Flagship or Established Brands

[TommyBB]

I guess part of any pursuit among those who really enjoy it, is to talk about new things. That's part and parcel, after all, of what breathes life into that pursuit or hobby. Many here, rail a bit, about all the new stuff constantly emerging, and it will increase here in the next two or three months as the IPCPR Trade Show nears, and so many manufacturers will be presenting new offerings.

Like any other field of business, either evolve or die, no? And it breathes interest, as well, whether people like it or not. HOWEVER, getting lost in all of this are flagship brands, or flagship lines of established brands. Breech got me thinking of this with a post on the "What Are You Smoking Today" thread. He mentioned La Aurora, and that he had a La Aurora thrown into his order, and that it was good.

Now, that La Aurora has been around a long time, and is a good cigar with a Cameroon wrapper. But how often do we talk about them? Not much, I'd wager, the same thing for many others. So, let's talk about them.

I posted on the "Why Jawbreakers?" thread that I had cause to try a newly offered size 6"x60 in both the original Macanudo line and Macanudo Maduro. I mentioned that such a large ring gauge REALLY hurt both cigars, as it provided space for more filler leaf, and a harsh, ashy taste is the result.

I also posted in CW First Look, last week, that La Flor Dominicana is renaming their original La Flor line, into La Flor Dominicana Light, as a counter measure to their more recently earned reputation for power cigars due to their Ligero and Double Ligero lines.

So, what about you guys? Who still smokes regular lines? Let's give some love to our roots.
I'm guilty a bit, myself, but I always liked those La Aurora cigars.
Or the A. Fuente Flor Fina (Green stripe on the band) 8-5-8
Henry Clay Brevas
Bauza (thanks for those Red)

[H311oLHD]

Honestly, the most 'root' cigar I smoke on a regular basis are Punch Pitas... Everything else for me lately has been made by Don Pepin Garcia or Alec Bradley.

I wish I knew where to go for the classic good stuff, but none of them seem to grab my attention or there aren't new reviews out there to read to get an idea if I'll like them.

Aaron

[TommyBB]

Most reviewers don't want to review them, in my estimation, because they should be known commodities. And reviewing the "old stuff" doesn't always generate readership. Not that we're generating much ourselves, but I think you get my point.

They're not necessarily "news" anymore.

I still like the ones I mentioned, though.
I think a good many smokers still like the original La Gloria Cubana.

Last time I had a regular Romeo y Julieta, I liked it a lot.

[Mad Dawg]

Interesting topic, Tommy, and one I've been thinking about a lot lately.

In general, I smoke far more of what most people would consider "boutique" brands than "flagship" brands. That doesn't that they're not well-established or well-known, just that they're not the mammoth brands that had been around for years pre-boom.

Most of what I smoke these days, at least on any kind of a regular basis, have "Pepin" Garcia's, Pete Johnson's, Alec Bradley's, or AJ Fernandez' fingerprints on them. Part of that is because I like the work these guys have been doing over the past few years, and part is because I simply have not cared for the "Cuban-name ripoffs" that constitute most of the "established" brands that are out there. If I see a name like Cohiba or Bolivar or Partagas or Romeo y Julieta or...well, you get the idea...I generally avoid them because I've found them to be pretty blah in the past.

Now maybe that's because I associate something with the name that is just not going to be there - you simply can't make cigars that taste like Cubans with tobacco from anywhere other than Cuba. I recognize the fallacy in that kind of expectation, but I just can't dismiss it.

I actively avoid certain "established" brands altogether. Most notable among that list are Arturo Fuente (bland, usually tarry, vastly over-hyped/priced) and Rocky Patel (no way can I keep track of all the lines with his name on them, so I don't even try), but there are others.

If I had to cite one example of an established brand that I enjoy, it would probably have to be Punch, and the Rare Corojo line in particular. Get some age on those suckers and they can be epic. The Hoyo de Monterrey Dark Sumatra line is another that I've smoked a bunch of and enjoyed. If you consider La Aurora to be an established name, then their 107 line (particularly the coronas) are excellent, as are most of the Preferidos perfectos. La Gloria Cubana is still on my list, particularly the new Rabito de Cochino.

