I am mostly a bargain hunter for m ebveryday smokes, but i will go for a Padron, or CAO L'anniv, or Hoyo 135th Anniv, but i usually wont spend more that $6 for a cigar, are the real expensive cigars really worth it, i mean like Aston VSG, or Opus X, Perdamo Reserve or La Aurora. Are they really better or is it just in the name???

I received an Ashton VSG figurado as a gift. It was full bodied and had a beautiful wrapper. It had some very strong flavors (spice, leather and cedar), but the burn sucked. It tunneled badly and didnt want to stay lit. From the appearance and feel of the cigar, it was properly humidified, but who can say. I wouldnt spend a lot of money on one, but if one came my way at a reasonable price I would smoke it again.

How expensive do you mean by "really" expensive? I try to pay no more than $6 for my best smokes. I can't ever see paying as much for a cigar (it goes up in smoke, remember) as some are priced. That's one reason I've never bought Cubans and rarely find a bargain because it's been mispriced. I can be real happy with a solid $8 smoke I got on CigarBid for $5 because I know how unhappy I'd be with a $20 stick that sputtered.

To answer your question, decasere; Yes. The Ashton VSG and the Opus X are worth it --IF-- your palate has evolved enough for you to enjoy a real full-bodied smoke. (also, make sure you don't smoke either of these on an empty stomach) If you are ready and price is a factor, I'd suggest you try the La Escepcion (in my opinion, VERY similar to the VSG in taste), the Cusano Xclusivo (IMO very similar to the OpusX in taste) or the Camacho Corojo instead.

If you're still working on mild-to-medium-bodied smokes, then I'd suggest you get through the solid mediums first. Once you're into the medium-to-full-bodied smokes, I highly recommend the Padron Anniversario Maduro, it's another expensive one that is worth the price. After this, you should be ready for the VSGs and OpusX's of the world (I prefer the VSG over the OpusX though I would NEVER turn down an OpusX).

Hope that helped.

this morning, when i had a full mouth of my evelio, i swallowed a glass of water and the mouthful of evelio smoke. what is going to happen to me or have i found a new delight?

Rick, You'll probably have a hard time passing the glass LOL. As for expensive cigars, I think heg covered it. Some smokes aren't as expensive as some shops will lead you to believe. My local shop gets the Padron Ann. regularly and sell for $8-$12 each. About twice a year they get some Opus X and they sell for $12-$15. It's nice to collect a few and save for a very special occasion. I've seen the Opus X go for ridiculous prices on the net($35 and way up). My biggest splurge to date is a couple of Padron Milleniums that I paid $25 ea. for. I justified it by rationalizing that I won't be around for the next change of millenium. Barry

Correction to my previous post, I meant to say Camacho Havana NOT the Camacho Corojo. Sorry.

Do what Heg tells you. His alternative list of cigars are very nice and much more affordable. This will also allow you to determine if the higher priced cigars are for you.

I am a bargain hunter too! I am still working my way through the lower priced 5-packs. I have had some nice surprises with the lower priced cigars. I have also had dismal failures. Sometimes a pricey cigar can disappoint too. Maybe it's worse when you pay a lot and get very little. I feel taken advantage of. I agree with the Padron selection too! Damn fine cigars.

some pricey cigars to avoid are Cohibas of any persuasion. the Dominican ones have never been good. the ISOM ones were good seven years ago. the Esplendidos was the king of cigars and worth every penny of the 65 dollars (Canadian) that I paid to smoke them. then came the cigar boom and the Cubans decided that they could increase their production infinitely without putting any more money into growing or processing tobacco or into training and keeping expert tabacaleras. make no mistake, some ISOM Cohibas are still okay, but nothing like they used to be.

I'm with BMW and Heg. Yes, they are worth it. The VSG's and Padron's Anniversaries are usually on the shelf items. Opus X, in my city, are seasonal. I buy them when they are available.

I had an Ashton VSG and I loved it! Nice full bodied smoke that burned great and tasted even better! I will definitly be purchasing more of these sticks. I don't know why you had burning problems with your Calavera, but i definitly wouldn't rule out this cigar on one bad incounter. Just my opinion! Happy smoking all!!

You get what you pay for ... some prefer driving a Gremlin, some a Mercedes.

Slim, I don't know a SINGLE person that actually WANTS to drive a Gremlin. 😉

I only smoke stuff above the $5 range (except for what I steal from the guys at CB), Opus X, Ashton VSG and Padron are good cigars, but as said earlier, you must have developed a taste for the full-bodied smoke. I think a CAO L'Anniversario is better than any of these smokes as far as complexity goes though. The thing I do not like about these smokes is their lack of complexity. Camacho Diplomas, Felipe Gregorio Centenarios, Graycliffs or Davidoff's are much better cigars IMO and some cost around the same or cheaper. The only cigar I've bought for over $20 that was really, really worth it (besides Cubans) was a maduro Untold Story. These are the ****.

Clayton

*