Month of May .....winners and losers

[El Presidente]

Hard to believe we are nearly into June!

Had some memorable cigars during May.... some dogs as well. 

Let's fo the highlights first:

1. Vegas Robaina Don Alejandro. 

....have been hoofing into these since the vid review with Ken. They have all been from the same box. I never want this box to end. 

2. Por larranaga Belicoso Extra. 

....it took a long time but they have turned the corner into caramel sticks. As good as the PL Robusto AP Regional? probably not but not far off it. If you have some close by, give them a run in June. 

3. Cohiba Robusto 2008. 

....Class is a word I try not to throw around too much. This cigar has it in spades. Intensity and diversity of flavours is astounding. 

4. Cohiba Lancero 2010. 

.....I broke the box to share with Stan as he was getting away for the "skinny" community. Citrus, coffee, cake, honey. Put them all together and there is little more you need. 

 

The Hounds. 

 1. HDM Epi 2. (2016) 

  ....they have managed to screw up so many of these (in 25's) over the past 6 months. I normally love a HDM Epi 2. From construction issues to poor wrappers and either tunnelling or exploding. They need to get back to basics. 

2. R&J Wide Churchills

....a star for such a long time until the May batch arrived. The worst cigars of the year to date. Not only did they use the worst of wrappers but they forgot the filler. The 2017 Queensland Reds Rugby team of cigars. Soulless, going nowhere and never will. 

[Winchester21]

I sorely miss the wonderfful PSP boxes of HDM Epicure 2s from last year. My buddy Charles and I smoked our way through many boxes of these wonderful gems of the cigar market. I am shocked by what I have seen purchased blind elsewhere. I was lucky enough to score a cab of 50 Psp/Hq from 24/24 and I look forward with great anticipation their arrival. I have gotten by with purchases of some wonderful SLR Regios and Bolivar robustos. I really hope that HDM gets their act together and turns out some decent E2s going forward

[joeypots]

I concur with your assessment of the '08 CORO. I'm at the end of the box and I'm grieving the loss. '10 Siglo VI from a jar. I got a fiver from a friend. I should have git them all. What a cigar.  Effen Cohibas, too  damn good and too damn  expensive.  '08 MC#3 and '11 Bolivar Britanica not too shabby. Can't remember anything that was a dog but I'm smoking my own stash and only 2 or 3 a week.

[zulubravo]

Sad to hear that about the Epi 2. I bought a 15 pack a couple weeks back from a different site. They're perfectly constructed. The one I've sampled, while young, was stellar. Burn was spot on, loads of smoke, and complex. Code was SAT FEB 16. I cannot speak to the 25 box quality, but hopefully they fix that soon!

[kuma]

Rob and mates thanks for the updates!

[TBird55]

Rob, with quality Siglo's and CoRo's continuing to be available, any hope for Esplendidos in the near future. 

[kwsaw63]

On ‎30‎/‎5‎/‎2017 at 0:33 PM, El Presidente said:

2. Por larranaga Belicoso Extra. 

....it took a long time but they have turned the corner into caramel sticks. As good as the PL Robusto AP Regional? probably not but not far off it. If you have some close by, give them a run in June. 

 

Smoked a couple of these when they first came out and was not impressed. Strangely I had a feeling they might have turned the corner and picked up a single from The Connoisseur Divan last night to try at home this weekend.  Based on your post I am looking forward to firing it up!

[godpheonix]

2. Por larranaga Belicoso Extra. 

hummm...had  about 5 of these in the last few months....i'm not feeling it! they were above average and i can taste the caramel but only occasionally and mildly at that! the last one just wouldn't burn on top of that!. try a few but i'm guessing each box will be at a different state. i'll try a few more perhaps and let the others sleep for another year or 2.