SmokyFontaine

So communist Cuba, sold part of their cigar company to Communist China, and now are trying to figure out how to employ capitalism to gouge all customers near and far. How do I invest!?

The three cuban cigars I'll choose from if I need something consistent and outstanding are a BBF, Connie A, or Lusitania. Maybe in that order.

$20/cigar in a box purchase was my threshold for the absurd. In all humility, I could afford to go big, but I don't want to. Between inconsistency from cigar to cigar in a box to smoking a cigar to enjoy, sometimes a half, sometimes to the nub - if it's an $80 cigar, I'm smoking that thing until I puke, then smoking it even more. That's not a pleasurable hobby, that's a job. I need great value in a cigar, and in the time I choose to invest smoking. Cohiba and Trinidad, and really a lot of Habanos products, have priced me out from a value perspective. And I think I'm mostly ok with that. I kinda want a brand to compete for my business. Right now Habanos is making it clear that's not a priority.

Eid mubarak bro! Sadly my month was cut 3 days short thanks to COVID, but in that is a blessing too. Always look forward to your post!

That is EXACTLY where I am. I love variety and I went big the last 3 years. But the value in CCs is quickly approaching "not worth it" territory for me. Almost $20 for a Monte 2? Robustos routinely at $10-12. And the inconsistency factor? Just insane.

I've never had a poorly constructed cigar became good because of the wrapper, nor have I had a well constructed cigar turn bad because of the wrapper. The combination of good and good can make for great, but I'm in the minority camp that the impact of the wrapper is closer to "bro science' than it is objectively more impactful than the higher amount of filler. Would love to smoke one "great" wrapper then follow it up with a bad one on back to back days. But for now, I mostly light them on fire and hope they aren't badly underfilled.

As someone who is trying to learn guitar, the chord progressions, the combination of instruments, the vocals. Absolute musical genius. George Harrison was one of the most interesting people of the last hundred years. I didn't come to appreciate the Beatles for all they were until quite recently. Brilliant.

My first Lusi is the greatest cigar I've ever smoked. I could only get 3 x 10's, but it might be the only cigar in Habanos lineup that I'd pay $20 for and be happy.

I had an infrequent cigar smoking friend come over. He's a notorious "you got a cigar for me? two puffer and set it down" type of guy. I have him a dog rocket and a cutter, and slowly toast my Bolivar. "Ah man, I think I effed it up!" He had tried to cut the foot. I told him to try the other end, and that managed to work better. Maybe he was the brains behind the marketing operation for the pic above!

These and maduro 1964's or natural 1926's are the cigars I can grab and know I'll love every single time. Such great consistency.

RASS - for about 15min I love them, then they fall off a cliff. QdO 50 - I have brown paper bags. I could've saved a lot of money if I smoked them instead, and would have experienced comparable flavor. Cohiba Siglo I/II - have had exactly one of each that was Earth shatteringly grand. Have had exactly everything else that was Earth shitteringly awful.

At $1000, I dunno, maybe a high-dividend stock like XOM, Abbvie, or mutual funds. I've been up a lot...like, Behike 2021 prices a lot, but I've been eating it the past month, so what the hell do I know. Reinvest your dividends. Guess well.

The company I used to work for did some of the cryogenic materials testing for this. Pretty neat project.

For plugged, 1, maybe 2 a year. Dreadfully underfilled have been my issue. 3-5 a year. Throw in another 5 or so a year that I make to the halfway point but it's just not clicking, and out of maybe 80 cigars a year, I pitch 15 for all reasons combined. I'm pretty damn finicky with my cigars though. Rather toss it then just smoke to burn tobacco.

I've only smoked Siglos III and below, and of the...20? I've smoked, one was transcendent and I continue to chase that honey/graham cracker love affair. 2-3 others have been really good, and the rest have been pedestrian down to bad. With the prices where they are, I've stopped buying them completely. Too many less expensive cigars that are more consistent and a vastly superior value for me. A BBF or a comparably priced Siglo I? GTFO here. The BBF will meet flame every time in that head to head.

Hell no.

This is why cigars are so much fun. Different nuances for different folks. For me it's stick cinnamon. I don't get fruit at all, even with Ramon Allones, which might be one of the big reasons why that marca does nothing for me. Current Bolivar are hands down my favorite.

Cinnamon is the prevailing flavor in the best Famosos for me. When I hit that right away, it's gonna be a good night.

Yup, Naturally Speaking. I kinda think MS ended up acquiring them though. That's the one I know of and have heard good things about.

QdO 50. It must have been missing 30% of the filler. Seriously. It made me wonder if an entire leaf bunch didn't make it in. I pinched it down to less than a half inch hoping it would do something, but it was just a joke of a cigar.

In the evening, a Turkish coffee. Pairs incredible. Afternoon, root beer or cream soda. I don't drink alcohol, so another favorite is black tea with a bit of milk and sugar, and fresh mint. All three are winners.

It's getting close for me. It has definitely slowed my buying down. I'm often griping about that famous Cuban "consistency" so if they get too spendy, and quality doesn't match (it never will) then I just can't justify it. Like, I can afford it, but can't justify it.

Lebowski and The Jerk are my two favorite comedies of all-time. Since you went there, I'll go with this scene from The Jerk. I re-worded a few parts, but used the general speech in my proposal to my wife. Been married for almost 20yrs.

Boy, that subject line just does NOT translate well into "American"! Haha

Well what the hell else do you get for your 5th grader for graduating elementary school? My 10yro really enjoys the Bolivar line. His 4yro sister likes a good petit corona. Monte 4.