Trust Your Palate

I have an interest story new smokers may find interesting and perhaps useful.

A lot of people smoke only the brands they enjoy or are accustomed to. I'm one of them. My humidors total between 300 to 400 cigars at any time. 80% of the sticks are from four major brands: Oliva, My Father (Garcia Family), Padron, Tatuaje (Pete Johnson's company, but all his sticks are blended and made by My Father). The other 20% are random. Needless to say I enjoy everything blended and made by My Father. The flavors just fit my palate well.

Over the years my palate knows what it likes and what brands it doesn't like. Even brands which are widely popular such as Alec Bradley, Ashton, Perdomo, and LP. I've smoked them all and even tried to like them, but in the end my palate didn't care for them. So, that's why four brands take up 80% of my humidors.

As I listed above I don't care for Ashton cigars. The only one I somewhat enjoy is the new Symmetry (however it's way over priced). So, for the longest time I never smoked Ashton or their sister company San Cristobal. Well, two weeks ago I looked into the "community humidor" at my office and saw a San Cristobal cigar - Elegencia. I assume it was placed by my brother or someone else in the office who smokes. I was in the mood for a light cigar and it's easy see this was a Connecticut.

I smoked it later on and the flavors blew me away. I was amazed at the complex flavors coming out of this Connecticut cigar. And, I don't Ashton! So, I keep smoking it and the more I was loving this San Cristobal Elegencia. My brain was telling me how can I like this Ashton cigar, but my palate was telling me how amazing this smoked.

Later on I bought two more Elegencias to try. Both tasted the same as the first one. I thought to myself, "Well, this is going to replace my Oliva Connecticut". I finally Googled "San Cristobal Elegencia" and come to find out it's actually blended and manufactured by My Father! A company in which I smoke almost every line of their cigars.

To learn this made me laugh because I love My Father cigars and it just happens the only Ashton cigar I really enjoy ended up being blended and made my My Father. I guess the moral of the story is trust your palate instead of the label on the cigar, because you never know who really blends or makes it :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FireRunner

ell, two weeks ago I looked into the "community humidor" at my office and saw a San Cristobal cigar - Elegencia. I assume it was placed by my brother or someone else in the office who smokes.

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You have a "community humidor" in your office?!? Lucky bastige... :stogie:

In all seriousness, a very good point.

Yep, you had me at "community humidor"...

This is very interesting.
I too have a taste for nearly the same lines as you mentioned. I also had a very good experience with San Cristobal Elegencia. Guess I will have to pay more attention to see who is really behind the name.

A community humidor?
I have no idea what you do for a living, but are y'all accepting applications? :stogie:

Good post. I haven't counted recently, but the makers than own the most real-estate in my cooler and humidor are Fuente and Tatuaje. I have lots of others to change things up a bit, but when I really want to chill with something I know I will enjoy, those 2 usually get the nod.

I haven't had any Ashton but I really like the San Cristobal line. And I too LOVE Garcia cigars!!!
This is definitely an interesting fact. Thanks.
That Elegancia is one delicious smoke. I might actually brave the cold & have one.

Interesting, my palate is even more specific, down to vitola. For example, I love Diesel Coronas, can't stand Diesel Unholy Cocktails (the standard torpedo vitola).

I WISH I could trust an entire brand, line or blender. It would make buying so much easier. But if I love Brand X in Robusto and see a great deal on a box in, say, Toro, I can't buy it because I may hate it. [emoji24]

@FireRunner , try the Benchmade by Ashton. It is a nice inexpensive mixed filler smoke that is also made by Garcia. My favorite NC budget smoke.

Ha, I guess the phrase "community humidor" caught a few readers.

Several people in my office smoke. So, my brother and I (owners) have a community humidor where people can place and take as they please. We have four other humidors in our office which have higher end cigars or cigars we do not smoke regularly. Those humidors are in my office in a cabinet :)

It can be interesting to read up on where certain cigars are actually from. For the longest time I didn't know Tatuaje's cigars were all blended and manufactured by the Garcia Family. And to find my new favorite San Cristobal cigar is actually a My Father...it's intriguing. Often times brands will use wrappers from Oliva for their cigars, etc. It's an interesting perspective as a cigar company I guess. There are only so many large players with the right land, soil and tobacco around.