MY Favorite Sticks... RE: Laker

laker1963

So I have checked and while a few people think this is a good idea...none of you have updated your bio's yet. I am going to go ahead and post this as a thread and I figured if others wanted to do the same you can just change the name in the above heading to your's and we can keep bumping this thread up to keep it relevant... so here is my initial list

Anything Oliva... what can I say
Not so much anything CAO...too in your face, peppery...
Fuente anything again can't go wrong...
Loving toasty, sweet, floural, flavours right now..
Lot 23 natural or Maduro...
AVO Domain...YUMMY...
Montecristo...YES
Gurkha's...jury still out, but still testing
Man 'O War... Love 'em
Blue Label... tasty
C.Com House blends, all but Blue, Cammy's
5 Vegas... of course, all.
Ashton...most I've had so far
Cohiba...Don't know I haven't had one yet???
Cusano...SO FAR SO GOOD
Graycliff... yes and no
Fonseca...sure
Rocky Patel...some of the mediums Fusion MM !!
Padron... well yes
Padilla... some, pretty in your face for me
Sol Cubano...YES
OK so I can add the RP Fusion RP Fusion double maduro and oh yeah the Padilla line or at least the three different ones I have tried so far More to be added as I think of them or SMOKE 'em

phobicsquirrel

Laker your just too quick for some of us. American's have to work long hours On a side note have you had a CAO America? very good smoke I must say.

dutyje

Alright, since I've got a spreadsheet, this shouldn't be too hard:

All-time favorites. I normally like trying new sticks, but I would be absolutely ecstatic to receive more of any of these:

Camacho 1962
Cigar.com Cuban Label
Playboy by Altadis
Rocky Patel Vintage 1992
5 Vegas Gold
Outland Ecuadorian Sumatra (local house blend)
Outland Criollo (local house blend)
Sol Cubano Sumatra
Graycliff Legend
Oliva Serie G Cameroon
La Flor Dominicana Limitado III

I know that y'all don't have access to the local house blends. But if any of you clowns would smoke one of the darn things I sent you and recommend something with a similar flavor profile that doesn't cost so much, it'd probably be my first ever box purchase.

Other cigars I have enjoyed, and would always love to have again:
Rocky Patel Vintage 1990
Onyx Reserve
Cusano Corojo Vintage 1997
Gurkha Regent
Trinidad 100th Anniversary
Gurkha Royal Brigade
Arturo Fuente
Sol Cubano Cuban Cabinet
Flor de Oliva
Cusano Xclusivo
Nestor Reserve Maduro
Matasa 30th Anniversary
Sol Cubano Sumatra
Nub Cameroon
La Herencia Cubana
Montecristo Media Noche
Gurkha Titan
Arturo Fuente Don Carlos
Oliva Special S
Punch
Trinidad
Macanudo 1968
Gurkha Centurian
5 Vegas Series A
Perdomo Reserve Cabinet
Casa Magna

Those represent the top of my list since I started recording things last year. The second group are all great cigars, but the first group are the ones I literally dream about.

Things I've never tried, but are at the top of my to-do list:
Other ccom house blends
Punch Gran Puro
Gran Habano 3 Siglos
RP Sun Grown
Ashton VSG
RP Decade
Cohiba Red Dot (or any others.. I'm in the same boat as Laker)
R&J Viejo
CAO Criollo

madurofan

Huh very interesting duty. Your to try sticks are almost in direct contrast of your two lists of liked, especially the first one.

madurofan

Well I'll try to remember to put these in my bio as well but my hands down favorite cigar is the Tatuaje Cojonu 2003 but here are some others I enjoy.

601 especially the Black and Green
Sol Cubano Sumatra
CAO MX-2
Any Tatuaje
Any illusione
Most DPG's
5 Vegas Miami and Classic
Punch Champion
Cuvee Rouge

There are plenty more but these immediately popped into my head as favorites.

bbc020

What I'm finding is that I like a lot of sticks...and I find more that I like than those that I don't. Here are some of the cigars that have burned holes in my memory and I consider to be treats

Padron 64
Padron 26
Oliva Serie V
DPG Cuban Classic
Tatuaje Miami
Tatuaje Havana VI
Arturo Fuente Don Carlos
Ashton VSG
Illusione
LFD Double Ligero Maduro

this list are only cigars I've had on more than one occasion, there are plenty of other treats that I've had, that will most likely make this list upon having a couple more of them.

dutyje

madurofan:

Huh very interesting duty. Your to try sticks are almost in direct contrast of your two lists of liked, especially the first one.

Really? Here was my logic in putting together the to-try list:

I've never had an EcSu I didn't like. So that's where I got the Punch Gran Puro, RP Sun Grown, Ashton VSG, and RP Decade.

I've never had a Criollo-wrapped cigar I didn't like, so that's where I got the CAO

I'm determined to find an R&J I like, and the Viejo seems like the best bet.

