Originally Posted by
NeverBend
Hi Bob,
It is nice when the smoke is better than anticipated. The Obsidian (maduro) were pretty good when I smoked them fresh but they've improved nicely with ~ 2 years of age. I'm lukewarm about the other Pinar products other than the Classico that's a pretty good (Ecuador) CT wrap.
I had an awful Oliva O (2013) the other day, stopped me in my tracks and I dumped it half way through and for me that's really rare (I fight through almost anything). I have 100 or so Oliva's (mixed) from the same buying spree so I' crossing my fingers and, as you point out, that's not something I'd have thought to be a problem associated with Oliva. Crops certainly could explain the problem but at this point (in my experience) it's just one cigar.
My time in the tobacco business makes me wary of some things that perhaps the general public doesn't fret about and that's why I might shy away from some limited production (boutique) runs when I spending more than garden smoker sticks and I stay with established brands. Macanudo is overpriced but they've been consistent for years although I preferred the Jamaican manufacture :).
Regards,
Pete