Once a happy fan of Fuentes, CAOs, La Gloria (Dominicans) and other non-ISOMs, I became spoiled about five years ago by the generosity of friends, who turned me on to the glories of Habanos. Yet over the years I have wondered if there were perhaps some placebo effect in the magic words "Cuban cigars," an effect that made them taste better than they really were. These intrusive and heretical thoughts were particularly frequent when smoking a poorly rolled Habano. Was it worth it (as the Goose has asked ) when so many Cuban cigars were poorly constructed?
I found the answer last night. In my Tupperdor, along with several boxes of old Dominican and Honduran cigars that have been neglected, I found a large, Churchill-sized (can't remember the vitola name) Ashton VSG Sun Grown that I got from Holt's. As you may know, these are prized cigars that are supposedly "rare" and command pretty high prices. They are also known for their strength. This one was about a year and a half old. The perfect chance, I thought, to see if--after several years of smoking Habanos--I could get pleasure from a non-Cuban cigar of good reputation. Well, the Ashton was a complete dud. Even after some ageing, it was harsh, one-dimensional, and, frankly, just an unpleasant cigar. After 30 minutes I put it out and went for the backup: a 1995 RyJ Cazadore, from the very first box of Habanos I ever ordered.
There was absolutely no comparison. Despite the Cazadore's reputation as a cigar that peaks quickly, and is not complex, it was infinitely better than the Ashton (I have never, by the way, had a good VSG). It was a pleasure to the palate, had not lost any of its guts, and while not terribly complex, it was simply GOOD.
That's it for me. No more non-Habanos. I'll take my chances with the occasional poorly-rolled Cuban (hopefully a thing of the past). And I'll occasionally revisit one of my old non-Cuban favorites, like the Fuente Don Carlos robusto. But who say that the Cuban cigar mania just hype don't know what they're talking about. From now on, every box I order will be from the island.
I found the answer last night. In my Tupperdor, along with several boxes of old Dominican and Honduran cigars that have been neglected, I found a large, Churchill-sized (can't remember the vitola name) Ashton VSG Sun Grown that I got from Holt's. As you may know, these are prized cigars that are supposedly "rare" and command pretty high prices. They are also known for their strength. This one was about a year and a half old. The perfect chance, I thought, to see if--after several years of smoking Habanos--I could get pleasure from a non-Cuban cigar of good reputation. Well, the Ashton was a complete dud. Even after some ageing, it was harsh, one-dimensional, and, frankly, just an unpleasant cigar. After 30 minutes I put it out and went for the backup: a 1995 RyJ Cazadore, from the very first box of Habanos I ever ordered.
There was absolutely no comparison. Despite the Cazadore's reputation as a cigar that peaks quickly, and is not complex, it was infinitely better than the Ashton (I have never, by the way, had a good VSG). It was a pleasure to the palate, had not lost any of its guts, and while not terribly complex, it was simply GOOD.
That's it for me. No more non-Habanos. I'll take my chances with the occasional poorly-rolled Cuban (hopefully a thing of the past). And I'll occasionally revisit one of my old non-Cuban favorites, like the Fuente Don Carlos robusto. But who say that the Cuban cigar mania just hype don't know what they're talking about. From now on, every box I order will be from the island.
