Seeking a balance between price and quality: a student's question.

betasynn

Okay, so first, since I'm pretty much a new member, I should probably explain my situation: I'm a 20 year old college student located on Long Island (though I'm originally from Boston, and even more originally from Texas, but all that is sort of irrelevant.) I've been sort of clicking around your forums today, and I really like what you've all built up around here. I had my first cigar when the Red Sox won the world seriestwo years ago with some of my fellow displaced Bostonians. It was a Romeo y Julieta Anniversario Robusto that my father had given me, and it was superb. It was a fantastic night that was punctuated by the discovery of something very nice.

Fast forward to now, where a few friends and I have created something known as The Finer Things club, which focuses on smoking cigars on my lunch break from work every wednesday. Since then, I've been sort of searching for some quality smokes that can fit my student budget. Any recommendations?

Just last weekend, I purchased the A. Fernandez Signature weekend blitz deal, and found that to be remarkably smooth. I think my favorite cigar up until this point was a Comacho Corojo, which I got as a recomendation from the owner of the cigar shop I frequent.

phobicsquirrel

Well 5 vegas makes great cigars at a great price. They all are good. For a lighter smoke the vegas gold is creamy and flavorful. For a little more body go with the classic. The Relic is a little stronger. CCcom Red and Blue labels are cheap and well worth it (or get a sampler to see which one's you like). The gurkha Turk is one of my favs and it's not too spendy (better than the vegas gold). Arturo Fuente Hemmingway's aren't too spendy and are tasty. Camacho Triple maduros are to die for... CAO makes some good cigars though some can get spendy. Some like Rockey Patel's line of cigars, from what I have I enjoyed the vintage 90.

betasynn

I have heard a lot of mixed review on vegas 5, so I'm holding off on that for a little while. I'm generally interested in medium to full-bodied smokes, which I suppose I should have mentioned earlier. I am very interested to see what members here have to say about the house labels Ccom has, since they seem to be great value. I have recently been hearing a lot of good things about the Gurkha brand, so that's certainly on my list to try. I was under the impression, and it may be a false one, that Arturo Fuente cigars are sort of pricey. Camacho, from what I've had, makes a fantastic blend at a very agreeable price. I will pick up a Triple Maduros if you think it's good, what flavors should I look for? I'm still developing my palate.

Early on in my cigar-smoking career, I sort of fell into a flash-trap, where I'd get cigars that looked cool. This is what lead me to CAO, since they have some pretty slick adverts and really pull off a classy look. The only one I've liked so far is the CAO Mx2, which had, oddly, a great first 2/3, but the last part just kind of burned my mouth. CAO seems to use great wrappers poorly. 

My dad speaks really highly of RP, and I've always been interested in those. So I'll pick one up, if I can find some more details about the Vintage 90.

phobicsquirrel

Well there is a lot of love around here for 5 vegas. I think they make some good cigars. The triple maduro is well a medium smoke with cocoa, coffee-ish, cedar, all packed together. It's hard to explain. I'd say at least try one. I've only had it in a 6x60 size. I think gurkha makes some great cigars, some are a little pricey though. The CAO america isn't that pricey and I enjoyed it very much. I do agree with you, CAO does have some wrapper issues. Most of their line isn't really for me but I did like the America. I haven't had a couple of their blends so I'm still open. Partagas Black is a good cigar, I think it's about 6 bucks or so. I enjoy the toro which I think is like 8 or something. Montecristo White is a great cigar, very creamy and the aroma is fantastic.

kaspera79

betasynn:

I have heard a lot of mixed review on vegas 5, so I'm holding off on that for a little while.... I am very interested to see what members here have to say about the house labels Ccom has, since they seem to be great value. I have recently been hearing a lot of good things about the Gurkha brand... I was under the impression, and it may be a false one, that Arturo Fuente cigars are sort of pricey... I'll pick one up, if I can find some more details about the Vintage 90.

The only mixed reviews I have heard about the 5 Vegas would be if they were good, or great.. Most people find them a great cigar at a steal of a price. The C.Com label offers outstanding cigars at a very good price, ( find the one you like and you too will be hooked). Gurkha, again many fine examples of quality cigars..Titan, Beauty, Symphony, Blue Steel, Expedition,Turk, Legend, Regency, and Centurian are a few of some I like, to name a few.. And Fuentes, I can't remember one that I don't like.. With a price tag that they deserve. With prices ranging from a few dollar, to close to thirty dollars, they always deliver an exceptional value packed experience.. Your dad is right about the Vintage in my opinion..I've been buying them for years, I always keep these, as well as many other Rock Patel cigars on hand. I recently discovered the Nording ( by Patel) cigar, which I would recommend any day. Keep trying new stuff and you will discover what your personal taste is.

