How many still smoke NCs

[HoyoFan]

I was just curious how many folks still smoke NCs and to what percentage is your stash CC vs NCs. I'm loving discovering all of the wonderful flavors of Cuban cigars but I'm curious how many of you guys still go back and forth. 

[Ethernut]

I have one tray of NC's singles. I never reach for them. I do believe there are some good to great cigars, however I find my price per stick vs quality is significantly less buying from Rob. So, that's what I do!

[Chefalan86]

I've become a CC snob. Someone gave me a NC stick today and I all but tossed it. Sitting out and I will give it away tomorrow. Ha

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[GreyGoose]

I still enjoy an Illusione, or a Padron as much as ever, but ya, I find I smoke CC's almost all the time.

[subport]

It is falling off year by year. Once in a blue moon now: 1-2 cigars yearly.

0.1% of NC left. Few My Fathers and Olivas. 

[schubb]

I am also in the camp of mostly sticking to CC's now, though I've found that NC's are my choice when I'm not planning on focusing on the cigar. Usually I go for the NC for tailgating, golf, or if I'm drinking and smoking with a large group of people. CC's are for my personal relaxing and unwinding time, which is most of my cigar time.

[Squarehead]

I refuse to be too lopsided so I smoke both. I've had bad and good experiences with both

[BMWBen]

Yeah i'll still smoke Perdomos and Aroma De cubas, occasionally some Joya De Nicaraguas too

[TheMonk]

Not really. Have a few Davidoff's and AF left that I bought at great prices, but most likely won't be restocking either. Just not to my taste.

[miurajus]

I still enjoy the Illusione Epernay line.  I also blind taste cigars every so often and use them as controls.

[stogieluver]

CC's all.  Can't go back.  I still have a few NC sticks, but when I break down and try one, it just doesn't do it for me. 

[SmittyinAZ]

Less than 10% is NC. Good change of pace once a while. 

[trike]

Sobremesa has grabbed my interest.

[charlesod]

Padron 26's and some Opus for me. 26's, especially the 6's are nearly perfect cigars. Still, they make up only 10-15% of my stash.

[MahDooRow]

While I am smoking more CCs and less NCs over time, I still enjoy NCs very much.  Ashton VSG, LFD Chisel maduro, La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor, Padron 3000/4000 maduro and Padron 1964 maduro are my go-to NCs of choice.  Since aging NCs is not of critical importance I just buy them in small quantities as I need them.      

[CigarAsh]

What keeps me smoking NCs is to support my local B&M. It's a terrific smoking lounge with the lots of great people.  I'm there every Saturday and Sunday in the winter and bad weather.  I feel bad when I smoke my Cubans there so I make it a point to buy from them also.  Still like a good Padron. Some of the Fuentes are good.  Illusione Epernays.  They also do their own blends which I buy also.  

It's  as much about the social there as anything and worth every penny in bad NCs to keep them in business!

[Phinz]

Mostly CCs for me now, but I still have some boxes of NCs around, mostly for sharing out at gatherings of non-cigar smokers (I won't be too upset seeing a NC tossed after the first inch). I always smoke what I'm giving away, too, so I only keep NCs I'd be willing to smoke: Padron 2000/6000, Surrogates, L'atelier, My Father, etc...

[StumpyJoe]

As mentioned before by another BOTL, Rob has incredibly high quality cigars at prices that make buying NCs a difficult proposition.  For me, my tastes lean heavily towards CCs...so for me to make a NC purchase would entail high quality at a greatly reduced price.  I just reviewed my cigar notebook and the last time I purchased a box of NCs was 2013.

At one point I enjoyed very strong cigars but those days are behind me.  And I hate the trend of NCs of ever increasing ring gauges.  

For me to enjoy a NC I'm looking at a cigar that reminds me of CCs...like Tatuje El Triunfadors...but I think that line was discontinued because of lower sales...because it was a medium strength cigar and not the high strength of the other lines.  I like Pete Johnson and his trend of looking to Cuban style cigars...and Don Pepin is awesome...if I want an NC it will be from them...but I have two boxes in my humidors and the last time I smoked one was probably 9 months ago.

[MaxG]

The first puff of an NC is all you're going to get for the whole stick.  How boring.  

CCs develop, mature, grow, evolve, transform.  I disagree with the NIC mantra of, "they're strong."  I like strong.  In cigars, food, etc...  To me, NICs are not "strong", they're blunt.  Yes, they give all they have to give from puff one, but that's it.  There's nothing more.  

Aging yields you nothing.  There is no complexity.  There is no unexpected flavor.  There is no development.   

I keep a few NCs that I was gifted in a tupperdor, including a few Hamlet's, which I look forward to.  But they don't compare.  They simply can't.

 

- MG

 

[NSXCIGAR]

I will almost never smoke a random NC. I've been gifted many no-name NCs that just sit in my humidor forever until I toss them or give it away. 

I will, on occasion (around once a year) try a new, hot flavor-of-the-month NC as long as it's under $10 just to see how the competition is catching up. I'm almost always disappointed.

[sonarman81]

From time to time I still do. Some of my best NCs are a box of Tatuaje Regios from 2010. They continue to get better and better and are complex. I smoked a La Verte 2009 a few weeks ago that was stellar as well. Today I smoked a Fuente rosada R52 that was great. What they all had in common was that they were not overbearing cigars blended for a bland pallet. Sadly I don't see me going back to many of the boxes of NC cigars that I have in my humidor that I paid top dollar for and had to be quick on the trigger finger to even have a chance at. Way to many LEs not only let me down but we're just bad cigars.
Having a "mediocre" CC that still has that twang is much more enjoyable and cheaper than the HTF stuff that I never had a chance to try before buying.

[fabes]

Different strokes I suppose.

I find IPAs to be boring one-trick ponies. Let's pack all the hops we can into a brew and blast your tastebuds into oblivion with IBUs. I find more depth and character and progression with a stout. 

That said, I received an IPA recently from a friend that was quite delightful and refreshing and countered my bias against IPAs. 

Same applies for the NC/CC stance. No need to fully write off other quality tobacco. There are some delicious pipe tobaccos out there as well. I believe those fall into the NC category. In addition, I'd rather have a Roma Craft over a Bolivar anyday, but don't get between me and my QdO.

[MooseAMuffin]

I still smoke mostly NCs due to my CC stash being very small. I started out on NCs, so I stocked up on them. I need to smoke through them so I can get to enjoying more CCs, but all future purchases are cubans.

[ComancheKeen]

I prefer a CC but I still like to switch it up once and a while and try a NC on occasion. Probably only 5% NC in my humidor. There are many I have yet to try and I like to sample a little bit of everything so there will always be a time and a place for new smokes.

[Ethernut]

1 hour ago, StumpyJoe said:

As mentioned before by another BOTL, Rob has incredibly high quality cigars at prices that make buying NCs a difficult proposition.  For me, my tastes lean heavily towards CCs...so for me to make a NC purchase would entail high quality at a greatly reduced price.  

My thoughts _exactly_!