Remarkable Cigar Comebacks

[El Presidente]

Many moons ago circa 1999 I dropped a box of ERDM Choix Supreme. It was one of those ugly 1999 boxes (the ones with the olive green wrapper) where 1/3 of the cigars were too tight to smoke and those that did draw were acrid at best. They all sported some wrapper damage from the fall.

Being a tight arse, I kept that box of cigars for myself. many of you will know the type of cigar...the one you always have around...but never actually smoke. I would always include this box of cigars on my fishing travels. Singles have been to Arnhemland and Cuba and Brazil and back again. They have been in my travel humidor in the car, on the boat, camping, and at the occasional wedding. Most were chucked out due to wrapper damage from the abuse of travel and a complete lack of love.

I touched down in Brisbane yesterday and picked up my car. I was looking forward to a cigar on the 50 minute trip home from the airport and I knew I had a Partagas Short or Bolivar Corona junior in my Jeep travel humidor. I put on a Pixies CD and opened the travel humi which is fitted to the side of the centre console for easy reach. The only cigar there was an ERDM CX from 1999...drab olive green wrapper and a few battle scars to match. Crap. Still, thinking I could always pitch it, i fired it up on Airport Drive.

What a great cigar !LOL! the acridness I always remembered had become somehow sweet. Cloves, toasted tobacco and burn't sugar dominated the next 50 minutes home. What an unexpected gem as it has not been my experience until now that poor cigars ever come good. Nice to be proven wrong on this one

[BlackFriar]

I smoked a string of great ERDM Choix's when I first had access to cubans in Korea. This was mid 2004. I really loved them during the late morning at work, made for some memorable times. I've been through several boxes since then and have been let down to say the least. Can't decide if I should give them another shot or not. Kinda like a first love, may not be that great in retrospect but I sure did love em.

[PigFish]

Being a tight arse, I kept that box of cigars for myself. many of you will know the type of cigar...the one you always have around...but never actually smoke.

I believe those are called EL's!!! You, my friend are no tight ass! Cheers! -Ray

[CIGARHead]

Nice Rob!..gives me hope. I have a original release box of Partagas Serie P 2's that have the dry looking, olive drab Candela wrapper color - ugliest cigars I have. I smoked a few back upon arrival, but really dont remember them. I have avoided like the plague since. Maybe one day I will give em a go and have the same joy as you did

[FireDigger]

...I put on a Pixies CD...

I know it's off topic, but that part got me interested, Prez. Which CD? As you can tell from my screenname FireDigger, from the Pixies song Dig For Fire, I'm a big Pixies fan!

[samb]

Its always nice to be pleasantly surprised by an expected bad smoke.

[mbrody]

Crossing Fingers for 07 Punch Punch that tastes like Cardboard!

[MontrealRon]

Do you still have a few of those cigars left, Rob?

If so, and you smoke some more soon,

perhaps you can detemine if that great smoke was a one-off,

which perhaps was always great,

or if the lot have finally hit their stride.

[MontrealRon]

Crossing Fingers for 07 Punch Punch that tastes like Cardboard!

Punch Punch is always, in my experience, very slow to develop its character.

I have '05s that are not nearly ready, '04s barely starting to come around,

while my '98s and '01s are smoking great.

I am confident your 07 box will be great, in time.

Try another one in five years.