lanceros lanceros lanceros!

[jeffturneraz]

I'll try any brand in a lancero.

I'm with you, I would normally never buy a Joya de Nicaragua but I saw the lance and got it. It's like all bets are off, I'm re-trying brands I had given up on so-to-speak.

 

[Senor Perfecto]

Can we talk about why lanceros are so good? Is it because they don't get/stay as hot, since they're so narrow? Is it the increased wrapper-to-filler ratio that comes with a small diameter cigar? Do the blends tend to favor a certain range of flavors/strength that appeal to a certain type of smoker?

 

[pbibby]

I've' been a lance fan since I was gifted a el triunphador OR when I started here.I was immediately hooked. Anything in this vitola seems to be good. I'll try any brand in a lancero.

You gifted me one in our newb trade. That and a Tat TAA. I've been hooked on both/any of those since!

 

[klyoung3]

I love a good lancero. The Kristoff maduro lance is the only one I havent seen mentioned here.

 

[Skitalets]

Can we talk about why lanceros are so good? Is it because they don't get/stay as hot, since they're so narrow? Is it the increased wrapper-to-filler ratio that comes with a small diameter cigar? Do the blends tend to favor a certain range of flavors/strength that appeal to a certain type of smoker?

I think lanceros are awesome, but they get much hotter than thicker cigars, precisely because of the thin ring gauge. They have to be smoked slowly to avoid this.

 

[BrittS88]

Well I should chime in now that I have had a few more. I'd say my favorites are now

Tat black
Tat el trufinador OR (sad I only have one more)
Room 101 master one in mutante
HG drumstick
L40
7-20-4
Padron ambassador maduro
Oliva v
Room 101 daruma

I think those are All the lances I've had. Loved them all.

 

[jeffturneraz]

Can we talk about why lanceros are so good? Is it because they don't get/stay as hot, since they're so narrow? Is it the increased wrapper-to-filler ratio that comes with a small diameter cigar? Do the blends tend to favor a certain range of flavors/strength that appeal to a certain type of smoker?

Yeah I can't figure it out, this quote I posted earlier is the closest thing to an explanation I have seen.

The lancero format is an extremely elegant size, allowing the smoke’s flavor to remain focused, without incorporating as much air into the smoke as larger ring gauges do,” said Michael Herklots, Executive Director of Retail and Brand Development, Nat Sherman International. “The extra length of the cigar gives greater opportunity for the experience and flavors to change and develop from start to finish, while keeping the smoke cooler longer.”

 

[ENV]

I love the OR triunfador. Wish I had more than one. I'll prob but some when funds allow

Oliva V Lance is great
Durama
7 20.4

 

[njstone]

Can anyone comment on how the Room 101 Master Mutante compares to the Daruma Mutante?

 

[Senor Perfecto]

Can we talk about why lanceros are so good? Is it because they don't get/stay as hot, since they're so narrow? Is it the increased wrapper-to-filler ratio that comes with a small diameter cigar? Do the blends tend to favor a certain range of flavors/strength that appeal to a certain type of smoker?

Yeah I can't figure it out, this quote I posted earlier is the closest thing to an explanation I have seen.

The lancero format is an extremely elegant size, allowing the smoke’s flavor to remain focused, without incorporating as much air into the smoke as larger ring gauges do,” said Michael Herklots, Executive Director of Retail and Brand Development, Nat Sherman International. “The extra length of the cigar gives greater opportunity for the experience and flavors to change and develop from start to finish, while keeping the smoke cooler longer.”

That makes sense. Thank you.

 

[MDSPHOTO]

Never even knew what a lance was till I joined the forum, now it is by far my favorite smoke. The only one I was not crazy about was the CAO LX2, too strong for my taste, but have enjoyed every other one including the most recent San Cristobal I had this weekend.

 

[njstone]

Can we talk about why lanceros are so good? Is it because they don't get/stay as hot, since they're so narrow? Is it the increased wrapper-to-filler ratio that comes with a small diameter cigar? Do the blends tend to favor a certain range of flavors/strength that appeal to a certain type of smoker?

Yeah I can't figure it out, this quote I posted earlier is the closest thing to an explanation I have seen.

The lancero format is an extremely elegant size, allowing the smoke’s flavor to remain focused, without incorporating as much air into the smoke as larger ring gauges do,” said Michael Herklots, Executive Director of Retail and Brand Development, Nat Sherman International. “The extra length of the cigar gives greater opportunity for the experience and flavors to change and develop from start to finish, while keeping the smoke cooler longer.”

Well, I disagree with some of this.

The reason lanceros taste so different is primarily due to 2 things:

1) The thin ring gauge causes the cigar to burn HOTTER, not cooler, than fatter cigars. In general, the hotter a cigar burns, the more intense the flavor profile will be, and it will be spicier, etc. A fast smoker might find the flavor profile on any cigar getting really muddy, charcoal/ashy, and bitter. This is because the extra oxygen is causing the cigar to burn too hot, which makes the tobacco combustion rate too high (too much tobacco burning too quickly), which ruins the intended flavor profile and can lead to a nice case of nicotine sickness as well. But if smoked properly, a lancer can provide a wonderful experience with a flavor profile that's a bit more intense than it's fatter counterparts, which a lot of people like and some even prefer.

