Random musings

[DarrenR]

:0 Boy I missed a lively bedate over the weekend. Very nice points to all but you Take it Moki. I could not agree more. It's all in what you like.

 

[Fyodor]

I concede defeat. You can't beat someone like Moki in a debate about cigars, but I tried. Now send all those crappy over rated Cubans to me and I'll send you Fuente products.

 

[Mrepp]

Hmm If anyone cares about my 2 cents, it depends on the mood I’m in to be honest, Cubans simply have a completely different profile and taste then NC’s. Its like comparing monkey shoulder scotch to Johnny walker black label, they are both scotch yes but there not even in the same ball park as far as taste. As far as the best taste give me an anejo any day, I simply like the vegetable gum taste.

 

[Fyodor]

Hmm If anyone cares about my 2 cents, it depends on the mood I’m in to be honest, Cubans simply have a completely different profile and taste then NC’s. Its like comparing monkey shoulder scotch to Johnny walker black label, they are both scotch yes but there not even in the same ball park as far as taste. As far as the best taste give me an anejo any day, I simply like the vegetable gum taste.

Mmmmmmm... vegetable gum. Yummy!


And since this is my thread and I'm in charge here, I welcome everyones two cents. Don't be scared everyone, let us know what you think. This is an official read less post more zone. :thumbs:

 

[moki]

Well I haven't been smoking cigars too long, maybe a little less than two years, so take this with a grain of salt. I have however smoked well over a hundred Cubans and god knows how many NC's, and I have to say the Cubans are way, way, way ahead of the NC's. I know many people believe that NC's are getting better than Cubans. These people who claim this are almost always Americans. Hmmm, the only country with an embargo against Cuba thinks other cigars are comparable. In other countries they can't seem to give NC's away, or at least that's my possibly ill informed impression. Opus X, Anejo, Padron, Tatuaje and Padilla Miami are among the best NC's in my opinion but I'll take an average Cuban when it's on over any of them any day.

The best deal in Cuban cigars I have come across is Saint Luis Rey. The aren't that popular so therefore they are cheaper. I just smoked a Petite Corona from 05 and it was great. Yeah they would probably get better with age but they are already better than any NC I have had. For the money it seems unnecessary to age these, smoking them right off the truck they are totally worth the money. I have had some well aged Cubans so I do know what age will do and they are better with age. Another great one for the money is Ramon Allones, I have yet to have a bad one but haven't smoked enough to make a definitive statement on them. Cohibas and Trinidad's are some of the best but not always worth the extra money.

This post is not meant to cause controversy. It's mostly meant to help fellow newbies, and possibly to be informed differently by someone with more experience. I could be wrong and I'm always open minded to other opinions. And after all it's just a matter of opinion. So most importantly, what do you guys think?

-mark

Would you be willing to be a participant in a blind taste test to see if your taste buds actually agree with your preconceptions?

I've administered a number of these, and no one has walked away with the experience they expected.

 

[Mike33]

I am not getting hung up on Cubans because they are made in Cuba or that they are illegal here or because the world wide consensus is that they are better. I like Cubans because they taste Cuban. The soil dictates the taste quite a bit. If I wasn't hung up on Cuba it would be hard to find cigars with the specific taste profile I prefer. Your not going to get a NC that taste anything like a Cuban. Tatuaje's aren't even that close IMHO.

What Cuban taste? What does a Partagas have at all in common with a Guantanamera?

What tastes do Quai d'Orsay have at all in common with Bolivars?

What tastes do San Cristobals have at all in common with Cohibas (both of which I happen to love, btw)?

Nothing that I can discern. The tastes profiles of these cigars are very, very different. Claiming you like "Cuban cigars" is like claiming you like "French wines" -- it means nothing, there is a wide range of tastes available, and a wide range of quality, and you're not going to like all of 'em.

Smoke what you like; if you happen to find yourself preferring mostly cigars from Cuba, more power to you, enjoy 'em.

Despite being 20 years old, this cigar packs quite a bit of flavor; I'm actually rather surprised by how flavorful it is. It has that trademark Cuban flavor: the little twang of spice as you exhale, but it is more rounded and mellow.

:whistling:

 

[tone-ny]

I am not getting hung up on Cubans because they are made in Cuba or that they are illegal here or because the world wide consensus is that they are better. I like Cubans because they taste Cuban. The soil dictates the taste quite a bit. If I wasn't hung up on Cuba it would be hard to find cigars with the specific taste profile I prefer. Your not going to get a NC that taste anything like a Cuban. Tatuaje's aren't even that close IMHO.

What Cuban taste? What does a Partagas have at all in common with a Guantanamera?

What tastes do Quai d'Orsay have at all in common with Bolivars?

What tastes do San Cristobals have at all in common with Cohibas (both of which I happen to love, btw)?

Nothing that I can discern. The tastes profiles of these cigars are very, very different. Claiming you like "Cuban cigars" is like claiming you like "French wines" -- it means nothing, there is a wide range of tastes available, and a wide range of quality, and you're not going to like all of 'em.

Smoke what you like; if you happen to find yourself preferring mostly cigars from Cuba, more power to you, enjoy 'em.

