The Cigar Smoker's Thread / The Spam Thread

[Joe Redifer]

Keranu, do you outright refuse to watch movies that don't have a cigar in it?  You should.

Also, is Bill Clinton your favorite president?  Do you approve of his cigar relationship with Monica Lewinsky?

[Keranu]

Keranu, do you outright refuse to watch movies that don't have a cigar in it?  You should.

Yes. A movie without a cigar in it is simply not worth watching.

Also, is Bill Clinton your favorite president?  Do you approve of his cigar relationship with Monica Lewinsky?

You know I had to look up what you were talking about and that was quite... kinky. But speaking of cigar related presidents, JFK was a snitch for having his aide import a 1,000 Cuban cigars for him the day before the embargo.

[Keranu]

H. Upmann No. 40

There isn't a whole lot I can say about this cigar, except that it's a very solid stogie. No complaints; it burns very smoothy, ashes superbly, straight forward flavor, and nicely sized. I would recommend this cigar for beginners because I think it really defines what cigars are like by getting straight into the point. This would make for a good cigar on any occasion and is sure to be enjoyed.

I'll be smoking and reviewing the JR Ultimate Toro tomorrow, which I have been looking very forward to!

[Peluso8]

I'll be smoking and reviewing the JR Ultimate Toro tomorrow, which I have been looking very forward to!

I smoked one last night. Sat on the patio with a nice cool breeze blowing. It was a great cigar on a perfect night. The JR Ultimate has become my "go-to cigar" and has never let me down.

I look forward to reading your review.

[Keranu]

JR Ultimate Toro

Well I had my review all written and ready to go, but once as I going to hit the post button, the damn power went out ! Here goes again.

Peluso's post in this thread about this cigar made me interested in it and he kindly sent me a couple. It was a very delicious cigar, though I think I prefered the Punch After Dinner just a little more overall.

The cigar is a beauty to look at. It's long and has a smooth, dark brown wrapper topped with a big colorful band. It lit like a charm and while I had a hard time tasting the flavor with the initial puffs, it soon kicked in. The flavor is medium-full and very enjoyable, with a taste that stands out a little from other cigars and it withdraws and blows out of the mouth wonderfully. The ashing on this stogie was magnificent (I'm a sucker for ashes), keeping very straight and firm with two long ash lines throughout the session. The only downside to this baby was that the end became pretty bitter, but still fun to smoke.

I'm thinking about the Angel 100 next .

[Keranu]

Angel 100

This cigar reminded me of the JR Ultimate. About the same size and color and both had a similar taste to me, though I think maybe this was a tad lighter. However the flavor in this cigar was more consistent for me with some of the flavor intact toward the end. but it's hard to decide which one I liked more. Another thing to note was that this cigar gave me a slightly different taste in my mouth afterwards than most cigars, one that was a little more sweet, which was nice for a change. Unfortunately I think this cigar got a little too moist when I placed damp paper towels in the plastic bag as it became softer than the other cigars and the cellophane wrapper was a little wet. As such, I think this resulted in giving me a harder time lighting the cigar, but I was still able to enjoy it and would happily smoke again.

[FM-77]

I guess it is time for me to contribute to this thread:

Punch has been one of my preferred brands of cigars for many years. I especially enjoy their Grand Cru line, and the first Grand Cru Robusto that I ever had is one of my five most memorable smokes of all time. However, subsequent purchases of this same cigar over a period of several years did not provide me with the same cool, aromatic, and enjoyable smoke that I experienced the first time. This is still a good cigar, but no longer one of my greatest of all time. The Robusto measures 5 ¼ inches in length with a ring gauge of 50. The cigar is made in Honduras with Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Honduran filler tobacco, and uses a Connecticut shade wrapper leaf.

Flavor
My Grand Cru Robusto was medium in flavor, with nice creamy smoke and a hint of spice. It had a rich taste, and was also very mellow. A balance of moderate strength and flavor makes this cigar a very good choice for both beginners and experienced smokers, alike. The flavor was consistent throughout the cigar, and you will not want to put it down with more than two inches remaining. Note: The flavor of these cigars will improve greatly, and will become really mellow, after aging them in a humidor for at least several months.

Draw and Construction
The cigar was very well made, had an even burn, and did not require any relights. The draw was very easy, providing me with the right amount of smoke with little effort. There were not any issues with the construction of this cigar to prevent its enjoyment.
Value

A single stick can cost up to $6.50 at a local tobacconist, but these cigars are also available online in sampler packs of five for under $22 (sometimes less). The cost per stick is even cheaper when purchased by the box. Because of a most memorable smoking experience with my first Grand Cru, I have not given up trying to duplicate that same level of enjoyment, and I continue to sample an occasional Grand Cru from time to time. Cigar manufacturers make every effort to maintain the consistency of their product, but that is very difficult to accomplish, especially over a number of years. The Punch Grand Cru may not be the great value that I thought it was a few years ago, but it is still a very good cigar at a reasonable price if you can find them in a 5-pack or box for under $4 a stick. However, at $6.50 for a single, I think they are damn overpriced.

Mwahahaha.

