La Vieja Habana and a Kick In The Teeth

**mglantz** · 07-01-2005, 12:51 AM

The other day I picked up a couple of LVH Chateau #1. I heard some good things about them and wanted to give them a try. So, last night, after dinner, I made myself comfortable on the sofa and lit one up while I watched TV. The cigar was quite enjoyable. It had a nice flavor and good characteristics. I wouldn't call it a strong cigar. I smoked it down to the end but a few minutes after I finished, cripes! Dizzy, cold sweat and nausea. It took about an hour for the symptoms to subside. What the hell do they put in those things? I've smoked some bad-ass cigars in my time but I have never reacted to any cigar like I did with the LVH. I will smoke the other one but only in the presence of a nurse. Anyone else have any reactions to this smoke or am I the only weirdo as far as this cigar is concerned?

SFG75 · 07-01-2005, 01:01 AM

Originally Posted by mglantz

The other day I picked up a couple of LVH Chateau #1. I heard some good things about them and wanted to give them a try. So, last night, after dinner, I made myself comfortable on the sofa and lit one up while I watched TV. The cigar was quite enjoyable. It had a nice flavor and good characteristics. I wouldn't call it a strong cigar. I smoked it down to the end but a few minutes after I finished, cripes! Dizzy, cold sweat and nausea. It took about an hour for the symptoms to subside. What the hell do they put in those things? I've smoked some bad-ass cigars in my time but I have never reacted to any cigar like I did with the LVH. I will smoke the other one but only in the presence of a nurse. Anyone else have any reactions to this smoke or am I the only weirdo as far as this cigar is concerned?

The Chateau #1 is a great smoke. Roham and I did a split on a few boxes and the Chateau was one of them. You're right, it isn't a full-bodied cigar by any means. Everything I've read about it says that they are a medium bodied cigar. They are of a "fumas" variety which means they are a mixed-fil cigar. What you tasted was a Nicaraguan puro, and the nation of Nicaragua is home to some of the best tobacco in the world. When it comes to "strength," no one looks down on Nicaragua. What made you sick? Could be anything. Are you under the weather at all? Did you smoke this on an empty stomach? If not, you could've had a cigar with some "green" leaves. At the same time, maybe it's just because you haven't been smoking much.

Don't feel too bad about your experience, most everybody goes through that kind of experience. One of my favorite cigars(Onyx Reserve) absolutely kicked my ass the first time I had it. Start mild and work your way up....and...increase your smoking consumption.

Don't swear off this cigar yet-you'll enjoy it again at a later time.

**dfrea** · 07-01-2005, 07:23 AM

I had the same problem of getting my a$$ seriously kicked (don't remember what kind of cigar it was) like that once. Nausea, dizzy, and generally felt like doom was near...some stuff I read afterwards pointed me towards nicotine overdose. Apparently (trivia time), a pack of cigarettes contains enough nicotine to kill you - but much of the nicotine is lost due to the smoke, and not absorbed as fully into your body. And since some cigars can have more tobacco than an entire pack of cigarettes...do the math.

**mglantz** · 07-01-2005, 11:03 AM

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I was kind of surprised that this happened at all. I smoked it after I finished a full meal and I'm no novice to cigars. My first job was in the cigar and tobacco industry so I've been smoking stogies for more years than I care to remember. I presently smoke 7-10 a week. Who knows, I could have been smoking too aggressively or maybe I should have stopped before I burnt my fingers. Whatever the reason, I'll chalk it up to being a fluke. I will smoke the other one I have, after all, I'm not going to let a cigar kick my butt....uh...but maybe not today.

**tomysole** · 07-01-2005, 11:51 AM

Not a bad cigar in my opinion but what do I know. I would just maybe smoke a little slower and throw on a jazz record. Sometimes when I'm anxious to try a new smoke, I smoke to aggressive and end up real dizzy.

**MMAB** · 07-01-2005, 04:33 PM

Hey!

I entered on another post about my recent experience with Drew LVH Churchills and Belicoso Ds.

When I tried my first LVH Churchill I was impressed with the amount of flavor and strength from an inexpensive cigar. Then I tried the Belicoso Ds (bought a box expecting the same strength) and found them to be just the reverse. Totally mild.

I returned to the dealer with the Ds and he gladly accepted them back for credit. At the time he had no full boxes of the Churchills so I got just a handful.

Well, after smoking those things for a few days my mouth is letting me know it. I have had cigar mouth all week and it has ruined the flavor and feel of every cigar I have smoked since. It is only now beginning to leave (knock on wood).

The LVH are a mixed and chopped filler cigar. Cheap. After this experience I am going to be very careful as to what "inexpensive" cigars I smoke. To a degree, you get what you pay for on either end of the scale. Except of course when you pay WAY too much for a cigar. But that's another story.

Although I will never buy another LVH I do intend to try some of Drew's top shelf stuff.......carefully.

**CoventryCat86** · 07-01-2005, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by tomysole

but what do I know

You've already a proven idiot so I'd say "not much"

**ggiese** · 07-01-2005, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by CoventryCat86

You've already a proven idiot so I'd say "not much"

Would you please stop going after Tommy Asshole, CC - I'd like to see him to continue to post...

**ggiese** · 07-01-2005, 05:21 PM

Originally Posted by MMAB

Well, after smoking those things for a few days my mouth is letting me know it. I have had cigar mouth all week and it has ruined the flavor and feel of every cigar I have smoked since. It is only now beginning to leave (knock on wood).

That's the problem with smoking the LVH platinum labels. I agree - they are a very nice, tasty cheap smoke. For the money, they can hardly be beat! But I can only handle one of those in any given 6 month period... Thankfully there are plenty of other cigars to smoke in the mean time!! I'd never even consider buying a box of these. I keep 4 or 5 around for smoking while doing the yard work...

**CoventryCat86** · 07-01-2005, 05:29 PM

If I have any LVHs I give them to my friends who know nothing about cigars OR I send them out as winnings to people in CigarPool who I HATE.

LVH's are lousy freakin' cigars

They're also good for fertilizing the garden or sending to PuroMooch since his humi is usually empty and he'll smoke anything.

SFG75 · 07-01-2005, 06:59 PM

I'd suspect that if you are a regular cigar smoker and you weren't sick, that you ended up with some "green" leaf cigar. Try another one. As a matter of fact, try it tonight and let us know what went down. . . . .

.......or what came back up.

**ggiese** · 07-01-2005, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by SFG75

I'd suspect that if you are a regular cigar smoker and you weren't sick, that you ended up with some "green" leaf cigar. Try another one. As a matter of fact, try it tonight and let us know what went down. . . . .

.......or what came back up.

* Processed through Shagaroo's translation machine* (patent pending):