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2021 BBF

Bolivar PC

SLR Regios, from a batch of singles bought early this year.

Passed by the local b&m lcdh…a little over humidified/alot over priced but I wanted to give them a try.

Good stuff

Coro was amazing and siglo 3 was good. Qdo senadores was ok

RYJ MF Mar 23

I think we have seen red branded boxes (American market Dunhill) green branding boxes (some Flor De Cano cigars). Looks like Moss & Lownehaupt of St Louis, had commissioned a line of gold leaf branded/foil pressed boxes. The results look quite unimpressive. I wonder if like now, they were able to sell them. for 6 times the price of a normal box. As @joeypots would say. "selling the sizzle and not the steak" The building they were trading out of back in the day, and its current faded glory in St Louis.

BRT ABR 24

Por Larranaga Leones RE Spain Jun23 BRM Same dimensions as a Siglo III.

Someone say....Slayer??

I wish all of my Cubans would burn like these spada gordas.

2017 PLPC day

From FOH Will let them rest a bit.

Short days, short story.

858 Rosado.

Sitting in the Olde Cuban Singapore 2015 H Upmann Mag 56. I immediately texted Rob and asked for box. It was gorgeous Again LCDH Sheraton Hong Kong. 2011 Cohiba 1966 was just stunning. Back to Oz and the first box I purchased from FOH. I miss Smithy. While I still have access to both cigars, nothing has quite compared to the occasions mentioned above. I have a (single) Dunhill Havana Club on the way. This is one cigar I have always wanted to smoke. Looking forward to that eventually.

I rarely have a bad one of these. So consistent. Perfect for an hour with the dog. The last third on this one was particularly brilliant. Time well spent. -1- Sweet opening, hint of paprika, porridge oats, cream, some milk chocolate, peanuts - smokth retro -2- More of the spicy cream thing, raisins, heavy soda bread, caramel (not typical??), coffee and leather -3- Needed a little touch up but nothing serious. Flavours were more of the same but just built and built - amazing finish.

2021 N3 Carlota

A part of their proceeds funds orphanages on multiple continents. The rest goes to dog rescues.

What a miserable life it must be, relentlessly lying and cheating like that. It would eat the soul, even if you didn’t know it.

23 cs. Good but will be great in a few years, I reckon.

Last night with RJ Ex4 ABO JUN 18...

