Most complex and dynamic regular production smoke

[akumushi]

Originally Posted by ninjavanish

Ok fine.

So you don't like cremosas.

But in all seriousness... I don't think you need vary off into Liga Privada land or into the realm of tatauje or illusione or any real boutique cigars to find what you're looking for.

Believe me when i say I don't have anything against tatuaje or illusione but i feel like if you're looking for something with complexity then you need look no further than a fuente chateau queen b... Or a sun grown double chateau

Or perhaps maybe something as simple as a nc fonseca 5-5 maduro.

There are tons and tons of cigars out there that offer complexity. I feel like people get a little too enamored with the tatuaje and illusione and the marketing whizzes that they forget about some of the cigars that have been around... Possibly in semi-obscurity, for years and years.

For instance... I don't think you even need to mention the name tatuaje or even the thought of a cc (as it seems some have) to agree that the world of nc's offers a vastly wider variety of blends, bodies, flavor, complexity, and uniqueness.

Ive got nothing against cc's but i cant help but feel like they have been so far surpassed in quality and variety by nc's since the cigar boom that the only real appeal they have is merely their unique puro identity of isom tobacco.

I don't know really, obviously everyones tastes are different but I feel like the replies in this thread have been so repetitive that someone ought to say

"branch out! Find a complex cigar that YOU like... For yourself! The journey to that discovery will be as intriguing as the discovery itself!"

Not at all trying to be inflammatory to any of the botls who previously posted... Whose opinions i respect greatly... Simply trying to offer some different points of view.

I certainly agree that Fuente and Padron get less love than they really ought to, but that is not to say that the boutique brands are not putting out an excellent product that satisfies a lot of people.
Also, as far as NC vs CC complexity goes, I would say that NCs have a chewier, more complex mouthfeel, whereas a lot of CCs have a unique but less varied and slightly thinner mouthfeel. If I were a pure mouth-smoker I'd agree that NCs are more complex.
However, when you get into the nose and really start snorking the cigar, I can't honestly take anyone seriously who says NCs are more complex than CCs. Most NCs are either flat and devoid of aroma, or a shot of pure burning pepper in the nose. The reason I smoke mostly CCs is because in my experience there is nothing as rich and varied on the retro-exhale than Cuban tobacco.
Since mouthfeel generally stays consistant from start to finish, and I find most of the development of a cigar is in the nuances and faint aromas in the nose, in the context of the OP, where he asks for dynamics, CCs will still win hands down for me everytime.
The trick to finding cigars you like is trying a wide variety, and I would challenge any smoker that discounts the depth of variety of either side, CC or NC, to try a wider swath of the market before saying that one is or is not varied or complex. They both have their relative strengths and weaknesses.

[weak_link]

Originally Posted by akumushi

The reason I smoke mostly CCs is because in my experience there is nothing as rich and varied on the retro-exhale than Cuban tobacco.

This crystallizes my feelings on CC's and why my vino and humidors are stocked nearly 98% with them. I was hoping I had missed something along the way the last few years but I keep going back to my commie sticks for all the reasons you've stated.

[Bill86]

Originally Posted by akumushi

Most NCs are either flat and devoid of aroma, or a shot of pure burning pepper in the nose.

I don't know about them being devoid of aroma as my allergies have my nose smelling for S*it 50% of the year, but I will agree many times have I received a VERY hot blast of pepper throughout my nose. So for the most part when I smoke NC's I'll retro exhale maybe 1-2 times per 1/3 and that's it. I will say CC's, well the 7-8 different ones I've smoked, are much easier on the nose. I still feel I am too much of a noob to comment on complexity so I won't. But I still can understand that if you are a nasal smoker CC's would be a better experience for you. However I think if you smoke purely mouth or mostly, you probably would smoke closer to fifty-fifty NC/CC.

[akumushi]

Originally Posted by Bill86

I don't know about them being devoid of aroma as my allergies have my nose smelling for S*it 50% of the year, but I will agree many times have I received a VERY hot blast of pepper throughout my nose. So for the most part when I smoke NC's I'll retro exhale maybe 1-2 times per 1/3 and that's it. I will say CC's, well the 7-8 different ones I've smoked, are much easier on the nose. I still feel I am too much of a noob to comment on complexity so I won't. But I still can understand that if you are a nasal smoker CC's would be a better experience for you. However I think if you smoke purely mouth or mostly, you probably would smoke closer to fifty-fifty NC/CC.

I totally agree. It's a pet theory of mine that NCs appeal to mouth smokers whereas most CC smokers prefer smoking nasally. I just got over a cold and have lingering nasal congestion and I've been sticking to NCs because it would simply be a waste to smoke a CC if I can't smell, whereas with an NC I can get close to full enjoyment by smoking out of the mouth with only a dozen or so short snorks throughout the cigar. The flavors are not quite as rich without a keen sense of smell, but it's acceptable.
The interesting thing is, I find that I have to have a completely different approach/technique of smoking between NC and CC. With NCs I blow the smoke out over a curled tongue with a lapping motion, maybe even swishing the smoke around a little, then puff a tiny bit of smoke out at the end, whereas CCs get a big snork up front and a tiny bit of a taste as I blow out the remaining smoke.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by akumushi

I totally agree. It's a pet theory of mine that NCs appeal to mouth smokers whereas most CC smokers prefer smoking nasally.

I don't think it's a "pet theory" at all, Clayton, lots of my smoking friends and I think that is the case as well.