Dominican Cigars vs Honduras and Nicaragua

ChrisNYC said:

I gave up cigarettes for cigars a few months ago and I couldn't be happier. I believe if you are going to put booze or tobacco in your body you might as well give yourself the best if you can afford it.

I've been lucky enough to have cuban cigars from a reputable source and they were quite enjoyable. I like the medium to full bodied flavors with a med brown wrapper.

I have also been introduced to several decent Honduran and Nicaraguan brands but something about them turns me off. They all seem to be too full flavored which ruins it for me. It seems like the Dominican blends mimic the cuban flavors much better than the central american ones.

By trial and era I have come to appreciate :

Cohiba Dominican - I know there is a lot of controversy with this brand but I enjoyed the smoke. Somewhere online I read that they were overpriced for what they are. Maybe. What do you think ?

Montecristo - Very nice mellow medium flavor with a hint of sweetness.

Partagas - I've been smoking the little ones in the tin and these are one of my favorites. I have yet to try anything larger but I will.

Davidoff- I haven't tried a full size cigar yet but the cigarillos were un impressive. These are supposed to be top of the line ...right ?

Arturo Fuente - I like the Flor Fina 858 and will try a few others in the line. Don Carlos ?


Can anyone else give me a clue as to what the best of the DR is ? I'd really appreciate it. I'd also like to here from people what they think the differences are between cigars from the DR and Central America.

Thanks

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All of the above are good choices but I prefer Romeo y Juliet. I believe many of the Dominican Cigars come from Cuban seed which was brought out of the country years ago. Also, the best Dominican cigars are the hand rolled ones fresh off the table. If you are into cigars take a trip to the DR and experience the difference of an absolutely fresh cigar. They don't have to be expensive. In Las Terrenas there is a cigar shop that rolls their own in three different strengths. The cost is about $3usd. Excellente!!!

We went to the cigar factory that made Davidoff's they were fantastic ! We get ours hand rolled both in the DR and Manny's out of Texas both use dominican tobacco wrappers fro CT.

Ashton cigars are at the top of my list. When I go down to the D.R. From New York I always make the trip to the La Aurora cigar factory in Tamboril. You get a free 45 min tour of the factory which is informative and quite amazing. During the tour they offer you a cigar of your choosing and a Presidente beer. I bought a box of Leon Jimenes Prestige Churchills which was a great smoke.

Cigars are like women, "To Each His Own"!
You have asked the "Unanswerable Question"!
There is also way to much "Bull$hit" descriptions of how cigars, "Taste" out there!
Personally, I have never tasted,....."notes of cinnamon & spice, cedar, honey, chocolate, cream, wood, whiskey, or most of the other "WORDS" used in the sales pitches, when I smoke a cigar, and I smoke SEVERAL everyday!
In general, many/most cigars are blended anyway.
You get tobaccos from several countries in the same cigar.
"Filler" from the DR, "Binder" from Nicaragua,"Wrapper" from Brazil, Ecuador, Camaroon, Pennsylvanis as well.
I think that a cigar MUST be "aged", (Fermented) before tha flavor marry, and mature, you don't get that in a "Green", or "Fresh Rolled" cigar.
Again, "Taste" is on the palate of the smoker.
Central American, & Ecuadoran tobaccos are grown in volcanic soils, the DR is not Volcanic.
I think that "CA" tobaccos are more "complex", but there you go again with "Words" that mean different things to different people!
The ONLY thing I may actually know from personal experience, about smoking cigars, IS, "Price Is NOT an indication of taste, quality, or "smokeability" in a cigar!
"OH", and that a poorly wrapped cigar, no matter the cost, is "$HIT"!!!
A "Bad Burn" will ruin a $40 "Cubano" just the same as a 45cent machine made!

Have a good friend, take the band off of 10 different cigars you like.
He puts ten in 10 numbered envelopes, you "Blind Smoke" them, you note their #s, and write a comment about each one.
Then you MAY have an idea about what to purchase in the future!

I but 99.9% of my cigars online, and have them shipped to me here in the DR from Miami, EVEN the Dominican cigars.
The price is less than 50% of what they want here, and the internet cigar sites have thousands of brands in stock.
I already had a "Herencia Cubano" for "Breakfast"!!!
"Yummy"!!!!
Can't wait for "LUNCH"!
One of the VERY BEST "Cuban Cigars" I EVER smoked was a "Fresh Rolled" made for me in "La Habana" many years ago. One way to tell if you are getting a genuine "Cubano" is to go to CUBA!
I almost said, "The ONLY WAY", but I know a guy from "Holland" who buys them in Holland, and THEY are REAL!
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Not sure if you ever get to Higuey but on the way out of town (almost in Otra Banda) there is a cigar factory and he makes great cigars at a very reasonable price. I can't remember his name but its the only cigar factory on that road. If I remember it I will post it later.

