Bad AF made me want to puke.

[commonsenseman]

I had a horrible experience with a AF Chateau Vintage last night. It was pretty bad actually. Tasted like what dog crap smells like (never tried it). And it had burn issues the whole way down.

Guess I got what I deserve for smoking a cigar the day after I got it from CBid. The funny thing is it didn't seem overly humidified.


I think these deserve a little age before I revisit them again. Anybody have any info on these?

[doubled]

Anything from CI usually comes pretty wet, which would explain the burn issues. As far as tasting like a butt bullet....I would hope a bad stick. Give them a few weeks/months and hope for better luck.

[tmanqz]

Had a Man O War do the same thing, smoked it as soon as I got it from cbid. Still havent learned my lesson from it.

[thebayratt]

Originally Posted by tmanqz

Had a Man O War do the same thing, smoked it as soon as I got it from cbid. Still havent learned my lesson from it.

Same junk happened to me yesturday. I had a MOW Corona that tasted like it was infused with donkey manure..... from CBid (worst $3 I ever gave them)...... now I doubt I will try another MOW for a long long while. I actully smoked an ACID after an inch into the MOW to get the taste from my mouth. My next try from CBid will be a Gurhka..... see how that pans out.

I have never had a problem with a AF. I had a Hemmingway Shortstory at a cigar shop and loved every second of it. Enough to buy a second to enjoy at home.

[Herf N Turf]

Anything other than Don Carlos, Anejo and Opus are stay aways for me. Even if I like it today, they'll change the blend tomorrow.

[JDC20]

Originally Posted by Herf N Turf

Even if I like it today, they'll change the blend tomorrow.

Please elaborate. I understand someone getting a bad tasting stick from time to time, but I have never heard anything about "changing blends".

[commonsenseman]

I'm hoping it was just really moist, & a little time in the humi will mellow them out. Normally I really like AF's, especially the Connones.

[Herf N Turf]

Originally Posted by JDC20

Please elaborate. I understand someone getting a bad tasting stick from time to time, but I have never heard anything about "changing blends".

I used to smoke a lot of the 8-5-8. It was a great tasting smoke. Once Id worked my way through the first box (finally broke down), I bought another 5'r from my local. When I smoked the first one, there was definitely something wrong. The taste was very different and much less satisfying. I spoke to my tobacconist about it (huge distributor and long time Fuente seller) who told me that this was the second time the 8-5-8 had been monkied with. No more.

Thing is, cigar blends are all dependent on the whims of mother nature. You don't get the same leaves from the same fields every year. Weather issues, soil depletion, crop rotation... all play an enormous role from year to year.
Then again, sometimes they just change them on purpose. Case in point, the original JdN Antano. This thing was so powerful that people all over the place were complaining of headaches and extreme dizziness. They subsequently changed the blend to what we are smoking now. Still a powerhouse, but nothing even near the original sledgehammer.

[commonsenseman]

Originally Posted by Herf N Turf

I used to smoke a lot of the 8-5-8. It was a great tasting smoke. Once Id worked my way through the first box (finally broke down), I bought another 5'r from my local. When I smoked the first one, there was definitely something wrong. The taste was very different and much less satisfying. I spoke to my tobacconist about it (huge distributor and long time Fuente seller) who told me that this was the second time the 8-5-8 had been monkied with. No more.

Thing is, cigar blends are all dependent on the whims of mother nature. You don't get the same leaves from the same fields every year. Weather issues, soil depletion, crop rotation... all play an enormous role from year to year.
Then again, sometimes they just change them on purpose. Case in point, the original JdN Antano. This thing was so powerful that people all over the place were complaining of headaches and extreme dizziness. They subsequently changed the blend to what we are smoking now. Still a powerhouse, but nothing even near the original sledgehammer.

Hopefully it's not from a bad batch, which worries me a little. They could also be a little "green" & need some age on them. I dunno how long AF usually ages their cigars before shipping them out. The construction is flawless, & they smell great.
I only bought a fiver of them, so no huge loss luckily. I'll have to smoke one per month until they get to the point where they're more tasty.

[JDC20]

Originally Posted by Herf N Turf

I used to smoke a lot of the 8-5-8. It was a great tasting smoke. Once Id worked my way through the first box (finally broke down), I bought another 5'r from my local. When I smoked the first one, there was definitely something wrong. The taste was very different and much less satisfying. I spoke to my tobacconist about it (huge distributor and long time Fuente seller) who told me that this was the second time the 8-5-8 had been monkied with. No more.

So your whole decisions is based on a 5 pack of cigars that were purchased and didn't taste exactly like the previous box you had. Where did the previous box come from? Had the retailer just received them? Had they been in inventory for a long time? My point is there are a ton of variables that would go into the same cigar from different boxes may taste different..... for a time.

As far as the tobacconist saying the blend had been "monkied" with, anybody who has done business with the Fuentes for any amount of time would know that the they go to extreme lengths to maintain blend integrity and have literally tons and tons of tobacco to keep producing the same cigars day in and day out.

Originally Posted by Herf N Turf

Thing is, cigar blends are all dependent on the whims of mother nature. You don't get the same leaves from the same fields every year. Weather issues, soil depletion, crop rotation... all play an enormous role from year to year.

Yes weather plays a part in it but as a manufacturer must take steps to keep a blend intact across vintages. This can be tough to do but anybody who is serious enough about keeping their blend's integrity would go to great lengths to avoid any noticeable change. Now if someone is growing tobacco, curing it, and the directly rolling it into cigars and not preparing for a bump in the road, that seems like poor planning to me.

I will state here that the 858 blend has not changed and apologize to you for having a bad experience with your cigars.
Thanks
Jake
Fuente/Newman Cigar co.

[commonsenseman]

Good conversation.

[tmanqz]

Originally Posted by thebayratt

Same junk happened to me yesturday. I had a MOW Corona that tasted like it was infused with donkey manure..... from CBid (worst $3 I ever gave them)...... now I doubt I will try another MOW for a long long while. I actully smoked an ACID after an inch into the MOW to get the taste from my mouth. My next try from CBid will be a Gurhka..... see how that pans out.

I have never had a problem with a AF. I had a Hemmingway Shortstory at a cigar shop and loved every second of it. Enough to buy a second to enjoy at home.

Hmmm. I put the 4 other MOW's away and probally wont touch for awhile.
Strange you had the same problem with a MOW from cbid.

[Toulouse]

Originally Posted by commonsenseman

Guess I got what I deserve for smoking a cigar the day after I got it from CBid.

I think these deserve a little age before I revisit them again. Anybody have any info on these?

It is always so tempting to get into my brand new stock, especially if it's something I've been eager to try or something I've enjoyed in the past but haven't had for awhile. But I've learned the hard way to let them sit for at least 3 days or longer.

I've smoked a lot of AFs over the years including the 8-5-8 and found them to be one of the most consistent lines out there.

Hope the rest of your 5 pack turns out better. Let us know....

T.