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2002 CoLa and a mojito A few more to round out the evening.

Year long project wrapped up and presented this morning. Celebrating the success with this 2004 Monte 4

Monte Maltés TAO MAY 2020 i continue to think that on a relative basis, meaning as compared to other CC pricing, this cigar is a value purchase. A delight. A terribly looking RASS MUP JUNE 2020 Cab 50. RASS is another underdog, I understand the D4, Epi2 and else hype. But consistent delivery wise, contendants? Few

Not sure what prompted me to smoke this but man. 98 points!!

Just got these in. So glad these are being rolled again in 2023! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

From our awesome host!

‘23 N1 👌 Had to hide these guys for a while, but the dog needed a decent walk this evening, so I braved the cold. Feel like they’ve come on even further in the last two months - the first inch or so is one of the sweetest openings I’ve found in any NC. Very enjoyable.

Bought from a friend. 2018 RASS and 2020 BBF

Outstanding Connie B from 2020

VR Famosos (BSM Feb 2021)

Favorite Moments…

Excited about these

Happy Birthday to Fuzz. Charcoal Baron Member of the leaf part of the Foxy late night party wolf pack forum moderator But most of all - a friend.

‘22 D4 and a pint of G 👌

Warped Liro Rojo 2022

Plpc and a wonderful rum

Some inte=resting information here. https://www.moodiedavittreport.com/interview-davidoffs-shopper-centric-vision-for-cigars/ Interview: Davidoff’s shopper-centric vision for cigars by Dermot Davittdermot@moodiedavittreport.comSource: ©The Moodie Davitt Report5 December 2023 “If you miss the cigar shopper you miss the bigger picture – that’s the key message.” So says Oettinger Davidoff Head Partner Markets & Duty Free EMEA and Americas Jean-Christophe Holley, assessing how the premium cigar manufacturer has been moving from a category to a shopper management approach with its travel retail partners. It is doing so with the aid of research and insights into the power of cigar shoppers that can help reinforce the importance of the category in the shopper journey. Over the past two years the brand owner has been communicating these findings to key partners around Cannes. These have underlined how Davidoff sees the potential for cigar sales to double in travel retail, the importance of both self-purchase and gifting, and how retailers can rethink their category strategies to grow their overall sales. “As a pioneer in this channel for many years we want to do more, to go further than just introducing new products regularly,” says Holley. “Cigar shoppers are the most valuable in the industry. They spend money, they contribute to growing basket sizes more than any other shopper group and so there is huge value for footfall and conversion and overall spend. That will continue. The appetite for travel is there, the appetite to spend is there in this category and if you drill down into the cigar shoppers they have a big basket size that goes across categories.” He adds: “We take a higher perspective. You cannot just look at a humidor at an airport to assess the value of the category or the shopper – you have to take a wider view of all the other categories.” Davidoff in attractive central space at Geneva Airport; below, a ‘Davidoff The Difference’ campaign at Frankfurt Airport To do that requires a close understanding of the cigar shopper, who Holley notes is very different from the cigarette shopper. “The cigar shoppers doesn’t need to buy their allowance each time they fly, rather they want to have an experience. And if the experience is right they will buy several items.” The company notes that more than 21% of cigar purchases are for gifting, which represents a powerful finding. In addition, cigar-related cross-category purchases are +63% higher than any other category, Davidoff research shows. “This shows what this niche category can do for other categories,” says Holley. “Cigars are over-performing other categories in the return to travel phase – retailers can see this within their tobacco portfolios.” He says that the conversation is now changing with some partners who are rethinking where they place their humidors – not simply at the back of the store, or close to cigarettes. There are further opportunities beyond the main stores, including in gate and transit stores. That understanding of what the cigar shopper brings is deepening, Holley says. “Going beyond category you need to think in terms of full basket and total store solutions. Where should we put the category in front of consumers? “The retailers are looking for some key elements. One is footfall – we know many cigar shoppers pass through airports. Then there is conversion, which is at a high level in this category. And then there is basket size. We offer footfall and basket size, now we need more retailers to work closely with us on conversion. And that is the key among all of these factors, as we offer the other two through our shoppers.” He adds: “This is all about category and shopper management. We have insights that show the power of cigars, and now our plans resulting from these insights are moving into concrete action. We have a thread we want to follow over the coming years, backed by more insights, more action and more commercial dynamism in our approach. “We are on a journey. We have worked with some retail partners already while some others are only just boarding the train. We are not necessarily going to convince everyone at once but we are a pioneer and we have time. “We are in the tobacco niche but really we are a luxury lifestyle category. And we know that with the strategy around the shopper, there is a wider message and contribution we can make to the industry.” *This feature first appeared in Category Insight, a supplement to The Moodie Davitt Magazine for November. Click here to access that edition.

