joeboxer

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Everything posted by joeboxer

  1. After watching game 2 I have to say warriors in 5. I hope the cavs push them to 7 though.
  2. I agree that wind tunnels are not always under filled. A loose draw can still be enjoyable and I classify a cigar as underfilled when there are soft spots (which really drive me crazy during smoking) or a loose draw AND quick, hot burn. Underfilled cigars are just as frustrating as tight/plugged cigars for me because the smoking experience is ruined. As a side note, I experience underfilling much more frequently in NC and visa versa with overfilling.
  3. One of the most iconic athletes of all time. While a few fighters like Tyson and Mayweather have spent a few years in the spotlight, Ali has remained the face of boxing for 50 years. May he RIP.
  4. PL 109 I usually avoid regionals but was a big fan of the encantos. I am sure the ring gage was part of what I loved, but if I was funding it I would not go lower than 46.
  5. My vote is RASS. It has the strength and body to appeal to more traditional NC smokers but a flavor profile that marks it as a Cuban cigar. IMO a quality Monte 2 also has a very unique profile that cannot be found in NC, but they are inconsistent in quality. The BBF has more similarities to NC than the RASS or M2 in my experience.
  6. For a "special" cigar I prefer water. I feel that water draws out the flavors of a cigar without significantly altering them. When I am less neurotic about altering the flavors of my cigar, I enjoy a quality cup of freshly brewed black coffee. Recently I have been enjoying coffees from Costa Rica, but that varies from week to week just like my preference for cigar brands.
  7. If I was limited to vitolas they would be dalias and corona gorda. Unfortunately, I didn't see a CG option so I picked robusto extra because sometimes I enjoy a larger cigar. I do love petit coronas, perlas, etc but if I'm limited to two vitolas I would be hesitant to go small because I usually want to spend well over an hour enjoying my smokes.
  8. This is so true. I enjoy both CC and NC and vary from month to month as to which I am favoring, but when I stumble upon a CC that is one of those "unicorns" it is an experience parallel to none. My experience has been that while CC can be overfilled and have tight draws, NC are often under filled and have very loose draws. I find both scenarios equally aggravating. Even the premium NC I smoke (i.e. Pardon, Ligas, Tats) can be plagued by wind tunnels that ruin the flavor and experience for me. The strange thing is that I have rarely heard anyone else complain about these experiences with NC, but often hear people complain about the tight draws on CC.
  9. 15 cigars for 7 days means roughly 2 per day. In that case I would try to pack 7 larger and 8 smaller format cigars. Since my selection is not too wide at the moment I would pack the following: 3 lusis 3 monte 2s 1 RyJ Churchill 2 RASS 2 Upmann Connie 1s 2 Juan Lopez #1s 2 trini reyes
  10. Best: 2011 Upmann Connie 1 purchased from a 24:24 a couple months ago. I don't have the box code readily available but definitely the best of the week. Worst: Liga Privada Feral Flying Pig. Terribly disappointing smoke. I have had good ones before but this one was not very good. Smoked it during my honeymoon this past week and was upset I wasted my time on a special occasion.
  11. HdM Epicure no 2. Never had one I truly enjoyed. Something has always been off about the profile of each one I have smoked. Now epicure no 1s are a whole different story!
  12. I like the Vader one. I would love to see a picture of the R2D2 one with a fire buring inside of it though to really compare them.
  13. I also enjoy the RA Robusto Corto very much. My only complaint is that everytime I have smoked one I ended up wishing it was longer!
  14. If I paid for a box of Supremos and received the bottom picture I believe I would have a heart attack. They look like dried out bundle cigars with Cohiba bands. Boxes like that are the reason people sometimes believe legitimate vendors are selling fakes. Although a "legitimate vendor" probably should not be selling those in the first place...
  15. That is an inspirational accomplishment! I will definitely check it out after I have finished my current line-up. I admire your motivation and commitment!
  16. Beautiful accessory! It does appear to be useful too which is a bonus. I am not one to have useless accessories laying around even if they look nice.
  17. Amen. Cigarette smoke smells considerably worse. Even when I was young, before I started smoking, I thought that cigarettes smelled worse! I try to be respectful of others and smoke in designated or private areas. I certainly try to limit exposing children to smoke that their parents (or they) do not want to be exposed to. Having said that, I do not have much sympathy for cigarette smokers complaining about my cigars and I definitely pay no mind to anyone complaining about my smoke in a designated smoking area. Those two situations are just plain ridiculous.
  18. I think there will definitely be a drop in quality as Cuba pushes to meet a huge spike in demand and we will all be extremely grateful for the few people that hand-pick boxes of cigars we spend our hard earned money hoping to enjoy. I also have a feeling that, as supply shortages occur, some of the high quality, lower priced NCs will find their way into markets that were previously corned by CCs and some the people in those markets will be suprised and develop a taste for them. While I love CCs, I am also aware that there are some very good NCs that many parts of the world have never seen before. I think (and hope!) that the NC market will expand quickly and the production problems in Cuba may balance themselves out faster than we fear as the demand returns to levels closer to embargo times due to NCs taking a larger market share outside of the U.S. These NC manufacturers may also put pressure on Cuba to increase the quality of their product over time as they move into these markets. That is what I am hoping for at least... Sadly, Despite being a U.S. Citizen, I have no desire to see the embargo lifted because I would rather not suffer through any drop in quality.
  19. Definitely a complicated situation. I certainly feel for Cubanacan as they have been put in a very difficult position. Thank you for sharing!
  20. As Rob said, there are three sides to every story. My first thought as I was reading this news was how Cubanacan seemed to be falling apart. They lost their VP of sales a little while ago, now HR, and most recently the factory they were using. Seems like there could be some issues with their management. Here is an article about La Corona Factory in Esteli ending production for them: http://halfwheel.com/la-corona-factory-parts-ways-with-cubanacan/90212
  21. I will love the Patriots until my last day on earth but it is hard to argue with that...
  22. I had a Nov 14 RASS with an ordinary appearance and a forgettable box code a few weeks ago that was simply life changing. No RASS before that ever came close and I will probably smoke 2000 more RASS of varying ages trying to replicate that experience in vain. The most interesting thing about this cigar was the nub. As it burnt away into almost nothing I picked up a distinct flavor of molten flesh...
  23. It sounds to me like you may be looking for strength that is not found in Cubans in order to feel satisfied with a cigar. Occasionally when I am craving something with strength that can deliver a little punch in the gut, I find myself reaching for NCs. Just a thought, but I definitely agree with previous commenters who suggested that you may need to give your body and taste buds some time to adapt to CCs.
  24. Well thank you Mr. Diamante for providing the international community with another fine example of our vastly superior knowledge and culture in America! I'm still trying to think of a fake Cuban cigar I have seen without a flat foot...
  25. In the U.S. I have been noticing a lot of cigars using exotic tobaccos (ie Brazil, Columbia, Pennsylvania, etc) as well as "fire-cured" tobaccos (which I strongly dislike). These blends are an opportunity to introduce new flavor profiles but I am growing tired of the push for novelty. With so many mediocre cigars I wish companies would spend more time making fewer, higher quality offerings. Unfortunately, it appears to be more profitable to have a "new," "exclusive," "special," and "exciting" product and I am sure my wishes will be washed away by waves of money coming from the mass public.

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