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So who's smoking a Drac or Boris for Halloween?

JHolmes763

JHolmes763

Drinkin' the koolaid
Joined
Oct 12, 2006
Messages
4,739
Location
Michigan (Thumb)
I walked into the local B&M yesterday and they had a few of these for sale (1 per customer) for a buck over MSRP. Figured what the hell. I might as well pick up one of each and smoke 'em while I laugh at everyone else still tripping over themselves to get a box of smokes they've never tried... :laugh:

So I fired up the Drac today since it's beautiful out and it's a very appropriate smoke. Drink is a bottle of Smithwicks.

I'll be honest, the pre-light draw tasted like varnish. ??? The smoke didn't smell like it though and there was absolutely no taste of varnish once fired up. Maybe it was just my mind playing trick on me?

This is a medium smoke... pretty good flavor, but no spice or anything overpowering. Lighter than I care for, really. Lots of smoke and the burn was spot on. I did get a little tar, but cutting the torp a little larger got rid of that (typical for torps, imo).

So I'm glad I got one and even more glad I just smoked it. Not something I'll feel the need to hunt down, at all. Was thinking about trying to get another for SS, but I'd rather send out cigars I like to smoke... we'll see if any are left when I go back, anyhow.

I guess this could go in the review section, but I figure it's more of a discussion (lesson?) on getting excited for cigars you've never tried or chasing packaging (Gurkha, anyone?). I think it was Doc that said he'd learned to stop chasing cigars. I couldn't agree more.

Happy Halloween!

-John
 
My local B&M made the list and set aside a fiver of Dracs for me, so I was able to smoke my first one last night.

Thought it was excellent, actually. Either the boxes we got here did't have the varnish problem, or the varnish problem has been overstated, or the day mine spent out of the box in a ziploc waiting for me was more than enough time for any fumes to dissipate. :rolleyes:

Anyway, I really enjoyed the smoke. Very rich and smooth, not nearly as spicy as the Reserva/Cojonu lines (which I also like) and quite satisfying. Got noticeably stronger toward the end, just a nice cigar overall. Certainly wouldn't mind scoring another fiver, that's for sure!

As far as chasing HTF and LE cigars, mostly I don't, although I did also score a jar of Tat Blacks when they came out, and I have a hard time passing up chances at Opus X, just because they're not sold down here at all . . . closest shop "on the list" is in SA, and never has them; closest reliably stocked seller is five hours away in Austin. So when one comes my way, it's always welcome! :D

Mostly I just like to try anything new with a reputation for being strong and full-bodied, or from a maker whose other stuff I already like. With cigar prices pushing the $10 mark for regular production smokes, I tend to be a little cautious about what I'll buy. I almost never pull the trigger on something new unless I've heard good things about it from someone I trust whose tastes match mine, anymore.

~Boar
 
JHolmes, I shared the same experience as you. I thought it was nothing to get excited about, certainly not worth chasing down. I'm glad I got to smoke one, and I'm still hoping to get my hands on the Boris, but it paled in comparison to the Frank or most other Tats to be honest.
 
I might have a box of each coming. I do have some Franks, in long term storage. I didn;t even think about dryboxing one for tonight. :angry:
 
I'm with Doc. The day of chasing coast to coast in search of the newest "holy grail" is pretty much over for me. Glad some guys enjoy the hunt.....I came to the realization that I'm pretty much "over it".

Tonight's smoke will be a "plain old" Anejo 48 with about four years of nap time on it. And a generous pour of Four Roses, up.

Have a Happy Halloween and be safe out there, amigos - B.B.S.
 
Smoked a Boris last night. Very good cigar and was exactly what I'd expect from Pete. I only wish I could have gotten my hands on more of these.
 
I was supposed to do a small halloween herf with my brother and Shant, but it didn't happen as I ran out of time before I had to leave for work. We were supposed to fire up Franks, but with only an hour and a half before I had to take off, I didn't want to rush it. Oh well! Tonight I'll just be smoking a My Father lancero instead! :D
 
JHolmes763 said:
SNIP<<<<more of a discussion (lesson?) on getting excited for cigars you've never tried or chasing packaging (Gurkha, anyone?). I think it was Doc that said he'd learned to stop chasing cigars. I couldn't agree more. >>>>SNIP
Click to expand...

Well stated.

BlindedByScience said:
I'm with Doc. The day of chasing coast to coast in search of the newest "holy grail" is pretty much over for me. Glad some guys enjoy the hunt.....I came to the realization that I'm pretty much "over it".>>>>SNIP
Click to expand...

That too.

A few years back on my second trip to Cuba, a short time after I started smoking cigars, I bought only what people on the Boards said they liked. Didn't take me long to figure out that I had a bunch of cigars that didn't really do it for me. Now when I go, I'll buy boxes of smokes I've enjoyed before, and buy 2 or 3 loose of others I haven't had early in the trip to smoke. Some of those I buy a box of 'em before we come home and others, nahhhhhhhhhhhh. Proof once again that just because someone else enjoys something, it doesn't mean it will suit your tastes.

Cohibas for example, of the probably more than 20 boxes I've brought home, I've bought 1 box of that brand (Robustos if I remember correctly) and they just don't do it for me. Maybe my palate isn't developed enough to get the finer flavours many get from them, but IMHO, there are better smokes from Cuba for cheaper.

Just my $0.02.

