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Soberano. Full bodied to say the very least. Rich and powerful .

BRE Mar 18, nummers! The best thing about New Years is that all my cigars are suddenly a year older....in my mind. My first cigar of the year was preceded by my first mtn bike ride of the year..,.where I happened upon this beauty. 5 minutes later it rained.

BBF Late work office. All good now. First New Year Smoke. Cheers

Had a '17 Fundadores for my New Year's day cigar. Tonight, a '14 Coloniales. Last third is incredible.

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2015 Montecristo #4 paired with a New Belgium Oakspire Bourbon Barrel Ale. Cigar has come along nicely as the beer compliments it very well. Take care all. Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

First smoke of the year after wifey got sick in the car on the way to NYE dinner... Continuing my quest to eliminate all remaining double-banders from my stash. Boli Colosales - a very nice cigar indeed. Still has legs.

C&C Time. Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

NYE smoke was a gorgeous RyJ Ex#4 from TES MAR 17. Darker, deeper and more serious than the Churchill line, but still that exotic rose perfume. No photo I’m afraid. Tonight a very good PL Montecarlo from LGR SEP 17. Good period for this factory: they were churning out excellent El Principe around the same time. This is a dark wrapper PLM, so it’s dominated by exotic wood rather than overt sweetness, but it’s remarkably complex and satisfying. Such a value.

Edmundo from 08.

BCJ And latte at the park Having an NC now. Weird story. I received this package in the mail in November. My wife told me i had a package which was weird since i didnt order anything. I opened it and it was AVOs that ordered last year. They showed as "delivered" at that time, so i thought they were lost. I even complained to the USPS. Well, i looked at the box and the ship date stated January, 2 2019. No idea where they have been for an entire 11 months before they got to my door, but one month after letting them rest they smoke fine... Look! you actually see the wrapper is still sheen. I live in one of dryiest climates next to an actual desert, so im guessing they were in a bin in some other state? I told my wife and she also remembered me bitching about the mailman misdelivering the mail. Weird.

Reynaldo salomones and 1 of his lanceros

LGC Tainos from '09.

Smoke output and burn about as good as it gets. A little over medium maybe full for me. happy new year

Good morning , have a relaxing morning in the Las Vegas Valley.

Not laguito, but i agree with red sticker after inspecting. Now go to sleep my pretty PCs.

The last of my 2019 purchases. These mottled wrapper beauties will sleep for a while... Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Today was a good day. The partner finally got doctor's clearance to be discharged so the hectic week can finally be brought to a close. Finally some peace of mind and the chance to sit down and have a cigar. Also what's great was that my Nudies finally arrived yesterday. I know the 90 day rule has been preached but I just didn't want to overthink things and picked the cigar most within reach. I also gave a stick to my dad (without telling him anything) and on the cold draw he immediately asked if it's a Partagas. After, I told him the backstory of this cigar and he was impressed with the blending to create such a fine cigar. It was also cool to see Rob and Hamlet's blending achieve exactly what they set out to achieve. For me, there was a definite twang when I unwrapped the cigars. To me, that's the non-cuban twang. I rarely smoke NCs these days but it much reminded me of those I've nosed at the B&Ms. Pulled one out, perfect looking colorado wrappers. Not too oily, but kind of "just right". Chocolatey on the cold draw, with some sweet chili (Sriracha?) and barn smell. First third presented a little astringency on the tip of the tongue. A very very slight tinge of ammonia (that's my fault for not resting it!), but the cigar was overwhelmingly earthy. Some very smooth dark chocolate as well - 85% Godiva? Second third the ammonia was completely gone. The earthiness was more of the leathery kind, while also notes of wet hay and wet sheep. There is also emergence of some thick dark sweet cream. Absolutely delightful and luscious mouthfeel. For some reason there was a very fishy smell. Fish, rain, engine oil - a fish market near the coast somewhere in Scotland on a rainy day. Unusual, but I like it. This may just pair well with an Ardbeg, or Laphroaig. In the final third the strength increased slightly. A tinge of citrusy orange to balance the earth, but not too much taste evolution in the cigar, so the taste is very much still on all things you'd find in a barn, and in that fish market. Overall, a fantastic cigar. The burn was even and perfect throughout, and a really perfectly rolled cigar. Beautiful pyramids every time I tapped. While the cold draw gave me the NC twang, actually smoking it would have fooled me for 100% Cuban. It really got us wondering why the major NC producers couldn't blend something like this - it is generally either too strong/peppery, or too weak/characterless. It is however possible their blends are targeted to a specific market or taste profile that just isn't to my liking. Score a perfect 90/100. Had to take a point away for the whiff of ammonia (but again, that's my own fault), but give them proper rest and I imagine it would be a beyond perfect 92 on my scale. Bonus points for the creamy luscious mouthfeel and the citrus note for taste balance. Already a contender for cigar of the year. A week in the hospital really takes the juice out of you; a few days late, but Happy New Year FOH! Apologies - lost my photo

