If you get cigar catalogues, you've probably seen these: Nub cigars. They're supposed to be a short cigar designed to taste like the "sweet spot" of a longer cigar, where all the flavors start to meld and develop.

Have any of you tried these? How are they? I'm intrigued, especially because I much prefer a shorter cigar.

Also: how long do they smoke? (I ask because the CI catalogue says the smoking times are closer to those of full-size cigars... denser roll, maybe?)

I have not tried them, intentionally. It's just a marketing ploy, IMHO.

The problem with their premise (the sweet spot built into the Nub) is that a cigar develops it's sweet spot in part because it has burned down a ways, letting the chemical reactions take place and develop. Different tobaccos are layered to be and not be in specific areas of the cigar - like the ligero being bunched more heavily near the foot of a cigar - so you could certainly design a cigar to present certain characteristics in a short profile, but the assumption that a sweet spot can be developed by simply making a cigar short seems like nonsense. I don't buy it. It may be a good cigar, but it's not going to do what they say it does, it's going to be a short cigar, period.

That makes a lot of sense. I'll just stick to normal shortish cigars for the few I smoke over the summer. And if the curiosity is still killing me, I'll by a five-pack and see for myself.

Yeah, I remember hearing about them when they came out, but never really followed what came of them. Despite the fact that I don't think they're available in Canada, I wouldn't go out of my way to make a purchase because I don't like cigars with a massive ring gauge...

There are probably some reviews on Top 25 Cigar, or Cigar Aficionado.

My robusto sized cigars that I usually smoke work great for me. Just the right size for a half hour smoke. I thought the same thing as Puff Daddy and just thought they were some kind of marketing ploy. I want my cigar to slowly build up in strength and complexity. Not just hit you in the face when you light up.