So I’ve learned a few things.  Even slowing down I was smoking them too fast.  And too hot.  And ashing too much.  All of which I think was contributing to a harsher profile in the last third. I was smoking them in the boat, during last light, while I was also fishing.  So I was either keeping them in my mouth and almost steady puffing or I would put it down, make a cast or two, and then make a couple quicker/bigger puffs before the next cast.  I would ash them all the time so that the ash didn’t get in the boat while I was chewing on it.

 

I’ve since started smoking them on the back porch a little more.  I picked up a bunch of mild to mediums at the big shop when I was over there a couple weeks ago; a bunch of different lengths and ring sizes.  After smoking them (and some other things I had on hand) a little more slowly, my preferences are changing a good bit. For instance, an Ashton white label Churchill tastes good, but I find myself wanting more and richer flavor.  That has been the same with a couple similar cigars (San Cristobal, perdomo, etc).  They are all tasty and burn great, but are lighter than the flavor profile I want.  I have also gone back to a few that I really liked before and find that the burn isn’t great and even smoking them slow and gentle they still produce a hot core.  I’ve also gone back to a couple I wasn’t sure on and they are far better with better technique. I’m glad I’ve tried what I have tried.  Now we’re going to explore a little bigger/heavier again.  

I find a Get-A-Grip indispensable in the canoe or golf cart.

On 9/9/2025 at 4:29 PM, casts_by_fly said:

 And it looks like the 2/3/4k models are the same blend but different sizes.

You've probably already discovered some examples, but exact same blend in different sizes can be completely different experience.  My all-time favorite fishing cigar (now discontinued) was a maduro box-pressed corona that was absolutely horrid in toro/robusto ring gauges.

7 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

So I’ve learned a few things.  Even slowing down I was smoking them too fast.  And too hot.  And ashing too much.  All of which I think was contributing to a harsher profile in the last third. I was smoking them in the boat, during last light, while I was also fishing.  So I was either keeping them in my mouth and almost steady puffing or I would put it down, make a cast or two, and then make a couple quicker/bigger puffs before the next cast.  I would ash them all the time so that the ash didn’t get in the boat while I was chewing on it.

 

I’ve since started smoking them on the back porch a little more.  I picked up a bunch of mild to mediums at the big shop when I was over there a couple weeks ago; a bunch of different lengths and ring sizes.  After smoking them (and some other things I had on hand) a little more slowly, my preferences are changing a good bit. For instance, an Ashton white label Churchill tastes good, but I find myself wanting more and richer flavor.  That has been the same with a couple similar cigars (San Cristobal, perdomo, etc).  They are all tasty and burn great, but are lighter than the flavor profile I want.  I have also gone back to a few that I really liked before and find that the burn isn’t great and even smoking them slow and gentle they still produce a hot core.  I’ve also gone back to a couple I wasn’t sure on and they are far better with better technique. I’m glad I’ve tried what I have tried.  Now we’re going to explore a little bigger/heavier again.  

Not sure which blends you tried in the two mentioned brands, but in lighter wrapper, San Cristobal Elegancia and Perdomo Champagne are richer, more complex than most.

  My Father Connecticut, Southern Draw Rose of Sharon are two others that come to mind.  

  Now that you are refining your palate, keep note of wrappers, blenders, origin, (and, yes, sizes) that you prefer.  

    Favorite online source for non-Cuban cigars: Small Batch Cigars.   

@casts_by_fly, I would certainly drown if I smoked a cigar while fishing 😂 

@Choporoz- The Elegancia and the Champagne were in fact the two that I had.  I had the champagne in a petit corona and a Toro.  The elegancia was a robusto.  Those two and the Ashton 898 Churchill were all three pretty similar for me.  I can taste that they are well made and complex.  There just wasn't enough oomph for me right now.

 

The oliva G in a 4.5x50 is my favorite unflavored/not infused- so far.  I'd like it a little richer so I'm going to get it in a maduro, but I'd happily have another. 

10 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

@Choporoz- The Elegancia and the Champagne were in fact the two that I had.  I had the champagne in a petit corona and a Toro.  The elegancia was a robusto.  Those two and the Ashton 898 Churchill were all three pretty similar for me.  I can taste that they are well made and complex.  There just wasn't enough oomph for me right now.

 

The oliva G in a 4.5x50 is my favorite unflavored/not infused- so far.  I'd like it a little richer so I'm going to get it in a maduro, but I'd happily have another. 

Oliva G has a Cameroon wrapper.  Fuente Hemingway would be one to try.  And one of my favorites, RoMaCraft CroMagnon Aquitaine, has a Cameroon binder.  Most sizes of Aquitaine are stellar, but a couple of the bigger ring gauges tend to develop uneven burn issues for me.

