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Ryj tacos Post lunch fundy

My morning commute was a lot better with a cold brew espresso and this Rio Seco. Can't remember the box code but all of these so far have been stellar.

My Father Le Bijou Toro. Wishing you all a wonderful week.

First time to try the Epernay Illusione. Lots of buttered toast at the moment

Got these from a BOTL friend. So much excitement in this view.

I got the Costco size

Le Grande

Easy one for me - GR Sir Winston was absolute perfection and will be hard to beat for the year.

I’m for a Serie A this evening

Another RyJ Cedros No.3 at a great spot to relax.

You (all) are not going to believe this, but this February 2018 Sancho Panza Non Plus surprised the hell out of me, yet in a good way! Not too far behind was this majestic Arturo Fuente Don Carlos - Eye of the Shark cigar. I now understand why it was Cigar Aficionado's 2017 No.1 cigar of the year. Full reviews will be posted soon in my upcoming 2023 Smoking Blog.

Behike 56 in memory of my friend. It was a banger. 96 points

Killer CoRo

Have been wanting to try these for awhile. TUA SEP 21

*Jaws theme plays in background

Too close to call among an Espy (MAR MAR 21), Fundy from @SMELTZ and SdC #1 (GSO MAY 06) from @jakebarnes. FOH trades and vacation cigars are the best

PDF, from 2019 EDIT: PD5! Hahaha

Partagas 8-9-8 on a zoom call with @Islandboy and @Glass Half Full . Great cigar and even better company!

Was for sure this Cuaba 20th anniversary stick

northern michigan Yellow perch in drakes beer batter… doesn’t get much better

My first of the Serie Sevilla's. Wonderful flavors, though a fair number of touch ups, plus a pair of relights, which detracted a bit. The tobacco is on in every way, and nicely blended; just a few construction challenges. Hopefully a one off for the jar. Said to be 2012's though no box codes available.

I was informed that 2014 was a particularly good year for MC4s. I am hopeful that this box will give me a good basis from which to judge the impact of aging on a CC. I am very familiar with new MC4s.... Can't wait to compare them with these from 2014. Finger crossed! Thank you to my friends that provided advice!

@SingleBarrel they look fake to me. Better send them to me to verify their authenticity.

2002 LGC MDO3. Pure bliss!

Nice to be out of the garage and on the balcony. RyJ No. 4 and an Esmeralda.

97 Punch SS2. Very complex and plenty strong!

The stunner was the 2004 HdM DC from @Colt45 posted about on the tribute thread. The runner-up was an Edmundo Dantés Conde Belicoso - ER Mexico (TOR Dic 2016). Not nearly the age, but wow on many levels. Both are in the running for "Best of" for me for 2023.

Another addition to upcoming ⛳️ trip to Sarasota.

eagle has landed

Many thanks to our host 🥂

I used to host a pairing show for years with a good friend of mine Rob Rasmussen. I can't remember what show it was on but we were chatting about a similar topic, and this is many years ago. He said something that has stuck with me ever since: "John, if the State of California put a referendum in the next vote that suggested they raise taxes on tobacco 500% and all the proceeds would go towards clubbing baby seals to death, live on television; that referendum would pass with an 86% margin. That's how much people hate tobacco."

I'll take any chance I can get to agree with FOH's Man of the Year, @JohnS. The cigar I really can't stop thinking about is this Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Eye of the Shark:

Yeah, the only downside is that Fat Bastids who post here tend to find it difficult to become Skinny Bastids.