Matt Marvel

I'll second the 5 Vegas. I'm in the same boat as you are, being a college student, you don't always have a lot of money. Carlos Torano has some pretty affordable, very good cigars in my book. I haven't ventured very far into a lot of brands though, as I'm just now at a point to where I can afford to buy cigars.

betasynn

Okay, so on payday (thursday) I'll be picking up a Triple Maduros to try, and I think now from Kaspera's added input, maybe a Gurkha as well. The question, of course, would be which on. Any suggestions on this front?

As an aside, thank you all for responding so quickly. I was a little worried, I must admit, that I'd get some sort of age-related flak; I'm really glad to see this isn't the case.

bbc020

If you're interested in the Camacho brand, definitely give the Coyolar Puro a try. Full flavor and Full bodied and a stick I really enjoy. They can usually be had for 5-7 bones. Should also try the SLR Maduro, very rich woody sweet Maduro that keeps the med-full body. The Fuente smokes aren't always pricey, but their more exclusive lines tend to be hard to find and pricey. The Hemingway is a fine smoke at a decent price. I haven't had many Gurkha lines that fall under Full bodied in my opinion. Some of the smokes that you have pointed at being early favorites seem to be heavy on Honduran tobacco. If that is the case, you should try a few Punch lines. Even as someone who loves nicaraguan tobacco, I really liked the Punch Gran Puro and Rare Corojo lines. THere are so many great smokes out there that I'm sure you will get tons of suggestion. Good luck and stick around and you'll get plenty of opportunities to try some new things.

betasynn

Matt Marvel:

I'll second the 5 Vegas. I'm in the same boat as you are, being a college student, you don't always have a lot of money. Carlos Torano has some pretty affordable, very good cigars in my book. I haven't ventured very far into a lot of brands though, as I'm just now at a point to where I can afford to buy cigars.

So if there really are this many pro's for the Vegas, I'll take this route as well. Another question I have is the humidor; currently I'm using a romeo y julieta cigar box I had lying around my house. It's a really slick box, varnished on the outside, and it smells like it's made of cedar. I took a knife to the framework to make it snap closed, and have a little black humidifier thing on the top, which actually does a pretty good job. I think I need to upgrade to a 100 count, any leads as to where I could do this?

betasynn

bbc020:

If you're interested in the Camacho brand, definitely give the Coyolar Puro a try. Full flavor and Full bodied and a stick I really enjoy. They can usually be had for 5-7 bones. Should also try the SLR Maduro, very rich woody sweet Maduro that keeps the med-full body. The Fuente smokes aren't always pricey, but their more exclusive lines tend to be hard to find and pricey. The Hemingway is a fine smoke at a decent price. I haven't had many Gurkha lines that fall under Full bodied in my opinion. Some of the smokes that you have pointed at being early favorites seem to be heavy on Honduran tobacco. If that is the case, you should try a few Punch lines. Even as someone who loves nicaraguan tobacco, I really liked the Punch Gran Puro and Rare Corojo lines. THere are so many great smokes out there that I'm sure you will get tons of suggestion. Good luck and stick around and you'll get plenty of opportunities to try some new things.

Thanks BBC, I actually have a Punch Rare Corojo waiting to be smoked; I'll give that one a try next time I get a chance, possibly tonight after I go to MOMA.

kaspera79

betasynn:

Okay, so on payday (thursday) I'll be picking up a Triple Maduros to try, and I think now from Kaspera's added input, maybe a Gurkha as well. The question, of course, would be which on. Any suggestions on this front?

As an aside, thank you all for responding so quickly. I was a little worried, I must admit, that I'd get some sort of age-related flak; I'm really glad to see this isn't the case.

Hey beta..Age related flak ? what the hell is that.. Impossible. While you may be on the youngest member end, I may be on the other end.. The thought never crosses most of our minds. My only suggestion is don't pay 25 bucks for a Tiitan, good deals can be found on what may be listed as high end sticks.. Price does not always dictate how much enjoyment a cigar will deliver. Many of my favorites fall in the 5-7 range, (or less) when purchased in five packs. with very few exceptions ( opus, some Padrons, Davidoff).

betasynn

It's something I get at the shop I go to now. I'm not to worried about price, as I'd probably only spend that much on a single if it was my birthday or I was going in for surgery. And I'd consult you guys first, now. But my price range tends to stick under 10 dollars a stick, and I have a pretty good guy who will throw in freebies that tend to be pretty decent, such as a Fonseca Perfecto, or something to that effect.

phobicsquirrel

kaspera79:

betasynn:

Okay, so on payday (thursday) I'll be picking up a Triple Maduros to try, and I think now from Kaspera's added input, maybe a Gurkha as well. The question, of course, would be which on. Any suggestions on this front?

