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Thinner ring gauges

S

smokelaw1

Cigar Ambassador
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
3,348
The world seems to be gravitating more towards thicker gauges. The discontinued list is full of great thin smokes. Anything under 46 seems to be reagrded as skinny lately.
Personally, I love a thinner cigar when I am really sitting and tasting....sure, out on the golfcourse, or after a monster meal, with a couple dozen drinks, a big fat smoke-billowing honker is yummy, and a thinner cigar would be abused, not given the attention it deserves, and its subleties would be lost in the gastronomic orgy...
Now, don't get me wrong, the Esplendido, the Coro, PSP2, psd4, Boli BF, Taboada DC, big OPUS, AVO 80th, Ashton ESG's, and Padron Annis and 26's, RyJ Churchills, and Padron Lusitanias...these are all TERRIFIC smokes, I own many of all of them, and enjoy smoking them a great deal.
But what used to be considered Connoisseurs' sizes...the lanceros (oh, Cohiba lanceros....), The Panatelas and Gran Panatelas (ERDM Medaile D'Or #1 (2??))....the trinidad Fundadadores...., and of a number of WONDERFUL lonsdales...Por Laranga, RG (thanks tigger!), just to name two of the most recent wonderful cigars I have smoked...these are the cigars that I want to have with me when it is just me, perhaps a gentle libation, or perhaps just a glass of chilled (not too cold) water, and a nice day....sitting on the patio, and truly revelling in all that top notch (hopefully) well aged tobacco can be, and what the experience can do for one's outlook.
UI told the story in the frecent Trinidad thread of having a big fat, sweaty drunk man (left that part out in the last thread) in a couple thousand dollar suit (money can't buy taste any more than it can buy class) said something about me smoking a "ladies" cigar, and not a "real" cigar...as he chomped away on what appeared to be a large honkin' maduro that did not smell terribly good.



SOOOOOOOOOOOO....why is this? Is it the Americanization of the world cigar market? Bigger and fatter is better? Are tastes changing? Is the habanos market starting to follow the NC market into the world of bigger cigars?
Is it all just personal preference, with some people discerning more flavors out of big cigars the way I do out of small?

What are your thoughts?
 
smokelaw1 said:
The world seems to be gravitating more towards thicker gauges. The discontinued list is full of great thin smokes. Anything under 46 seems to be reagrded as skinny lately.
Personally, I love a thinner cigar when I am really sitting and tasting....sure, out on the golfcourse, or after a monster meal, with a couple dozen drinks, a big fat smoke-billowing honker is yummy, and a thinner cigar would be abused, not given the attention it deserves, and its subleties would be lost in the gastronomic orgy...
Now, don't get me wrong, the Esplendido, the Coro, PSP2, psd4, Boli BF, Taboada DC, big OPUS, AVO 80th, Ashton ESG's, and Padron Annis and 26's, RyJ Churchills, and Padron Lusitanias...these are all TERRIFIC smokes, I own many of all of them, and enjoy smoking them a great deal.
But what used to be considered Connoisseurs' sizes...the lanceros (oh, Cohiba lanceros....), The Panatelas and Gran Panatelas (ERDM Medaile D'Or #1 (2??))....the trinidad Fundadadores...., and of a number of WONDERFUL lonsdales...Por Laranga, RG (thanks tigger!), just to name two of the most recent wonderful cigars I have smoked...these are the cigars that I want to have with me when it is just me, perhaps a gentle libation, or perhaps just a glass of chilled (not too cold) water, and a nice day....sitting on the patio, and truly revelling in all that top notch (hopefully) well aged tobacco can be, and what the experience can do for one's outlook.
UI told the story in the frecent Trinidad thread of having a big fat, sweaty drunk man (left that part out in the last thread) in a couple thousand dollar suit (money can't buy taste any more than it can buy class) said something about me smoking a "ladies" cigar, and not a "real" cigar...as he chomped away on what appeared to be a large honkin' maduro that did not smell terribly good.



SOOOOOOOOOOOO....why is this? Is it the Americanization of the world cigar market? Bigger and fatter is better? Are tastes changing? Is the habanos market starting to follow the NC market into the world of bigger cigars?
Is it all just personal preference, with some people discerning more flavors out of big cigars the way I do out of small?

What are your thoughts?
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Over-compensation?
 
The American market is "THE" market for cigars and Americans typically like things bigger and stronger. I think the true American Connoisseurs love the smaller rings but the majority of the American market isn't the Connoisseur market. Personally I would love to see more cigars in the 36-42 ring gauge but I feel there is a place for all sizes, I also love smoking a double corona or a churchill when I'm sitting back and relaxing at the cottage or at the beach and I can indulge for a few hours. That said, I think those new 60 ringed cigars I just stupid and serve more for marketing purposes.

It's funny how times change, I bet nobody called Zino Davidoff a lady when he lit up many of his cigars 26 ringed cigars.

On a side note, I think it's much hard to make a great thin ringed cigar. First of all, the tobacco has to be superb because there is less of it and the roller has to be more skilled to avoid an under filled cigar or the dreaded plug.
 