Looking forward to these. Dunbarton Sobremesa Brûlée Wagashi.

This is a "standard" way to transport bikes. Rather than dump them in a pile in the truck bed. I can't speak to people who use them as actual work vehicles. But a lot of truck sales here are seemingly people who don't use them for work.

Personally I like the practicality that you can just throw your mountain bike in the back and go!

At the cigar house of Puerto Rico, this is one of the best non Cubans I’ve had.

The long awaited Ninfas are here The Punch Ninfas was one of my all time favourite cigars. It was a 178mm (7 inch) x 33 ring gauge hand rolled masterpiece discontinued in 2002. My last cabinet of 50 has long gone and the project was conceived back in January of 2023 for Hamlet and I to develop the ultimate Ninfas cigar. We put the concept cigar into the hands of our Friends of Habanos tasting panel just after mid year. It is fair to say that all were blown away but they can speak for themselves. Mid bodied and rich. There is a purveying raisin/fruity sweetness that melds well with other nuances of tart cooking chocolate, sourdough and just a touch of spice on the retrohale. The cigar builds progressively but never loses it’s composure. The aroma is indeed something special and reflects the flavour profile. Only two sets of rollers/bunchers from our Fabrica 5 team are permitted to roll the Ninfas. They have been hand picked as the best of the best from our high performance Fabrica 5 unit. The construction quality reflects this. The blend is 100% Honduran and includes a special leaf that has enthralled us but until now we were at a loss as to how best to use. We found the right cigar for it to shine. When I was doing the final blend tastings in Danli back in May of this year, all the Ninfas Hamlet blended were superb, but this one was truly the standout. They will be available in the carts in the next few days. I will advise the forum when launched. Made By: Fab05OV Factory Location: Honduras Dimensions: 7 X 33 Filler: Honduras Binder: Honduras Wrapper: Honduras Strength: Medium Price $370 USD Number of Cigars 50

Di and I are in Hong Kong ( available 27th to 30th December) and then Phuket (available 1st through 8th). Our love of long lunches is legendary ......and it's not about to change this trip. If members are keen for a catch up and a cigar or two post, PM me.

I work in the automotive industry and electric cars are not all they are hyped up to be. A disposable product at best that is worse for the environment in many ways than its gasoline counterparts. The depreciation of these vehicles is wild as technology rapidly advances at a much faster rate than internal combustion does. Just like your iPhone, a few years down the road you are already obsolete with a 70% battery retention. Go try to sell your iphone 11 and see what you get. Flipping to the latest and greatest electric car may not be a concern for many wealthy adopters (the majority of electric vehicle owners). But how about middle and lower income classes that see their car as an investment and plan on it lasting 10-15 years? Also, many claim the environment to be a factor of buying an electric car. Hope they aren't planning on swapping it out every few years then as that certainly doesn't align with their supposed views. I overlook the level two chargers at work and admire the EV owners who find the time in the middle of the day to pull up and charge as they read or take an hour long nap. Guess an 8 hour long work day isn't their thing. The push for EV is no doubt politically driven with the motive to shove it down consumers throats as most manufacturers are being strong armed into increasing their fleet MPG's via less reliable EV's and 4 cyl turbos. The future is hydrogen but the past 10-15 years should have been spent looking into making more efficient hybrids and diesels, which were easily making over 40 mpg in our 3 series Wagons. I for one do not have the money to keep replacing cars or drive out of my way to hang out at charging stations. I have a Toyota Tacoma with a manual transmission. A vehicle that will have no issue going 10, 15 ,20 years and well over 500k miles. That to me in environmentally friendly. Also a good article - 2023-10-TrueCostofEVs-BennettIsaac.pdf (texaspolicy.com)

That was Alex my Physiotherapist. Like the song "Down Under" .......he is 6 Ft 4 and full of muscle.

