Custom Rolled CC

[ironpeddler]

I received this e-mail a few days ago and it started me thinking again about the subject of 'custom rolled' unbanded cigars using Cuban tobacco.

Small quantity of finest custom blended Havanas rolled by Taboada
available to our newsletter subscribers only.

Dark and oily wrapper, soft and easy construction,
sweet and complex flavours, full bodied and medium strength.
If these are not the finest Havanas you have ever smoked...I will give your money back.

Uncut shaggy 5 1/2" length and 56 ring gauge

Gran Piramides shaggy (see image below) 7 1/2" length and 55 ring gauge

Belicoso shaggy 6" length and 60 ring gauge

Also available (on paid reserve) for dispatch by next Friday

Robusto 5" length and 56 ring gauge

Beker 7 1/2" length and 52 ring gauge

Double Robusto 7 1/2" length and 52 ring gauge.

When they write Taboada, are they referring to Rodolfo Taboada Campa? Because if I remember correctly, he still rolled 'en tubado' (or 'poco tubo' as I was taught) which I've only seen performed by Cuban Nationals living in the US.

I remember reading an article from James Suckling some time ago about these custom rolled cigars from retired Cuban rollers but said most of them weren't very good...except for cigars rolled by this gentlman. He said that Habanos won't give these custom blenders/rollers any quality tobacco to work with so it's sort of a stacked deck. I have had a few of these 'custom rolled' cigars over the years and tend to agree, they were sort of bland and non-descript at best, nothing I would go out of my way to acquire or buy at the time...and let me tell you, these things weren't cheap by any means, nearly twice the price of a quality Habanos stick in some places I was traveling. The cigars mentioned above were close to $400US for 10 cigars in GB.

Are these cigars legit or playing on the 'custom' hype?

I always thought they were a marketing tool to get more money out of our wallets.

Does anybody here have any experience with these unbanded custom rolled cigars from Rodolfo Taboada Campa or ANY unbanded custom rolled cigar utilizing Cuban tobacco that they thought were a quality smoke? Please let me add, I'm not referring to the 'legendary cigars' coming out of Florida (Miami or Tampa) Texas, Louisiana, etc....I mean custom rolled cigars using legitimate imported Habanos Cuban tobacco.

Thanks

 

[Ginseng]

Gary,

If you haven't yet received a satisfactory answer, drop me a PM.

Wilkey

 

[DeanoUK]

Never seen that kind of end before, bit of a noob, quite common?

 

[Rodrigo de Jerez]

Gary,

If you haven't yet received a satisfactory answer, drop me a PM.

Wilkey

For the benefit of the board, might we all be able to read the answer? I've heard of other such offerings that have been less than credible and I would like to know the true nature of this one, as a matter of curiosity.

-Mark

 

[Smoking Mex]

Those Gran Piramides sure look tasty and pricey , I would love to hear more about them. Has anyone even had one before?

 

[grateful1]

Search is your friend!

Oh yea, trust your source.

 

[Kingantz]

Taboada....mmmmmm...mmmm!!

 

[Mike33]

Never seen that kind of end before, bit of a noob, quite common?

Its called a "shaggy foot" and usually only seen on custom rolled cigars. Nothing really special about it, the roller just leaves the wrapper off at the foot.

As a side note, there have been questions as to the provenance of the cigars by this vendor, but I would have serious doubts that the vendor would lie about them. Just my opinion of course.

 

[Ginseng]

Its called a "shaggy foot" and usually only seen on custom rolled cigars. Nothing really special about it, the roller just leaves the wrapper off at the foot.

As a side note, there have been questions as to the provenance of the cigars by this vendor, but I would have serious doubts that the vendor would lie about them. Just my opinion of course.

Right on re: the shaggy foot.

As for provenance, re: this specific offering, Mike and Rodrigo, I will PM you.

Wilkey

 

[dvickery]

ironpeddler

i have smoked quite a few custom cigars.

have met mr taboada and have a pic of him somewhere...i am not in it tho('cause i took the pic :whistling: )

to me...they are ok but not a long term aging project...fresh they are better than most other fresh habanos...aged they are not.

of the sizes listed...i would not get any...but thats just me...1000 rg cigars are not my thing.

finally...40$ for these is just stupid money...from the rollers bench in cuba they are 8$ to 10$ for these sizes(and still not worth it...i get the 1.70$ marevas)...lots and lots of cigars i would take before these for 40$ or less per smoke.

derrek :whistling:

 

[N2Advnture]

I was handed one at a dinner during the IPCPR from the owner of the company that sent that email (I assume) and it was quite good (and powerful).

