Mexican coke and Cuban cigars

[crownjules]

The worst knockoffs are like dyed paper ... easily under 25 cents in cost.
Normal bad knockoffs are shitty cigars dressed up to look like cubans, cost under $1 a pop. They would rather make $5-6 profit each instead of $1, and they aren't exactly being punished for selling the knockoffs... so, the knockoffs are a HUGE market.

Somtimes even worse then that. I've seen plenty of fakes that have shit in them like paint chips, string, twigs, etc. Whatever was on the floor when they swept up the tobacco shop floor.

 

[norseamd]

If you like smooth cigars then a genuine Cuban is right up your alley. They're incredibly smooth. The more common complaint by cigar smokers who don't like Cubans is that overall they aren't strong enough. Their flavors are more subtle and varied unlike the flavor bombs you get from Nicaraguan or Dominican tobacco.

how much of a difference would a blended filler make? i am assuming that you could only use one wrapper? how does the binder play into this?

here is some info from wikipedia

Some cigars, especially premium brands, use different varieties of tobacco for the filler and the wrapper. Long filler cigars are a far higher quality of cigar, using long leaves throughout. These cigars also use a third variety of tobacco leaf, called a "binder", between the filler and the outer wrapper. This permits the makers to use more delicate and attractive leaves as a wrapper. These high-quality cigars almost always blend varieties of tobacco. Even Cuban long-filler cigars will combine tobaccos from different parts of the island to incorporate several different flavors.

In low-grade and machine-made cigars, chopped tobacco leaves are used for the filler, and long leaves or a type of "paper" made from tobacco pulp is used for the wrapper which binds the cigar together.[19] This alters the burning characteristics of the cigar, causing handmade cigars to be sought-after.

so would you be able to use more than one type of tobacco for the wrapper if you used a binder

 

[BurnItDwn]

how much of a difference would a blended filler make? i am assuming that you could only use one wrapper? how does the binder play into this?

here is some info from wikipedia

Some cigars, especially premium brands, use different varieties of tobacco for the filler and the wrapper. Long filler cigars are a far higher quality of cigar, using long leaves throughout. These cigars also use a third variety of tobacco leaf, called a "binder", between the filler and the outer wrapper. This permits the makers to use more delicate and attractive leaves as a wrapper. These high-quality cigars almost always blend varieties of tobacco. Even Cuban long-filler cigars will combine tobaccos from different parts of the island to incorporate several different flavors.

In low-grade and machine-made cigars, chopped tobacco leaves are used for the filler, and long leaves or a type of "paper" made from tobacco pulp is used for the wrapper which binds the cigar together.[19] This alters the burning characteristics of the cigar, causing handmade cigars to be sought-after.

so would you be able to use more than one type of tobacco for the wrapper if you used a binder

Usually your wrapper is one single leaf rolled around the binder..

I'm sure there are some exceptions to the rule, but ... generally, it's 3 strands of dry filler rolled up and bound by the binder, which is wetter, and kinda stretchy, then the wrapper which is usually a bit more oily, but not quite as wet and not too dry. I know I've had some double leaf wrappers, but they are not "the norm."

 

[norseamd]

Usually your wrapper is one single leaf rolled around the binder.. I'm sure there are some exceptions to the rule, but ... generally, it's 3 strands of dry filler rolled up and bound by the binder, which is wetter, and kinda stretchy, then the wrapper which is usually a bit more oily, but not quite as wet and not too dry. I know I've had some double leaf wrappers, but they are not "the norm."

so i have heard that the wrapper makes up more than 50% of the taste. so the filler in nice cigars are the filler leaves big enough that they ussually only use 3 leaves? so how would a cigar with 3 different fillers taste as far as to working with the wrapper?

also not sure if i remember this right but the same article said something like the binder makes up just as much taste as the filler if not more

 

[BurnItDwn]

so i have heard that the wrapper makes up more than 50% of the taste. so the filler in nice cigars are the filler leaves big enough that they ussually only use 3 leaves? so how would a cigar with 3 different fillers taste as far as to working with the wrapper?

also not sure if i remember this right but the same article said something like the binder makes up just as much taste as the filler if not more

I really do not know. I just know that I enjoy a good cigar, and I've watched a number of videos of old pros rolling the cigars on youtube while on my deck in the summer smoking a cigar in the evening and enjoying a good beer.