Fast forward to minute 5 if you want to get to the Low T / TRT stuff

You are an Icon indeed Sanchez.......our Mexican Asian brother

Period art Deco Hand painted ceramic ashtray. Japan, Japanese, vintage, pottery,

Nudies N4 Mareva Fuerte "Pilot" This was the third cigar smoked of a 25-pack of Nudies N4 Mareva Fuerte "Pilot" that was blended by Hamlet Paredes as a test blend in conjuction with El Pres. It came solely in a Colorado Maduro wrapper. After smoking this marevas-sized cigar for the first time a little over twelve months ago, and again today, I can attest to how different it was to initial run of Nudies N1 Lanceros and Nudies N3 Carlotas. For starters, the term 'fuerte' means strong or power in Spanish and the Nudies N4 Mareva certainly was blended to be strong. There's no doubt whatsoever that this cigar was medium-full in body when I first smoked it last year. Fast forward a year and it has tapered off a little in strength. It certainly was more approachable. It started off with a baking spice in the first third but it settled soon after. There was some spice through the nose when retrohaling but I wouldn't say the cigar was overtly full of spice though, at all. On the contrary, it was quite a pleasure to smoke. There was a simple cocoa and espresso coffee core flavour to the cigar also from beginning to end. I must add that the second half of the last third saw the strength and body increase markedly in comparison to the rest of the cigar. In terms of construction, there remains no qualms whatsoever. Consistent ash, no re-lights and no tunneling or under-filling. Thankfully, this marevas had a cone on its end from 'go-to-whoa'! El Pres described this cigar a cross between a Montecristo No.4 and Partagas Short. One of the last times I smoked a Nudies N4 Mareva Fuerte "Pilot" I shared it with Trevor Leask, the founder of Cuban Cigar Website, and we felt that this Nudies N4 Mareva had more of an Old School Partagas flavour to it. A little over one year later, I continue to feel the same way. Yes, this is a simple cigar, but that's the way it was blended to be.

Caldwell Long Live The King My Style is Jalapeno Introduced in 2014, the Caldwell 'Long Live the King' line was a collaboration between AJ Fernandez and master blender, Robert Caldwell that was intended to produced a full-bodied and full-strength cigar. It comprises a Dominican Corojo wrapper, a Dominican Corojo binder, and a filler blend composed of Dominican ligero and Pelo de Oro, Nicaraguan Habano leaf, and tobacco from Peru. The combination ensures a full-bodied and complex smoke, with flavors of dark chocolate, oak, earth, coffee beans, and hay, intermingled with floral notes and a bit of spice. Amongst Dominican puros, Caldwell cigars have a solid reputation in regards to their rolling. The Caldwell 'Long Live the King' line comes in a number of vitolas (ten to be exact, currently). The My Style is Jalepeno is a Lanceros-sized 40 ring gauge x 178 millimetres or 7 inches in length cigar. It has both the smallest ring gauge and longest length amongst the 'Long Live the King' range. I would like to thank @Perla for providing this cigar for this review. In comparison to the Caldwell Long Live The King 4-inch-in-length Manzanita I had a few months ago, the Lanceros-sized My Style is Jalapeno is every bit as full-flavoured. In regards to those flavours, I would say that they were quite vibrant overall and impressive for a cigar of this age. The main underlying flavour was a dry wood. Along the way this was joined by various degrees of cayenne pepper, Earth, coffee, dark chocolate and even cashew nut. Construction-wise, the ash was consistent and a distinctive white, just like the shorter Manzanita. Upon finishing the cigar, the only criticism I could offer is the fact that it was a little bit of a 'chore' to smoke through in the last third, quite 'Earthy' and a challenge to keep lit. Then again, I was glad for having sampled it!

