2019 Encuentro Gatherings...

[Habana Mike]

Espacios Monday lunch was grand and long!

[Ryan]

Great seeing all you guys again!

From El Sauce on Sunday night, a place I've always loved, to Espacios on the Monday and Santy on Thursday. Great fun.

There may have been visits to a few other places in-between! ?

Great to see some of the regular visitors as well as meeting for the first time those I had not already met.

Well done to those who got the blind cigar-tasting at Santy's right.

It was a box of 2018 Hoyo Epicure No. 2. Out of about 24 entrants, at least 8 got it right. Good going!

[SigmundChurchill]

Yes, it was so nice meeting all of you!  And it’s great to be able to put faces with the names.  @nino after being in cigar forums with you for over 15 years, it was great to finally meet you in person.

All the drinking, eating, smoking and debauchery, I cant remember the last time I had so much fun.  Thank you for hosting us @Ryan!  And for the blind tasting!

And a huge thanks to @ElJavi76 for being my tour guide, interpreter, and basically keeping me from getting into a lot of trouble.

[ElJavi76]

I have so many great memories from this trip that they might be too many to name. Getting out to El Sauce on Sunday to meet up with Andy @Ryan was awesome. I'd never been in that space. Monday at Espacios was awesome! Keith. Alex. @nino, @Corylax18, @Drguano and his bride Agnes. Andy. Stu. I'm sorry if I missed anyone but that was awesome. 

Wednesday night @SigmundChurchill and two of my long time friends showed up. Dinner at La Guarida was nothing short of amazing. Great food. Great conversation. I was ? in ?. 

Thursday at Santy's was awesome. My friend Ed looked at me and said... I can't stop eatin Jav... In his thick Texan accent. I know Ed. I know. Great hospitality by Stu Fox and Andy back at their house. Dinner that night was awesome too with several FoHers joining us. 

Friday was a storybook day for me. Jorge Clavijo will want to shoot me for saying this but the man moved mountains for us out there. I'll leave it at that. Morning visit to El Laguito. Just wow, right? We were gifted a CoRo and a Talisman from the tables. The CoRo was so sweet and dialed up to 10, for something so fresh. I was floored by it. Then meet up at Habana Libre where new stock had arrived and some choice cuts were made available to Elliot and myself. We both walked away very happy. (Don't worry... No behikes.) Lunch at Nacional with the group. Partagas dinner that night. I was there last year and I thought it was improved. Just my .02¢ worth. Then a new friend (thanks to Nino) offered to save us a table at El Sauce. Los Van Van were playing. I've heard that name for years growing up. I know the band has changed over the years but what a treat to listen to music that my parents danced to years ago. 

Saturday night at Marea. Great food and drinks with Cory, Nino, and Gene who met our group out. 

I can't put into words how happy I was to be there last week. Cheers to all who made my week special with their friendship and company.

Saludos