Yes, I know, for those of us that are habanophiles, it is, to some degree, no contest. There is something about that "twang" that is quite remarkably once the palate becomes educated. But, having said that, I must say that I still really like the Anniversarios and Hemingways. While I have generally always preferred maduro wrappers, for some reason, in the Padron line, I prefer the natural versions, and in the Hemingway series, the Cameroon, of course! Last night I had a 2001 Principe natural and it was superb. I spent a lot of time just savoring that fine smoke and thinking about the profile and how it compared to Habanos. For those of you who have not tried the Principe in natural or maduro, I highly recommend it. I have never had one of these with a construction problem, difficult draw or a cracked/unraveling wrapper. They are aged and ready to smoke upon arrival. In short, I will always keep these in stock.
The point is that I think to some degree that I have become a little bit arrogant on behalf of Habanos when discussing the leaf with some of my fellow B'sOTL. There are some very fine NC's out there and they are often more affordable for the novice. Now, some will say that the Principe and Hemingway are in the same price range as Habanos making it a moot point. But, not everyone has the sources, wants to take a chance or even prefers the taste of the Cuban tobacco. The Padron and Fuente premium lines are a good answer. Are NC's better or worse? I really do not think so at the high end, but they are completely different if flavor profile. This week I alternated between the Padron, Signature and Habanos as a little experiment. In thinking about the Principe and Signature, I find them to be medium/full-bodied smokes and quite unique. In comparing them to the JL#1 and Boli Corona smoked in between, besides the pronounced twang and aroma, I would almost call the Habano "sweet" and the Padron, "sour", for want of a better description, which escapes me at the moment. However, I thoroughly enjoyed all four smokes. I have a friend who is a very experienced smoker. He enjoys the occasional Habano, and, having traveled extensively for business, has smoked many of them. He prefers the flavor profile of the Dominican and Nicaraguan blends, and, if given a choice, will opt for a Padron or Hemingway over a well aged JL#1 or Mag 46, anytime!
opeyes:
Thinking about my experience this week and my good friend, I am more encouraged than ever to be open minded about what to recommend when considering the requests for advice amongst newbies in particular. This may be heresy, but there are some great NC's out there my brothers! :smokingco
BTW - Does anyone else like to wave the burning end of a Habano under their nose just to smell that aroma, or am I weird? I love doing that. :inlove:
The point is that I think to some degree that I have become a little bit arrogant on behalf of Habanos when discussing the leaf with some of my fellow B'sOTL. There are some very fine NC's out there and they are often more affordable for the novice. Now, some will say that the Principe and Hemingway are in the same price range as Habanos making it a moot point. But, not everyone has the sources, wants to take a chance or even prefers the taste of the Cuban tobacco. The Padron and Fuente premium lines are a good answer. Are NC's better or worse? I really do not think so at the high end, but they are completely different if flavor profile. This week I alternated between the Padron, Signature and Habanos as a little experiment. In thinking about the Principe and Signature, I find them to be medium/full-bodied smokes and quite unique. In comparing them to the JL#1 and Boli Corona smoked in between, besides the pronounced twang and aroma, I would almost call the Habano "sweet" and the Padron, "sour", for want of a better description, which escapes me at the moment. However, I thoroughly enjoyed all four smokes. I have a friend who is a very experienced smoker. He enjoys the occasional Habano, and, having traveled extensively for business, has smoked many of them. He prefers the flavor profile of the Dominican and Nicaraguan blends, and, if given a choice, will opt for a Padron or Hemingway over a well aged JL#1 or Mag 46, anytime!
opeyes: Thinking about my experience this week and my good friend, I am more encouraged than ever to be open minded about what to recommend when considering the requests for advice amongst newbies in particular. This may be heresy, but there are some great NC's out there my brothers! :smokingco
BTW - Does anyone else like to wave the burning end of a Habano under their nose just to smell that aroma, or am I weird? I love doing that. :inlove:
