Any really good, underrated non-cubans from lesser known brands I should be aware of?

[G-man]

Joya de Nicaragua

Joya de Nicaragua Celebracion

Great unknown !

[Big J]

I need to add CAO's LA Traviata. It's a great cigar and priced at around $5 USD.

I tried one yesterday, very good stick indeed for the $. I need to get some more.

[Flying Cigar]

Not sure they have been mentioned already, if so my apologies, but I'd like to recommend The Nub ( extremely tasty lil' stick, albeit a bit expensive ) and Joya de Nicaragua 1970 Anta?o, a very good NC alternative that is cheap -by European standards- if bought in the US.

Anything by Ernesto Perez Carrillo out of Miami, next door to Pepin Garcia, is also a good choice.

[Nuno Sa]

I you can find some Brasilian cigars have a try, i like them a lot, i got some Dona Flor Robusto?s at home that i like very much.

[G-man]

Thought they looked familiar

If you can find some Brazilian cigars have a try,I like them a lot, i got some Dona Flor Robusto?s at home that i like very much.

Ya and you sent me some that I was scratching my head and saying where have I seen this label before? Now I have it figured out. ( No Sherlock Holmes by any means Watson) Nuno I'll have to send You some with 5 plus years on them! Great unknown stick indeed ol?' chap

[Nuno Sa]

You got also some of the only hand rolled cigar in Portugal, their from Casa Estrela, in the Azores islands. The band as got Belinda writen in it.

[misterbulgarin]

I got a bundle of Don Kiki Green labels from Gman and i must say they've all been great, even gifted a few out to friends and they've reported no draw problems, and they taste damn good too.

[G-man]

And I

Thank You !

You got also some of the only hand rolled cigar in Portugal, their from Casa Estrela, in the Azores islands. The band as got Belinda writen in it.

[G-man]

Don Kiki Green labels are a good everyday cigar. I have a brother here that can't burn enough of them.

[Vision]

Another great unknown is the Graycliff G2(not the 'G2'). I've been getting these for $2 to $3 and I swear its like a light JL#2.

[Lee Nub]

Mikey got me some Te-amo Nicaraguan blend Gran cortos (64 ring gauge) a while ago. Very good value and they are very nice indeed. I noticed that Cigar afficiando rated the Cuba blend at 90 in the last issue

[HabanoSy]

Not sure if it's been mentioned or not, but...

The Hoyo Excalibur 1066 Dark Knight I is one of my fave non-Cubans...

Couple other crackers are the Carlos Torano Silver Robusto Corto and the Punch Gran Puro Rancho...

Cheers, HabanoSy

[Kdot]

Not sure if it's been mentioned or not, but...

The Hoyo Excalibur 1066 Dark Knight I is one of my fave non-Cubans...

Couple other crackers are the Carlos Torano Silver Robusto Corto and the Punch Gran Puro Rancho...

Cheers, HabanoSy

I had the hoyo churchill excalibur 1066 and tbh didnt care much for it, Ive a robusto of one sitting too but not eager to light it up.

I had a ManOwar the other night and what a nicotine rush! Couldnt sleep for hrs!

[HabanoSy]

I had the hoyo churchill excalibur 1066 and tbh didnt care much for it, Ive a robusto of one sitting too but not eager to light it up.

It has to be the Maduro Excalibur 1066 Dark Knight I Kam (Corona Gorda)...!!!

Don't bother with any of the rest (IMO)...

Cheers, HabanoSy

[EugeneSax]

I you can find some Brasilian cigars have a try, i like them a lot, i got some Dona Flor Robusto?s at home that i like very much.

Another region which seems to be to be totally over-looked these days is The Canaries - over 300 years of cigar-rolling history & one of the destinations for Cuban cigar makers when Castro relieved them of their factories. For many years Dunhill used to have cigars rolled out there which is a sure sign of quality craftsmenship.

My parents used to have an apartment in Tenerife & over the years my brother & I discovered several superb, locally rolled brands (using imported tobacco - not locally grown). Problem is I'm not sure many, if any, of them are available internationally any longer (and I'd forget any available in the States as they'll crucially be missing the Cuban baccy found in their best smokes). However certainly worth looking out if anyone's likely to be flying south for some winter sun.

CGars used to sell Goya, but I couldn't find them on their website when I just checked. I will enquire of them as the Goya 4 was my favourite ever smoke to accompany an early mornig coffee (Hoyo Deputes serve the same purpose quite well).

I think ST Duponts are still fairly easily available on line. I've not tried them myself but Rudman (does anyone read Rudman in these post MRN Encylopaedia days?) rates them variously at 5 & 4 stars.

Other brands I've enjoyed include Vikarios (superb lancero-sized Especials), Hacienda and Condal.

The only Penamils I've had were hardly worth smoking they were so mild but the blend might have been for the US market (ie no Cuban) so I wouldn't rule the brand out entirely as they were expertly made.