Cigar Expectations: Success and Failure

[Blak Smyth]

Insipred by Garry's thread (http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=52766) about being affraid to burn a stick he has high expectations for, I would like to share some of my expectations that ended in dissapointment and some of my successful surprises, please do the same!

I look forward to seeing your experiences, I have a feeling there will be many surprises!

This is all based upon my own personal tastes and experiences, just my opinions.

(Keep in mind, I am not saying these sticks are good or bad. I am saying I either had low expectations that a cigar far exceeded or I had high expectations that the cigar underwhelmed. The first two I had high expectations and they were still exceeded.)

Exceeded my expectations:
LP#9
L40
Kristoff Maduro
Diesel UHC
Famous Nic 5000
Famous Nic Maduro
Omar Ortez Original Maduro
RASCC
My Father El Hijo
San Lotano Habana Lancero
EP Carillo NWC

Failed to meet my expectations:
Liga Undercrown
Viaje Holiday Blend
Obsidian
Famous Nic 3000
Tatuaje La Casita Criolla
My Father Lancero
Legends Yellow Label by DPG
Carino Maduro
Man o War Virtue
AB American Classic Blend

[sevans105]

You seriously had high expectations on that Carino? or was it just that god awful? Either way, ;s

[dave]

Exceed: Illusione CG4 and MK.....every time.....no idea how every one can keep being better than the last

FAIL: Every Fuente I've ever tried

[Blak Smyth]

You seriously had high expectations on that Carino? or was it just that god awful? Either way, ;s

I was hoping the Carino was "Okay", it was not. Sorry Haha:r
No need to apologize brother, you told me going in they are cheap maddies.
I hope the troops can enjoy them more than I did.

[sevans105]

Exceed: Illusione CG4 and MK.....every time.....no idea how every one can keep being better than the last

FAIL: Every Fuente I've ever tried

I agree with Dave on the Fuente disappointment. I had heard a ton about the Hemingway series and am a huge Hemingway fan as well. It wasn't bad, just didn't lived up to my own internal hype. I keep trying them though.

[Silound]

Hmm, lets see...

Exceeded:
Curivari Reserva Limitada Epicures
Cain Dayona 646 (far far and FAR exceeded)
Viaje Platino/Oro
Padron Family 46th
LDF Factory Press IV
Oliva V Maduro 2011
LP Dirty Rat
Altadis products: Vega Fina, Montecristo 75th, Omar Ortez
Davidoff Colorado Claro


Failed:
Room 101 (anything I've tried)
Padron Family 45th
Casa Magna (anything)
LP Flying Pig (size issue mostly)
Viaje Holiday (I suspect these would taste better if they were a little better filled)
Davidoff Puro d'Oro

[Blak Smyth]

Silound, you reminded me, I need to add the Room 101 namakubi to my dissapointment list.
Not bad but I was expecting something really good.

[kelmac07]

Exceeded
Feral Flying Pig
Rocky Patel Cuban Blend Petite Belicoso (still in shock over this one)
La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas Toro
MUWAT Bait Fish
Cain FF Torpedo
Purofino Milenio
Holts Little Havana Small Batch
Illusione 88 Maduro
San Lotano Oval
Cohiba Black Corona
San Cristobal Fabuloso
LFD El Jocko Maduro

Failed
Room 101 Namakubi Papi Chulo
Alec Bradley Black Market
Liga Privada L40
Tatuaje TAA
Tatuaje Wolfman
Litto Gomez Small Batch #3
E.P. Carrillo Small Batch
Ave Maria Reconquista

[Dave128]

Time to torch that Undercrown that I've been avoiding.

[Blak Smyth]

Biggest shocker to me so far is seeing Mac put the L40 on his fail list. Perfect example of how we are all different, that just may be my favorite stick now! So tasty all the way down to the nub!

That Room 101 Namakubi seems to be a popular dissapointment!

[DaBear]

Exceeded:
Tat Face
Tat Petit Cazadores
San Lotano Maduro
Quesada Tribute(good flavors, albeit a tight draw)
LP Undercrown
601 Blue
EPC Core Line

Failed:
Feral Flying Pig
LP L40
Padron 45th
Padron 1926
EPC Core Line Maduro
601 Red
Tat Havana VI(still not a big fan of these to this day)

[CigarSquid]

Great idea.. I will have to think about the sticks I have had...