I hope this helps

~Mark

 

[cigar smoke]

ironpeddler

i have smoked quite a few custom cigars.

have met mr taboada and have a pic of him somewhere...i am not in it tho('cause i took the pic :whistling: )

to me...they are ok but not a long term aging project...fresh they are better than most other fresh habanos...aged they are not.

of the sizes listed...i would not get any...but thats just me...1000 rg cigars are not my thing.

finally...40$ for these is just stupid money...from the rollers bench in cuba they are 8$ to 10$ for these sizes(and still not worth it...i get the 1.70$ marevas)...lots and lots of cigars i would take before these for 40$ or less per smoke.

derrek :whistling:

I would have to agree that $35-$40 a stick is a bit pricey but then again $30 might be considered pricey for a Monte Edmundo Dantes and some people will pay it. I have smoked countless custom rolled CC from all of the well known and best rollers in Cuba. One of My personal favorites is Yolanda Medina.

She is the Torcedora at the Melia Habana cigar store called Vegas Robiana. She is not as well known like La China, Taboada, Hamlet and others but she can roll and blend a cigar second to none. If you ever get a chance to smoke one of her cigars you will be in for a some treat. I personaly love the different custom blended cigars I've tried. The experience of smoking a cigar and knowing exactly who rolled it just adds to the enjoyment. Not at $40 a stick though. Just my .02

Bob

 

[ironpeddler]

Search is your friend!

Oh yea, trust your source.

Mr. Search wasn't my friend yesterday morning when it wouldn't work....kept telling me to try later.

I searched since and saw the comments from others that they smoke well young as opposed to aging gracefully, but it didn't give me what I was looking for.

I think what I was looking for was more comments from members in the the UK, Canada, and Mexico and Vendors from these areas that have regular availability these type of cigars. Folks that visit their local Habanos dealer and see these unbanded cigars now and then, buy them occasionally and have an opinion about their merit....but over a period of time.

Thanks to all that responded...I'll pick it back up when I get home.

Got to run, heading over to the concert, it doesn'r start until 5 or 6PM but we want to go throught the whole place...we're staying with relatives in Liberty, NY so it's a quick ride to the Woodstock Museum and the outdoor festival in Bethel.

Peace & Flower Power man....

 

[grateful1]

I'm smoking a 2006 right now. Very tasty. These were sold as being 'blended' with tobacco similar to a monte blend(if I remember correctly). The last third is a little 'tarry' and sharp on the lips, yet still tasty.

It's nice to have a few, but at the price point there are better that can be had at 1/2 that price.

 

[one sock]

ironpeddler, if from a legit source (and if I recognize the wording that source is most reliable, though not cheap pm for details), these smokes are terrific very fresh, but then need extended aging once they hit a certain point.
They are VERY powerful smokes indeed. PM your snailer if you'd like a taste. noob-noob .
I disagree with the "medium strength" characterization and these are not for beginers. Looking at your profile, you've been around the cigar world. As such, this is likely an experience that, imho, should try, at least once. Then again, as dvickery and cigar smoke pointed out, unless you're lucky enough to get them as close as possible to the original source, these are not low-priced. Therefore, before biting on these one should consider what percent of their cigar budget would be used.

 

[ironpeddler]

ironpeddler

i have smoked quite a few custom cigars.

have met mr taboada and have a pic of him somewhere...i am not in it tho('cause i took the pic :whistling: )

to me...they are ok but not a long term aging project...fresh they are better than most other fresh habanos...aged they are not.

of the sizes listed...i would not get any...but thats just me...1000 rg cigars are not my thing.

finally...40$ for these is just stupid money...from the rollers bench in cuba they are 8$ to 10$ for these sizes(and still not worth it...i get the 1.70$ marevas)...lots and lots of cigars i would take before these for 40$ or less per smoke.

derrek :whistling:

Derrek, thank you for the answer I was seeking. What is your window of freshness to smoke these cigars and enjoy them?