Because thin cigars naturally smoke so hot, one really has to learn HOW to smoke them.
Rate: Smoking even a little too fast can ruin the profile on a sub-40rg cigar. If you smoke them too slowly, they go out more easily than a fat cigar simply because there is less material on fire, but since you can always relight a cigar without any real damage, smoking them too fast is the danger. A minute in between puffs is a pretty good rule of thumb.
Draw: It's not just how often you puff, is how hard you puff! On a thicker cigar, you can draw as hard as you want to and while it effects the outcome, it probably won't ruin anything one way or another. On a thin cigar, if you take a really hard puff you'll probably get the cigar burning too hot, just as you would if you had been smoking it too fast.

2) The thin ring gauge necessarily means that the ratio of wrapper to filler is significantly higher in, say, a 38-rg compared to a 52-rg. This means you get more wrapper flavor in a lancer than you would in a toro, etc. This makes lanceros a fun and unique experience in almost every cigar line you're fortunately enough to find them in.

Now, whether having more wrapper-to-filler flavor is a better, worse, or just different experience really depends on the wrapper and fillers in question, and of course on personal preference. Wrappers get a lot of attention these days, but by and large it's the filler that makes a cigar what it is

A couple more points:
--Strong lanceros are rare, and there is a reason. Imagine a toro cigar has 5 filler components, all in perfect proportions, that make it taste the way it does. Now imagine that you have to reduce that all significantly in order to make a lancero ... but it's not as easy as doing a bit of math. For example, Ligero tobacco goes a long way in terms of strength, plus it doesn't burn for crap. So if you just proportionally reduce the amount of ligero and try to make a lancero, you'll probably end up with a cigar that doesn't burn and is overwhelmingly strong. The fact that thin rings burn so much hotter, intensifying the profile, makes this even more complicated as it adds to the perceived body of the cigar.
Bottom line--blending cigars is harder than you think, and making an existing line into a lancero can be very difficult. It's very hard to blend a lancero that is delicious, burns well, and is still really strong.

 

[Senor Perfecto]

Rate[/B]: Smoking even a little too fast can ruin the profile on a sub-40rg cigar. If you smoke them too slowly, they go out more easily than a fat cigar simply because there is less material on fire, but since you can always relight a cigar without any real damage, smoking them too fast is the danger. A minute in between puffs is a pretty good rule of thumb.
Draw: It's not just how often you puff, is how hard you puff! On a thicker cigar, you can draw as hard as you want to and while it effects the outcome, it probably won't ruin anything one way or another. On a thin cigar, if you take a really hard puff you'll probably get the cigar burning too hot, just as you would if you had been smoking it too fast.

2) The thin ring gauge necessarily means that the ratio of wrapper to filler is significantly higher in, say, a 38-rg compared to a 52-rg. This means you get more wrapper flavor in a lancer than you would in a toro, etc. This makes lanceros a fun and unique experience in almost every cigar line you're fortunately enough to find them in.

Now, whether having more wrapper-to-filler flavor is a better, worse, or just different experience really depends on the wrapper and fillers in question, and of course on personal preference. Wrappers get a lot of attention these days, but by and large it's the filler that makes a cigar what it is

A couple more points:
--Strong lanceros are rare, and there is a reason. Imagine a toro cigar has 5 filler components, all in perfect proportions, that make it taste the way it does. Now imagine that you have to reduce that all significantly in order to make a lancero ... but it's not as easy as doing a bit of math. For example, Ligero tobacco goes a long way in terms of strength, plus it doesn't burn for crap. So if you just proportionally reduce the amount of ligero and try to make a lancero, you'll probably end up with a cigar that doesn't burn and is overwhelmingly strong. The fact that thin rings burn so much hotter, intensifying the profile, makes this even more complicated as it adds to the perceived body of the cigar.
Bottom line--blending cigars is harder than you think, and making an existing line into a lancero can be very difficult. It's very hard to blend a lancero that is delicious, burns well, and is still really strong.

This is great info. Especially about the filler components.

I'm a naturally slow smoker; no wonder it's my favorite size.

 

[jeffturneraz]

Can we talk about why lanceros are so good? Is it because they don't get/stay as hot, since they're so narrow? Is it the increased wrapper-to-filler ratio that comes with a small diameter cigar? Do the blends tend to favor a certain range of flavors/strength that appeal to a certain type of smoker?

Yeah I can't figure it out, this quote I posted earlier is the closest thing to an explanation I have seen.

