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What makes a good cigar

Backslide

Backslide

RASCClicious
Joined
Dec 15, 2003
Messages
3,993
Being so new in the game I don't know that much on the topic but im learning more and more everyday from all of you.

What is the deal with the Fuente Fuente OpusX cigars?
What is sooo good about this one? I seen a bunch at the smoke shop and decided to pick one up. The only reason I got it was because of all the people posting about how good they are. Are they only good becase they are rare and sought after? Is it because they cost a bunch sooo people think that the more they cost the better they are?

Does the best cigars come from that lil Island down south? Why are they soooo good?

I haven't tried too many fine cigars but I am starting to notice the differences that each one has. Their are just soooo many different shapes sizes brands it some times gets confusing being so new and not know what to look for.
any feedback will extreamly help. ???
 
Interesting questions but actually the answers really depend on your or any particular person's individual taste. Bottom line is just like they say with wine, never mind what Marvin Shaken says you should like when it comes to wine & cigars (Mr. Shaken publishes "Wine Spectator" & "Cigar Afficionado") YOU are the best person to figure out what you like and don't like or what YOU think is worth the money and what's not.

Now, that might be considered a "cop out" answer to your question but here's my view:

I am constantly in search of an inexpensive smoke (around $2.00 per stick) that I think compares just as well to the Opus xXx and any Havana. Well, okay in my case I found a cigar I LOVE that most people think is a cheapo. It is a Remedios Clemenceau Maduro, box of 20 goes for $38.95 from JR's. I love the sweet taste of the maduro wrapper on that cigar. The wrapper on that cigar is a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro. It's been my experience that I will like darn near any maduro cigar that has a CTBL wrapper. I prefer maduros over EMS, Cameroon and especially natural wrappers. Who knows, maybe I subconciously gravitate toward CTBL cigars because I'm from Connecticut ??? CTBL has a fairly recognizable taste and some people with a more distinguished sense of smell that I have can smell a CTBL cigar from quite a distance away :)

Recently I took an Oliva "O" Bold out of a pass and I have fallen in love with these cigars. The 7x50 (Ovation) size go for around $5.00 per stick which is a great price for a very nice tasting cigar.

Okay, that being said, I absolutely DO NOT think that any of the high priced Fuente's (Anejos, Opus xXx, Diamond Crown) are worth the money at all. I've tried them all and I do like the Anejos but not at $15.00 per stick. I had an Opus xXx Power Ranger yesterday and did not like it at all. I've had other Opus's that were a "good" smoke (again this MY OPINION only) therefore I will not make a habit of buying these regularly.

With respect to Havanas, I am growing very fond of them mostly due to the construction and draw characterists and most of all the flavor. In my experience, Havana cigars have a draw (some people think it is too tight of a draw) that suits me perfectly. I have never had a Havana that burns crooked or has "sticks" (veiny leaves) in it the way some of my Remedios do from time to time. The taste of the Havana brand wrappers is wonderful (again, in MY OPINION) and they burn beautifully. I also love the aroma of most Havanas, to me they have a very pleasant smell, the cigar itself and the smell of the smoke. Since I prefer full bodied, strong cigars, my favorite are the strong Havanas like Ramon Allones, Vegas Robaina, Saint Luis Rey, H. Upmann, etc. On a very rare occasion, I have had a Havana where the draw was so tight it drove me absolutely crazy and I tossed it out (OUCH, that hurts throwing away a nice cigar but oh well......). Oh, as to why Havanas have that unique taste, the answer is mainly due to the soil that is only found in Cuba. Very similar to the situation we have here in the Connecticut Valley. The soil in these regions produces a tobacco leaf that connot be duplicated anywhere else in the world. Many have tried to do so and they all have failed.

I also don't particularly care for the Ashton VSG's (okay Phil please don't shoot me). Actually, I mean they're a good smoke but to me, the flavor of the wrapper does nothing for me especially at $14.00 per stick (way too expensive to me for a cigar that I only moderately care for).