[Catdeddy]

Excalibur EMS and Legend. Do the Macanudo 1968s count, also?

[Breech]

First, I thank you Tommy for the mention, and you hit the emotion behind my dopey sentence right on the head. That La Aurora was my first ever from them and it was damn good. As for me I think my smoking might fall under the MD "boutique" label, with the closest mainstream one being the JdN Antano 1970 line.... Everything else is a line from an established cigar maker; Torano (Virtuoso), LGC (AdT & RdC), Tatuaje (Red), and EO (Red) to name a few.

But now that I know about the La Aurora, I have already checked on costs for a box.... It really was a pleasant surprise...

john

PS Great topic!

[TommyBB]

I don't know, J.D. I'm thinking more on the original, plain name, no qualifiers. I know few here smoke regular, green band Macanudo. It's way too mild for most of us, but they are, normally, outstanding in terms of consistency, construction and that lovely Connecticut Shade wrapper.

La Aurora. I hate to say "plain, old," La Aurora. The original blend. I smoked a lot of those in the 1990s.

Punch, hmmmmmm. I like the Honduran Punch and Hoyo de Monterrey. One of the best cigars I ever smoked in my early days was a regular Hoyo, in the lobby of that Holiday Inn in Houston, when you could still smoke in the lounge. Nothing fancy, just a regular Hoyo with a couple friends.

I, too, love the Rare Corojo with some age on it. But, just the regular Punch is good, too, but not as strong as more recent or subsequent offerings.

I don't find the regular, Arturo Fuente Flor Fina, as best I can remember, to have those nasty characteristics like some of the newer lines might have.

[H311oLHD]

Originally Posted by Mad Dawg

Interesting topic, Tommy, and one I've been thinking about a lot lately.

In general, I smoke far more of what most people would consider "boutique" brands than "flagship" brands. That doesn't that they're not well-established or well-known, just that they're not the mammoth brands that had been around for years pre-boom.

Most of what I smoke these days, at least on any kind of a regular basis, have "Pepin" Garcia's, Pete Johnson's, Alec Bradley's, or AJ Fernandez' fingerprints on them. Part of that is because I like the work these guys have been doing over the past few years, and part is because I simply have not cared for the "Cuban-name ripoffs" that constitute most of the "established" brands that are out there. If I see a name like Cohiba or Bolivar or Partagas or Romeo y Julieta or...well, you get the idea...I generally avoid them because I've found them to be pretty blah in the past.

Now maybe that's because I associate something with the name that is just not going to be there - you simply can't make cigars that taste like Cubans with tobacco from anywhere other than Cuba. I recognize the fallacy in that kind of expectation, but I just can't dismiss it.

I actively avoid certain "established" brands altogether. Most notable among that list are Arturo Fuente (bland, usually tarry, vastly over-hyped/priced) and Rocky Patel (no way can I keep track of all the lines with his name on them, so I don't even try), but there are others.

If I had to cite one example of an established brand that I enjoy, it would probably have to be Punch, and the Rare Corojo line in particular. Get some age on those suckers and they can be epic. The Hoyo de Monterrey Dark Sumatra line is another that I've smoked a bunch of and enjoyed. If you consider La Aurora to be an established name, then their 107 line (particularly the coronas) are excellent, as are most of the Preferidos perfectos. La Gloria Cubana is still on my list, particularly the new Rabito de Cochino.

Why are our tastes so similar...you scare me Doug...

[CJ3]

H. Upmann Vintage Cameroon does it for me, along with a nice Monte, and/or a Playboy by Don Diego. CAO Gold's still a great, consistent, medium-bodied smoke.

Not to mention the AF Chateu Fuente. And if you think THEY'RE overpriced, take a look at the price of a CoHiba single at your local B&M.

[KatDad]

Villazon whore that I am, some of the original names in their line, El Rey del Mundo, Hoyo de Monterrey and Punch come to mind. Skipping over to NATSA, La Finca and Jose Marti were once favorites that have fallen off of my radar in recent years.