The lancero format is an extremely elegant size, allowing the smoke’s flavor to remain focused, without incorporating as much air into the smoke as larger ring gauges do,” said Michael Herklots, Executive Director of Retail and Brand Development, Nat Sherman International. “The extra length of the cigar gives greater opportunity for the experience and flavors to change and develop from start to finish, while keeping the smoke cooler longer.”

Well, I disagree with some of this.

The reason lanceros taste so different is primarily due to 2 things:

1) The thin ring gauge causes the cigar to burn HOTTER, not cooler, than fatter cigars. In general, the hotter a cigar burns, the more intense the flavor profile will be, and it will be spicier, etc. A fast smoker might find the flavor profile on any cigar getting really muddy, charcoal/ashy, and bitter. This is because the extra oxygen is causing the cigar to burn too hot, which makes the tobacco combustion rate too high (too much tobacco burning too quickly), which ruins the intended flavor profile and can lead to a nice case of nicotine sickness as well. But if smoked properly, a lancer can provide a wonderful experience with a flavor profile that's a bit more intense than it's fatter counterparts, which a lot of people like and some even prefer.

Because thin cigars naturally smoke so hot, one really has to learn HOW to smoke them.
Rate: Smoking even a little too fast can ruin the profile on a sub-40rg cigar. If you smoke them too slowly, they go out more easily than a fat cigar simply because there is less material on fire, but since you can always relight a cigar without any real damage, smoking them too fast is the danger. A minute in between puffs is a pretty good rule of thumb.
Draw: It's not just how often you puff, is how hard you puff! On a thicker cigar, you can draw as hard as you want to and while it effects the outcome, it probably won't ruin anything one way or another. On a thin cigar, if you take a really hard puff you'll probably get the cigar burning too hot, just as you would if you had been smoking it too fast.

2) The thin ring gauge necessarily means that the ratio of wrapper to filler is significantly higher in, say, a 38-rg compared to a 52-rg. This means you get more wrapper flavor in a lancer than you would in a toro, etc. This makes lanceros a fun and unique experience in almost every cigar line you're fortunately enough to find them in.

Now, whether having more wrapper-to-filler flavor is a better, worse, or just different experience really depends on the wrapper and fillers in question, and of course on personal preference. Wrappers get a lot of attention these days, but by and large it's the filler that makes a cigar what it is

A couple more points:
--Strong lanceros are rare, and there is a reason. Imagine a toro cigar has 5 filler components, all in perfect proportions, that make it taste the way it does. Now imagine that you have to reduce that all significantly in order to make a lancero ... but it's not as easy as doing a bit of math. For example, Ligero tobacco goes a long way in terms of strength, plus it doesn't burn for crap. So if you just proportionally reduce the amount of ligero and try to make a lancero, you'll probably end up with a cigar that doesn't burn and is overwhelmingly strong. The fact that thin rings burn so much hotter, intensifying the profile, makes this even more complicated as it adds to the perceived body of the cigar.
Bottom line--blending cigars is harder than you think, and making an existing line into a lancero can be very difficult. It's very hard to blend a lancero that is delicious, burns well, and is still really strong.

Wow, thanks.

I have read numerous things about what a pain in the ass these are to roll, and a lot of what you said here falls in line with that.

I always thought the main "pain in the ass" factor was having a good, consistent draw when rolling a couple thousand.

I can see how, as you talk about here, creating a "blend" in that tiny space is super challenging...

anyway, your post just makes me want to smoke more, ha...I can't get out of work fast enough today. Think I'm going to smoke my Padron lance and have some bourbon tonight.

 

[ENV]

The Oliva V Lancero is strong, burns well and is delicious.

As far as delicious though. Most of the lances are.

 

[Senor Perfecto]

Tasty lancero sampler:

http://fineashcigars.com/shop/fine-ash-lancero-sampler/

2 Ortega Serie D Lancero
2 Tatuaje Black Label Petite Lancero
2 Tatauje El Triunfador Lancero
2 Headley Grange Drumstick Lancero
2 LFD Cameroon Lancero
2 LFD Double Ligero Lancero

$85 from this vendor + a possible BOTL discount?

(reposted from BritS88)

 

[BrittS88]

Tasty lancero sampler:

http://fineashcigars.com/shop/fine-ash-lancero-sampler/

2 Ortega Serie D Lancero
2 Tatuaje Black Label Petite Lancero
2 Tatauje El Triunfador Lancero
2 Headley Grange Drumstick Lancero
2 LFD Cameroon Lancero
2 LFD Double Ligero Lancero

$85 from this vendor + a possible BOTL discount?

(reposted from BritS88)

Those are the brown label el triunfadors too not the red.

 

[BrittS88]

Mention you're from botl and that I sent you. Wouldn't be surprised if you get a little discount or maybe something extra thrown in. But I make no promises.

 

[Dread]

Fonseca Cubano Limitado is now being manufactured in a Lancero at a very affordable MSRP, I highly recommend seaking them out. I have long considered the Limitado to be our most underrated blend.

 

[Senor Perfecto]

Inspired tonight