• Hi Guest - Come check out all of the new CP Merch Shop! Now you can support CigarPass buy purchasing hats, apparel, and more...
    Click here to visit! here...

Taste preferences...

mu mike

mu mike

It's not a lie if you believe it.
Joined
Dec 1, 2004
Messages
1,393
Location
Springfield, MO
Have you ever had a 180 on a cigar? Over the years I've noticed my opinion on certain cigars has changed. Not sure why, perhaps it's just my palate changing.

Positive 180
Diamond Crown Maximus: I remember trying these when they first came out in 2003 and not thinking much of them. I really tried to like them, too, so I gave them more than a fair shot. I just couldn't get a taste for them. I picked up a few in this past year for some reason and have really been digging them. I even got some old crusty ones from 2005 that are sublime.

Casa Fuente: I thought they were overpriced Don Carlos. Didn't smoke one since 2007 and then this year went to Vegas and couldn't get enough of them. Brought a couple boxes home since I liked them so much and look forward to smoking one every chance I get.

God of Fire. Average at first, and now I love 'em for some reason!

Negative 180
Anejo: It's not quite a 180 yet, but it's getting close. I loved these things for a long time and the past couple of years have been grabbing them less and less. I may decide to get rid of the rest of my boxes because they're just taking up space at this point.

Hemingway Maduros: Kind of the same thing as the Anejos. I'd much rather have 100 other cigars instead.

RP Edge Sumatra: I didn't usually smoke Rocky's stuff, but everyone at the local shop raved about these when they came out a couple of years ago so I tried one. Really liked it, for what it was. Fast forward a couple of years and I just don't care for them at all.

How about you guys, what are some of your 180's?
 
Well, I'll tell ya, I've been through boxes of DL Africas, especially the Punda Milias and Kifaros, and while I'm still liking them, they just don't ring my bell the way they used to. Not sure why, either.

Have to agree with you a bit on the RP Edge Sumatras, too. Absolutely LOVED them when they first arrived, picked up a tenner recently and . . . well, either my tastes have changed or they just don't age well.

Anejos are . . . well, I'm on the fence. They're good, but don't wow me like they used to . . . on the other hand, I recently smoked an '06 Shark, and it was just amazing. This is one of those smoke that age is very, very kind to . . . kind of like Opus X. I had a couple fresh xXx and was underwhelmed . . . then I had an aged one, couple years on it, and was . . . "woah!"

Sometimes I just don't "get it." DCM and WOAM, haven't done a thing for me.

~Boar
 
Mu Mike, it struck me that the ones you don't like anymore are Maduros.

I often get a metallic, bitter flavor from maduro cigars.

This started about 2 or 3 years ago. Too often, they just don't taste good. I now avoid them, for the most part.
 
Not A Nice Person said:
Well, I'll tell ya, I've been through boxes of DL Africas, especially the Punda Milias and Kifaros, and while I'm still liking them, they just don't ring my bell the way they used to. Not sure why, either.

Have to agree with you a bit on the RP Edge Sumatras, too. Absolutely LOVED them when they first arrived, picked up a tenner recently and . . . well, either my tastes have changed or they just don't age well.

Anejos are . . . well, I'm on the fence. They're good, but don't wow me like they used to . . . on the other hand, I recently smoked an '06 Shark, and it was just amazing. This is one of those smoke that age is very, very kind to . . . kind of like Opus X. I had a couple fresh xXx and was underwhelmed . . . then I had an aged one, couple years on it, and was . . . "woah!"

Sometimes I just don't "get it." DCM and WOAM, haven't done a thing for me.

~Boar
Click to expand...


I'm right there with you. Every Opus I have had that is fresh has tasted like paint thinner to me, whereas I had my first aged (2+ years) Opus recently, and it was a whole different experience.

As for my 180's, I've had a few for sure. My original favorites, the Punch Rare Corojos, just don't do it for me like they used to. They are still decent, but not blissful like before. A positive 180 for me has been the Padron X000's, the first few I had I hated...now I love 'em!
 
Funny, I did the opposite 180 on the Hemingway maduro. I've only had a few, but at first I didn't like them at all. The more recent couple I had, I really enjoyed.
 
I'm with you 100%, Mike. Casa Fuente, DC and GOF, didn't care for them. I now enjoy them immensely. I never was that crazy about the Anejos though.
 
When I first tried the 5 Vegas Gold's I loved them but since then my taste has gone more for the full flavor maduros, so now I have a half a box of 5 Vegas Gold's chilling in the humidor :)

And I'm still waiting for my positive 180 on Fonsecas. Every one I've tried I've hated (5-50 and the F-Series). I don't know what it was about them, they just seemed bland to me.
 
Taste changes, as do organic porducts.

It seems the crops change from year to year. Just look at the wat people speak of certain years for Cuban cigars.

I don't smoke a lot of Anejo or Opus as of late, but the ones I've had seem to be 'less' than what I remember.

Is it me or the tobacco or both?

I smoked a few year old Opus and a couple year old Anejo this year....I was not impressed.
Last winter I smokes an Opus No 5 and thought it was fantastic...go figure.

I liked the Punch Rare Corojo, but the profile became 'flat'...maybe another years crop will bring it back?

I've always liked the Casa's and look forward to seeing if I still like them with some age!

I've said it a few times in the past couple months, for whatever reason Davidoff seems to be the most consistent fresh and aged.
Now there is some difference but their atentivness to quality and consistency seem to show.
(This as I light a 2005 Double R
wink.gif
)
 
Good subject! It's strange because when I first started out, I thought Anejo and Opus weren't that great, however as of late I've really started to enjoy the flavor and power of both. I can also recall smoking a Tatuaje Havana VI a couple years ago and thought it was terrible. Nothing but power and spice. But today? Oh man, love 'em!

The one thing that has really changed is my taste for Cuban smokes. Now, I do enjoy a good Cuban cigar, no doubt about it, however I've started straying away from them and have really stocked up on a lot of non-Cuban smokes as of late. Really enjoy strong, peppery, full-bodied cigars today whereas before more of a medium.
 
It's very likely there is more than one factor and at least two, IMO.

Firstly, one's personal tastes change.

Secondly, manufacturers have god years and bad, relatively speaking.

Case in point, Hemi Maduros. They have been on a slide until this year. I just sampled a Signature Maduro and it was fantastic. Wish I could say the same for the Anejos. Part of the problem is that the product is dependent on mother nature to a large degree. As wrapper and filler leaves run out, new batches may not be as good or may be better.

Thirdly, storage conditions. Can be a factor but this can be controlled AFTER one owns them. But not before.

my 2 cents
 
Padron maddies. I used to smoke quite a few of them (all their lines). I started getting more into the naturals and haven't looked back. :thumbs: The maddies just don't do it for me anymore. If I want that maduro profile, it's a Fuente Hemi or Anejo.

Also, Cruzados do nothing for me now. The regular Illusione line, still decent... I think it's all subjective tastes and I might as well hang onto those smokes that don't wow me anynore. A couple years age might help...



Derek
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top