loose_axle

As far as 2019-2021 RA gigantes go they've been the most perfect cigar both flavour and construction I've had in a long time.

I like to play but suck at it. Rarely find anyone to play with as well these days.

Good Shocker - Every RA Gigantes I've had with two years or less on it. I've gone through a bucket of them in the last year and not one plugged, disappointing or tasteless cigar from various boxes. It's my favourite DC now (the Hoyo DC only pips it when you get a rare holy grail hoyo).

Bad shocker - AJ Fernandez Enclave Broadleaf. Usually these taste pretty decent for an NC but must have been the bad one in the box. Plugged, tasted of cigarettes and overwhelming pepper. Got 1/2 way and sent it flying to the hills...

I've found NC's 6-12 months down after purchasing really smooths them out. My limited experience has shown Drew Estate, Foundation, Davidoff and AF cigars age well. I've left a few of these alone for 2-3 years and they've become better and better. In the case of the Drew Estates it took almost all the pepper away just leaving chocolate and cream flavours.

Happy Birthday!!

I had a Drew Estate T-52 the other night I'd left in the humidor for 3 years. A massive chocolate and cream bomb with some stout notes and very minimal white and black pepper. Nubbed it. Was very surprised and pleased.

I thought it was mongolian humidor at first glance. Could almost hear The Hu "Wolf Totem" going off in the background.

I'll probably pick up more boxes of Davidoffs and AF's. Also the nudies line. I love CCs but a couple of boxes a year to age and some NC's to tide me over til they do is all I need right now as I stockpiled heavy in the last year.

It's like keeping score at a soccer match. Nil all...

I love them. But then RyJ was the first cigar I smoked and its always been a special occasion cigar. Takes me about 1&1/2 hours for a full Churchill. For me it is THE Churchill.

I would happily buy a 50 of the N1s in a box like that and wouldn’t care care what I had to hand over to customs in return.

Happy Birthday!

I've had the bottled old fashioneds from Starward and have to say they're pretty good: https://starward.com.au/collections/bottled-cocktails-1

The last set of Hoyo DC's I tasted had a beautiful sweet cinnamon flavour to them. Otherwise QdO and PLPC are good for it.

The presentation on those D'Crossier's is next level. Only thing I've seen that matches it in the Habanos world is the Juan Lopez Especial.

The Davidoff Winston Churchill was terrible on arrival but after a year was a cocoa and cream delight that I found hard to believe I wasn't smoking a Cuban. Nice and mild with plenty of flavour. The Davidoff Late Hour Churchills were amazing straight out of the box. If Cuba never shipped another cigar I'd just buy boxes of both. It's been a long while but the only OpusX Double Robusto I smoked left a very favourable impression. Otherwise I've enjoyed Foundation Cigars offerings and the AJ Fernandez Enclave Broadleaf which also after a year lost a fair bit of pepperiness (I hate pepper in a cigar) became a chocolate, coffee, earth and spice treat. Great golf cigar actually. First NC I had was a Liga Privada t52 which paired amazingly with tequila but again at least 4 years ago so I can't say more than I enjoyed at the time but the palette's been through a bit since then.

RA gigantes and RG perlas. I'm going through both at a rate of knots.

I smoked my N3 Carlotta Rosado on the links today with a hip flask of Dead Rabbit Irish whiskey. Was a perfect golf cigar. The whiskey worked well with it. Got some dark bitter chocolate, a hell of a lot of spice, some mushroom and toasted sourdough notes. Draw was perfect but had to relight a fair bit after half way, that may have been the golf getting in the way though. Whilst I knew it wasn't a Cuban, and it didn't smoke exactly like a Cuban, there was still a Cubanesque twang throughout. Personal impression was very young tobacco vibes and reminded me of smoking a Partagas very very young just after it arrives from overseas before resting. To me it has huge aging potential. Will let these rest at least a year but I reckon they could go years and only gain.

Thank you sir, I'm thinking of a trip there next year so will certainly wack this on the list!

Chicken katsu don and karaage chicken are probably my go to when I'm in a cheat sheet mode. Also can't resist a good pork pie.

For me it's a very rich smoke, full of flavour and one I usually reserve for after a few course dinner in the middle of winter. I love it, but as DC's go I think RA Gigantes are at the top of my list right now. Consistently superb and very easy to smoke.

Mine just arrived today (via the tax man - for any fellow Aussies challenge the weight they added a surplus $300 to my duty bill with some interpretive weighing) so my 30 day clock starts now. Can't wait to try though they look and smell amazing.

50 cabs have the best feeling but a 10 box is great for not feeling too sore when the tax man comes a calling.

RAGs for me. I've never smoked a bad one.