My experience is that '97 wasn't a very good yr, '98 produced some of the best cigars I've ever smoked, to me the '99s were immediately noticeably not as good as before. The two examples in my experience were the '98 Fundadores that were out of this world, my go-to Punch Churchills and Coronas, another favorite that was unrecognizable from '99-'00 was the Boli Coronas Extra. I remember people saying that the '99 Fundys just needed more age. My thought was "BS, the '98s were fantastic from day one, these are just weak"
Keep in mind that the crop yr doesn't run Jan-Dec; it runs more like June to May so there is an overlap in the tobacco used in any calendar yr.
My personal experience has been that '99-00 is pretty dicey. I've had OK to bad cigars from that period. At that time Cuba didn't age anything. The tobacco went pretty much straight from the curing barn to the rolling table. I don't know when that crop came in and got onto the tables, but it was bland.
I won't dispute if there is a consensus that 2001 was not a good yr; however, my personal experience with Havanas from 2001 is all good. I've had a couple of boxes of 2001 Espli's that I got in 2002 that have been fantastic since the day I opened the first one. My personal experience with Punch Churchills from 2001 has been all good.
CC's Questions from a new member
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WadeFillingame
- Posts: 1530
- Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 12:14 am
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SRex
- Posts: 1269
- Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 12:18 pm
Re: CC's Questions from a new member
My experience with 2001 was dicey. First half of the year was a complete crap shoot. Mostly bad, but some quite good. Things really turned the corner on the stuff with box codes after May of 01. All of the June, July, August stuff I had was Excellent! It must have been a good curing year, because a lot of known "mild" cigars developed a complex flavor not seen before. I probably bought 10 cabs of ERDM Choix Supremes in the 02-04 timeframe and they were far in a way the best of that cigar I had before and since.
Life sucks! Get a Helmet!
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mcgoospot
- Posts: 295
- Joined: Thu May 06, 2010 1:41 pm
Re: CC's Questions from a new member
[quote author=XTR link=topic=20666.msg97270#msg97270 date=1379014155]
My experience is that '97 wasn't a very good yr, '98 produced some of the best cigars I've ever smoked, to me the '99s were immediately noticeably not as good as before. The two examples in my experience were the '98 Fundadores that were out of this world, my go-to Punch Churchills and Coronas, another favorite that was unrecognizable from '99-'00 was the Boli Coronas Extra. I remember people saying that the '99 Fundys just needed more age. My thought was "BS, the '98s were fantastic from day one, these are just weak"
Keep in mind that the crop yr doesn't run Jan-Dec; it runs more like June to May so there is an overlap in the tobacco used in any calendar yr.
My personal experience has been that '99-00 is pretty dicey. I've had OK to bad cigars from that period. At that time Cuba didn't age anything. The tobacco went pretty much straight from the curing barn to the rolling table. I don't know when that crop came in and got onto the tables, but it was bland.
I won't dispute if there is a consensus that 2001 was not a good yr; however, my personal experience with Havanas from 2001 is all good. I've had a couple of boxes of 2001 Espli's that I got in 2002 that have been fantastic since the day I opened the first one. My personal experience with Punch Churchills from 2001 has been all good.
[/quote]
So much back then depended on the factory that the cigars were rolled in. Never had a bad Cohiba with a CLE (el Laguito) code. Used to look to see if the cigars were rolled in the provincial facories which were smaller and generally had less quality control and newer rollers.
My experience is that '97 wasn't a very good yr, '98 produced some of the best cigars I've ever smoked, to me the '99s were immediately noticeably not as good as before. The two examples in my experience were the '98 Fundadores that were out of this world, my go-to Punch Churchills and Coronas, another favorite that was unrecognizable from '99-'00 was the Boli Coronas Extra. I remember people saying that the '99 Fundys just needed more age. My thought was "BS, the '98s were fantastic from day one, these are just weak"
Keep in mind that the crop yr doesn't run Jan-Dec; it runs more like June to May so there is an overlap in the tobacco used in any calendar yr.
My personal experience has been that '99-00 is pretty dicey. I've had OK to bad cigars from that period. At that time Cuba didn't age anything. The tobacco went pretty much straight from the curing barn to the rolling table. I don't know when that crop came in and got onto the tables, but it was bland.
I won't dispute if there is a consensus that 2001 was not a good yr; however, my personal experience with Havanas from 2001 is all good. I've had a couple of boxes of 2001 Espli's that I got in 2002 that have been fantastic since the day I opened the first one. My personal experience with Punch Churchills from 2001 has been all good.
[/quote]
So much back then depended on the factory that the cigars were rolled in. Never had a bad Cohiba with a CLE (el Laguito) code. Used to look to see if the cigars were rolled in the provincial facories which were smaller and generally had less quality control and newer rollers.
