I’m no aficionado (basically 3-4 good smokes per year) but I enjoyed the heck out of two La Gloria Cubanas a few weekends ago in Vegas. Might also mention that our smoking venue (Spearmint Rhino) almost certainly contributed significantly to the overall experience.
Itsaboyz. Much more mild and flavorful than Itsagirlz
CAO Cx2, Rocky Patel Honduran Classic, Partagas Black, and the NUB line of cigars are my current favorites that are always on hand.
And for the record dutch masters, swisher sweets, black and milds, and even the acid “cigars” are not cigars… they are crap.
I have sitting in my humidor, a couple of the Rocky Patel Olde World Reserves (A Connecticut and a Maduro), a few Don Tomas maduros, some Excalibur no labels that a friend of mine sells me from his cigar shop, a Perdomo maduro, a dark stick that I can’t pronounce even if I try, and a Nat Sherman. I had more but I just recently had a birthday so I gave a few out when I lit up the one I was given.
Some personal favorites of mine - among the ones I have already - are Oliva, Ashton, Avo, Don Diego, La Gloria Cubana, Montecristo, Padron (when my pockets feel nice and lined haha, yeah right), Nub, and Saint Luis Rey.
I’ve yet to try a Cohiba or a Romeo Y Juieta but am very interested.
Generally what I’ve found is that cigars all vary from one another in taste, draw, smell, etc. Even the same brand can be different. If a cigar is hand rolled then it is unique to itself in at least one small way. With that, you always take a chance. Part of your cigar could have been rolled too tightly by accident and this could ruin a perfectly good stick. Another thing I’ve learned is that a higher price doesn’t always mean a higher quality. If you’re a guy who likes strong flavored cigars (and by flavor I mean natural flavor from aging, the cedar scent from a humidor, etc), then buying an expensive Avo probably isn’t in your best interest. While that expensive Avo will be well worth its price, you could end up feeling that there is more to be desired, simply because it’s not the type of cigar you may have wanted. The best way to gauge the worth of a cigar for yourself would be to shop around and try several different ones unless you know what you like already. Then you’re better off sticking to the ones you know and love.
On the topic of Acid cigars, I feel I must interject. Having tried some myself, I can say I wasn’t impressed and actually ended up throwing one out right away because the taste was so awful to me. I’m not a huge fan of pine taste or any of the other things they’ll throw into the mixture to try their hand at being clever. As far as I’m concerned, Acids belong on the gas station shelf with the Swishers, Black & Milds, and the Backwoods. Although that might just lower the status of those three. But then again, that’s just my $0.02.
What it really boils down to is individual taste. If you don’t like it, don’t smoke it. And if you do, well then by all means, enjoy it dammit. Just please, when you’re done, don’t drop the butt on the ground and crush it with your heel. The smell is awful and the rest of us will greatly appreciate you just letting it ride off into the sunset like you’re supposed to.
It’s nice to see that people so conscious of their health and fitness aren’t deathly afraid of some good smokes. Cheers guys. I’ll be sure to light up a good one tonight for T-men everywhere.