SEP 17 Esplendido

This was from the Xmas sampler. Cold draw was faint barnyard, almost airy. Upon lighting, I get an immediate Cream and Spanish peanut, nutty with a hint of astringency.Medium strength. This was most of the first third. Second third had Pine roasted Nuts with cream. Body was building. There were some wonky burn but corrected itself without intervention. Last third, Leather nuts and cocoa. wonderful stick all around, worth the price of admission. Flavors were great, what I think of Punch flavors. Also felt that the tobacco used seemed aged, very clean and flavors were crisp, not what I expected from such a young cigar.

I definitely received mine earlier than most but I seem to have lost my note with the exact date they went in the humidor. It would have been on or about 12/5, so I nearly made it for a full 30 days rest before I had to sample my first. Construction was immaculate. Beautiful Colorado wrapper with a light oil sheen. Aroma at cold was slightly barnyard. The draw was perfectly snug (Goldilocks would have bit her tongue). First light put a smile on my face and a tip of my hat to Rob and Hamlet. You gentlemen had me fooled! I may be a bit of a novice with CCs but the flavor profile rang Habanos to me. Wish I had some experience with the Partagas SdC No. 3 to offer a comparison, but I don’t doubt that it’s close. Flavor notes I picked up included nutmeg, coffee with cream, and slight cocoa on the finish. The retrohale was silky smooth. A wonderful choice for celebrating the new year and I can’t wait to journey along with the remaining 24 sticks. 92/100

One of my late year smoking goals was to revisit some of the really memorable cigars from 2019. So I am late... as usual! Enter the Monte Esp. #2 vintage 2001. I have noticed a few near '01 vintage cigars showing up in this review series. So, lets talk a little about these cigars. Over and over again I see 99 to 01 vintage cigars maligned over the internet. I realize that I am an 'anti-establishment' smoker, but I have to wonder if any of these people parroting such rhetoric have actually smoked any of these cigars. In my time smoking Cuban cigars, I have to say that year over year, 01 vintage cigars prove themselves over and over as being some of the most complex, memorable cigar experiences. I covet mine... Considering how much I read about rH and temperature and storage from those without a clue, representing that they do have a clue, it would not surprise me that this is another case of internet puffing of knowledge not actually had. You don't have to go far to find an expert of everything here on the net. A recent thread about trying to tie cigar condition to aH tickles me as a recent example... I digress! I have smoked several of these this year. Look at what is left in the box. I hate to see them go, but I am not big on storing largely empty boxes. In this case I am making some exceptions. These cigars are so good, that I really don't want to commingle them with a bunch of nameless, homeless singles. They are simply too special for that. These cigars, including the one that I smoked this day, epitomize what I consider to be the Cuban cigar. This is a rich, firm drawing robust cigar. As you likely know, I store cigars rather dry. As a result, these have little bouquet. This does not mean the cigar is finished, over the hill, nor any of the many other prejudices that follow with 'nose' and a fine cigar. If you passed up on this cigar over your nose... you made a grave error. There was no 'foreplay' with this cigar! It opened, and opened to what might well have been the last third. It just turned on and stayed on. This was a rich, unctuous, high mouthfeel, lush and 'thick' tasting cigar. While the cigar had a moderately stiff draw, she breathed, thick, viscous, white smoke. The smoke was heavy and lingered. You could almost see it fall... The taste was bursting with stone fruit, plumb and peach but not sweet. Dried fruit is more accurate. Dense and lightly oily describes it best. The mouth feel is worth mentioning. While the last one of these was more complex with a bit more character, this slightly lesser sibling was no runt. I did not time my smoke. I enjoyed the beautiful weather, my wife and dog's company. The interesting elements from the cigar varied as if with the conversation and the music that we listened to. The tastes of spices, fruits and nuts all came to the table to serve me. This was a sublime smoke. I say this over and over. It was not the missing 22 ring of shallow filler that made this cigar what it was. You don't need 50 plus ring cigars to deliver like this. You need quality tobacco of the proper blend and a roller who knows and cares about what he/she is doing. If that is magic, well this cigar had that... Thanks for reading and sharing my experience. Cheers! -the Pig

