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What's your favorite dark horse brand?

After all the Torano love, I picked up a couple of their cigars to try. I'm smoking their Single Region: Jalapa robusto right now, and it's definitely an interesting smoke. If I have the gumption, I may review the second one of them that I picked up.
I recommend trying the Casa Torano. It has the house blend of filler and it was a terrific smoke honstly.
 
Went to pick up another two bundles of Devil's Weed from CI, and it is back to $29.99 (starting) from the previous $19.99 (5x50). Just thought I'd throw that out there incase anyone went there looking for them. Not sure when they went back up. I'd imagine the first of the month...
 
Went to pick up another two bundles of Devil's Weed from CI, and it is back to $29.99 (starting) from the previous $19.99 (5x50). Just thought I'd throw that out there incase anyone went there looking for them. Not sure when they went back up. I'd imagine the first of the month...

After reading what y'all had to say about them I checked last week and they were already back up to $29.99. Still cheap though.
 
Diablo was one of the most shocking brands i have had after letting them age for a year or more they turned out to be a really decent smoke.
 
Diablo was one of the most shocking brands i have had after letting them age for a year or more they turned out to be a really decent smoke.
I went through about six boxes of the Calientes. I even attended the release party at my B&M where I smoked my first one for free! :p

The beauty was they didn't sell at first(priced too high) and ended up in clearance sales at a third of the retail price! Good times.


I just got a box of Padilla Miami Coronas. Not as good as the Padilla 8&11 Miami but still a fine smoke.
 
For me it would be the El Rico Habano line of cigars. Cheap and perfectly full strength and flavorful.
 
I think the Devils Weed are pretty good for the price. I like them even better now that they come in maduro. Another good cheap smoke I like are the Black Pearls. Especially the Rojo and Black Pearl.

They can't take the place of my Fuentes, but I don't mind putting half a stick down if I have to.
 
For me, the best "unknowns" are 7-20-4 and Berger & Argenti. I had a chance to visit B&A factory down here and try some of his new stuff. For you big gauge smokers, he has a new 60 ring entubar coming out called tres leches. I will try to get back over there and grab another to review in a couple of days...
 
I don't really have one quite yet, but I'm leaning towards Ave Maria. Seems the only place I can get them from is CI. Really good smokes.

Might review one later.
 
I don't really have one quite yet, but I'm leaning towards Ave Maria. Seems the only place I can get them from is CI. Really good smokes.

Might review one later.

I got three of these in a sampler from CI a few months ago. Unfortunately, two of the three arrived damaged. They seemed to smoke and taste alright, but until I can source them from someplace else, and possibly a little cheaper (I think they are expensive because CI tells us they should be expensive... and they have a nice band), I don't think I'll be getting any more of these, unfortunately. I'm done with CI.
 
I don't really have one quite yet, but I'm leaning towards Ave Maria. Seems the only place I can get them from is CI. Really good smokes.

Might review one later.

I got three of these in a sampler from CI a few months ago. Unfortunately, two of the three arrived damaged. They seemed to smoke and taste alright, but until I can source them from someplace else, and possibly a little cheaper (I think they are expensive because CI tells us they should be expensive... and they have a nice band), I don't think I'll be getting any more of these, unfortunately. I'm done with CI.

I had an Ave Maria gifted to me and it had some okay flavors, the band was the nicest thing about the whole smoke IMO. But go ahead and try it, you may find your dark horse brand! I used to bite big time whenever reading CI's catalog and without them, I would have never tried Perdomo, Padilla, La Aurora, NC Partagas and a host of other labels. I give most of my business to our CP vendors, but occasionally a cigar comes on the horizon I want to try that CI has.

Like they have Drew's newest Undercrown now available. So does Famous.

dave
 
I decided to fire up my remaining Ave Maria this morning after reading this thread, again. Construction and burn were nice, this time. However, I wasn't blown away by it. Maybe I don't have "aficionado" discerning taste, but I wouldn't pay what CI is asking for a box of these (I think it was the Knights Templar vitola). If they were more in the Devil's Weed range, or maybe even half what they sell for, I'd think about it. They aren't terrible, but I don't think (personally), they are a $100+ box.

If you really enjoy them, though, smoke 'em up. As long as you enjoy your experience, the price is worth it. That's pretty much my outlook on life, in general.
 
It's like those Kinky Friedman line of cigars, I used to read some reviews of his Texas Jewboy and I couldn't justify the price for the smoke ratio. Now I see that CI has them at a reduced price. The only thing stopping me was I still have a host of other mild cigars I want to go through before trying a 5'ver.
 
For me, the best "unknowns" are 7-20-4 and Berger & Argenti. I had a chance to visit B&A factory down here and try some of his new stuff. For you big gauge smokers, he has a new 60 ring entubar coming out called tres leches. I will try to get back over there and grab another to review in a couple of days...

I'm glad to here that. I just picked up a fiver of Entubar Torpedoes because Pipes and Cigars had a B&A event and was running a special. Had never heard of them before.
 
How about La Reloba Sumatra smokes? I've been grabbing a few of these from the B&M and they are good. And cheap. I don't normally like Sumatra, but these are nit as sweet and I'm enjoying them.
 
My curiosity is piqued. I may have to check these out. Thanks!

As for my favorite darkhorse, does Illusione count?


I don't personally count Illusione, as they out number any other NC in my humidor LOL :blush: .
 
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