Part II https://www.finews.com/news/english-news/64784-a-web-of-fake-cigars-zurich-counterfeit-cohibas-cubaruedi-la-zagra-restaurant-strauss-egoist Original (rechts), Fälschung (links). (Bild: «Cigar» / finews.ch) Tuesday, 15 October 2024 16:37 A Web of Fake Cigars: High-End Dining Hit by Counterfeit Cohibas Written by Florian Schwab | Publishing Director On Friday, finews.com and the magazine «Cigar» dropped the findings of their joint investigation exposing counterfeit Cuban cigars at Zurich’s trendy hotspot Tao's. But as new evidence reveals, this is just the tip of the iceberg—the problem is more widespread than initially believed. Just four days ago, «Cigar» and finews.com broke the news that Tao's Restaurant & Bar, a go-to for Zurich’s in-crowd, was selling counterfeit Cohiba Siglo VI cigars for a steep 115 Swiss francs apiece. These fake cigars came from Rudolf R.*, a retiree previously caught selling counterfeit Havanas, better known by his alias, Cubaruedi. Since that exposé, both publications have been provided with information pointing to other high-end restaurants offering these dubious cigars, all supplied by Cubaruedi. Tobias Hüberli, Cigar's editor-in-chief, followed the trail, publishing a fresh set of revelations (article in German). In some cases, the suspicions proved true; in others, the establishments were cleared of wrongdoing. Deceptive Bands, Off-Key Flavors Hüberli, an expert in cigars, uncover the fakes with the industry's standard methods. First, he analyzed the cigar bands, which on genuine Cuban cigars are printed by a Dutch security printing firm and feature numerous counterfeit-resistant details, much like banknotes. Second, he tested the cigars’ flavor profiles. Cuban tobacco has a signature taste that stands apart from any other origin, making it relatively easy for seasoned connoisseurs to detect impostors. While Tao's and Meat Me steakhouse had already been singled out in last week’s investigation, Hüberli’s latest findings uncovered fakes in several other prominent locations: La Zagra, Zurich: At this elite Italian restaurant in Zurich’s Seefeld district, a regular 15-point favorite of Gault Millau, Hüberli discovered multiple crude counterfeits stashed in the humidor. When confronted, restaurant manager Luca Gioia admitted he didn’t know much about cigars. This was evident in the pricing—he had been selling the fake Cohiba Siglo VI, which Cubaruedi supplied at 20 francs each, for just 38 francs. That’s a far cry from the authentic version, which retails for around 110 francs. La Zagra swiftly pulled all of Cubaruedi’s cigars from its shelves and has since contacted a lawyer. Neue Real, Zurich: This Spanish restaurant, co-founded by Zurich dining legend Aurelio Lorenzo (formerly of Casa Aurelio), had also been unwittingly selling Cubaruedi’s cigars. When the scandal came to light, managing director Mazen Rahmani didn’t hesitate—he removed the cigars immediately. «Cubaruedi abused my trust and damaged the reputation of our establishment,» Rahmani told Cigar. Unlike Tao's, at least he wasn’t charging premium prices for the fake Cohibas—35 francs for a Edición Limitada Romeo y Julieta and 27 francs for a Cohiba Medio Siglo. Strauss, Winterthur: It is as upscale as it gets in Winterthur; and it was also selling fake Havanas. The pricing here was chaotic—the Montecristo Open Eagle was listed at 27 francs, instead of the usual 36 francs, and the Cohiba Medio Siglo at 26 francs, compared to 66.30 francs in legitimate retail outlets. This odd pricing structure suggests the owners had no idea they were dealing with counterfeit goods. «We’ve never received complaints about the cigars,» said restaurant manager Tuba Özdemir. «Cubaruedi insists his cigars are real, but we’ll be conducting our own investigation immediately.» It’s not just high-end dining that’s been hit by the fake cigar trade. Tips have also surfaced about counterfeit Cuban cigars being sold at the Egoist nightclub on Langstrasse, Zurich’s infamous nightlife district. While the investigation team opted not to verify the claim on-site, they did reach out to the club for comment. The owners, however, remained silent. Cubaruedi Speaks Cigar’s Hüberli managed to speak with the man at the center of the storm, Cubaruedi. He continues to deny that the Cuban cigars he’s been selling at well below market prices are fakes. Yet, when pressed, he revealed his supplier: Solocigars, an online shop based in Costa Rica. Solocigars has a notorious reputation for offering cheap Nicaraguan cigars disguised with counterfeit Cuban labels, selling them across the globe via its website. A Secret Cuban Pipeline? Could it be possible that Cubaruedi and Solocigars have somehow unlocked a secret supply chain, getting their hands on genuine Cuban cigars at rock-bottom prices, bypassing international import and retail costs? Hüberli is skeptical. «I find that highly unlikely,» he says. «The inconsistencies in the cigar bands are a dead giveaway—these are clearly fakes.» Visit to Strauss in Winterthur: counterfeit Cohiba (right), original (left). Click image for larger view. (Image: «Cigar», Chris Iseli) Hüberli points out that for years, Cuba’s cigar industry has been plagued by production shortages, leading to tight control over its supply chain. Global pricing was standardized in April 2023, but even before that, prices were relatively uniform across markets. Is there any chance these cigars could be genuine Cubans but not part of the state-controlled tobacco monopoly? Hüberli dismisses this notion outright. «Cuba guards its cigar industry like a national treasure. There is no black-market wholesale supply of authentic Cuban cigars anywhere in the world outside of official channels,» he asserts.

Or the correct dosage of rum for a Bond Roberts 'business' meeting.

Just makes me think of this

“But……these go to 11…..”

It looks like something I could have done drunk in my college days 🤔 Really happy filming everything and posting it to social media wasn't a thing at the time 😅

Great deep dive episode! For those interested, Joe's insta is: https://www.instagram.com/narrowlandpottery

Phones without removable batteries. I miss being able to just swap a freshly charged battery into my phone. And I think we've all noticed that the battery life goes to hell after a few years. Just pop the back off and swap a new one in.

But, I've bought so many cigars from them. 98% of my collection! Oh woah is me! 😛😂

I've been looking for that breed of fidgety hobbit that always seems to be in the extra legroom seats with no apparent need. Whilst my kneecaps are being crushed into a mess of plastic, steel rivets and cargo netting (because I'm too cheap/stubborn to upgrade). Now I know it's you. I can start plotting your demise...and yes! it will be slow...yes! It will be painful...and yes I will start with the kneecaps.

i thought the rules said no tossers. this bloke is an utter tosser.

H Upmann Connie No 1. LSM SEP 08.

888 Happy Thanksgiving Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Connie 1 PLM May ‘11 A treat, as always!

Oct 22 RASS

Enjoyed this Reyes from 2020 during outdoor lunch today.

A RASS TOR NOV 15 I’m going to nub paired with Old Forester 1897 and a good friend. Happy Canadian Thanksgiving.

Pre game smoke. Tatuaje havana vi nobles

Very happy with this acquisition Happy weekend FOH!