From those videos, they take three leaves which have been dried, andt hen they twist them together ... then bind then wrap.

the strongest flavor I think I've had, would be stuff like the CAO Brasilia or CAO Italia maybe.

Of non-cubans, I smoke mostly CAO, Partagas, Cammacho, Punch.

On the rare occasion where I may have a cuban (on a cruise ship, or in canada), I am happy with the smooth and earthy Partagas, or, the more spicy/stronger Bolivar Royal Coronas. But I've only really tried about 8 or 9 different cubans... And several of them I've only tried once.

 

[BladeVenom]

Usually your wrapper is one single leaf rolled around the binder..

I'm sure there are some exceptions to the rule

Striped cigars. I'm sure you've seen them if you smoke premium cigars.

 

[crownjules]

how much of a difference would a blended filler make? i am assuming that you could only use one wrapper? how does the binder play into this?

Blended fillers are employed all the time in non-Cuban cigars. A cigar that has its filler, binder, and wrapper all from tobacco grown within the same country is called a puro. Cubans being the obvious most famous example of such. Otherwise, cigar rollers/blenders pick tobaccos from different places in an attempt to create their desired flavor profile. Being blended or not doesn't inherently make the cigar better or worse.

so would you be able to use more than one type of tobacco for the wrapper if you used a binder

As BladeVenom pointed out, striped or barber pole cigars employ two different wrappers to produce a unique cigar look. But it requires a toreador with exceptional skill to make those so they're rare to find and usually expensive. Otherwise, the wrapper is a single leaf because they're usually the most expensive tobacco leaves. They're picked from the top most part of the plant - called the corona - which gives them the most exposure to sunlight. This gives them the most intense flavor which is why they say wrappers contribute 50% of the taste to a cigar.

 

[norseamd]

As BladeVenom pointed out, striped or barber pole cigars employ two different wrappers to produce a unique cigar look. But it requires a toreador with exceptional skill to make those so they're rare to find and usually expensive. Otherwise, the wrapper is a single leaf because they're usually the most expensive tobacco leaves. They're picked from the top most part of the plant - called the corona - which gives them the most exposure to sunlight. This gives them the most intense flavor which is why they say wrappers contribute 50% of the taste to a cigar.

and if you used coronas for the wrapper and filler and the binder if you could how would they taste?

 

[Dari]

So much knowledge in this thread. I wish I knew half of what you guys were talking about. Then I'd enjoy the Cubans more.

 

[norseamd]

Being blended or not doesn't inherently make the cigar better or worse.

so what i was thinking is that you could use fillers from 3 different countries and then use a cuban wrapper or maybe a second wrapper from somewhere else in addition to the cuban wrapper. how does the binder affect the cigar?

 

[Colt45]

They had mexican coke in cuba.

 

[SlickSnake]

Dr Pepper made with 100% imperial cane sugar beats both by a mile.

Except Dr. Pepper got pissed at the original bottler making it because it was so much better than their corn sugar crap, that they stopped small bottlers like the one in Dublin, Texas from making it anymore.

http://www.dublindrpepper.com/

http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/06/10/4020421/dublins-getting-better-without.html?rh=1

http://www.cleburnetimesreview.com/features/x1254880087/Just-what-the-doctor-ordered/print

http://www.chron.com/business/steff...-celebrate-despite-Dr-Pepper-snub-3611927.php

 

[BoomerD]

Quite a few restaurants in mexico use flour tortillas to make chips.

Hell, lots of restaurants in California also make chips from flour tortillas.

I like them.

 

[rudder]

So, I'm currently in Mexico and I've heard great things about the coke here. It turns out that people are right. It's a lot smoother than the one I'm used to. Must be the real sugar.

Try the Mexican coke with some Tijuana hookers.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Striped cigars. I'm sure you've seen them if you smoke premium cigars.

Seen them yes, but never smoked one. Usually I shoot for the middle. Stuff that is accessible and decently affordable (I try to keep it under 6 bucks per stick most of the time.)

The exception that comes to mind that I have smoked would be CAO MX2 and CX2 which are double wrapped.

 

[bignateyk]

Cuban cigars are crap these days. And most of them are fake anyway. Just get some good dominicans. They've exported the cuban tobacco strains and grow them other places now.