[Doctorossi]

Fun thread idea!

Exceeded expectations on first encounter:

Illusione 4/2g
La Flor Dominicana Coronado Toro
Padilla Series '68 Lancero
Punch Double Corona
Ramon Allones Small Club Corona
San Cristobal Lancero
Tatuaje Seleccion de Cazadores Reserva J21

Underwhelmed on first encounter:

Carlos Torano Master Robusto
H. Upmann Magnum 50
La Flor Dominicana Airbender Villanos
Oliva Serie V Lancero
Padron 2000 Maduro
Romeo y Julieta Churchill
Tatuaje Seleccion de Cazadores Tainos

[smokinpeace]

Man. All this Fuente hate. They are the only NC I am really digging these days. For me it's mostly Fuente and CC's. To each their own but Fuente almost always lives up to expectations for me.

[lenguamor]

Man. All this Fuente hate. They are the only NC I am really digging these days. For me it's mostly Fuente and CC's. To each their own but Fuente almost always lives up to expectations for me.

I don't get it either. It may be a cost and expectation vs. results thing, but Fuente is consistently in the top echelon of the best. Construction, blend, everything—they're near the top.

A cigar exists apart from my expectations; neither it nor its maker are responsible for anything except bringing a well-made cigar to the market; the rest is up to me.

[DaBear]

Man. All this Fuente hate. They are the only NC I am really digging these days. For me it's mostly Fuente and CC's. To each their own but Fuente almost always lives up to expectations for me.

You know the old saying, smoke what you like, like what you smoke. Some people just don't like the flavor profiles of Fuentes, much like some don't like the flavor profiles of Tats(like I did at first).

[kelmac07]

Man. All this Fuente hate. They are the only NC I am really digging these days. For me it's mostly Fuente and CC's. To each their own but Fuente almost always lives up to expectations for me.

All??? only one person said they didn't care for Fuentes. :confused: :confused:

[sevans105]

yeah, I didn't say I hated Fuentes, just that they were a disappointment. I had them built up in my mind so high that even though they were good, it wasn't as good as I expected them to be. I wanted them to be awesome. And they were just ok. Certainly didn't think they were worth the premium though.

[poker]

In my earlier days AF's are what I smoked most beside Padrons. The Don Carlos and Hemmingway lines were my fav's.

[Chainsaw13]

Off hand the only thing that's really missed it for me are the Illusione line, except the Holy Lance. Also most of the Viaje line. I do like the Exclusivo Robusto but the rest are just meh for me.

[awsmith4]

In my earlier days AF's are what I smoked most beside Padrons. The Don Carlos and Hemmingway lines were my fav's.

Mine too Kelly.

I haven't smoked a lot of NCs lately but here's a small list from recent smokes

Exceeded:
El Primer Mundo Liga Miami
Tatuaje Face - Figured it would just be all hype but was a great smoke
Avo Domaine - I love these
Cain Daytona and F - Still weren't my cup of tea but were better than I expected

Did Not Exceed:
Opus X - Received as a gift for Christmas. Tight draw and just didn't taste good
Cain - the regular, all strength and nothing else

[NCRadioMan]

Can't stand Fuente's. Except the Anejo's and WOAM's. Others can rot as far as I'm concerned. :)

The last time I had very high expectations was my first Opus back in '05. From that point till now, I don't let my myself expect anything with a new cigar.

[smokinpeace]

All??? only one person said they didn't care for Fuentes. :confused: :confused:

Two of the first five posts singled out Fuente. That was the "all" I was referring to.

[Blak Smyth]

Okay all this Fuente talk has got my gears turning.

Exceded expectations:
AF WOAM (Oh my sooo good)
AF SS (So tasty)

Dissapointed:
Opus X (Thought it would be more flavorful and expect that much strength)
AF Best Seller (I think it was, had cedar wrap. Didn't enjoy)
AF Anejo (Expectations where way to high for me, still enjoyed though)

[wayner123]

Looking back over the years I have put together a simple list. It's not conclusive, but it gives you an idea of my palette.

