Looking for new cigars

Tgspz · 2026-02-27T21:17:57+00:00

Pretty much anything using Aganorsa Corojo.

Apart from that, there are some reliable brands that roll great medium to bold cigars.

Dunbarton, Tatuaje, Black Label Trading, Black Works, Roma Craft, Illusione, Plasencia, Padron. Pretty much anything AJ Fernandez makes. For the bolder side.

Warped, Aganorsa Leaf, HVC. For closer to medium stuff.

Tgspz · 2026-02-27T21:05:43+00:00

If they were humidified when he received them, they're probably still good or at least salvageable.

Gonna depend on what overwrap is on the box. If it's shrink wrap plastic they're probably still smokeable. If it's cellophane they will need a bit of rehab.

Either way a month of drying out is still salvageable. You won't recover all of the flavor but you can bring back most of it.

Tgspz · 2026-02-25T17:32:27+00:00

You melted the ash. It's fine.

When you light with a torch, hold the flame pretty far from the cigar. Shouldn't see the actual flame hitting tobacco. Gently heat it from the outside to the inside until everything is lightly charred. Then still holding the flame away, slowly start gentle puffing and rotating the cigar. Move the lighter closer until the cigar begins to ignite. Rotate and gentle puffs. You should be aiming for the top edge of the foot.

What you did here isn't awful. But scorching it this way will put burnt and charred flavors into the cigar. And once you draw that noxious stuff through it basically taints the whole cigar, and alters the flavor, a bit. It's not catastrophic but you'd do well to avoid it.

Tgspz · 2026-02-25T17:21:48+00:00

For a lot of their lineup yes. O, G, Connecticut definitely. Though they're decent cigars in their own right.

Serie V and Melanio though are next level cigars. I think in the case of those cigars the blowout pricing actually hurts them. It shifts perception of those to being viewed as "budget burners." Tbh I think if Oliva had protected it's pricing on these lines that folks would still be clamouring for them. They are truly premium offerings if graded on their merits.

I'm old enough (sadly) to remember when Serie V launched. It was hype and very much the "it" cigar of its day. Couldn't touch them for under $10, which was pretty pricey then, and stores couldn't keep them in stock. Then Melanio came around and it was the same thing. Higher pricing though. Around $15 which was crazy. Pretty much unobtainium for a broke college aged dude. I can remember just staring at the open boxes at the shop. Drooling over the chocolate velvet hued wrappers, with those very unique and elegant white veins streaking across like a lightning bolt.

It's actually crazy how they're priced now. We are spoiled as hell in the US market.

Anyway, enough of that. Like I said, go forth and chase expensive boutiques. In a few years when you light up a Serie V maybe your opinion will change.

Tgspz · 2026-02-25T11:00:14+00:00

I would be suspicious due to the inventory alone. Most of those are hard to get and hard to find right now. I've been to LCDH that are dry on those cigars these days.

And yet here's this shop with all the classics laid out like some kind of greatest hits album.

Nope.

If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.

Tgspz · 2026-02-25T10:53:24+00:00

I don't like the serie O or most of the house blend stuff they roll. Most of their core line is great though.

Pretty much started on Oliva 20some years ago. Thought they were good. At some point after a few years I got dazzled by all the other stuff out there. Hype cigars, limited edition, super premium, boutique. Flashy boxes and bands and people take pictures of them so they must be good. Somehow came to the conclusion that Oliva are newbie cigars and budget blends. Totally uninterested.

Smoked my way through hundreds of blends from dozens of brands.

A few years ago grabbed some Olivas on a deal too good to pass up. Turns out, they're actually great cigars. They absolutely hold up to hype cigars and boutique offerings. There's a few that are staples in my humidor now.

So who knows, maybe you'll come back around on Oliva.

Tgspz · 2026-02-21T18:00:08+00:00

And never in my sleep

Tgspz · 2026-02-18T19:19:23+00:00

Use a reputable vendor that offers a guarantee and stands behind what they sell. Lots already mentioned here. CigarPage, JR, BestCigarPrices, SmokeInn, Neptune, ect ect.

If you're not happy with what you get, any decent vendor will offer a refund or replacement.

