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Last post 5 years ago by midmofan. 15 replies replies.
Good Newbie Deal
midmofan Offline
#1 Posted:
Joined: 04-25-2014
Posts: 1,108
EDIT: THERE IS NOW A REVIEW OF THE CIGARS AT POST 14!

A number of new folks have posted recently, some asking for suggestions on what to smoke - some desperately NEEDING suggestions on what to smoke!

Well, the Mothership has a pretty good deal going on right now. 8 cigars for $10 with $3 shipping. None of these are most people's first-choice or go-to smokes around here, but they are not bad and certainly worth $1.65 per (including shipping) and much better than what I have seen some of the newbies - and Mr. Ghetto :) - have been lighting up.

Would give someone a good range of blends and strengths to try out and, if you liked a particular one of these, you could then branch out from there. For each of these style cigars, there are certainly better (and more expensive) examples out there, but for this price, it's a good starting point.

Also, if you do not already have a travel humi, you can add one for $5. This particular herf-a-dor is going for around $15 on eBay, so not a bad price at all if you need one.

The $3 shipping applies to your entire order if you get this deal, so if there is also something else you wanted to buy from CI (that does not already have a better shipping deal attached to it) you can save there as well.

https://www.cigarsintern...pgrade-samplers/2013615/
smokestaxx Offline
#2 Posted:
Joined: 01-27-2012
Posts: 4,214
Not a bad deal at all for those new to cigars. Good looking out
ZRX1200 Offline
#3 Posted:
Joined: 07-08-2007
Posts: 60,476
I grabbed 2 thanks!
mikey8991 Offline
#4 Posted:
Joined: 12-05-2018
Posts: 93
those arganese are not bad after a few months of hanging out i used to smoke those when i started
midmofan Offline
#5 Posted:
Joined: 04-25-2014
Posts: 1,108
mikey8991 wrote:
those arganese are not bad after a few months of hanging out i used to smoke those when i started


If you like those, CI has even a BETTER deal going on for them here, but it could expire any moment methinks since it was their "weekend" special.

https://www.cigarsintern...busto/2003190/#p-148872

This does not include shipping but you could combine it with the sampler offer to get a pretty good deal if these are in your wheelhouse.

I also grabbed one of these samplers with the herf-a-door. Going to keep a few for myself and package up 5 of them with the herf-a-door for a gift!

WARNING!!!!! The photo and the description do not match with one cigar. The photo shows an HC Black but, instead of that, the description mentions a Gurkha Sherpa Orange! Does not affect me since that will be one of the gifted items anyway but i know some of you would not accept a FREE Gurkah let alone one hidden in a sampler deal Shame on you

Newbie note: Cigar International otherwise referred to as CI or the Mothership is the only non- Cigarbid seller of cigars that you can mention by name on this board or post links about. CI owns Cigarbid so that makes sense, but the prohibition on not mentioning other sellers also applies, for some unclear reason, to the many other companies and sellers that are all owned by the same people that owns CI.
Bur Offline
#6 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Not a bad pack-and grabbing an extra for the Poker Run Raffle table this summer. Hard for my local shpo to sponsor with all the Kalifornia regulations affected business.
yankeelawdog Offline
#7 Posted:
Joined: 09-24-2012
Posts: 44
ZRX1200 wrote:
I grabbed 2 thanks!

How'd you do that? It only allowed me one and when I tried again, they were deleted from my cart.
yankeelawdog Offline
#8 Posted:
Joined: 09-24-2012
Posts: 44
I thought this was a pretty good assortment especially for the coin. I hadn't tried all of these before and came to really like the Sancho Panza Triple Anejo and the Bahia. WIsh I could buy a dozen just to have on hand.
Pudding Mittens Offline
#9 Posted:
Joined: 08-15-2016
Posts: 1,291
yankeelawdog wrote:
I thought this was a pretty good assortment especially for the coin. I hadn't tried all of these before and came to really like the Sancho Panza Triple Anejo and the Bahia. WIsh I could buy a dozen just to have on hand.

