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We will be having a celebration of mark Murace's life this Friday. Lunch at the Norman Hotel. 102 Ipswich Road Woolloongabba 1pm Friday the 29th of January. Post lunch we will retire to the deck for cigars that Marks wife has graciously provided. She believes that is what he would wish. Please e-mail, PM or text me by this Thursday if you can make the lunch and deck session. The deck will be closed Friday for this private function. Mark was a great bloke. Let's send him out with style and many a laugh If you have or can track down a Bow Tie...wear it to lunch! Cheers Rob

I'm just back from a week in Germany visiting family and brought some new cigars back (and got an ashtray for free).

Absolutely amazing! Creme brûlée charred sugar, cinnamon, leather, earth, and slight sautéed mushroom. Finish was rum soaked chocolate cake. Just superb. Just purchased another cab. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

pièce de résistance recipe for Gumbies WINNERS! Pulled the FOH cap out again to draw this one. 10 winners... All receive a Diplomatico Bushido. And they are: SCHUBB DRGUANO KAM BUSDRIVER HABANA MIKE BILL HAYES MIKA POLAR BEAR SUGGS MRGTO Well done guys, flick me a PM with your address and I will get your prizes on the way early February.

So I am sitting upstairs and my dad calls for me at the bottom of the stairs, he throws something at me. I didn't quite recognize it at first until he told me it was a cigar cutter. It used to be his. My dad hasn't smoked a cigar in over 20 years and it has been lost in the deep dark places of his "junk" where forgotten things rest. He was cleaning and found it and thought I should have it. Now a little background. My dad is retired Army, 82nd Airborn stationed in Germany and got discharged just before 'Nam started. Retired, highly decorated State Trooper. After leaving the Staties, in the he and a couple of buddies lived, going back and fourth to the South Caribbean in the early '90's laying the foundations for the online gambling we know today. I have never smoked a cigar with my dad. He quit years before I was even born so I guess this is the next best thing. I can just imagine the things this cigar cutter has seen through all the years, especially in the Caribbean all those years. It isn't much, but its one of those things I will cherish for the rest of my life. I don't know much about it or the brand.. inscription on the side says Solingen, which is a town in Germany, so I would assume he bought it while he was stationed there. That makes this thing over 40 years old! I cannot read the brand name from the pictures *edited* A quick google search reveals the brand " Donatus Solingen". Looks like a very nice brand for some unique and vintage cutters.

