Nicaragua: The New Cuba
- Thread starter Senor Perfecto
- Start date
AlohaStyle
BoM Sept '12 & Aug '13
As said before, it's apples to oranges and neither of the cigars are better than the other, just different. You say the "oranges are cheaper?", nope... The majority of my Cubans are good quality cigars that are cheaper than the Drew Estate, Tat and other cigars that most people here are buying. "Taste just as good, if not better?" Taste is subjective and that's your opinion, nothing wrong with that. But for me personally, I will choose a Cuban 99 times out of 100 because that's the flavor profile I like. I used to smoke the bold Nica sticks but my preference changed over time.
I hear what you're saying and have no issue with your opinion, but it's just that, an opinion. But it does sound like you truly don't believe you are comparing "apples to oranges"... Cubans are so different than Nica cigars, especially the broadleaf wrapped flavor bombs.
Ducttapegonewild
Actual Size
Would it be similar to comparing Nica sticks to DR sticks?
DR> Nicaraguan cigars for me.
I find that besides my cc stash of only about 150 everything I have that is nc is nica. I have always been drawn to it over Dominican and others. Not sure if it's a fad or just good R&D on the companies who didn't usually utilize leaf from that region.
Do you only drink bourbon from Tennessee? The quality of cigars is skyrocketing providing us with a truckload of options. I like Nic sticks. But then I like Opus a DR puro. And then I found some mixes that blew me away. And then a nice Brazilian.. Each stick has its own quality and taste. That is what makes it fun. I was a cuban cigar snob, then a Tat snob then went back to smoking what ever was good. That means lots of sticks from all over.
I agree whole heartedly. Don't get me wrong I definitely still love my CC however the quality and prices out of Nica are great.
StogieNinja
Derek | BoM June 2014
This. It's like asking whether chocolate ice cream made by Tillamook is better or worse than vanilla ice cream made by Breyers. They're both ice cream, but with inherently different blenders and flavors and manufacturers. It's a taste difference.
Well, there's also the history and mystique that the manufacturers are appealing to as well. I've never had a "Cubanesque" cigar taste like a Cuban thought, that's for sure.
I don't drink bourbon at all, but the overall point is spot on!
CWS - my story is a lot like yours. My first cigar was an H, Upmann Tubo Corona "Hecho a Mano en Cuba" that I was given when I was 14. For many years, I was a Cuban snob. Then, in the early 70's I discovered the true joy of the original Joya de Nicaragua sticks. Smoked 'em all the way through college and law school in the 70's, and then the Contras and the Sandanistas (and Reagan) took my Joya's away. Pretty much Cubans after that - when I could get 'em. Gave up cigars for about ten years - maybe longer - but got back into the stogie world a few months ago, and am dazzled by all the amazing choices and great smokes now available from Nic, DC, the USA etc. They don't taste like Cubans any more than Jack Daniels tastes like Knob Creek, but they are wonderful in their own right. I would gratefully smoke a Liga #9, Undercrown, Four Kicks, PDR Reserva, or any Tatuaje and love it. I still have Habanos in my humidor from the "old days" and have no desire to smoke them - my evolving preference is for good broadleaf wrapped stogies anyway - and Fidel doesn't have any. At the same price point, I would take a Las Calaveras over a Cohiba any day.
After reading all the posts on this thread, it occurs to me that Cuba has been growing Vuelta Abajo leaf for 500 years or so. Real interest in growing tobacco in the DR, in EC and NIC didn't happen until after the embargo and revolution. Tobacco science has likewise taken a quantum leap in the last 20-30 years. Cuban tobacco gets its unique flavor from the dirt and microclimate of its growing region. Tobacco is now being grown in Nicaragua in soils that are very. very close to Pinar Del Rio and the Vuelta Abajo in terms of chemical composition, minerals, nutrients etc. I've smoked a couple of sticks that were blends of Nicaraguan and Peruvian tobacco that I would have sworn were Cuban in origin (i.e. Fratello). I think we are witnessing a marvelous new "boom" in the industry. I only hope it ends better than the last one.
Cigary43
Just Another Ashhole
Any good news about cigars is a positive and with new enthusiasts coming into the hobby tends to push the popularity....which tends to make us all pay attention to what people like. The more we talk the more...hopefully...manufacturers listen to what we like and go about making new blends to satisfy the masses. Nicaraguans aside they are a good cigar and it seems they are a lot more popular than when I started smoking them. Another brother mentioned Brazilian and that's been something that has really grown in popularity in recent years and I've probably bought more of this than most other cigar only because of my taste profile. The cigar experience is ever changing and that gives hope to us who are constantly having to deal with an anti smoking public....instead of having to complain about those who don't like what we do we still get to celebrate the fact that it's growing in spite of the negative stories we hear about. What we need to always think about in terms of this hobby...always try to accentuate the positive no matter how small because the other side has a lot of money and power to use against tobacco in general. The more we look as a group that is just as sophisticated ( or more ) the better our chances of fighting back and being uniform in our direction. ( sermon over)
that is a great point senor perfecto
Tobacco Giant
Conn. Broadleaf Slayer
I interpreted the comparison not as comparing the taste of CCs vs Nica cigars (what has been referred to as apples and oranges, as well as beer and whiskey), but as Nicaraguan cigars slowly gaining consensus as the best cigars on the planet, which is a title that CCs had for a long time.
Obviously individual preferences vary, but I've definitely seen a shift in macro thinking that Nica produces the best tobacco in the world. I tend to agree, FWIW.
Obviously individual preferences vary, but I've definitely seen a shift in macro thinking that Nica produces the best tobacco in the world. I tend to agree, FWIW.
It seems like the more you smoke of one, the more you like that one. A steady diet of Cubans leads to Nica being too strong and harsh. A steady diet of Nicas and CCs don't pack enough oomph. If you're able to switch back and forth between the two, then you've given yourself the best of both worlds.
And where does ageability come in? Will Nicas be able to go 20 - 30 years without losing everything they have to offer? Does anybody really care?
Also, CCs have not remained static over the years, and some people wonder if the new breed of cubans will continue to age like the old guard has (pre -97). Time will tell, but by then it will be too late to stock up cheaply.
And where does ageability come in? Will Nicas be able to go 20 - 30 years without losing everything they have to offer? Does anybody really care?
Also, CCs have not remained static over the years, and some people wonder if the new breed of cubans will continue to age like the old guard has (pre -97). Time will tell, but by then it will be too late to stock up cheaply.