If you want to treat yourself and sample the best cigars from throughout, go to the Big Smoke that is held every November at Pier 57 NYC. You get approximately 30 top brand cigars and also get to sample different whiskeys,rums and vodkas. A little pricey at $225 but its a once a year event in which I always look forward to.

Try, "Cigarbid.com" best selection & prices, IF you BID Loooooooooooooooooooooow!
I bid low on 30 or 40 items.If I win 2 or 3 , I'm a WINNER in my book.
They are a division of "Cigars Int." same cigars, 1/3 the retail prices.
15,000,000 cigars in their temp/humidity controlled warehouse, that's right, 15 Million!
They kicked me off their site for having an "Online Affair" with a "Dominicana" customer service rep.!!! :lick::lick::lick::lick::lick:
True Story!!!
I now use "FamousCigars", but ONLY their Auction Site!
:smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke:
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LTSteve said:

.... Also, the best Dominican cigars are the hand rolled ones fresh off the table. ....!!!

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Fresh food is good, fresh cigars No Good! let it sit at least 4 days....

ChrisNYC said:

Since we are on the topic of cigars how do you guys keep yours ?

Being new to the cigar world I opted for the Boveda 72 Humi Packs and a tupperware container. I was going to get a humidor but I've read several comments about tupperware having a better seal than most humidors today.

My other concern was figuring out which humidifier was best. I've read that the ones you fill with PG solution tend to drip onto the cigars. Then there is the Oasis machine but that seems like you need to be home to monitor it. I travel for extended periods of time so that may not be my best bet.

Any ideas or can someone lead me to a well made humidor with a strong seal ? Traveling with all this stuff can also be a challenge. I'd love to bring my Xikar cigar cutter with me but I have a hunch that TSA will take it from me.

By the way Thank You for all the thoughtful responses. I do appreciate the information....must try an order from cigars international.

Thanks

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Hey Chris!

A wealth on information on this site Cigar Aficionado Forums

Hope it is useful!

:bunny:

I have several cedar lined humidors.
I use them to hold the cigars in my "Rotation",...."Everyday Cigars".
The humidity here is fairly high, =,- 60%, so I don't worry much about "Humidity".
I do throw a "Humi Pac" in each one ,just to be SAFE!
I like to put away cigars for as long as possible, years if I ever CAN"!!!!
I use the "Tupperware" boxes for that!
Cigars need to "ferment".
You can smell the ammonia coming out when you store them in a sealed container.
When you go into a fermenting room at a cigar factory here, it smells like a "Urine soaked diaper pail"!
"Good Cigars" get much better with age, "Lousy Cigars" become "Smokable" with age!
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It seems one of the other cigar threads was closed and the dr1 search engine is.....well on drugs apparently.....
So I'll give it a shot here.... sorry if it is the wrong place.
So knowing nothing much about cigars, here in the dr, I had asked what cheapish cigar was recommended.
I tried Leon Jimenes Robusto, which was all right. Also La Aurora Sublimes which was much more to my taste and size.
Both were at aroumd 100 pesos.

Any other recomendations??????

Also, do u just leave them sitting out ( one was plastic sealed the other in tube ).?

Thanks.

I like Victor Sinclair Dominican cigars.
Don't know if they are sold here or not, mine come via Pennsylvania!
Like many things here the BEST are for EXPORT, and the cigars that stay are too expensive to buy here, at least for me.
At 4 to 6 cigars a day I have to economize!
Come visit me is SD and I'ĺl give you a Ḧumidor!
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Criss Colon said:

...
They kicked me off their site for having an "Online Affair" with a "Dominicana" customer service rep.!!! :lick::lick::lick::lick::lick:
True Story!!!
I now use "FamousCigars", but ONLY their Auction Site!
:smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke:
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I am not surprised. Did talking dirty get you better prices??

THATs what THEY claimed!
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My personal favorites are the Liga Privada by Drew Estates. They are made in Nicaragua. However, most cigars are blends. For example,a cigar could have a Dominican wrapper but Nicaraguan filler and a different binder. There are great cigars made in many countries. It really is a matter of personal taste. However, as good as the tobaccos from the Esteli region of Nicaragua are, RD has probably the best soil and growing environment for tobacco of anywhere.