garbandz

Talk to the folks at Fox. I would seek out the late 90's stock, which I am fond of, and I would look for some of the discontinued sticks I have heard so much about. There are plenty of regular stock gems, I would not buy any LE cigars or Regionals.

Danneman Cuesta Rey Rum Crooks Rigoletto House of Windsor Flor del Caribe Roi-tan All of these were current in the mid 70's, all were less than .35 cents.

" I cut it to retain freshness, and dropped it back in the humidor". Sometimes you just want to slap the piss out of someone. A cigar with a "special " bottle of wine seems to be the action of a poseur, and a Sommelier should know better. Who is responsible for training this idiot?

It is not the fault of the US that Cuba is failing. The rest of the world can trade there and prop them up, and is not doing so. The huge increase in cigar prices is only going to further restrict funds going to Cuba ,and I will not support the increase. Until Cuba starts to try to pull itself up, they are going to suffer.

I want to share pics of these two Upmann Majestics. One is from 2019,the other from FEB 2024. The 2024 in on the right. Amazing how the wrappers look identical from 5 years apart.. Your thoughts ?

Back in the old days, would we have called this " Valet Parking ? "

This seemed apropos for a thread like this.................

Maintain current standards. Encourage Ken to supply us all with more pics and stories of his exploits and wine tastings. That would be plenty for me...

Hand me my bell end, please.............

You can't judge a marca based on just a couple of cigars. To really get the picture you should try different boxes, different years if possible, and maybe buy some aged stock to see what the magic is, or isn't. I have tried all the brands, most of them in some depth, and I have figured out which I prefer. Upmann, Montecristo, Romeo, Partagas are my top brands, nice flavors and mostly consistent. Cohiba can be magical, too many dull cigars in my personal experience.

Hints of sweet chocolate moose have popped up. Love me some chocolate moose.

Phopia ? A new and unusual affliction, previously unmentioned in literature?

www.Bramasoleoliveoil.com Francis Mayes wrote a very good book, "Under the Tuscan Sun ",which is a delightful read, and this is her oil ,from her home in Cortona. Exquisite, not cheap, and the perfect finishing oil for good cooking. Buy the book on Thrift Books, try the oil, and enjoy a truly wonderful story... BTW,,,Francis has written a few other books, including a cook book or two, and her novels include a recipe or two...enjoy !!

State and local taxes can be a big part of the cost. In NC it's around 20%.

Heavy, man....