Por Larranaga Panatelas & Panatelas in general

[jacksfull]

Bad news, I'm sorry to say.

Just had my first ever PL Panatela (LOA FEB 13). Meh, nothing special. Cheap, but not very cheerful. Tight draw, nearly plugged. A little harsh and bitter. I didn't find anything in it to recommend this cigar.

In fact, I can't say I'd recommend any of the tripa corta panatelas I've tried (much as I wish I could), which includes Rafael Gonzales Panatelas Extra and Quintero Panatelas as well as these PLP's.

PL Montecarlos are far superior, as far small gauge CC's go. And, there are several very good tres petit coronas (BCJ, Parti Shorts, RASCC, SCdH EP) in the PLMC's price range that draw my attention too. Regardless, none of these are a fair comparison to the PLP price-wise anyway.

Maybe time will improve this box of PLP's, but I have my doubts. I'll smoke 'em - they're not so bad that I'd just pitch a whole box out and cut my losses. But, they'll certainly be relegated to car-gars along with the other tripa corta panatelas mentioned. I do usually prefer a small cigar when I'm driving, something that doesn't demand a lot of attention... and cheap enough to toss early when necessary.

As for future purchases in the uber-low-budget price range, JLP's and (larger) Quinteros just aren't consistent enough. For every decent one I've had, I've also suffered through 5 or 10 not-so-good ones. Yet, there are plenty of decent $2-ish handmade NC's that smoke better than most any CC tripa cortas I've had. Dare I mention a US trademarked NC of the same name as a CC brand? (Okay, if you insist ) Though I usualy shy away from the "parallel" NC brands, I had an NC Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte Cordoba (corona) the other night that flat blew me away... and for only about $2.50 !!!

Sorry to inject negative vibes into an otherwise very positive C&C dialog. But dangitt, if they'd do a better job on these I'd never have to stray.

[pbibby]

No offense, but you've smoked one (1!) plp and you are talking about having your doubts about the rest of the box? And having relegated them to car gars?

[jacksfull]

No offense taken. But, this isn't just a matter of being not quite up to par, and most reviews are based on a single cigar. I'm tired of spending good money on bad cigars, even if it's only $2.50!

I'll be happy to send you one. But, you have to promise to smoke the whole thing. Remember the face on the old Jagermeister ads?

[garbandz]

love these,seldom get a bad one,and then it is one of 25........24 chances to love them....

will look forward to later when you have tried a few more...........hope things improve for you......

[stogieluver]

Just happen to be smoking one as I came across this thread. Gifted to me by Hunter74 because he loves them and i've never tried one until now. Love this little cigar. Great construction and draw and taste. I can't vouch for the cigar over the long run, but this paticular sample is a great little smoke. I have a box that just arrived waiting for me at the office and can't wait to get into it.

[pbibby]

love these,seldom get a bad one,and then it is one of 25........24 chances to love them....

will look forward to later when you have tried a few more...........hope things improve for you......

This. Definitely hope you stick with them and that they are worth the money!

[earthson]

Try another! They're a little hit or miss regarding the quality of tobacco, but have been average at worst and, I suspect, made with leftover RE tobacco at best.

Plugged is not unheard of with short filler smokes, so try another one. And, yes, they can be fairly tight, so there's some wisdom in dryboxing them if they're not aged. If nothing's doing, trade em away!

P.S.: The Montecarlos are way better, IMO.

[jacksfull]

Okay, okay. Smoked #2 from the same box today, selected more carefully with no hard spots. Draw better, but still not as open as I'd like. Flavor? Again, meh! There's no "Ah, Cuba!" in it. Sort of reminds me of the ol' drugstore Garcia y Vega's my dad used to smoke. I guess now I know how much he sacrificed to make sure we had everything we needed.

Not trying to offend anyone... and not a rookie. I'm just telling it like I see it. Not a dog rocket, but not the experience I expected. I bought these PLP's b/c reviews indicated they would be an improvement over the other CC brands of TC Panatelas I have (and at a 30% premium over the others too). I find no discernable difference! Wouldn't surprise me in the least to discover that PLP's, RGPE's and Quint Panas are all the same cigar, just banded and boxed from the same bulk stock according to orders that need filling.

Sorry!

For all those who love these, I'm very happy yours are working out. Mine do not seem to be.

[Puros Y Vino]

The PL Panatellas definitely require some sleep. I had a box from 2007 that I had bought in 2009. From the time I opened them they just kept on getting better. Quintero Panatellas are also good C&C that smoke well ROTT.

[jacksfull]

The PL Panatellas definitely require some sleep. I had a box from 2007 that I had bought in 2009. From the time I opened them they just kept on getting better. Quintero Panatellas are also good C&C that smoke well ROTT.

Good to know. I figured two years was enough.

[Phillys]

I have had good experiences with the PLP, I go through a lot of these. Great C&C, don't care if I pitch it after the 2nd third when pressed for time.

Most recent box is quite fresh, BMS ABR 14 and they are smoking incredibly, but I like to hand pick these if possible. I do find the PLMC a lot better, but for me the PLP can hold their own when you get a really good box.

[DWilliams]

I just picked up a 2 boxes of PLP myself... 5 sticks in and I am at a loss searching for the flavours mentioned in all the reviews on this stick... let alone any!