For further pictures, please check out my blog post here: http://lights-sirens-and-cigars.com/2016/01/25/an-evening-with-everyones-buddy-hamlet-jaime-paredes/ And fingers crossed that the photos I post here will be oriented correctly!!! LOL. So, just over a week ago, Saturday, January 16th, I was able to meet up with everyone’s “buddy, mang”, Hamlet Jaime Paredes. Since emigrating from Cuba to the U.S. last January, he’s been working with Rocky Patel, and the two have now released the “Tabaquero” line of cigars, which were Hamlet’s baby under his palate- and blending-prowess. This particular meet-up with Hamlet was part of his touring program for the brand, and we met up at Wild Bill’s Tobacco, in Lansing, MI, and I was even able to meet up with good brother Alex / “HabanoHam”, from the Friends Of Habanos online cigar forum, a wicked guy I’ve had the chance to do a few trades with over the years. And while there, right off the get-go, I was able to partake in one of the “Tabaquero” Toro cigars, a 6″ by 52-ring-gauge dark and oily beast. I enjoyed mine with a Sprite, and started at 5:25 pm… Upon my arrival, Hamlet had organized a cherished seat right beside him to my pleasure and surprise, as he had received my message prior to me leaving of me attending this event; so, he wanted to have the chance for us both to catch up, and I got a big smile and hug from him when I got there. Even the Rocky Patel rep, Nick Mitchell, greeted me upon my arrival, thankful for all of the support and kind words that Hamlet had passed along from myself and many other BOTL’s with regards to this new venture of Hamlet’s. As Nick stated, the support Hamlet has got for this, especially from the various Canadian brothers, was nothing short of awe inspiring – “one of you guys are damn near at every event he comes up here to do!” Nick was also a huge help in sorting through the plethora of new stuff with Hamlet’s “Tabaquero” line – something I much appreciated! Hamlet – and no surprise there, for those of us who know him from his Cuban rolling days – put on a cigar-rolling clinic. As a former master roller and house roller from the Romeo y Julieta / Briones Montoto factory in Cuba, as well as the “man behind the counter” while at the Partagas LCDH, Hamlet is a well-known personality from in Havana. As much as Habanos S.A. is against the “cult of personality” that people such as Hamlet embodies, many believe that Hamlet was as much a great spokesman for Cuban cigars as the late gents Alejandro Robaina or Enrique Mons. And for Hamlet to be so, at such a young age, and to have such talent in his hands, is truly a wonder to behold. Therefore, he easily held the crowd in awe while at Wild Bill’s Tobacco. He put on a clinic while rolling a 3-foot-plus long “culebras” cigar, and was adept at answering the myriad of questions from various American cigar enthusiasts there that have perhaps never had a chance to delve into Cuban habanos cigars, much less had the chance to talk one-on-one with a Cuban master roller. Besides the culebras being rolled, he even rolled one of his classic “flying pig” cigars that he used to roll for custom rolls back in the day, and Brian Shaeena, the store manager, delighted in showing off the giant culebras… The time was well spent. Hamlet talked about his 21-plus-years rolling. The talked about the “chaveta” / blade that he had there for rolling was the same blade he started with (“all kinds of rollers cut their fingers and hands all the time, mang – why sharpen it? It’s already sharp enough for what you need to do – I’ve never sharpened mine, and it’s worked great for 21 years!”) Speaking of years, Hamlet said that (on that particular date) he was just four days shy of being out of Cuba for one full year – and upon me asking him if he missed it, I got a resounding, “No mang!” (Granted – he did elaborate later – he DID in fact miss his two boys from his previous marriage, but he was waiting for his U.S. green card so that he could travel back to visit them unimpeded.) But he said he’s been too busy with the release of “Tabaquero” to be homesick. That, and he said, he has a beautiful Cuban wife at home to cook for him – so he doesn’t even need to miss Cuban food, LOL! Hamlet especially talked about the work that went into his “Tabaquero” line with Rocky Patel. With “Tabaquero” specifically, Hamlet and Nick discussed the fact that it took 124 blends, 124 attempts to get things juuuuuusssst right, and in the end…the production blend is the very first blend that they came up with. Basically, they hit a home run to start, they took 123 attempts to destroy it and make it better, but in the end it was a champion to start with. At Tavicusa, Rocky Patel’s cigar factory in Nicaragua, Nick stated that all of Hamlet’s “Tabaquero” line are made by the same team of 85 people, that these are fully hand-made Nicaraguan puros. Speaking of his cigar… It was wonderful. Frankly – it was surprising for me (slightly). While I admire what Hamlet can do with tobacco, and while I’ve heard good things about this line from many people, Rocky Patel cigars are just not my cuppa tea – I’ve had the 10th Anniversary ones, and a handful of the dozen-or-so other lines he does. But this “Tabaquero” blend is VERY un-Rocky-Patel-esque. Honestly, it reminded me very much of a Padron Serie 1926 or 1964 maduro – another Nicaraguan puro blend. And even then, at certain other points with dark fruity hints, it had essences of Ramon Allones, a very flavourful Habanos marca that’s a favourite of mine. This stick finished at 7:02 pm, an hour-and-a-half-plus stick that was definitely flavourful and satisfying, scoring an easy 90 points fresh (disregarding the cracked head, which did so right after I cut it, no doubt due to dry humidity conditions in the region). Point reductions were mostly for youth and a slightly tight draw that didn’t want to budge for the first half or so. Hits of damp and dark leather, dark fruits (black cherries and blackberries?), a rich walnut nuttiness with heavy damp cedar tones – it was lovely. And with a bright white ash that held on well, and light but voluminous smoke, it was a wonderful experience for all the senses. The smoke wasn’t creamy and viscous in the mouthfeel – something I do look for and cherish in nice Cuban sticks – but the colour and volume made it interesting. Even the smoking environment in the shop – usually I can’t stand being in an area like that, with non-Cuban cigar smoke lingering in the air; for whatever reason, it just gets to me. But, the overall experience really surprised me for a non-Cuban stick; I didn’t have that reaction at all with these “Tabaquero” sticks being smoked. Again, reminding me of a lighter or slightly different Padron Serie line sticks – but at the added wonder of being 2/3’s of the cost or less compared to those. For a bold and wonderfully packaged Nicaraguan, these really do seem like a hit out of the park for Hamlet and Rocky. Therefore, I rightly ponied up for a few goodies… Another box of Salamones (I had previously ordered a box in the fall, but haven’t been able to touch those yet), some Robustos and Corona Gordas, and even some “Balas” (bullets in Spanish), the closest he’s able to do to his old Flying Pigs. Further reviews on these other sticks will be coming this spring, once I lay them down for a short while. And, for those of you who have been asking yourselves this whole time, "Tabaquero" means cigar roller in Spanish. Hamlet elaborated that "torcedor" is also correct, and also means cigar roller - and that is the term more frequently used by the outside world, "torcedor". But he elaborated that "tabaquero" is more of a term that the workers use to refer to each other with - that a "torcedor" is someone just starting, more or less, but "tabaquero" is someone with many years of experience, someone more advanced. That "torcedor" means SOLELY cigar roller, but that "tabaquero" colloquially means someone with anything and everything to do with cigar rolling. So, someone who can't just roll cigars, but one who knows and understands the full process, who can blend, who can grade and assess leaf, and who is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades master. Very suiting. Cheers all.

