I just finished lunch and decided to try my first ever isom an 96 H. upmann from KingofSmithville and it is just a piece of heaven (creamy and rich with the slightest nuttyness flavor). I highly recommend any dealings with him and hope to do more in the future myself..


Chef Richard

glad you enjoyed it! can't wait to try a real ISOM. at this point, it's so built up in my imagination that i'll be surprised if, when i smoke one, a chorus of angels down descend from the sky. heh.

antonio

who is king of smithville?

david

... one of BOFL ...

Tony... Trust me. Don't get hung up on the whole ISOM mystique. Some are damn good but some are crap. There are some great smokes that are available at a much better price.
The King is a real BOTL in my opininon.

ajeroth

AJ is correct some are damn good others can't touch a mediocre domestic.

My first was a RyJ Churchill, I'm looking forward to trying more from the Dark Side.

Tony Don't get hung up on the whole Domestic mystique either some a pretty damn good but others are crap. There are some great Cuban smokes that are available at a much better price than some over priced over hyped Domestics.

Sorry, had to do it. I've had way more crappy Domestics than crappy Cubans. And the Cubans produced during the end of the cigar boom are not a fair comparison. Also, too many of my American Freinds have smoked too many fakes. Also not a fair comparison

Your right limoric... There are quite a few domestics not worth the price. But there are some good ones too.
And since you get the other kind at your corner store, there is no mystique. There are some good ISOMs but for us the extra cost of special shipping they just aren't worth it.

ajeroth

your right AJ, it sucks to overpay for any mystique cigar and have it be disapointing. Here the costs for Domestics are close to the price for cuban (IT Super Feurte $20). That's why I buy the few Domestics I like through C-bid and trade for the rest. Those who know how, can get either variety for a lot less than through the circles of greed.

Lim, what domestic mystique? I like ISOMs but I have had ones that are not as good as a $5 domestic.
Sure there are a lot of crap domestics. So maybe I should have said decent instead of mediocre. Also,
I never had the opportunity to try an ISOM from prior to the boom. I never said the overpriced domestics
were worth the money. I know I can get some great ISOMs for less than an Opus. Have I smoked fakes? I dunno. They Come from Germany or Spain.

Blueeyes - The latest resident of the Dark Side announces he has checked in......you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave........

There are some domestics that I value as much as some Habana product - depends on what the taste buds are calling for that day.....A CAO Gold Anny Cameroon, a PAM Serie '64 Torpedo or Imperial or even the regular Padron XX00 line, especially the 4000 and 5000 - WOW !!!! what awesome smokes in their own right - it is never to be assumed that the ONLY great cigars come from Habana - that's just silly and pompous thinking.

Having said that - there are some products from Habana that are also OUTSTANDING - I am finishing a HdM EL 2003 Piramide as I am writing this and this is a FANTASTIC smoke --- from the construction to the extra aged and fermented wrapper all the way to the Habana TWANG at the end - even after the cigar is finished..... this is why we smoke the stuff....

The part of the equation that is going against the "domestics" is that the rising cost of some of these smokes actually make the Habanas a better value. I recently had a domestic H. Upmann Chairman's Reserve - price tag of $17..... and while I was smoking this - I was thinking that I could - for one $ more - have had THREE blockbuster Bolis or RAs or Party Shorts or other PCs.....doesn't seem to make sense at times.... I know that it is not an apples for apples compare as far as size goes --- but I smoke these for taste -- pretty hard to taste size !!
Good luck to you as you explore the possibilities .
DocRKS