Try the Bahia Blu sometime (blue band). Everyone seems to hate them, but as a cheapie I like them. Nice corojo profile, good flavors for the money.

The Arganese actually aren't bad as cheapies either. Decent flavors.

The Sancho Triple Anejo is better after aging for a long while. But then, almost every non-mild cigar is!
.
yankeelawdog Offline
#10 Posted:
Joined: 09-24-2012
Posts: 44
Pudding Mittens wrote:
Try the Bahia Blu sometime (blue band). Everyone seems to hate them, but as a cheapie I like them. Nice corojo profile, good flavors for the money.

The Arganese actually aren't bad as cheapies either. Decent flavors.

The Sancho Triple Anejo is better after aging for a long while. But then, almost every non-mild cigar is!
.



I have tried the Bahia Blu and I really like it. Good everyday smoke. I'll try laying down my next order of Sanchos.
midmofan Offline
#11 Posted:
Joined: 04-25-2014
Posts: 1,108
I am sure you have seen one of those comedy scenes were some guy is alone in a room where there is a big red button and a sign that says "DO NOT PUSH RED BUTTON!"

Well, you KNOW what is going to happen.

I was that guy.

As noted above, in this deal from the Mothership, what you get is slightly different than the photos (the description is correct however). Instead of the pictured HC Black, you get a Gurkha Sherpa Orange. My plan was to give this away with the travel Humi as a gift, but....

Was it that I have not had a Gurkha in several years? Was it that I could not believe that all Gurkha's are bad or at least as bad as I remember? Was it that it was cold outside so did not want to fire up a regular smoke in case I didn't want to stay out that long? Was it the pretty orange band? Who knows, but I was that guy in the Room with the Red Button and I pressed it. I had to try the Gurkha Sherpa Orange.

Well, it was not as bad as I remember the Centurion I last got in some sampler which was unsmokable, but it was not good either.

On the plus side, it lit and burned well, no touch-ups needed even outside in the cold and wind. There was some cracking of the wrapper near the heat but the ash was firm and held. They are also available on the Mothership and elsewhere for $2 per.

I did not look at any reviews of this cigar before I smoked it, so had no idea what it would be like. It was mild, not really offensive, but had an odd very dry taste I could not place for a long time. Then it hit me, if you have ever had your arms full of stuff so you stick that manila envelope you need to mail in your mouth, or put a small brown McDonald's bag between you teeth carrying stuff in the house, that's it! Tasted like paper, heavy paper. Some might more charitably call it grassy, woody or whatever, but to me it tasted like a manila envelope. Interestingly it left a totally different aftertaste that was, although brief, actually quite good, a bit salty, spicy a bit of citrus was left in your mouth but the next puff wiped that all out with the paper taste. At about the halfway point, however, the nice aftertaste was no longer there and it was just the paper taste which itself started to fade until there was really nothing there at all. Tossed it somewhere in the final 1/3 when there didn't seem to be any point anymore.

Did take a look at on-line reviews later and, sure enough, several other folks also mentioned the paper taste along with several saying they tasted like dirt (not always negatively, some said it was a GOOD dirt taste). Even with that, many seemed to like them as a mild cheap smoke, but even most of those people who did like this cigar noted that the flavor petered out starting at the halfway point.

So, have I learned my lesson? For a while I hope, but you know somewhere, sometime, there will be another Big Red Button and another sign to ignore....
Salmoneye Offline
#12 Posted:
Joined: 01-18-2011
Posts: 163
I read here that all Gurkhas were dog rockets, so of course I had to push that button...

Tried several samplers and fivers back before Christmas...

Most went to my Limey Brother-In-Law for Christmas...

I am a firm believer now that all Gurkhas do indeed suck...

I won't even relegate (elevate) them to yard-gar status for myself...

Brick House Fumas are about as low as I can go now...



