Newbie Questions

[hoopshot]

I smoked a CAO Brazilia Gol! for the first time last night, and had a couple of questions related to the experience. I thought the flavor was good, but found it a little too bitter. I haven't had this problem with Piranhas. Also, it didn't burn evenly -- one side burned down faster than the other leaving a burn angle at about 45 degrees after a couple of inches. So my questions are:

1) Does the ring guage affect the flavor of the smoke, and if so how? I don't usually smoke em this fat (it's a 56).

2) Is there a name for this kind of burn issue? Is it something I did in lighting it? Could it have been caused by high humidity?

Thanks for sharing your wisdom,

--Will

[IHT]

to get rid of some of the bitterness, try purgine the cigar every inch or so (maybe more).

do a search for the word "purge", cuz i think we covered this in it's own topic a few months ago, good info there.

as for the burn problems..
1 - what's a pirahna cigar?
2 - it's a CAO, how else will it burn, but uneven.

seriously, i have lit some cigars pretty poorly, and they corrected themselves to burn straight after a short bit. most of the time, well half of the time, i find that it's not the humidity, but it's how it's rolled. sometimes there's just a big gap where there's no tobacco at all cuz the filler got twisted up. all you can do is continue to touch it up.

[The Dutch]

Ring guage absolutely has an impact on the flavor of a cigar. The greater diameter allows more tobacco to fit into the cigar and a more complex blending of the filler. Also, the surface area of a larger ring guage cigar is greater, resulting in more smoke i.e. flavor.

[hoopshot]

Thanks for the purging suggestion. I'll try that next time things seem overly bitter. A Piranha is the smallest CAO Brazilia cigar. They are really good for a small stick. I think the burn problem just had to do with construction, since I've never had it happen before.

--Will

[IHT]

Originally Posted by The Dutch

Ring guage absolutely has an impact on the flavor of a cigar. The greater diameter allows more tobacco to fit into the cigar and a more complex blending of the filler. Also, the surface area of a larger ring guage cigar is greater, resulting in more smoke i.e. flavor.

maybe for non-cubans, but most of the cubans i've smoked seemed like the smaller = stronger and more flavor (and all produce a ton of smoke).

[Churchlady]

IHT,

I'll second that!!! Had a Siglo I that knocked me on my A**!!! And I like them Medium to full bodied!!

[The Dutch]

I guess flavor is relative...but allow me to clarify myself:

As a matter of physics, a thicker cigar has room for more tobacco leaves than a thin one. Therefore, you can blend in more leaves, which create a complexity impossible in a thinner smoke. Would you agree that thinner cigars generally owe the majority of their flavor to their wrapper and binder - not their filler? Additionally, it has been my experience that larger sized cigars generally offer cooler smoke, which can reduce the acridity of the smoke.

That said, corona's are still one of my favorite sizes....

[Wetterhorn]

Excellent explanation Dutch! I have read explanations like yours in publications and that is exactly how it is explained. From a taste perspective, I agree that the bigger the ring size the more flavor (usually, but not always).

That is the great thing about cigars - the smoker interacts with them. What is good to one smoker is not so good to another.

For a new smoker (and I consider myself one!), experiment with a lot of sizes, brands, and flavors. Don't get stuck on one, because you will be missing out.

There is a book that is listed on the Top 25 site, The Idiot's Guide to Cigars and it is really informative. I would recommend reading this book as a newbie (or as an oldie - it is that good!). I know I learned all sorts of neat things about cigars that helped with my enjoyment of many sticks.

Also - about the burn - I have found that when a cigar burns unevenly, if I turn the side that isn't burning, it catches up. Sounds weird, but it works!

[relaxnsmoke]

The Brazilia line is my go to cigar, all sizes. Here is a quick breakdown from my experience, many, many boxes of all sizes, excluding the Impanema, (not my bag baby!) but maybe in the future.

Piranha: 1 tight firecracker, never had a construction problem; good to great all around 45 min. smoke. Occaisionally I have one that is just incredible.

Gol!: This is less spicy, but stronger in smoke/flavor volume and complexity. 1 out of 20 I find construction problems....but overall a fine smoke.

Samba: All around my favorite size for consistancy, a good cigar which really comes on strong during the 2nd half, but 2-3 out of 20 usually have some sort of minor burn problems.

Amazon: This would be my favorite, if the construction was more dependable. When the Amazon burns well, it has it all going on, depth, complexity, real cocoa and coffee like flavors, plus the consistant peppery spice bomb attack, it can really get the lips numb! Plus it lasts about 2 hours. It takes commitment once you torch it. I should also add, more so than any cigar I've smoked, people compliment on the smell it omits, smells great. Mitigating factor, 4-5 from of the boxes of 20 I have purchased had construction problems. Not good in the car for a 6 by 60 to start tunneling!

Hey sorry for the long post, but this being a cigar I'm identified with by the local yokels up here in the NW, I thought I'd give you my .02 cents. They are my fav. I think they're one of the best domestics on the market. rns

[David]

relaxnsmoke

I could not agree more the Brazilian line is one of the best. In fact, for my palate the Amazon is one of only two cigars that I have smoked that I would rate a perfect 10. The other is the Cuban Bolivar Belicosos Finos.

hoopshot

Something that you will learn is that CAO=poor construction. Some may disagree but that has been my experience. CAO is tops for flavor but you pay a price in consistency. I usually only smoke large ring gage cigars and find them smoother and fuller bodied than the comparable smaller diameter cigars. But I am by no means an expert.

[hoopshot]

I would have to say that the Piranhas are great little smokes -- just look at my avatar! I think the problem I had with the Gol! was that I burned it way too hot trying to correct for the burn problems I was having. I managed to get the end straightened out, but was too agressive in doing so and got a bitter buildup as a result. Live and learn.

--Will

[MoTheMan]

Had to add a bit here.

Smoked a small domestic recently that really impressed the heck out of me.
It was the Ashton VSG Tres Mystique (4.38 X 44). Not a bad little smoke at all.
But then again, this is coming from a guy who thinks that the Bolivar Chico (a cigarillo) is a marvelous smoke.

But aside from that, I agree with what the res of the herfs here say, and that is ring guage on a cigar does play an important factor in its flavor, complexity, and general enjoyment.

[viesturs]

Yup have to agree, bigger the cigar the more the tobacco, the more tobacco means more smoke more smoke ..more flavour. The CAOs ive smoked tend to give off tons of smoke no matter what the size.

[hoopshot]

Mo, you really are the man! I picked up an Ashton VSG Tres Mystique today and enjoyed it immensely! It produced lots of smoke and had coffee, cedar, pepper, and a creamy sweet aftertase that was delicious. Just enough bitterness to balance the other flavors.

Thanks for the recommendation. Of course at $7.50 a pop, I won't have them too often, but I will be picking up some more.

--Will

[MoTheMan]

Glad to hear it.

[Yup, I like them big & I like them samll too.]

MoTheMan