Exceeded my expectations:
Hirsch y Garcia Panatela
Reserva Mira Flor lancero (Original release)
Famous Nic 3000
WOAN (the lighter brother)
Viaje Platino
Brickhouse
SLR Regios
Por Larranaga Lonsdale
Vegas Robaina Don Alejandro
Quinteros Breva
Qd'O Coronas Claro

Failed to meet my expectations:
Pretty much any Illusione except for the Holy Lancero
Tatuaje El Triunfador OR
Tatuaje Black Corona Gorda OR
Fuente God of Fire series
Most AVO's
RASS
Cohiba Siglo Series
Taboada custom roll
Reynaldo custom roll

I do want to point out the reasoning behind my lists. I try my best not to base a cigar off of others reviews. However, in the simple process of reading the forums I get inundated with hype, simple reviews, etc that seem to stick with me and lead me to the 'conclusion' before I have sampled them. It's a real conundrum.

[Blak Smyth]

Everytime I see somebodys list I remember another cigar to add:

Dissapointed:
Brickhouse

[irratebass]

Everytime I see somebodys list I remember another cigar to add:

Dissapointed:
Brickhouse

:jd 1st the Undercrown and now the Brickhouse :jd

We def don't have the same palete heh.

[Blak Smyth]

:jd 1st the Undercrown and now the Brickhouse :jd

We def don't have the same palete heh.

Yup I was shocked when I didn't like these, actually it's not that I didn't like them, it's that they just didn't live up to the hype for me. Not as good as what I was expecting.

[688sonarmen]

Exceeded

Casa Magna Domus Limitada
AF magnum r52
EPC Core maduro
Sancho Panaz maduro
Tatuaje red label
Tatuaje pork tenderloin

Disappointing

Tatuaje Face
Tatuaje Face
Tatuaje Face
LP T52
LP 9
LP dirty rat
Tatuaje Barclay Rex
NHC EL house blend

[Doctorossi]

Dissapointed:
Brickhouse

That one, for me, went like this...

Exceeded my expectations:

final third of Brickhouse Toro

Underwhelmed:

first two thirds of Brickhouse Toro

:D

[maninblack]

:jd 1st the Undercrown and now the Brickhouse :jd

We def don't have the same palete heh.

I agree Mickey. I freaking love the UC's! One man's trash, blah blah blah........

[Bill86]

I'll keep this NC for the most part

Exceeded
Illusione HL Candela (green wrapper and it's good? I was shocked for sure)
Cruzado CG size
Anejo Shark (Construction issues but it was tasty)
Viaje Satori
Tatuaje T110
Tatuaje Pork Tenderloin
Opus X DC
PL Encantos (I scored it a 92 out the gate, I'll be hunting a box or two for sure)
CoLa (Any year, always great)
Hoyo Ep 2 (Great change of pace cigar for me)

Disappointed
Behike 54 (twice, definitely not as good as they should be)
PL Robusto RE (Encantos are much better fresh and a better size)
Viaje 50-50 Black (I even liked the Oro & Platino better)
Viaje TNT (Very boring, lasts too long)
Tat Drac (VERY boring, tossed it halfway)
Tat Frank (good but not great, nothing special)
Every CC Churchill I've tried (won't list all of them but none of them delivered for me :td)
Every other Opus X I've had (I don't get these at all)
Viaje S&B (second release)
RASS (Always mediocre no matter what year I've had)

[schollianmj]

Exceeded:
Undercrown
601 Blue
Tat Black
Short Story
Cafe Con Leche
Diesel UHC

Failed:
Drrew Estate Red Eye
Java
Nub Maduro
Bohemian

[irratebass]

Exceeded

Cain Daytona No.4
RP ITC 10th Anniversary
Nica Libre Diplomatico
Moya Maduro
Tatuaje 7th Capa Especial
Graycliff 1666 Double Espresso
Tat M-80
DPG Firecracker
AF SS
Tat Verocu #5
Diesel UHC
5 Vegas 1890 Limited Reserve
Kristoff Kristiana
RP Cameroon
Opus X
Man O' War Puro Authentico
Felipe Dominicana
5 Vegas "AAA"
Casa De Garcia Maduro
AB American Classic Blend
Diablo Picantes
Tat Havana VI
Nub Habana Plus
Partagas Classic
Cohiba Red Dot
Partagas Spanish Rosado
RP 1961
Rolando Reyes Aliados
CAO Italia
Camacho Maduro
Indian Tabak Maduro
Isla Del Sol Sunblessed
Acid One
601 Blue Maduro
Don Rafael Victor Sinclair
Man O' War
Cu-Avana Intenso
Oliva Series O Churchill
San Cristobal
Tat Anarchy
LP Undercrown
AF Rosado
Nat Sherman
Macanudo Vintage 97
Perdomo Habano
Jamie Garcia Especial
Villager 1888
Camacho Triple Maduro
Cuvee Blanc
Brickhouse
Macanudo Cru Royale