I have never had any of the other ccom house blends, but I loved the Cuban Label

The 3 Siglos was recommended to me a long time ago by Jozer, so it's still on the list

and I've never had a Cohiba.. that's a gap I want to fix. I really want to try the Cohiba XV, but I figured I'd start with the Red Dot as a baseline.

Maybe I shouldn't get my hopes up so much about the ones I listed. Any suggestions on others?

bbc020

I liked the Cohiba XV, but as I have found with the domestic Cohiba's I've had, it lacks complexity. Good rich flavor, but not the fantastic flavor and complexity I hope for. I have yet to have a Cohiba Black, but I have one just sitting and waiting.

I think the 3 Siglos may be an addition to my list above...I have one more left that has been resting for about 5 months, the others I've had were great sticks.

madurofan

All of those are excellent smokes and while yes the Gran Puro, Sun Grown, VSG and Decade are all EcSu's they are also on the medium- full side of the spectrum where all the cigars in top list are on the mild side. The others on your list I think may be closer to your tastes from what I'm gathering. Aside from the Cohiba(which is a cammie btw)

madurofan

bbc020:

I liked the Cohiba XV, but as I have found with the domestic Cohiba's I've had, it lacks complexity. Good rich flavor, but not the fantastic flavor and complexity I hope for. I have yet to have a Cohiba Black, but I have one just sitting and waiting.

I think the 3 Siglos may be an addition to my list above...I have one more left that has been resting for about 5 months, the others I've had were great sticks.

I agree with you on the Cohibas but the 3 Siglos IMO suffered from the same issue, extroadinarily bland.

dutyje

Interesting.. I had never really analyzed the body of the sticks with respect to my enjoyment of the experience. I've enjoyed plenty of fuller-bodied smokes (Punch, Trinidad).. I actually haven't had many full-bodied cigars because I've intentionally stayed away from them until I've sampled some of the mild-medium sticks. I have been utterly smashed by full bodied cigars (the 601 Black comes to mind), but I'm much more interested in the flavor. As you said on another thread, I'm looking for something with a full flavor, regardless of the body it carries.

I've got some LFD's on hand, and will be smoking those soon in my venture into the fuller-bodied sticks. One thing I believe I have learned is that an overly-spicy stick doesn't appeal to me, mostly because it makes it difficult for me to discern other flavors.

And do you think my spreadsheet doesn't know what wrapper is on a Red Dot?

madurofan

I just noticed that your first group of sticks was on the mild side of medium and your to try's were largely on the full side of medium.

My favorite cigars are all over the body chart but I like full flavor most of the time. Although I will say the Sol Cubano Sumatra if I had to jusdge it would be Medium in flavor. There is something about its simplicity that I absolutely love.

I assumed you knew it was a cammie but I had to mention it.

dutyje

Alright, so I just did an analysis on my spreadsheet, and here is the breakdown on advertised body for the various sticks I have enjoyed:

Mild: 4
Medium: 20
Med-Full: 11
Full: 4

This seems to indicate that I have a preference for medium-bodied smokes. However, looking more closely, I find I have only had 4 cigars that are marked as full-bodied (Cusano Corojo, Trinidad, Gurkha Titan, and Oliva Special S).. all of these were on my best-liked list.

Approximately half of the sticks I've smoked marked "med-full" were on my list

About 2/3 of the sticks I've smoked marked "medium" were on my list

About 40% of the sticks I've smoked marked "mild or mild-medium" were on my list

So I would say I like cigars of a wide-ranging body. However, I've stayed away from full-bodied sticks because I'm still so new at this. I just need to try more.

madurofan

Interesting analysis but I can say with definity that the Cusano Corojo is not full bodied. I guess the Titan is Full-Bodied but it isn't Full-Flavored. Have not had a Trinidad or Special S so I can't say but IMO what Oliva terms as Full bodied isn't close to a DPG full body.

dutyje

I actually felt that none of those sticks struck me as particularly full-bodied, even the Titan... those ratings were all based on the information posted on-line about the cigar. I didn't use my own personal "body" ratings.

urbino

Yeah, I've had several of them, and I wouldn't call the Special S full-bodied. Just a bit north of medium, maybe.

phobicsquirrel

added mine to my bio..

Stoogee

So on my favorite list would probably be
ASHTON VSG
Anything Pepin
Anything Padilla
5 Vegas A, Classic, Miami
AVO XO
La Aurora 1495
Most perdomos
La herencia Cubana
Oliva V
Padron everything I have had
CAO like all I have had

rwheelwright

Mine would have to be
Gurkha Shaggy Natural
Hemingway
Don Carlos
Ashton VSG
Anejo
Any other regular or maduro Fuente
RP Vintage 92
Nub Cammie and Connecticut
Partagas, especially the 150.

So far that is it. There are others that I like but those are extremely high on the list.

