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Tell me what sticks you used to love but can't stand anymore

MNBrian

MNBrian

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2015
Messages
1,390
Hi guys!

There are a few people I can blame for this, but I won't name any names (looking at you Scap and Josh). But lately my palate has taken a complete U-turn and where I used to favor the non cc to the cc, now I'm having trouble enjoying any non-cc other than my stalwart AF Anejo. I smoked a great deal of Altadis when I first started trying cigars. Now I can't even puff on one more than 2 or 3 times without wanting to toss it. And I can see the trend continuing even with the much better non-cc brands as I shift more and more exclusively to CC's.

The weather can be funky business here. Somehow sticks that taste not so great in the 80% RH summer end up being really good in the 20% RH winter and vise versa, so it could be that summers are just better for CC's.

Compared to the rest of you, I'm still wearing diapers in terms of my cigar smoking acumen, so I was just curious if anyone else has had this type of transformation happen? And I'm curious to hear what your own transformations looked like. I think it would be fun to see how some of your palates transformed as well. So tell me -

What are some things you used to smoke that you just can't stand anymore?
 
I can't think of any cigars that I used to love, and now hate, but I can say that there are cigars that the first few I smoked didn't really turn me on, but then became a favorite.

When I first started smoking cigars I was basically a Villazon whore. Llaneza was still involved, and he was making the best non-cubans, imo.

I loved Cubans from the get go. My favorite tobacco to this day.

I found some Pre Sandinista Joya de Nicaragua in a off the beaten path B&M. I tried one, loved it, went back, and bought every box he had. That put me on the Nicaraguan path, especially when the cigar boom resulted in a lot of crap cigars hitting the market. Even Villazon went to crap. Fuente hung in there with some smokable stuff. Fuente Maduro wrapper back in the early 90s was wonderful. Eventually, Fuente Products moved into being a favorite.

At some point I tried a Padron. I wasn't crazy about it, but kept trying them, and eventually my palate came in line, and they became a favorite.

So I still enjoy old favorites, but sparingly, and now love those that at first did not really impress me.

The past 10 or so years have been pretty remarkable in terms of great non cuban cigars, but cuban tobacco remains my favorite.
 
Brian, the same thing has happened to me. When I joined here I was a totally ignorant, even though I had been smoking off and on for a few years. I had really started getting into it and found this site to learn more. Everything I smoked back then (feb I think) I have no interest in now. Early on I tried the newbie sampler and Bri gifted me some nice samples. When I joined here I really didn't "get it", but I didn't know it. I tried some really nice cigars but was underwhelmed. I now know I had not developed my pallet yet. About 4 months ago something happened, even though I'm still a baby at this, I had an epiphany! It literally was like someone turned on the light switch, it happened that fast. I can't explain it, but I really started getting it. All the old cigars I used to like just didn't do anything for me anymore. They were either tasteless, or tasted awful.

Soon after that I started seeking out cc to expand on my experiences. I have found most have more depth and a larger range of flavors then the nc I have had. But I'm still upping my game on the nc side also, so I'm not totally ruling out all nc. Since many of the cc I have started collecting need some years to develop, it's going to be a long time (adventure) before I can experience and learn much more. But it truly is an adventure that I'm enjoying very much. So far I have horded 10 cc boxes for future investment and the pocket book is yelling at me to stop, but my hording instincts are fighting it. My new humi is getting close to capacity to maybe I will stop for now, but only time will tell.
 
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I won't smoke any cigar made by General, Altadis or Rocky Patel.

Doc
 
Yeah, I gotta say, Rocky Patel cigars are ones that years ago seemed to be okay enough but now I just can't stand them at all. There are a few varieties of Tatuaje that I am just not loving any more too. The Havana VI series is no longer on my radar and I had a period of time that I really enjoyed those.
 
I will say this Rocky Patel used to make a very good cigar a long time ago. The real problem with them is the lack of consistency and that's why I don't smoke any of his cigars. I just don't want to waste my time with any cigar that is so so, they get tossed right away. I don't try many of the newer brands as they tend to come out in too large of a ring size. Haven't had a hankering for CAO in a while, but I wouldn't turn down a Brazilia.

One newer brand that I try to smoke their different offerings is Room 101.
 
Most any Padron....last box of x000 series I bought was unsmokable. I used to keep 2-3 boxes of 2000's in the cabinet all the time. Usually in both regular and maduro. No longer. The 64's, 26's, and anniversary specials are 'OK', but are they worth $25.00 / stick? Not to me, anymore. Something changed; the sticks, my palate, most likely both.

