Once….never again.

858 is about as cheap as I go on Fuentes.

I've bought a few cheap Fuentes thinking they wouldn't put their name on crap.

They do.

These were the cigars that made me quit smoking gas station stogies.

That being said, I haven't smoked one in almost 20 years.

That’s the difference between Padron and Fuente.
They both make excellent cigars.
But Fuente also has formidable craptastic lines.
Padron doesn’t bother with crap. Their “budget” lines (0000 series) are solid cigars, and priced as such.

The VSG is a good cigar and Padrons. I haven't really explored Perdomo.

I wasn't looking for a cheap cigar just short burn time. I like a Dominican filler with a maduro wrapper like CT Broadleaf. AF Rothschilds are good but still burn close to an hour.

Thanks brother! I will definitely check out the Coronets.

+1 for the Tatuaje Petite Cazadores Reserva

I edited that out of my recommendation post since he said Dominican fill. The PCR is a bit rough if you're looking for DR flavors. But once they've aged a few years, yes that would hit the mark here.

Surrogates Cracker Crumbs

Perdomo champagne puritos

I like the vsg

The Tres Mystique is a great small smoke but its price point is rather prohibitive.

It's the only size I will buy, entirely due to cost. Picked up a fiver for $48 a few months ago. Once we're cresting $10 at online prices I'm expecting more entertainment than even a fantastic cigar can provide.

I also wouldn't lump em in with the short smoke/small cigar category. It is a smaller size but it's not a "I got an hour or less for a quick cigar" type of smoke.

Yah, I should have mentioned that. They’re definitely best smoked slowly. Back-in-the-day, you could get the TM’s for around $6 each so I got a decent amount of them. Unfortunately all gone now.

Rocky Patel vintage 1990 (seconds) has a Perfecto 4 x 48 that is a terrific little smoker clocking in at about 35 minutes. I think they are very fairly priced and they really hit the spot. Nice balance of the dark cigar flavor and lingering aftertaste. It’s my can’t sleep middle of the night cigar.

I like them

Ouch! Sick burn dude

I'll end up trying all of your suggestions but ended up going with AF Hemingway SS MD. I haven't had Short Story in stock for a while and forgot about them. Still not that quick a cigar but I do like the Hemingway line.

I always chuckle to myself when I hear someone say a cigar is “not bad”….
It’s says a lot……………..and it says nothing…

In your case Papa, you had to tell yourself twice, that they aren’t bad.
Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

I’m guilty of this as well, but I take it to the next level….
“They’re not horrible…”

I give it a decent. I'm just not a fan of that small 33 ring gauge.

So basically a 5 point scale, or school letter grade system (A,B,C,D,F)
I’m at a point where it’s become pretty simple for me….

Did I like it enough to buy more?
Then it’s just a matter of cost justification………..yes I want more, but NOT at THAT price, I’ll just get some of these other cigars I like instead.

Price and rating and whether or not ill buy more are all muddy waters.

Buy again is a separate column in my spreadsheet. I'll mark no buy, box, 5, 10, and a price where it's worth it. Sometimes I find a killer deal on something and never see that price again, so it's not set at best price paid but what I think the experience was worth.

A decent cigar I'll buy again at yard gar prices or significant discount. A not bad cigar I'll smoke if it shows up in my humidor from a trade or something. A bad/trash cigar I'll stick in father in laws cigar fridge with his Dutch Masters.

Papas Fritas are a good cigar IMO, at least they're marked good in my notes. I'd buy more at $4. They may be good but they burn fast and at $6-7per, there's many other things I'd buy before them. So they're good but not worth it.

Sometimes I'll call a cigar good, but it's a profile I don't enjoy. I don't mark it trash, because it is a good cigar, my experience I write down matches reviewers, and if someone asks what I thought of that cigar I don't wanna say it's trash, I'll share my thoughts and say but it's not for me. But fantastic/ excellent are the ones that make it move as they say.

Don't be too sure. If you are in a nuthouse you will feel normal.

Moving along one can end up with too large an inventory and may have to raise the bar. But not everyone has the spirit of adventure,

Odds are you’re gonna be saying the exact same thing a year from now….

Iffin' Vegas had odds on your inventory, I'd put some $$$ down that it'll be bigger.