[Keranu]

Nice review, Gary Manelski .[/quote]

[Peluso8]

Angel 100

This cigar reminded me of the JR Ultimate. About the same size and color and both had a similar taste to me, though I think maybe this was a tad lighter. However the flavor in this cigar was more consistent for me with some of the flavor intact toward the end. but it's hard to decide which one I liked more. Another thing to note was that this cigar gave me a slightly different taste in my mouth afterwards than most cigars, one that was a little more sweet, which was nice for a change. Unfortunately I think this cigar got a little too moist when I placed damp paper towels in the plastic bag as it became softer than the other cigars and the cellophane wrapper was a little wet. As such, I think this resulted in giving me a harder time lighting the cigar, but I was still able to enjoy it and would happily smoke again.

Excellent review. You have very good taste.  

[Peluso8]

I guess it is time for me to contribute to this thread:

Punch has been one of my preferred brands of cigars for many years.

Same here. Have you tried the Gran Puros or the Rare Corojos? Both are excellent, although a little stronger than the Gran Cru line.

[Keranu]

Romeo y Julieta (not sure what kind it was... was it a Bully?)

Romeo y Julieta never fails me. I think I've had this cigar before, but I had no problems resmoking it if I have ! This is one of those cigars you know you're in a treat for as soon as you light up with the inital puffs blowing out of your mouth. It just has that pure cigar flavor, with maybe a hint of sweetness that feels so good when slowly puffed out. It may look like an ordinary cigar, but it packs a hell of a good session. The withdraw on this stogie is fantastic and the burn is so smooth with no problems at all. Like the H. Upmann cigar I reviewed earlier, this would be a great cigar for beginners as it gets to the point and ends at a good time without dragging on.

[Keranu]

So that ends the samples I received from Peluso, thanks so much for the great smokes! I gotta say, I really liked that La Floridita. Are there any other good Costa Rican cigars you would recommend?

[Peluso8]

So that ends the samples I received from Peluso, thanks so much for the great smokes! I gotta say, I really liked that La Floridita. Are there any other good Costa Rican cigars you would recommend?

I can't think off any off the top of my head. Send your addy again, and I'll send ya a few more of the La Floriditas.

[Keranu]

Consuegra (?)

Another thanks to Peluso for this one! Appearently the Consuegra cigars are the "duds" that didn't make the cut from other cigar models of the Villazon factories and are thus very inexpensive. Don't let this stray you away, the Consuegra I had was nice. The taste is the highlite of this cigar, which seemed about medium-full with a smooth flavor that almost seemed to mix a little sweet and spice and it remained throughout the entire smoke. The draw was also about perfect to my preference and the smoke was nice and thick. Unfortunately aside from these pros, the wrapper flaked in some parts thus causing some flakey ash and uneven burns around those parts. But for the price, you really can't complain and it's a well worthy smoke. Blows away machine made cigars!

[Keranu]

Been awhile since I updated this thread since I smoke less in the colder seasons of the year. Back in August, my brother went to a famous smoke shop in Omaha while he was visiting there and picked me up a few cigars. Unfortunately they were flavored cigars, but like RuninRuder's useless thoughts, you gotta review a goofy dud every once in awhile. The first two cigars I am reviewing were actually smoked in August while the last one was smoked tonight, so my insight might not be entirely accurate, but what does it matter for these cigars anyways.

CAO Eileen's Dream Cigarillo

When I first held this cigarillo in my hand, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to smoke it or eat it. The sweet Irish creme fragrance came rushing out as soon as I opened the little, clover-patterned tin it was packaged in. Sure this would smell great as a cup of coffee, but puffing on something such as this is a different story. The smoke was very quick, maybe 20 minutes at most and in all honesty, it wasn't that bad. Aside from the annoying taste it leaves on your lips, especially if you have big ole lips like me, the actual smoke was better than expected. It's very different from your authentic cigar of course, but it had a standard factory made taste to it that got the job done for a quick smoke.

CAO Eileen's Dream (standard)

This pretty much had the same flavor as the cigarillo, except it was a standard cigar, a bit on the small side. This too came in it's fancy gimmick wrapping with a wooden shell and small green cloth, perfect for those girly-girls to get while accompanying their manly boyfriend to the cigar shop. Overall, this cigar felt a little lighter than the cigarillo and had a decent draw and lasted about a solid hour. Not bad for it's type, I can't imagine preferring many more flavored cigars over this.

Tatiana Rum Flavored

Another cigar trying to look professional by coming in a glass tube and glorifying itself with a rum label. It's a long cigar, about 8 inches, but has a small ring gauge, which I'm personally not a fan of. Speaking of things I'm not a fan of, I'm not a fan of rum or any alcohol flavored cigar. As soon as this cigar tries to rest inbetween your lips, you'll immediately taste the rum flavoring mixed with an overpowered sweetness that results in a truly nasty taste. The taste nearly made me want to puke for the first few minutes, but once the cigar end wettened from my mouth over time, it became less offensive. The smoke itself is just really bland, but luckily it took me under an hour to smoke (maybe because I was rushing it since it was cold outside). Like other factory made cigars I've had (though JR Cigars lists this as handmade, which I simply don't buy), the ash length will barely reach an inch before falling off. Definitely one of the worst cigars I've ever had (the worst would belong to some super dry cigarillo I had once), so avoid this one by all costs. If you have to have a flavored cigar, spend it on a Swisher Sweet or something or maybe even anything.