Birch in Milwaukee. Phenomenonal dinner. The pork was to die for. Everything plated beautifully too (burrata, kohlrabi and citrus; entrees--pork for me, wife with fish and homemade tortillas; Goat cheese cheese cake)

I have never found a correlation between size or RG and ageing. Ageing is such a personal thing - this has been mentioned by several members in one of your previous queries about ageing. Some people like a young cigar with more 'elbows and knees', while others like a slightly more rounded flavour that may come with ageing. As you know, ageing won't make a bad cigar better. However, ageing may reveal more subtle flavours that aren't as prominent in a new cigar. PLPC is an example of this, wherein you have a more mongrel and muddled flavour when young, but the caramel notes begin to emerge after about 5 years of ageing. For what it's worth, I like both expressions of the PLPC - just depends on my mood. I've found the best way to get a feel for what ageing does to a cigar is to experiment. Try a stick from one your recent purchases ROTT, again at 6-12 months and at annual intervals until you find that sweet spot for you. Over a few years time, you will quickly build your own 'ageing preference'. One other personal observation, that I believe is generally shared by the community on this Forum, CC from 2019 thru the present are smoking great young. IMHO, they have probably never been better in that first year post box date.

And Cuba China Relations seem to be drifting apart. There is more going on here than meets the eye. If you remember, this entire city block had been one, massive "Chinese" development for at least the last 6 years. (That's as long as I've been following it) Not much was ever going on though. I'm getting ready for a trip in a couple weeks and I happened to see this development near completion on google maps and was very confused. The hotel in the rendering above is Labelled as the "Be Live Collective, La Habana" Be live is a Spanish company. The hotel next door is not nearly as fancy looking and its labeled as the "Hotel Grand Muthu Habana" Maybe this was the plan all along, but I don't know why a Chinese development firm would spend 6 years of time and money building a property only to let Indian and Spanish companies profit from them. Something very similar happened at the Hotel Paseo del Prado at the other end of the Malecon. Again, built by a chinese firm, but opened and operated by NH hotels. (another Spanish firm) I'll make sure to grab some photos of this new development and ask around to see if anybody knows any more about how these deals happen.

Got this white whale a little while back and was amazed at the date. Grateful that the Mexican health labels were only on the outer cardboard.

Cc and nc… especially love the monte esp 2, sweet, lto abr 20.

Good lord that looks incredible. My smoke today was a VR Unicos from BRE JUN 18. Coming along nicely, has calmed down a lot but still full of flavour and interest.

Davidoff Sig No. 1, sweet, grainy, wheaty, fruity, oaky, toasted bread and cedar with a light pepper to start and black pepper on the last 3rd. Complex and light to medium. Construction is good. I will buy more My favorite smoke so far in 23, a 2020 H. Upmann Sir Winston, nice white gray ash and construction. Flavor is intense.

A lovely Sunday afternoon Fundadores

Cuba India relations have certainly gotten closer over the past 5 years. The Gran Muthu Habana has 27 floors and has a five-star category. Managed by the hotelier MGM Muthu Hotels in collaboration with the Cuban tourism group Gaviota, the hotel was opened for commercial operations in the Miramar neighborhood, Havana municipality of Playa. This establishment is newly built, with an advantageous location, next to the sea and close to Fifth Avenue, the Miramar Business Center and other hotels, event venues, companies and embassies, and only 20 minutes from the Historic Center of the Cuban capital. . This facility has a modern design and offers leisure and business travelers 494 standard rooms, 16 junior suites and five suites, restaurants, bars, Casa del Habano, a shopping gallery, a wellness area that includes a gym and meeting rooms with a capacity of up to 400 people for special events

To piggyback on what was said above, Whisky Cafe is by far the best option. Very limited selection of sticks but you can bring your own and there's a "cutting fee" of 8 or 9 dollars. Stogies is like a strip club.... Awful vibe. I've never been to Rib n Reef but that's another place that people tend to go to. It is, however, insanely expensive. I'm also pretty sure you have to eat supper there and then you have access to the cigar room after supper. In terms of cigar shops everything is pretty expensive. Vasco has a very good selection though.

Dang! I’m honored, thank you all! 🎊🎉🥳

Nice little round of reviews! Well done to all... The random draw winner is @Russell!! Congrats!! Please PM your details to me (name, address, and email), and we'll arrange dispatch of your prize. Thanks again to all. Next comp details will be up soon - stay tuned!

Due to the cold I have not smoked many cigars in January, but a Montecristo Edmundo stood out above all the rest. I believe it was from a 2020 box but too lazy to go verify