Cigar sizes and taste?

[doubleaction]

I'll be the first to admit it..im a newb. One of my first purchases was from CI and for only a couple dollars more i got some 5 Vegas torpedoes, classic and gold. Well I LOVED the Gold. Only let them sit in the humi for about a month. Recently CI had a deal for the gold in the nugget size (4.5 X 44) and ordered up 2 bundles. I figured the nugget size was perfect for the drive home (25 min). Well i just got done smoking one... couldn't have tasted worse, I would compare it to a philly blunt, no joke this thing was bad. I know it could benifit from some rest but man am i dissipointed. Is this due to the size? does resting really benifit taste that much? grrr HELPPPP

[Poriggity]

IMHO, size does have quite a bit to do with taste... At least for me. Take the Oliva Serie V for example. The other day I had one in the Larger belicoso size, and it was just OK.. Nothing to write home about. This morning I smoked the Lancero, and it was just simply AMAZING.... Go figure. I think size has a lot more to do with flavor than we give it credit for.
Scott

[JerseyStepUp]

give them time.. theyll get better.. theyre probably super freshh i had to let my double nickels set

[Big Bluto]

I went through the exact opposite situation...loved the nuggets and figured the torpedos would be a larger dose of the same great flavor. I smoked one of the torps from a 5er ROTT and it was terrible. Went back to the nuggets (had some age to them) for a couple of weeks. When the box went empty, I smoked one of the torps and the flavor had improved greatly. Give them some time and they should get better...

[Bigwaved]

Let them rest and try again. IMO, size makes a difference. I am willing to say I am not alone when saying this. Possible reasons is the ratio of the different leaves in the filler and wrapper to filler ratio if memory serves me correctly. I know some others on this board can explain this with more detail and grace. You should be able to read some pretty good information regarding this very topic in some older threads. Good hunting.

[texasbadbob]

Size does make a differnce IMHO, but the main thing is giving the cigars time to rest after they have been out on some truck for a few days. I've smoked cigars when they first come in and they were not good. They burned uneven or hot and I did not enjoy them. A few weeks later I smoke the same cigar and it's a world of differnce. Back to the size thing "Size matters" That is why you need to smoke a band in a few sizes, you might like one size a lot more than another. IMHO

[Bruzee]

I had the same experience with the same cigar. I absolutely believe that rest matters. Those are some good sticks after they have rested. I have to tell you though, I let mine sit for a couple of months. But IMHO, it was worth the wait. Good luck!

[doubleaction]

thanks for the good advice, ill let them sit in my humi for a little while longer

[srduggins]

Like my mother-in-law used to say, "It's not so much length, but girth that makes the biggest difference".

[dustinhayden]

Originally Posted by srduggins

Like my mother-in-law used to say, "It's not so much length, but girth that makes the biggest difference".

I have only tried the torpedo. I agree with everyone else, just let them rest a while and they should be fine.

[lightning9191]

Originally Posted by srduggins

Like my mother-in-law used to say, "It's not so much length, but girth that makes the biggest difference".

You were talking about cigars with your MIL?

[thrasher64]

I was flipp-flopping on picking up some nuggets from the devil site until I saw this thread, I love the 5 vegas gold toro's I've had.. But Not gonna roll on a box of 30 without a demo now. Thanks

[RickyJ]

One thing to keep in mind about different sizes--in general, most brands use the same filler in all the different sizes, but some DON'T. for example, the Tatuaje cabinet, as far as I know, have varying strengths even though it's the same brand. In other words, slightly different filler combinations are used there in different sizes. There are some other other brands that do this too, but not many.
So in general there should not be very large differences in taste among sizes, but there will be some slight differences. In general, the larger rings gaugues usually allow the cigar to have a little more taste and complexity simply because more filler can be stuffed in there and experimented with a little. A longer cigar will burn cooler and can also affect the taste a little, but mainly the ring is gonig to be the biggest factor. You'll find that a 60 ring compared to a 38 ring of the same cigar will probably have a little more punch in terms of taste. So affficiandos in general prefer big rings.
So as long as you have the money you'll probably better off with larger cigars. If it's a brand that has different strengths intentionally like Tatuaje, you should get a strength chart for it off the web and use that as a guide.

[madurolover]

Originally Posted by RickyJ

One thing to keep in mind about different sizes--in general, most brands use the same filler in all the different sizes, but some DON'T. for example, the Tatuaje cabinet, as far as I know, have varying strengths even though it's the same brand. In other words, slightly different filler combinations are used there in different sizes. There are some other other brands that do this too, but not many.
So in general there should not be very large differences in taste among sizes, but there will be some slight differences. In general, the larger rings gaugues usually allow the cigar to have a little more taste and complexity simply because more filler can be stuffed in there and experimented with a little. A longer cigar will burn cooler and can also affect the taste a little, but mainly the ring is gonig to be the biggest factor. You'll find that a 60 ring compared to a 38 ring of the same cigar will probably have a little more punch in terms of taste. So affficiandos in general prefer big rings.
So as long as you have the money you'll probably better off with larger cigars. If it's a brand that has different strengths intentionally like Tatuaje, you should get a strength chart for it off the web and use that as a guide.

I would tend to disagree with the above statement. Most smokers I know generally progress from larger cigars to smaller instead of the other way around. While it is an ongoing debate, many people feel that the wrapper contributes to a large amount of the cigars flavor since only the best leaves are used. Of course this is all subjective since everyones tastes are different.

[Rubix^3]

Originally Posted by madurolover

I would tend to disagree with the above statement. Most smokers I know generally progress from larger cigars to smaller instead of the other way around. While it is an ongoing debate, many people feel that the wrapper contributes to a large amount of the cigars flavor since only the best leaves are used. Of course this is all subjective since everyones tastes are different.

I agree. Last year was the first period of time I began to notice and experiment with cigar size/flavor differences. For example; the Gran Habano 3 Siglos that I love, I have now smoked a great deal of in three different vitolas: the Gran Coronona (44 x 6"), Robusto (52 x 5"), and Pyramid (56 x 6 1/8"). I have found the smaller ring gauged corona size to have fuller, more robust flavors than either of the others I have tried which share larger ring gauge sizes. In fact, to support my thesis here, the Pyramid while looking like a real whopper of a cigar, is actually the easiest going flavor and strength-wise, and one that I would share with friends and visitors who are newer to cigars.
I entered into a great discussion with some very knowledgeable botls a while back and got some great info. One brother (Cypress) went far enough to show the actual science of it!
Check this out:
Why do different vitolas taste different?

Have fun. Cheers!