Diverting little shopping trip in London today yielded these. L to R:- RA Club Allones EL 2015 Punch Medalla d'Oro RE Gran Bretaña 2011 SLR Lonsdale 2000 SP Molinos 2004 SP Sanchos Jul 1997

If Donald Trump becomes your next President, I think your prediction may be correct

PSP BBF from our Host. ULA Abr 15

Bahahaha....the NFL is not going anywhere.

BBF '14 freshest one I've had & very enjoyable. Quite mild here is the UK compared to recent temperatures Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My 4th RA898 today... Developed nicely within the last two month. First third reminds of the RAAS. I do like them....

A 2013 JL 1 and a Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin while watching the AFC Championship Game... Life is good! Cheers! Bill Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

1930 or 1940s Hoyo! Probably the oldest cigar i have ever had. Very Nice! Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

898 and a N.O.L.A. gangsta tale

The first couple from this box were very undefiled....this one spot on ...easily the best cigar this year for me.

PSP Mag 50 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

One of the best smokes I've had in awhile. Perfect construction, smoke output, and burn. Delicious with evolving grass, hay, and fig/apricot flavors with white pepper, and a buttery finish. Almost 10 years of age has done the Vikingos well... smoke now!

Would really like to be there,but alas it is not possible but I will be there in spirit And the W.A guys will certainly raise a glass in Marks honour this Saturday when we have one of our regular catch ups You will be missed Mark R.I.P CHEERS Rob

Monte Petit #2. Nice.

Sensational Punch Super Robusto RE from a 2006 50 cab. Impossible to find, unfortunately.

One of the oldest in my collection. H. Upmann Magnum 48 EL 2009

if i knew how to do a poll for people to vote on the biggest tosser in aussie sport, i'd do one but seriously, this monumental walking ego called kyrgios has surely elevated himself to new levels as the most appalling piece of excrement afloat. has he actually overtaken mundine? that absurd carry-on about background music in yet another losing performance should bring him a ban but tennis officials being little more than spineless apologists for rich entitled scum, we all know the chances of that. it was just one more example of the crassest garbage this country is unfortunate enough to have spawned. on top of that, in a doubles match, he stops to take a phone call from mates. admits it was not important, just some mates. apparently he is so important that the entire tournament can be put on hold while he yacks to pals. the unmitigated arrogance of this grub. i know we have members who have said he is not a bad bloke - sorry, but every indication, all the evidence is that he is a vile, stupid piece of filth. if i read tomorrow that he had suffered a career-ending injury, i might start to think that there really is a god. otherwise, a lifetime ban would do. we've heard how his parents are wonderful people. they produced this grub. caligula and hitler would have struggled to come up with worse offspring. did i mention stupid? tennis is suddenly in the midst of all manner of match fixing allegations and this moron takes a phone call mid-game? who ties his shoes, because he is not smart enough. i cannot think of a player from any other country who i would not support if they were playing this tosser. you could give richard loe a tennis racquet and i'd support him. mind you, it is not as though his tennis sets the world on fire. and then we have tomic. who decides to improve his image. good for him. but perhaps bagging roger federer is not the way. you are a selfish, stupid, immature kid and you decide to improve your image by attacking one of the most respected humans on the planet. we really should ban tennis in this country. and you'd have to wonder why the world body doesn't give our grand slam to anyone else.

Any fans of this series? A re visitation is starting tomorrow night over two days I wonder how well they will do it

Last Monty 4 from this box (BUM MAR 14) but have a new box ready to go (MAE OCT 14) Hope it is as good as this one has been.

