It's a question that needs to be answered by each smoker... what they prefer to smoke. One answer is that a large percentage of those who explore the issue end up with a concurrence to your question. It might just all be peer pressure and herd mentality though. :-)

Best for what type of smoker is also a germane point. NC cigars are trending towards two seemingly dichotomous points. 1. Stronger and stronger blends which would seem to appeal to "mouth only" smokers and the Jolt cola generation who follow the more is better mantra. 2. Specially blended, crafted and packaged cigars that more and more are demonstrating the depth and nuance experienced in Cuban cigars through the nasal exhale.

Remember that the Cubans had a couple hundred year head start on the cultivation and processes. NC cigar makers seem to be able to get much closer to the smoking and flavor profiles in the past few years. Getting closer to a comparable price point is a more difficult issue.

Oh man, please don't start that one again! :-)

:-)

I'd agree with these points, and it seems more and more mouth smokers are confusing strength for flavor or probably more appropriately for goodness. there are so many cigars that I loved as a mouth smoker that I can't deal with as a nose smoker.

I'd also agree that there are some tasty noncubans out there but those cigars are typically, in my opinion, a little less nuanced and complex than their CC counterparts.

better taste...higher chance of plugged stick...:-)

I switched over to CC's and I don't plan on going back to NC's.

I like both. I would say I like NC's more right now b/c I like a spicier and full bodied cigar. I would say I smoke NC's 60% of the time and CC's 40% of the time.

One thing I absolutely hate about CC's is the poor construction. I hate having a plugged cigar :-)

I don't think I have had a plugged NC.

Then you haven't had a Tatuaje Lancero....

As an added note, I will be switching to CCs almost exclusively when the embargo lifts.

After that happens the argument about many regular production CCs being cheaper than NCs will almost certainly go out the door

Start saving your $$ now and expect the quality to be worse when all the embargo supplies are exhausted.

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Give me $10,000 to spend on cigars and I wouldn't spend 5 cents of it on cc's.

I've gone thru more than three (3) boxes of the Tat Lancero's and not a single one was plugged....nice draw on every one of them! :-)

....and I'm definately with you Triple F! :-)

I'm so glad this question has finally been cleared up! :-)

I say yes. Not everyone will ever agree, one way or another. To each his own.

Can you buy me a box of Party Shorts, Scott? :-)

Smoke what you like, like what you smoke. :-)

:-):-):-)

This topic reminds me of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2xMGI-QpZw

:-):-)

I'd take a box of HU CM's :-) :-)

Reminds me of THIS.

:-):-):-)