Kangaroo495

Acutally, I don't believe so. Only the packaging of cigarettes. Which, incidentally, appears to have had only one effect so far - people are tending to buy the cheaper brands of smokes.

Forgot to add, that I received a nice little gift on the day from my Russian Cigar Union friends: Btw, the humidor was the gift, not the table. Made by Vyacheslav Kirsanoff (who has his own cigar brand).

Hi all! The conference was a great success! I was actually surprised at the amount of people who trekked all the way to Moscow to participate. Had one bloke from Jakarta, another from Chile, others from Europe. The confernece dealt with both cigarette and cigar smokers' rights, however, the whole occasion was organized by the Russian Cigar Union, and it seemed the majority of participants were cigar lovers. Unfortunately, due to work, I had to duck out for a few hours, so missed some of the speeches, but here's the memorandum which we all agreed on: We, the participants of the First International Conference on Smokers’ Rights, have met in Moscow to share experiences and look for solutions how to achieve public consensus on the issue of tobacco smoking, and find effective ways to have our voice heard on a global level. We observe many countries adhering to the balanced approach to tobacco regulation, equally respecting smokers’ and non-smokers’ rights, while others take very radical steps to exterminate smoking and to turn adult smokers into social outcasts. Strange as it may seem, the former often enjoy lower smoking incidence than the latter. We believe that modern society cannot be divided into first-class and second-class citizens, so public consensus must be based on a mutual respect. The rights of one person should not violate other people's rights. We note that tobacco smoking is a legitimate and conscious choice of millions of adults worldwide, and considered by many as an integral part of national economies and historical heritage. We are deeply concerned by the raising efforts to stigmatize and discriminate people who have consciously chosen tobacco as a part of their everyday life, fully aware of its positive and negative aspects. We believe that adult smokers deserve appropriate tobacco smoking conditions that do not appear derogatory or pose additional health risks, but effectively protect non-smokers from tobacco smoke. We cannot accept that tobacco consumers are deprived of their right to be informed about the product they buy, because tobacco products are legitimate all over the world. At the same time we recognize, that non-smokers and adolescents must be protected from any kind of tobacco advertising. We urge all governments of the world to find the right balance on tobacco-related issues, taking into account the diversity of opinions, customs, behavioral norms, and not to ignore the interests of both smokers and non-smokers. Prohibitions and sanctions raise protest, while cooperation opens the way to public consensus and joint efforts in solving important societal issues.

Good info guys. I think I've got what I need. Sitting at the conference here and everyone's smoking cigars!

Hi all. I've been invited to speak at the International Conference on Smokers' Rights in Moscow tomorrow. I'm not much of an expert the subject, but they wanted a token foreigner to be able to deliver a short speech in English and say something about the smoking bans in Australia. Would be awesome if anyone had a few tips on what I should be saying in regards to the overall current situation with the smoking ban in Australia. Also of interest is smokers' opinions on plain-packaging cigarettes/cigars, and whether any of the anti-tobacco measures have been "successful". I've got more or less of an idea on the situation, but having not lived in Oz for many years, I'd prefer to hear some first hand accounts and opinions. Thanks! K495

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+1 for SP Belicoso. I pick one up quite regularly. They have a sort of dry flavour, woody maybe. Fairly unique. Some years back they were awful. It seems someone's decided to look after the brand a bit better. Haven't tried any of the others.

So I paid a visit to LCDH Rome. Was quite a queue there as only one guy was serving and only one person could go into the humidor with him at a time. So took ages to get served. Selection seemed very standard - nothing particularly interesting available. Most people were buying Cohibas. I took the Upmann Connaisseur A and a RASS. Both were excellent. Overall - nothing special.

Smoked a few on holidays over the past two weeks: JL 2 RyJ Cazadores Punch LE 2013 Monty 2 RASS Upmann Conn A (the newish one) Upmann Churchill Lusitania Sancho Panza Belicoso Highlight: Cazadores - stunning cigar, blew the others away Lowlight: Monty - total let down flavour-wise. Honourable mention - Sancho Panza - did someone start paying attention to this brand again? It was a real good one!

