What Cigar are You Smoking?

[danimalia]

I remember loving Illusione when they first came out. Is the blend today pretty much what it was about 10 years ago?

To the extent that I can trust my memory, I would say they mostly are what I remember from when they first came out. For me, they are medium-full to full bodied with a good amount (but not an overwhelming amount of) of pepper spice, nutty sweetness and almost like a sarsparilla/root beer note. That's for the core, "Original Documents" line. The sizes do vary a bit in flavor and body/strength profile, I think.

I also really like the Fume D'Amor line, which is made without ligero, like the Epernays. While I've never been gaga over the Epernays like a lot of folks are, the FD'A line is one of my favorites.

I would say they're less earthy than a lot of Nicaraguan cigars, overall. Definitely a brand I reach for pretty often.

 

[jttnk]

Donate the rest to charity?

I would, but only had two.

 

[jttnk]

La Gloria Cubana Spanish Press. This is a very nice cigar. Deeper darker rich flavors. chocolate, earth, dark coffee, and more.

The HappyFace. Don’t worry, I’m not trying to start a lame picture thing, It’s just last nights cigar was so lame…

 

[Rockyrepose]

I'm smoking an unbanded cigar from a tote that contained Warped brand cigars. Guessing it's a 2018 Lirio Rojo. It was 1 of 4, glad there are a few more. Coffee is the drink before the yard work commences.

 

[tbradsim1]

Cutting grass with a Jamie Garcia Super Gordo, finished wife brought mr a Oliva Series V Melanio, to smoke on porch with a glass of cold water, love that woman.

 

[cshubhra]

Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro

 

[weezell]

Earlier...

 

[jttnk]

Sobremesa Brûlée, The hype is not overblown. This is a wonderful cigar.

 

[Paul lec]

Cohiba White with some black coffee. Finally a Sunday morning to relax! Listening to Art Pepper & George Cables “Goin Home”.

 

[pantsBoots]

RyJ Petit Corona. 6 years has transformed these from ho hum to magnificent.

 

[cshubhra]

Relic by AJ Fernandez

 

[Rockyrepose]

CYB Lonsdale Club, I have 3 left from 2014 and I need smoke through them, still decent.

 

[dcon]

La Vieje Habana Celebracion Nacional (6 x 60, Cuban Corojo/ Nicaraguan/ Nicaraguan). A Cuban sandwich (short filler) cigar from the folks at Drew Estate.

This was an attempt at a ’nostalgia smoke’.

In the late 90’s (98, I believe) i attended the RTDA trade show in Nashville. As I was passing a booth, I was approached by a gentleman with a NY accent and he placed a cigar in my mouth and preceded to light it.It was a ’new’ cigar named La Vieje Habana. There were 4 cigars in the line. All 4 were torpedoes and there was a longer and shorter length of two different mixes. One, I believe, had a CT shade wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and the filler was Dominican and Nicaraguan short filler. The one that I was presented with had the same binder and fillers but, had an Ecuadorian Rosado wrapper. I spoke briefly with a couple of men there and was really enjoying the taste. I was going to walk the floor, smoking the cigar, and agreed to contact them, after the show, if I wanted to order.

As I walked the floor, the cigar sort of started to deconstruct. One of the competitors at another booth offered to get me a “real” cigar that, would not fall apart. I told him that, I could not put it out because it tasted so damn good. It did indeed.

I had several samples that I smoked over the next few weeks but, I could never reach these guys when I tried to order some more. They operated out of a kiosk at the World Trade Center. Maybe they had more business than they could handle.

When 9/11 occurred, I always wondered what happened to those guys. I, of course, learned later that, they had hit the big time with infused cigars and even later, became ”real” cigar players.. The La Vije had fallen to the wayside.

This next statement will be a bit shocking. To this day, those early Rosado wrapped cigars are the closest taste to a Cuban cigar that, I have ever smoked in a non-Cuban.

Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about this current iteration. The wrapper is different and it has a vegetal taste. It does share the same crappy construction

 

[pantsBoots]

My favorite Padron. Last from the box - here's hoping there is another release of these.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Oliva Serie V Melanio robusto on the swing in the backyard. Watching the sun creep down.

 

[weezell]

Earlier...

 

[Rockyrepose]

 

[danimalia]

I'm smoking an unbanded cigar from a tote that contained Warped brand cigars. Guessing it's a 2018 Lirio Rojo. It was 1 of 4, glad there are a few more. Coffee is the drink before the yard work commences.

That's one I've always meant to try. Hard to go wrong with a traditional corona or Lonsdale size.

La Vieje Habana Celebracion Nacional (6 x 60, Cuban Corojo/ Nicaraguan/ Nicaraguan). A Cuban sandwich (short filler) cigar from the folks at Drew Estate.

This was an attempt at a ’nostalgia smoke’.

In the late 90’s (98, I believe) i attended the RTDA trade show in Nashville. As I was passing a booth, I was approached by a gentleman with a NY accent and he placed a cigar in my mouth and preceded to light it.It was a ’new’ cigar named La Vieje Habana. There were 4 cigars in the line. All 4 were torpedoes and there was a longer and shorter length of two different mixes. One, I believe, had a CT shade wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and the filler was Dominican and Nicaraguan short filler. The one that I was presented with had the same binder and fillers but, had an Ecuadorian Rosado wrapper. I spoke briefly with a couple of men there and was really enjoying the taste. I was going to walk the floor, smoking the cigar, and agreed to contact them, after the show, if I wanted to order.

As I walked the floor, the cigar sort of started to deconstruct. One of the competitors at another booth offered to get me a “real” cigar that, would not fall apart. I told him that, I could not put it out because it tasted so damn good. It did indeed.

I had several samples that I smoked over the next few weeks but, I could never reach these guys when I tried to order some more. They operated out of a kiosk at the World Trade Center. Maybe they had more business than they could handle.

When 9/11 occurred, I always wondered what happened to those guys. I, of course, learned later that, they had hit the big time with infused cigars and even later, became ”real” cigar players.. The La Vije had fallen to the wayside.

This next statement will be a bit shocking. To this day, those early Rosado wrapped cigars are the closest taste to a Cuban cigar that, I have ever smoked in a non-Cuban.

Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about this current iteration. The wrapper is different and it has a vegetal taste. It does share the same crappy construction

That's pretty wild. You were onto them before they became the beast of a brand they are today. Nothing inherently wrong with a mixed or short filler cigar, IMO. I used to enjoy the Tatuaje P Series back in the day and I know the Cuban Por Larrañaga Panatela has a ton of fans.

Now smoking an Oliva Melanio Maduro Toro. Been meaning to revisit this one and the homie @cshubhra posting one the other day gave me the kick in the pants I needed to pick one up.

 

[LotusEater]

Enjoying a CAO Moontrance

 

[danimalia]

LFD Petit La Nox