taste is so subjective that even price can change the flavor.
I agree but dis agree I feel some people think the more they spend the better... This is true to a extent but I all honesty one of my favorite got to sticks is cheap! I think sancho panza is a very under rated stick and the qc is very good. I have never been disappointed with a well rested extra fuerte
Big +1 on Sancho Panza. I haven't had one in a while. Thanks for reminding me.
Wow take a few days off and look what I miss! No secret here I think AJ hung the moon because I do think he is the most talented guy in the business but everyone knows that. I write a lot about him not because I want to sell more of his stuff, I write about it because I believe it and I like to write about what interests me so I hope no one mistakes some of the catalog copy as shameless selling. Remember, I am in this because like you guys I love cigars and my own passion sort of guides me professionally. That said, i certainly don't expect everyone to agree with me. For me, the fact that his cigars have some similar characteristics is one of the reasons I keep loving his stuff. His process is different and they are uniform throughout his lines. Well his premium lines. That said, I don't like everything. I personally don't care for morro castle or some of the cheaper blends but I do love me his premiums.
Like many said here, there are several lines/ brands/ cigar makers I don't care for. I don't think I would ever use the word suck no matter how much I dislike something. Cigar making is an art, a passion and a labor of love and I respect the work that goes into and know what it takes so I don't think I would personally use the word or make such a strong statement just out of respect for the work it takes process tobacco and make cigars. But again, that is just me and everyone is certainly entitled to their opinions, strong ones too.
I don't think the original post tied quality to dollars, but you do see a lot of that out there. I will say, you can evaluate a cigar on any number of things and many times it comes down to preference which is what makes this hobby so special. However, a cigar should never be evaluated on price. I am amazed that some of the $10 brands out there are also marketed at $2 with a different band and it will always amaze me that people love the $10 one and don't like the $2 one. Ironically, many of the cigars out there, national brands and private labels alike that sell for $3 and $4 actually cost more to make, use better tobacco than many I know of that people buy for $10 day in and day out yet I hear people refer to them as "cheap" or "dog rockets" and base their opinion on price alone, many times without even smoking it. PLEASE NOTE I AM ON A TANGENT HERE AND THIS IS NOT IN RESPONSE TO THIS POST BUT IT JUST WHERE MY FINGERS ARE TAKING ME. Lew Rothman (former president and owner of JR) said it best, "there are far more brands out there than blends". He is right. It isn't a huge difference but I think what he is getting at is that there are a lot of blends that are repacked and sold the same way and it is interesting to see how peoples opinions change. I can point to a dozen brands that sell for $8+ in the big list and could point out the same blend with a different name that sells for $3 elsewhere. Unfortunately, that stuff is always so hush hush. I am getting into wine and see the same thing at Trader Joes. Many of their private labels or "Trader Joes Reserves" are the same juice as some of the $50 bottles but sell for $12. For me, I love it!
Okay now circling back to the topic at hand. No way am I shutting this thread down. I love the "different strokes for different folks" aspect of cigars. The key is to enjoy the culture of cigar smoking and when it comes time for recommendations, get with the guys your palate aligns with and swap info on what you are trying. Im sure guys who are into AJ may take my opinions to heart. Others may identify with one of our consultants preferences more or a buddy. Its just the way of the world my friends.
I do however feel the industry is reaching critical mass here on confusion. Too many brands, too many limited releases (that are gone by the time the press release comes out). I thought about it the other day as I thumbed through the hundreds and hundreds of new releases coming out at the show next week. I haven't heard of half of the companies, some seem to making brands just to make brands and the drive of consumers always looking for something new I fear will have the reverse effect in about two years when people just want quality releases that were the product of long nights blending by cigar makers. Id rather see one great product from a company once a year or even two vs 10 things out of every camp every month. Sighhhh.... I remember when things were simple.
Sorry this thread bumped around and really went in about 8 tangents. Guess it has been a while s
ce I posted and I had more to get off my chest than I thought LOL. Smoke if you got em.
Very well put Alex. I wouldn't say any of what you wrote was a tangent. It's not that I don't appreciate what blenders do, I very much appreciate the hard work that goes into creating a cigar line. In my post I also talked about the history of the hobby. In my opinion AJ blends are pretty close to being the same. AJ has a lot product out just like Gurkha and RP. People don't buy Gurkha and RP as much anymore do to a flooded market of very similar blends and their prices on some of their sticks is just crazy.
Again in my opinion AJ is no different then Gurkha or RP in flooding the market with with a bunch of lines and pretty much the same blend. What does make AJ different is the price for his cigars. I have a feeling that if Gurkha and RP sold their inflated inventory for what AJ sales his sticks for AJ might not be around any longer. I think AJ does a great job of marketing his product to people that only want to pay 2-3 bucks a stick, and there is nothing wrong with that at all. Hell I wish I could find a 2-3 dollar stick I really liked. But I do think his prices and marketing do blind a lot of people new to the hobby. All in all, AJ is a good budget brand for a lot of people, just not this guy.
Have you ever noticed the blenders that have been in this business the longest stickto what they do best and never over produce mass quantitys of different blends. In my opinion the cigar boom really hurt our hobby.
Wow take a few days off and look what I miss! No secret here I think AJ hung the moon because I do think he is the most talented guy in the business but everyone knows that. I write a lot about him not because I want to sell more of his stuff, I write about it because I believe it and I like to write about what interests me so I hope no one mistakes some of the catalog copy as shameless selling. Remember, I am in this because like you guys I love cigars and my own passion sort of guides me professionally. That said, i certainly don't expect everyone to agree with me. For me, the fact that his cigars have some similar characteristics is one of the reasons I keep loving his stuff. His process is different and they are uniform throughout his lines. Well his premium lines. That said, I don't like everything. I personally don't care for morro castle or some of the cheaper blends but I do love me his premiums.
Like many said here, there are several lines/ brands/ cigar makers I don't care for. I don't think I would ever use the word suck no matter how much I dislike something. Cigar making is an art, a passion and a labor of love and I respect the work that goes into and know what it takes so I don't think I would personally use the word or make such a strong statement just out of respect for the work it takes process tobacco and make cigars. But again, that is just me and everyone is certainly entitled to their opinions, strong ones too.
