Why do most members like CC as opposed to NC?

[Kickback]

Ok so the title gives away the question.
Reading all the posts on here suggests most of the active posters are CC smokers and not many who prefer NC.
To me that's a bit strange. Admittedly I have tried more NC but the CC I have tried didn't really do much for me.
Perhaps I need to try other brands.

So why 90% CC?
You have to age them. The quality control is not perfect.
They're more expensive than NC.
There's less variety.

Just interested in what you think is better in CC than anything else?

[Moley]

Your spot on about the NCs especially the amont of choice and the convenience of not really having to age them.

However, for me CCs have a a far superior flavour profile, with a lityle time can be greatly enhanced to a standard NCs (imo) can't achieve.

Just from my experience really

[smokey joe]

It?s the flavour like moley said

Majority I own are Cubans but I enjoy a good cigar wherever it comes from

[Budgie Smuggler]

I started buying mainly NCs and gradually shifted to solely CC.

I find most NCs overpowered, far too peppery and in your face. I also dislike the draw as I like some resistance rather than a wind tunnel.

I buy most of my boxes when on holiday and find that NCs aren?t much cheaper if you aren?t paying UK prices.

[Alexw33]

It's a good question and one that can only be answered subjectively. The simple answer is I prefer them, to my taste they are generally the best. Although I've enjoyed both CC and NC, all of the cigars that have made me think "wow" have been Cuban. But each to their own, smoke what you enjoy not what other people say you should enjoy.

[thedame007]

I think [MENTION=13408570]groundhog[/MENTION] made a very good point on another thread; due to the vast array of NC smokes out there it can be overwhelming to know where to start, what smokes to avoid, etc - also, due to the range, there is a lot less information/reviews on NC sticks so you cannot always make informed purchases.

Personally, i have found that Cuban cigars do have certain flavour notes that i have not (yet) experienced from a NC smoke - there IS a 'twng' that everyone bangs on about (sorry!), but also that magical saltiness that REALLY makes a cigar shine for me! Also, i have found most NC's really heavy on the pepper, and leather, and this is just a big turn off for me.

I also like the idea that Cuban cigars age, and their flavours develop over time (though WHY Cuban tobacco does this and not NC i am unsure...). Yes they could be more reliable, their production more perfected, and their cost more consumer friendly...but ultimately, it's the taste that matters, and while they still shine brighter than NC's, i will continue to light them up!

[WDave40]

Agree with everything above, I also think that with regards to all your points around why CCs maybe aren't so good, these are the aspects that make cigar collecting/smoking more of a hobby

The price point is a bit higher, so you consider what you're buying a bit more and don't treat it as a frivolity, same with the aging, where smokes can really come into their own. And with the QC - you always have a different smoke!

[Simon Bolivar]

Hi Kickback, first good question! Secondly I think 90% of members smoking mostly might be a bit high, 90% of the more frequesnt posters perhaps.
Just to cover your points I'll just copy a section from you post:
'So why 90% CC?
You have to age them.'
No, no you don't have too. There are smokers out there who just buy a few singles or a box & then smoke them & then go & buy another pack/box so they are never smoking CC more than a year or two old & are happy with how they taste. But then perhaps some one gives him a stick that's 3-5yrs old & he notices the difference & appreciates that too. There are lots of threads on aging Cubans so I won't cover it in depth here but to answer another question someone raised, NC's generally don't need aging because the leaf is matured & then the cigars are allowed to rest for longer than CC are these days; 20yrs ago CC used to be 3-4yrs old at point of sale in the UK, the Yuppie boomers smoked their way through the reserves & with cash flow problems in Cuba, they can't afford to age them so they send them out asap. It's now possible to see boxes only a month or two old in the Europe. This must be frustrating for the occasional smoker who wants to walk in to a B&M & buy a couple for the weekend/birthday but not much we can do about that.

So the short answer is you can smoke them fresh but if you appreciate them more with some age 1-3yrs then you will have to store some yourself these day but maybe 80% of CC smokers would enjoy them more then. 3-6yrs & they are even better but that's a long time to store for most people & requires a sizable stock to keep smoking whilst your reserve stock is aging.