As they say, one man's opinion......
 
Cigars I used to love but don't anymore fall into two categories: not strong enough, or brand went to shit.

Rocky's Edge Sumatra torpedo and the Don Lino Afrika Kifaro both fall into the latter category---both were amazing, first batch or two (I even have the Don Lino Afrika ashtray; that's how much I liked 'em!) and then promptly went to shit.

RyJ Bully is an example of the former---used to smoke almost nothing but; I'd go all over town looking for them. Had one a year or two ago, from a friend, and while it still enjoyed the flavor, mostly it left me wanting a cigar.;)

~Boar
 
Thank you everyone for your responses! I find them all to be incredibly fascinating. It's so strange how the palate can change so much after even short periods of time. Like a light switch that flips. I should have listened to those who told me not to stock up on sticks I liked when I was a new smoker because sure enough I bought a box or two that will likely get 20 years of age just off lack of wanting to try them anymore.
 
I use to smoke the Rocky Patel Edge or Vintage 1990 a lot but those don't have any flavor that I crave anymore. I use to smoke Ghurkas as well but those fell off quickly once I picked up on Padrons and VSGs. And I use to smoke Joya de Nicaraguas but those were too strong as my palate started to lean towards medium bodied cigars.
 
Another diaper dandy here. I went straight to full bodied cigars, but more recently I've been leaning back to more medium stuff. I can't say CCs are the be all and end all, but I've been enjoying my journey of discovery. The only thing that I have stuck with is vitola. As much as I want to be able to enjoy a two plus hour cigar, I consitantly lose interest by 90 minutes. And yet I still pick up longer formats. I just store them for when I feel like trying again. I also like variety, so it is rare I have more then three of any one stick in a months time.
 
I was nuts about the RP line, back in the beginning, but it didn't take long for the quality to go down the tubes. Haven't smoked one in close to 10 years. Have a couple that showed up in passes/bombs, so I can definitely give them another try with no loss. I don't expect I'll be buying a box after. ;)
 
I have only been smoking cigars 3 years, but I dabbled for a couple of years about 15 years ago. Back then I smoked RP Edge, Monte #2 white band and a box pressed HdM. Haven't smoked any of the above in the last 2yrs 11 months.

For NC's, I seem to really like Fuente tobacco. Sungrown, Don Carlos, Anejo and Opus have been my focus this past year.
 
BlindedByScience said:
Most any Padron....last box of x000 series I bought was unsmokable. I used to keep 2-3 boxes of 2000's in the cabinet all the time. Usually in both regular and maduro. No longer. The 64's, 26's, and anniversary specials are 'OK', but are they worth $25.00 / stick? Not to me, anymore. Something changed; the sticks, my palate, most likely both.

As they say, one man's opinion......
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I have the polar opposite experience, when I fire up a 2000 these days it always seems to be even better than I remember.

To answer the OP, Ashton VSG used to be a favourite but the last few I've tried have been underwhelming.
 
For me most NC. I used to keep some Rocky Patels and Fuentes in the humidor. There's still a few Fuentes but no longer any RP's at all. I find I no longer need a strong cigar as my palate has developed to appreciate the more subtle tastes I find in CC's and mild to medium smokes.
 
Napa_Smokes said:
For me most NC. I used to keep some Rocky Patels and Fuentes in the humidor. There's still a few Fuentes but no longer any RP's at all. I find I no longer need a strong cigar as my palate has developed to appreciate the more subtle tastes I find in CC's and mild to medium smokes.
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*Cough* snob *Cough*

Lol.

PS: it's all your fault that I'm in a similar boat. :p
 
Scap said:
*Cough* snob *Cough*

Lol.

PS: it's all your fault that I'm in a similar boat. :p
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Oh Liga Privada as well. The OR No. 9's were delicious. New stuff is way too strong and taste like crap to me. I'd try them if received in a trad or whatever but until then I don't see myself buying them again.

Glad to help spend someone else's money for them. :D
 
bfreebern said:
I cut my teeth on Onyx cigars, just don't do it for me anymore.
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They were a Cigar Boom creation. That weren't bad in the beginning, but they soon sucked due to a lack of decent tobacco. I don't think the brand ever recovered. I believe they became a chemically treated "Maduro"

Doc
 
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