GP012

ARA DIC 02, serial DB159723. The photo is from 2007 as this box is long gone. It's tough to make out with my poor choice in aperture, but the Robustos & Piramides have 4 dots. I'm not up to speed on which specific vendors fall under "gold standard", but without naming names... Rob, you know him.

NE, LAR and MIN. Totally forgot about the interim coach bounce-back on the last one.

Damn, in a two way tie for first last week.

Here's an interesting photo from Alain Proietto of LCDH Lugano Switzerland. Note the size difference of the PC jar at center vs the Upmann jar to the right. Oddly, the PC jar further back looks shorter but I don't think that's only because of perspective. I would surmise that the 50ct's are rare but not impossible to find. Edit: And here's a video of the same jars, although he does not open the Upmanns:

It was definitely a 50ct and had ~29 left. Priced in the low $2,000's if I remember correctly. The HU Corona's were a 50ct as well. Both 50ct jars had serrated seals and "Made in Havana - Cuba" which supported the pre-revolution date estimate.

I came across this jar back in ~2010 and it was billed as pre-revolution. There also was an intact jar of HU Coronas available with the same pre-revolution age estimate but the cigars were in poor shape.

I'm in for any day.

I gutted and converted a 4x3x8 closet for a little under $1,500 but did all of the labor myself. The majority of the cost was the humidity system from Bob and the wine cooler. Hiring a contractor probably would have added another $750+. One of the benefits of starting from scratch is the ability to customize to your liking. Don't forget to take into consideration interior lighting and additional fans to move the air. LED strips often used for under cabinet lighting are silly cheap these days and very easy to install.

Although not quite regular production, I'd also add select Regionals or EL's in "connoisseur" vitolas otherwise known as "HSA, WTF WERE YOU THINKING DISCONTINUING THIS VITOLA!" For RE's: PL Lonsdales, most any 109, PL Magnificos, Boli Especiales #2, PL Encantos (there may be a theme here), La Escepcion Selectos Finos and RA 898s (supposed duds now but I'd venture a guess they will turn around) all come to mind.

I don't think anyone could put a hard number on the amount of counterfeit cigars out there but there certainly are a few variations. I can't guess as to a percentage of fake vs real, but can certainly estimate percentages for types of fakes. Stupid Tourist Edition ~60% These are your run of the mill glass top Fauxhiba Esplendidos that are being hawked by beach vendors or back alley sharks. These are usually what the cruise ship tourist brings back for their cigar smoking relatives as a "thoughtful" gift. Also found in gift shops, convenience stores and supposed duty free shops around the world. 60% might be too conservative of an estimate. Edicion Limitada Edition ~20% These are more nefarious as they are targeting the Havana smoker who's a little more knowledgeable but may not be fully aware of what they are getting into. 2004 Cohiba Sublimes, 2000 Partagas Piramides, etc are common examples of these highly faked cigars. The fugazis are usually are sold for much higher prices than glass top fauxhibas although not quite market price for the genuine examples. And last but not least and my favorites, the STD (Stupid Tourist or Dumbass) Edition ~20%. These are always good for a laugh because they combine the silliness of the attention grabbing glass box - including loose warranty seal & habanos chevron "look how authentic these are!" - with the insanity of an extra limited edition barber pole, special size/release or all of the above. Let's see how much shit we can fling at the wall and hope all of it sticks.

Download as a CSV if just text, XLSX if color/format/formula based. Numbers.app will convert both types of files.

Hiking above the Valley of the Kings. CoRo IIRC.

Pssht, amateur.

I'm in.