Pudding Mittens Offline
#13 Posted:
Joined: 08-15-2016
Posts: 1,291
Salmoneye wrote:
I am a firm believer now that all Gurkhas do indeed suck...

When visiting one of the mothership superstores, I had a Gurkha Ghost. It was very good. I had another a week later. It was very good also.

I was again at the mothership about 8 months later, bought another, smoked it. It was terrible.

Every other Gurkha I've ever had has ranged from "meh" to very awful.

So, ARE there good Gurkhas? Sometimes, for brief periods, maybe.

Do you want to deal with figuring out what those few lines are, then by the time you do, they've changed them and they suck? Do you want to sort through dozens of ever-changing blends to gain soon-to-be-outdated information on which one isn't a turd for the time being? No, no you do not.

Just avoid them, IMO.
.

midmofan Offline
#14 Posted:
Joined: 04-25-2014
Posts: 1,108
As noted above, my original plan for this sampler was to keep a few then package the rest along with the herf-a-door as a gift.

Well, after breaking down and smoking the Gurkha (ugh), I changed my mind. Since I was the one touting this sampler and as it is still available [ https://www.cigarsintern...grade-samplers/2013615/ ] I thought I should do a quick review of the smokes in the deal for the newbies and others that might be interested.

As it turns out, I sold the herf-a-dor for $15 so, even with shipping, the cigars were just about free!

So here it goes, the 8 for $10 review. Note: I notice that several of these cigars have been going for right around (and sometimes even under) $2 a cigar on Cbid so, if you like any of them, there are deals to be had.

Gurkha Sherpa Orange: As noted above, this one is not very good and I would not smoke it again if it was given to me. All that can be said is that it is not the worst Gurkha I have had. NEWBIE NOTE: If you don't like this one, you learned something important: Gurhas suck. Welcome to the club! You can now freely bash Gurkhas like the rest of us. If you did like it, you also learned something important: Don't waste money on any cigars above the 2 for 99 cent ones you get at the gas station....

Villazon Fabrica (natural). This was a strange cigar. It was mild, not unpleasant, not very much smoke but had some flavor that was worthwhile. For those that like a mild cigar in general or in the morning, it would be fine except that it got overheated very easily. Just several good puffs in succession and it got very very bitter. Had to pamper this thing very carefully throughout the smoke. One puff, fine. Two easy puffs, maybe ok, but give it a firm draw or puff it just a few times in a row and it was nasty. I read some comments of people saying that this cigar would suddenly get very strong at times and they didn't like that. I suspect that what they were experiencing was not any increase in strength but the nasty bitter taste when it overheated. In all, this one was fine when left to rest a lot and smoked slowly with plenty of time between puffs, but it was too much work for what you got. NEWBIE NOTE: If you liked the non-bitter aspects of this cigar, do not despair, there are many mild but still flavorful smokes out there that do not get out of hand with just a couple of deep puffs!

Bahia Red Maduro. Finally a cigar I definitely enjoyed. This was a very typical Nicaraguan Maduro profile – you know, coffee/espresso/cocoa/etc. But it was pretty good with it. Not complex at all and stayed the same throughout but it did what it was trying to do pretty well, just nothing above and beyond what so many others of the same ilk do. Since there are a lot of other cigars that do what this does, IMO, even better and with more complexity for just a little bit more, I would not ever buy a large batch of these. However, I would certainly be happy to have them in a future sampler or even buy one at a B&M shop when on the road and looking for something I can trust that is not too expensive. NEWBIE NOTE: If you liked this, there are many, many, other Nicaraguan Maduro's out there, start sampling them and you will find many that are like this and even better.