Young boxes and all (AUM May 14), but the last one I smoked had a flavour profile akin to a glass of water

[habanolover]

I'm inclined to believe that in addition to the plp needing some time to blossom, the factory code also matters. I have an RAE 14 box that is smoking VERY well, for sure they are young, but all the elements are there and each one gets a little better. IF I could only stop lighting them on fire I believe they would become full lil caramel sticks ANYhoo, fact is everything is not for everybody and life is 2SHORT, so smoke what you like!!!

[atlharp]

I think I have the same feeling on PL's. I like them, but I don't go crazy for them. I have had the PL Panatelas before and I tended to like them more than the Montecarlos, but a little bit less than the PC's.

[Cisco]

I really like PLPs and I think they are one of the best value cuban cigars out there. They do need age but my 2013s are smoking quite well now. Don't get me wrong, there are the occasional duds, even boxes of duds, but one also gets these with any marca (don't get me started with Monte PEs). When on, PLPs can be excellent, surpassing PLPCs and PLMCs in my opinion. I too speculate that some RE tobacco is added back to the PLP and these batches of cigars that are excellent. On average though, I think PLPs represent the PL marca quite well and offer good flavours similar to the PLPC but dialed down. They are excellent with coffee and make a great morning smoke.

[ToroRph]

Just heard Colin Ganley on a podcast saying that he believes the short filler on the PLP is leftover Cohiba tobacco. Anyone else of the same opinion?

[Onelove]

Just received a box each of plp and rgpe. Looking forward to trying these (plp) as I think I'm yet to have tried any.

[Onelove]

Couldn't resist and tried one even though I know they're too fresh both in age and time spent resting in humi. Pleasant cigar. Light in body with nuances of what I perceive to be clove and that pl goodness that may turn out to be caramel in a couple of years. Happy for the price.

[earthson]

Just received a box each of plp and rgpe.

Mmmmm.... nice pull!

[Hunter1974]

Try another! They're a little hit or miss regarding the quality of tobacco, but have been average at worst and, I suspect, made with leftover RE tobacco at best.

Plugged is not unheard of with short filler smokes, so try another one. And, yes, they can be fairly tight, so there's some wisdom in dryboxing them if they're not aged. If nothing's doing, trade em away!

P.S.: The Montecarlos are way better, IMO.

For the money a PLP is great for me but I have smoked 3 Montecarlos and they are down right Awesome ! I plan on keeping both on hand The montecarlos cant be smoked as fast as the Plp IMO and I can store a cheap box of PLP in a ziplock with a boveda pack in my locker at work to have for lunch break smoke .

[jacksfull]

Finally got a decent PLP out of my box. So, you guys who swear by these are vindicated to some degree. I still stand by my earlier irratation with the bad ones, but yes, clearly they can also be good.

So, maybe the topic should be more about reliability. It's not like Cuban cigars, or cigars in general, are known for an overwhelming amount of consistency. Still, there are those the tend to have better track records than others (I'll point to Parti Shorts as an example of one that I rarely if ever hear any complaints about).

If tripa cortas like the PLP are, as some suspect, made from the leavings of other production, then it would be very difficult to control consistency of the "blend" (as opposed to high volume TC's like JLP & Quintero, brands that represent a lower tier in quality, but perhaps have a more dedicated supply-chain of raw materials).

And there's the rub. If you buy a box of $2.50 cigars but have to suffer through (or toss) 3 out of every 4 to get one decent experience, then that one good one is really a $10 cigar, from a certain perspective. Much as I love a bargain, I am more and more inclined to think a more expensive but more reliably good cigar (like the Parti Shorts mentioned above) may actually be a better buy than a cheaper one that's only consistency is that of consistently being hit-or-miss.

[jacksfull]

Continuing to improve. I guess these really do need at least a few weeks of sleep when they arrive.

[JohnS]

I picked up a box (BRA May 13) recently which I'm using as my 'go to' smoke. I've smoked 4 of which 1 was exceptional, full of smoke and flavour, 1 was outstanding, 1 was okay and 1 was very tight, almost plugged. So, 3 out of 4 I am happy with, and I'm happy I picked up this cigar. I try to get 1/2 an inch of ash out of each burn and I smoke very slowly (more than normal - around 40 to 45 minutes) as I find this makes it more enjoyable.

[RijkdeGooier]

Just heard Colin Ganley on a podcast saying that he believes the short filler on the PLP is leftover Cohiba tobacco. Anyone else of the same opinion?

Maybe true for another vitola of the same marca... if what I hear and see is correct

[nikesupremedunk]

So I smoked a PLP the other night during my lunch break at work. Only had enough time to finish a little more than half but I didn't feel so bad tossing it since it cost so little.

As for the cigar, is it the best tasting cigar I've had? Definitely not. Is it the worst I've had? Definitely not. Is it the best cigar I've had for the price? Absolutely!

I was actually pleasantly surprised at how the cigar smoked. It wasn't very flavorful but it reminded me of the PLPC and enjoyable for a cigar that's so cheap. I understand these are short filler but the ash held on and the draw was pretty spot on…I've definitely had worse construction on more higher end cigars. These are excellent yard-gars or just a cheap quick smoke that you won't feel bad about if you have to toss in the middle. I also give out cigars to some of my buddies who smoke once in a while and these are perfect for sharing. I definitely recommend these to anyone looking for a decent cigar at a very low cost.