[Luckyleo]

I absolutely love this cigar. Medium bodied, very well constructed. Great burn, great sweet taste, with a very nice finish. Right now I like this better than the Oliva V only because it isn't quite as strong. This may change over time. While reading up on the reviews I discovered that the owner of Holts Cigars here in Philly also started Ashton. I had no idea. It's a bit expensive to be my go-to everyday cigar, but why not? Life is short. I noticed that Holts has a nice supply of god of fire. How do you like them Bill?

 

[fhuang]

^, i'll keep that in mind next time when i go cigar shopping.


do you guys enjoy mini cigar(is that you called?)? i perfer big, bigger one. i tried some more expensive mini cigar and i rather smoke something bigger but cheaper. or is this like audio? some new/un-educated listener rather listen to some big bass/bose?

 

[Zarathustra19]

Hi fhuang,
I think your opinion is shared by a lot of smokers, myself included. The larger (normal) cigar sizes allow for more flavor to be present in the blend IMO. But there is a limit. Some makers are really going big with ring gauges to the point of 60+. Twenty or thirty years ago, a Robusto would have been large ring gauge at 52-54. Personally, I stick to the 36-52 range unless I'm having a churchill or some such, then they're in the 55-60 range for the most part.

As for smaller cigars (cigarillos), they're okay for short trips in the car or a lunch break. The CAO Brazillia Cariocas (4"x 38) comes in a little tin of five and I enjoy them once in a while. At that length though, I'd prefer a larger ring if I had the time.

So I suppose the simple answer is that, no its not a newbie thing to like larger cigars. Everyone's tastes are different, but I think the majority of smokers prefer something a little bigger than a cigarillo.

Hope that helps.
Cheers,
Zach

 

[kydsid]

I have found there is a bit of truth in the experienced smoker wanting smaller cigars. Not small as in cigarillo small, but mostly 50 or under ring gauge. Length isn't an issue then other than time to smoke. The thing with smaller ring gauge is it allows the wrapper to contribute more to the cigar. I couldn't say if it is a refinement in your pallete that occurs over the years or what it is. For me and many other long time cigar smokers 50 is our limit. And my preferred smoke is under 40 either in a lancero or petit corona.

At the end of the day the only thing that matters though is:

Enjoy what you smoke, smoke what you enjoy. And to hell with everyone else.

 

[darkninja67]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luckyleo /img/forum/go_quote.gif I absolutely love this cigar. Medium bodied, very well constructed. Great burn, great sweet taste, with a very nice finish. Right now I like this better than the Oliva V only because it isn't quite as strong. This may change over time. While reading up on the reviews I discovered that the owner of Holts Cigars here in Philly also started Ashton. I had no idea. It's a bit expensive to be my go-to everyday cigar, but why not? Life is short. I noticed that Holts has a nice supply of god of fire. How do you like them Bill?

I think Robert Levin is the founder of Ashton, could be wrong.

I like the VSG/ESG as far as Ashtons go. The Puro Sol and Cabinet series are good but kind of pricey for what they are.

God of Fire? No idea yet and it will be awhile before I smoke one. These need rest from what I have read. Will let you know though.

 

[Jolida302]

Smoked a Juan Lopez this week end (don't know which model), was excellent.

 

[Jolida302]

Among small cigars, i enjoy AVO classic (tin of 10). Very smooth.
I precise there are real cigars, not cigarillos.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zarathustra19 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi fhuang, I think your opinion is shared by a lot of smokers, myself included. The larger (normal) cigar sizes allow for more flavor to be present in the blend IMO. But there is a limit. Some makers are really going big with ring gauges to the point of 60+. Twenty or thirty years ago, a Robusto would have been large ring gauge at 52-54. Personally, I stick to the 36-52 range unless I'm having a churchill or some such, then they're in the 55-60 range for the most part. As for smaller cigars (cigarillos), they're okay for short trips in the car or a lunch break. The CAO Brazillia Cariocas (4"x 38) comes in a little tin of five and I enjoy them once in a while. At that length though, I'd prefer a larger ring if I had the time. So I suppose the simple answer is that, no its not a newbie thing to like larger cigars. Everyone's tastes are different, but I think the majority of smokers prefer something a little bigger than a cigarillo. Hope that helps. Cheers, Zach

 

[Lazerboy2000]

Hey guys,
I'm pretty damn new to cigars and could use some suggestions. I've had 2 Romeo and Julieta Reserva Real's and an Oliva Maduro and that's about it. Both of these were excellent although I probably enjoyed the Maduro more.