Juan Lopez #2 paired with Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or - match made in heaven.

SLR Regio. Great Cuban flavour. Perfect size. Would have to be the most consistent cigar out there.

Partagas Conn #3. In mint condition. I cursed Habanos with every puff of this gem.

So I got in touch with the LCDH in Rome and their response was: I'm hoping they sell singles though. The few LCDHs I've been to in Europe seem reluctant to sell singles in favour of boxes.

Just checking in whether perhaps anything decent has opened up in Florence or Rome. Will be there next week! Anyone been there recently with anything to report? If I manage to find something, I'll report back here.

Love Bundy. I'm going to bring a few bottles back to Russia I think.

I like the idea of giving an Irish whisky to my Scottish mate. Would completely take the piss. But I owe him a single malt unfortuantely. I don't mind spending a bit of money, so maybe the Ardbeg is the best idea. It sounds tasty. I'll keep my eyes peeled. In regards to rum - has anyone had El Dorado 15 years? I tried some the other day, and I reckon it edges out Zacapa. It's from Guyana. I wonder if Duty Free shops even carry it.

Dear FOHers! A couple of questions: I'm heading to Oz next week, and I see there's a tight limit on the amount of alcohol you can bring into the country - 2.25L. Looks like I need to choose wisely at Duty Free as I plan to be on the sauce every night during my 3 week stay. So I'm seeking some advice on what to look for at Duty Free. I'm a great lover of neat spirits - especially rum and brandy, and will also look for a scotch for my dad (who prefers it neat also). What do I need to buy? Zacapa's the obvious one, but I've had my fill of Zacapa for the time being. Would love to try something new Secondly, I owe my mate a bottle of single-malt. The problem is, he's Scottish, so I need to impress him. What's a solid scotch that I could get for a Scottish person? Cheers!

Went to the cigar shop near work last week. Needed a few sticks for the weekend, and didn't have the time to go all the way downtown to my usual shop. I've never been a fan of this shop, as the cigars I've bought there have never really impressed me. Sometimes, I even suspect them of selling fakes. Also, their range was always really poor Anyway, I walk into the humidor, poking around. They seem to have boosted their stock with a few cigars I hadn't seen there before. Then, right before my eyes I see the following: 3 BOXES OF DIP 4s 3 BOXES OF ERDM GRANDES DE ESPANA 3 BOXES OF ERDM TAINOS When I inquired, the shop assistant said that he had plenty more boxes of each of these cigars, as no-one was really interested in the thin or small cigar sizes, and the Cubans aren't that popular because they just don't look cool enough for the typical clientele. Man, I love living in this country sometimes. (I stress the word "sometimes") (fyi, I've only smoked the Dip 4 so far. My first one actually. Was great! Planning on trying the GdE tonight, which is my all time favourite cigar. Will report back)

Actually, the only thing I'm worried about here (and no offence intended) is the fact that it's designed for Russian tastebuds... which historically don't really co-incide with anything remotely "tasty"... Let's just hope they consulted the right experts.

I think Cigarros (our other Russian member) should be onto this very quickly (he is the Cigar Czar in Russia). I'll drop him a line this weekend to see what his plans are for getting boxes. I'm afraid I can't be of any help, as I don't have the necessary connections, and I'm sure most of the stock has been "reserved" for more privelaged people...

