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H. Upmann Connoisseur No. 1 (BRE JUN17).

RJ Mille Fleurs

I feel like I start every post like, “As you know in Canada we have green paper boxes.” My uncle is a monster when it comes to wood making. He made me a sample box and it’s absolutely wonderful. It’s made out of 100% Spanish cedar and we did the dimensions 4” W x 4” H and 6” L which fits most cigar sizes. Just a snug tight where the slide lid top is, so we’re increasing by 0.25” for comfort I purchased glassine paper from Amazon (the only work I did on this project). I put some of my RASS in there for showcase purpose but I plan on using these for my long term storage purchases. Would love to hear your thoughts! Edit: It smells f*kn amazing!

Back on the N7 again.

Tried this one out. Not ready yet

Monday night cigars 03' OR Cuaba Distinguidos - Orange Slices Jelly Candy, Roasted Peanuts, Shortbread Cookies 08' Juan Lopez Selección No.2 - Chocolate cream, Molasses, Cake Blah Ok Good Tasty Heavenly

Pretty little BPC, courtesy of our excellent host!

Small Club Sep 09 Petit robusto Sep17

HdM Epi de Luxe BRM AGO 22...

Enjoyed 2019 TUA BBF with @messi Always a pleasure😉

I had been looking for a Cuban cigar podcast about a month ago and I stumbled on the Lounge Lizards. Have only listened to a few of them but I’ve really enjoyed their content. Anyway… They put out an episode today where they interviewed Danilo Rodriguez from El Laguito and it was the most informative and interesting content I’ve heard about Cuban cigars in a long time. I recommend everyone give it a listen.

These continue to impress. La Flor de Cano Gran Cano. LAR OCT 13.

RG PC 22...