Jim
 
JHolmes763 said:
I walked into the local B&M yesterday and they had a few of these for sale (1 per customer) for a buck over MSRP. Figured what the hell. I might as well pick up one of each and smoke 'em while I laugh at everyone else still tripping over themselves to get a box of smokes they've never tried... :laugh:

So I fired up the Drac today since it's beautiful out and it's a very appropriate smoke. Drink is a bottle of Smithwicks.

I'll be honest, the pre-light draw tasted like varnish. ??? The smoke didn't smell like it though and there was absolutely no taste of varnish once fired up. Maybe it was just my mind playing trick on me?

This is a medium smoke... pretty good flavor, but no spice or anything overpowering. Lighter than I care for, really. Lots of smoke and the burn was spot on. I did get a little tar, but cutting the torp a little larger got rid of that (typical for torps, imo).

So I'm glad I got one and even more glad I just smoked it. Not something I'll feel the need to hunt down, at all. Was thinking about trying to get another for SS, but I'd rather send out cigars I like to smoke... we'll see if any are left when I go back, anyhow.

I guess this could go in the review section, but I figure it's more of a discussion (lesson?) on getting excited for cigars you've never tried or chasing packaging (Gurkha, anyone?). I think it was Doc that said he'd learned to stop chasing cigars. I couldn't agree more.

Happy Halloween!

-John
Click to expand...
I got to meet Pete Johnson this week at Town & Country Cigars in Euless Texas -- great guy! T&C like everyone else had a limit on how many Dracs and Boris you could buy, but members -- basically, those of us with lockers there -- could get more. Smoked the first of the Dracs today; thought it was very good. But I think my problem was that the guys in the store were raving about the Cabaiguan Maduro and so I smoked my first of those waiting for Pete to arrive. Oh. My. God. This is a GREAT cigar. About the only way I can explain it is that it is full flavored without being full bodied. I smoked my first Cain F a couple of weeks ago; had to go eat afterwards. There are some cigars I'll only smoke on a full stomach, if ya know what I mean. The Cabaiguan Maduro, on the other hand, had that much flavor and more -- I LOVED the Cain, btb, and bought a box -- but without that heavy punch. Smoked it on a relatively empty stomach, and was ready for another immediately. So I really liked the Drac, and I'm going to age the others a bit and see how that does, but the Cabaiguan Maduro -- that's bumping for a spot in my all-time top five.

cjf
 
MaduroFan said:
the guys in the store were raving about the Cabaiguan Maduro and so I smoked my first of those waiting for Pete to arrive. Oh. My. God. This is a GREAT cigar. About the only way I can explain it is that it is full flavored without being full bodied.
Click to expand...

I agree. Those are some great smokes and I'm not even a maduro fan, usually. Love the regular wrappers on them, too.

Was going to pick up one of these the last time I was at the B&M, but I noticed one with a beetle hole in it. I told the guy working the shop and he said he'd take care of it. About half way through my smoke he comes out and hands me the cigar, saying he clipped the end of it off and it's good now. I can have it for free. I tapped the end in my palm and a bunch of beetle shit fell out. When I politely declined the smoke, he gave me a funny look and said fine, he'd smoke it. I may unknowingly smoke all kinds of crap in cigars, but I'm not going to fire one up knowing it's full of crap...

-John
 
John,

Not me since you need to have one in your possession before that can even become an option ;) :laugh: You can send one my since it is in my ISO thread and I will be happy even if the smoke was not to your particular liking. :thumbs:

Regards,
Adrian
 
Just tried a Boris. Yum, yum, yum. Nothing harsh - just good solid and interesting cigar. Very enjoyable.

John
 
jorel said:
Just tried a Boris. Yum, yum, yum. Nothing harsh - just good solid and interesting cigar. Very enjoyable.

John
Click to expand...

Smoked my first today also. I was fully prepared to be disappointed but man I really enjoyed it. Great smoke!
 
JHolmes763 said:
MaduroFan said:
the guys in the store were raving about the Cabaiguan Maduro and so I smoked my first of those waiting for Pete to arrive. Oh. My. God. This is a GREAT cigar. About the only way I can explain it is that it is full flavored without being full bodied.
Click to expand...

I agree. Those are some great smokes and I'm not even a maduro fan, usually. Love the regular wrappers on them, too.

Was going to pick up one of these the last time I was at the B&M, but I noticed one with a beetle hole in it. I told the guy working the shop and he said he'd take care of it. About half way through my smoke he comes out and hands me the cigar, saying he clipped the end of it off and it's good now. I can have it for free. I tapped the end in my palm and a bunch of beetle shit fell out. When I politely declined the smoke, he gave me a funny look and said fine, he'd smoke it. I may unknowingly smoke all kinds of crap in cigars, but I'm not going to fire one up knowing it's full of crap...

-John
Click to expand...

Wow! Hard to say which is more horrible-the thought of smoking that, or the fact that this guy thought it was a good idea to smoke it...Any other B&Ms you can frequent? I'm lucky here in DFW-bunch of good to great ones within a few minutes.
cjf
 
Just finished my first Drac, pretty solid. A lot of similarity to the El Triunfador, with a little more body. I'll be interested to see how these are in a few more months. Also, as far as the varnish smell goes, it was definitely still there after a few days, and present in the pre-light flavor, but didn't seem to affect the smoke much.
 
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