Re: Negative Brand Bias?
 

I'd rather smoke grass :r

Re: Negative Brand Bias?
 

I'll second that!

Can't wait to try another one!

Re: Negative Brand Bias?
 

But my hand rolled other stuff is grand!
:D

Re: Negative Brand Bias?
 

I'll throw in another Nub. Every stick I tried smoking from them was terrible and none ever made it past the 1 inch mark before being tossed. I could have struggled and stuck with them until the end but life is too short. This really baffles me because they are made by Oliva which I have yet to ever smoke any other Oliva that I thought was even remotely bad. I have been gifted a few Victor Sinclairs and I honestly am afraid to smoke them from the constant negative reviews I see about them. Every time I see them in the humi I keep thinking Cremosa.:D One day I will try them. I do agree that Rocky has some issues. I wish he would keep his stuff consistent. I have said it time and time again, focus on keeping your main and top lines consistent and quit concentrating on introducing a new blend every two weeks. ( Gasp! I am afraid that Pepin may be headed down this road:( )
CAO also suffers from changing their blends unexpectedly and yes they are a marketing machine but they do have a handful of enjoyable lines like the Brazilia and Italia that are hits with a good percentage of cigar smokers although I would rather see them focus more on the product instead of the crazy ways to market them and also concentrate on keeping things a little more consistent. Perfect example, the original release MX2 compared to the current blend. Two different animals.

Re: Negative Brand Bias?
 

Drew Estates and CAO for me. I don't know why, either. I always think I'd like to at least explore these brands a little, but I can't bring myself to buy anything with their names on them. I also have an aversion to Rocky Patel. I haven't bought one, let alone smoked one, in a long, long time.

Re: Negative Brand Bias?
 

For me, RyJ, Drew Estates and Macanudo.

Re: Negative Brand Bias?
 

Drew Estate!!! I don't like any of their so-called cigars or their hip-hop marketing strategy.

Re: Negative Brand Bias?
 

^^^^^ I'm with him, STAY AWAY^^^^^^^

Re: Negative Brand Bias?
 

I agree with you on that one for sure. There is a guy here in Vegas who owns a b&M and he says his Acids fly off the shelf. he has a bunch of people who come in and taht is all they buy. wierd...

Re: Negative Brand Bias?
 

Guantanamera
https://www.cigarsclub.com/images/gu..._cristales.jpg
http://www.bagophily.com/images/barfsmiley.gif

Re: Negative Brand Bias?
 

Illusion.

The owner killed that brand for me with his Jim Jones advertising.

Re: Negative Brand Bias?
 

Puros Indios/Rolando Reyes and NUB are on my never again list. Victor Sinclair is a few sticks away from never again (haven't completely written them off yet).

Re: Negative Brand Bias?
 

Ah, soooo many but here are a few for me:

Fuente
Reyes
Partagas
Hoyo
Monte
Punch
Illusione
Mac
Nub
Cohiba Red Dot
Perdomo
VS
Bahia
Black Pearl
Nat Sherman
Anything made by Don Kiki
Padilla
Savinelli
Trinidad

Re: Negative Brand Bias?
 

I really like the new CAO CX2 (the only one I like). Great taste, nice burn! However, I have never smoked a Ghurka that I enjoyed. For whatever reason I can't get past the taste on any of them. They are undoubtedly doing something right due to their huge sales volume. Love the RJ Reserva stix and ALL of the Sancho Panza stix.

Re: Negative Brand Bias?
 

#1 for me is Puros Indios

Re: Negative Brand Bias?
 

Like many other I do have some brands that I try to stay away from in general. General and Altadis are two big ones but I, like many of you, stay away from CAO and RP as well. I do have an open mind though. I recently tried the RP renaissance and was reminded of why I don't like rocky. On the other hand I was impressed with both the Lx2 and the reverse rolled America perfecto that I had recently. Fuente is another company that has just never impressed me. IMHO opus and anejo are overrated because of Fuente's excellent marketing and nothing else has ever just fit my preferred profile.

Re: Negative Brand Bias?
 

CAO has been a terminal disappointment for me. A new stogie by them holds no lure.

That being said a new cigar is always met with some suspicion with me. Depends on how and where its coming out. Is it a internet big guy "exclusive"? Then who cares. Is it a non-internet cigar? Intriguing. Who's hyping it? My trusted friends or some douche bag.

Re: Negative Brand Bias?
 

Perdomo & Drew Estate

Re: Negative Brand Bias?
 

No one has mentioned Cremosa, Phillies, White Owls, or Tampa Nuggets yet?

Re: Negative Brand Bias?
 

Have to go RP also--The OWR maddys are ok but otherwise Phooey