Cao Columbia. This is an unusual blend with a Honduras/Nicaraguan wrapper, a Cameroon binder and filler from Brazil and Columbia – that is going to be hard to find anywhere else. The problem with most Caos, it seems, is that the initial release was great and then, after that, they go downhill. Not sure what this one was like at the beginning, but the stick in this sampler had serious construction issues. It burned unevenly, had a bad tunnel spot where there was a big void from poor rolling and had to struggle a number of times to keep it lit despite constant attention. In the end the thing just went out on me. That being said, the thing tasted really good. Nutty, woody, a bit of salt and white pepper a touch of sweetness at times and good tobacco flavor throughout. “Savory” is the word I would use overall. If this thing had been built better it would be a very good cigar. NEWBIE NOTE: I will not be dropping money on a box of these right away, but I will try to pick up a single or 5'er at some point to see if the construction is bad on others or if I just got a one-off bad one. I would suggest you do the same even if you got lucky and had a well-made one in your sampler. Get a few more to see how they are made before getting a box of them.

Macanudo Cafe. This is probably the quintessential mild Connecticut-Shade style cigar. Very likely a large percentage of the population that smoke premium cigars started out with one of these. To be honest, this is not my preferred style of smoke. I pretty much only have something like this when sitting outside at the Lake in the morning with a cup of coffee – when I do not want something strong or powerful that early in the day. Since I have had these before and know what to expect, I gave it a fair trial by having it out on the porch with a fine cup of Brazilian coffee. It was exactly as expected. Very mild, a bit of very-very faint spice at times, perhaps some cedar flavors. In all not a lot there, but pleasant with the coffee. The construction of the cigar was perfect, easy light, perfect burn, good solid ash, nice draw. In many respects this cigar was just the opposite for me of the Cao whose flavors I liked a lot but that was constructed poorly. In all a pleasant morning smoke but there are a lot better out there. If I am going “mild” I still prefer some complexity and more flavor, perhaps a cafe au lait profile, even something – I know some folks hate the term - “creamier” than this cigar provides. NEWBIE NOTE: If you like this cigar, good for you. You like a quality cigar that is well made and very consistent, but do not stop here. There are many, many other Connecticut-wrapped cigars out there (including the next review) many of which you might find you like better. Indeed Cigar International often has a good deal on a Conny bundle that includes a lot of different variations on this theme. Consider trying that out sometime.

Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur. Now this is a Connecticut wrapper cigar that is much more to my personal liking. Still not overly strong but much more flavor than the Cafe. A good deal more spice -red and black pepper (but never overpowering) some saltiness, at about that halfway point some creamy coffee notes come through. Although stronger than the Cafe, it is still mostly mild, but with more flavor and complexity. However this cigar was not nearly as well put-together as the Macanudo. This example burned unevenly and was packed rather loosely so did not last nearly as long as you might expect. NEWBIE NOTE: Try this cigar right after you smoke the Cafe if you can and you will notice the difference right away.

Arganese Habano. We now move from the more mild cigars to the stronger ones in the sampler. I would guess that if you really-really liked the Macanudo Cafe, there is a pretty good shot you WON'T like this one and visa-versa. But that's OK as this is what makes this sampler a great starting point for folks new to premium cigars or those trying to branch out to try new things – a nice variety of styles and strengths. The Aranese is a fairly strong smoke and seems even stronger if you light it up after having one of the Connecticuts above. Heavy dark tobacco flavor dominates along with some leather and just a touch of spiciness at times especially the aftertaste. You can defiantly get a nicotine buzz of of this one if you smoke it down to the nub. This sample was heavy and very densely packed - so much so that I thought the draw would be quite tight - but that turned out not to be the case. While a tighter draw than say, for example, the Excalibur, it was not bad at all. NEWBIE NOTE: This is NOT anywhere near the strongest cigar you can get, but it is a pretty good introduction into the stronger, fuller-bodied, choices that are out there, so if you liked this one you know you can handle ones like it.

