Posted: 1/9/2007 6:05:46 AM EDT
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There have been a lot of these lately, but none answered my question. There are probably better websites to put this on, but we have a large contingent of afficionados here. Here's my question. Is there anything better than Arturo Fuente 858's for the price? I don't care for anything strong (yet), they make me feel rather lightheaded. Here's some of my experiences so far. I like the flavor of Onyx Robustos better, but they are of questionable consistency. Sometimes you get one that's really good and other times they taste like burned ass, and that's in the same box. That inconsistency got me on the 858's to begin with. CAO Golds just don't do it for me, they're too mild. R&J Maduros are WAY out of my league. I asked my local tobacconist for something mild and he set me up with those. I began patronizing other shops after that. I've been meaning to try something from Partagas or maybe a Hemmingway Short Story as a treat when I get some more Knob Creek. So, is there anything comparable to 858's for the price? MJD |
| I can't remember what 858's go for, it's been awhile since I smoked one. The Hemmingway short stories are usually great smokes when you don't have the time to devote to a big stick. I've been smoking Punch Gran Puros lately at about $5 a cigar. CAO's are mostly overrated IMO, but I like a stronger cigar with a smooth finish. |
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I just box a box of Flor de Gonzales Number One from JR Cigars, when I was back home in NY the other week.,.. Great, mild flavor (so mild, that if you're sensitive and find yourself spitting a lot when smoking one...well, you won't want to spit while smoking this one)..and well worth the money paid for it. Now I just need to get a working hygrometer, and make sure my humidor is doing it's thing correctly  |
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For me smoking cigars is a Vice and Dammit be the cost (within reason). I smoke about 12 cigars a year, mostly in the summer months. The absolute best smoke I've ever had was called a Pinar 1958 (google it), had I know I would have bought the whole box of them and squirled it away. I still have some other rare treats, I still have two pre-embargo Cuban Gurkhas from 1954. I also have a box of post-ban 2004 Cohiba Sublimes that followed me home from overseas travels (hows those get in there?). If you're looking to try something else out I like alot of stuff from drew estates. I may get some guff for this but I happen to think they are a great smoke, I don't care for some of the ACID lines but some in that line are great. -JTP |
When and why did they ban Cohibas? |
I only smoke like 1 or 2 a month yes, I got it |
Cohibas are a "dual brand" the brand is an Old Cuban brand that is still in business. There are also Cohibas made in D.R. that you can buy in the states. The ones that I have a box of are the former. Both are top shelf cigars. -JTP |
Ahh. I never new that. Even the DR ones are really good!! (but expensive at around $16 each!  )
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I know what you mean. The first time I had a Cuban (a puny Cohiba #5) I had to pull the car to the shoulder and park for quite a while. The 858 is a good large cigar for the money. I don't have any specific brand recommendations. But you're on the right track. Keep trying cigars 2 at a time to experiment. But buy your 858's by the box to save money. |
I am going to have to respectfully disagree about the DR version of the Cohiba. I smoked a Red Dot Churchill last weekend, and it was absolutely garbage. Not only was the flavor uninteresting, but the draw was terrible. There are far better smokes at a much more reasonable price. |
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Good for you for loving Fuente and knowing a good cigar. With most cigars that are full flavored, you also get a very stout full bodied smoke. Fuente is a very rare one that is full flavored and medium bodied. Partagas is another you may want to try that is similar. Also for scotch you can't beat MacCallan 18 year. A wonderful pairing. A bottle of that used to cost the same as a case of Wolf used to cost. Now a bottle costs as much as a case of Wolf currently costs! 