I'm going down to Florida in 2 weeks with a bunch of my friends and am looking at getting several cigars to enjoy. Are there any good variety packs of 15-20 or so that I could get, or am I better off picking individually? I'm looking to spend around $5-7 per cigar.

I saw somebody posted up these sites as good review forums, "cigarasylum.com cigarpass.com onlinehumidor.com and maybe puff.com", but what's a good place to buy cigars online? Also any good small and cheap humidors?

 

[kydsid]

All of those sites have a recommended online retailer thread, just do a quick search. There are just too many to begin to mention.

As for recommendations on going to Miami. Simple. Get yourself to Calle Ocho and visit the stores there. Just start at Padilla's new place and work your way down about 2 blocks. Not far from there is Padron's factory if you want to do that also.

 

[Zarathustra19]

Hey Lazerboy,
Welcome to the thread and the hobby first of all. In regards to your question regarding samplers or taster packs, I would tell you that either way you could find good cigars. If you were to go into a shop and have the proprietor help you find some similar cigars, you'd probably come out with 15 to 20 cigars that you'd have a great time trying. Then again, Cigars International, Famous Smoke Shop, Thompson Cigars and Holt's Cigars (I'll link to them further down) have some good samplers. CI has a deal called the herf n' go combo, which is a travel humidor which holds about five cigars plus five cigars to go in it from a list of samplers for 35 bucks, which I consider to be a great deal. I'll link you to a few samplers at CI which have intrigued me as palette expanding.

I'll leave the recommendations to the other guys, since I've only had a few of the Oliva Maduros, but you'd do well to try some of the other styles from Oliva and others. If you have the money, pick up a few Padron 1964 Anniversary series Maduros, they changed my life.

www.famous-smoke.com
www.thompsoncigar.com
www.holts.com
www.cigarsinternational.com

Samplers:
Herf 'n Go Combo (I recommend the Best of Pepin Garcia 1 as a good mix)
Monster Maduro Sampler (great for checking out the differences in maduro wrappers)
Don Pepin Garcia Mega Sampler

I don't necessarily recommend CI for everything, but their samplers are pretty good IMO.

Humidors:
Cheap Humidors Cigar Humidor Cigar Accessories CheapHumidors.com
Also check out the humidor sections on the major retailers.

I'm also going to give you something that you'll regret:
http://www.cigarbid.com

Bottom line is that I think you can get the herf 'n go plus a 20 cigar sampler for maybe a little over a hundred bucks and be all set for vacation at least. Enjoy!

Cheers,
Zach

Edit: I knew one of the other regulars would beat me to it! Of course that's the one option I neglected. Check out the vibrant cigar scene in Miami!

 

[darkninja67]

I will add cigarplace.biz (they have a great cheap humidor called the Milano there) as well as egars.com for cigars.

 

[Lazerboy2000]

Wow thanks guys! Definitely a lot of info and I'll have to look over it all in more depth once I get through 2 damn exams today. I looked briefly on Holts and found this

The "''Central American All-Star'' Monster Deal". 20 Cigars for $75

5 Alec Bradley Tempus Imperator
5 Casa Royale Crown
5 G.A.R. Rico Grande
5 Tatuaje Havana VI Nobles

I did a quick search of each cigar and they all got great reviews. I'm not experienced enough to be picky and I'm sure I'll be happy. I'll keep looking for other options later. Thanks again

Also, I'm going to be in Jacksonville, not Miami

 

[Zarathustra19]

Not a bad sampler. I've had the Tats, they're very nice smokes, same with the Tempus. Never tried the G.A.R. but I've wanted to for a long time (no locals have it, unfortunately). Never heard of Casa Royale, but obviously now I have to try to pick a few up, if only to try a new stick.

Good luck on the exams!

Cheers,
Zach

 

[Luckyleo]

Having moved from the S. Florida area 6 months ago, i would definitely 2nd the recommendation to go to Calle Ocho. I particularly like Padron's shop/small factory but it is off the blvd. Another favorite is Mike's Cigars. Depending on your time and location I would recommend you hold off on buying via mail order and instead visit the shops. If you're going north, there are good shops in W. Palm Beach, Tampa, and Orlando. Let us know where in Florida you're going. Finding a great shop is 1/2 the fun.

 

[vo328]

What is a recommended shop in Orlando?