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Masterpiece The Arturo Fuente Hemingway Masterpiece is a Perfecto measuring 13/16 of an inch in diameter (i.e. 52 ring guage) and a massive 9 inches (or 229 mm) in length. It's shaped more like a Habanos Perfecto such as a Partagas Salomones than a Taco-type cigar and thus, the AF Hemingway Masterpiece is only slightly tapered at the head but it is predominantly tapered at the foot. The smaller Arturo Fuente Hemingway Classic and Signature are similar shaped-perfectos. The Partagas Salomones and Cuaba Salomon have a slightly bigger 57 ring gauge but are small in length at 7¼ inches (or 184 mm). Still, these are big cigars and they take a long time to smoke. Only the 47 ring gauge x 9¼ inch (or 235 mm) Montecristo A is longer than the AF Hemingway Masterpiece, but I would contend that the AF Hemingway Masterpiece requires the longest time to set aside for a smoke. According to Arturo Fuente, the Hemingway natural line employs a combination of patiently aged Dominican filler and binder encased in a select African Cameroon wrapper. The line is said to be medium-mild to medium in body. Like the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Signature or Classic, this Masterpiece has a simple blend. Basically you can expect a combination of hay, cedar, light spice (possibly cinnamon-like) and sweet tobacco. There may be hints of hazelnut and vanilla on the edges with these cigars. I had an AF Hemingway Masterpiece about a year ago and this one was slightly different than my last one, yet the same, in other ways. The cigar started off sweet but soon settled with a core sandalwood flavour. As per my last example, this cigar was again fairly one-dimensional through its long thirds. Again, perhaps one could say that there was more leather and a touch of spice in the last third, with the strength increasing to medium-mild, but it remained fairly easy to smoke. I've said it before in relation to the Arturo Fuente Hemingway line; however, it bears reiterating that construction-wise, Arturo Fuente cigars are well-known for their consistency and this was much the same. The burn, once again, was even throughout, the draw was smooth and effortless, the ash held together well and the smoke output was outstanding. There was plenty of flavour per draw. I finished the cigar after an incredible two hour and forty-five minutes. Yes, that's a long time but it didn't bore me. I can't say that I will be acquiring too many more of these vitolas in the future as other Arturo Fuente Hemingway cigars suit me better with their vitola dimensions (for example, the 42 rg × 102 mm or 4 inch Short Story, the 46 rg × 124 mm or 4⅞ inch Work of Art and the 46 rg × 178 mm or 7 inch Classic). Still, in my view, this cigar remains not a bad Non-Cuban option to celebrate a special occasion, when one desires a long cigar, in my opinion.

Diplomáticos No.2 TOS Dic 2015 POU Jun 2013 Romeo y Julieta Exhibicion No.4s, LUB May 2014 H.Upmann No.2s, EML Feb 2015 San Cristobal de la Habana El Principes, LGR Ago 2017 Por Larranaga Montecarlos. In and of itself, these cited vitolas may not mean anything in particular, but as a collective they represent examples of vitolas that have had premium value for how exceptional they've been in comparison to their peers. To that end then, one could easily add the TOS Dic 2015 Diplomaticos No.2, of which I am grateful for sampling one for this review. Within this blog series I have been smoking from an impressive EML Ago 2014 Diplomaticos No.2 box. This TOS Dic 2015 Diplomaticos No.2, therefore, has waited patiently for nearly eight years to be 'cracked open'. The TOS series of Dipomaticos No.2 in the second half of 2015 and 2016 were well-noted and highly popular with our forum members when they were been produced and available. Within the first twelve to twenty-four months they were known for their simple combinations of flavours; yet, there was a general consensus pertaining to their higher quality. I was eager to discover for myself exactly how complex (or simple) and flavoursome they were with this box, after almost eight years rest, today. I find that, in general, Diplomaticos cigars can vary markedly between flavours that are savoury (such as capsicum or bell pepper, paprika spice) and flavours that are sweet (cinnamon, nutmeg). My Dip 2s from my EML Ago 2014 box were more on the savoury side. How was this initial cigar from this TOS Dic 2015 box? It was evident, from the very first puffs, that this Dip 2 was more on the savoury side, with notes of wood, capsicum or bell pepper and sourdough. The cigar had a fair amount of smoke per puff and packed a heap of flavour. This is important to highlight; after eight years, this cigar has not lost its efficacy in how flavoursome it was. The ash was consistent and the burn and draw were both fine. Furthermore, there were notes of 'toastiness' and the cigar did have a core sourdough flavour, unlike my last few Dip 2s from my EML Ago 2014 box. In terms of any paprika spice I can say that there really wasn't that much evidence on hand here, throughout the smoke, of it. So, all-in-all, this Diplomaticos No.2 continues to support the adage that a quality cigar has the potential to develop and age well, given that it has been reputable within its early stages of that development. In addition, there is a common predisposition to compare the Diplomaticos No.2 to the Montecristo No.2 among cigar enthusiasts. With this TOS Dic 2015 Diplomaticos No.2 today, that point is definitely 'moot' and does not bear expanding upon at all.

