Losing my taste for NCs

[Erm310mce]

Hey everyone,

I've always enjoyed premium NCs as well. I've always had maduro Padrons, Tatuajes, Oliva Master Blends etc in my rotation.

For a while I was really loving the bold maduro, spicy, pepper bombs because it gave me so much flavor. I was starting to not pick up nuance in a cigar and just go for these deep rich one trick pony sticks.

But lately, I am just not enjoying them at all. The bold, sometimes huge maduro flavors are not appealing to me anymore. Each one I have had in the last month has just not been fun. I've regretted not getting what I really want which is a CC.

I'm curious, is this a natural progression to 100% ccs or maybe I'm just needing a break. Or maybe the strong maduros are better in cold weather and as spring approaches I am looking for something else? I'm leaning towards getting rid of all of my NCs.

I think every cigar smoked that is not fully enjoyed is an opportunity missed and life is to short to not enjoy every one, or at very least always go for what is calling you in your humi.

I think I'm going to have some happy friends as I start to unload my NCs....

[dochowl]

I hate to say it, but I went from a collection of over 2000 NCs a few years ago to now only have 2 or 3 boxes left. Sold all of them off and reinvested in CCs. Not to be a cigar snob, but I've never looked back. Can't even think of the last time I smoked a NC, at least by choice. I don't miss the itchy, scratchy throat in the morning, that's for sure.

[MIKA27]

I think you have answered your own question ERM....

"Join us!"

[Buch0]

Everyone has their own preference to what they like and don't like, though far too many people toss their NCs in replacement for CCs for it to be a coincidence. I doubt you will ever go back mate, atleast to the degree you have in the past. Maybe you could keep a few NCs to smoke when you want to remind yourself why you chose habanos in the first place!

[cgarner]

Welcome to the club!!!!

[Wiley]

I think I dumped a thousand dollars in the yard debris.

All are welcome!

[ucla695]

It's a natural progression to the Dark Side!!

[stargazer14]

Dude, admit it, you are now 'high maintenance'.

you are like that cute girl at work, that you want so much to take out for a beer, but she only likes expensive champagne.

Actually, in all honesty, i know exactly how you feel.

I had a huge collection of NC's, most all given away, or smoked and disliked, or sold.

I had a Graycliff Crystal yesterday that was very enjoyable, but i still long for a nice CC.

My friend - you have 'matured'.

[Martindelmundo]

I've been having the same dilemma for the past year or so. I live outside the trade embargo so I don't have a problem getting Habanos but anything else is hard to get. I make a trip to the states once a year or so and buy a large amount of premium NC's but I normally find myself wanting a good cuban. I just like the typical cuban flavor better. Tatuajes never disappoint .

[fattires]

I've always enjoyed premium NCs as well. <snip>

But lately, I am just not enjoying them at all...<snip>

I think every cigar smoked that is not fully enjoyed is an opportunity missed and life is to short to not enjoy every one, or at very least always go for what is calling you in your humi.

Very well said and my thoughts exactly.

I've the exact same feeling recently. While I have in the past enjoyed an aged Padron 2000, and relished an anniversary series, they have far fewer taste dimensions and now leave me wanting more. A monte #2 is cheaper than an anniversary, yet so much more enjoyable to me.

Strange that I enjoy the hunt for that special cheap bottle of wine but I don't feel the same desire to hunt for cigars. Maybe because I've already discovered what I like...

[olotti]

I can't agree more with some of the above posts. I've always had a good amount of NC's on hand as I believe there are some really good one's out there. Recently I went on a little binge buying 5'ers of NC's to keep in stock so I don't burn through all my cc's. Well I'm pretty sure I'm going to sell all or most of the NC's off as I just don't enjoy them as much anymore and we smoke cigars to have an enjoyable experience don't we. That and the fact that they all taste the same to me, strong, pepper, spice but not smooth at all and at a point in time that's what I looked for but lately cc's just give me so much more enjoyement and flavor. I'll prob keep a handful around since I do still enjoy some of them but I think I'll be reinvesting my money into cc's plus the fact that most cc's are cheaper than NC's , well you can't beat that.

[BobbyRitz]

The reality is smoke what you like. While 95%+ of my cigars are Cuban, I have to admit everything comes in cycles.

I completely enjoy Cuban cigars, but a time comes where I need a good NC, such as a well-aged Opus X, to hit the spot. I've personally gone through many changes. I will admit that I typically do not appreciate most NCs, but I have a fondness for aged Opus X, Padron and Tatuaje (my personal NC favorite).

If you stick to the premium NC sticks, I think they are a pleasant change of pace from Cuban cigars. Of course I say that and quickly remember the Joyo de Nicaragua Antano Gran Consul is a great cigar with a little age (thanks Anthony!). So the answer is...smoke what you like.

