Thoughts on candela cigars

Heavy

I started a little bit of a discussion about candela wrapper cigars on the 'What are you smoking tonight' thread, but i didn't want to completely threadjack it so I wanted to start a new thread to get everyone's thoughts on candelas.

I had my one and only candela last night and really did not care for it. It was a Don Tomas, and I understand that may not have been the best guage of a candela, but either way, it left a pretty nasty, 'vegetable' (for lack of a better word) finish that got more prominent the more I smoked. The 'grassy' flavor that i always hear about was subtle on the palate and i didn't really mind that

So what are everyone else's thoughts/experiences?

Do you like them? If so why, and what in the flavor profile do you like?

Or, do you not like them? If so, what is it about them that you don't like?

KCW

Never had one. They just look Nasty to me. With me, the Darker the better (it seems). I probably should try one though.

docbp87

I have a pair of Illusione ~hl~ Holy Lance candelas sitting in my humidor, as well as a Fuente Flor Fina 8-5-8 Candela, waiting to be smoked. I have never smoked a Candela, and to be honest, I am a little scared to do so. That said, Dion doing two Candelas for IPCPR this year (~hl~ and '888') was certainly enough to get me interested. Like anything, I'm sure that a candela wrapper on a higher end blend, like everything Dion does, will be better than a less... high quality... cigar.

cabinetmaker

The flor fina 8-5-8 candelas are quite tasty.

kuzi16

cabinetmaker:

The flor fina 8-5-8 candelas are quite tasty.

i agree with that. the Baccarat candela is ok... not a fan of the sweet tip. im not sure they still use it.
the Don Tomas brand in general was a bit of a let down to me. ive had a few and been very disappointed every time.

however, the camacho candela brings the camacho blending style to candela.

there is one candela that i want to try but i dont think i ever will:



if i am not mistaken that is an OpusX Chili Pepper Candela.
thats the best pic i could find on a short notice.

iduno...
you may have heard me in the past saying that there is a cigar for every occasion. (or an occasion for every cigar) though not often, this still holds true with candelas.


...think "St. Patrick's Day."

docbp87

Holy crap... Though that looks like a DC or Hemi Chili Candela, which is even crazier. I cannot remember exactly what blends have been rolled in the chili pepper vitola, but that thing looks WILD. I have heard good things about the Camacho Claro. Been meaning to add that to my list of Candelas to try.

camgfs

I have smoked Candela cigars over the years. The one that comes to mind is the "Mr. B" cigar. A toro size. It's like smoking air compared to most other cigars. VERY light in body and flavour. I have also tried the JR Candela cigar (years ago). Again, a very light tasting stick. IMO, they can be good, but very light bodied and taste a little different from a brown wrapper. I think that they would be great for beginners and popular with the women just starting out in cigars....I state this because my lady smoked a MR. B recently and asked me to purchase some for her so she can keep me company in the garage this winter!

kuzi16

docbp87:

Holy crap... Though that looks like a DC or Hemi Chili Candela, which is even crazier. I cannot remember exactly what blends have been rolled in the chili pepper vitola, but that thing looks WILD.

This Opus X Chili Pepper was won as part of a "custom roll" package from a CFC auction in 2004. Despite the fact that the band is an 858 band, it is believed that the blend of this cigar is an Opus X blend. im fairly sure there were less than 50 made and of that, maybe 10 released.