I don't think the original post tied quality to dollars, but you do see a lot of that out there. I will say, you can evaluate a cigar on any number of things and many times it comes down to preference which is what makes this hobby so special. However, a cigar should never be evaluated on price. I am amazed that some of the $10 brands out there are also marketed at $2 with a different band and it will always amaze me that people love the $10 one and don't like the $2 one. Ironically, many of the cigars out there, national brands and private labels alike that sell for $3 and $4 actually cost more to make, use better tobacco than many I know of that people buy for $10 day in and day out yet I hear people refer to them as "cheap" or "dog rockets" and base their opinion on price alone, many times without even smoking it. PLEASE NOTE I AM ON A TANGENT HERE AND THIS IS NOT IN RESPONSE TO THIS POST BUT IT JUST WHERE MY FINGERS ARE TAKING ME. Lew Rothman (former president and owner of JR) said it best, "there are far more brands out there than blends". He is right. It isn't a huge difference but I think what he is getting at is that there are a lot of blends that are repacked and sold the same way and it is interesting to see how peoples opinions change. I can point to a dozen brands that sell for $8+ in the big list and could point out the same blend with a different name that sells for $3 elsewhere. Unfortunately, that stuff is always so hush hush. I am getting into wine and see the same thing at Trader Joes. Many of their private labels or "Trader Joes Reserves" are the same juice as some of the $50 bottles but sell for $12. For me, I love it!
Okay now circling back to the topic at hand. No way am I shutting this thread down. I love the "different strokes for different folks" aspect of cigars. The key is to enjoy the culture of cigar smoking and when it comes time for recommendations, get with the guys your palate aligns with and swap info on what you are trying. Im sure guys who are into AJ may take my opinions to heart. Others may identify with one of our consultants preferences more or a buddy. Its just the way of the world my friends.
I do however feel the industry is reaching critical mass here on confusion. Too many brands, too many limited releases (that are gone by the time the press release comes out). I thought about it the other day as I thumbed through the hundreds and hundreds of new releases coming out at the show next week. I haven't heard of half of the companies, some seem to making brands just to make brands and the drive of consumers always looking for something new I fear will have the reverse effect in about two years when people just want quality releases that were the product of long nights blending by cigar makers. Id rather see one great product from a company once a year or even two vs 10 things out of every camp every month. Sighhhh.... I remember when things were simple.
Sorry this thread bumped around and really went in about 8 tangents. Guess it has been a while s
ce I posted and I had more to get off my chest than I thought LOL. Smoke if you got em.
Very well put Alex. I wouldn't say any of what you wrote was a tangent. It's not that I don't appreciate what blenders do, I very much appreciate the hard work that goes into creating a cigar line. In my post I also talked about the history of the hobby. In my opinion AJ blends are pretty close to being the same. AJ has a lot product out just like Gurkha and RP. People don't buy Gurkha and RP as much anymore do to a flooded market of very similar blends and their prices on some of their sticks is just crazy.
Again in my opinion AJ is no different then Gurkha or RP in flooding the market with with a bunch of lines and pretty much the same blend. What does make AJ different is the price for his cigars. I have a feeling that if Gurkha and RP sold their inflated inventory for what AJ sales his sticks for AJ might not be around any longer. I think AJ does a great job of marketing his product to people that only want to pay 2-3 bucks a stick, and there is nothing wrong with that at all. Hell I wish I could find a 2-3 dollar stick I really liked. But I do think his prices and marketing do blind a lot of people new to the hobby. All in all, AJ is a good budget brand for a lot of people, just not this guy.
Have you ever noticed the blenders that have been in this business the longest stickto what they do best and never over produce mass quantitys of different blends. In my opinion the cigar boom really hurt our hobby.
Indeed but those guys started making anything for anyone to get their foot in the door. However, I think the greats do indeed eventually realize that is better to do a few things great and narrow the focus. I think AJ is moving in that direction. I love Oliva. New release this year is first in almost five years. Excluding the studio stuff of course.
taste is so subjective that even price can change the flavor.
I agree but dis agree I feel some people think the more they spend the better... This is true to a extent but I all honesty one of my favorite got to sticks is cheap! I think sancho panza is a very under rated stick and the qc is very good. I have never been disappointed with a well rested extra fuerte
Big +1 on Sancho Panza. I haven't had one in a while. Thanks for reminding me.
Nice post Alex. Do you think AJ has lessened his ability to move up in the market place as he has his hand in so many projects? I really enjoyed the Emilio cigars and felt like that was his best blend in regard to the boutique market. For example, I find it hard to jump into anything RP or Gurkha due to the excessive branding. I am finding it with AJ the more I smoke too, even though I have plenty of his smokes and neither of the latter. DPG is also all over the place, but it seems he and Pete have nailed the boutique limited release market to a T. While I am not a fan of most of their blends, I get pissed when I find one I like...and then can't find it...so it's a Catch 22. I really do hope the new blend nails the profile you spoke of, because I am really finding myself drawn to the medium complex profile. I'll be the first in line, and if I like it, shove it down the OP's throat.
I have to hand it to you on Bueso too, I was not impressed at first and ate crow. I liked it enough to review it, and look forward to exploring them as they get some rest and the oils marry.
I don't think it will effect his ability to move up. When you start and grow a factory you have to make cigars to keep your people busy but once you get the hang of it you can start to narrow your focus a bit and I think that is the stage he is in. He is making cigars now for less and less people, focusing on his own brands and most anything that comes out now or for the last year really that has had his name associated with it has been strictly premium and I think that is a move in the right direction. I think what hurt him the most is the fact that his cigars are so reasonably priced. Again, I think there is a lot of misconceptions about price. The only way he can break out of that though is to just set minimums but then all his stuff would be expensive and I think that is a losing equation for the consumer so he will never do it. Accessibility is a big thing for him.
I agree in regard to price on both levels. I laugh that my favorite maddy are his and I can get them for cheap, yet honestly....I stayed away from them for a long time because I just figured you had to spend Padron money to get a good maddy. Now I love both equally. The low price point he hits keeps consumers used to his smokes being cheap, so a higher end brand will always be questioned. I will say this, other then the online community...no one knows who he is in the B&M market and he has no shelf space. San Latano got him some shelf space, but still as I visit B&M's most people including the owners look at me funny when I mention AJ. I would love to see him tackle the complex market personally. Emilio is a great example, and oddly enough....people are buying the big ovals in the stores as the shape and size are attractive to the big ring gauge consumer.
