The Case of the Expanding Ring Gauge

[md4958]

I'll smoke just about anything. NC, CC, Large RG, Thin RG.

I PREFER CCs with thin RG because I feel like I derive the most flavor out of them, with the least amount of harshness.

Would I smoke a 64RG, sure.. why not? The amount of time the cigar actually spends time in your mouth in a 90 minute smoke is probably only 5-7 minutes anyway. I wouldnt go out and purchase one, but if it was gifted to me Id thank them and smoke it.

I dont get the guys that say "i cant fit it in my mouth!"... I guess none of those guys ever ate a banana. The human mouth is capable of swallowing much larger than 1 inch diameter... I can provide references to some ex-girlfriends that can verify this!

I think its all gimmicky. It seems like the cigar manufacturers are trying to have the biggest cigar out there, and get mentions in Cigar Aficionado and have people talking about it.

All that being said, Id rather smoke a ERDM demi-tasse than a 8x60 $8 cigar thats made with $hit tobacco

[357]

Originally Posted by oooo35980

Sheesh so much hate for the big RG Cigars. I personally enjoy the bigger RG cigars quite a bit. 6x60 is a perfectly manageable size for me and I can smoke on it for hours, plus the draw is usually looser so it has less chance of triggering a migraine. I don't smoke them exclusively by any means but they have their place. I also enjoy Toros, Robustos, PCs, Lanceros, Churchills, and a variety of other sizes, an occasional pipe is nice too. Variety is the spice of life after all.

I think many of us who don't love the big RG cigars are concerned because small RG cigars are being fazed out and discontinued. Many new cigars aren't offered in lancero, petite corona, or corona sizes at all.

Originally Posted by hammondc

Like a lot of folks here, I started out with the larger RG stuff. LGC Serie R were my favorite for a long time. Now I doubt there is a single cigar over 50rg that I would buy. Now, 9/10 of the cigars I smoke are Corona/PC.

This is the same for me. My first box purchase was LGC Serie R #7 maduro (7 x 58 monsters). Now my fav go to is the San Cristobal El Principe (4.25 x 42).

Originally Posted by pnoon

I could care less that people think I am a CC snob. They obviously don't know me. As far as I am concerned, those peckerheads can judge me all they want.

Nobody likes judgemental peckerheads. them.

Originally Posted by icehog3

I'm sorry. I only look down on those members that I am taller than.

Does that make me elitist because I'm taller than most?

[lenguamor]

As a smoker, all you want is to know that the cigars you love, that those you value and enjoy, will be available when you want them.

If you like the smaller gauges and the cigar-making world as a whole is moving toward larger gauges, that's worrisome; when that happens to the exclusion of the vitolas you hold dear, you react like a dog who's just had his tail stepped on: you yelp and maybe try to bite something.

My first cigar, and the only size I smoked for decades, was a corona. Since I discovered ninfas, that became my favorite vitola. I will always prefer a corona, petit corona, ninfa and lancero to any other size. Over the last decade I've seen the cigars I hold dearest discontinued in favor of larger gauges.

That does tend to piss one off.

I couldn't care less what anyone else smokes; as long as it's not a Kuba-Kuba anywhere near where I'm smoking one of my cigars.

But when a pattern of larger rings displacing those I love and enjoy becomes institutionalized to the point where I can't even find my preferences anymore, then yeah—there's gonna be resentment.

That's not to say that all 55+RG are bad; certain cigars like the FFP stand out as prime examples that a larger stick can still be a good one. But fact is, cigar shops only have space for so many cigars, and my preferences are getting pushed out in favor of the large stuff.

When I was at Casa Fernandez earlier in the year, they showed a prototype 7x70 they were working on. Now, CF's blends are all ass-kickers, across the board...put that in a 7x70 and what you have amounts to a prank, a novelty.

It leaves me wondering when this cigar passion of ours became a testosterone-fueled endurance contest.

Beer bong and a clown cigar, anyone?

[ApexAZ]

Originally Posted by CRIMPS

Four of my Non-Cigar smoking friends go to a B&M and buy cigars to smoke that night at a party. They all walk our with 55+RG sized churchill cigars. They had no idea what they bought, but they sure looked cool.

This is your majority.

This.

[OLS]

Originally Posted by lenguamor

in a 7x70 and what you have amounts to a prank, a novelty.

Haha, I just remembered when I first started smoking cigars, one of the first I ever had was
when we decided to go down to City Park and catch the very start of the Krewe of Endymion parade.
There was a tobacco shop with something like a Puros Indios Chief in a case, but WAY thicker in RG,
something like a 70/80. That cigar lasted for hours, but I am sure I was called a di(khead many times
that day that I was not aware of. (and so I've come full circle, lol)

[jluck]

Originally Posted by oooo35980

I think what you mean is uncomfortable or awkward in your mouth. Like I said I don't have any trouble smoking a 6x60 or larger, it isn't like you have to be a snake and unhinge your jaw to smoke the larger RG cigars.

Yep, That's exactly what my post points. When I spend money on cigars I get what I prefer.

And yes I do occasionally eat a banana and no I don't hold it between my lips for a hour or more. I think that would be awkward and uncomfortable.

[ApexAZ]

Originally Posted by pnoon

Just as it gets old being thrown into the CC snob group because I smoke CCs.

