Anyone Tried These?

I quit smoking about 4 years ago. It's not for the nicotine and would smoke one that was decaf. I figured I'd only smoke a couple a month at best but have found myself smoking maybe three a week or so.

Part of my search for a good cheaper cigar is that I have many hobbies demanding of me my money (black powder shooting and lead projectile casting along with beer brewing, which is what eats most of my money). For any to age I'll need a rather large stash built up.

For cheaper/bulk I figured the cigarillos would do both quality and cheap...

Skip all of those. I'd recommend some Perdomo Fresh-rolled cuban wheels and let them sit for a few months. Cheaper than all of those by a fair bit and will taste a lot better. You can find some Man O War and Diesel cigars for cheaper than those mentioned also, again better cigars. Also, check out the basic Oliva line the G and V are great cigars for a great price. All of the aforementioned age really well.

Almost forgot the Ambos Mundos Sumatra, you can have these for near $4 a piece(maybe less) and they swing well above their weight class. The Habano version is not nearly as good, in my opinion.

Well, to use one of your hobbies as an example, what would you tell someone who wanted to drink Miller Lite because it was cheaper than Redhook ESB, thus allowing them to be able to drink more often?

I am just a quality over quantity guy. My daughter and I love sushi, so we go to a place we like twice a month rather than get supermarket pre-made sushi twice a week.

I'm certainly not about quantity over quality, but I also don't generally believe that the more expensive end is generally worth the additional cost (all depending of course). For instance I LOVE rye whiskey. I've found one of my favorites, and the first I had, is Ranger Creek .44 Caliber. It costs $45 for a 375 ml bottle. I have one, but I rarely drink it as its very hard to find and a bit pricey. My go-to is Wild Turkey at $25 for a 750 ml. I try things that may cost up around $40 but that's for a 750 ml, but I don't buy anything lower than maybe $20 as I don't want anything that's just not very good. But if I found that Jim Beam tasted better to me I'd likely buy it. I would not ever buy any bottom shelf cheap stuff. But Ranger Creek isn't even close to top tier stuff.

And when I buy beer (only craft beers) I am known for picking up the 12 pack of Sierra Nevada that's on sale unless there's something I haven't tried or something that just begs to be taken home. Though I do spend $10 on a 22oz bomber now and then I don't often because I just don't see it as worthwhile when I can add a few bucks and take home a whole 12 pack of great beer. However I'd drop some money were it one of those iconic beers such as Pliney or whatnot that I just cannot get but hear so much about, and refuse to buy the kit to make it at home as it won't truly be Pliney...

My hygiene is all name brand as I don't cut certain corners, but I have a Ford as I don't feel the additional expense outright, nor the upkeep, of a higher end German vehicle is worthwhile. And I prefer to support our economy as much as possible, though that's a different subject...

I certainly don't want any nasty cigars/cigarillos, but if a $2 stick is nearly as good as a $5 stick I'll try it, and if I find it's OK I'll likely stock it. And the only reason I'm giving cheaper cigars a chance is that I've read several times that cheap cigars doesn't necessarily mean subpar, though they may not compare.

I really like my Avo's, which are far from high end, but at nearly $200 a box I'll not be smoking them exclusively. I really like the CAO's I've had and feel they compare favorably and would be buying them by the box if it weren't for the sweet deal CI has on the Avo/CAO sampler. Anything more expensive would be special ocaission and likely one stick at a time. I'd certainly drop some cash on a Cuban...

If these <$2 sticks don't compare well enough to a CAO then I'll not waste my time or money on them. But some of them I'm told are actually pretty good such as Oliva Flor de Oliva. I can't find a single stick or a small bundle, but because I'm told they are good I'm willing to buy the box and try them. If I don't like them I can see about trading them out on the dog rocket subforum I suppose.

If my hobby funding was much higher I'd not be quite as concerned and would likely find me purchasing higher end sticks, though I'd also still buy the Avo/CAO sampler as its just a good deal to me. I'm certainly pleased with both.

On the flip side we buy Apple products. These, we found, are certainly worth the extra expense as we've no longer had virus issues and their customer service has been great. We had far too much trouble with the various PC's and took back the last purchase (new as a Christmas present) and nearly tripled the cash for the Mac.

I wouldn't buy grocery store sushi either!

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Originally Posted by rodwha

On the flip side we buy Apple products. These, we found, are certainly worth the extra expense as we've no longer had virus issues and their customer service has been great. We had far too much trouble with the various PC's and took back the last purchase (new as a Christmas present) and nearly tripled the cash for the Mac.

I wouldn't buy grocery store sushi either!

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I buy grocery store sushi all the time, but thats mostly because it is made in house by actual sushi chefs trained in Japan. The same stores with killer produce and craft beer.

If you are looking at under $2 a stick and really want something cigarillo size give Villiger Exports a try. They are dry cured so you don't have to keep them in a humidor and the Maduro ones at least are pretty tasty.

For bigger smokes that fall in that range check out Schizo or Casa de Garcia. You might be able to find them locally as singles. They won't blow your mind but they are well worth the $2 price and then some.

In defense of the Macanudo Maduros, I think they're a good introduction to typical maduro flavors without knocking you on your ass. Definitely one dimensional though, and they benefit from a few months of rest. And they're pretty expensive for what they are... This is starting to sound more like an indictment than a defense, but I'm just saying that if an easy intro is what you're looking for then they're worth a try imo.

Bob, I agree that there are definitely finishing returns. However, up until you get to the $10 mark, I think there is a good progression in terms of the cost/quality scale. Don't be afraid to try $6 sticks or even some $8 ones. Nothing says you can't have $2 Flor De Olivas all week then relax Friday night with your favorite $8 one. :)

I only want a $2 stick if it tastes OK. If it's not even remotely comparable to a CAO than I won't want them. As I can get the sampler of those and Avo's putting them at $3.50/ea I'll be keeping plenty of them eventually. I know I can't go wron there!