Cubans & Non Cubans

[JohnS]

The wrapper and ash on that Cohiba look odd.

If you have Cohiba in your inventory, take a close look at the wrapper shade on your cigars. I assure you, they will not be that colour if they are Línea Clásica, Línea 1492 or Línea Behike cigars, nor will they taste like soap.

[joeboxer]

The problem is that when you hit that "unicorn" ......nothing will be the same again

It will feel like that hole in one golf shot....... at a major.

This is so true. I enjoy both CC and NC and vary from month to month as to which I am favoring, but when I stumble upon a CC that is one of those "unicorns" it is an experience parallel to none.

My experience has been that while CC can be overfilled and have tight draws, NC are often under filled and have very loose draws. I find both scenarios equally aggravating. Even the premium NC I smoke (i.e. Pardon, Ligas, Tats) can be plagued by wind tunnels that ruin the flavor and experience for me. The strange thing is that I have rarely heard anyone else complain about these experiences with NC, but often hear people complain about the tight draws on CC.

[planetary]

It seems like most of us Americans are simply accustomed to a loose draw and consider it normal.

[Orion21]

I enjoy the best in cigars and undoubtedly regard Pete's high end cigars as some of the best. I don't stand alone in this regard although tastes are subjective. One thing however that is not subjective is that Pete is a stand up guy who I've dealt with on multiple occasions.

Yeah, his cigars can be good, but posting crap like he did about that possibly fake Cohiba is just so amateurish. If you are truly confident with your own product you don't post juvenile crap like that.

[Orator]

Agree with the above and let's not forget Pete rolls some very dark and strong cigars. He produces a very fine and high quality product, but they are NCs on roids. Never has my mouth tasted more like dirty ashes as when I smoke his cigars.

I would say you may have missed his Cabaiguan or El Triunfador or even the black label line. All three of those, he has essentially tried to blend a CC out of Nica tobacco. Now personally, I wouldn't smoke an El Triunfador past 10am, unless I just needed a palate cleanser. It is very light and one note all the way through. I also consider his Cabaiguan and Cabaiguan Rx lines breakfast smokes, but a little more depth in flavors in comparison to the El Triunfador. His black label Corona Gorda from 2013, may be one of his best IMO.

I spent some time with Pete in Miami and in Nicaragua last year, as well as speaking with him at few events over the years. I know for a fact that he greatly respects Cuban cigars/tobacco.

I don't think that post is blanket statement regarding his thoughts on CC and is more likely a scenario where he got handed a bad cigar. Additionally, probably taken out of context.

I could also be wrong and he was just being an ass.

[maxcjs0101]

I would say you may have missed his Cabaiguan or El Triunfador or even the black label line. All three of those, he has essentially tried to blend a CC out of Nica tobacco. Now personally, I wouldn't smoke an El Triunfador past 10am, unless I just needed a palate cleanser. It is very light and one note all the way through. I also consider his Cabaiguan and Cabaiguan Rx lines breakfast smokes, but a little more depth in flavors in comparison to the El Triunfador. His black label Corona Gorda from 2014, may be one of his best IMO.

I spent some time with Pete in Miami and in Nicaragua last year, as well as speaking with him at few events over the years. I know for a fact that he greatly respects Cuban cigars/tobacco.

I don't think that post is blanket statement regarding his thoughts on CC and is more likely a scenario where he got handed a bad cigar. Additionally, probably taken out of context.

I could also be wrong and he was just being an ass.

Really? Blending a (CC) Cuban cigar out of Nicaraguan tobacco?

Its like asking for orange juice using an apple.

[Orator]

Really? Blending a (CC) Cuban cigar out of Nicaraguan tobacco?

Its like asking for orange juice using an apple.

LOL I don't disagree with you and maybe I should have used a word like "homage", but I didn't expect anyone to take it that literal. But I guess if you didn't, we couldn't have this entertaining banter, right?

[Phinz]

All three of those, he has essentially tried to blend a CC out of Nica tobacco.