Wow take a few days off and look what I miss! No secret here I think AJ hung the moon because I do think he is the most talented guy in the business but everyone knows that. I write a lot about him not because I want to sell more of his stuff, I write about it because I believe it and I like to write about what interests me so I hope no one mistakes some of the catalog copy as shameless selling. Remember, I am in this because like you guys I love cigars and my own passion sort of guides me professionally. That said, i certainly don't expect everyone to agree with me. For me, the fact that his cigars have some similar characteristics is one of the reasons I keep loving his stuff. His process is different and they are uniform throughout his lines. Well his premium lines. That said, I don't like everything. I personally don't care for morro castle or some of the cheaper blends but I do love me his premiums.
Like many said here, there are several lines/ brands/ cigar makers I don't care for. I don't think I would ever use the word suck no matter how much I dislike something. Cigar making is an art, a passion and a labor of love and I respect the work that goes into and know what it takes so I don't think I would personally use the word or make such a strong statement just out of respect for the work it takes process tobacco and make cigars. But again, that is just me and everyone is certainly entitled to their opinions, strong ones too.
I don't think the original post tied quality to dollars, but you do see a lot of that out there. I will say, you can evaluate a cigar on any number of things and many times it comes down to preference which is what makes this hobby so special. However, a cigar should never be evaluated on price. I am amazed that some of the $10 brands out there are also marketed at $2 with a different band and it will always amaze me that people love the $10 one and don't like the $2 one. Ironically, many of the cigars out there, national brands and private labels alike that sell for $3 and $4 actually cost more to make, use better tobacco than many I know of that people buy for $10 day in and day out yet I hear people refer to them as "cheap" or "dog rockets" and base their opinion on price alone, many times without even smoking it. PLEASE NOTE I AM ON A TANGENT HERE AND THIS IS NOT IN RESPONSE TO THIS POST BUT IT JUST WHERE MY FINGERS ARE TAKING ME. Lew Rothman (former president and owner of JR) said it best, "there are far more brands out there than blends". He is right. It isn't a huge difference but I think what he is getting at is that there are a lot of blends that are repacked and sold the same way and it is interesting to see how peoples opinions change. I can point to a dozen brands that sell for $8+ in the big list and could point out the same blend with a different name that sells for $3 elsewhere. Unfortunately, that stuff is always so hush hush. I am getting into wine and see the same thing at Trader Joes. Many of their private labels or "Trader Joes Reserves" are the same juice as some of the $50 bottles but sell for $12. For me, I love it!
Okay now circling back to the topic at hand. No way am I shutting this thread down. I love the "different strokes for different folks" aspect of cigars. The key is to enjoy the culture of cigar smoking and when it comes time for recommendations, get with the guys your palate aligns with and swap info on what you are trying. Im sure guys who are into AJ may take my opinions to heart. Others may identify with one of our consultants preferences more or a buddy. Its just the way of the world my friends.
I do however feel the industry is reaching critical mass here on confusion. Too many brands, too many limited releases (that are gone by the time the press release comes out). I thought about it the other day as I thumbed through the hundreds and hundreds of new releases coming out at the show next week. I haven't heard of half of the companies, some seem to making brands just to make brands and the drive of consumers always looking for something new I fear will have the reverse effect in about two years when people just want quality releases that were the product of long nights blending by cigar makers. Id rather see one great product from a company once a year or even two vs 10 things out of every camp every month. Sighhhh.... I remember when things were simple.
Sorry this thread bumped around and really went in about 8 tangents. Guess it has been a while s
ce I posted and I had more to get off my chest than I thought LOL. Smoke if you got em.
Very well put Alex. I wouldn't say any of what you wrote was a tangent. It's not that I don't appreciate what blenders do, I very much appreciate the hard work that goes into creating a cigar line. In my post I also talked about the history of the hobby. In my opinion AJ blends are pretty close to being the same. AJ has a lot product out just like Gurkha and RP. People don't buy Gurkha and RP as much anymore do to a flooded market of very similar blends and their prices on some of their sticks is just crazy.
Again in my opinion AJ is no different then Gurkha or RP in flooding the market with with a bunch of lines and pretty much the same blend. What does make AJ different is the price for his cigars. I have a feeling that if Gurkha and RP sold their inflated inventory for what AJ sales his sticks for AJ might not be around any longer. I think AJ does a great job of marketing his product to people that only want to pay 2-3 bucks a stick, and there is nothing wrong with that at all. Hell I wish I could find a 2-3 dollar stick I really liked. But I do think his prices and marketing do blind a lot of people new to the hobby. All in all, AJ is a good budget brand for a lot of people, just not this guy.
Have you ever noticed the blenders that have been in this business the longest stickto what they do best and never over produce mass quantitys of different blends. In my opinion the cigar boom really hurt our hobby.
Indeed but those guys started making anything for anyone to get their foot in the door. However, I think the greats do indeed eventually realize that is better to do a few things great and narrow the focus. I think AJ is moving in that direction. I love Oliva. New release this year is first in almost five years. Excluding the studio stuff of course.
I'm all for a better blend and better product from AJ, I understand needing to get your foot in the door, but do it with better product with less blends. He has so much out there honestly it's hard to even tell what isn't his anymore. I have to look it up.
taste is so subjective that even price can change the flavor.
I agree but dis agree I feel some people think the more they spend the better... This is true to a extent but I all honesty one of my favorite got to sticks is cheap! I think sancho panza is a very under rated stick and the qc is very good. I have never been disappointed with a well rested extra fuerte
Big +1 on Sancho Panza. I haven't had one in a while. Thanks for reminding me.
Totally agree here!!
i do agree with the sancho panza.
im gunna use that as an example to show what i mean. if i give a guy an unbanded sancho panza extra fuerte (one of my early favorites) they may or may not like it based on taste.
if i give the same guy the same unbanded sancho panza extra fuerte but tell him it is a $20 cigar his expectations going into it change. his brain may start looking for reasons to justify why it is good. ... or reasons to debunk that its a $20 stick.
give the same guy that same unbanded sancho panza extra fuerte and say its a cheep ass throwaway and his expectations are different. maybe now he wont pay attention to to because it is "nothing special."
of course, there could be thousands of other scenarios that could play out, but those are the ones off the top of my head.
while being on the topic of staste being subjective...
the company you keep can change the flavor of a cigar as well. example:
you go to a cigar event. you talk to the rep who is very excited about the cigar. the atmosphere is fun and everyone is geeking out on cigars discussing the very things we all talk about, the wrapper leaf, the rollers, the blenders, the country it came from etc. you smoke the cigar that the rep hands you for FREE and you light it up right there and it is GOOD. i mean damn good. there is a good deal going on so you shell out $100 and get a box. a week goes by and you are bored out of your gourd on your day off. you open the humidor and see that box eyeing you. remembering how good they are fresh you crack that bad boy open and pull one out and head to your preferred solitary smoking area to light it. ten minutes in and it tastes nothing like you remember.
were you fooled by the rep? nope. but at the event you were with good company, having fun and focusing less on the flavor of the cigar and more on the atmosphere around you.
taste is so subjective that even price can change the flavor.