The PAM '26s and the PAM 64's are very nice cigars BUT again for me, I can't rationalize spending the BIG $$$ it takes to purchase these cigars or the aggrevation of trying to even find the darn things :(

So my advice to you is to sample a wide variety of cigars and decide what you like best and who cares what I or anyone else thinks ;)

Oh, one more thing, for all of you wonderfully generous CPassers who have gifted me those high end cigars, THANKS YOU, I enjoyed them ALL immensly!! As a matter of fact, it is FANTASTIC to be able to have CP brothers gift/bomb me with these as I would never spend the money myself on them but I love to sample ANY cigar ANY time!! :D
 
Wow great resonse This is what Im looking for IYO " in your OPINION" I would love to know what all of you smoke and why..
 
Personally, I'm not a fan of "Cubans because they're Cubans." I've had a couple of Cubans that completely sucked. Would I smoke them again? Sure, because there's always the chance that I've had one that was just bad, and the next may be great.

I've also had some that I love. But are they all good because they are Cuban? Not on your life.

A cigar is a cigar. There are good ones and bad ones, but what makes that determination is taste on your pallate, and not money from your pocketbook or some review, or even - gasp - the country they came from.

Now, with that said, there are some "BUTS" to that. Certain people lean toward certain tastes. A lot of the cigars coming out of one country will have similar flavor profiles. I prefer Dominicans. Some prefer Nicaraguans and some Cubans. Maybe a few even hanker to smoke Filipinos. Who knows. But, more importantly, who cares? Smoke what you like.

Flavor, construction, quantity of smoke, availability, and price. That's what makes a good cigar a good cigar. Unfortunately, it can also make a bad cigar an even WORSE cigar.
 
I'm going to go with Shuji for the most part.

To me, what makes a good cigar are

flavor
strength (both flavor wise and nicotine wise)
construction (appearance, draw, burn, how the wrapper holds together as you smoke it)
and, just as important as all three of the above,

consistency.

The best cigars are hardly ever going to be duds. You're going to have the confidence to pull it out of your humi and smoke it and not worry about having a "back-up" in case this cigar sucks.

I for one love Opus and Hemingway Maddies and am not a big fan of Cubans, because to me a) they're not worth breaking the law and b) how many times have you read or heard somewhere that some Cuban someone smoked was a dud? And how many times have you read or heard somewhere that an Opus X or Hemingway they smoked was a dud?
 
I prefer Robusto, Toro and Belicoso sizes.

I don't care too much about the color of the ash although whiter means a more complete combustion, but I do put a lot of weight on an even burn that doesn't tunnel.

Probably the most important for me is a good draw (not easy and not too tight) and the more smoke the better.

Ofcourse I can't neglect the flavor factor but that's obvious and I like lots of different tatstes from my cigars.

Oh yeah...that damn thing better not fall apart on me either!
 
I tend to like the Robusto, Toro, and churchill sizes. unless its to dark of a wrapper or just to strong for me then I have to get a smaller size. I do Know that I like the ring size's of 45-50ish.
 
To me, because I try to stay within a budget, a cigar must offer great value to be a great cigar. I would rather smoke a very good cigar that costs $1-$3 per stick than a $15 cigar that I know I could never afford on my own.
Smoking some of the expensive cigars that I have received from BOTL on this site has been a terrific experience and I've enjoyed them immensely. But when faced with the harsh realization that its going to happen only rarely in my life, it sort of makes me sad in a way, too. ???
 
because I try to stay within a budget
Click to expand...

What's a "budget" ???

Unfortunately, I just spend $$$ irresponsibly on cigars.

At least Jim has some common sense ('cause I sure don't :D )
 
Backslide420 Posted on Dec 25 2003, 11:04 AM
I tend to like the Robusto, Toro, and churchill sizes. unless its to dark of a wrapper or just to strong for me then I have to get a smaller size. I do Know that I like the ring size's of 45-50ish.
Click to expand...

Color of the wrapper does not always give you an accurate strength reading. The Macanudo Maduro Hyde Park has an almost black wrapper and is mellow and mild IMO. I thought the same as you do b/f I smoked one of these and now I'm constantly searching for more Maduro's.


As far as your question. I like cigars that aren't harsh. I have found full to mild cigars that are harsh and don't like it. I want one that is smooth on the throat and produces a lot of smoke.

As far as one that falls apart. F&%K THAT. I hate that.

edited for spelling
 
WOW, this is really a good question that requires a semi-long answer.


