Am I missing something about CC's

[Jon11]

I smoked 6 CC's over the last 2 weeks and the whole time found myself wanting the NC's that I usually smoke. I've had them in my humi for some time and planned on resting my palate for about a week, and then smoking all of them w/o mixing with NC's. Well i finally did this and although they were OK, they didnt wow me in any way. And no they werent cuban dog rockets, they were all highly rated and considered some of the top CC's. I know alot of responses will be the common response...smoke what you like and like what you smoke. Besides that response, what am I missing? Do any of you guys enjoy NC's more than CC's? I would like to really enjoy CC's, but all that I've smoked have been nothing special, and I'd rather some of my standbys from Padron and LP instead. What am I missing?
Jon

What were the cigars? Do you know for sure they were legit?

[Jon11]

Originally Posted by ChicagoWhiteSox

What were the cigars? Do you know for sure they were legit?

I'm positive that they were legit....they were Ramon Allones, Bolivar, Cohiba, Romeo y Julietta and I forgot the other 2. Recieved from a good pipe smoking buddy who used to be heavy into cigars.

[pnoon]

Originally Posted by Jon11

I'm positive that they were legit....they were Ramon Allones, Bolivar, Cohiba, Romeo y Julietta and I forgot the other 2. Recieved from a good pipe smoking buddy who used to be heavy into cigars.

I don't know your buddy but I also know plenty of people "heavy into cigars" who wouldn't know a legit Cuban cigar if it bit them on the ass.

[Jon11]

Originally Posted by pnoon

I don't know your buddy but I also know plenty of people "heavy into cigars" who wouldn't know a legit Cuban cigar if it bit them on the ass.

OK they were fake then.

[pnoon]

Originally Posted by Jon11

OK they were fake then.

[md4958]

Originally Posted by Jon11

OK they were fake then.

now, now... Peter's point IS one of concern.

Many "connoisseurs" of have been duped into buying fake Havanas. If they have never had anything but fakes to compare them to, how could they ever know?

Were your friend's cigars not authentic... which is not to say that they ARE fake, Im just saying for arguments sake, he would definitely not be the first person to be fooled.

[Mugen910]

Originally Posted by Jon11

OK they were fake then.

Pnoon wasn't saying your friend doesn't know his stuff...just pointing out that there have been instances of it.

[kelmac07]

Jon...I'm on of the few on the board that prefers NCs to CCs every day of the week. I have smoked about 50-60 CCs, all different kinds and have not found one that really WOWED me. I gave up a long time ago and enjoy smoking my NCs.

[maninblack]

Originally Posted by kelmac07

Jon...I'm on of the few on the board that prefers NCs to CCs every day of the week. I have smoked about 50-60 CCs, all different kinds and have not found one that really WOWED me. I gave up a long time ago and enjoy smoking my NCs.

This.

[shilala]

Originally Posted by kelmac07

Jon...I'm on of the few on the board that prefers NCs to CCs every day of the week. I have smoked about 50-60 CCs, all different kinds and have not found one that really WOWED me. I gave up a long time ago and enjoy smoking my NCs.

Jon, Mac and I have talked at length about this exact topic. I was in the same place as he was up until the last year or so.
I took a break from smoking, mostly due to health. I liked the nastiest, strongest, darkest, most delicious maduros I could jam in my face. When it came to cc's, they just had nothing for me. They were entirely too subtle and sissified, I needed a nic puro or dominican puro that was hella strong just to satisfy my tastes. Mostly it was because of my 2 can a day snuff habit, Mac chews too.
Anyways, after taking that break, Clayton gifted me a fiver of cc's that I'd been holding onto and I laid into them. They were fabulous. I loved them all and I could appreciate them because I had some of my senses back.

I still wasn't a convert, not by any means. But that opened the door. Fast forward a couple years and I found myself smoking less and less nc's, well, because quite frankly, they sucked ass. They've been rapidly going downhill for quite some time so far as I'm concerned. There are still some excellent smokes, but where once there were hundreds of talented and complex blends, it was a struggle to find anything new that wasn't boring.