I agree but dis agree I feel some people think the more they spend the better... This is true to a extent but I all honesty one of my favorite got to sticks is cheap! I think sancho panza is a very under rated stick and the qc is very good. I have never been disappointed with a well rested extra fuerte
Big +1 on Sancho Panza. I haven't had one in a while. Thanks for reminding me.
Totally agree here!!
i do agree with the sancho panza.
im gunna use that as an example to show what i mean. if i give a guy an unbanded sancho panza extra fuerte (one of my early favorites) they may or may not like it based on taste.
if i give the same guy the same unbanded sancho panza extra fuerte but tell him it is a $20 cigar his expectations going into it change. his brain may start looking for reasons to justify why it is good. ... or reasons to debunk that its a $20 stick.
give the same guy that same unbanded sancho panza extra fuerte and say its a cheep ass throwaway and his expectations are different. maybe now he wont pay attention to to because it is "nothing special."
of course, there could be thousands of other scenarios that could play out, but those are the ones off the top of my head.
while being on the topic of staste being subjective...
the company you keep can change the flavor of a cigar as well. example:
you go to a cigar event. you talk to the rep who is very excited about the cigar. the atmosphere is fun and everyone is geeking out on cigars discussing the very things we all talk about, the wrapper leaf, the rollers, the blenders, the country it came from etc. you smoke the cigar that the rep hands you for FREE and you light it up right there and it is GOOD. i mean damn good. there is a good deal going on so you shell out $100 and get a box. a week goes by and you are bored out of your gourd on your day off. you open the humidor and see that box eyeing you. remembering how good they are fresh you crack that bad boy open and pull one out and head to your preferred solitary smoking area to light it. ten minutes in and it tastes nothing like you remember.
were you fooled by the rep? nope. but at the event you were with good company, having fun and focusing less on the flavor of the cigar and more on the atmosphere around you.
I'll agree with that! I just feel as some of Aj's stuff is not the cheapest but falls in mid category for me. Not to say some of his stuff is really inexpensive. I do understand he isn't trying to break the bank and really admire that. But for the same price as some of his higher end stuff I feel like there are more worthy sticks out there. But all in all it is opinions
Just thought about this thread more. The truth is, not only do certain people prefer certain makers, but people smoke differently. For example, I smoke with my nose and mouth but I don't inhale. Some people smoke with just the mouth, some mouth and inhale without nose, etc etc. Each style provides a very different experience. Sometimes I smoke the same blend every which way and in some instances it tastes like a completely different cigar. Sometimes I love a cigar on the palate but the second I use my nose I find a distaste. For me, the blend has to be good when I use the palate and nose. But that is how I smoke. Others just want all palate and no aroma. I wonder if the folks out there that have similar tastes smoke the same way too. Maybe that has more to do with it than anything else. Bueso is a great example. If I don't use my nose, I don't like it. If I use my nose, I love it. Two completely different animals. This would be an interesting experiment. Going to start a new thread.
This is what I tried to touch on earlier, when smoking i really try to regulate my breathing, so I dont inhale and so I can fully appreciate the smoke on my palate and on the retrohale. I remember when I first began retrohaling and how much it changed the flavor and my smoking experience. Some of the blends (dpg) are some real eye waterers,,lol.. I'll always have AJF cigars in my humidor!
Yea Alex, after reading over the years about how much passion and heart AJF has put into his cigars and the industry itself, I felt the OP of saying his cigars suck was way harsh and disrespectful to a fellow artisan. Are there Blenders I dont care for? Sure! The victor sinclair and puros indios cigars come to mind. Would I create a thread just to bash their product,,NO. Let AJF know I want one of his hats!!! ) Take Care and Thanks for your contributions to this industry as well!!
Just thought about this thread more. The truth is, not only do certain people prefer certain makers, but people smoke differently. For example, I smoke with my nose and mouth but I don't inhale. Some people smoke with just the mouth, some mouth and inhale without nose, etc etc. Each style provides a very different experience. Sometimes I smoke the same blend every which way and in some instances it tastes like a completely different cigar. Sometimes I love a cigar on the palate but the second I use my nose I find a distaste. For me, the blend has to be good when I use the palate and nose. But that is how I smoke. Others just want all palate and no aroma. I wonder if the folks out there that have similar tastes smoke the same way too. Maybe that has more to do with it than anything else. Bueso is a great example. If I don't use my nose, I don't like it. If I use my nose, I love it. Two completely different animals. This would be an interesting experiment. Going to start a new thread.
This is what I tried to touch on earlier, when smoking i really try to regulate my breathing, so I dont inhale and so I can fully appreciate the smoke on my palate and on the retrohale. I remember when I first began retrohaling and how much it changed the flavor and my smoking experience. Some of the blends (dpg) are some real eye waterers,,lol.. I'll always have AJF cigars in my humidor!
Yea Alex, after reading over the years about how much passion and heart AJF has put into his cigars and the industry itself, I felt the OP of saying his cigars suck was way harsh and disrespectful to a fellow artisan. Are there Blenders I dont care for? Sure! The victor sinclair and puros indios cigars come to mind. Would I create a thread just to bash their product,,NO. Let AJF know I want two of his hats , one for myself and one for my buddy jj!!! ) Take Care and Thanks for your contributions to this industry as well!!
Just thought about this thread more. The truth is, not only do certain people prefer certain makers, but people smoke differently. For example, I smoke with my nose and mouth but I don't inhale. Some people smoke with just the mouth, some mouth and inhale without nose, etc etc. Each style provides a very different experience. Sometimes I smoke the same blend every which way and in some instances it tastes like a completely different cigar. Sometimes I love a cigar on the palate but the second I use my nose I find a distaste. For me, the blend has to be good when I use the palate and nose. But that is how I smoke. Others just want all palate and no aroma. I wonder if the folks out there that have similar tastes smoke the same way too. Maybe that has more to do with it than anything else. Bueso is a great example. If I don't use my nose, I don't like it. If I use my nose, I love it. Two completely different animals. This would be an interesting experiment. Going to start a new thread.