Beautiful smoke, so strong and yet wonderfully smooth:

I have flown with full irodas (bic) broken apart many times....even once with you I think Riaz lol

Excellent write up! Thanks for sharing. I have made mental notes on the RA Club Allones EL 2015.

Bolivar RC ULA 14. Fantastic! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That is why you are banned as a Mod

I work to the rule of never take a lighter or cutter overseas that you can't live without. Even the best organized person will accidentally (on occasion) put his favourtie $100 cutter or lighter in Check in. It could be that late night herf or simply exhuastion from that 12 days away. It happens. For lighters I travel with IRODA Multi jets. (thanks Bear for putting me onto them). I throw the Bick refill into the a different compartment of the check in. I break apart the lighter mechanism. They can take the Bic but they can't take the broken apart lighter. Get home and slot another one in.

I am putting pork ribs on at 5:30 am for lunch at 1pm. All welcome

The United States may cease to exist as a country before the NFL. The way things here are going. IMO

15 Hoyo Epi. #2. Came out of 69%. First one of a PSP quality 5x3 carton. Pretty good. Defintely going to drop everything not very long term down to 60% or so after all the forum advice. Enjoyed it with a Cuba Libre. Didn't enjoy the game as much!!!

I always find it strange when people try to spend as little as possible on their humidification systems for a large humidor. You're going to be putting thousands of dollars worth of cigars in there. Skip buying a box and spend the money on a quality set up.

What accumulated at KL Wines during my trip The Kavalan is a gift for a buddy and the Glenfarclas was a screaming bargain at the Taiwan duty free at $27 for a whole liter. Noticed that it is NAS now, however. Older bottles showed 10YO.

Nah...Cam Newton had the game of his life! Carolina's offense was too good today.

Those pantsuits of hers are buttoned up... No crossing zone

Where do you live exactly? Looks like on Thompson Street in the Village or maybe Sullivan St? Looks awesome! I would love to live there. My favorite city in the whole world and I've been all over.

Bye Bye Pats

Yep. I was a fan of the early seasons especially. I'll be watching. My wife tells me that reviews of the first ep are middling, as it's a bunch of exposition. Will still watch. Just like I'll watch the new Twin Peaks, when that comes out.

I've seen a couple shops here and there. But with limited stuff like that. Any shops are more strictly regulated, from what I understand, and the state fees for them are higher. Mostly, there's just a whack-ton of vendors that set up their tables around the Plaza de Armas sidewalks, and it's a huge open-air flea market feel. I believe the vendors are there 6 or 7 days a week, and they're out there from about 9 am, and they start packing everything up around 5 or 6 pm. I have a further post to my blog coming shortly, and you can see more pictures that kinda explain what I mean.

The amazing RASS from a recent 24x24. Dark wrappers, pungent aroma… it will be very hard to wait a month...RAE AGO 15

Carson Palmer is certianly not a very good NFL QB.

About 2/3's of what's left from my Cuba haul in November:

The red band haul meets the cheap and cheerful haul. ^same box code, same date. Wildly different wrappers? Weird... Sent from AOL in 1999

Sancho Panza Molinos ⚡️[emoji95][emoji91][emoji1434][emoji322][emoji323][emoji94][emoji93][emoji946][emoji898][emoji481][emoji485][emoji483][emoji484][emoji573] Sent from my iPhone

I would like to keep mine at 63rh..... I can't get my rh to stabilize in my new humidor!!! First world problems....LOL

Beer Can Chicken Every man and his dog will have their own recipe for this old chestnut. This is an easy one to do without a smoker and you can use any store bought rub or make up your own concoction. Step 1: Let the bird relax a little hence the spa pose Step 2: Slap some oil on the old bird to spice things up and massage that baby in. Step 3: Get a tinnie of Victor Bravo's Step 4: Skull to a count of 3, should be approximately half a can left or start again if you accidentally polish it off. Step 5: Slide the tinnie up the wazoouu, Can be difficult at first but a bit of R Kelly music can sometimes assist. Step 6: Perform obligatory #Selfie Step 7: Chicken can be kept upright in a tripod configuration, base every 45minutes and give her a foil facinator if she starts to burn on the top. Step 8: At approximately the 2 hour mark or 180 degrees's C internal temp get her out to rest for 5 minutes. Downward dog yoga pose recommended. Bon Apetite! Paired Drink: Bulmers apple cider in a glass topped with ice. Cigar: A partagas 898, the strong spices and garlic sauce from the meal needs to have something that packs a punch.