The Absurdity of it all......
- Thread starter Nacho Daddy
- Start date
I haven't been active on the site for a while, but are Johnny O cigars still hard to get? I'm done paying CC prices and NC aren't something I enjoy anymore.
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In todays pricing the Perlas are a bargain. I actually really like these and they age very well. Last year I finished up my 2011's and all I have left now are 2021's. The 21's are very good but I am definitely going to have to buy more if I ever want some with 10+ years of age on them.
Depends what you mean by profile. If your talking about that citrusy, spicy, salty twang you get from a cuban, it doesn't exist in NC.
I started smoking Cubans in 2020 and once I discovered them, smoked nothing but them until last year. Anyone in the same boat will have a hard time transitioning. That being said, for the last year I have spent a lot of money trying to find the replacements. I've bought at least 700 NC's in that time and have a little under 500 still that I will smoke through or age a little longer to see if I like them more with age.
Everyones journey will be different but for me it's no longer about finding that profile I described, it's just finding something that will satisfy my palate. Another requirement is the cost. For example, there are some decent cigars out there in the 15.00 plus range. When we start approaching 400 a box for NC's I take a pass on them. I'd rather buy smaller cubans or spend a little more, like up to 600 a box, for cubans that I know I love.
On to what satisfies my palate which may be different for others.
Tatuaje. Pete Johnson just put's out some great cigars. Of course spending your way through his entire line trying to find the ones you like is going to be part of the game. My personal preferences are the black, brown and reserve lines. Also recently discovered the Tatoo Needles. 130 bucks for 50 and great little cigars. I actually can't decide if I like them better then the black PC's or not.
Some other brands I like are Dunbarton, West Tampa (Black), Curivari, My Father and Black works studio. More than 1/2 of my NC's are Curivari and Tatuaje though.
A new gem to me that I just discovered was Rocky Patel Hamlet liberations. I got a freebee from an order I placed awhile back. Then recently got an email with these on sale for 65 a box of 20 if you bought 4 boxes. So , I had to try the free one. Didn't care for the aroma out of the cello so didn't expect much. The foot has no wrapper on it for the 1st 1" or so and I didn't care for the 1st couple puffs. Then it all changed and by the end of the 1st 3rd I was hoping this was going to continue to be a great cigar. By the 1/2 way point I was shocked at how good it was. It was a no brainer to order 4 boxes. most places have these at 175 a box and probably worth it but for 65, it's a steal. Got my boxes and all dated 2018.
If you dont know, Hamlet was gaining a good reputation in Cuba back when I was going there a lot in the early 2000's. I was buying mostly Toboadas and Monsdales at the time though so never tried his cigars. At 3.25 a stick they might be the best value I have in my cigar inventory. I may even go grab another 4 boxes since he is no longer with RP so there won't be more available after these are gone.
Enjoy the journey to finding what suits your palate.