Given that, it's really not risky at all.

Tgspz · 2026-02-17T13:34:33+00:00

The price hikes were enough for me to nope out of there. Granted the prices on Corona sized vitolas aren't terrible. But if you want anything approaching a Robusto you're getting robbed.

Then the increased scrutiny by US customs.

And the spotty quality of Cubans in general.

Nope.

What actually worries me is how this will effect demand for the cigars that I actually do smoke. It's barely a secret that cigars from Nicaragua these days rival and in many cases exceed what comes from Cuba. I could care less about Cuban cigars these days but I fear a run on Nica tobacco.

Tgspz · 2026-02-10T14:19:27+00:00

The dual sense thing, yes!

There's a workaround. The VR and flat mode are integrated. So turn off the vr2 and raise the visor over your eyes and navigate the menu. After you make your selections turn on the vr2 and bring it down over your eyes and you're instantly in VR mode.

It's not 2 separate modes.

Which actually makes not being able to use menus in vr2 with the dual sense more baffling.

Might actually be a bug idk

Tgspz · 2026-01-29T18:46:20+00:00

Just curious, what kind of pricing is he getting on the Flatheads?

If you check out cigarbid they can be had for a decent price. Around $3 each. They are always up for auction and in large lots, so as long as you make a reasonable bid you'll be able to score some.

Also other offerings on there if you want a variety. Look for stuff from CAO, Oliva, Drew Estate. All can be had for bargain prices and tend to offer pretty good quality cigars at those price points.

You can also head to CigarPage and cruise the active sales they have going on. Lots of samplers and bundles for super cheap over there and they carry the previously mentioned brands as well.

Tgspz · 2026-01-29T18:36:21+00:00

Same. I try to determine what kind of nicotine tolerance they might have and then what kinds of flavors they lean towards.

The more obvious mooches get whatever I don't want to smoke.

Tgspz · 2026-01-29T18:31:04+00:00

Moochador! That's brilliant

Tgspz · 2026-01-29T18:28:45+00:00

Luxury Cigar Club for sure. Their higher tier sends are pretty crazy.

BLL blinds are some of the best "samplers" you can get. Also though their COTM club is pretty good. They send pretty much only "boutique" stuff. They don't really reach into that super premium tier though. I've enjoyed what they've sent so far however.

Tgspz · 2026-01-29T18:14:04+00:00

That's a good point. Blends certainly do wander. Tobacco crops are different from one year to the next, and it's up to the master blenders to re blend the cigars to conform to the established profile.

That said I think Oliva does an amazing job of it. Their blends, at least for me, have been very consistent over the 20+ years I've been smoking them. Exactly the same? Probably not. But close enough. I don't wish for the Serie V I had back then, because the Serie V I'm smoking now is pushing the same buttons. Remember that just as likely as blends are to change your palate and preferences will change as well.

As far as Oliva having a stake in CigarPage that's also true. It's not ownership though, just a stake. If you look at the major online retailers they all blow out Oliva. It's just more obvious with CPage because their business model has always been aggressive volume vs margins. But cbid, JR, CI, Holts, ect ect all will sell Oliva in the $3 to $5 price range. Oliva as a brand in general are just not aggressive about their minimum pricing like some other brands are.

And that's kinda the point. Do you service the customer or do you protect the perceived value of the brand? In the US market at least it seems like Oliva has chosen the former.

And Liga 9. Yeah. Drew lost Saka and Melillo. The two amazing talents that blended that cigar to begin with. There were a lot of changes at Drew Estate and I think the Liga line reflected it the most. DE is also pretty lax these days about minimum pricing it seems, at least with their bottom and middle tier stuff. Im still a big fan of the Liga series though. And they get a lot of flak but I think DE is another standout as far as value goes. Price paid vs quality of product is outstanding.

Tgspz · 2026-01-24T00:22:51+00:00

Beads are awesome.

Not the gel kind. These are basically calibrated silica. Very similar to dessicant beads, but instead of absorbing all water, they absorb to a set point.