For my first smoke of the new year/decade I pulled out a Montecristo I've not had the pleasure to smoke before now. The cigar is beautiful. Firm yet not over-filled. Silky wrapper with no blemishes. I fire it up around 2PM today with ice water to accompany. Draw is firm but not tight. Ash holds for inches. Perfect burn all the way down, good smoke production. Roasted nuts, milk chocolate, cream. A lovely 2.5 hour cigar. 95/100

Well done Hamlet & Rob [emoji106] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Bought, cracked and drank [emoji36] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hoyo de Monterrey Short Hoyo Piramides EL 2011 I decided on this cigar to see the New Year in. Thank you to @chr0nic (Ryan) for this kind gift. It was good to see you again at Jase's BBQ on the 29th! Here's a couple of pictures from the BBQ. The one on the right is Ryan with a 2L bottle of sake (great sake, btw!) with Will's head in the background for size comparison. The one on the left shows @Fuzz, aka "The Tong Master". Some will spot Mus (@LordAnubis) in the background, over for a visit. Great to meet you Mus! Its awesome being able to swap, gift, and be gifted cigars with the Sydney boys, its a common thing amongst our group, and they are such a generous lot! Its a great way of trying cigars you haven't and otherwise would not be able to try out, whilst catching up with the crew for a great day out. I already had all my parties by the 30th, so I didn't go out for New Years Eve. Just me, my boys, and my computer for company tonight. This is them, lounging and lording it about during the afternoon heat .. An unusual vitola with a factory name of "Forum", it is a skinnier shorter piramide at 46 guage and feels very elegant in the hand. Being a gift, I don't have a box code, as it was exchanged during an afternoon of eating, drinking, smoking and good times when such things are furthest from the mind! Wrapper has a nice shade of colorado, darkish but not to the extent of colorado-maduro. A nice cold aroma of barnyard, cedar and spice. Starts beautifully, a bit like the love child of an Epi #1 and a Des Dieux. Its a vanilla bomb, with lots of cedary woodiness, and it is very creamy. Its always good to try another EL that is actually true to its marcas DNA. As the cigar progresses, sweet baking spices and a creamy buttery brioche note. Hints of tea and flowers on a few draws, and all over a spine of wood and vanilla. Perfect draw and the burn is great with a nicely stacked ash. A little under medium, flavourful and delicious. A little saltiness develops into the second third and the woodiness intensifies. Have Epi #1 and Des Dieux been having a tryst with Sancho Panza here? Started under medium but is now right on medium bodied. Coming into the final third, I notice some tar build up on the head of the cigar. A little bitterness comes in as well. After taking off the bands I find that it is quite underfilled underneath. If I was to rank this on the first two thirds, it would be a 94+, and a glorious cigar. However it did lose it in the final third, disappointingly, which drops it down to a 91. It shouldn't fall off like this with 9 years under its belt, especially being an EL. Lots of promise and definite likeness to the Des Dieux blend, without the same depth or class. Loses it in the final third, I have to put it down at about 1 inch remaining, as the underfill is now making the cigar hot. I have mentioned to the Sydney boys before that I didn't think there was another cigar anything close to the Des Dieux blend. This doesn't quite make it, as it doesn't have the same complexity, but it is probably the nearest thing I have tried to date. Thanks again Ryan for the sampler!

