Cigar Questions on Connecticut Picks, Palates and Lounge Culture

From Creekside Podcast Ep. 059: We Answer Your Cigar Questions, aired Jul 24, 2026. Recorded at Creekside Cigar Co. in Maineville, Ohio.

Dave, Conner and T-Money take on listener questions in this episode of the Creekside Podcast, with a blind cigar in hand and plenty of shop stories to share. They compare Connecticut favorites, talk about why the same cigar can taste different from one day to another, and explain the thinking behind the Creekside Collective. The practical thread running through it all: enjoying cigars depends on the cigar itself, the smoker’s palate and the experience around the lounge.

Which Connecticut cigars made the crew’s favorites list?

The crew was asked to name Connecticut cigars with plenty of flavor. Their picks included RoMa Craft’s Intemperance Connecticut, the Martinique Corona Gorda, the New Dawn Toro and Queen of the West. Dave was especially enthusiastic about Queen of the West, describing its profile as rich and likening it to chocolate fruit cake. He also called it his favorite cigar he had participated in making.

Other picks included the Connecticut version of the EGM line and a cigar the hosts referred to as a Connecticut from Padrón. Some names in the conversation were difficult to make out, so the broader lesson is clearer than every label: a Connecticut wrapper does not necessarily mean a mild or forgettable smoke. The hosts were looking for flavor and character, and their different lists showed how personal that judgment can be.

Why can a cigar taste different from one session to the next?

The hosts agreed that a smoker’s palate can change during the day. After a few cigars, one of them may find that flavors are harder to pick out or that a cigar they usually enjoy is no longer appealing. Their suggestion was simple: some sessions are better than others, and there is no need to force another cigar when the palate feels done.

They also discussed variation in handmade cigars. Small differences in how filler tobacco is selected, torn, arranged or rolled can affect the finished cigar. Even a producer working from the same blend cannot make every handmade cigar identical. The crew added that later production batches may taste noticeably different, even when the recipe is intended to stay the same.

Dave described thinking about batch numbering for Queen of the West so the shop can keep track of production and compare later batches with the original. For a regular-production cigar, consistency over time is a real challenge: it is one thing to make a limited run that tastes good, and another to reproduce that experience again and again.

What is the Creekside Collective trying to do?

Dave explained that the Creekside Collective is meant to recognize cigar lounges that take service and hospitality seriously. He said the project is not primarily a way to make money. Its purpose is to encourage other lounge operators to focus on their customers and to help smokers discover places with a welcoming experience.

The process is designed to be selective. Lounge owners and managers can submit an application, and the team plans to send people to visit and review nominated lounges. Creekside intends to publish selected lounges over time, without accepting payments or sponsorships that could compromise the recommendations. Dave described the idea as giving well-run lounges more visibility and building a community around caring for customers.

What did the blind-smoking discussion reveal?

The crew’s blind cigars prompted a range of early impressions: one host described an oily wrapper and notes of spice, sweetness, nuts and wood, while another noticed leather and a tight draw. As the cigars developed, those first impressions shifted. One cigar that began with a restricted draw later smoked better, and a simple, easygoing profile became more appealing to one of the hosts precisely because it was not especially complex.

That contrast fits the episode’s wider advice: tasting notes are observations, not guarantees. A cigar can open up as it burns, and an individual smoker’s response may not match someone else’s. The crew’s blind format made that uncertainty part of the conversation rather than something to hide.

Key takeaways

• Connecticut cigars can offer substantial flavor, and the crew’s favorites reflected different tastes.
• Palate fatigue can make familiar cigars seem less satisfying; the timing of a smoke matters.
• Handmade production and changes between batches can create real variation.
• The Creekside Collective aims to highlight lounges for hospitality, without paid placements.
• Blind tasting encourages curiosity, but first impressions can change as a cigar develops.

Cigars from this episode

• Queen of the West: Dave called it rich, compared it to chocolate fruit cake, and named it his favorite cigar he had helped make.
• Corto Maduro X54: Named as one of the crew’s choices in a hypothetical one-brand, three-cigars-for-a-year question.
• Corto Maduro C50: Discussed as an upcoming Creekside release; the crew had not all smoked it.
• Padrón 85th Anniversary Maduro: Several hosts selected it as a legacy cigar, and one compared a blind cigar’s easygoing profile to it.
• Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro No. 4: Recommended as a cigar that could change the mind of someone who thinks they dislike Oliva.
• Stolen Throne Crook of the Crown: Dave recalled enjoying it after receiving a blind cigar from Tiny.
• Crowned Heads Mil Dias Corona Gorda: Suggested as a cigar to try for someone who does not enjoy Crowned Heads.
• Tennessee Waltz Corona Gorda: Mentioned as a Crowned Heads option that might suit a smoker who prefers a different profile.
• Aladino Corojo: Named as a strong expression of Honduran tobacco.

Shop, smoke and listen with Creekside

• Shop the cigars from this episode
• Join the Creekside Cigar Club for boutique cigars picked by our crew every month
• Visit our cigar lounge at 1381 US-22, Maineville, OH, open seven days a week
• Subscribe to the Creekside Podcast on YouTube and catch every episode