Asher

Hi all, It's been a while since I posted here. I've been trying to track down an old thread or page from El Pres (I think?) featuring boxes and bands that looked fake but weren't: misspellings, misprints, etc. This could have been 10 or so years ago. Google isn't much help. Anyone recall this? Thanks!

I've really got to pick up a box or two of Coronas Major. Every one I've smoked has been fantastic. A really under-rated cigar IMO, and a helluva bargain.

This review was done as part a blind cigar review contest, with a scoring rubric that was decided upon by the contest organizer. The cigar (revealed afterwards) was a Punch Super Seleccion #1 from 2002. I've made a couple of minor edits. Appearance (12/15): This cigar was a rather homely, light brown lonsdale. The wrapper was sturdy but rough, covered with small dark lines. The lighter portions of the wrapper had a very faint greenish hue. The cigar was firmly constructed, with no soft spots or obvious plugs. The cold tobacco had the sweet aroma of fresh flowers and honey. Ash (9/10): The ash was medium to dark gray in color, and sturdy in its composition. Draw (9/10): The draw was slightly tight initially, but not a problem. Burn (7/10): The burn during the first inch or so was terrible. The cigar lit evenly, and then began to canoe badly. I evened out the burn with some aggressive touch-ups, and the burn was decent after that. Smoke (10/10): Lots of pleasant smelling smoke. Flavor/Blend (18/20): The cigar started out with a floral taste, but became harsh as I fought the uneven burn. When the cigar was burning evenly again, the harshness disappeared and was replaced by a smooth, faintly-sweet vanilla flavor. About two inches in, there were notes of aromatic wood. (I always identify this taste as cedar, but that may be because cedar is the first wood I think of in relation to cigars.) At this point, the taste was becoming medium-bodied and very enjoyable. There were bright and lively notes of lemon.[*] The flavor remained consistent through the final third. Uniqueness (8/10): This is difficult category to score. There was nothing revolutionary about the individual flavors, but the overall blend was unique. Finish (15/15): This cigar stayed pleasant until the end, and left only a faint, agreeable aftertaste. Total: 88/100 [*] I originally wrote: "I can't describe the specific tastes very well, but it was bright and lively, sort of like citrus." Another reviewer mentioned a lemon flavor, and I realized that was what I had been trying to describe.

» We've all seen the plethora of questions about "what makes Cuban tobacco » special?" What I've never seen, however, is something like a chemical » analysis of tobacco from different countries, regions, etc.. I guess to » keep it short - have I missed something? » » If it hasn't been done; why not? I'm sure there is plenty of money to fund » such a venture . . . I saw an article about this a while back: http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y01/apr01/06e8.htm US Customs also appears to do some sort of testing. Lew Rothman used the results of one of these tests as a selling point in a recent catalog. Here is the related story: https://www.cigarcyclopedia.com/webapp/content/view/1031/58/

Obama 11400

» registered several days ago. never got the email, sent an email off the » error page, haven't gotten a response, still cannot log in without the » following error... Yep, me too.

Here are a few recent favorites: -Oliva Serie V (particularly the lancero and the belicoso) -Illusione ~hl~ (only had one so far, but it was great) -Padilla '68 -Don Pepin Garcia Blue -Tatuaje Angeles -La Aurora Escogidos (a Dominican puro given away at the factory and at special events; I was gifted one recently)

» Anyone had or heard of the new Illusione Cigars from Honduras? I believe that all of the Illusione vitolas are Nicaraguan, not Honduran. I got a pair of the ~hl~ lanceros a month or two back, and the one I've smoked so far was fantastic. It remains to be seen whether this was a fluke, but so far I'm really impressed. For the folks here who don't smoke many non-Cuban cigars, these are worth trying. In fact, there seem to be a whole bunch of great cigars coming out of Nicaragua at the moment: Oliva Serie V and O (particularly the V lanceros), Tatuaje, and Illusione in particular.

» Unfortunately, they wouldn't have believed you anyway. Yeah, I made the mistake of commenting, and was accused of being a shill.

» Montecristo Diadema? Bolivar Generoso? Cohiba Salomon? » » Those three cigars would sell more globally in one month than the entire » production total of Cuaba since inception. The Cohiba Salomones are already out!

» So……what is it? That description sounds somewhat like the RyJ Exhibicion #4 I had tonight. The size is wrong, so I'll guess a 2007 RyJ Short Churchill.

» What is the worst Cuban Cigar you own? The cigar that you just cannot get » your head around....the cigar which is a serial disappointment. » » List the cigar and particular year or box code. Often it is a case that it » is not the Marque or vitola but the production period. » » Let's see if there a few of the same culprits come to the fore? A 2007 Trini Reyes (OUR SEP 07). Got a few in a box split, and the only one I've smoked so far was tightly plugged. I've heard so many good things about these that I tried hard to smoke this cigar, but it wouldn't give in. I hope the remaining sticks will be better!

A lot of people compare Pepin Garcia's cigars to Cuban cigars, particularly the Tatuaje blends. While the comparison might be apt, I think it's a bit condescending to fine Nicaraguan cigars. Nicaraguan puros (particularly Pepin's blends) have a distinctive spicy flavor component that I haven't tasted in a Cuban cigar, and they deserve recognition for their unique characteristics, instead of being viewed as the best wannabe-Cubans. (Admittedly, I haven't smoked a lot of Cuban cigars yet, but I'm working on rectifying that!) Personally, my tastes seem to gravitate towards both Cuban and Nicaraguan puros, and while there are some similarities between these two types of tobacco, Cuban cigars have flavors that Nicaraguan cigars cannot duplicate, and vice versa. If the question were "what non-Cuban cigars would likely appeal to a Habanos aficionado?", then I'd recommend Pepin's cigars as a good place to start. But if you're specifically looking for that distinctive Cuban flavor, then your best bet is a genuine Cuban cigar.

» » We could organize a holdem game, held in my buddy's shop. Nothing fancy » » but at least we can smoke and gamble. It is located in Glenview, North » » suburbs about 15 miles north of downtown.. Any interest from the » Chicago » » contingents? » » Tons of interest friend! I am in the downtown loop and would love to meet » up. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help plan! I'm in Madison, but I'd drive down to Chicago for some gambling & smoking.

(Oops, didn't read the date on the original post . . .)

Thanks for the kind welcome, everybody!

» I've a good friend that works at the University in Madison whom I've been » in touch with recently. I understand you guys got a pounding last winter. Yeah, and it hasn't stopped. It warmed up over the last few weeks, but then we got another 8 inches of snow yesterday. The previous seasonal snowfall record was about 76 inches, and we're at 99.5 inches as of last night. It's almost over, though.

» Third: Does Maduro Cigar Bar still allow smoking? I heard they had an » exclusion to the non-smoking ordinance but haven't confirmed with anyone » yet. Do you ever go there? I used to live in Madison and spent many » hours at the joint back in the day. Great place for our kind. I just live a few blocks away from Maduro. Fortunately, they do still allow cigar and pipe smoking, at least until the statewide smoking ban passes.

Hi all, I've been lurking for a while, but this is my first post. I got into cigar smoking seriously about six months ago, but I've only had a few Habanos so far. Thanks the generosity of the folks on another board, I've so far tried a Punch PC, a Partagas Short, and an RASCC (my favorite, so far). I've got an H. Upmann Connoisseur No.1 from 2001 that I hope to smoke this week, and I've got a PLPC and a RyJ Tubos #1 resting. After that, I've got to figure out what to buy! Anyway, I'm looking forward to learning a lot here! -Asher