Have I been doing this wrong, aging my cigars? Yes, I get that in the 6x60 format, the Flathead Big Block whatever ranked an impressive 95, #3 on CA's cigars of the year list. However, the 5.5x54 format has ranked 87, 88 and 90. Then CAO offers one with LESS aging and the starting price on Power Hour is $124.50 (someone in California apparently really loves these or needs to stock a shpo) in a 5.5x50 format for a box of 20. Meanwhile, with a little over 2 days remaining on a box of 24 of the original 5.5x54, the going price is $68. For the same blend, slightly larger ring, 4 more cigars, and more fermentation time.

Maybe I haven't been paying enough attention to the cigar market since $10 has become a pretty common price, and $20 cigars are fairly common. What did I miss that modern-day cigars get better with less age? And what happens if I cannot smoke them all in a few days or weeks, do they start to taste like the original?

Maybe I'm just out of touch. I didn't really get into premium cigars until maybe 15 years ago, when cigars typically cost about half of what they do now, and aging (the cigars, not me) was a good thing. Back then, Nestor P was making a lot of inexpensive house and contracted lines (some actually pretty good) and his cigars weren't running $17-20, so I am not just looking to single out CAO.

The V19's have been getting pumped up on the blog sites lately. They are supposed to have a deeper richer flavor in the new variation. I read a review the other day and thought hmmmmm, so I got a fiver. I sent 2 out, and the other 3 are in the humi. I haven't tried them yet.

So hell, I don't know. I never had the original so I don't have a yardstick.

You're right on the cost of cigars now. These boutigue blends are spendy and it's becoming the norm.

BWS is releasing their boondock saints. I've read about the originals and would like to try them. One of the cigar pirates are taking pre-orders so I logged in, but they're $205 for a box of 20. That put the keboosh on that. I'm not laying 2 bills out for a cigar I've never tried. 😞

There are fivers of BLTC Boondocks on a few other sites fyi.

I had the v660 and liked it. Not sure I'm on board with the v19. Read/watched a few reviews and wasn't impressed.

Thanks.

Crud. Sorry, but as you know, I don't see very well. Aside from the one blind eye, on days when I am fighting an allergy (something set me into fits of sneezing and other issues today), I have trouble reading even with a magnifying glass in hand. Now that I've had some Nasacort (I cannot seem to tolerate any pills these days), I see that the V19 actually has MORE aging after LESS fermentation time. I'm curious as to how that plays out. Not $124.50 curious, but curious nonetheless. If a cigar maker can elevate a good cigar through natural caretaking and technique, I have no problem seeing a higher price on the elevated edition. That is, on days I can actually see. And yes, I got my flu shot, over a month ago, so I'm reasonably sure it's not the flu (crosses fingers).

#7 Yeah, couple of Benjamins on a flier is too rich for my blood. I can still recall getting some pretty damned good smokes on this site for $50 or less per box. Then again, college tuition as of last year had risen over 700% at one place where I got a degree, and around 800 at the other, and that's in 30 years for one and 33 for the other. I have a nephew in law school where his scholarship only covers about 2/3 of his tuition, and that scholarship would have more than covered tuition and books for my entire 3 years. Still, cigar prices seem to be based on current muscle car-like horsepower wars, like it's a prestige thing to charge enough for a box of cigars that a buyer would probably have to sell a kidney. Patience and a willingness to wait can help if you're willing to take a chance (what is the MSRP on the Cohiba Mascara or whatever the hell it is, like $30 per, and now going for a fraction...and Habana MSRPs are probably about what a car runs you in Cuba).

Oh, and GET OFF MY LAWN, EVERYBODY. :)P~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't look now, but one place has Opus Angel's share, 3 cigar tins, for $70+. Put the Fuente family kids through college, and their extended family, and their kids' friends, etc. Jeepers. About 20 cigars at that rate cost about as much as license renewal to practice law in the State of Washington for a year, and the site has already sold out one vitola. Will probably sell out the others by the time I finish typing this.

You lost me when you said CAO........once General and STG merged, and Huber and others left........meh..

But then, the Brazilia is the best cigar in the world.........where in the heck has GNF been???

Yeah, no thanks. I've had an opus x years ago and didn't really care for it at the time. I'm not laying that kind of cash out either. Well, I guess I came close with those Anejo 49's I got from Tampa Sweethearts.

But I have them. 😃

I see you have never been in the dungeon, with the sound of spiked heels bringing a cold bucket of water to dump on you..........

[-x

Whoa whoa whoa! I never said that! That is a seperate deal entirely. [whip]

#8 Yeah, if you can ever catch them at the right time, you can score some relatively decent-priced rarities and HTFs. Got a sampler a couple years back that included a couple Eye of the Sharks, and need to clean out my office and tubs to find the damned sampler. Didn't want to try them until I feel better, but they should have gone in my big cabinet humi. Something about needing to hide them from an armed wife sent them into hiding.

#9 I see someone bought Abu Ghraib: The Home Game.

Apparently the Swedish mafia hasn’t been doling out enough concrete shoes to go swimming with the Swedish fishes lately...

Jeesh ya damn noobs.

Pac got no clue but like KOK said I wouldn’t waste my $ on any general cigars products either, just my opinion. I know local dudes who smoke the Flatheads and say they are the best CAO on the market, barring the Brazil of course which is the best cigar ever. Period.

#wwgnfd

if you don't buy them, you're life won't be worse.

I likes me some Flatheads.
Tried the whole CAO line. That’s the only one I’ll ever buy again.
Well, that and the Brazilia, cause it’s Z’s favorite...

Meh. General still has a good one here and there, IMO. Trouble is, beyond things like them buying CAO, Davidoff purchasing Camacho (which also was not a positive move for the line, IMO), it's tough to tell who's putting out what these days. I think DE got bought, but I can't even be bothered to check. I never cared much for the early wrappers that came out of Brazil (ariparica, mata fina, mata norte), but folks have been growing all kinds of leaf out there. Also, I liked the Sopran...er, Consi.,..Consi...whatever they are called now. Mine are either gone or back from the CAO days, so I haven't smoked any new ones. Torano (another family that sold to a behemoth) used to make a couple Brazil wrapper cigars I liked. Now you have the Laranja, some Habano leaf, all kinds of stuff being grown in Brazil (plus whatever that Andulo stuff is).

I probably have enough to last me until I die. I'll keep an eye out for the more promising new stuff, but I'm well-stocked [*sniff* adjusts crotch]. I mean with cigars. Plus, we have that "other" kind of leaf sold around here, and as it turns out, as I figure out more things that were making me sick (peanuts, as it turns out, is the newest) and I'm finding out why high THC content matters. Whoooo!

OK. NOOB question. The Brazilia's? Are we being facetious or what is the take on those? I have some of them, and the Americans in the humi. No I'm curious. LOL.

I don't have the depth to catch the nuance in this one. I'll give you my thoughts on the V19's once I fire one of them. But I'm curious as to the others.

Thanks.

V

One infrequent poster once called the CAO Brazilias the best cigars in the world. In the real world they are not even in the top side for all Brazilians. But then, your taste and appreciation may vary.

Blasphemy!!!

Got you. Thanks. I've had a couple of Brazilians over the years. One was truly gorgeous but had a temper, the other was painful as hell. I'd not recommend it.

I'll let you know how the smokes come out. 🌫

I remember that guy... if I remember right, he liked them long, thick, dark and a little veiny.