Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

When i first started smoking... it didnt make a difference to me at all.. in fact if i smoked 2 unbanded cigars.. i wouldnt be able to tell which was NC and which was the CC... now that my palate is more refined, and i know what i like, I can say that i have a taste for cubans..

my father in law however.. who has been smoking twice as long as me, and got me into cigars, isnt a fan of CC's.. and when i offer him one would rather smoke his own...

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

That comaprison means nothing. There is absolutely no connection between the two.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

Truth to this... other than the name (marketing scheme by major cigar manufacturers) These cigars share absolutly no likenesses (is likenesses a word?)

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

I wonder about where said Cubans came from for a certain number of responses from this thread. Perhaps a friends brothers cousin who was a janitor at the Partagas factory? Or a street vendor in Mexico?

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

shhh!!!!! :D

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

Even the people that say it's like comparing apples to oranges still concede that Cubans are the best. so what does that tell you?

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

I'll take "What is, they prefer Cubans?" for $100 Alex.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

I sat here watching tv thinking about this thread even more.. and IDK why threads like this bother me.. they definatly shouldnt.. but if you think about it.. tobacco is tobacco... Pete Johnson claims to use only first generation cuban seed, but in a difft climate.. there are going to be GREAT cubans, and theyre are going to be TERRBILE cubans.. same goes for NC's.. its a matter of your palate picking out a taste it likes... After all people have said in this thread.. theres people in countries where cc's are legal, yet they prefer NC's just because theres so much more out there to explore... rant rant rant... and everything i said here as already been said in this thread more than once.. so as previously mentioned.. "smoke what you like and like what you smoke" Dont get hung up on something just because its "cuban" or not..

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

is the left of the right boobie better ?

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

I prefer the one in the middle.

[image deleted]

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

Let's try and keep this on topic.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

High Five for sneaking in a total recall refrence.. Lets ask Arnold this question

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

Short answer is NO

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

Arnold smokes both Cuban and Non-Cuban cigars, all of which tend to have one thing in common: they are all silly expensive.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

are non-vintage regular production cubans really that much more expensive than good NCs? Like say a brown label Tatuaje which is around $10 a stick average I'd say.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

I was specifically talking about Governor Schwarzenegger's cigar choices, maybe you should ask him.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

Sorry... I was unaware the Governator discussed his smoking preferences with you directly


and apparently you didn't catch the sarcasm in my previous post :tu

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

I don't think James meant to chop your quote up. And for what it's worth, while the Governator may smoke NC"S that are "silly expensive", most non-vintage cubans are not, which I believe is James point.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

I know people who smoke with him regularly, thats what they tell me.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

excellent observation to my intent, Vic :)

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

I apologize, I was a bit too quick to judge in my original response, which is why I changed my response.

I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt that he might not be intentionally trying to play games or be a dick and there might be a more reasonable explanation.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

Would it be safe to say that most people are not comparing apples to apples in this discussion? I mean, in most conversations that I have had on this topic the discussion usually ends up comparing a $10-$20 NC to the average $3-$5 cc. What does this tell me. It tells me that on average cc's are a far more superior cigar to the nc for the money.

I agree that cc's tend to have more issues with construction but only at the lower end cigars such as HdM PE's, RyJ Mille Fleurs, Party Shorts etc. The premium cc's in the $10-$20 range don't have construction issues anymore than the premium nc's.

If we compared both cc's and nc's in the average price range of $5/stick there would be no doubt in my mind what I would be taking. The cc all day long.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

BTW, I don't think Arnold smokes anything that costs less than about $20-25/cigar.

As for the rest of us, meh, whatever you like, you smoke. I've never gotten into the is "such-and-such" a $10 NC better than a "this or that" $7 Cuban debate, or vice-versa at $7 and $10, or whatever, so I'm not going to start now. I think it's a silly argument.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

This is not an argument but rather a discussion.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

I find this thread amazing. It seems to me that nothing brings out the knives faster than the old "NC v. CC" debate, er, discussion. This thread is continuing in that long and predictable tradition.

To me, the best cigar, at any price, is the one you like. Knowing that others like a cigar that you can't stand doesn't make that cigar a better fit for you or you an inferior chooser of cigars. In the end, you have to smoke the cigar, so it actually a deeply personal experience based on taste and enjoyment and all the many, many factors that affect that. In the end, like or dislike of a cigar is subjective and in the moment. It should not be up for a vote, IMO.

It doesn't matter if massive numbers of people post about liking one over the other. In the end, it is all about what the smoker likes at the moment. If the cigar currently lit isn't doing it, well, then it is an inferior cigar, no matter how many times the same box has yielded stellar results in the past. That's the beauty of this little hobby - something new around every bend in the river.

I also like that I can sit around with someone smoking grape swisher sweet and one smoking a 1492 and we can all enjoy our smokes and have a great time just reveling in our cigar. We are all equal - just sitting around smoking what makes us happy.

