real or psychosematic

[Ahbroody]

Originally Posted by icehog3

Smoke what you like, like what you smoke.

That said do cubans have a unique flavor profile. for the most part I would say yes.

I also have to agree with scott that I often find the meat is missing in a CC. Not to say thats always bad. In fact many times for me personally I want something lighter and more subtle. Last night I smoked an HDM epi2, followed by the new illusione empernay. Both were excellent to me. I focused much more on the subtle aspects of the epi2. The Empernay was much more POW. To smoke them in reverse order would not have worked because of how intense the illusione was.

I was smoking a lot more CC than NC, but it is evening up a lot more. I am really enjoying a lot of the NCs lately from Pepin, Padilla, Johnson, and illusione. I will say I find it strange that people swear off an entire region of sticks without trying it. I think the NC area has really improved a lot of the past years.

I have had a few cohiba maduros now and I can say for some reason I prefer the cheap nc sancho maduros. Thats why the smoke what you like phrase is so valid. For my taste preference I would be wasting money smoking the cohiba when I can buy a boat load of sanchos for the same price. Then again half of the flavors I hear mentioned on the board I have never experienced.

[RightAJ]

The 'smoothness' of CCs some of you mention, I do notice, but I find that CCs are just generally lighter in body/flavor than NCs. I am yet to find a truely full bodied CC. Had most if not all the marcas and many sizes, but none jump out with a strong flavor or body for me. They can be very complex and flavorfull, and quite different than NCs, but the tobacco just has a lighter quality to me. The Cuban 'twang' is something I can taste in many CCs, and I quite enjoy it.

aj

PS I to think many people (not necessecirly here though) smoke CCs just to smoke CCs... this bothers me as I think they are snobs