Disappointed

Joy De Nicaragua Celebration
Tat The Face
Gurkha European Selection Maduro
Abam Churchill
Indios Puros
Quorum
CAO Earth Nectar
Acid 5
Patel Bros Next Generation
Pinar Del Rio Exclusivo
El Triunfador
La Gloria Cubana
Zino Platinum
AVO XO Intermezzo

[Emjaysmash]

You seriously had high expectations on that Carino? or was it just that god awful? Either way, ;s

What's screwed up is the moment I saw that I though the EXACT same thing! LOL

[Crownedone]

Here are just a few


Exceeded my expectations:
Diesel UHC
Cain F
LFD air bender chisel
Don Thomas tubo maduro
Perdomo 10th anny Champaign
Saint luis rey G maduro
Undercrown
Macanudo Maduro
All Nubs
601 oscuro
Torano 1956 exodus

Failed to meet my expectations:
San Lotano Habana oval
Illusione MK
Cain Dayona
Punch Double Corona
Brickhouse
Warlock

[RevSmoke]

Only a partial list on both ends. Remember this as well, those that exceeding my expectations were amazing. Those that fell below my expectations were not necessarily bad - they just didn't live up to my expectations.

Exceeded expectations on first encounter:
AF Anejo #50
La Flor Dominicana Coronado (every one I’ve tried)
Litto Gomez Diez (every one I’ve tried)
Oliva Vs (every one I’ve tried)
Cain Daytona 453
601 Blue
Tat Verocu #5
Kristoff

Underwhelmed on first encounter:
Oliva G (all of them I’ve tried)
Oliva blue cloth band
Romeo & Julieta Reserva
Opus X
Viaje
Liga Privada #9 Flying Pig (this was a huge failure - didn't even finish it)

Peace of the Lord be with you.

[LigaPrivadaT84]

Exceeded
AF Hemingwayd
La Casita Criolla
LGC Serie Serie R
La Riqueza
LP T52
LP Undercrown
Litto Gomez
NHC
Oliva Serie V
Padrons
Tampa Sweethearts
Tat Petite Cazadores

Failed
LP#9
every Padron Anniversary
Tatuaje El Triunfador

Usually it is the higher priced smokes that carry a higher expecation of a quality cigar for me. For example, every Padron Anniversary I have tried over the years (with age or without) has done absolutely nothing for me while the Classic Series are one of my favorite smokes ROTT - which works out pretty well for my cigar budget.
:tu

[Silound]

Here are just a few
...
...
Warlock

Thanks for reminding me, that was a huge flop of a cigar. Superb construction, tasted like old boot leather.

[Zanaspus]

I think, in the words of the famous bard Yogi, that half of this is 90% mental. I have found in all my hobbies, pipes, cigars, booze, snuff, food, etc. that going into something with high expectations almost always causes disappointment. The reverse is also true. I'm guessing that if folks would compare their lists, the ones that disappointed often had high expectations, and the ones that didn't carried low expectations. Yes, some won't fit, there's always those that floor us that we thought would. :2

[hdryder]

I think, in the words of the famous bard Yogi, that half of this is 90% mental. I have found in all my hobbies, pipes, cigars, booze, snuff, food, etc. that going into something with high expectations almost always causes disappointment. The reverse is also true. I'm guessing that if folks would compare their lists, the ones that disappointed often had high expectations, and the ones that didn't carried low expectations. Yes, some won't fit, there's always those that floor us that we thought would. :2

I agree. Except on the snuff thing.:pu

[Blak Smyth]

Recent discoverys:

Exceeded:
Tat Fausto

Dissapointed:
San Lotano Oval