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Delicious Siglo VI today. This one has that creamy honey note that I love and chase.

Tatuaje 2023 TAA and La Riqueza No. 1 Lonsdale at an in-store Tatuaje event at my local B&M. Quai d’Orsay Coronas Claro on the Lake.

All dress boxes have been redesigned - not only Bolívar - so as to comply with EU-regulations. While they were at it they took opportunity to change the logo as well, with the new split double placement. At the moment, in most of Europe health warning stickers are demanded to cover at least 1/3 of the outer facing, bottom and inner lid. The new design makes sure that at least one logo remains fully visible. The same reason why you find double brands and box code stamping on the bottom.

2012 CPE to celebrate the 1st "upper decker" of the season!. And by upper decker inam of course referring to my deck on top of my shed.😆

Lusi Wednesday. Channeling @Habana Mike Smoke ‘em if you got em.

Quai d'Orsay No.50 - SMA Jul 2018...

RASS.

5 pound pork butt smoked for 6 1/2 hours. Turned out great.

I am peeved by extreme feelings towards someone because their opinion does/does not align with theirs. What happened to having a conversation, feeling comfortable sharing your opinion, and listening to others that may help challenge and refine your own? I love to hear different perspectives and opinions!

I like the La Fuerza better but they are both good cigars. I love the San Cristobal cigars! 😍

Social media, the diet of Algorithms feeding only tailored content and the lack of common sense. Cheap manufacturing and general quality.

I just had a friend give me a CAO Consigliere torpedo on the course Saturday. I enjoyed it enough to buy a box. It burned great, lasted nearly 9 holes and tasted good. That's all I need on the course. Absolutely worth $10.

Seeing people always on their bloody phones. People can't go for a dog walk, take their kids to the park or do anything outdoors without staring at their phones. I think people are afraid of the quiet and being outside. I often walk my dog by a baseball diamond or soccer field and the parents have their heads down on their phones instead of being in the moment watching their kids.

Get this for your mum Ford!

I have some: 1. People are in waaaay too much of a hurry. Drivers in California are particularly egregious. 2. People in groups just texting on their phones and not speaking to each other in public, people texting while driving, people texting me novels instead of calling me. 3. Busy bodies. My mom lives in a place rampant in snitches and rats.

Nudie Carlota. Quietly jockeying for my favorite of the Nudie line thus far.

Monday night cigars 03' Vegas Robaina 5 Aniversario Humidor - Famosos Milk Chocolate, Peanut butter, Cinnamon graham crackers 98' Punch Churchills Tube Cherry cream, Cocoa, Coffee Blah Ok Good Tasty Heavenly

Por Larrañaga Petit Corona (LGR MAR19).

Party Short with the best lunch I've had in a minute.

'24 RA Superiores. Just... meh.

Your Pet Peeves of 2025? Cigars or otherwise ....what getting your goat......grinding your gonads OCD members are limited to three peeves only

2/3 in France...

1- adults on electric scooters 2- people talking on their phone with the speaker on EVERYWHERE 3- fewer and fewer people seem to value privacy these days.

La Punta. So unique. Spiced peaches and cream. 🤤

Hate and intolerance of differences. Lack of respect for other people's personal autonomy and right to determine their own identity and expression. Generally going backward instead of forward in how we value science and education. I mean, Cuban cigar prices also suck, but that's a drop in the bucket compared to the current culture war.

I am a fan.

La Fuerza. I will pick a parejo over a piramide every time given the chance. Plus Fuerza has that molalsses-y thing going on.

Left lane loafers Self check in lieu of human cashiers Smoking bans

Some celebrate Christmas in July, so I’ll take Festivus in September. 1) Clout seekers and influencer culture. Similarly, “Only those who do not seek power are qualified to hold it” 2) Meetings that should have been an email and vice versa - I’d prefer strategic communication (within work) 3) Feeling obligated to take the entirety of the 3 pet peeve limit.

Like them both but the La Punta for size and preference. Some heavily plugged Lu Fuerza’s here and there whereas the La Punta has always treated me well.

I don’t smoke in the morning as I have young kiddos. But I will say that my preferred smoking time is early and goes down as the day passes. I’m not really a night time cigar guy and I like being in bed by 9.

One of the few marcas I really prefer with some age on them. Seven years makes a Fundy shine.

Not a coffee drinker or morning cigar person. That being said, early day or short smoke would be a HUPC (unfortunately gone) - replaced by a HUHC or a PLPC.

Very similar profiles and I will always take the pyramid over a Robustos. La Punta for me.