As an aside, thank you all for responding so quickly. I was a little worried, I must admit, that I'd get some sort of age-related flak; I'm really glad to see this isn't the case.

Hey beta..Age related flak ? what the hell is that.. Impossible. While you may be on the youngest member end, I may be on the other end.. The thought never crosses most of our minds. My only suggestion is don't pay 25 bucks for a Tiitan, good deals can be found on what may be listed as high end sticks.. Price does not always dictate how much enjoyment a cigar will deliver. Many of my favorites fall in the 5-7 range, (or less) when purchased in five packs. with very few exceptions ( opus, some Padrons, Davidoff).

Kas make a great point. I like the titan but 25 bucks is a bit steep. Plus Ccom has them and other gurkha's on their deals every-so often so if you keep on them you'll be set. I'd say the beast/beauty/triple ligero are some of my favs from gurkha. I only mentioned the Turk 'cause it's not that spendy. I think you have some great suggestions for cigars already. I haven't had much of camacho's line except the 1962 and 3x maduro and the 62 wasn't a big hit with me. I've heard the scorpio is good, I have one in my humi. BBC mentioned some good ones too. If you want a good smoke, it's not too pricey pick up an Ashton VSG.It's a real good smoke. I would say get the Wizard if you can. If I could pick only 5 cigars to smoke it would be in that list.

phobicsquirrel

kaspera79:

betasynn:

Okay, so on payday (thursday) I'll be picking up a Triple Maduros to try, and I think now from Kaspera's added input, maybe a Gurkha as well. The question, of course, would be which on. Any suggestions on this front?

As an aside, thank you all for responding so quickly. I was a little worried, I must admit, that I'd get some sort of age-related flak; I'm really glad to see this isn't the case.

Hey beta..Age related flak ? what the hell is that.. Impossible. While you may be on the youngest member end, I may be on the other end.. The thought never crosses most of our minds. My only suggestion is don't pay 25 bucks for a Tiitan, good deals can be found on what may be listed as high end sticks.. Price does not always dictate how much enjoyment a cigar will deliver. Many of my favorites fall in the 5-7 range, (or less) when purchased in five packs. with very few exceptions ( opus, some Padrons, Davidoff).

Kas are you saying your the oldest Fart on here?

kaspera79

I don't think so, but probably in the top percentile. I have a twenty year old daughter so you can do the math on that one.

j0z3r

A 20 year old daughter could put you as young as 36-38 Kas...ya never know. I'm not assuming you had a child at 16 of course, you seem a bit wiser than that, but you never really know. Again, not assuming anything, just saying.

Seems I'm a bit late to the party, but I'll go ahead and throw in my two cents. 5 Vegas: In my opinion, probably the best value on the market considering how good the cigars are, I haven't had one yet that I didn't like. About the Triple Maduro, I recommend the robusto smoked very, very slowly, this is a cigar that can and will punish you for smoking it too fast...I found it be a fairly full bodied smoke. The Ccom house blends are pretty awesome, I really like the Cameroon, Brazilian and Cuban labels, the Blue was pretty good too.

Some other cigars I really like for a decent price: Padilla Obsidian, I've had them for as low as $2 a stick on auction. La Gloria Cubana wavell is also a cigar I really like that can be had for a reasonable price. La Herencia Cubana is another great cigar at a pretty decent price. As far as Rocky Patel cigars go, several of the higher end blends can be had as segundos for a cheap price at the same good quality, any defects are purely cosmetic. Speaking of seconds, the Perdomo ESV '91 second is a great cigar and a very good price, like $3 a cigar at the bundle price, a personal favorite of mine.

Ok, I'm going to stop now, I'd end up filling the page otherwise. There are so many good cigars out there to be had for a decent price, there is really no need anymore to spend top dollar for a quality smoke, the market has really driven quality into all price levels, crappy cigars just don't sell regardless of price.

gmill880

kaspera79:

I don't think so, but probably in the top percentile. I have a twenty year old daughter so you can do the math on that one.

I gotta 21 year old son Kas----we're not old we're experienced

Rob1110

Beta, check your PMs.

kaspera79

gmill880:

kaspera79:

I don't think so, but probably in the top percentile. I have a twenty year old daughter so you can do the math on that one.