mup sep18 fundy

Been a great few days leading into and over New Years in Mooloolaba

TOS FEB 16 PLPC. Very good. BME AGO 11 Cohiba 1966. I bought this box on my first visit to Havana in 2011. This is the second one from this box and it was outstanding. Great way to start the New Year. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Happy New Year FoH!! Have sampled a few and loved them. This is the first from a fresh box, LMB NOV 18 and it is already moving on all cylinders. Started slow and somewhat muted, but after half an inch it has come to life, rich velvety smooth milk chocolate with some nutty notes. Great start!! Cheers FoH! REG JUN 17 Siglo III. Thx Jer

Happy New Year [emoji322]. Officially 2020 at my place and enjoying a Behike 56. Great evening starting with rare bone-in Ribeye and steamed live lobsters. Paired with a very good red. Dessert was a cannoli and Affogato. Yum. MES SEP 11 Behike 56 with some LBV Port. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have sampled a few of these from different box codes so I was excited to smoke this to see what another 6 months or so have done for this cigar. My first la Trova blew me away, it was from a different box, much darker and oily wrapper, but same box code and date. I decided to put those away to age. This sample was from a slightly lighter Colorado claro box. Aroma at cold was very light spices. Not as pungent as my darker/oily samples. Draw was excellent, not tight at all and produced volumes of smoke. The construction was excellent and did not require any touch ups. This was sitting in my “drybox” desktop at 59-60rh for a month or so. 1st: woody, spices and some coffee notes. Mild to medium strength. 2nd: the burn and construction was excellent, the classic Trinidad doughy/coffee notes did pick up but not nearly as much as my first la Trova (the dark/oily sample). I was looking forward to this but it didn’t come to the forefront. This sample seemed to be a lot more spicy. Some sour notes. Woody, coffee, spice. 3rd: light coffee notes with some earthy notes. Interesting transitions, something I did not recall detecting in my first la Trova I had. Certainly not disappointing. These cigars are very classy, complex and full flavour while not being too strong, right in my wheelhouse. Rated 94. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Back to an old reliable for a pre-New Year smoke, giving the Xmas sampler a rest for a bit. Wrapper here is just as I like it for PLMC - not too dark and mottled. Prelight draw is perfect, with notes of cedar and caramel, surely a hint of what's to come. Perfect burn and draw all the way down the line. There's not much preamble with a good PLMC - immediately you get cedar, toasted malty bread and the legendary caramel. Within a half-inch that caramel note is intensifying - a sort of "liquid" caramel, with hints of vanilla and cinnamon. And that's pretty much where this cigar - like most of the others from this box so far - stayed put. A really nice combination of intense sweetness and gentle woody notes, with just a hint of floral and baking spice. Here's the bottom line for me with Montecarlos - no CC (at least that I've smoked recently) punches above its weight like these do, at least when you get those lovely golden wrappers. They're cheap (especially when you hit a good 24:24 deal, like these) but it's not simply a matter of being good value - there's just nothing cheap about PLMCs except the price. They smoke cool and slow (I've yet to nub one in an hour), and offer a refined and satisfying experience. It's wonderful to get a cigar that brings good flavors to the palate, but even better is one that's true to the marca. It's not especially complex but that's not an issue for me when the profile is this pleasant. Rich caramel sweetness you don't see with any other brand, and at a young age too. I've gotten more twang - like a tart lime - out of the very best Montecarlos I've smoked, but apart from that I can't find any quibbles whatsoever. 92/100.