[samb]

Ive found myself only craving CCs lately. I recently pawned off my last NC to a friend who doesnt yet know great cigars, lol.

[shortsqueeze]

I like good tobacco no matter where it's grown. Much of my favorite tobacco comes from Cuba, but I'll smoke anything that has good flavor.

[Ellery]

Definitely agree with you on this one. I've smoked primarily CCs (90%) for the last yr, and this past weekend had a VSG and an Oliva (which are on my usual rotation) and every time I smoke them, I tend to want to throw them out half way into the smoke. I just truly enjoy the flavor profile/complexities/subtleties of cubans which can't be found in NCs.

[MIKA27]

It's a natural progression to the Dark Side!!

"You must travel to the Moostafar system and retrieve me a COHIBA."

[Buch0]

"You must travel to the Moostafar system and retrieve me a COHIBA."

LMFAO

[JasonInChiTown]

Ugh, I'm with you. I have about 150 or so NC's left, and they just aging [is that an oxymoron?] in a desktop humidor. The only NC I will purchase on a regular basis is illusione cg:4 and maybe a Padron every now and then.

[BobbyRitz]

Definitely agree with you on this one. I've smoked primarily CCs (90%) for the last yr, and this past weekend had a VSG and an Oliva (which are on my usual rotation) and every time I smoke them, I tend to want to throw them out half way into the smoke. I just truly enjoy the flavor profile/complexities/subtleties of cubans which can't be found in NCs.

How could I have forgotten the VSG's! Also a very good cigar with a little age.

[brutusthebuckeye]

It's a natural progression to the Dark Side!!

Same here....Thats how i started in the trade....i;m only a 3rd year apprentice

One day if u smoke cigars long enuff and they have been stored in the right conditions and u toggle between nc and cc it just hits ya....and ya juuuuuust can't seem to reach for that NC anymore...your apprentiship has begun brother!!!!

[gfoster]

Ive found myself only craving CCs lately. I recently pawned off my last NC to a friend who doesnt yet know great cigars, lol.

Hope you're not talking about me

-- Gary F.

[Colt45]

Strange that I enjoy the hunt for that special cheap bottle of wine but I don't feel the same desire to hunt for cigars. Maybe because I've already discovered what I like...

While reading this thread I also thought of the wine analogy, but I can't really make it work for me. There are great wines from all over the world,

and intra-regionally within these countries, and at various price levels. So many have unique things to offer, and I rarely feel I'm just "making do"

when drinking an inexpensive wine of good quality. To be honest, I don't usually don't feel the same when it comes to cigars.

One of the things I often wonder about is the type of tobacco used in places other than Cuba. Good wineries plant the grapes best suited for the

available land. How often do we hear of Cuban seed tobacco used outside of Cuba? Is it necessarily the best type to be used in, let's say, Honduras?

I've no idea.....

P.S. What some may call the dark side, others may consider stepping into the light

[mash]

Good post. I smoke 90% Cubans, but I still really like a lot of the NC's mentioned here. Especially partial to Nicaraguan sticks, Oliva MB, Padron, Illusione. I just like the variety, and change of pace.

That said, I'm smoking an '05 RyJ Corona that is fabulous, and much cheaper than most of the above.

[Hugomarink]

I'm in a very similar space. I've pretty much decided to sell off my OpusX, Fuente Anejos, and Davidoff LEs and Millenium lines, which are the cigars that comprise most of the NCs I have. While I've enjoyed these cigars in the past, I just have not been enjoying them of late, and really do prefer to smoke CCs for a variety of reasons. I've never been much of a Padron fan, other than when the Anniversarios first came out over a decade ago. The more recent Padron Anniversarios I've had have been uninteresting and vastly overrated IMHO. The only NCs I'm really enjoying these days are Tatuajes. The Tatuaje Noella is always enjoyable, and I think their Cojonu 2003 and 2009 are also really good. While I won't stock up on Tats like I do on CCs, I do find them a worthy diversion on occasion. And there are a few other NCs I've enjoyed of late. I smoked an Illusione Epernay that was quite nice, and I've always been a fan of the La Aurora 100 Anos as well.

And, to top it off, most CCs are cheaper these days than the high-end NC brands! You really can't lose going with the CCs. Other than the somewhat spotty quality control -- it seems I still get more plugged CCs in a box than with NCs -- I can't think of any other reasons not to focus the majority of my cigar funds on CCs.

[sfordham]

I started smoking cigars when I lived in a country without an embargo where CC's are cheaper than non-CC's (yet crazy expensive still!!!). Then I moved to that country and started to explore NC's and smoked mostly NC's. After never really enjoying NC's as much as I have CC's I decided to stop spending money on NC's and switch back to what I really enjoy. Turns out with the increases in prices in "premium" NC's the CC's are sometimes cheaper anyway.

I came, I saw, I tried. Just didn't enjoy as much. Switched back to what I started with!