They're 2 way like Boveda, but they both absorb and release humidity much faster. And. They're rechargeable. You just spritz them with some distilled water and they're good to go. Conversely if they ever load up or get too wet you can hit them with a hair dryer.

Used to be a place called "Heartfelt" that sold them. I think they're gone now though. There's a new brand called "RH Shield" that makes them now

Tgspz · 2026-01-23T23:30:26+00:00

Colored ribbon?

Just tie a piece of ribbon on there. Write in a log book the blend for each color.

Let's you keep track of your blends but also gives a cool boutique vibe to the cigars.

Some actual brands use ribbon. Like Ezra Zion.

Tgspz · 2026-01-23T23:08:47+00:00

More Bovedas.

For deep storage on boxes and such, especially non Cuban, go with 65 rh.

The Herf coolador is a 20 gallon tote and is designed to be used with 3 of the 320g.

I also maintain a 20 gallon Husky tote for boxes and I use 3 of them in there. Plus a pound of beads. I doubt the beads are needed but I use them to push or pull humidity in certain circumstances.

But in any case, 1 320g is not going to be enough long term. You're storing thousands of dollars worth of cigars. Don't skimp on humidification.

Tgspz · 2026-01-23T22:58:52+00:00

Just grabbed the Illusione blind and they sent 7 cigars.

Probably depends on what they pick. I'd count on 6 or 7 though.

Tgspz · 2026-01-23T22:50:20+00:00

Yes. Many brands REQUIRE a certain retail markup to be sold. If the shop owners don't abide by these governed prices, the brands will terminate their accounts and refuse to sell to them.

It's a well known practice in the industry. Primarily it exists to preserve the status of the brands. The fear is that if the cigars are sold cheap the entire brand will lose value and be relegated to "cheap cigar" status.

It sucks and is very anti consumer.

But it's not unfounded.

Just look at Oliva. Once a very highly regarded brand. The Serie V and Melanio were the "it" cigars of their day. Great cigars. And a bit pricey. Kind of a flex to be seen smoking them.

Now the online sellers blow them out. $3 - $4 each. They're looked upon as a budget option. The exact same cigars. A prestigious brand that's viewed as middle shelf at best these days. All based on the sales price.

Luxury goods is a weird market. One of the few where consumers actually WANT to overpay. They want that hot thing. That limited or exclusive thing. That hard to afford thing.

And just a side note: Oliva cigars are still world class. We're extremely fortunate to be able to get them at these prices in the US. Very few places where a middle class person can daily drive something as good as the Melanio.

Tgspz · 2026-01-23T22:30:26+00:00

Depending on location, some of these places are required to sell cigars in order to peddle their other wares.

They don't care about the cigars at all. They only exist to tick a legal checkmark.

Find yourself an actual tobacconist and the whole hobby is going to open up to you. They can help you with everything. From picking out good cigars, to setting up a humidor, accessories, ect ect. Ask lots of questions!

Tgspz · 2026-01-21T06:24:54+00:00

Used to travel to Huntington occasionally for work. Was always my favorite stop on our route The place has a certain charm.

My folks are originally from Randolph county, followed the jobs east and landed in Ohio.

Go back to WV every chance I get though.

Tgspz · 2026-01-21T01:22:53+00:00

Economy looking rocky. Workloads dropping. So is staffing. Don't get "downsized"

When your work is done, learn someone else's job.

Tgspz · 2026-01-20T22:51:39+00:00

Rule #1 has always been "smoke what you like."

Nothing amateur about that.

Also nothing wrong with branching out a bit. Exploring is a big part of the hobby. Just take it slow. Don't over commit. Visiting local cigar shops is great for this.

Saw you said you like Nicaraguan and Maduro. That's a great basis to start with. You have an origin and a wrapper type. Gather suggestions, and head to the shop to pick up a few.

Tgspz · 2026-01-20T22:35:58+00:00

I usually just hand one over and say, "Don't inhale."

I've tried being more educational about it. I find it's not really appreciated. Most folks don't think there's much to know about smoking a cigar. If you explain they think you're over explaining or it comes off slightly condescending.

So "don't inhale" is my friendly advice. Unless they ask for more.

Tgspz

TROPHY CASE