I encourage everyone to expand their palates and try something new. Who knows, you might find something you like. It may be a CC or an NC, but if it doesn't do it for you, please don't try to take away the enjoyment of those for whom it is a good cigar. It is only being polite.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

:tpd: You roll with an interesting crowd, my friend! :r

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

They are just a different taste...nothing can replace it...but there are NC's just as good if not better IMO. I love and appreciate it all. :D

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

Greg and Joe are right. For the most part a 5 dollar CC will outperform a 15 dollar NC. The Cuban blends tend to be smoother and much more complex, and honestly to combat that most NC cigars are just over the top strong. Not something i look for in a cigar.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

Opinions vary. ;)

Smoke what you like, like what you smoke.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

:confused: I don't know.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

I agree. NC seem to be constructed better and are more consistent. However in my opinion the flavours of CC are just alot more enjoyable.

If in doubt just try a Partagas Short.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

I've only had a handful of CCs but I did enjoy them.

I'd suggest setting up a personal taste test but lordy, how would you ever manage a good setup? You'd have to smoke many marcas and vitolas of both CC and NC before being able to decide for yourself which cigars compare to one another and also which you'd even enjoy smoking to compare, then lay in a supply of fivers (or more) of each, then do a side-by-side test. By the time you managed all that you'd have already answered your own question! :r

So I'll take the advice of the more experienced and just keep on smokin' whatever I get my hands on. CC or NC, if I hate it I'll probably never try it again. CC or NC, if I like it I'll put it on the list. If I love it I'll try to stock up.

*shrug* Seems to me the best part of this hobby (aside from meeting people, which I've yet to do) is smoking 'em and deciding. Might find that $2 NC gem or discover a deep, abiding lust for that $25 CC. You never know.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

My wife thinks so.
Since she is Cuban too, I also think so.
27 yrs to prove it!!! :r

Oh Crap!!!
The title says "Cuban Cigars".
I thought it said "Cubans".

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

Honestly? I'd say, by far, YES.

I became a Pepin whore early in my cigar career...once I discovered CCs in depth and built up a decent supply I found there really was no turning back.

That said, the way to make your own decision is to sample as many different kinds as you can. For example, many people like big cigars, whereas I don't, and many like Cohibas, whereas I find them very overrated.

:2 but that's the best way to find out!

:ss :tu

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

I know this is starting to beat a dead horse....but smoke what you like in the price range that is in your means.

Dave (trishield) has said many times that they still make junk like cremosas and others that I find repulsive....but some people have to be buying them and liking them. I have college friends who smoke backwoods and enjoy them.....granted they have never had a "good" cigar so have nothing to compare them to.

I think the more important part is the commoradary involved. They smoke backwoods, but it is a bunch of guys sitting together having a good time....so what they smoke is kind of irrelevant.

At shack herf this year some of us smoked an entire barberpole glasstop fauxiba. Granted we were slightly inebriated, but I will remember the fun we had versus the horrible cigar :)

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

Back on topic for me....
Are they better?
Different.
Personal preference.
I enjoy the their flavor much better.
However, I don't enjoy the plugged ones.
All a matter of taste.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

I've developed a simple rule...cut it as soon as it comes out of the humi and do a draw test.

If it doesn't draw like a straw, say, "Naw!"

Repeat until you find one that does, and go from there!

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

So true!!!

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

I agree with not fighting through a plugged cigar, but I think drawing like a straw is a bit too loose. I think there should be a little resistance (especially to help with control of the burn). I'm not sure if you mean "straw" literally, or just figuratively to make the saying rhyme.....so if I am over-analyzing, Scott, my apologies :tu

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

I haven't had that many CC's. Maybe 50 in my life but they are different. Some I have had I thought were the best cigars I have ever had, others not so much. Like each person is an individual so is each cigar.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

Exactly. The last thing I want is a wind tunnel.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

A good cigar is a good cigar regardless if it came from Cuba or Nicaragua or Honduras or the Dominican Republic. Everyone's palates are different, so are their likes and dislikes.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

For the NC crowd:
http://www.kanyethis.com/?s=http://w...0International


For the Habanos crowd:
http://www.kanyethis.com/?s=http://w....asp&t=Habanos

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

lol!

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

i'm pretty new to handrolled cigar... but i try to smoke both cc and nc even though there are very limited nc here and the cc are freaking expensive..i do love monte..punch and partagas...at the same time quantanamera and h upman are shitty to me... but still...i love the padron and don diego aniversarios...

like said... its down to each own preferences...

but so far... i love cc :ss

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

I can count on one hand the NC's that I really enjoyed. Most make my saliva glands kick into overdrive and I find are "harsh" for lack of a better word. CC's are milder and more flavorful to me with no saliva issues.

Of the NC's I have had, I would pick a CC over an NC ALMOST every time.

Find what you like and smoke those is the best advice I can give. As long as you enjoy it, who cares. :)

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

A bit of both, actually...I figured it would be a more useful rule of thumb if it rhymed, and it should have a good draw the moment it's cut. In my experience, if it's got a stiff draw when you cut it, it's not gonna get any better as you smoke it (in fact it will often get worse).

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

yes they are.

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

Are cigars from the B&M better than cigars bought from e-tailers? :r

:rolleyes:

Re: Are cuban cigars really the best?
 

That is downright evil. :D