First off, I like to smoke FINE cigars. This is not because I think that more $$$ means a better cigar, I just choose to smoke those cigars. I will however try ANY cigar once. Cigar Smoking is a hobby for me, Not only do I smoke the cigar for the Nicotein, but also for the experience and relaxation (and enjoyment) I get from them. To work all day and come home to a fine Havana or Domestic is really all I need to relax and enjoy myself. Having a couple of buddy's over to enjoy the same cigar with me is always a plus.

Fuente Fuente Opus X. What is the deal with this line of cigar? First off the Opus X has a Rosado Wrapper (which has a VERY distinctive flavor, that I like very much) and a very nice combination of aged Filler Tobbaco's that create a very nice (some would say very cedary) flavor in this cigar. Why is it so expensive? Many things go into this factor. The first is they pay their guys who roll this line MORE to roll LESS. I havent had a bad draw or Construction on an Opus X yet. Some may say they have, but I suspect that very few "off" cigars acctually leave Carlito's factory. Second, fuente has created a VERY strong market for this cigar which was only strengthened by the fact that Cigar Afficionado Magazine gave pretty much the whole line stellar ratings. Also only a certain amount of these cigars can be made each year so if they are something you enjoy, better grab them while you can. This is not my fav. cigar by far, but a very good one in my book. I have quite a few of these and will always be looking for more to add to my collection as I enjoy these smokes.

As for Cuban cigars. They do hands down make some of the best cigars in the world. Notice though that I did say SOME, there are many cigars made outside of Cuba that are OUTSTANDING! But the vast majority of Cuban cigars I have tried (Keep in mind that I stay away from "Dog Rockets" and yes there are Cuban Dog Rockets) were great. I have had a few off cigars, and that is unfortunate that I recived those ones (this has been a larger issue then ANY of us know) but I do trust my sources and thier judgement to recieve "proper cigars" and not to send me badly rolled ones. You should give them a shot as they can't be replicated by anyone else, very unique. I believe that a lot of Americans smoke fake Cubans and therefore have a bad idea of what they really are because fakes do not taste proper and most are rolled with the CHEAPEST of tobacco's.

Why do folks smoke expensive cigars? Well, I smoke fine cigars because I want the best (aside from the fact that I have tried MANY dog rockets and didnt like them) and most enjoyment from my hobby. I have found that I get the best bang for my buck when I spend a bit more $$$. I would rather have 1 of the cigars in my humidor than 5 boxes of dog rockets. Maybe I just enjoy the finer side of things (You pay more, you tend to get more flavor, a better more consisten draw and burn, and a HANDS DOWN BEAUTIFULL cigar) or maybe I just like to waste my money (depends on who you talk to) but regardless, I enjoy smoking a cigar and I wouldnt change the way or what I smoke for anyone (unless of course you have a cigar I havent smoked before AIP :p ).


I was just outside at work and had a 1998 SLR PC (ISOM). It was gifted to me by a friend here on CP (THANKS YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!) and between the smooth creamy/vinilla smoke and the rich flavor profile I was in heaven. But then again a few guy whom I usually meet in the smoking area were there and good conversation took place also, and I am SURE that added to my experience.


In the end......


To each his own my friend.




HEY CC!!! I"LL LET IT SLIDE THIS TIME!!! BUT DON"T YOU JUDGE THEM TILL YOU HAVE HAD A TM FROM MY HUMIDOR!!!!!
 
You rock Phil. This is what Im looking for. True honest answers and great info.
I feel the same. I would rather have 1 good gar then 5 or more boxes of smokes I just don't like and will not smoke. I starting off really slow tring to get 1 here and 1 their. Im mostly picking up cigars the I here all of you rave about. Ya I might not like them when I do get a chance to try em' but im sure I have a greater propability your your seasoned knowledge of picking one out that I will truly enjoy.
 
Great reply Phil. I think if you are into cigars as a hobby, the search and quest is the best part. While everyone will have there trusted go to smoke, the challange is trying to find one better.

As far as price, I find them to be similar to my new fasination with red wine. (this is a whole nother problem my wife says :) )While I have ones that I have found to be cheap but good for everyday drinking, there is nothing better that opening a higher priced one that you know is more complex and enjoying it with a special meal and then being able to fully relax afterward.
 
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