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jabuan
- Posts: 80
- Joined: Thu Apr 25, 2013 5:33 pm
Re: CC's Questions from a new member
[quote author=mcgoospot link=topic=20666.msg97322#msg97322 date=1379080775]
So much back then depended on the factory that the cigars were rolled in. Never had a bad Cohiba with a CLE (el Laguito) code. Used to look to see if the cigars were rolled in the provincial facories which were smaller and generally had less quality control and newer rollers.
[/quote]
with that in mind and me reading in different forums that quality control had gotten a lot better, should we (newer cc smokers) be even concerned with box codes nowadays then?
So much back then depended on the factory that the cigars were rolled in. Never had a bad Cohiba with a CLE (el Laguito) code. Used to look to see if the cigars were rolled in the provincial facories which were smaller and generally had less quality control and newer rollers.
[/quote]
with that in mind and me reading in different forums that quality control had gotten a lot better, should we (newer cc smokers) be even concerned with box codes nowadays then?
"Let no man pull you low enough to hate him." ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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ophidion
- Posts: 54
- Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 12:18 pm
Re: CC's Questions from a new member
[quote author=jabuan link=topic=20666.msg99877#msg99877 date=1382068022]
with that in mind and me reading in different forums that quality control had gotten a lot better, should we (newer cc smokers) be even concerned with box codes nowadays then?
[/quote]
2008 was a year to look for anything rolled by TEB factory. Especially Bolivars.
2009 had some great tubos like the mag 46 and 50 (in my experience, the best mag 46/50 I've ever had).
2010-current you really don't need to hunt for box codes. I still have yet to have a cigar from these years, other than some lackluster 2010 boli GMs, that weren't great right out of the box.
Some shining stars for me have been 2012/2013 RASS and bolivar petite coronas also 2011-current hoyo epi 1
with that in mind and me reading in different forums that quality control had gotten a lot better, should we (newer cc smokers) be even concerned with box codes nowadays then?
[/quote]
2008 was a year to look for anything rolled by TEB factory. Especially Bolivars.
2009 had some great tubos like the mag 46 and 50 (in my experience, the best mag 46/50 I've ever had).
2010-current you really don't need to hunt for box codes. I still have yet to have a cigar from these years, other than some lackluster 2010 boli GMs, that weren't great right out of the box.
Some shining stars for me have been 2012/2013 RASS and bolivar petite coronas also 2011-current hoyo epi 1
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jabuan
- Posts: 80
- Joined: Thu Apr 25, 2013 5:33 pm
Re: CC's Questions from a new member
roger that. appreciated!
"Let no man pull you low enough to hate him." ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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peterrashid
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2013 3:39 pm
Re: CC's Questions from a new member
I smoke Cuban cigars since I was a kid, spent years there. Is also funny how big companies who charge tons of money for Cuban cigars sent to cigar forums and internet website cigar prices, for example cost price of Cohiba Esplendidos for $300 from Cuba. THats ridicuolous the only thing that they do that for is to keep stupid guys paying those crazy prices. There is something call grey market, the cigars are stole from Cuba and everything is original! But people start saying they are fake just because of a price. I dont mind how or if they pay taxes I just mind to get real cigars at decent prices.....
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Trent0341
- Posts: 109
- Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 2:16 am
Re: CC's Questions from a new member
[quote author=peterrashid link=topic=20666.msg102734#msg102734 date=1385052742]
I smoke Cuban cigars since I was a kid, spent years there. Is also funny how big companies who charge tons of money for Cuban cigars sent to cigar forums and internet website cigar prices, for example cost price of Cohiba Esplendidos for $300 from Cuba. THats ridicuolous the only thing that they do that for is to keep stupid guys paying those crazy prices. There is something call grey market, the cigars are stole from Cuba and everything is original! But people start saying they are fake just because of a price. I dont mind how or if they pay taxes I just mind to get real cigars at decent prices.....
[/quote]
Not the time or place
I smoke Cuban cigars since I was a kid, spent years there. Is also funny how big companies who charge tons of money for Cuban cigars sent to cigar forums and internet website cigar prices, for example cost price of Cohiba Esplendidos for $300 from Cuba. THats ridicuolous the only thing that they do that for is to keep stupid guys paying those crazy prices. There is something call grey market, the cigars are stole from Cuba and everything is original! But people start saying they are fake just because of a price. I dont mind how or if they pay taxes I just mind to get real cigars at decent prices.....
[/quote]
Not the time or place
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MUNKY
- Posts: 22
- Joined: Sun Nov 24, 2013 2:06 am
Re: CC's Questions from a new member
Some really good info here, much appreciated.
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buckwylde
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Wed Jun 19, 2013 6:26 pm
Re: CC's Questions from a new member
Great info here! Really interesting to read the breakdown of the reasons why the quality fluctuated during the 90s and early 2000s. I've only owned one box from 2001, a box of RnJ Prince of Whales. I've smoked 3 and they were all amazing.