Day Two of ‘Escape from New Zealand’. Not even Snake Pliskin could get out of this place. After Day One, you’d think the divinities would owe me something. You’d be wrong. The divinities had not finished yet. Up at 5am (that is 2am back in Oz, so I'll be all over the place when I do get back), to return to the airport. Needless to say, the famous Yellow Bus is, shall we say, not as punctual as one would wish but it arrives. The driver, clearly one of the four horsemen, waves me in. If anyone remembers that scene in ‘Midnight Express’ where the prisoners slowly and mindlessly walk around in a circle, this was it. We are the proverbial stone’s throw from the airport but of course, the Yellow Bus must do the giant lap to collect more lost souls, and so back through the industrial estates of Orcland, we go. Burke and Wills give us a wave. Now, no argument that New Zealand has some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet. This isn’t it. To be honest, a Kontiki tour through Gaza would hold more appeal. But we arrive and we flee from the Bus. Check in goes surprisingly uneventfully and I get to use the Air New Zealand lounge. Have a few hours, so a bite of breakfast and then some emails. I sit at the large table for this, but what the hell? Lord spare me, I have sat in a puddle. The chairs are cleverly designed to hold whatever liquid might be split on them (why???) and some tosser has emptied a cup of apple juice onto the chair for some poor sod to wade into. That poor sod would be me. It is about now that I realise that this is actually infinitely worse than I ever imagined. I start to think that perhaps this was not apple juice. Yes, I am sitting in a large puddle of urine. In the Air New Zealand business class lounge. Who? Why? Not happy. Fortunately, the trousers seem to be quick drying and with a lot of rigorous rubbing in the facilities, I am fit for polite company again. Although in New Zealand, apparently polite company pisses on chairs. Needless to say, we have an hour or two’s delay. I assume this is part of the Air New Zealand constitution. Eventually on we go (and everyone is so nice – unlike the snarling dogs of qantas). Air New Zealand have a really lovely thing where the screen at your seat says, ‘Welcome Dave’ or ‘Welcome Jane.’ Mine just says ‘Welcome 2B’. Seriously, I am not feeling the love. Now, apparently as we were due to leave pre-9.30am (even though my boarding pass already said, ‘boarding time, 9.35’, thereby confirming that delays are company policy), we are at about 1pm when I am asked what I’d like for breakfast. A breakfast flight it was intended to be and a breakfast flight it will remain, no matter the real time. So muesli and/or chocolate waffles and/or soggy spinach frittatas. In line with my new health policy, I opt for the muesli and the soggy spinach. Which duly arrives. It was well described (okay, I may have made up the bit about it actually being described as soggy, but if the shoe fits). I then sit there while every other person gets a big fat burger. What? The divinity of the dancing wombats is still having fun at my expense. Finally, back on Aussie soil. Surely, now things will go swimmingly. As it happens, not so much. Usually, I find Brizzy International quick and competent. They have umpteen carousels going, people going around checking your in-card to direct you, seven or eight queues for a quick departure. Seems that today is the day they give the airport over to some TV show called ‘Catch a Stupid Smuggler’ or something. So, one carousel for every plane. Endless chaos. Staff? Either they have all taken today off knowing what a crapfest it will be, or they do not want to be filmed doing whatever it is they do. Who can blame them? You can request not to be filmed. I point out that if they film me, they’ll have to beep the whole thing out as I will happily provide my view of the entire farce. I am not filmed. What is interesting is that they apparently select the candidates for inspection on ‘Smugglers are Us’ by race. If you are Asian, then you are off to the bright lights. This strikes me as seriously racist but no one else seems to care. Finally, the bags arrive. Now, we have a single queue that snakes around the airport. If laid out straight, it would be at least 400 metres long. And as they say in the classics, continents drift faster. I am starting to lose my usually legendary tolerance and patience. Normally, I am an inspiration for Job. Perhaps not so much today. Finally, I emerge. Now, to save myself the $120 taxi fare home, I'll hop on the train to Roma Street and then the bus from Roma Street to home. Takes about 20-30 minutes longer but it is free (at my doddering old stage of life). And these days, $120 is a bottle of bog average Burgundy. Worst decision ever. I need the walkway to the train, but it is under repair. No matter, I can get there by lift. A long queue. We wait. And wait. When it is finally my turn there is a lift emergency. Some woman in official gear arrives telling us not to worry and that the lift emergency will be dealt with. Don’t ask, I still don’t know. Eventually, I get to the station. Trains every 15 minutes. And judging by the crowd on the station, one must be due any moment. The divinities have lied again. The flashing sign – ‘next train, 22 minutes’. Still, a minor inconvenience given what I have gone through. And the train arrives and gets me to Roma Street without event. Woohoo! I see signs to the bus but, given the past two days, I think it wise to ask. ‘I do trains, not buses, mate.’ Seriously? You don’t know where I should go for the bus? Someone else confirms the direction, same as the signs. I get to the platform, 8 minutes for the next bus to arrive. It will take me directly to opposite home. Fat chance. 8 minutes in the heat and humidity come and go. 18 minutes likewise. After 28 minutes, I check all the signs. Yes, all good. Here is where I am supposed to be. Eventually, I ask a bus driver what the hell is going on. Seems my bus now goes from somewhere else. They just have not got around to putting up the signs. So I get on his bus to go halfway across wherever, to get to where I can now catch the correct bus. Shall we say the Brisbane City Councilors and bureaucrats are not high on my list of people to save, come the revolution. We get to the stop where I will finally be able to catch the final bus. And, and surely this should have been an omen, 8 minutes to the next bus. A dear old Chinese woman gets up to give me her seat. Hard to think of a lower moment (fear not, they soon followed). But something is not right here. I ask. You guessed it, this is not the stop. I have to go 500-600 metres up the road to a different stop. So, and did I mention 35°C and a squillion percent humidity, off I run (well, a quick waddle might be more accurate), dragging all the bags. But I get there in time, sweating like Hades. I see a Council bus person and ask, just to confirm. ‘No mate. You have to go to the stop back there.’ ‘You mean the one I was at?’ ‘Yep’! Just so not happy. I turn and the quick, or now not so quick, waddle sets me off to the original stop. And I swear it just got a few degrees hotter. And yes, when I am about 100 metres shy of the original stop, my bus comes past. I try but in vain. My bus disappears. I'll confess that this is when I lost it. If there are indeed divinities, I might be in trouble down the track. I cursed every one of them, screamed and swore. If I could have lifted my luggage at this stage, I probably would have thrown it. I may have looked a tad unhinged to passers-by. Not quite beaten, I trundle up to the stop. I am not making this up. A lovely old Aboriginal woman with a cane, she had to be 80, takes one look at me and gets up to give me her seat at the stop. I decline, of course, but how bad must I look? Needless to say, the flashing sign at the stop tells me that the next bus is some 22 minutes late. Of course it is. But fear not, the one after it will be early – so they’ll both arrive around the same time. Special. Finally home, the washing machine goes into overdrive. There was one small moment of joy. In the mail awaiting me is a postal vote for our upcoming Brisbane City Council elections, and accompanying election junk mail for our local councilor. Imagine the chances.

Beautiful little Monte 5 on the smoking deck of the Resilient Lady Virgin Cruise 🚢

‘17 PLPC and a walk with the dog 👌

Fonseca Delicias, Oct 23” These are insanely packed with tobacco. They look great. I was under the impression that the cap was removed on these. These came with the cap on. Anyone confirm?

Is it only me or do none Cubans smoke faster than Cubans! I finish toro in 75 minutes vs 120 minutes for Cubans.. Ncs from the last few days…all good.

