So I spent a few years smoking (almost) exclusively CCs. That's what I enjoyed most and that's what people around me were smoking so that's what happened. The occasional NC I smoked rarely satisfied, and just confirmed I was smoking the right thing. Before that I was smoking a mix of NCs and CCs and enjoying both. Before that I smoked mostly full bodied, full flavored cigars. Then, 18 months ago, I moved from So. Cal. to Ohio. Now I smoke mostly by myself.
Here's a couple of things I think I learned.
1) My palate is conditioned by what I smoke. If I smoke a lot of one type, that's the type I end up enjoying most. Whether that's full bodied, medium, NCs, CCs, floral or maduro. I can train my palate to detect a wide range of flavors within any cigar style while still enjoying a spectrum of sticks.
2) It's easier to smoke a bunch of CCs in a single day while NCs tend to clog up my palate after a few.
3) The quality control issue with CCs is not about the draw. Most CC boxes are good with a small number being sublime and a small number being dogs. You can never be certain what you're getting regardless of marca or factory, but you can improve your odds. NC sticks seem to be far more consistent in taste.
4) CCs are great to sit down and contemplate while chatting with other people. NCs rule while working in the yard or walking around (or possibly in colder weather?), and I'm not talking about yard gars (life is too short to be smoking yard gars).
5) Illusione cigars have always tasted great to me, even with 8 years of age on them. (Anybody looking to get rid of some old stock?)
6) The longer I smoke the more I appreciate mild/medium smokes as long as they have good flavor. I'm looking for complexity - a wide range of flavors and dynamics - flavors that change throughout the smoke. Full bodied smokes tend not to change as much.
7) The more I smoked with other people, the less I posted on cigar forums, and vice versa.
So my NC sticks slowly dipped down to 8% of my stash. After smoking some Illusiones, La Palina Goldies and L'Ateliers my interest in NCs has been rekindled. I almost missed out on the rerelease of the ECCJ, Goldie dalia and Extension de la Racine '15. So now my NCs are up to 15% of my stash. Which brings me to this question: What have I been missing? I've heard good things about Caldwell and Warped Cigars so I picked up some Flor del Valle Cristales and Eastern Standard Silk Road (and a box of 12 honest men for <$50 was too good to pass up). What other sticks should I be looking for? Keeping in mind I prefer the medium, graham cracker, pumpkin pie spice thing over the full bodied, charred steak (Viaje anyone?) experience? Anyone willing to put together a sampler to sell or trade (I know wrong forum).
Here's a couple of things I think I learned.
1) My palate is conditioned by what I smoke. If I smoke a lot of one type, that's the type I end up enjoying most. Whether that's full bodied, medium, NCs, CCs, floral or maduro. I can train my palate to detect a wide range of flavors within any cigar style while still enjoying a spectrum of sticks.
2) It's easier to smoke a bunch of CCs in a single day while NCs tend to clog up my palate after a few.
3) The quality control issue with CCs is not about the draw. Most CC boxes are good with a small number being sublime and a small number being dogs. You can never be certain what you're getting regardless of marca or factory, but you can improve your odds. NC sticks seem to be far more consistent in taste.
4) CCs are great to sit down and contemplate while chatting with other people. NCs rule while working in the yard or walking around (or possibly in colder weather?), and I'm not talking about yard gars (life is too short to be smoking yard gars).
5) Illusione cigars have always tasted great to me, even with 8 years of age on them. (Anybody looking to get rid of some old stock?)
6) The longer I smoke the more I appreciate mild/medium smokes as long as they have good flavor. I'm looking for complexity - a wide range of flavors and dynamics - flavors that change throughout the smoke. Full bodied smokes tend not to change as much.
7) The more I smoked with other people, the less I posted on cigar forums, and vice versa.
So my NC sticks slowly dipped down to 8% of my stash. After smoking some Illusiones, La Palina Goldies and L'Ateliers my interest in NCs has been rekindled. I almost missed out on the rerelease of the ECCJ, Goldie dalia and Extension de la Racine '15. So now my NCs are up to 15% of my stash. Which brings me to this question: What have I been missing? I've heard good things about Caldwell and Warped Cigars so I picked up some Flor del Valle Cristales and Eastern Standard Silk Road (and a box of 12 honest men for <$50 was too good to pass up). What other sticks should I be looking for? Keeping in mind I prefer the medium, graham cracker, pumpkin pie spice thing over the full bodied, charred steak (Viaje anyone?) experience? Anyone willing to put together a sampler to sell or trade (I know wrong forum).