Don't forget his L’Atelier line.... 52,54,56 RG, all with pigtails. Hmmm.... BHK much? The L’Atelier line and the Black Label (Robusto is awesome, if you can get them) are my favorites from Pete. There is nothing Cuban about them, beyond the looks, but still tasty cigars.

[Orator]

Don't forget his L’Atelier line.... 52,54,56 RG, all with pigtails. Hmmm.... BHK much? The L’Atelier line and the Black Label (Robusto is awesome, if you can get them) are my favorites from Pete. There is nothing Cuban about them, beyond the looks, but still tasty cigars.

Good call...

I have not smoked the black label in robusto...those are event giveaways if I'm not mistaken, right?

As for the black label in regards to CC homage...I was referring to the story he has printed on the box that the black label jars come in, not my personal thoughts or comparisons...

"On a recent trip to a famous island known for historic cigar making, I spent my time in a small town enjoying the simple life. Every day was peaceful and every night was festive, with both having cigars involved throughout. My favorite cigar was not a cigar bought at the local store or factory, but a cigar that was handed to me every morning.

Mornings, after taking a shower with a bucket of water warmed with what looked like a curling iron, I would walk to the front of the house and sit on the fence to get some sun and take in the fresh air. I also took in the fact that I was miles from home and no one knew where I was. My phone didn’t work and I had no cares in the world other than trying to decide what to smoke.

My first morning on the island an older gentleman came along on his bike. This was not a motorcycle but something like an old Schwinn that he had likely been riding for decades. This gentleman was well dressed, almost dapper, and I probably appeared to him to be a strange character. My usual outfit of jeans, t-shirt, loads of silver jewelry, and an arm full of tattoos didn’t seem to faze him. He saw I was enjoying myself so that morning, and every morning after that, he would stop and give me a cigar from his shirt pocket.

This cigar was far from being a ‘pretty’ cigar but that did not bother me a bit. It was a treasured and unexpected gift that I was thrilled to be given. After smoking this cigar I realized that this was one of the best cigars I smoked on the island. Later that day in speaking with my host on this trip I came to understand that these cigars were something special to every person who carried them. They were cigars that they made for themselves. Even the guys who worked hard in the cigar factories all day would return home at night and make their private cigars. Simple cigars with flavors they personally enjoyed. Over the course of the next few days my host and I visited his friends and asked for cigars that they made. Before I left I had cigars from a few locals who all used different tobaccos from the different growing regions. They were all great but there was one that really stood out for me as special.

I decided when traveling to Nicaragua to work with the Garcia family that I would try to recreate this special cigar for myself. Together we spent quite some time working on the blend and looking at different leaves for wrapper. The marbled toothy wrapper was perfect for this cigar, rustic looking but with tons of aroma. After smoking the first sample, I was immediately brought back to that island relaxing on a fence, enjoying life, smoking a great cigar. A great cigar that will always in my mind represent the place, the time, and the experience of the purity of the simple life. This cigar may be considered ugly by some but inside that surface roughness it contains such rich flavor and aroma.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. This is a tribute to that cigar.

Enjoy,

(Pete)"

[maxcjs0101]

He was once asked in an interview what his favourite Cuban cigar was and he danced around the question.

To be fair, that's quite a difficult question to answer when one's a cigar producer as well..

But to dance around the question & having a few lines under him which looks and packaged like CCs reeks of hypocrisy to me.

[Orator]

In a 2008 interview, he made no bones about copying the Cuban style...

"My lines are dedicated to copy Cubans. Eventually, I don’t want these to be just domestic brands. I want them to transcend into being Cuban brands later on. That’s why I use the names I use, the older Cuban brands. It’ll help me to position myself.

I know Pepin’s goal is not only to buy tobacco from Cuba, but also to go there and make cigars. We don’t want trade to open with Cuba just to buy stuff. It’ll hurt the business. But if we could go there and work, it’ll create some new buzz for the business. And maybe we can avoid some of these legal aspects we’re dealing with now."

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[Fugu]

In a 2008 interview, he made no bones about copying the Cuban style...

"My lines are dedicated to copy Cubans. [...]"