I gotta 21 year old son Kas----we're not old we're experienced

That's how I look at it.. I don't feel or act my age, I associate with people ten-fifteen years younger than me, and I will never feel "old" if I hang around with a younger crowd. ( within limitations, of course )

j0z3r

That's also one of the nice things about forums, age anonymity. Not that I care how old or young someone is...well, actually I can't care about how young someone is because I'm on the younger end of the spectrum here, but I figure being decent and treating people as you'd want to be treated yourself are pretty age exclusive, speaks more to the kind of person you are than anything else.

gmill880

kaspera79:

gmill880:

kaspera79:

I don't think so, but probably in the top percentile. I have a twenty year old daughter so you can do the math on that one.

I gotta 21 year old son Kas----we're not old we're experienced

That's how I look at it.. I don't feel or act my age, I associate with people ten-fifteen years younger than me, and I will never feel "old" if I hang around with a younger crowd. ( within limitations, of course )

I'm told I don't look my age although I'm not really all that old anyway (still in the 40's)

gmill880

j0z3r:

That's also one of the nice things about forums, age anonymity. Not that I care how old or young someone is...well, actually I can't care about how young someone is because I'm on the younger end of the spectrum here, but I figure being decent and treating people as you'd want to be treated yourself are pretty age exclusive, speaks more to the kind of person you are than anything else.

I couldn't have said it any better Joe

kuzi16

with only a quick look over this thread....

i didnt see anyone say SANCHO PANZA

Cheap and good.

Cusano P1

again wiht the 5 vegas

cigar.com house blends are good....

drew estates La Vieja habana

there are quite a few actually.

if you like MILD smokes try Free Cuba.

kaspera79

Hey Kuzi, I was waiting on you to deliver the Sancho Panza accolades.. Since you are the official spokesman of that fine cigar.. Love 'em thanks to your recommendation.

kuzi16

kaspera79:

Hey Kuzi, I was waiting on you to deliver the Sancho Panza accolades.. Since you are the official spokesman of that fine cigar.. Love 'em thanks to your recommendation.

sorry im late.... work.

kaspera79

kuzi16:

kaspera79:

Hey Kuzi, I was waiting on you to deliver the Sancho Panza accolades.. Since you are the official spokesman of that fine cigar.. Love 'em thanks to your recommendation.

sorry im late.... work.

Who said it ?..." sometimes real life gets in the way." that happens.

betasynn

So tell me more about the Sancho Panza, I'm interested and haven't heard much about it. As far as Drew Estates, I had an Acid from there, and I was incredibly disappointed.

Vidarien

betasynn:

Matt Marvel:

I'll second the 5 Vegas. I'm in the same boat as you are, being a college student, you don't always have a lot of money. Carlos Torano has some pretty affordable, very good cigars in my book. I haven't ventured very far into a lot of brands though, as I'm just now at a point to where I can afford to buy cigars.

So if there really are this many pro's for the Vegas, I'll take this route as well. Another question I have is the humidor; currently I'm using a romeo y julieta cigar box I had lying around my house. It's a really slick box, varnished on the outside, and it smells like it's made of cedar. I took a knife to the framework to make it snap closed, and have a little black humidifier thing on the top, which actually does a pretty good job. I think I need to upgrade to a 100 count, any leads as to where I could do this?

I couldnt help but think about this one. What you're currently using as a humidor probably isnt working that well, if you had a digital hygrometer in there youd likely see that its not working well at all, at least i really really doubt it is, especially with one of those little black humidifer sponge things that every humidor gives by default. I'll let someone else make suggestions on good humidor purchase sites, but i will say this...you might consider using a tupperdor for temporary storage (Storing your cigars in a tupperware container with humidifcation essentially). That...and...www.heartfeltindustries.com. Humidity beads can be found there, you will want these. Also, get yourself a digital hygrometer, the analogs have a weak sensitivity and have to be calibrated regularly.

betasynn

I agree full-heartedly, and actually plan on getting a humidor at my local smoke shop, since the guy, Maxi, who owns it has some sort of deal where you buy a 100 count and get a whole mess of premiums. The issue is, I'm not sure what the pricing would be like. Sites for comparison would be awesome.

Vidarien

www.premiumhumidors.com / www.cubancrafters.com. Basic 100 ones should be 40-50, classier ones with better outer wood / texture / glass range towards 70-80.

kuzi16

betasynn:

So tell me more about the Sancho Panza, I'm interested and haven't heard much about it. As far as Drew Estates, I had an Acid from there, and I was incredibly disappointed.

the two Sancho Panzas that i like are the Double maduro and the Extra Fuerte. the latter of the two being my favorite of the line (in the "madrid" size)

as far as the Drew estates thing goes...
you smoked an acid. no wonder you were disappointed. it was infused. La Vieja Habanna is a non infused cigar. for its price point it had very good flavors.