They are good cigars and I’ll have one now and then but they are my least favorite in the marca. San Cristobal just doesn’t hit me where I live. Nice for a change of pace but that’s about it. The El Morro was the pinnacle SC so of course they cut it. That was easily my favorite.

The way that social media fights for your attention annoys me. I actually found this forum in giving up doom scrolling for Lent, haha! Similarly, media feels cheaper and less thought-through these days. When I watch movies or listen to music, it feels like people cared to get details right. Modern momentum and low barrier for entry with new technology is amazing, but we've definitely lost some finesse.

I can offer some real life experience here..... I am 56yrs old, live the Phoenix, Arizona (5 million people) and bought a "passion business" for $450k last year. Oh and I owned a couple of cigar shops in the late '90s/early 2000s so I know that biz also. My current retail store is Knives & Pen...yeah collectible & everyday carry knives and Fine Writing fountain/rollerball/ballpoint pens along with some stationery, pen repair/restoration and recently nib grinding. I am semi-retired as I work 2 days a week as an ICU RN which gives me a base home income and pension...if I lost everything at Penchetta I would still be okay. House was already paid for and no real bills. The previous owner started in 2009 and built a great local following so I just had to add the online side of things. Now to the numbers....margins are shrinking everyday, he had 50% gross when he started and 40% when I took over. I built my plan on 30% knowing we were going online against big players and we have settled at 35% which I am trying to grow...retail sucks because someone is always willing to race to the bottom. Staff can make or break you...I have my wife, older son, a great family friend and a pen maker/part time guy. We hired and let go one person so far because they were a stand around vs go-getter type person. Unique selling position is a real thing...we are the only Fine Writing store in an area of 5 million people but I really compete against Amazon and big online vendors these days. We are one of 3 knife stores and again I compete against the online. It really sucks when someone wants an hour of your time trying different knives just to find what they like and leave to go search for the lowest price online. Or almost worse is taking an hour then spending $8 on a small bottle of ink...I should have just given it to them in 5 minutes and gone to do some real work. Oh and don't forget phone calls, emails, office paperwork, ordering, scammers, phone sales people and all the time suckers out there. We entered this with a 5 year plan to grow & sell, grow and pass on to the older son, or shut down at the end of the lease...1 year of 5 and that is still the plan, it just has gone slower thanks to the economy slowing, and TARIFFS are REAL.

I smoked one of the original band Trinidad in college - absolutely a thing of beauty. I remember cashews, cream, and something else I couldn’t put my finger on. Current blend is somewhat different. They’re exceptional now but that was something special. My two best friends at school and I smoked them together (ordered from Canada at a premium though far less than they command today) - I remember my roommate James just saying, “this is how a cigar should taste.” RIP James P. Whitney

@JohnS — when you speak, I listen I’m lucky to have had an ‘97 just last month. It is a stunning. highly memorable cigar. Seems unfair for that to be a yardstick for others. Enjoyed it with good friends in memory of a friend. I had a few of the 2017-18s well before that rarified recent experience. Those were so good I sought them out — even did a trade for them some years ago here on FOH — and gained a great friendship with @Islandboy ever since These Trinis seem to always help make memories:)

Has such a plain band ever said so much?

Last night and this afternoon.

Sir Winston - TLR NOV 08

Romeo y Julieta Petit Royales '24 Halfway through my box, all consistent construction, inconsistent flavors. This one is a winner as it has the cherry citrus note that I oh so enjoy. Even holds over and adds the flavor to my coffee!

SLR DC - love at first light Can’t take ‘em with you!

Well, assuming as Rob alluded to that EAR OP is in the US: $500K USD in cash will disappear quite quickly. If you're assuming that OP is building or reno'ing an existing space, with proper air makeup and cigar inventory most of that will be gone. Before we even get to that point you need to know whether the area you're in has existing shops, and whether there's even a market to add an additional shop. If you can do a shop with both a lounge and licensed alcohol sales that's going to be the way to do it. You'll make more profit on alcohol sales than cigars. You won't have to worry about striking it rich, that's not going to happen. If it does happen, it will take 4+ years before you're turning a profit. Up until that point all your profits will be going back into the story for inventory and growth. Is your relationship with your spouse strong enough for you to be spending 6 - 7 days in your shop for 14+ hours a day? It will be that way for a long while until you are generating enough revenue to hire staff. Even then you're almost certainly not going to have much of a life outside of the shop. I don't want to paint a bleak picture, just one that removes the romance from store ownership.