The Case of the Expanding Ring Gauge

Originally Posted by maninblack

Again it's not just "fly by night smokers" that like bigger cigars. I am in no way a newb or a fly by night smoker. It gets old getting thrown into that group just because I like them. So now we have RG snobs on top of CC snobs? Really?

Don't worry about it. There's Tat snobs out there too you know

But really, 64 rg cigar is redic

[Mr. Ed]

Originally Posted by maninblack

Again it's not just "fly by night smokers" that like bigger cigars. I am in no way a newb or a fly by night smoker. It gets old getting thrown into that group just because I like them. So now we have RG snobs on top of CC snobs? Really?

No. Nobody was trying to lump anyone into this group or that. I was just commenting on a trend I've noticed (from my point of view somewhat disappointing) that manufacturers are not releasing many small ring gauge cigars anymore with their new brands and that even CCs (which come from a very long tradition) are showing signs of this trend. I was simply seeking an answer as to why, which went beyond, "that's what the people want." I guess the second question was, why do people want to smoke large RG cigars? If you read through the thread, I think there are a few good answers to both questions.

[maninblack]

I was talking about another member here that looks down on those of us that don't partake in CC's. But that's ok. I've never been called refined or distinguished . I am what I am. And proud of it.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by maninblack

So now we have RG snobs on top of CC snobs? Really?

Having a preference makes one a "snob"? Then aren't you a large RG snob?

Originally Posted by maninblack

I was talking about another member here that looks down on those of us that don't partake in CC's. But that's ok. I've never been called refined or distinguished . I am what I am. And proud of it.

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

[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.

[smitty81]

I had my first 60 ga. cigar the other day. I thought it was to big but once I started smoking it, I didn't mind it.

I don't think I would like anything bigger though.

Originally Posted by Mr. Ed

Do you think this is a passing fad? Will we have novelty cigars be the norm (anyone remember those Fuente football cigar pictures?)? How big is too big?

Great topic idea!

When I first started smoking cigars I liked the HUGE ring gauges. Now I find myself preferring cigars that are right in the middle i.e., 50-52

[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?

[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)

[Col. Kurtz]

Originally Posted by OLS

... Puros Indios Chief ...

A cigar called "chief". What do you make of that

[Mr. Ed]

Originally Posted by 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?

I generally agree, except for the yelping like a dog part.

[mithrilG60]

Originally Posted by lenguamor

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

When did The Sopranos start airing?

[Mr. Ed]

Originally Posted by mithrilG60

When did The Sopranos start airing?

Really? You think The Sopranos has something to do with this trend? That's interesting. It definitely was a fairly large pop culture phenomenon, but I don't know how wide its influence went. I think it also has to do with advertisers trying to play up our male "machismo".

[mithrilG60]

Originally Posted by Mr. Ed

Really? You think The Sopranos has something to do with this trend? That's interesting. It definitely was a fairly large pop culture phenomenon, but I don't know how wide its influence went. I think it also has to do with advertisers trying to play up our male "machismo".

Male "machismo" pretty much sums up the Sopranos image in a nutshell. My comment was a tongue in cheek reference to that.

Vendors make what people will buy, that's what it boils down to. It doesn't really bother me one way or the other if some random cigar maker wants to make a 150rg cigar that requires a step-down funnel just so you can wrap your lips around it to take a puff. I'm never going to buy them, frankly I'm never going to buy cigars made by 95% of the makers mentioned in this thread, so it really doesn't matter to me.

If all of a sudden Cuba decided that it was going to discontinue all it's classic lines and sizes in favour of 55+ RG power bombs will no real flavour or dimension I might have an opinion, but I really don't see that happening. Consider me a disinterested spectator on the the sidelines of the "large ring gauge wars" going on amongst the non-Cuban rollers.

[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

[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'.....

[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.

[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.

[icehog3]

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