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Last post 4 years ago by midmofan. 6 replies replies.
A Pleasant Surprise
midmofan Offline
#1 Posted:
Joined: 04-25-2014
Posts: 1,108
Last month purchased a 5 Cigars for $5 w/ free shipping deal from that CIGAR website. You know, the one that is owned by the same people that own CI, sell mostly the same cigars, at the same prices, with the same blurbs, and come from the same warehouse, but whose name and URL we are forbidden to mention here? Yeah that one. This is one of those deals you can't easily find on the website directly, but if you go to a place like sl1ckdeals and search cigars a link shows up for this and other specials from various locations including this spot and CI.

Why, you say? Well there was a lot of bourbon involved, as well as very late-night showing other people where to buy cigars online such as Cbid, CI, the tenskie place, and the OMB3 site. Anyhoo...as part of the process of showing them how easy it was to order on-line cigars that were better and cheaper than the dog-turds they were smoking that night, went ahead and bought the 5-pack.

Well it showed up pretty quick. Kudos to that CI-related-but-not-to-be-mentioned site that had it packed and cushioned very well and included a small humi-pack in the zip-lock bag with the cigars. Quite a lot of care and effort for such a bargain-basement purchase.

I was supposed to get the following:

Nica Libre Esteli Especial,
House Brand - American Label,
HC Black Series Maduro,
Ramon Bueso Genesis - The Project
and...you knew this was coming....
Gurkha Class Regent

First thing I notice is that I did not get the Nica Libre Esteli, but, the Nica Libre Potencia. The rest were as advertised.

I grabbed the 5-pack along with some nicer smokes to take to the lake this past weekend. The 5-pack seemed like a good choice for boat, bbq and poolside and where there might always be a moocher as well.

The first one I fired-up over the weekend was the Ramon Bueso. When these first came out they were a really good cigar then, unfortunately, they went "blah." Not horrible, but just OK, and not worth the effort. Well, I don't know if they have recently gotten better again or if the one in this bargain pack was left-over old stock (I am guessing the latter) but it was excellent. Just like I remembered the OR Genisis' were. A great smoke and great smoking memory that, in itself, was worth $5. Right off the bat, I am pleased with the purchase.

On the boat later, smoked the HC. This was a perfect choice. A good solid $2-ish cigar. Burned well even under the adverse conditions. Held up to the wind and the spray with only one touch-up about halfway through. Typical "maduro" profile & not complex at all. One-note the whole way which is fine for something perhaps a half-step up from a decent yard-gar.

That evening tried the Nica Libre. Never had one of this brand of any type before. I saw that they were originally an AJ cigar but are now made by the Oliva gang. The Nica's were originally marketed as a "bargain-priced" quality cigar, but the Potencia is supposed to be a small-batch premium offering (premium version of a bargain brand??). It is all Nicaraguan with a Habano wrapper.

Dang, this thing was powerful. Started out with a salty, dark-chocolaty flavor that, after a while, became more espresso-ish. That is a pretty typical description of a Nicaraguan cigar, but with this one it was very intense the whole way. Started strong and stayed that way the whole time with a pretty good Nic-Kick, but was not one-dimensional at all, it had interesting changes and different spicy flavors but always strong and intense. I really enjoyed it and will look at picking up some more. You just would not want to smoke this first thing in the morning or just before bed!

The next morning for breakfast on the balcony overlooking the lake I tried the House-Brand American Blend. My expectations were very low for this cigar and they were pretty much met. It is billed as "purely 100% American tobaccos rolled in Nicaragua. It starts with Connecticut Broadleaf and Connecticut Habano fillers nestled underneath a Wisconsin binder." Meh. Very mild. not much flavor at all. Some hay, grass, tiny bit of salt. Construction OK but soft and squishy. Gave up about halfway through and lit up one of the Grand Prize by E.P. Carrillo that I had also packed. So much better. I really enjoy the GP as a morning smoke.

The Gurkha? Me, smoke a Gurkha???? Seriously, though, I have had the Class Regent before in other samplers and it is actually the only Gurkha I have ever had that was not only not horrible, it was pretty OK. Soft and squishy especially for a supposedly box-pressed torp, it burns a long time with pretty good - not spectacular but pretty good - flavor throughout until it gets to the last inch when they get a bit bitter. Lots of smoke as well.

This particular specimen, however, was destined to be a mooch give-away the evening I had the Nica. The guy liked it a lot and smoked it pretty far down. Saved me from sharing something more precious with a guy that usually smokes generic cigarettes and gas station cigars and who, in the past when I have given him a really good cigar, has usually tossed it in the fire before halfway done.

So of the 5:

- A trip down memory lane with an old friend I though was long gone
- A perfectly good casual boat date
- An intense new relationship
- A morning meeting that turned sour and ended abruptly but helped me appreciate what else I have.
- Sharing is caring....

All for only $5!
dstieger Offline
#2 Posted:
Joined: 06-22-2007
Posts: 10,889
Sounds like you got your money's worth!

I used to get some Potencias now and then. I'd once heard they were Oliva V seconds. They aren't, but I could see why someone might have thought so. Well worth the couple bucks they went for.

Agree on the old Genesiseses....would love to see some of those OR robs again
midmofan Offline
#3 Posted:
Joined: 04-25-2014
Posts: 1,108
dstieger wrote:
Sounds like you got your money's worth!



Most definitely did! Searching for these "secret" deals is interesting, a lot are really lousy cigars but sometimes something is worth it. I have used these "secret" bargain deals before when placing a bigger order so as to get the free shipping on the whole package. This was the first time I just bough one of these deals just for the heck of it. Too bad it is one-per-customer or I would buy another just to get the apparently OR (or at least OR worthy) Genesis.
Pudding Mittens Offline
#4 Posted:
Joined: 08-15-2016
Posts: 1,291
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Even the current Bueso Genesis The Project and Genesis Habano aren't bad at all. They're good for when you'll be distracted and can't really concentrate fully on the cigar, for example when doing some activity or having animated discussions. Cheap and tasty.

The OR Genesis Projects were better for sure, but they also cost quite a bit more IIRC (speaking in terms of minimally-achievable price if you're a good deal hound). Remember the old saying, "you get what you pay for."

If I want excellence and complexity and something to really focus on and savor, I'll grab something else, but the current Buesos are good for everyday and/or distracted situations.
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Mrs. dpnewell Offline
#5 Posted:
Joined: 08-23-2014
Posts: 1,373
Back before my banning in 2014, the Project was one of my favorite cigars. I had a ton of them in inventory and smoked through them all during my exile. When I started to use my wife's dormant account last year, the first thing I did was bid on some Projects. I was shocked. The new ones where nasty, harsh and tasted of burnt wood. I'm glad you where able to find a good one. Man, I miss those ORs. Oh, well, in the mean time I've found plenty of other good, smokable cigars here.

David
midmofan Offline
#6 Posted:
Joined: 04-25-2014
Posts: 1,108
It could be when they were purchased - how long after they started going downhill - but I am in-between Pudding and "Mrs." on the newer Projects. I never found them horrible, but not good enough to spend the money on when there were others that I liked better for better prices.

Might have just gotten lucky, but this one in the 5-pack was just like old times! :)
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