@TnRiver46- I think earlier in this thread someone (maybe choproz) mentioned taking time out for a cigar.  I’m finding that out now and how/why.  While I didn’t drown, I burnt a few hairs and some carpet.  Changing winds and which way you’re facing it or moving down the bank make the smoke blow right into your eyes, right up under your hat, occasionally across your cheek…. 

@Choporoz - working my way through a Fuentes Hemingway right now (6x47).  Quite good, and I prefer this profile to the lighter Connecticut wrappers I’d been smoking lately.  I picked up a couple similar ones of different brands.  I’m excited to try the Olive G maduro. 

 

On a different subject, I still haven’t found a cigar where the smoke coming off the front smelled like what i want.  I know that’s not a primary consideration, but I love the smell of a burning cigar when they have that rich spicy sweet combo in a hefty amount of smoke.  It’s not quite pipe tobacco but more than most of the cigars I’ve been having.  I had a drew java toro that smelled like chocolate cake which was awesome to smell while smoking it.  The crazy Alice has a great smoke smell also, but they are a pain to smoke.  Any good ones I should look at?

While working through Oliva lines, don't skip V and V Melanio, both very good cigars.  However, I don't care for maduro in those two, as they use a San Andres wrapper.  Something about San Andres does not appeal to me, though many like it.  (It is like cigar cilantro to me - ruins the taste.. lol)

"Oliva V is nicaruagan filler with habano wrapper

V maduro is the same filler and a Maduro wrapper

V Melanio is a bolder filler and Sumatra wrapper

V Melanio Maduro swaps the Sumatra wrapper for a Maduro wrapper"

 

Seems to me that Jonathan Drew put pipe tobacco in his Kentucky Fire cigars when first released.   Not sure if that is still the case.

 

Tatuaje and Illusione are two brands with variety of outstanding, rich blends.

 

I am most partial to Ecuadorian Habano wrappers.  Crowned Heads Imperiosa is what I sit and enjoy most evenings after dinner.

I have the Serie V double toro which is habano sungrown and then a Serie V Melanio.  I guess I didn’t order the maduro so we’ll see how it goes!  Thanks!

So I’ve learned a few things this weekend.  My wife is away and the pool is closed so I’ve spent a ton of time out back on my own with nowhere to go and no dogs to hurry me (the pool is closed so they just hang out now).

 

The pardon 4000 Maduro is probably my favorite cigar that I’ve had to date.  The first half of it is absolutely incredible.  The flavor profile is just about what I’m looking for.  I’d like a little more rich flavor (less of the lighter delicate notes and a little more chocolate/heavy earth/sweetness(?) maybe) but I think this 6.5x54 version is awesome.  I can’t wait to try the similar other ones in this order.

 

Smoking slow with a big ash is a big difference.  The ash keeps the core colder while keeping it smoldering it seems. Every time I de-ash, the cigar that is left gets really hot with the first puff.  The engineer in me see that it makes sense but the impact is profound.  I smoked the padron above to the nub and the 2” nub was still very good until I got to the point where the nub was getting hot to my fingers.  It got a little acrid after that. 

 

having a rich and sweet barrel bourbon is a great pair for this style of cigar. 

 

The oliva melanio is calling my name after this. 

You're probably ready for the Padron 1926 if you can get through a 4000 Maduro and is probably what you're looking for. Oliva V Melanio Maduro torpedo is my favorite in that line up. A fuller proof whiskey definitely helps the palette cut through the lighter notes of a cigar, and enhances the deeper, earth, wood, sweet notes.

The padron champagne purito 4x38 wasn’t my thing. I’ve had the toro and it was better but the purito had all of the light cream flavor and then went acrid/ashy too quickly. The toro was better and stayed creamy. 
 

My Father La Antiquidad was good. I really like box pressed. The first third was great. But despite smoking it slowly It went really ashy quite quickly. 
 

Oliva series V melanio (4.5x46). Really tasty. I liked the Oliva G which is lighter. This is better I think. Can’t wait to try the series V 6x60. 

Working through the Oliva G double toro (6x60) at the moment and am 2/3 through.  It is an excellent stick that doesn’t excite me.  The construction and draw are great.  The first third was dark and creamy and quite nice, the middle third was less creamy and similarly nice.  The back end is good.  But there is nothing that is exciting me about it like the melanio. One thing it has done though is changed my opinion of large ring cigars.  Not sure why I didn’t like them before.  Maybe because I was smoking them while fishing and they are harder to manage that way.  

 

 

last night I had the best cigar I’ve had yet though.  A couple weeks ago I had the padron 4000 maduro and loved it.  Flavor was excellent and to my tastes but on top the burn was the most perfect burn and draw I’ve had on any cigar ever.  No touchups.  2+” of ash.  I got a last minute invite from a friend to go to a local cigar lounge for a drink.  I had wanted to try a next level up Padron and they had the 1964 maduro diplomatico (about 6x52 box pressed).  Phenomenal.  There is a 6x52 torpedo that will make its way into the house here soon.  A box is maybe more than I want to spend, but I think I will get a 5 pack and set them aside.  