Mag 46 | OEG - APR 23 QsD CC | UBL - MAR 23 Belicosos Finos I OSG - MAR 23

Today’s arrival, both from FOH Smells better than their looks Thank you FOH!

A blind Churchill last evening

I've mentioned this concept before; I'd like to see Habanos do a 50 or 75 anniversary series every so many years. Recreate the blends and cigars that were popular 50 or 75 years ago down to the packaging. Would be way cooler to the collector especially if they own the original one. Nostalgia sells a better story than fake luxury.

Habanos S.A. deserve credit for tenacity, sure but someone a long time ago had the common sense to suggest that the idea of Cuaba being a premium brand alongside Cohiba should go by the wayside. This person should be brought back to give similar advice in regard to Trinidad. Trinidad is not a premium marca in the same way Cohiba is. Stop...Habanos S.A...please stop.

...glorious leader is reviewing your contribution ......

I haven't even gotten laser eye surgery... So yeah.. not me. To paraphrase Woody Allen my brain is my second favourite organ.

Lol I’m actually very happy that they came in their white tissue. updated pic;

I haven't made it for a while but I a have a hankering to do it soon. It is brilliant. Oyster and truffle pizza

Been keeping a hopeful eye on this box for the last year or so. This was my second (first was at about 6 months of age) and I can already see a huge improvement. The opening was a dominant sweet tobacco note, which actually had me worried as it nearly outshone all the other notes until the first 3/4in or so. Once we hit that point a really strong fruity sweetness took hold and slowly morphed into (near as I could place it) strawberry jam, which is definitely a first for me. Aside from these two, the other big note for the first third was a really nice honey roasted peanut. Think the Planters version of it. The rest of the stick I’ll lump into one “super third” as it was consistent to the end, and very distinct from the first. For the first time in the stick, cedar came on strong here and was joined pretty swiftly by almonds. That really nice strawberry jam note also carried through the end of the stick and here and there a dark roast coffee as well. After barely a year of age, these have hugely progressed already. My current stock is pretty thin on these, so from here on out it may be one a year as testers until they hit their stride. Gonna give this a solid B/B+ and could see it easily stretching its legs beyond that in the future.

....now I have seen it all LOT OF 10 ANTIQUE COHIBA CIGARS HANDMADE CUBA - HAVANA Starting price: €20.00 Shipping from €5.00

A good friend brought these back for me from a recent trip to Philipsburg, Sint Maarten.

Nice premium packaging company. The printing looks like someone was inspired by Goyard or similar luxury products.

My submission here would be this terrible catchers mitt ashtray that I used in the past. Still have it, but now I default to the marble Hotel Nacional model I picked up a few months back.

in glorious leader, we trust. sometimes.

the benefit of sending a PM, is that when you post something really stupid (and i am just speaking generally here, as someone who has posted his fair share of idiocy), you don't expose yourself as a complete tosser. of course, it is entirely possible that our glorious leader thinks that this very post does not add value.

You need to rethink your method of discourse. Add value where you can. You don't have to actually type every thought bubble.

How come Kirby and Vegueros Man are never seen in the same room together?

A custom 109 in the bottom of the box with a beat up wrapper

Enjoying a La Escepción Don José Edición Regional Italia 2015.

Just a custom roll. It's pretty fresh, I have some rested ones, and they're pretty swell.

Mar 19 Rio Seco that has few wrapper issues, taste is unreal so far though.

Had some cured horse in Spain once. It was sliced thin like a ham

Are we talking about something different than Neuralink? They just had their first human implant a week or so ago. Perhaps you’re referring to the next stage, where the AI is making the decisions and pointing the mouse for you?? I’d say it’s happening now….and I love the “completely safe” qualifier to your question!! 😂😂😂

The concept of one "global" regulation (not that you are proposing it) is far fetched. Forthcoming EU regulation will likely be different to US let alone China, Oz, Brittain etal. I have little faith that regulation can be consistent in this realm.

I highly doubt it is my business to chime in here as @MoeFOH has this under control, however I will state that sending a PM is much more for your own sake than anyone else's. There is no obligation for our host to provide incentives for the reviews we post, but he is kind enough to do so. The competitions are open to all members, new and old, and I have never once read a complaint about said quality of prizes (albeit I am new to here as well). If you don't like the current system, there is no requirement to participate and if you'd like to have a shot at prizes there are still other routes to do so. I think the benefit of sending a direct message as opposed to openly venting about it in a public forum post is nothing more than perception. While I believe your intentions were wholesome, it is difficult to read your posts as such. I also hope that you feel "safe" sending a PM since this is a cigar forum...not sure what security can be found posting publicly here. Apologies for involving myself where it is not appropriate but after reading this thread I found it hard not to.

That’s how you get plugged into the matrix. No thank you.