I smoked 6 CC's over the last 2 weeks and the whole time found myself wanting the NC's that I usually smoke. I've had them in my humi for some time and planned on resting my palate for about a week, and then smoking all of them w/o mixing with NC's. Well i finally did this and although they were OK, they didnt wow me in any way. And no they werent cuban dog rockets, they were all highly rated and considered some of the top CC's. I know alot of responses will be the common response...smoke what you like and like what you smoke. Besides that response, what am I missing? Do any of you guys enjoy NC's more than CC's? I would like to really enjoy CC's, but all that I've smoked have been nothing special, and I'd rather some of my standbys from Padron and LP instead. What am I missing?
Jon
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What were the cigars? Do you know for sure they were legit?
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Jon...I'm on of the few on the board that prefers NCs to CCs every day of the week. I have smoked about 50-60 CCs, all different kinds and have not found one that really WOWED me. I gave up a long time ago and enjoy smoking my NCs. :-)
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Without knowing what kind of cigars you like it's kind of hard to say. I smoke about 50/50 now and I enjoy both. I lean more twards medium body smokes so CC's are right up my alley. If you like strong smokes you might find them weak by comparison. What are your favorite NC's? What were the CC's you tried? I can tell you that if you have a party short that's on or a nicely aged Cohiba Lancero that you'll be having a WOW moment.
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You also have to take age of the cigar into consideration. Some CCs need quite a few years to mature.
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Some people love filet mignon and I prefer a rib eye

don't get into the hype of it all...just smoke what you enjoy.
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I'm positive that they were legit....they were Ramon Allones, Bolivar, Cohiba, Romeo y Julietta and I forgot the other 2. Recieved from a good pipe smoking buddy who used to be heavy into cigars.
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He wrote the years on each one of the bags. None were later than 2009...if I remember correctly one was an 06, and a couple from 08, maybe one from 04.
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Jon,

Smoke what you enjoy. Tastes do change, so don't write cubans off completely, but you probably just prefer the NC profile. CC's usually have more subtleties to their flavor profile, but that's not always the case. There are a wide range of cigars from both.

I was primarily a NC smoker for years. I still like them a lot, but now I have started preferring the more subtle and cleaner flavors offered by some CCs.
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Maybe Mugen is right. You may just be a meat and taters kind of guy.
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Do you exhale through your nose? As was stated most Cuban cigars are more medium so if you like Nicaraguan or Honduran most CC's will seem very light, especially if you dont exhale through your nose. CC's also tend to be more subtle and complex and the flavors dont come through on the tongue. Although I still enjoy some NC's, I find most to be very one dimensional and in your face. :-)
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Well after smoking a whopping 6 and not liking them you can pretty much write off CCs.

YES, you are missing something. The flavors, both subtle and in your face just cannot be replicated by NCs.

1. Your friend might be heavily into cigars, that doesnt mean his cigars are the real deal. I have a friend that just recently had to tell one of his friends that his entire collection, hundreds and hundreds of cigars, were all fakes. This individual has the coin to buy and sell my collection 1000x over, so obviously money doesnt mean squat if you dont have a good source.

2. Your palate has been fried by and is still used to the power of NCs. Dont smoke anything for a two to three weeks. Then smoke a real Havana. You should be able to get all sorts of flavors.

3. As Larry mentioned CCs need a couple years to come into their own (most of the time). Some require a decade or more to become smokable (ERDM Choix Supreme IMO). Can you identify the years of the cigars you smoked?

4. Retrohaling... It opened up a whole new world of flavors for me

5. Smoke what you like... if you then still dont like CCs, good for you! Youve avoided a very slippery slope.

Most NCs to me now taste, harsh, bitter and foul. The only ones I can tolerate are Esencias, My Fathers, and some Tatuajes.
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There it is. Me, I smoked NCs almost exclusively, due mainly to price and availability considerations, but truly enjoy the occasional CC. To me, the difference is similar to wines, with many NCs being a bold cabernet sauvignon whose body and depth can overwhelm some, and CCs being closer to a pinot noir, whose subtlety can completely underwhelm those without the palate for them.

But that's why they bottle both, and why they produce different cigar blends too.
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From my small sampling size I have found most to be ok cigars that I would not chase down. But I have found some to be the best cigars I have ever smoked, complex and flavors that I know but not like I've had in cigars before like bananas, cream, fruit and all. If I could just smoke those CC's and find them then I would only smoke CC's, but I can't and strike out often. Even when I find the same vitolas same year they are not the same and I am let down. Funny because I am smoking a great one right now that is limited (PSD3 2001) what I was talking about at 1st was regular production sticks. PSD4, Boli PC, Party Short, PSP2 ETC, good cigars and some are great but most are just good.
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If you don't like them, then you aren't missing anything. :-)
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Yes Moe they were definitely real. He actually gets them from a reputable source that alot of you guys get yours from. I won't write them off, but I guarantee when I smoked only one Padron 1964 and only one tat black, and only one LP #9 I instantly loved them. Maybe my tastes will change.
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I don't know your buddy but I also know plenty of people "heavy into cigars" who wouldn't know a legit Cuban cigar if it bit them on the ass.
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Moe is wise.
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This man speaks the truth.
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Are you setting your expectations too high? I know the first time for me I really expected two unicorns to fly me a hammock down from the heavens and float me to utopia....that has not happened yet, Close but no unicorns. I have VERY limited CC experience but it has ranged from OK to wonderful. I don't see ever committing to one (CC or NC's) but I plan on trying ever damn one I can of both to formulate my opinion.
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