ISOM's are a pain in the ass......

Just got two boxes of '98 Punch Churchills and their wrappers are much lighter(blond?) in color than earlier ones. Had to call Oedipus 1 to be reassured they were OK. Smoked one before supper---they are .

Dan

[Lusi]

I have a few boxes of 98 Punches in different vitolas and the wrappers are all pretty light, and all the smokes are terrific. IMO, wrapper color is somewhat overrated--what's more important is the wrapper's texture and sheen and the oils that develop over time. Just my 2 cents worth.

:
I feel your pain?! I am just starting down that road, and i can allready see myself spending many hours converting currency and reading e-mails in broken english. it's heaven and hell all rolled into one!

[Skyler1534]

When I was younger, I had a hobbie that I thought was great. I played a game called Magic: The Gathering. It was a card collecting game where the cards served to make you more or less powerful (depending on how much money you spent) against your opponent.
Every time I would get some money, I would buy a pack. Every time I had a birthday or Christmas, I would ask my parents to get me a few packs or a box. The fun of it all was the search for the great card and having it and holding it in your hand. This is why cigars can be called a hobby. You always want that great cigar to smoke and to say you have smoked. The question is and economic one (sorry, but I'm primarily an economist): Is the price you pay worth the enjoyment you get out of it.
To this day, I have gotten a lot of enjoyment out of those cards (when I was younger), but now all I have to show for it are cardboard cards with pretty pictures on them. Those cards that cost $3.50 for a pack of 15 (sometimes more), I now can't get rid of for a dollar.
This is, in essence, the reason I do not buy ISOMs (that, and I have a checkered past and would like to stay well within the law). Maybe when my business takes off (I say when because I'm ****y and have a lot of confidence), I will spend $20 a cigar for a cuban version of a dominican brand I could have gotten for $5. As for now, I can't afford that expensive of a hobby.
My point is this: It is not true in all cases, but in the vast majority, that a cigar grown in cuba is not much better than it's non-cuban counterpart (certainly not in proportion to what it paid), so what you are paying for is the ability to say you're smoking a Cuban! Is it really worth the price you pay?

Just some food for thought,
Skyler

P.S.- If anyone wants some cards with pretty pictures, I've got a buttload of them!

[edisonbird]

Skyler, I will smoke a 4 dollar SLR PC over a 12 dollar Ashton Vsg any time and any place. I don't know where you have been checking prices, but in most cases a good isom is not as expensive as a premium Dominican. IMHO there is a great difference in taste and in value. jmho

[Lusi]

Skyler-- Rick is dead-on right. Depending on where (and what--no Cohibas or Trinidads or specially rolled sticks) you buy, ISOMs tend to be cheaper than their DR counterparts, and the difference in flavor and body is enormous. It's true that ISOMs tend to be less consistent in draw and construction, but when it comes to flavor and complexity, I spell Fidel!
Brit

[Brandon]

For me, smoking Havanas is cheaper than smoking domestics. I now average 4.25 to 6.00 bucks per cigar. When I was smoking domestics, I would mostly smoke 8-15 dollar cigars. Now, I'm able to afford 2-3 times as many cigars. Sooooo, I do not see why people think that you need to be a millionaire to smoke good cigars. Although I agree that not all Havanas are better than domestics, there are only a small handful of domestic cigars that will satisfy me these days.

Also, the Dominican, Honduran, or Nicaraguan version of any Cuban brand CANNOT be compared to the 'real' thing. They may be similar in name, but that is as far as it goes. That would be like saying that the same species of wine grapes from a vineyard in France will produce the same quality grape if it were grown in Georgia. The same goes for coffee as well.

Many folks say that we smoke primarily Havanas just for the image or to be a snob, but this is not the case at all. Everyone likes different things, and they should be able to smoke what they prefer without judgement. Some folks might never have the taste for Havanas. There are many folks whom I can give a Cuban Punch from the 80's and a Fuente curly head; and they would say both are excellent cigars.

I was at some little herf last night. Some guy that works at a BIG web-based company in PA said that the Cohiba Extra Vigoroso blows away any Cuban Cohiba. I just looked at him and rolled my eyes. I was tempted to argue with him, but decided to bite my tongue. After all, this guy has only smoked a handful of different types of Havanas, and he's the friggin expert on all tobacco in the world.

Just like edisonbird said... I will take a 4-5 dollar hand rolled, Cuban petit corona over an Opus X, Padron Anni, Dominican Davidoff, etc. any day.

[Lusi]

Brandon--You are SO right, but I'm beginning to believe we should just keep our bleeping mouths shut and let the uninitiated be happy with what they have. After all, a California jug Chablis is just as good as a Long-Depaquit Chablis from Burgundy--they have the same name after all! Brit

[TAK]

Got a lot to say but I'll keep my bleeping mouth shut.

TAK

[TAK]

Hell I cant keep quite, I love the smokes I have and any new one I purchase.. In fact the journey is getting better.

TAK

[DiverBob]

Originally posted by edisonbird
Skyler, I will smoke a 4 dollar SLR PC over a 12 dollar Ashton Vsg any time and any place. I don't know where you have been checking prices, but in most cases a good isom is not as expensive as a premium Dominican. IMHO there is a great difference in taste and in value. jmho

Harumph!

[Skyler1534]

I stand corrected on the fact that ISOMs are not worth the money since I have found that they can be purchased cheaply if you shop around right. I do; however, stick by the fact that just being Cuban doesn't mean it's better. I'd take a bunch of different non-Cuban smokes over Cubans anyday. Maybe I just need to integrate the 2. It's a shame I can't get Cubans at retailer price, though, like I can non-ISOMs.

[edisonbird]

Hey scuba man what the heck does harumph mean.

I like Cubans. Harumph

[DiverBob]

Originally posted by edisonbird
Hey scuba man what the heck does harumph mean.

I like Cubans. Harumph

Oops - spelled it wrong

I always though that it meant roughly "I second that". According to Webster, I was a little off...

Main Entry: har·rumph
Function: intransitive verb
Etymology: imitative
Date: 1942
1 : to clear the throat in a pompous way
2 : to comment disapprovingly

I stand corrected.

[edisonbird]

Thank you beri much.