Despite being 20 years old, this cigar packs quite a bit of flavor; I'm actually rather surprised by how flavorful it is. It has that trademark Cuban flavor: the little twang of spice as you exhale, but it is more rounded and mellow.

:whistling:

LOL

I'm a twang man myself

 

[Fyodor]

Sounds Like a lot of fun to me and thank you very much for offering. It would be easier if they were all puros but I'm more than willing to sample any cigars you would like me too and give you my impressions. I still think I can tell a Cuban from a NonCuban, the Dominican Vs. say Hoduran may be a little tougher and as far as the mixed blends go I think I will probably be able to tell the difference between Cuban or non but not a whole lot more. That said, I got a feeling I will probably screw it up. :blush:


-mark

 

[JHolmes763]

You waited two years to challenge the guy?? Maybe his tastes have changed by now...

 

[moki]

Despite being 20 years old, this cigar packs quite a bit of flavor; I'm actually rather surprised by how flavorful it is. It has that trademark Cuban flavor: the little twang of spice as you exhale, but it is more rounded and mellow.

:whistling:

Yep, I was wrong to have said that... I've no problem admitting it. I've seen enlightenment through experience, and have become "born again"

 

[moki]

Sounds Like a lot of fun to me and thank you very much for offering. It would be easier if they were all puros but I'm more than willing to sample any cigars you would like me too and give you my impressions. I still think I can tell a Cuban from a NonCuban, the Dominican Vs. say Hoduran may be a little tougher and as far as the mixed blends go I think I will probably be able to tell the difference between Cuban or non but not a whole lot more. That said, I got a feeling I will probably screw it up. :blush:

Sounds good to me! Shoot me your address via PM, and we'll get this puppy rolling. All of the cigars will be de-banded, and pre-clipped to avoid as much empirical observation as possible... this is a taste test after all!

The Details

Fyodor has agreed to not attempt to determine the specifics of any of the cigars by any means other than simply smoking them and tasting them (ie, no examining them, looking them up in references, etc.). This is about taste, not research! For each cigar, he will post:

1) The cigar number he smoked

2) Any tasting notes he chooses to share on the cigar as he smokes it

3) Whether he enjoyed the cigar or not, in the form a rating of the cigar from 1-10 (10 being the best)

4) His guess as to the country of origin of the cigar in terms of being Cuban or non-Cuban

5) Optionally, if he'd like to take a guess at the specific cigar he smoked, that's always a welcome addition

I'll post more specifics soon. A rather generous 7/10 right in terms of Cuban/non-Cuban is the watermark we're looking for here. 5/10 is a statistical random guess, so we're looking for just 2 above random noise. I really should insist on 9/10 or such, but that's okay.

 

[moki]

Hmm If anyone cares about my 2 cents, it depends on the mood I’m in to be honest, Cubans simply have a completely different profile and taste then NC’s. Its like comparing monkey shoulder scotch to Johnny walker black label, they are both scotch yes but there not even in the same ball park as far as taste.

If that were really the case, you'd think people would easily be able to pick a Cuban cigar out of a pack of non-Cuban cigars. Yet in all of the blind taste tests that I've done, this has not been the case... and many of the people doing these tests were very experienced cigar smokers.

Really, they should be able to get 10 out of 10 right in terms of guessing whether a cigar is Cuban or not (which is a simple yes/no proposition), if the taste profile is that distinct or unique. And yet:

http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=130048

http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=24064

http://lounge.cigarfamily.com/showthread.php?t=95573 (sadly, the original thread seems hosed in the CF software changeover)

http://lounge.cigarfamily.com/showthread.php?t=186985

http://lounge.cigarfamily.com/showthread.php?t=96066

http://lounge.cigarfamily.com/showpost.php...p;postcount=346

http://lounge.cigarfamily.com/showpost.php...p;postcount=347

 

[sinnyc]

I have read through some of Moki's tests before and I find them to be enormously entertaining as well as eye opening. Although I have more ISOM than NC favorites, I can't imagine performing any better than some of the other test subjects I have read about.

Good luck Fyodor!

 

[Infinity]

Good luck indeed.

Brian

 

[Rod]

Looking forward to this one.

 

[moki]

Looking forward to this one.

Should be fun, and hopefully entertaining and enlightening.

 

[botl43]

LMAO.. Here we go again! :laugh: I've learned a lot by reading through several of Moki's challenges. I once was of the same opinion. I see that Moki was as well, at one point in his travels along Tobacco's Highway..

Moki now that you’ve found God and are no longer a sinner, are you going to spend the rest of your life going broke trying to convert the masses?? :laugh:


Hang on this is going to be a fun ride! :thumbs:

 

[JHolmes763]

Looking forward to following this one...

 

[cincycigarman]

LMAO.. Here we go again! :laugh: I've learned a lot by reading through several of Moki's challenges. I once was of the same opinion. I see that Moki was as well, at one point in his travels along Tobacco's Highway..

Moki now that you’ve found God and are no longer a sinner, are you going to spend the rest of your life going broke trying to convert the masses?? :laugh:


Hang on this is going to be a fun ride! :thumbs:

x2, I just read through Moki's challenge with FloydPink on Clubstogie, it is pretty amazing. I will be interested to see how Fyodor does on this, and if he ends up receiving as much enlightenment as FloydPink did...

 

[moki]