[Enzo Temko]

Have any pet peeves about your hobby? I do. I'll tell you what has been bothering me lately:

1. Labeling. I'm going to stop buying Fuentes. I like them, but they put the exact same label on everyone of their lines and blends. I'll be at the cigar shop and the guy explains what is what, but after a few months in my wine-a-dor I have no idea what Fuente it is, what blend it is or what line it is. Other companies like Padron do this, also. Like, what is the difference between a 2000, 3000, or 6000???? You can't tell. I'm not buying anything anymore that does not identify itself.

2. Lies. Since there is no regulation in this industry, many companies just lie. Like Rocky Patel. He keeps putting out a 'Vintage 1990' or something like that. The idea is that the tobacco used is like wine - from a certain farm and year. That is BS. If you ask Rocky, he will just say, "Well, that is just the name of this one."

3. Maduro. Like I was saying, a lot of companies spray paint their 'maduro' onto the cigar. Some look more natural than others, but I don't want 'maduro' to be a fake color, I want 'maduro' to be a PROCESS!!!!

4. Fertilizer. Since their is no regulation in this industry and since the bigger companies are always looking at the bottom line, I sometimes wonder how unhealthy some of the pesticide and fertilizer situation is. In fact, I know they used to use fertilizer that was radioactive. I SURE hope they don't do that anymore!! Sheesh.

5. Cigar reviews. This is nonsense. They are all the same. They talk about "the first third", "the second third" as if I ever really noticed things changing like this. They talk about hundreds of flavors I could never taste and have never tasted. A cigar can be described in a few sentences. All you really taste is maybe two or three dominate flavors. it either burns or it doesn't. Everything else is nonsense and I have tasted $2 buck cigars that are every bit as good as a $26 Opus X.

6. Terms. The use of the term 'full flavor' is WRONG!! The correct term should be 'strength.' BODY should be used for the thickness of the smoke - the BODY of the smoke. FLAVOR should describe the various flavors. STRENGTH should only be used in terms of nicotine. I don't like to taste nicotine and tar, but some people do. These are STRONG cigars NOT 'FULL FLAVOR' cigars!!!!!

 

[Parshooter]

Have any pet peeves about your hobby? I do. I'll tell you what has been bothering me lately:

1. Labeling. I'm going to stop buying Fuentes. I like them, but they put the exact same label on everyone of their lines and blends. I'll be at the cigar shop and the guy explains what is what, but after a few months in my wine-a-dor I have no idea what Fuente it is, what blend it is or what line it is. Other companies like Padron do this, also. Like, what is the difference between a 2000, 3000, or 6000???? You can't tell. I'm not buying anything anymore that does not identify itself.

First of all, Fuente does have different labels for different lines of cigars. Their regular line has green at the bottom of the band, the Hemmingway and Don Carlos has black, and the Anjeo has white. Padron's numbers indicate size. If you want more info for each type of cigar, go to the company's web site, or an interweb cigar board.

2. Lies. Since there is no regulation in this industry, many companies just lie. Like Rocky Patel. He keeps putting out a 'Vintage 1990' or something like that. The idea is that the tobacco used is like wine - from a certain farm and year. That is BS. If you ask Rocky, he will just say, "Well, that is just the name of this one."

It's all about marketing. I don't think the My Father cigar has any of his father in it. LOL

5. Cigar reviews. This is nonsense. They are all the same. They talk about "the first third", "the second third" as if I ever really noticed things changing like this. They talk about hundreds of flavors I could never taste and have never tasted. A cigar can be described in a few sentences. All you really taste is maybe two or three dominate flavors. it either burns or it doesn't. Everything else is nonsense and I have tasted $2 buck cigars that are every bit as good as a $26 Opus X.

I agree mostly here. Cigars are very subjective. I have tasted different "flavors" in cigars: anise, pencil lead, metalic, soap. I know some guys that have really sensitive palates and they can taste many flavors in cigars. I've rarely had a non-Cuban cigar change flavor profiles during the smoke, many good Cuban cigars will change throughout the smoking of the cigar. Price is rarely a determining factor in how a cigar will taste, IMHO.

6. Terms. The use of the term 'full flavor' is WRONG!! The correct term should be 'strength.' BODY should be used for the thickness of the smoke - the BODY of the smoke. FLAVOR should describe the various flavors. STRENGTH should only be used in terms of nicotine. I don't like to taste nicotine and tar, but some people do. These are STRONG cigars NOT 'FULL FLAVOR' cigars!!!!!