I took that opportunity to go back and rediscover cc's and I've not stopped since. While most guys enjoy older cc's, I like freshies. They're new and strong and full of flavor. They keep well, are more sought after the older they get, and a 4 year old box of cc's is generally just about as strong as it was new. Not so with nc's, or at least most of them.
When my cc's get too old for me to really enjoy them, I know someone else is going to go absolutely gaga over them, and that makes me happy. I can swap my old stuff for new stuff. I can't lose. With nc's, even Padrons suffer after 5 or 6 years, becoming far too mild for me to really enjoy.

All this to say, you don't have to like anything you don't want. If cc's aren't tripping your trigger now, they probably will later. Do be aware that at this point in the game, so far as cc's are concerned, you really don't know anything. That's not a dig or a jab, it's just a matter of fact. It's a good thing, too. You have that whole other world waiting for you when you're ready. I'd be willing to bet a fiver that when you get there, you're gonna find you enjoy them greatly. I didn't think I'd ever see that day after smoking a couple hundred cc's, but I never gave up on them. Despite my current feelings on the state of nc's, I haven't given up on them, either.
I just like cigars. And I smoke what I like.

[Bax]

Without knowing what kind of cigars you like it's kind of hard to say. I smoke about 50/50 now and I enjoy both. I lean more twards medium body smokes so CC's are right up my alley. If you like strong smokes you might find them weak by comparison. What are your favorite NC's? What were the CC's you tried? I can tell you that if you have a party short that's on or a nicely aged Cohiba Lancero that you'll be having a WOW moment.

[Ogre]

You also have to take age of the cigar into consideration. Some CCs need quite a few years to mature.

[Jon11]

Originally Posted by Ogre

You also have to take age of the cigar into consideration. Some CCs need quite a few years to mature.

He wrote the years on each one of the bags. None were later than 2009...if I remember correctly one was an 06, and a couple from 08, maybe one from 04.

[PCR]

Originally Posted by Ogre

You also have to take age of the cigar into consideration. Some CCs need quite a few years to mature.

+1... Age on CC's is a must.

[CRIMPS]

Originally Posted by PCR

+1... Age on CC's is a must.

A must. I humbly disagree.

To the OP, I would suggest being a little more open minded to the feedback that you requested. You seem to be quick with the trigger. Just saying...

Hope you find what you are looking for.

[Mugen910]

Some people love filet mignon and I prefer a rib eye

don't get into the hype of it all...just smoke what you enjoy.

[SvilleKid]

Originally Posted by Mugen910

Some people love filet mignon and I prefer a rib eye

don't get into the hype of it all...just smoke what you enjoy.

You know, in just about 100% of the cigar likes/dislikes thread, this is the best advise and analogy that there is. Simple, accurate and to the point. Bump, bro.

[Sauer Grapes]

Jon,

Smoke what you enjoy. Tastes do change, so don't write cubans off completely, but you probably just prefer the NC profile. CC's usually have more subtleties to their flavor profile, but that's not always the case. There are a wide range of cigars from both.

I was primarily a NC smoker for years. I still like them a lot, but now I have started preferring the more subtle and cleaner flavors offered by some CCs.

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by Sauer Grapes

CC's usually have more subtleties to their flavor profile, but that's not always the case. There are a wide range of cigars from both.

I was primarily a NC smoker for years. I still like them a lot, but now I have started preferring the more subtle and cleaner flavors offered by some CCs.

There it is. Me, I smoked NCs almost exclusively, due mainly to price and availability considerations, but truly enjoy the occasional CC. To me, the difference is similar to wines, with many NCs being a bold cabernet sauvignon whose body and depth can overwhelm some, and CCs being closer to a pinot noir, whose subtlety can completely underwhelm those without the palate for them.

But that's why they bottle both, and why they produce different cigar blends too.