This is the time of year when the Fuente Anejo's come out. I think the #77 Shark is the best all around value to complexity cigar there is, though any of their larger ring gauges are fantastic.

I’ve had a few more since this last post and am working through one now (winter sucks if you don’t smoke in the house).

 

Currently working through a Le Bijou petit robusto.  It’s a little big and heavy.  I can see why it was award winning because it is consistent and smooth. The flavors are just a little more than I want.  I’m not good enough to describe cigar flavors yet but I can describe characteristics.  It is dry.  I’d call it cedar but it’s a burnt heavy cedar.  It’s rich and dark The reviews say creamy coffee and that might be true for the first couple puffs.  But it gets heavier after that.  The last third gets a bit linear and ashy.  It’s good for sure, but not good for me.  

 

The flor de las Antillas was pretty good.  it was a super easy draw (like the le bijou) and it had a spicy profile.  Great burn.  Still not as good as the padrons, but still nice.

 

The padron series across the board has been my favorite.

 

Bigger question- what do you guys do in the winter to smoke?  I can’t smoke in the house or the truck.  The garage is a maybe but I’d have to have the door open and it’s COLD!  Tonight there is no wind so I’m out back under a heater but my legs are still pretty cold.  

I use the little Hemmingways in winter, but I have to be out doing something, like shoveling or some such. Standing out in the cold just to smoke isn’t something I do, I don’t smoke enough to have going without bother me.

 

I agree on the Padron’s, I keep a few 1926’s in 6 and 35’s around for when I want to splurge, too pricey around here to do more than that.

 

If I had to describe the taste or smell of a cigar it certainly wouldn’t be with some of the adjectives the sales folks use. I’ve never tasted nutty, spicy, or earthy in a cigar, kind of like using Pure Corinthian Leather to describe cowhide or better yet, vinyl. Come to think of it, I have run into a few that I might describe as tasting like dirt.

I have space heaters in garage, shed, and front porch.  I do smoke in the car and trucks - fortunately, I have a very understanding wife who also enjoys a good cigar every now and then.  Funny - last night in our way to a Christmas party, I was driving and enjoying a cigar.  At one point, she started to say something and then got quiet.  After a mile or two I got her to spit it out.  She was about to say something about us arriving smelling like cigars - but decided not to; that if anything, we'd smell better than so many of the women that load up on crappy perfume...

In the winter, 4 person ice fishing tent with a small heater. It keeps very warm, ventilation isn’t amazing but I keep the zippered door open and it’s good enough that I’m not swimming in cigar smoke.

On 8/12/2025 at 10:24 PM, DitchPanda said:

Suggestions for mild maybe sweeter cigars for beginners?

why would you want to start smoking? Gross.

On 12/13/2025 at 12:42 PM, deaknh03 said:

why would you want to start smoking? Gross.

I suppose you could say the same about drinking.

I’ve had a few more in the two months since my last post but my preferences are trending back to the same place- the padrons are still by far my preference. The Olivas are pretty good and there are a few more that I’m happy to have one of, but the padrons are the one for me I think.

Baccarat and Punch both my canoe favorites. I prefer a larger ring size and length while playing golf, more like a Oliva or H. Upmann.

I love cigars! I quit for several years as I was smoking them constantly, had to stop. Now one while fishing and a couple while playing golf and I’m good.

But I like ‘em!

I’m still partial to the padrons. The ‘thousand’ series are very good, but the ‘year’ series are still better. The oliva melanio V is a relatively close second in the larger sizes.

I really love box press and torpedo. if I have the time (90 minutes or so) something like a 6.5x50 torpedo box press is right on the money for me. That is my ideal size I find. I’ve had the same blend in smaller and bigger. I don’t mind a bigger ring (and a 4x60 is a really nice smoke) but a smaller isn’t as good for me. The oliva V melanio maduro 4.5x46 isn’t nearly as good (much more harsh) compared to the 6.5x50. I wish it was as good for a shorter smoke, but it isn’t. I’m still on the lookout for a great 45 minutes smoke that is clean, rich, and oily like the big padron maduros.

I also really like them with rum. Very sweet bourbon is good too, but smoky rum is great.

I also learned that I was probably smoking them too fast before. Smoking a cigar in the boat while I’m fishing down the bank is wasteful. Smoking one while doing something else is the same. I think that’s why I need warm temps- so I’m relaxed and not rushing through it. When I do that, sometimes it even goes out or I have to touch it up, and it’s like a fresh light. A good ashtray that you can set it down and not think about it helps too. I might need to revisit some of the ones I’ve had before that I mostly like but that were a little ashy in the end.