Sancho Panza Triple Añejo. I saved this one for last as I have bought bundles of these before from CI and elsewhere when they were on special for $3 and under with free shipping and knew I liked them pretty well. It is also a stronger, full-bodied, cigar but with more complexity and flavors than the Arganese. This cigar has a thick rich profile with a spicy start that then goes into a dark roast coffee flavor with a very slight touch of dark cocoa sweetness. After a while you also pick up some leather and cream notes that go in and out with coffee and cocoa The aftertaste is also nicely rich and creamy. On all of the ones I have had of these -this sample included - the burn gets a bit uneven about a 1/3 of the way in requiring a touch-up at some point, but after that it it is fine. The ash is firm and gray and you really have to give it a good bump to knock it off. This Cigar was (still is?) exclusive to CI and its affiliated companies and came out of the Blendlab department that CI used to have where manufacturer's experimented with new and different blends. NEWBIE NOTE: This cigar is a good beginner-example of what people mean when they talk about a cigar being complex or one that evolves through the smoke. Unlike most of the other cigars in the sampler, the Sancho doesn't just have one flavor profile that stays the same throughout the smoke – it changes in a good way. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot MORE complex, flavorful, better burning (and expensive) cigars , but this gives you a pretty good taste of what is out there when you really explore the different blends.

Well, that's all folks. In summery, the CI 8 for $10 sampler is a pretty good deal for those wanting to check out some different strengths and blends, and an even better deal if you need a travel humidor for the extra $5 (or can unload it for the cost of the sampler!). The package would have been a lot better though if it had the pictured HC Black instead of that nasty Gurkha. For me that pretty much makes it $10 for 7 cigars. Of the above, I might order more of the Sancho Panza's again if under $3 per including shipping and wouldn't mind keeping a couple of the Excaliburs on hand for that occasional early morning smoke. The Bahia is a pretty good standard Nicaraguan Maduro cigar I would be happy to smoke if the price was right or if it came in a package deal. The Cao would be good if it had not been put together so poorly so I might give it one more chance someday. The others...for me...meh. With MB3's available for $3 per (on the good deal) and 101 closeouts for around the $4 mark or so, its hard to justify spending a lot on any of these right now.
midmofan Offline
#15 Posted:
Joined: 04-25-2014
Posts: 1,108
Price Updates for the above (will update) for any who are interested. As you can see, none of the cigars in the sampler pack are going for a lot right now - hence why they would be in such an inexpensive sampler pack.

The Bahia just went on a CBid auction for about $1.50 per cigar WITH shipping for a bundle of 20. Not a bad deal.

There are a bunch of the Sancho's being auctioned. In Free Fall has a 10 pack that - if you are patient enough drops down to about $23 which, with shipping makes them under $3 a piece. A fair price, but as noted elsewhere, hard to pull the trigger on them when you can get the Oliva Master Blend 3's for $3 per including shipping and 101's for around $4 with shipping at the MB3 place right now.

Likewise a freefall for 10 CAO's is getting as low as $25.35 putting it just over $3 per with the $6 50 shipping.

Not seeing any of the Villazon on Cbid, but the Mothership has them in bundles of 20 for $39.99 before shipping.

The Argonese are going for a bit more on CI, $45 for 20.

Lots of Macanudo Cafe's up for bid, but the Free Falls are hovering around $3.20 per cigar, give or take, after you figure in shipping

Lastly (we will not discuss the Gurhkas...) the Excaliburs are also going for around $3 per IF you buy a big enough bundle to make the shipping more cost effective which is a good, final, NEWBIE NOTE Watch out for the shipping charges!

Shipping for a single cigar is $4.50(!!!), a 5 pack is $5.95, for a bundle of 10 $6.50 and a box or bundle of 20 is $6.95. Also if you sign up for weekly shipping you easily can get several orders throughout the week all shipped together with the resulting shipping discount which makes things a lot more cost effective. For example, if you had bought box of 20 of one cigar (thus paying $6.95 in shipping for them) adding a single cigar from another auction would add 25 cents to the total shipping and adding an entire additional box of other cigars would add only $1 more. Easy to see that combining shipping can quickly bring down the overall per-cigar cost. You can even "game" the system a bit by changing your weekly shipping date after you have placed one order to give you the maximum time to place another order to get the discounted/combined shipping.
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