I'm smoking a 2006 right now. Very tasty. These were sold as being 'blended' with tobacco similar to a monte blend(if I remember correctly). The last third is a little 'tarry' and sharp on the lips, yet still tasty.

It's nice to have a few, but at the price point there are better that can be had at 1/2 that price.

Gary...as for the high price of this Vendor, I thought it was way out of line....but then again it's the UK. When I saw this e-mail, I started to wonder if this was one of those rare cigars that we would spend 'stupid money' on due to it's rarity :laugh: I just haven't seen a lot of these type of offerings very often.

I was handed one at a dinner during the IPCPR from the owner of the company that sent that email (I assume) and it was quite good (and powerful).

I hope this helps

~Mark

Worth the money Mark?...or a better question might be, what do you think they are worth per stick?

I have smoked countless custom rolled CC from all of the well known and best rollers in Cuba. One of My personal favorites is Yolanda Medina.

She is the Torcedora at the Melia Habana cigar store called Vegas Robiana. She is not as well known like La China, Taboada, Hamlet and others but she can roll and blend a cigar second to none. If you ever get a chance to smoke one of her cigars you will be in for a some treat. I personaly love the different custom blended cigars I've tried. The experience of smoking a cigar and knowing exactly who rolled it just adds to the enjoyment. Not at $40 a stick though. Just my .02

Bob

Thanks Bob, that was the type of answer I was hoping would be posted here....could you elaborate on this roller and their cigars?

ironpeddler, if from a legit source (and if I recognize the wording that source is most reliable, though not cheap pm for details), these smokes are terrific very fresh, but then need extended aging once they hit a certain point.
They are VERY powerful smokes indeed. PM your snailer if you'd like a taste. noob-noob .
I disagree with the "medium strength" characterization and these are not for beginers. Looking at your profile, you've been around the cigar world. As such, this is likely an experience that, imho, should try, at least once. Then again, as dvickery and cigar smoke pointed out, unless you're lucky enough to get them as close as possible to the original source, these are not low-priced. Therefore, before biting on these one should consider what percent of their cigar budget would be used.

Thanks OS for the generous offer and info.

What would you think the 'freshness' time limit would be until they turn into a long term project?

That being said, if anyone was to purchase these cigars knowing they are good fresh, what CC Vendor would give out the rolling date on these?...even if they knew it. It's hard enough getting them to give out correct box codes on boxed Habanos before a purchase.

Thanks gentlemen for all the great info :thumbs:

 

[dvickery]

ironpeddler

i have smoked quite a few custom cigars.

have met mr taboada and have a pic of him somewhere...i am not in it tho('cause i took the pic :whistling: )

to me...they are ok but not a long term aging project...fresh they are better than most other fresh habanos...aged they are not.

of the sizes listed...i would not get any...but thats just me...1000 rg cigars are not my thing.

finally...40$ for these is just stupid money...from the rollers bench in cuba they are 8$ to 10$ for these sizes(and still not worth it...i get the 1.70$ marevas)...lots and lots of cigars i would take before these for 40$ or less per smoke.

derrek :whistling:

Derrek, thank you for the answer I was seeking. What is your window of freshness to smoke these cigars and enjoy them?

villanueva marevas...they are in lockers already rolled...pretty sure they are only a month or two old...(although they tell everyone that the tobbacco is from '98 :laugh: )

a couple of bundles of marevas i get in november and start smoking by christmas ... will typically last me until late spring.they are pretty good this fresh.

robaina farm cigars from '97 ...just faded away...by the time they were 10 years old there was nothing there.

derrek :whistling:

 

[Smoking Mex]

Search is your friend!

Oh yea, trust your source.

Thanks Gary, seach is indeed my friend. :thumbs:

 

[FXAdam]

villanueva marevas...they are in lockers already rolled...pretty sure they are only a month or two old...(although they tell everyone that the tobbacco is from '98 :laugh: )

They do tell every one that lol! Or that's what they told me at least. Too funny.

 

[alexgtp]

I do beleive he comes out of retirement yearly to roll some new product.

You should really try and get your hand on some Hamlets! Now those are worth the price! Of the cple of Toboada's I have had from the past cple releases they are good but not for his price.