Hoyo de Monterrey DC - Delamain Cognacs By @Ken Gargett One of the discussions Rob and I have had in recent times, which pertained to cigars, was the Hoyo DC’s. I have said this numerous times before – there are really only two times he has steered me wrong. The toxic toad of tobacco known as Monte Cs and a box of Hoyo DC’s. I was surprised at the recent love for these across the forum. I bought my box back in 2006 and I am struggling to find the code (box was finished a few years ago), but I am pretty sure it was from 2000 or 2001. Granted perhaps not stellar years, but still… Looking back at notes, I can see that I really tried to like them and even rated a few of the...continue to full article.

Wow ! @Buck14 gifted me this, age unknown to me, at the last herf. Thank you ?? this is the 1st jl2 I have ever enjoyed its really good no rough edges at all. Cream, twangy citrus and slight wood but like a salty sweet wood on the tongue, very nice. Construction spot on

Got this stick from the 2016 RE sampler from the host. Cold draw was Barnyard. First third: Floral, rose water. Fruit left on pallet. Graham cracker retrohale. Second third was Dried cherries, rose water on the nose, and wood. Last third: Rose water and leather. Excellent construction and very enjoyable.

Got this in an auction a while back, but finally managed to get someone to carry it home. The first Caol Ila in the Rare Malts series!

Grabbed the last of these from my local warehouse. Next batch will have tarriff prices. $78 which was cheapest in town until i grabbed this last bottle. Glad i went in today.

For Christmas Day I chose a Fundie that came from the 2002 Farmhouse humidor. Couldn't bring myself to light up the Double Robusto, one day. Very well constructed, perfect draw. Smooth wrapper, no stems or visible seams. Baking spice, leather. Vanilla and cafe au lait. A great 2 hour smoke. 94/100

Nice review! I'm also partial to the late 90's as that's when I got into the Habanos game too. Smoked a '98 Punch Corona over Christmas. Fantastic cigar!

A bit unfair to blame both China and India. The West is also to blame for the situation, as they wanted cheap manufacturing. And the US are the largest producers of e-waste, shipping the majority of it to developing nations for recycling. The top 5 CO2 producing countries are: China may have double the CO2 emissions of the US, but as you say, the US has a minuscule population by comparison. China has been actively working on cleaning air pollution for the last 4 years, with a lot of success, but it has a long way to go. No-one can afford to point fingers any more. We all need to change our ways.

Happy New Year. BBF from '09.

First day of the year seemed like a good day to try my first Lusitania. From a November offering from our host. PSP and delightful from the first draw. I really enjoyed this cigar but have to candidly admit that I had all the Partagas goodness I was seeking about halfway through the stick. I still nubbed it, but as I said to the buddy I was shooting with, it was like eating a multi course French meal. I was very full when it was all over. I’ll be looking for that same experience in a PC or RC size, which might be perfection for me. the search continues.

Happy New Year! New Years Day Cigar. Montecristo Gran Pirámides

Decided it was appropriate to burn this cigar on NYE as it just turned 10. This is the first Tainos I've had the pleasure of smoking. I received it from a BOTL here on FoH. After a quick straight cut of the cap the cold draw reveals that thus thing is tight -- like golf ball through a hose tight. I just about threw it back in the humidor to try something else but after a little massage it was clear that the plug was just in the head of the cigar. I grabbed the Perfec Draw to pulled out enough tobacco to get a reasonable draw. First Third The cigar lit up beautifully, but I just couldn't get the smoke I wanted. I'd watch the cherry light up, but it just didn't translate to much smoke in the mouth. I must confess I was a little bummed at this point, but I was having a nice time drinking champagne and chatting with my wife on the porch so I decided to power through. I couldn't really describe much in this first third because it was so hard to get enough smoke on the palate. Second Third Magically, right around the end of the first third/beginning of the second third the cigar opens up. Smoke production is up and i'm getting buttered popcorn toffee/caramel. I can honestly say I've never had a cigar that were this forward on those tasting notes, but it was delicious. Final Third The flavor profile didn't change much into the second third, just more velvety delivery of that buttery popcorn/toffee/caramel. I'm so glad I didn't toss this cigar. I still don't know why the smoke wasn't coming through in that first third, but it redeemed itself down to the nub. Happy New Years!

I haven’t been on here all year... Happy New a year Gents some snacks and finally, relaxing