bishop532

Iwan Ries or Up Down Cigar Shop. Biggs mansion is supposed to be good too. As far as I remember all three are ByOB.

I feel pretty much exactly the same. I try to always vote the candidate, not the party, and my positions also tend to vary from center right to center left. Unfortunately I know almost no one else in my offline life who thinks that way besides my wife. And as time goes on it seems there’s less and less tolerance for even hearing what “the other side” has to say. I really hope that starts to change, because interacting solely with people who think exactly the same as I do tends to make for pretty bland living. It seems to me there’s a lack of empathy right now, across the spectrum.

I really love these cigars on a summer morning or afternoon. I agree with most of what’s been said - coffee, cake/doughnuts, cream - but the thing I really love about Reyes is that you occasionally get a sorta salty buttery note that hangs around for the first third or so. I think it’s maybe when they are slightly underfilled (but who knows - I just know it’s not there most of the time). It’s one of my favorite flavors Habanos puts out, and certainly ranks high among similarly-sized cigars for me.

They get around that. It’s not a condition of employment but they make it seem so (hence the ability for ppl above to get them to drop it by pushing back). It’s one of those things companies use as mental handcuffs. Even tho it’s rarely enforced at lower levels, many people worry about it and let it affect their employment decisions. That’s my take on it anyways, working in software. Everywhere I’ve worked has pushed it. I’ve generally signed it, though I did ignore it once and it just kind of went away bc HR never brought it up again.

Not too similar but I did enjoy his 25th Robusto blend a lot

Awesome, congratulations John!

I kept tasting figs or dates but I could see raisins too

I hadn’t tried these before, and in my search to find delicious panetelas I picked up a box recently. It’s a 5 x 34 Connecticut. Nice size for the morning. Pretty wrapper, a little on the dark side for a Connecticut, with a mild wood and tobacco scent. A little bitterness on the cold draw, but I expect that with Connecticut wrappers. Also some light bread or biscuit notes, which I love. 1/3 - Lightly bitter, a hint of cedar, and just good solid tobacco taste on the first few puffs. Construction is just right, like little bear’s porridge. After five or six minutes, I pick up a delicious salted pretzel note. Cream and cedar on the retro. Really good way to start the day. 2/3 - That salted pretzel is now in front, followed by cream and cedar. There’s a little cinnamon and baking spice in the background. 3/3 - It’s now biscuit in the lead, with savory spices and cream. Almost a meaty flavor at times, like a pot pie. A little complexity for such a small cigar. Construction remains perfect. The ash is solid and the draw couldn’t be better. The retro is cedary but with some spice. Maybe jalapeño pepper, but not too sharp - more like it just adds a spicy dimension to the other flavors. Towards the end, the wood, spice, and cream notes take over and the bread is now more of a background note. This is a great morning smoke for me. I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of a cigar like this. I sound like a broken record, but I wish Cuba made more cigars like this; they do it well, in my opinion. But this NC is right up there with Cuba, so I’m thankful someone is paying attention to the kind of cigars I like to smoke. Total Smoking Time: 48 minutes Score: 93/100

I hate the size but they did a great job blending these. Nicely written review!

I really like the lonsdale size; these are pretty solid cigars for a reasonable price. Nice review.

For sure! My freshman year was 2001, so he was just gone when I got there. I was so disappointed, I can’t describe it. We made the national championship game that year, though, so it worked out okay (but I still wonder if we could’ve won with him coaching). Great to meet you too, and thanks!

I decided to smoke a Monte Especial no. 2 for my new year’s evening cigar. It’s probably my favorite vitola, the laguito no. 2, at 6 x 38 a perfect size for a longish, meditative smoke (but not so long as a lancero, say). This particular cigar had a light brown wrapper, almost claro, which is lighter than I’m used to in this cigar. It was a little beat up, but definitely smokable. The smell was muddled and weak - generic Cuban twang and a bit of coffee. Upon cutting, the cold draw was much of the same. The draw felt a bit tight, but again, smokable. First third - When I lit it, this cigar immediately came to life. Right out of the gate was a lovely nutty flavor that was like almonds and pecans mixed with chocolate. Under that was cedar. Simple, but delicious. Second third - cocoa and cream, mixed with almonds and pecans. Brown sugar occasionally. The retros had an almost milk-chocolate taste. The ash didn’t hold on past a half inch at any point, but that was okay. Final third - The same theme continued to develop as the cigar came to the last couple inches. Nutty, creamy, and chocolatey with cedar and a drizzle of honey in the background. The retrohale was floral and creamy. And towards the end, it developed a sort of cedary sweet and sour thing which I enjoyed. This cigar put me into a bit of a trance. Definitely a good way to start the new year! Total Smoking Time: 1 hour 20 minutes Score: 92/100

2010, then 2012 for post baccalaureate. I was at Bloomington in the early 2000s though. I took a break and worked for several years before finishing up my last year and a half at IUN in Gary.

Hell yeah!

This cigar was a gift, and I’ve been holding onto it for a while. I enjoy Davidoffs but really don’t smoke them too often. This Petit Corona had a chestnut-colored wrapper with a few small veins. The smell from the foot was classic Davidoff, a tad musty, a little sweet tobacco, some barnyard. At cold the taste had a little earth, a little pepper, and some mustiness. Construction felt solid; this brand is rarely anything else. First third - it started off with earth, white pepper, and a little bit of a floral note. The retro was all pepper, so I decided to lay off that for a while. There was some sweetness in the background, and that same mustiness from the cold draw. Second third - there is a sweet note moving to the front; maybe a dried fruit. The earth continues to be dominant for now though. There’s also some cedar and that musty, floral Davidoff flavor hanging around. Retro is still peppery but it has some floral notes mixed in too. Around the halfway point, a sweet tobacco flavor takes the point position. Fig, earth, pepper. Still a touch of floral in there. Final third - construction has remained solid throughout, and the burn is steady. The flavor has continued to ramp up and is delicious; figs, earth, white pepper and floral. Not much of a change from from the halfway point, but everything feels sharper and sweeter. To wrap up, I think it’s fair to say I rate this higher than the regular 2000. The wrapper really adds something to this blend (which is one I already enjoy). It feels a touch stronger and theres more body to it, but it never became overpowering in any way. The flavors also never became muddled, even as I smoked it down to the nub. Construction was on point. All typical Davidoff. Makes me wonder what the Cuban Davidoffs were like. Wish there was a Time Machine to go back and try different cigars I missed out on smoking in their prime. Total smoking time : 56 minutes Score: 91/100