Jetmech_63

Jetmech's list o' favorite sticks:
5 Vegas "A", Miami, Limitada, Cask Strength, Classic
Arturo Fuente Don Carlos
Ashton VSG, Aged Maduro
Rocky Patel Anything, including Nording
Oliva G(maduro and cam)O(maduro)
Bolivar
Camacho 1962
Cohiba Red Dot
Onyx
Gurkha Doble Maduro, Nepalese Warrior, Master Select, Turk, Triple Ligero
Man O' War
Cusano 18 Paired Maduro
La Aurora 100 Anos, Barrel Aged, 1495
Punch Rare Corojo and Gran Puro
Padilla Miami
C.COM Brazilian
CI Legends Orange Label
I'm sure there will be more as i smoke my way through my humi's, thanks to you guys i have no shortage of sticks i havent tried!

phobicsquirrel

I had a 5 vegas miami just a few minutes ago and wasn't a big fan. seems as though I'm out of the club.. i do like the A though.

j0z3r

Well, what the heck...I'll throw in a short list of my favorites.

Padilla: Miami, Signature 1948, Signature 1932
Perdomo ESV '91 Connecticut
5 Vegas Classic
La Flor Dominicana Cameroon Cabinet
La Aurora 1495/ 1495 Cameroon 1994
Padron 3000 habano, 1964 habano
Ashton VSG

Well that seems to be what I can pull from the top of my head, surely there are others too.

urbino

I haven't added anything to my bio, yet, laker, because I knew I'd posted a "must haves" list somewhere around here not long ago, and when I had a minute I was just going to find that one and copy it. But now I can't find it, so, in no particular order:

Fuente Don Carlos
Perdomo ESV '91
Montecristo White
Avo Domaine
Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real
La Cuna Bin 85, habano
Montecristo Media Noche
5 Vegas Classic
H. Upmann
Fuente Hemingway
Punch Gran Puro
Sancho Panza Double Maduro
Padron 1926
Ashton VSG

I'm sure I'm leaving something out, but those are the biggies.

madurofan

j0z3r:

Well, what the heck...I'll throw in a short list of my favorites.

Padilla: Miami, Signature 1948, Signature 1932
Perdomo ESV '91 Connecticut
5 Vegas Classic
La Flor Dominicana Cameroon Cabinet
La Aurora 1495/ 1495 Cameroon 1994
Padron 3000 habano, 1964 habano
Ashton VSG

Well that seems to be what I can pull from the top of my head, surely there are others too.

How could I forget the Padilla 1932. Mmmmmmmm

j0z3r

madurofan:

j0z3r:

Well, what the heck...I'll throw in a short list of my favorites.

Padilla: Miami, Signature 1948, Signature 1932
Perdomo ESV '91 Connecticut
5 Vegas Classic
La Flor Dominicana Cameroon Cabinet
La Aurora 1495/ 1495 Cameroon 1994
Padron 3000 habano, 1964 habano
Ashton VSG

Well that seems to be what I can pull from the top of my head, surely there are others too.

How could I forget the Padilla 1932. Mmmmmmmm

Indeed, how could you? I'll save ranking it until I've had several more, but as of now it stands as one of the best cigars I've had.

Luko

Based on very limited experience...

RP vintage 1992
RP meritage
RP decade
Cusano paired maduro and doubel connie
gurkha legend
ashton vsg
ccom labels (pretty much all)
601
onyx
Nub connie and habano

urbino

Looks like the Ashton VSG is on the list of everyone except doody and maddy. Doody hasn't had one. What's your excuse, maddy?

j0z3r

urbino:

Looks like the Ashton VSG is on the list of everyone except doody and maddy. Doody hasn't had one. What's your excuse, maddy?

I think we have a pinko in our midst.

madurofan

urbino:

Looks like the Ashton VSG is on the list of everyone except doody and maddy. Doody hasn't had one. What's your excuse, maddy?

Same excuse as duty. I have a couple resting now but still haven't smoked one.

madurofan

j0z3r:

madurofan:

j0z3r:

Well, what the heck...I'll throw in a short list of my favorites.

Padilla: Miami, Signature 1948, Signature 1932
Perdomo ESV '91 Connecticut
5 Vegas Classic
La Flor Dominicana Cameroon Cabinet
La Aurora 1495/ 1495 Cameroon 1994
Padron 3000 habano, 1964 habano
Ashton VSG

Well that seems to be what I can pull from the top of my head, surely there are others too.

How could I forget the Padilla 1932. Mmmmmmmm

Indeed, how could you? I'll save ranking it until I've had several more, but as of now it stands as one of the best cigars I've had.

I agree. This the cigar that I smoked on the beach this past summer and it reminded me of peanut butter. Thankfully this was before the salmonella scares.

urbino

madurofan:

urbino:

Looks like the Ashton VSG is on the list of everyone except doody and maddy. Doody hasn't had one. What's your excuse, maddy?

Same excuse as duty. I have a couple resting now but still haven't smoked one.

Really? That surprises me.