Flavor and strength are two different things. You can have a cigar with "full flavor" and not be strong, and vice versa.
I've been smoking for almost 20 years, everything from the cheapest Dominican to the best Cuba has to offer. Like many other things such as food, wine, beer, movies, tv, music, watches... everybody has their likes and dislikes. It's all subjective.

 

[Enzo Temko]

You call it marketing; I call it lying. You agree with me on 'strength.' Strength is the amount of nicotine present.

First of all, Fuente does have different labels for different lines of cigars. Their regular line has green at the bottom of the band, the Hemmingway and Don Carlos has black, and the Anjeo has white. Padron's numbers indicate size. If you want more info for each type of cigar, go to the company's web site, or an interweb cigar board.

I just bought a Don Carlos last week. It is in my humidor with other Fuentes. It does not say 'Don Carlos' and I'm not about to check a cigar's website to figure out what I am smoking. A 'Hemmingway' should say so on the label. I have no time to understand all their colors and stuff. I have a couple hundred different cigars and bands around here. Don't have time to know about all of them if they are not clearly labeled. So I am out on Fuente.

 

[two21b]

I just bought a Don Carlos last week. It is in my humidor with other Fuentes. It does not say 'Don Carlos' and I'm not about to check a cigar's website to figure out what I am smoking. A 'Hemmingway' should say so on the label. I have no time to understand all their colors and stuff. I have a couple hundred different cigars and bands around here. Don't have time to know about all of them if they are not clearly labeled. So I am out on Fuente.

A Fuente Hemingway has quite a distinctive shape. If you can't distinguish one in your humidor even without a label you don't know your Fuentes.


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[Enzo Temko]

I think Hemmingways are perfectos, but I'm not sure. I have a couple. There's a guy here who sells Fuentes at his gas station and I have a couple of those. Same lable on everything. I smoke too many different types of cigars to know all the inside details. Nice thing about 'boutique' cigars like Crowned Heads or Illusione or Pete Johnson stuff is that they have many lines with different names and different bands. You can either pick up an Epernay or a Four Kicks or a Headley Grange. You know what it is 6 months down the road!! I can pick up a Padron Londres or a 2000 or a 3000 or a 4000 or a 5000 or a 6000 and they all look exactly the same. How hard it would it be to just indicate it on the band??????

 

[tragictaste]

I agree with everything youve said for the most part, but I will continue to pull out my Opus X when at the cigar bar because I like the status more than I actually enjoy the smoke. But of course thats just me.

 

[Enzo Temko]

haha. At least your are honest! I'm one of those people who never care what people think. Been that way since a kid. You don't have many friends, but the girls find you fascinating!!

 

[Presa canary]

I hate that they don't ever come pre rolled with that green sticky stuff...

 

[Parshooter]

I just bought a Don Carlos last week. It is in my humidor with other Fuentes. It does not say 'Don Carlos' and I'm not about to check a cigar's website to figure out what I am smoking. A 'Hemmingway' should say so on the label. I have no time to understand all their colors and stuff. I have a couple hundred different cigars and bands around here. Don't have time to know about all of them if they are not clearly labeled. So I am out on Fuente.

Well I believe the fun part about this hobby is learning which cigars you like, and then learning more about them. If you don't want to take the time to learn which Fuente is which, fine. But don't put the blame on them because they don't give you details on every band. And just what is it that you need to know about every cigar you smoke? I have some cigars that don't have any label at all. I know where it was rolled, but I don't stress over details. I like smoking cigars blind, no expectations and I can just enjoy it for what it is: a hand made product that gives me pleasure.

 

[Enzo Temko]

The problem with labeling is BECAUSE I enjoy this hobby and finding new cigars. The problem with branding is that a cigar might sit in my humidor for a long time. If I pull one out and really like it, I want to know what exactly it is. Is this 'brand Xs' Cameroon? Sumatra? Ecuadorian Connecticut? Shade-grown? Sun-grown? Where???? It makes it hard for me to go to the computer to order more. If 'brand X' uses the same basic band for all of its cigars, I really don't know what it is. If I pick out a Gran Habano 'Connecticut' corona (which is clearly labeled), I know what I'm smoking. Great cigar, by the way. I did pick out a Fuente that said 'Rosado' on it. So maybe they are learning. This is one of their new cigars.