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was going to recommend these myself. i bought a box of El Rey de Mundos, from a J&R weekly special special this summer, they were by far the best bargain priced cigar i have ever had. i think i payed around $3.50 a cigar and they outsmoke most $8 cigars. i do not remember the specific type, i believe it was a robusto larga. which may be too strong. its a medium to full. but by far the best cigar bang for the buck. definitely worth a try. |
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Fairly new cigar smoker here. Had my first 858 last night and enjoyed it very much. I also like I like Rocky Patel 1992 and 1999 as well as their Old World Reserve. Padron is almost too strong for me but they sure taste good. Last week a co-worker brought me a CAO Supranos from a cigar tasting he attended....it was good but it kicked my ass. IMHO, at this point in my experience, Arturo Fuente Curly Head Deluxe can't be beat for the price and taste. |
At this time a box of true ( no red dot ) Cohiba Esplendidos is running at $647 bucks for a box. Not long ago a friend ( obviously a very good friend ) gave me a diplomatic pack ( of three ) and I took some time to research them while I let them bathe lovingly in my humidor. From what I could tell they were positively authentic right down to the manure-ish oder. I let them re-supplify for about three week before I had my first one. I smoked the last one about a week ago. Those were the best damn smokes I have ever had in my life. They start off just a bit weak.... but after the first couple inches of smoke they settle in to a really nice draw with a wonderful flavor. It's the finish that gets you.....I nearly burned my fingers and lips off finishing each and every one. I was gonna try to find a way to import a few more.....NO WAY.....you are safer if you are caught with a pound of weed!!! |
IMHO you cant beat a hemmingway short story. |
| Short Stories and Bestsellers taste great IMO. I had an Anejo the other day, holy God that was something else, amazing depth of flavor without making me feel like I was high as a kite. I had an Opus X Forbidden X on New years, that thing was wayy too much, tasted amazing, but overly complex and super super strong. I'm a big fan of the Rocky Patel 99's as well, and my flagship favorites are Padron 64 Naturals. I'm a total newb, fortunately my roommate is a cigar nut and has led me down the path of primo but awesome smokes. |
Yikes. Too rich for my blood. My "expensive" smoke is a ~$300 Montecristo. Monte thread 
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Those would be candela's and those are not the 858's he is referring. Candelas are an extreme mild cigar that only a few people enjoy. |
From what I understand, some of the issues with Cigar quality have to do with the recent "cigar boom", which is pretty much over, thank God. A LOT of tobacco was being harvested WAY too early to help feed the market and this practice resulted in a LOT of "inferior" tobacco getting to market. Since cigar tobacco is aged, I would not be suprised if there are a LOT of sub standard cigars of ALL brands floating around. I just picked up a box of Red dot Cohiba Pequenos and they are fairly decent....NOT at all as awesome as a true Cohiba Esplendido by ANY means, but still a pretty good smoke. |
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Actually, a technical question: Should humidors be temperature regulated as well?  Reason I ask...my humidor is sitting at a constant %73 humidity (a little high, but still within my bounds...it'll come down soon enough)...problem is it's like 61 degrees in there. In winter I keep my house at around 65. Summer, it probably won't get above 75... Should I be trying to keep the temp at a constant 70 or 80 degrees or something? (No idea how the hell I'd do that efficently, as it's just a small chest humidor thing I move around as necessary..) |
I wondered about the same thing but in the opposite direction since I keep the house about 82F in the summer. Damned if I'll run the place at 70 to preserve the flavor of a couple hundred $ in cigars... I'll rent a space in the humidor at the cigar store first. It seems to me that 82F and 70% would probably rot the dang things in a hurry. Unless I can find someone that has done this before ,I'm going to use a psychometric chart and compare total heat and/or grains of moisture for different indoor environments and see if I can find a humidity that will work for me. Those Humidipaks seem to work fairly well so I hope they are made in a % range I can use(if this approach is even workable). The two cigar store employees and one owner of same just gave me a blank look and told me that the humidity was the main thing and not to worry about the temperature. Maybe they are right. |
Colder air doesn't hold as much humidity as warmer air so you shouldn't have an issue with it. In fact, I have a humidor made of an antique glass jar (with a water pillow secured in the lid)...I keep it in the friDge and my cigars are very nicely maintained. |