Partagás Serie D No.4 PMS Nov 2013 I have had enough reviews, within this blog series, of the Partagas Serie D No.4 in the last two years to not have to 'wax lyrical' about its virtues, its history, even its popularity. Yes, the Partagas Serie D No.4 is the leading Habanos cigar in the world currently, ahead of the Montecristo No.4 and Montecristo No.2. It is a 50 ring gauge x 124 millimetres (or 4⅞ inches) robustos-sized cigar and it was around pre-Revolution. In other words, pre-1960, when robustos-sized cigars weren't popular in comparison to thinner ring-gauged cigars. I believe this is the twelfth Partagas Serie D No.4 that I've smoked since the beginning of 2022. This compromises five in 2022 and seven in 2023, across a few box codes; mainly a superlative 10-count box of ROP Feb 2020 PSD4s. If you aren't aware, post-2020 Partagas Serie D No.4 have been consistently very good. For a time I had 'waned' off this popular cigar. In fact, I had none in 2021 but their virtuous smoking performance lured me back. And yes, I'm glad I have smoked a number (of them) since 2022. This late-2013 box of Partagas Serie D No.4 was rested ten years prior to opening it. How did the first PSD4 from the box fare? In a word, magnificently! I was expecting it to be more milder in strength and body than what it was, but what factored the most in its smoking, in my view, was the magnificent rosado-shade wrappers, in general, on these cigars from this 25-count box. Yes, trust me, they made a huge difference. This ten-year old Partagas Serie D No.4 was mild-medium in strength, simple in its flavour profile, yet medium-full in its body. The flavours were a simple combination of sourdough, coffee, leather...perhaps a touch of honey sweetness. In comparison to my more recent PSD4s, I guess I can say that those had more coffee to them. This 2013 example certainly had more sourdough and leather. It was very much still flavoursome. There was no reason to suggest that the box has 'peaked' and the strength and body have now started to deteriorate. That is not the case at all! I envisage that I will smoke the second PSD4 from the box in little time. If that is as good as this one today, you can expect that I will have another six or seven of these to smoke through and enjoy in 2024!

This ‘22 M2 and a couple stout with pals

LUB MAR 14 Monte DE. Usual Monte cocoa and coffee flavours but with exceptional depth and richness. Have nubbed every one from this box. Past its peak now I suspect, but to me still a great cigar. 94-95 pts. Take that number with a grain of salt, I don’t normally score cigars. Rich, delicious, great smoke and flavour output.

Elon really needs to upgrade his graphics card.

Apologies for the poor pic, didn't want to take them out of the sampler cello. I'd say I'm in the NC big leagues now. 😛 4x OX Angel's Share 2x OX 888

Bolivar CG PUR NOV15. Absolutely fantastic - 2.5 hour smoke One of the unfortunate discontinued / dying brand that is no longer made. Was fortunate to get a couple of boxes following the announcement of their demise.

BBF SOR Sept 20, smoking beautifully from our gracious host 👍 Robust coffee, licorice, leather notes and an occasional sweetness.

Loving the Turquinos

I'm skeptical as to the notion that the only thing these cigars were missing is ditching the Tubos. I understand the logic, i.e. the Boli 1 fans are committed enough to invest in 50cabs, and oh, how pretty they would look. But some of the best cigars I've ever had have been tubos, indeed I would say the a good 70% of the biggest hitters 97+ have been tubos. I'm a big believer in tubos, letting cigars choke in their own juices, off-gas and re-absorb their own essence over and over again, to me delivers a great product over and over again. In my experience it offers you something unique, often all the edges have all gone, but the body becomes huge, and the nic hit still seems to be intact. In conclusion, tubos in general are a great choice for those who like a refined monster. The Spitfire of cigars.

At the end of the day, in this stillness of the night, I can go back calmly with a cigar.

Cohiba Siglo VI, RME MAR 12. I didn’t take a picture when I smoked it, here’s what remains of the tenner I bought long ago. There was a time when Siglo VI ten count SLBs could be had for 200$ USA. Vendors would put them on special and I suspect customers would add a box on to an order because, after all, it’s a Siglo VI and they do not suck. Any vendors reading this may want to take the hint. BTW, it was a stunning cigar. 5 stars, 98 points, fantastic from the first draw right to the nub.

Keeping the D4 train going here This UAO D4 was so good that I totally nubbed it.

Starting off the week with a very happy arrival. I was not expecting UBL code, but here it is. I am going to rest these for a bit first. Thank you FOH crew!

ARS AGO 18 Trinidad Fundadores. First one of these in a while and it did not disappoint.