SeriesV

good joke, and dont forget, everything's bigger in texas...

too cold = not fun. not fun = no reason to smoke. so in the winter it's time to visit casinos, cigar bars, or go on vacation

the first several times i smoke them i was underwhelmed, almost to the point of disappointment but note quite. i think the don carlos are better, and there are so many other brands out there that are twice as yummy at half the price.

for whatever reason, crytal lite iced tea (normal lemon, not any of the flavored ones) has emerged as the nearly prefect drink to almost any cigar that I would ever care to smoke. my buddy used to always drink coke, but after he tried the iced tea he never went back. I dont know what exactly it is, but for some reason it just seems to click. having said that, a good beer, or a rum and coke is always a good choice. better still is a mojito

if and when the embargo is lifted, i think that the trademark issue is the next huge problem that will prevent genuine cubans from flooding the shelves in the states. and i also think that the counterfeit and "copycat" or "knockoff" stuff will explode in order to take advantage of all the non smokers who just think that cuban cigar = good.

Hey Ian, not to threadjack or bump an old post, but I'm headed to Barcelona for a long wknd soon, first trip to Spain, and I'm really looking forward to a few days of delicious smokes on the beach. Any insider tips about good shops to pick up some sticks from? Or, alternatively, any to avoid?

Hi all, I'm a long time member of FOH, and used to be (somewhat) active on other forums also a few years back, but then life got in the way a little. Originally from upstate NY, now I'm living and working near Rotterdam in the Netherlands. I still get the email updates from Rob, and I even read them I figure maybe it's time to get back into the BOTL lifestyle a bit again, and maybe even find some fellow expats (or Dutchies) in the area to share some smoke with. Let's see how it goes! -Paul

I have only had a few Fuente products, including the Opus X. I didn't particularily care for the Opus, but this could have been due to the fact that it was still fresh, and most Fuente smokers will agree that you have to age the Opus for at least a year before it really starts to 'pop'. I bought 2 sticks that day, and I've had the 2nd in my humi for a little over a year now. I also have a couple of others from trades that have been sitting for at least several months. I am still waiting for the urge to light one up to hit, whenever I go to get a smoke, there is always something else that I want to try instead. IMO, there are just too many other great cigars out there that are a much better value for me to worry aobut Fuente stuff, with a couple of exceptions (the Cuban beli and the Don Carlos I had were both pretty awesome, and cheaper than the opus). CAO is another domesic company that seems to focus a little too much on marketing/presentation at times, and those particular cigars just aren't a good enough value for me to really be interested in them. That is not to say that they are not good cigars, but rather that there are other cigars out there that are just as good (or better) for much less money, and that are much easier to locate and purchase. If i can get a 5-pack of a particular brand that I really enjoy from a website for roughly the same price as 1 or 2 Fuente sticks that I may or may not like as much from the 1 cigar shop in my area, it's not really a question as to what I am going to purchase.

I got a 10-ct box of these back in may/june, and my purchase was partly influenced by others' comments that they were smoking wonderfully OTT. I was rather dissappointed by my first one, which I smoked within a couple of days of recieving them. Yesterday, I picked one up again, and wow! a huge difference. I was with family at my camp, so while I was certainly paying attention to the cigar, it was not a very condusive setting to do a 'propper' review. Also, I still have trouble picking out the subtle nuances of flavors that are often mentioned. Construction was supurb, just a slight crack on the foot (presumably from shipping) but by no means was it detrimental. When I went to cut it, though, the length of the shoulder struck me as being unusually long. Certainly not a bad thing, just somewhat unusual IMO, and it stuck in my mind. The first 1/2 inch or so was a little disheartening. The flavors were rather muted, it was somewhat bland, and both the burn and draw left quite a bit to be desired. However, after about 1/2 inch, it got buring better and the smoke finally started pouring out. Burn was a little off still, but that corrected itself by the 1" mark or so and stayed sufficiently even to the end. The flavors were nice and strong, and there was plenty of smoke to enjoy. The details escape my memory, but I seem to recall a nice tobacco taste, with perhaps an ever-so-slight sweetness to it. I think there were hints of coffee thoughout, and I don't remember there being much leather at all, but as I said, there was family, conversation, beer, and a campfire around... I was VERY impressed with this cigar, and acually look forward to smoking more of them (the first one really turned me off of them, so I let them sit for a good 3 months before even considering trying again). I have been thoroughly enjoying the Petit Edmundos, and this was certainly at least as good, but in a completely different flavor profile. I would say it was a 8.5-9 / 10

I have come to really enjoy these cigars. I've had 3 thus far over the course of a couple of months, and right from the start, I was impressed. Very rich flavors, and a nice easy draw on all of them. Plenty of smoke without having to struggle for it at all. These are certainly a go-to cigar for me at the momtent, and one of only a few.

I came across this site via a box-split with a member a few days ago. I'm definately liking what i've seen thus far!! Still catching up on old posts, but I'm getting there. I also see several familiar names from some of the other boards I frequent, which is cool too.