Phreedh's Cheap & Cheerful mini-reviews thread


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A while ago I bought a selection of cheapies from a local store. My criteria at the time was that they cost less than 50 SEK ($6) and were readily available. After coming home, it did not take long fo

José L. Piedra Petit Cazadores (43 x 105, Petit Corona, Short Filler) Avg price: $2.23 Price ratio: 108 Did I like it: Quite so. Will I buy it: Maybe, depends on the competition. At first: Ni

Quintero Nacionales or Brevas (41 x 140, Corona, Short Filler) Avg price: $3.25 Price ratio: 90 Did I like it: Sure! Will I buy it: Nah... At first: Very one-dimensional (albeit tasty) tobac

H. Upmann Epicures (35 x 110, Short Panetela)

Avg price: $4.12
Ratio: 41
Did I like it: Yes, a lot!
Will I buy it: No
At first:
Wood and tobacco, with some cacao and floral hints.
Later on:
Yeasty dough, a little cinnamon, leather and more pungent flowers.
In conclusion:
Tasty, flavourful and very enjoyable! Good construction and nice looking, it doesn't feel like a cheap cigar at all. Burns well, but benefits from gentle and tempered puffing lest some bite will occurr.
I often enjoy The Griffins Puritos (30 x 102) and would love that size with the H. Upmann Epicure flavours! The Epicure is too large to replace my Puritos and too small to be fully satisfying for a moment of relaxation. For that it would have to be 4 cm longer or so. If I got a box they would probably just linger in storage unless they were the smallest available cigar.
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This is going to be a good thread :) Look forward to the rest of the reviews :):ok:

Ditto!

Nice work phreedh.

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Fonseca Delicias (40 x 123, Petit Corona, Short Filler)

Avg price: $3.35
Price ratio: 73
Did I like it: Nah, not much.
Will I buy it: Not unless I find an aged box.
At first:
Burnt wood and coffee, with some fruity sweetness at times.
Later on:
Marzipan hit at one point, but otherwise mostly smoke, tobacco and burnt leather. At then end; ash... no pun intended!
cnc_fonseca_delicias-1.jpg
In conclusion:
It was a fair enough cigar, but I simply did not enjoy it as much as I had hoped. It's the first time I smoke a Fonseca and I was expecting something a little milder (smoother) to be honest. There was very little strength, but at times I did get a picante pang which wasn't to my liking.
I thought it lacked character. There was a decent basic taste but it really never went past "cigar". I love the packaging, but the stick itself looks a bit rugged. It burned straight, the ash lived up to the short filler expectations and my only gripe would be that it went out easily. I had to relight it three or four times.
I'm eager to try the Fonseca Cosacos at some point (long filler Coronas), but they're not available in Sweden and I would also be interested in trying out an aged Delicias too. I think a forgotten box of Delicias with 5-8 years on it could have some potential as a smooth (but unsurprising) smoke. I'll put it on the list of things to look for in B&M shops. Way down on the list, but still.
cnc_fonseca_delicias_2.jpg
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Cheers guys, glad you enjoy! Sorry to break forum etiquette here and replying to myself but I prefer keeping the discussion out of the review posts.

I started my vacations yesterday, so hopefully I'll be able to fill up this thread with some reviews rather quickly as I have more time and opportunities to smoke cigars. I was planning on kicking back in the sunset with a Hoyo DC, but was foiled by the weather (again!) and settled for the Fonseca Delicias instead. Poor trade, even if the Delicias wasn't bad. It was merely... meh. :)

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This is great - love your format. Looking forward to more!

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José L. Piedra Conservas (44 x 140, Long Corona, Short Filler)

Avg price: $2.82
Price ratio: 119 (top three)
Did I like it: Very much!
Will I buy it: Not unlikely at all!
At first:
Awesome!
Later on:
Awesome throughout!
cnc_joselpiedra_conservas.jpg
In conclusion:
Apologies that I'm not very nuanced in my analysis. I have to blame to the circumstance under which I enjoyed this cigar, as can be seen above. I was out tenting by a lake with my son, and smoked this in company of good friends after the kids had gone to bed. I was enjoying the view below and a cup of coffee. Good times were had. =)
The cigar was awesome though. =) The wrapper was much lighter than any of the other José L. Piedras I got and it smoked a bit like a mild Dominican but with Cuban depth and "boullion". I found it to be a great, unassuming smoke in a fine format. I finished it rather quickly, and the draw was light but it never felt under filled or anything. Construction was great (for the segment). I think this also had a few years on it (2-3).
cnc_camping_view.jpg
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Thanks guys! Had a Hoyo DC yesterday evening and think I'll be going on the fumes of that today so. I hope to do a showdown of two identical José L Piedras soon, smoking them in parallell.

And thanks for the offer Ginseng, but the comments give the thread life. Maybe in a while, when we're hitting page 2.

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Quintero Favoritos (50 x 115, Petit Robusto, Short Filler)

Avg price: $3.46
Price ratio: 103
Did I like it: Not much
Will I buy it: Most likely not
At first:
A bit harsh, a lot of smoke. Dry taste of leather, almonds and something not so nice.
Later on:
Less harsh, more almonds but mostly burning wood, some cedar.
cnc_quintero_favoritos.jpg
In conclusion:
Least ok of the cheap and cheerfuls I've tried so far in this exercise. However, I must add that I've got a bit of a cold and a slightly runny nose so I'm not perfectly tuned for a cigar. I did enjoy it, it was a fair cigar, but I enjoyed the coffee and cheap whisky way more! Most redeeming factor, it held the ash and smoked well. This specimen felt rather fresh, and as far as I know Favoritos benefit from being tucked away a while. Maybe would I like one more had it a year or two on it. It just felt like a cheap experience, not very cheerful at all. Bummer, I had some hopes for this.
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José L. Piedra Nacionales (42 x 134, Corona, Short Filler)

Avg price: $2.58
Price ratio: 113
Did I like it: A bit
Will I buy it: No
At first:
Tea (bergamot?), tobacco and spice. Some sweetness.
Later on:
No spice, more tobacco and sweetness.
cnc_joselpiedra_nacionales.jpg
In conclusion:
Enjoyed this a sunny day in the woods, but even that didn't help. I wasn't too keen on it. There were odd flavours, almost like paint (is this the shortfiller horror story lead-based paint chippings?) and oils. Construction was really poor, there were a few soft spots. It wasn't a waste of time, but definitely not the best of the Piedras I've tried so far. It was a rather mild cigar, with little to no harshness - always something.
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José L. Piedra Brevas (42 x 133, Corona, Short Filler)

Avg price: $2.59
Price ratio: 112
Did I like it: Rather
Will I buy it: Maybe
At first:
Earthy and leathery.
Later on:
Still earthy, burning wood and a little salty.
cnc_joselpiedra_brevas.jpg
In conclusion:
Dog ugly, but I liked this a lot better than the Nacionales which I smoked earlier the same day. There was an almost creamy finish to this. It was smooth, but still rather powerful in its flavours. A bit peppery at the end, but never harsh nor acrid. I would consider a box if it was the oldest C&C prospect, but it's not a top choice.
I would love to learn the difference between this and the Nacionales. They're more or less the same length and same girth, pretty much the same price. What gives?!
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