 

[norseamd]

Cuban cigars are crap these days. And most of them are fake anyway. Just get some good dominicans. They've exported the cuban tobacco strains and grow them other places now.

they have already covered seed and soil and climate

 

[crownjules]

so what i was thinking is that you could use fillers from 3 different countries and then use a cuban wrapper or maybe a second wrapper from somewhere else in addition to the cuban wrapper. how does the binder affect the cigar?

AFAIK, Cuba does not allow its tobacco to be exported for use anywhere. You'll only find Cuban tobacco in a Cuban puro.

and if you used coronas for the wrapper and filler and the binder if you could how would they taste?

You'd get a very expensive cigar that was probably loaded with flavor and also would make you puke from too much nicotine. It might not burn all that well either.

 

[norseamd]

You'd get a very expensive cigar that was probably loaded with flavor and also would make you puke from too much nicotine. It might not burn all that well either.

ever heard of nicotiana rustica

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotiana_rustica

 

[BladeVenom]

so what i was thinking is that you could use fillers from 3 different countries and then use a cuban wrapper or maybe a second wrapper from somewhere else in addition to the cuban wrapper. how does the binder affect the cigar?

The best cigar wrapper is Connecticut Shade.

Mexican tobacco is popular as a binder. While Mexican tobacco is used in some good cigars, I've never liked any of the Mexican puros I've tried. I'm out of date on cigar news, but I think there were some import or tax restrictions that kept Mexican cigar manufacturers from using tobacco from other countries. Which is probably bad for their industry, since lots of people don't like Mexican cigars, yet Mexican tobacco works well blended in other cigars.

Almost all Cuban tobacco is kept for making Cuban cigars.

 

[Phynaz]

Cuban cigars are crap these days. And most of them are fake anyway. Just get some good dominicans. They've exported the cuban tobacco strains and grow them other places now.

This. CA passed up the quality of Cuban tobacco about two decades ago.

 

[norseamd]

The best cigar wrapper is Connecticut Shade. Mexican tobacco is popular as a binder. While Mexican tobacco is used in some good cigars, I've never liked any of the Mexican puros I've tried. I'm out of date on cigar news, but I think there were some import or tax restrictions that kept Mexican cigar manufacturers from using tobacco from other countries. Which is probably bad for their industry, since lots of people don't like Mexican cigars, yet Mexican tobacco works well blended in other cigars. Almost all Cuban tobacco is kept for making Cuban cigars.

how good is arturo fuente

 

[Dari]

I got to Cancun today from Playa del Carmen and it's raining now

But earlier today the shopkeepers are much more aggressive than in Playa, yelling and screaming for me from across the street as my wife and I were walking. Makes me not want to return...

 

[Wreckem]

Except Dr. Pepper got pissed at the original bottler making it because it was so much better than their corn sugar crap, that they stopped small bottlers like the one in Dublin, Texas from making it anymore.

http://www.dublindrpepper.com/

http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/06/10/4020421/dublins-getting-better-without.html?rh=1

http://www.cleburnetimesreview.com/features/x1254880087/Just-what-the-doctor-ordered/print

http://www.chron.com/business/steff...-celebrate-despite-Dr-Pepper-snub-3611927.php

It had nothing to do with them using cane sugar. The fact of the matter is Dublin was not the only plant the made Dr Pepper with sugar cane. Dr Pepper told them to stop violating their agreement in-regards to distributing outside their zone and their marketing their product as something other than Dr Pepper or their agreement would be terminated. They didn't so the agreement was terminated. The Dublin plant forced them to do it. If they didn't they would be estopped from ever enforcing those parts of their bottling agreement.

The product still exists and is cheaper than Dublin ever was. Fact of the matter is the Abilene Pepsi plant has been producing it off and on for over a decade. In that part of Texas it is not uncommon to find 16oz cans or 20oz plastic bottles. There was a time you could buy a case of 16oz cans. And I am not talking about their seasonal/anniversary releases.

Right now in DFW you can go to any Costco and buy a whole case of 8oz bottles. Most grocery stores in the area also carry 6 packs of cans as well.

 

[BladeVenom]

how good is arturo fuente

They are, arguably, the best Dominican cigars.