Yes, that's not a too uncommon business model.....

[Phinz]

I have not smoked the black label in robusto...those are event giveaways if I'm not mistaken, right?

Normally event only cigars, yes, but they also gave out freebie 5-packs with the purchase of the Black Label CG jar.

[creamypies]

Good call...

I have not smoked the black label in robusto...those are event giveaways if I'm not mistaken, right?

As for the black label in regards to CC homage...I was referring to the story he has printed on the box that the black label jars come in, not my personal thoughts or comparisons...

"On a recent trip to a famous island known for historic cigar making, I spent my time in a small town enjoying the simple life. Every day was peaceful and every night was festive, with both having cigars involved throughout. My favorite cigar was not a cigar bought at the local store or factory, but a cigar that was handed to me every morning.

Mornings, after taking a shower with a bucket of water warmed with what looked like a curling iron, I would walk to the front of the house and sit on the fence to get some sun and take in the fresh air. I also took in the fact that I was miles from home and no one knew where I was. My phone didn’t work and I had no cares in the world other than trying to decide what to smoke.

My first morning on the island an older gentleman came along on his bike. This was not a motorcycle but something like an old Schwinn that he had likely been riding for decades. This gentleman was well dressed, almost dapper, and I probably appeared to him to be a strange character. My usual outfit of jeans, t-shirt, loads of silver jewelry, and an arm full of tattoos didn’t seem to faze him. He saw I was enjoying myself so that morning, and every morning after that, he would stop and give me a cigar from his shirt pocket.

This cigar was far from being a ‘pretty’ cigar but that did not bother me a bit. It was a treasured and unexpected gift that I was thrilled to be given. After smoking this cigar I realized that this was one of the best cigars I smoked on the island. Later that day in speaking with my host on this trip I came to understand that these cigars were something special to every person who carried them. They were cigars that they made for themselves. Even the guys who worked hard in the cigar factories all day would return home at night and make their private cigars. Simple cigars with flavors they personally enjoyed. Over the course of the next few days my host and I visited his friends and asked for cigars that they made. Before I left I had cigars from a few locals who all used different tobaccos from the different growing regions. They were all great but there was one that really stood out for me as special.

I decided when traveling to Nicaragua to work with the Garcia family that I would try to recreate this special cigar for myself. Together we spent quite some time working on the blend and looking at different leaves for wrapper. The marbled toothy wrapper was perfect for this cigar, rustic looking but with tons of aroma. After smoking the first sample, I was immediately brought back to that island relaxing on a fence, enjoying life, smoking a great cigar. A great cigar that will always in my mind represent the place, the time, and the experience of the purity of the simple life. This cigar may be considered ugly by some but inside that surface roughness it contains such rich flavor and aroma.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. This is a tribute to that cigar.

Enjoy,

(Pete)"

is this reference to the black label corona gorda? I've yet to try it

[Orator]

is this reference to the black label corona gorda? I've yet to try it

Yes, that is printed on the outside of the box that the corona gorda jars come in.

[triplet]

I enjoy both but find nonhuman have a much larger flavor profile. Cubans tend to be smoother on my palate and leave less bad breath. Cc don't capture some of the rich flavors of an AF a Eko or Liga privada. (in any stick I've ever smoked)

[cakeanddottle]

strictly Cuban, with the caveat that I like Illusione Original as much as I ever have, and if I want a maduro there is something about the Padron profile that does it for me. Even the cheap Padrons.

[GrouchoM]

El Baton robusto with Jarritos Mandarin soda waiting for the thunderstorms to roll in soon.

[Anthonyjoseph89]

Most of us have dog rockets in our humi that we have a hard time throwing away. Well no more for me... tossed them. Interestingly enough they were noella reserva ... tasted like an ash tray on the retrohale. A one dimensional ash tray at that...

Haha I totally agree, tried one a few months ago....it was like screwing a skunk, I hadn't had all I wanted but I had all I could stand.

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[adamllado]

Nothing like a fresh Nicaraguan cigar! The pepper on some is like a sugar rush.

Adam Llado (Smoking Bull)