'The quality control is not perfect.'
No denying that but it is much better than 99-01 when 30% of some boxes could be plugged. I have very few problems with the draw these days & if I do I have the 'perfect Draw' to save the day. As mentioned, NC's for me mostly have far too loose draw & that can't be changed & when you are used to a 'firm' CC draw, too loose is very disagreeable.

'They're more expensive than NC'.
I have to disagree with you there, I can't comment in the UK as I don't buy any new smokes here but certainly in Europe & D.R. they're are about the same & more & more NC's are now more expensive than comparable CC's. Historically smokers who smoked several a day might have smoked NC's during the week & saved a CC for the weekend but there's no real saving now. So if it meant smoking fewer cigars to afford the more expensive brands of Cubans then that's what most of us do.

'There's less variety'. Literally yes, but there are currently 27 CC Marcas, with 183 vitolas & a further 29 more machine made violas. This his less than 50% the vitolas of 10 yrs ago & 30% of 20yrs ago but still gives you plenty of variety but not so big that you might never get to know them. I have smoked over 300 CC vitolas & last month I still managed to find one I hadn't tried, a H.Upmann Regalais that I had never spotted before.

'Just interested in what you think is better in CC than anything else?'
Take a 100 cigar smokers & let then smoke a mix of NC's & CC's & after awhile (some take longer than others) the majority will favour CC's. And most will give the more intense, varied flavours make a more enjoyable experience as the main reason.

But there are those who sit happily in the middle & smoke plenty of both. I'd suggest you keep trying the CC's as you go along & find a marca you enjoy & then explore the other vitolas they have. To answer a question someone raised a week or so ago, I recently added up my NC consumption over the last 10yrs & it's been consistently 4%. These are mostly smoked during Lent & are all examples I have been sent or came with a collection buy. I don't buy them myself & although I have enjoyed some interesting 1960-70's NC's, I have never smoked a modern one that I then wanted to go & buy more of.

[Kickback]

I have no particular regional preference only that I like certain full flavoured smokes.
At present the CC I have smoked have been disappointing though I'm hoping some of the others will be my thing.
Lots of the NC have also been disappointing though some are right up my street.
Wondering if CC are chosen because they are Cuban and supposed to be the best rather than that they are the best (although one man's best is another man's beast).

[Simon Bolivar]

For Full Flav try some Boli's, Party's & Ra's & report back

[gojira]

The majority of NC's I had weren't to my liking. To much pepper and one dimensional for me. I had a few that I liked though, Tat Noella, some Opus X and a couple of Drew Estate Liga Privada (but then I had one that really sucked). I also had a Royal Danish something that wasn't bad. But there are way to many NC's on the market and I don't really know what to try. I'd rather stick to CC's as I am rarely disappointed and favor the flavor profile one can find in them.

[TJCoro]

Turn Me On, Dead Man!

They just make me feel better...more relaxed.


“Cigar Magazine hypothesized that the calming effects of smoking a Cuban stem from an abundance of the mood-stabilizing element lithium in the Cubansoil.” Apr 27, 2013

Go figure.


Bag Boy

[Shaun]

The flavour really. I mean the tobacco twang that Cubans deliver. Also the draw is usually nicer, NCs tend to be wind tunnels which are not nice. However I have started trying some NC lancero size cigars and some are good (tatuaje) and others are pure shit. I have been trying the NC skinnies as Cuba does not produce many any more so they forced me into it.

[Simon Bolivar]

They just make me feel better...more relaxed.


?Cigar Magazine hypothesized that the calming effects of smoking a Cuban stem from an abundance of the mood-stabilizing element lithium in the Cubansoil.? Apr 27, 2013

Go figure.


Bag Boy

I have treated patients with lithium tablets but I am sure some would rather smoke it than swallow it, nice if it was ever an option.. now where did I leave my prescription pad?!

[Kickback]

Yup lithium calms the nutters