I smoked my first JLP

[mikinva]

Shortly after I started smoking, I discovered that I prefer Cubans. I do have 4 boxes of NC, Oliva V Melanio($5), Room 101 Cool Arrow($4), 3x3 Davidoffs($2.5) and Cohiba Nic($3.5). I have four boxes of Cuban cigars: Vegueros Mananitas($3), Montecristo 4($5.5), Super Partagas($3.5) and now JL Priedra Brevas($1.5). I bought the Brevas, because they were too cheap to pass up, $37 per box of 25. I smoked one playing golf, terrible burn, but it was really windy. Flavor was OK, I would put it closest to the Super Partagas (but 40% of cost). Just tobacco flavor, not much else. It got a little better in the middle 3rd, but fizzled in the last 3rd, even with purge it wasn't very good. My ranking of Cubans: Mananitas 95, Monte4 93, Super Partagas 88, JLP Brevas 86. My NC ranking: Cool Arrow 91, Oliva V Melanio 90, 3x3 Davidoff 88, Cohiba Nic 84.

[Burningman]

I think it's great that you like the Vegueros the best. Taste is subjective and when you find something you enjoy coupled with the fact you can get them for next to nothing makes it even better.

Also kudos for posting in the proper cheap and cheerful forum.

[PointFivePast]

I too bought a box of Vegueros Mananitas early on (price was great for a newbie) and I loved them more than most. Still have a few from that box four years later and they actually age a treat as well! A word of advice on the JLP: smoke them within a couple of years. I have some 4-5 year old JLP Cazadores rolling around my humidor and they lost most of their punch with age. Now they just taste like musty old library books. Great golf smoked though as they are cheap enough that you don’t care too much if the wind ruins them or a buddy bums one!