Commercial sticks

[Bruce T.]

There are a some serious rollers on this site (I'm just a part-time armature). A friend of mine just brought back a bunch of cigars for me from the US. I'm in Canada and they cost about 4 times as much to buy them here. It got me thinking, do you guys only smoke your home rolls or do also enjoy commercial cigars on a regular basis? Maybe some of you would like to share your favorites.

In the order that my friend brought back for me I had some E.P. Carrillo Pledge, Padron 2000, Punch Rare Corojo and Oliva V Melanio.

 

[blisscigarco]

There are a some serious rollers on this site (I'm just a part-time armature). A friend of mine just brought back a bunch of cigars for me from the US. I'm in Canada and they cost about 4 times as much to buy them here. It got me thinking, do you guys only smoke your home rolls or do also enjoy commercial cigars on a regular basis? Maybe some of you would like to share your favorites.

In the order that my friend brought back for me I had some E.P. Carrillo Pledge, Padron 2000, Punch Rare Corojo and Oliva V Melanio.

I regularly smoke Cuban cigars, despite my misgivings about supporting their political situation in any way. I think they are the best cigars, and I get them from oversees for about 1/3 what I pay for premium, legal, cigars here in the USA.

But I also pretty occasionally smoke cigars that are rolled here in the USA, which I order from small factory-stores in New Orleans, Ybor City, Miami, and Austin. These are usually very fairly priced and excellent, typically better than many of the big-name brands.

I also smoke big-name famous stuff. Here's a pic of some cigars I have right here on my desk right now:

These are pretty expensive here. The fat mother in the middle is an incredible smoke, and it's US$30 here. The figurado was around $17.

I like to smoke all these things: they're great, and they keep my head real about the quality or lack thereof of the leaf I'm able to score at retail.

 

[FrostD]

I regularly smoke Cuban cigars, despite my misgivings about supporting their political situation in any way. I think they are the best cigars, and I get them from oversees for about 1/3 what I pay for premium, legal, cigars here in the USA.

But I also pretty occasionally smoke cigars that are rolled here in the USA, which I order from small factory-stores in New Orleans, Ybor City, Miami, and Austin. These are usually very fairly priced and excellent, typically better than many of the big-name brands.

I also smoke big-name famous stuff. Here's a pic of some cigars I have right here on my desk right now:

These are pretty expensive here. The fat mother in the middle is an incredible smoke, and it's US$30 here. The figurado was around $17.

I like to smoke all these things: they're great, and they keep my head real about the quality or lack thereof of the leaf I'm able to score at retail.

I’ll echo Bliss here. I started by collecting commercial sticks. Still have around 5,000 or so. I’ve bought maybe 1-2 boxes of commercial gars this year. Since starting home rolling about a year ago, my $ spending on tobacco has slid significantly to whole leaf. In regards to which gar I choose to smoke at the moment just depends on the scenario. 9/10 times I choose home rolled. I love seeing how blends “marry” together & find them to be more robust in flavors than a large amount of commercials ones. However, out of all the commercial brands, I tend to gravitate towards the following in no particular order:

-Arturo Fuente & Opus X
-Atabey (better than a Cuban Behike imho)
-Tatuaje
-Crowned Heads-Any
-Warped-Futuro & Don Reynaldo
-Illusione- OG Cruzado blend was AMAZING!
-Espinosa-Habano, Crema & Laranja
-La Palina-Mr. Sam, Goldie, Red label
-Padilla
-Padron
-Ramon Bueso- All are not very pricey and great flavors. Special shout-out for the Olancho Vintage
-Southern Draw
-Cubans here and there. Have some for special occasions, but just get worried up the quality of the tobacco being used these days.

Those are just a few off the top of my head. If you want to know more specifics, let me know!

 

[blisscigarco]

There are a some serious rollers on this site (I'm just a part-time armature). A friend of mine just brought back a bunch of cigars for me from the US. I'm in Canada and they cost about 4 times as much to buy them here. It got me thinking, do you guys only smoke your home rolls or do also enjoy commercial cigars on a regular basis? Maybe some of you would like to share your favorites.

In the order that my friend brought back for me I had some E.P. Carrillo Pledge, Padron 2000, Punch Rare Corojo and Oliva V Melanio.

By the way, I have smoked all the cigars you list here. I thought the Pledge was pretty enjoyable but that the Melanio in no way lived up to the hype. I also don't generally think that Padrons quite live up to the hype. Most of the cigars I get out of Ybor are more to my preference, at 1/4 the price. I think the Rare Corojo is quite good for the somewhat low price, though.

 

[Jakethesnake]

By the way, I have smoked all the cigars you list here. I thought the Pledge was pretty enjoyable but that the Melanio in no way lived up to the hype. I also don't generally think that Padrons quite live up to the hype. Most of the cigars I get out of Ybor are more to my preference, at 1/4 the price. I think the Rare Corojo is quite good for the somewhat low price, though.

You pick those up traveling or is there a way to order online?

 

[blisscigarco]

You pick those up traveling or is there a way to order online?

I always buy from real shops when possible, but everything can be bought online.