This is what I tried to touch on earlier, when smoking i really try to regulate my breathing, so I dont inhale and so I can fully appreciate the smoke on my palate and on the retrohale. I remember when I first began retrohaling and how much it changed the flavor and my smoking experience. Some of the blends (dpg) are some real eye waterers,,lol.. I'll always have AJF cigars in my humidor!
Yea Alex, after reading over the years about how much passion and heart AJF has put into his cigars and the industry itself, I felt the OP of saying his cigars suck was way harsh and disrespectful to a fellow artisan. Are there Blenders I dont care for? Sure! The victor sinclair and puros indios cigars come to mind. Would I create a thread just to bash their product,,NO. Let AJF know I want two of his hats , one for myself and one for my buddy jj!!! ) Take Care and Thanks for your contributions to this industry as well!!
Just thought about this thread more. The truth is, not only do certain people prefer certain makers, but people smoke differently. For example, I smoke with my nose and mouth but I don't inhale. Some people smoke with just the mouth, some mouth and inhale without nose, etc etc. Each style provides a very different experience. Sometimes I smoke the same blend every which way and in some instances it tastes like a completely different cigar. Sometimes I love a cigar on the palate but the second I use my nose I find a distaste. For me, the blend has to be good when I use the palate and nose. But that is how I smoke. Others just want all palate and no aroma. I wonder if the folks out there that have similar tastes smoke the same way too. Maybe that has more to do with it than anything else. Bueso is a great example. If I don't use my nose, I don't like it. If I use my nose, I love it. Two completely different animals. This would be an interesting experiment. Going to start a new thread.
This is what I tried to touch on earlier, when smoking i really try to regulate my breathing, so I dont inhale and so I can fully appreciate the smoke on my palate and on the retrohale. I remember when I first began retrohaling and how much it changed the flavor and my smoking experience. Some of the blends (dpg) are some real eye waterers,,lol.. I'll always have AJF cigars in my humidor!
Yea Alex, after reading over the years about how much passion and heart AJF has put into his cigars and the industry itself, I felt the OP of saying his cigars suck was way harsh and disrespectful to a fellow artisan. Are there Blenders I dont care for? Sure! The victor sinclair and puros indios cigars come to mind. Would I create a thread just to bash their product,,NO. Let AJF know I want one of his hats!!! ) Take Care and Thanks for your contributions to this industry as well!!
So one word = harsh. Now that's funny. Personally I find it hard to believe AJ puts "passion" into his product. I'm mean how could he, he has so many blend and sticks out there I but he can't even remember them all. Now how can you be passionate about that. I can see creating a few amazing blends and being really proud of them and focusing on them because you put your heart and soul into them, that I would call passionate. Would you call Gurkha passionate or RP? I wouldn't. To me flooding the market does not equal passionate, I see more of an opportunist taking advantage of a bad economy. But that's just my two cents. Sorry if it's to harsh for you.
taste is so subjective that even price can change the flavor.
I agree but dis agree I feel some people think the more they spend the better... This is true to a extent but I all honesty one of my favorite got to sticks is cheap! I think sancho panza is a very under rated stick and the qc is very good. I have never been disappointed with a well rested extra fuerte
Big +1 on Sancho Panza. I haven't had one in a while. Thanks for reminding me.
Totally agree here!!
i do agree with the sancho panza.
im gunna use that as an example to show what i mean. if i give a guy an unbanded sancho panza extra fuerte (one of my early favorites) they may or may not like it based on taste.
if i give the same guy the same unbanded sancho panza extra fuerte but tell him it is a $20 cigar his expectations going into it change. his brain may start looking for reasons to justify why it is good. ... or reasons to debunk that its a $20 stick.
give the same guy that same unbanded sancho panza extra fuerte and say its a cheep ass throwaway and his expectations are different. maybe now he wont pay attention to to because it is "nothing special."
of course, there could be thousands of other scenarios that could play out, but those are the ones off the top of my head.
while being on the topic of staste being subjective...
the company you keep can change the flavor of a cigar as well. example:
you go to a cigar event. you talk to the rep who is very excited about the cigar. the atmosphere is fun and everyone is geeking out on cigars discussing the very things we all talk about, the wrapper leaf, the rollers, the blenders, the country it came from etc. you smoke the cigar that the rep hands you for FREE and you light it up right there and it is GOOD. i mean damn good. there is a good deal going on so you shell out $100 and get a box. a week goes by and you are bored out of your gourd on your day off. you open the humidor and see that box eyeing you. remembering how good they are fresh you crack that bad boy open and pull one out and head to your preferred solitary smoking area to light it. ten minutes in and it tastes nothing like you remember.
were you fooled by the rep? nope. but at the event you were with good company, having fun and focusing less on the flavor of the cigar and more on the atmosphere around you.
I agree with you completely. In my opinion the price of AJ's stick keeps people coming back for more. It's a decent stick with a cheap price tag for them. If he really wanted to make a name for himself why not put out some higher end product at a great price. Until he does the question is going to remain, do people really like AJ sticks cause they are good or cause the price is awesome.
I guess we will disagree on this one foreever. The one thing I would like though is to see what you smoke on a regular basis. See I like AJ and DPG so if you trade with me thawill be what you probally get because I try to send people my favorites and things that I enjoy. I wouldnt send in a trade a cigar I dont smoke unless its a pass or somthing special were I go shopping just for it. So what I'm saying is you talk about AJ blends being yard gars and you only smoke really expensive sticks. Now you just have to prove it.
wow..........just spent waaaay to much time reading this thread
that being said, here's my one cents worth (sorry, can't give 2, I'm a noob)
1) I like most AJ products (I like med to full sticks - I'm on a budget = AJ is good for me)
2) imvho, many AJ products need rest, like at least 6 months, 12 being even better.........this can be an issue for some people, but not for me.........while many other cigars brands I like don't seem to need this amount of rest - Tats, Fuente, LFD, many La Auroras, etc., again imho. In a very simplistic analysis, it appears in some way that one pays a premium for a cigar that is "ready" to smoke. I don't mind at all paying $2 for a cigar that will taste (to me) as good as most $6-$8 cigars in a year........I have time...............I have storage...........I have a system............I'm on a budget
That being said......this past Sunday I smoked a one year old (1 yr. in my humi) MoW Robusto that cost me 2 bucks..............that's about as "AJ" as it gets!!
It was friggin awesome!
and no...........the price did not affect the flavor..........