If the shoe doesn't fit, don't sweat it. I didn't see anyone claiming YOU were part of the "fly by night smokers"
I could care less that people think I am a CC snob. They obviously don't know me. As far as I am concerned, those peckerheads can judge me all they want.

I think you kick a lot of ass, Peter.

[oooo35980]

So what I gather from this thread is that large RG cigars are replacing some old favorite small RG cigars. The reason this is happening is an influx of "Fly by Night" smokers because they are the only ones who smoke large RG cigars.

Maybe more large RG cigars are coming out because there are actually damn few good ones and manufacturers are trying to fill that gap. It could have nothing to do with people less informed trying to look cool. Of course thinking of it that way is less fun and you don't get to look down on people.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by oooo35980

So what I gather from this thread is that large RG cigars are replacing some old favorite small RG cigars. The reason this is happening is an influx of "Fly by Night" smokers because they are the only ones who smoke large RG cigars.

If you kept reading, people explained that is not what they meant, but let's turn this into a big shitfight anyway.

Originally Posted by oooo35980

Maybe more large RG cigars are coming out because there are actually damn few good ones and manufacturers are trying to fill that gap. It could have nothing to do with people less informed trying to look cool. Of course thinking of it that way is less fun and you don't get to look down on people.

Keep stirrin'.....

[Mr. Ed]

So, why does this also appear to be happening with CCs as well? Is this just a worldwide shift of preference to thicker cigars?

[md4958]

Originally Posted by Mr. Ed

So, why does this also appear to be happening with CCs as well? Is this just a worldwide shift of preference to thicker cigars?

yup. owner of a Belgian LCDH told me 90%of his sales were robustos. Thin, small cigars dont sell

[Brutus2600]

Originally Posted by md4958

yup. owner of a Belgian LCDH told me 90%of his sales were robustos. Thin, small cigars dont sell

I don't consider a robusto a large cigar at all though. Robustos are only 50 RG...

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by icehog3

If you kept reading, people explained that is not what they meant, but let's turn this into a big shitfight anyway.


Keep stirrin'.....

And we're back to my original "Freud " point, about pricks.

[md4958]

Originally Posted by Brutus2600

I don't consider a robusto a large cigar at all though. Robustos are only 50 RG...

it is when the thickest reg production in the Habanos portfolio is 56rg

[jluck]

Originally Posted by Brutus2600

I don't consider a robusto a large cigar at all though. Robustos are only 50 RG...

I agree. My preference (see:my) is <50 RG.

I would suspect cost of manufacture is universal and global,If larger RG stuff is more cost effective and proper marketing can push the product.....Hell why not! More moola in producers pockets.

[ApexAZ]

A buddy of mine who is a newer smoker also mentioned that he gets more value and smoking time from a larger cigar. He also said he just likes the look of a huge cigar, which I understood as he felt cooler.

There's numerous reasons I'm sure. As far as there being a limited selection of large ring cigars, I'm sure that was true at some point, but there doesn't seem to be any lack of them now.

I actually like the MUWAT quite a bit. Usually I go for the vitola that tastes the best to me. I often find that those usually fall in the corona/robusto sizes, but not always. With the LP #9, I prefer the Toro. Oliva V, the Torpedo. LP Undercrown, robusto. Illusione, churchill (888). Etc, etc, etc. They have differences in taste, but I'm not sure why. I've always assumed it had to do with the differences in ratio of wrapper/binder/filler.

[Brutus2600]

Originally Posted by md4958

it is when the thickest reg production cuban is 56rg

I'm not comparing the 50 RG to the largest production cuban though, I'm comparing it to all cigar sizes out there. The whole thing that started this thread though was being flabbergasted about 64 RG cigars, which almost has a 30% larger diameter than a 50 RG. So while yes, a robusto is on the larger end of the spectrum, it's not a "big ass" cigar like I think we were talking about in most of this thread (or at least I wasn't).

[mithrilG60]

Originally Posted by icehog3

When we have had some of the more reknowned rollers roll cigars for group buys (La China, Hamlet, Taboada), I was told that they said the thinner RG took more skill. That's all second hand though, I have never met any of them.

I've met Hamlet several times and he's told us that as a roller you start off rolling coronas and similar, then move up to larger sizes as you learn to control the blend, then move up to long skinny vitola's like lanceros, and finally if you're stupid you learn to roll shaped cigars. The later are the most difficult but also tend to pidegon hole you into shapes for the rest of your career which limits your earning potential as most factories roll different cigars throughout out the year and someone specialized on shaped cigars will either be without work or on low production for stretches whereas the rollers that do your standard corona-robusto-churchill lines have steady employment. Cuban rollers are also paid on a quote system, you receive a daily wage for x units produced. If you exceed production you get a daily bonus, the more difficult a cigar type is to roll the less likely you are to exceed quote and get your bonus.

[icehog3]

So, Geoff, basically the smaller RG are a move up from the large RG for the roller (if I read your post right).

[mithrilG60]

Sort of, I think it's

small sized medium gauge -> larger gauge -> thin gauge -> shaped/figurado

in order of increasing experience required with the shaped rollers usually having 20+ years of experience. It may be different in the non-Cuban factories.