[not sure if posted already] Cuban Cigar Paying Homage to Local Tastes 21 October 2011 In addition to pizza with mashed potato topping and caviar-flavored potato chips, Russian consumers will now have a Cuban cigar especially designed for their tastes. Thanks to 20 percent growth in premium cigar sales, as part of a surging luxury items market, Top Cigars — the official distributor of Cuban stogies in Russia — introduced a new cigar especially selected and only available locally, during its annual partner event in Moscow on Thursday. When asked about the resemblance of the model to its target market, Javier Terres, vice president of Cuban cigar sales monopoly Habanos, said, "It's big, and it's strong." The cigar, named the Emperador — Spanish for Emperor — is part of the Bolivar line. Its flavor and name were determined based on inputs from Top Cigar and its local partners. This is the 25th regional edition made by the famous cigar maker since it started the concept in 2005, said Oleg Chechilov, editor of Smoke magazine. Terres, who was born at a cigar factory in Spain where his parents lived and worked, said the regional editions are intended to confirm the leading position of Habanos and its distributors in a country. "[The Emperador] is a homage to Russian consumers. … They deserve it," Terres said. Terres said he would consider the program a success if the first shipment of 25,000 cigars sells out in a few months. Such a quantity represents less than 3 percent of total annual sales of Cuban cigars in Russia. Local retailers expect to charge between 700 rubles ($22) and 1,000 rubles ($31) for each cigar. Top Cigars has about 400 partners — up 20 percent from last year — which gives it at least one shop in every city of Russia with a population of more than 1 million people. More partners are being recruited. The Emperador is not the first cigar designed exclusively for Russia. Costa Rican cigar company Isthmus announced its Imperial cigar, complete with a double-headed eagle on the band, in May 2010, though it is only making first shipments next month, due to excise stamp problems. "We took inputs on the desired flavor, size and even the name via the web portal of our Russian partner, which allowed us to offer the first regional cigar made especially for the local market. … We did this as a sign of respect to Russian smokers," Kurt Brandt, founder of Isthmus, told The Moscow Times. Industry experts estimate that about 70 percent of the total imported cigar market, valued at between $15 million and $20 million in 2010, belongs to Habanos. China, which also has an exclusive Cuban cigar, is another focus market for Habanos. News reports, however, that cash-strapped Cuba is supplying both tobacco and agricultural expertise to help China build up its own cigar industry could not be confirmed by Terres. Though the Russia business is growing, cigar retailers are resigned to a saturation of outlets, at least in Moscow, and a very specific client base. "Americans smoke to enjoy the smoke, while Russians are still in the show-off stage. … Buying and smoking is a very social process," said Andrei Ushatov, who started selling cigars at his family-run shop in Volgograd when he and his wife realized that it was the next logical step in addressing the wealthy male segment. "Before 2008, there were middle-class buyers who just wanted to have a new experience, but after the crises they disappeared," Ushatov said. Former alcoholics are a unique segment of customers, said Vladimir Sushkov of Moscow retailer Tabachnaya Lyubov. "They use cigars as a substitute for their obsessive tendencies, and their wives are thankful for the healthier habit," he said. http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/cuban-cigar-paying-homage-to-local-tastes/445989.html#no#ixzz1bOrRygS8 The Moscow Times

What about the Bris Lions? Can't win em all eh? Go the Hawks!

Stray kitten which I took home. Did nothing but rip the living shite out of everyone. Complete embodiment of evil. Would jump on your ears while you were sleeping, chew on your fingers. Would climb on top of an open door, wait for you to walk through and spring on your head. I think I slept about 4 hours in 2 months... Poor thing was so bat-sh*t crazy that one day he just jumped out the window (6th floor). Was badly injured and had to put him down. Though, despite his utter uselessness, it was sad to see him go.

1. Melbourne (nothing will ever beat it) 2.... maybe Minsk as there is very little business there so the potential is huge to make money. Lots of hot girls. Very cheap. Lots of nightlife. **** weather, but I've been in Moscow for the last 5.5 years so...

Haven't been to a doc in Australia for ages (obviously the docs in Russia are not going to tell you to quit smoking... morelike encourage you to continue). On the previous occasion in Oz, the doc seemed fine with the cigar smoking. Though she did mention that it was having some kind of effect on my eyes. She examined my eyes and immediately mentioned that I am a smoker.