I guess we will disagree on this one foreever. The one thing I would like though is to see what you smoke on a regular basis. See I like AJ and DPG so if you trade with me thawill be what you probally get because I try to send people my favorites and things that I enjoy. I wouldnt send in a trade a cigar I dont smoke unless its a pass or somthing special were I go shopping just for it. So what I'm saying is you talk about AJ blends being yard gars and you only smoke really expensive sticks. Now you just have to prove it.
Yep we are going to disagree forever!! And since you want to call me out on what I smoke I guess I'll play along. You won't find any more AJ stuff in my wineador, I just bombed out my last two sticks, but just so you know I smoked all the other AJ sticks which is why I decided to start this thread. Now all I have learned from you is there will be no trading between us in the future. Ill also have you know that I just don't smoke high end stuff. But if you really must know what I have on hand here is a list.
Box of LADC Mi Amors Beli Box of AF Hemingway Signatures Box of AB Prensado Churchills Box of Padron 1926 #1's Box of Padron 1926 #2's Just finished a box of Perdomo Habano maduro torpedos I still have a lot of singles and some ISOM's Oh and a half box of cuivari 4000 reserva's
That it's the bulk of my collection so far. Now I'm sure there is some stuff your going to trash or pick a part and that's fine. I love all of it!
Just thought about this thread more. The truth is, not only do certain people prefer certain makers, but people smoke differently. For example, I smoke with my nose and mouth but I don't inhale. Some people smoke with just the mouth, some mouth and inhale without nose, etc etc. Each style provides a very different experience. Sometimes I smoke the same blend every which way and in some instances it tastes like a completely different cigar. Sometimes I love a cigar on the palate but the second I use my nose I find a distaste. For me, the blend has to be good when I use the palate and nose. But that is how I smoke. Others just want all palate and no aroma. I wonder if the folks out there that have similar tastes smoke the same way too. Maybe that has more to do with it than anything else. Bueso is a great example. If I don't use my nose, I don't like it. If I use my nose, I love it. Two completely different animals. This would be an interesting experiment. Going to start a new thread.
This is what I tried to touch on earlier, when smoking i really try to regulate my breathing, so I dont inhale and so I can fully appreciate the smoke on my palate and on the retrohale. I remember when I first began retrohaling and how much it changed the flavor and my smoking experience. Some of the blends (dpg) are some real eye waterers,,lol.. I'll always have AJF cigars in my humidor!
Yea Alex, after reading over the years about how much passion and heart AJF has put into his cigars and the industry itself, I felt the OP of saying his cigars suck was way harsh and disrespectful to a fellow artisan. Are there Blenders I dont care for? Sure! The victor sinclair and puros indios cigars come to mind. Would I create a thread just to bash their product,,NO. Let AJF know I want one of his hats!!! ) Take Care and Thanks for your contributions to this industry as well!!
So one word = harsh. Now that's funny. Personally I find it hard to believe AJ puts "passion" into his product. I'm mean how could he, he has so many blend and sticks out there I but he can't even remember them all. Now how can you be passionate about that. I can see creating a few amazing blends and being really proud of them and focusing on them because you put your heart and soul into them, that I would call passionate. Would you call Gurkha passionate or RP? I wouldn't. To me flooding the market does not equal passionate, I see more of an opportunist taking advantage of a bad economy. But that's just my two cents. Sorry if it's to harsh for you.
Your not disrespecting me so much as you are a blender. and saying AJF is like RP or Gurkha just goes to show how little thought you are putting into the things you are saying/writing.. Ill tell you this DPG has had his hands in more blends than AJF are you going to compare him to Gurkha or RP or say he's out of touch.. Truly,, I think your out of touch.
Just thought about this thread more. The truth is, not only do certain people prefer certain makers, but people smoke differently. For example, I smoke with my nose and mouth but I don't inhale. Some people smoke with just the mouth, some mouth and inhale without nose, etc etc. Each style provides a very different experience. Sometimes I smoke the same blend every which way and in some instances it tastes like a completely different cigar. Sometimes I love a cigar on the palate but the second I use my nose I find a distaste. For me, the blend has to be good when I use the palate and nose. But that is how I smoke. Others just want all palate and no aroma. I wonder if the folks out there that have similar tastes smoke the same way too. Maybe that has more to do with it than anything else. Bueso is a great example. If I don't use my nose, I don't like it. If I use my nose, I love it. Two completely different animals. This would be an interesting experiment. Going to start a new thread.
This is what I tried to touch on earlier, when smoking i really try to regulate my breathing, so I dont inhale and so I can fully appreciate the smoke on my palate and on the retrohale. I remember when I first began retrohaling and how much it changed the flavor and my smoking experience. Some of the blends (dpg) are some real eye waterers,,lol.. I'll always have AJF cigars in my humidor!
Yea Alex, after reading over the years about how much passion and heart AJF has put into his cigars and the industry itself, I felt the OP of saying his cigars suck was way harsh and disrespectful to a fellow artisan. Are there Blenders I dont care for? Sure! The victor sinclair and puros indios cigars come to mind. Would I create a thread just to bash their product,,NO. Let AJF know I want one of his hats!!! ) Take Care and Thanks for your contributions to this industry as well!!
So one word = harsh. Now that's funny. Personally I find it hard to believe AJ puts "passion" into his product. I'm mean how could he, he has so many blend and sticks out there I but he can't even remember them all. Now how can you be passionate about that. I can see creating a few amazing blends and being really proud of them and focusing on them because you put your heart and soul into them, that I would call passionate. Would you call Gurkha passionate or RP? I wouldn't. To me flooding the market does not equal passionate, I see more of an opportunist taking advantage of a bad economy. But that's just my two cents. Sorry if it's to harsh for you.
Your not disrespecting me so much as you are a blender. and saying AJF is like RP or Gurkha just goes to show how little thought you are putting into the things you are saying/writing.. Ill tell you this DPG has had his hands in more blends than AJF are you going to compare him to Gurkha or RP or say he's out of touch.. Truly,, I think your out of touch.
If twelve years of smoking cigars makes me out of touch, well I guess I'm out of touch LOL. And I would never compare DPG to AJ thats just wrong.
Sorry to jump in, but the blends DPG has his hands in are much higher quality, so I would not consider that the same as AJ. I would compare AJ to RP and Gurkha in that regard, but I only have say....6 RP and Gurkha in my humi as opposed to 30 AJ's. To me though, AJ can't come close to DPG on the higher end smoke, which is why I posed the questions I did to Alex. Now that his foot is in the door, I hope he does scale back and concentrate on a couple excellent blends. As much as I don't buy into the hype, AJ can't touch what DPG and PJ are doing right now.
