seem to be overpriced for the value. I'd rather go with a PAM Principe for 8 bucks or Exclusivo for 10 bucks (even though both are much smaller smokes) any day of the week. :)
 
I've smoked plenty of Sticks under $5(U.S. Dollars) that were fantastic, and quite a few that were $10 and over that were...not so good.

You just have to find what you like and stick with them, no matter if "experts" like them or not.
 
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