KPP wrote:I'll start of with the WHY Cubans....as I, for a long time, thought they were over-rated. I'm sure many can attest to that, I wasn't shy about that opinion. And that opinion was formed after smoking ones acquired in trades/box passes etc. No idea of their origin, legitimacy or whatever. Not saying they were fakes whatsover...but 75% of them had crappy draws, and flavors were just meh.
This was my initial experience too, and I'd add that most Habanos I'd had were also mild/medium in body and I've becoming more of a full-bodied guy.
Then someone recommended a Bolivar Royal Corona, and while on vacation I picked one up ... huh, it was really good! Anomaly? Then someone at a herf gave me a Bolivar Corona Extra ... Habanos can be spicy? Wow, I like this!
So I compromised and said "I like Bolivar, that's about it." Well, since then I've found a number of others I really like (it helps living in Japan).
In general, I still love Bolivar the most probably, followed by Partagas. I also really dig Trinidad and HdM, although they are both a bit milder than I usually prefer, they have very unique flavor profiles. I'm just starting to explore H. Upmann (LOVE the Mag 46) and Cohiba. Beyond those lines I"m still very inexperienced, and even within those lines I've not yet tried every vitola, and others only once or twice.
Something I'd like to do is track down a couple examples of some of the classics that I've not yet tried (Sir Winston, Fundadores, Esplendidos, Siglo IV with age, Regios, Wide Churchill, Monte Especiales and Petite Edmundo, etc. etc.)
If I had to pick my top sticks at this moment, I'd say the following are all cigars that I've "really liked," the Top 5 listed first, the rest grouped according to marca.
Bolivar Corona Extra
Trinidad Robusto T
Partagas Short
H. Upmann Mag 46
Hoyo de Monterrey le Hoyo Des Deux
*Cohiba Behike (while very good, I'm not sure the 1 sample I had was enough to get a very expensive box)
Bolivar Royal Corona
Bolivar Petite Corona
Bolivar Belicoso Fino
Bolivar Corona Junior
H. Upmann #2
R&J Short Churchill
Partagas 898v
Partagas SP#2
Trinidad Robusto Extra
Trinidad Reyes
Trinidad Coloniales
Hoyo de Monterrey le Hoyo du Roi
Hoyo de Monterrey le Hoyo du Gormet
Hoyo de Monterrey Petite Robusto
Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure #1
Cohiba Lancero
Cohiba Robusto
Cohiba Siglo VI
Two cigars I don't "get" yet are the PSD4 and the Montecristo #4. I've had 5-6 of each of these, 1 was horrible, 3 were "meh," 1 was good, but 1 of each were fanfrickintastic. I've not given up on them, but if QC is this bad I don't want to waste my time.