Sorry to jump in, but the blends DPG has his hands in are much higher quality, so I would not consider that the same as AJ. I would compare AJ to RP and Gurkha in that regard, but I only have say....6 RP and Gurkha in my humi as opposed to 30 AJ's. To me though, AJ can't come close to DPG on the higher end smoke, which is why I posed the questions I did to Alex. Now that his foot is in the door, I hope he does scale back and concentrate on a couple excellent blends. As much as I don't buy into the hype, AJ can't touch what DPG and PJ are doing right now.
And with respect to AJ, I don't think anyone can touch his coronas or Maduro's right now in the given price points.
And construction.... AJ's construction is excellent and better then DPG IMO....
I can agree with that 100% also. The AJ sticks I have smoked have been well constructed.
In which case you really can't compare to RP and Gurkha because most of their stuff blows in that regard. It's the watered down blends that do. I do think he moved in the right direction with San Latono ad hopefully his new blend. Daniel got some smokes he made for the European market an I would be really interested o try his take on that as that profile is not the earthy one he always has.
And with respect to AJ, I don't think anyone can touch his coronas or Maduro's right now in the given price points.
And construction.... AJ's construction is excellent and better then DPG IMO....
I can agree with that 100% also. The AJ sticks I have smoked have been well constructed.
In which case you really can't compare to RP and Gurkha because most of their stuff blows in that regard. It's the watered down blends that do. I do think he moved in the right direction with San Latono ad hopefully his new blend. Daniel got some smokes he made for the European market an I would be really interested o try his take on that as that profile is not the earthy one he always has.
Just because AJ cigars are constructed well doesn't mean it's a quality brand. I was composing AJ to Gurkha and RP in that they all have flooded the market with blends so a like to the rest they could literally swap bands on some of their stuff and I don't think people would know the difference. Gurkha has actually been accused of doing such a thing, so what's to stop a blender who is trying to make a name for himself from doing the same thing. There are a lot of dogrockets that have great construction and there are a lot of high end stuff that has horrible construction. Construction was never the issue.
Wow take a few days off and look what I miss! No secret here I think AJ hung the moon because I do think he is the most talented guy in the business but everyone knows that. I write a lot about him not because I want to sell more of his stuff, I write about it because I believe it and I like to write about what interests me so I hope no one mistakes some of the catalog copy as shameless selling. Remember, I am in this because like you guys I love cigars and my own passion sort of guides me professionally. That said, i certainly don't expect everyone to agree with me. For me, the fact that his cigars have some similar characteristics is one of the reasons I keep loving his stuff. His process is different and they are uniform throughout his lines. Well his premium lines. That said, I don't like everything. I personally don't care for morro castle or some of the cheaper blends but I do love me his premiums.
Like many said here, there are several lines/ brands/ cigar makers I don't care for. I don't think I would ever use the word suck no matter how much I dislike something. Cigar making is an art, a passion and a labor of love and I respect the work that goes into and know what it takes so I don't think I would personally use the word or make such a strong statement just out of respect for the work it takes process tobacco and make cigars. But again, that is just me and everyone is certainly entitled to their opinions, strong ones too.
I don't think the original post tied quality to dollars, but you do see a lot of that out there. I will say, you can evaluate a cigar on any number of things and many times it comes down to preference which is what makes this hobby so special. However, a cigar should never be evaluated on price. I am amazed that some of the $10 brands out there are also marketed at $2 with a different band and it will always amaze me that people love the $10 one and don't like the $2 one. Ironically, many of the cigars out there, national brands and private labels alike that sell for $3 and $4 actually cost more to make, use better tobacco than many I know of that people buy for $10 day in and day out yet I hear people refer to them as "cheap" or "dog rockets" and base their opinion on price alone, many times without even smoking it. PLEASE NOTE I AM ON A TANGENT HERE AND THIS IS NOT IN RESPONSE TO THIS POST BUT IT JUST WHERE MY FINGERS ARE TAKING ME. Lew Rothman (former president and owner of JR) said it best, "there are far more brands out there than blends". He is right. It isn't a huge difference but I think what he is getting at is that there are a lot of blends that are repacked and sold the same way and it is interesting to see how peoples opinions change. I can point to a dozen brands that sell for $8+ in the big list and could point out the same blend with a different name that sells for $3 elsewhere. Unfortunately, that stuff is always so hush hush. I am getting into wine and see the same thing at Trader Joes. Many of their private labels or "Trader Joes Reserves" are the same juice as some of the $50 bottles but sell for $12. For me, I love it!
Okay now circling back to the topic at hand. No way am I shutting this thread down. I love the "different strokes for different folks" aspect of cigars. The key is to enjoy the culture of cigar smoking and when it comes time for recommendations, get with the guys your palate aligns with and swap info on what you are trying. Im sure guys who are into AJ may take my opinions to heart. Others may identify with one of our consultants preferences more or a buddy. Its just the way of the world my friends.
I do however feel the industry is reaching critical mass here on confusion. Too many brands, too many limited releases (that are gone by the time the press release comes out). I thought about it the other day as I thumbed through the hundreds and hundreds of new releases coming out at the show next week. I haven't heard of half of the companies, some seem to making brands just to make brands and the drive of consumers always looking for something new I fear will have the reverse effect in about two years when people just want quality releases that were the product of long nights blending by cigar makers. Id rather see one great product from a company once a year or even two vs 10 things out of every camp every month. Sighhhh.... I remember when things were simple.
Sorry this thread bumped around and really went in about 8 tangents. Guess it has been a while since I posted and I had more to get off my chest than I thought LOL. Smoke if you got em.
Well said Alex, and don't feel like u need to apologize for going on a rant...it is your forum/company after all...we are just like the wife's brother that sleeps on the couch and just won't leave
Price point means jack to me personally. I don't like anything ive smoked from aj except the oval naturals. I reaaaally enjoyed that cigar. I think what Jason is trying to say is regardless of price point, when you only smoke once to twice a week, most of his stuff doesn't take place in the rotation. Just because some people smoke 5-10 sticks a week, and aj has very good bang for the buck doesn't mean hes a great blender but maybe more a good business man. I wanted to love an blends, because who doesn't want to find a diamond in the rough? Unfortunately for me he fell a bit flat. Except the oval naturals, if you have any lying around I guess ill take them. 8)
I guess we will disagree on this one foreever. The one thing I would like though is to see what you smoke on a regular basis. See I like AJ and DPG so if you trade with me thawill be what you probally get because I try to send people my favorites and things that I enjoy. I wouldnt send in a trade a cigar I dont smoke unless its a pass or somthing special were I go shopping just for it. So what I'm saying is you talk about AJ blends being yard gars and you only smoke really expensive sticks. Now you just have to prove it.