My favorite ring gauge is 42.
It just feels right…
(Man, that kind of sounds funny, doesn’t it)
 
I've been slowly gravitating towards the longer, thinner cigars. I started out only wanting the "fatties" as well, probably for reasons stated above. But, I've found that I enjoy a good Lancero (39-44 ring) now more than a 52+ ring.
 
I personally prefer the larger ringed gauges. I find and this is a personal opinion here that the smaller ringed cigars burn too hot for my tastes. This in no way diminishes the enjoyment of certain smaller ringed cigars, but they are the exception not the rule. My other requirement is that since I only get to smoke one cigar a day at best and less often during the colder months I rather smoke a cigar that can last close to two hours. When I'm out golfing all bets are off and I'm able to get in two to three cigars and do opt for the smaller ringed cigars as the middle cigar. YMMV
 
smokelaw1 said:
...............tasting....sure, out on the golfcourse, or after a monster meal, with a couple dozen drinks, ............
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After a couple dozen drinks I guess you are not smoking while driving home. :laugh:

My preference is for the flavor of the cigar and not necessarily for the size. For instance my favorite right now (when traveling abroad and when given one by a friend who has legally purchased them with his home currency of course) is the Monte #1. I think the cocktail smoke shouldbe a cigar without a grotesque ring gauge. I just couln't imagine having a martini or a nice glass of wine and 60 ring. Just wouldn't seem sophisticated to me. Even the post feast cigars for me (like churchills) are not large rings. 95% of what I smoke are 48 or less, and time being what it is a lot are shorter as well, since finding 1+ hours to smoke is an infrequent event.

Golf is different, at least you can find large cigars on the ground after making a shot and the wind smokes 1/2 the cigar for you anyway. :D Big is good in that circumstance.
 
I am a fan of ring guages thin and fat. Two of my favorite sticks are the Bolivar Bonita, and the Cohiba Limitada....both from the opposite end of the ring guage spectrum.

I like to consider myself an equal oppurtunity smoker.
 
As I mentioned on another thread, I definitely lean toward medium-to-thin ringed cigars. Perhaps it's because the wrapper flavor comes through more. Perhaps it's because they have less volado leaf (helps with the burn, but thin in the flavor dept) in them than a larger cigar does. I dunno.

I think the hypothesis that the American penchant for thicker cigars is affecting Altadis's production decsisions is a valid one. It's really sad to see some great cigars come off line.

I see a glimmer of hope though. I seems to me that some of the Dominican manufacturers (Carlos Fuente, Jr. and Litto Gomez come to mind) are starting to roll some thinner cigars (lanceros and the like) in some of their higher-end lines. If people start buying them, other manufacturers will follow. If the market starts showing demand for those sizes, maybe Altadis will return to rolling some of the classics they've eliminated.

Please oh please! :)
 
I haven't smoked anything under 42 so I can't really say I have any experience with "smaller" ring gauges. Most of the stuff I have smoked has been in the 46-54 range.
 
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48 ring is about as big as I like to go. Generally, I go 46 to 38. I don't find heat to be a problem with the smaller gauges.
 
nhcigarfan said:
I don't find heat to be a problem with the smaller gauges.
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Nor do I, assuming I smoke them with care. When smoking asmaller cigar, it almost always has my pretty undivided attention, so I do not have any problems. i wil be the first to admit, even as a fan of smaller ring cigars, that if smoked inattentively, they will get hot and nasty.

Edit---Cool...just noticed that this was my 2000th post. Glad it wasn't about something stupid....but at least I got to use the words "hot and nasty" in it.

In honor of this event....someone who hasn't tried a smaller cigar is getting a little two-pack...1) Thinner one: smoke it slow, take your time with it, and savor it, take "sipping" puffs...2) Thicker one...smoke it slow, but you can treat it more like a thicker cigar..these tobaccos can take it...but still, be more gentle than with a thick cigar, and be mindful of heat/bitterness--if it starts getting there, purge gently by blwing through it for 5-7 seconds, leave it for a minute, then try again.
ENJOY!
 
I find a lonsdale size cigar to be just the right size for a smoke. Funny - I was smoking a robusto the other day...and not really enjoying it. I'm sure my taste will change again...but in general...unless I'm golfing...a lonsdale size is very tasty!!
 
I am a sucker for a good Culebra. By good Culebra, of course I am refering to the Davidoff Special "C" because it is the only one I know of (Drew Estate's crimes against nature don't count). I do look forward to another one that I believe I read is supposed to be released in 2007.

Congrats on 2K Josh!

edit: BTW, if anyone knows a Culebra I am missing out on, send me a PM. As far as I know Davidoff is it.
 
CasaSoho said:
edit: BTW, if anyone knows a Culebra I am missing out on, send me a PM. As far as I know Davidoff is it.
Click to expand...

They are out there...I imagine someone with more experience with the painfully rare will have something for you. Didn't partagas have one?
 
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