Yep we are going to disagree forever!! And since you want to call me out on what I smoke I guess I'll play along. You won't find any more AJ stuff in my wineador, I just bombed out my last two sticks, but just so you know I smoked all the other AJ sticks which is why I decided to start this thread. Now all I have learned from you is there will be no trading between us in the future. Ill also have you know that I just don't smoke high end stuff. But if you really must know what I have on hand here is a list.
Box of LADC Mi Amors Beli Box of AF Hemingway Signatures Box of AB Prensado Churchills Box of Padron 1926 #1's Box of Padron 1926 #2's Just finished a box of Perdomo Habano maduro torpedos I still have a lot of singles and some ISOM's Oh and a half box of cuivari 4000 reserva's
That it's the bulk of my collection so far. Now I'm sure there is some stuff your going to trash or pick a part and that's fine. I love all of it!
NICE! I know what your end of the trade will resemble!?!?!?! JK
I guess we will disagree on this one foreever. The one thing I would like though is to see what you smoke on a regular basis. See I like AJ and DPG so if you trade with me thawill be what you probally get because I try to send people my favorites and things that I enjoy. I wouldnt send in a trade a cigar I dont smoke unless its a pass or somthing special were I go shopping just for it. So what I'm saying is you talk about AJ blends being yard gars and you only smoke really expensive sticks. Now you just have to prove it.
Yep we are going to disagree forever!! And since you want to call me out on what I smoke I guess I'll play along. You won't find any more AJ stuff in my wineador, I just bombed out my last two sticks, but just so you know I smoked all the other AJ sticks which is why I decided to start this thread. Now all I have learned from you is there will be no trading between us in the future. Ill also have you know that I just don't smoke high end stuff. But if you really must know what I have on hand here is a list.
Box of LADC Mi Amors Beli Box of AF Hemingway Signatures Box of AB Prensado Churchills Box of Padron 1926 #1's Box of Padron 1926 #2's Just finished a box of Perdomo Habano maduro torpedos I still have a lot of singles and some ISOM's Oh and a half box of cuivari 4000 reserva's
That it's the bulk of my collection so far. Now I'm sure there is some stuff your going to trash or pick a part and that's fine. I love all of it!
NICE! I know what your end of the trade will resemble!?!?!?! JK
Comments
Again in my opinion AJ is no different then Gurkha or RP in flooding the market with with a bunch of lines and pretty much the same blend. What does make AJ different is the price for his cigars. I have a feeling that if Gurkha and RP sold their inflated inventory for what AJ sales his sticks for AJ might not be around any longer. I think AJ does a great job of marketing his product to people that only want to pay 2-3 bucks a stick, and there is nothing wrong with that at all. Hell I wish I could find a 2-3 dollar stick I really liked. But I do think his prices and marketing do blind a lot of people new to the hobby. All in all, AJ is a good budget brand for a lot of people, just not this guy.
Have you ever noticed the blenders that have been in this business the longest stickto what they do best and never over produce mass quantitys of different blends. In my opinion the cigar boom really hurt our hobby.
im gunna use that as an example to show what i mean.
if i give a guy an unbanded sancho panza extra fuerte (one of my early favorites) they may or may not like it based on taste.
if i give the same guy the same unbanded sancho panza extra fuerte but tell him it is a $20 cigar his expectations going into it change. his brain may start looking for reasons to justify why it is good. ... or reasons to debunk that its a $20 stick.
give the same guy that same unbanded sancho panza extra fuerte and say its a cheep ass throwaway and his expectations are different. maybe now he wont pay attention to to because it is "nothing special."
of course, there could be thousands of other scenarios that could play out, but those are the ones off the top of my head.
while being on the topic of staste being subjective...
the company you keep can change the flavor of a cigar as well.
example:
you go to a cigar event. you talk to the rep who is very excited about the cigar. the atmosphere is fun and everyone is geeking out on cigars discussing the very things we all talk about, the wrapper leaf, the rollers, the blenders, the country it came from etc. you smoke the cigar that the rep hands you for FREE and you light it up right there and it is GOOD. i mean damn good. there is a good deal going on so you shell out $100 and get a box.
a week goes by and you are bored out of your gourd on your day off. you open the humidor and see that box eyeing you. remembering how good they are fresh you crack that bad boy open and pull one out and head to your preferred solitary smoking area to light it. ten minutes in and it tastes nothing like you remember.
were you fooled by the rep?
nope. but at the event you were with good company, having fun and focusing less on the flavor of the cigar and more on the atmosphere around you.
I'll always have AJF cigars in my humidor!
Yea Alex, after reading over the years about how much passion and heart AJF has put into his cigars and the industry itself, I felt the OP of saying his cigars suck was way harsh and disrespectful to a fellow artisan. Are there Blenders I dont care for? Sure! The victor sinclair and puros indios cigars come to mind. Would I create a thread just to bash their product,,NO. Let AJF know I want one of his hats!!!
that being said, here's my one cents worth (sorry, can't give 2, I'm a noob)
1) I like most AJ products (I like med to full sticks - I'm on a budget = AJ is good for me)
2) imvho, many AJ products need rest, like at least 6 months, 12 being even better.........this can be an issue for some people, but not for me.........while many other cigars brands I like don't seem to need this amount of rest - Tats, Fuente, LFD, many La Auroras, etc., again imho. In a very simplistic analysis, it appears in some way that one pays a premium for a cigar that is "ready" to smoke. I don't mind at all paying $2 for a cigar that will taste (to me) as good as most $6-$8 cigars in a year........I have time...............I have storage...........I have a system............I'm on a budget
That being said......this past Sunday I smoked a one year old (1 yr. in my humi) MoW Robusto that cost me 2 bucks..............that's about as "AJ" as it gets!!
It was friggin awesome!
and no...........the price did not affect the flavor..........
Box of LADC Mi Amors Beli
Box of AF Hemingway Signatures
Box of AB Prensado Churchills
Box of Padron 1926 #1's
Box of Padron 1926 #2's
Just finished a box of Perdomo Habano maduro torpedos
I still have a lot of singles and some ISOM's
Oh and a half box of cuivari 4000 reserva's
That it's the bulk of my collection so far. Now I'm sure there is some stuff your going to trash or pick a part and that's fine. I love all of it!
"Long ashes my friends."