Your latest CC Purchase?

[riderpride]

1 hour ago, CptGoodTimes said:

Some gems in there.  Any clues 🕵🏻‍♂️ where you found SOU EscoOMGs? 😁

Aww, I would have told you, but you only wanted a clue.

It's located about 165 nautical miles south of Miami. 

Cheers!

[jakebarnes]

A few additions this week while I was on vacation. Pretty excited to dig into the PLPC and RASS--been a while since I've had the latter. 

Unfortunately the RASS had obnoxious stickers on them so the box is a little worse for wear as I didn't want to see that every time I opened the coolidor. 

[JohnS]

For those of you have have been participating in this hobby for awhile, you'd be aware of certain Habanos cigars that you'd favour in your 'rotation' (I.e. Cigars you turn to on a regular basis because they are personal favourites, usually this can be up to perhaps six or seven different cigars. Also called 'go-to' cigars) and others that are meant as a 'change-of-pace'. (I.e. cigars you enjoy on occasion for whatever reason, it could be that they are hard to source, have distinctive flavours that appeal by having them less often etc.)

In my case, I made sure to pick up some singles below for a change-of-pace when I feel like a different cigar from my favourites this year. Below is a 10-count of Rafael Gonzalez Petit Coronas and a 5-pack tin of Partagas Serie D No.6. Both cigars have been dependable over the years for me.

[LLC]

A few additions this week while I was on vacation. Pretty excited to dig into the PLPC and RASS--been a while since I've had the latter. 
Unfortunately the RASS had obnoxious stickers on them so the box is a little worse for wear as I didn't want to see that every time I opened the coolidor. 

Did you try heating the sticker up with a hair dryer and slowly peeling it off as the heat releases the glue? I find that works great.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[havanaclub]

What’s your source where you feel the need to freeze? I thought everything on the grey market has already been frozen?

Rob/ FOH is not Grey. He’s is talking about his temperature outdoors, and apparently everything leaving Cuba to regional distributors are flash frozen.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bagman]

1 hour ago, havanaclub said:

Rob/ FOH is not Grey. He’s is talking about his temperature outdoors, and apparently everything leaving Cuba to regional distributors are flash frozen.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

All boxes, including boxes sold on the island are frozen.

[havanaclub]

All boxes, including boxes sold on the island are frozen.

Correct


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jakebarnes]

7 hours ago, LLC said:

Did you try heating the sticker up with a hair dryer and slowly peeling it off as the heat releases the glue? I find that works great.

Need to try that next time! 

[Connoisseur Kim]

Montecristo No. 1 ROP JUL 21 Hand Picked Box from our host has just arrived today. The wrapper of Montecristo No. 1 looks so gorgeous, shiny, and tasty as milk chocolate that my Koraen FOH BOTLs want to buy lots of Montecristo No. 1 boxes on 24:24 sales 😃.

Unfortunately, it has a box lid closure issue like some recent Monte 1 boxes and one Montecristo No. 1 stick from the right side of the box has a cracked spot on its wrapper. Other than that, this box is pristine as PSP graded ones and I'm really happy since I finally got one of my favourite CCs in a box 😄.

Edited February 21, 2022 by Connoisseur Kim
Just noticed the box code of this Monte 1 is ROP JUL 21 not GEL AGO 21

[SMELTZ]

On 2/18/2022 at 3:40 AM, Cigarsmoker81 said:

Can’t wait to try them 

Very disappointing 

[Drguano]

On 2/20/2022 at 3:30 AM, ChicagoRob said:

What’s your source where you feel the need to freeze? I thought everything on the grey market has already been frozen?

The source is www.itsajoke.com 😜. I buy nearly everything from our host and even when it is not a frigid Minnesota morning I do not feel any need to freeze my acquisitions.

[Chucko8]

Another box to tuck away for another day from our host

[Corylax18]

On 2/17/2022 at 9:46 AM, RDB said:

I have the same box code, and mine are clearly overfilled. I’ve punched five or six, and almost all of them are unacceptably tight.

Ive purchased 3 boxes of these from different sources, at different times. A 14, a 16 and an 18 box. All three are the most overfilled cigars I've ever owned. Rock solid from tip to tail. 

All three are beautiful and smell wonderful, but they are un smokable, even with a Perfect draw. Ive tried several from each box, but I just ended up boring a hole down the middle of the cigar, while the remaining tobacco around the outer edges is still so densely packed that no smoke makes its way through. THey just tunnel, then split as the tobacco warms up. 

 I love most Monte's but these are the three most disappointing boxes I've ever bought. A complete waste of wonderful tobacco. 

 

On 2/20/2022 at 10:15 AM, Monterey said:

All boxes, including boxes sold on the island are frozen.

No. HSA freezes the cigars before they are exported. Tabacuba/Cubatabaco doesn't freeze anything them selves. HSA isnt the distributor for Cuba, so cigars that stay on the island never hit their warehouse. 

EVERYTHING picked up on the island should be frozen before you mix it with your regular stock. Ive seen plenty of beetle affected cigars in LCDHs on the island.

[Bagman]

12 minutes ago, Corylax18 said:

No. HSA freezes the cigars before they are exported. Tabacuba/Cubatabaco doesn't freeze anything them selves. HSA isnt the distributor for Cuba, so cigars that stay on the island never hit their warehouse. 

EVERYTHING picked up on the island should be frozen before you mix it with your regular stock. Ive seen plenty of beetle affected cigars in LCDHs on the island.

Sorry, this has been recently dis-proven.  If I get a moment, I'll find the article and message you with it.  It has also been discussed at length here.  All non-customs are frozen.

Even though all boxes (on island and export) are frozen, I agree with on the need for freezing.  Mixing customs in the stores that aren't frozen with the frozen boxes leads to cross contamination.   So in a way, it is almost pointless that they freeze boxes on the island. 

[Drguano]

Another chilly morning made warmer with the arrival of a couple of lovely fragrant boxes. Montecristo No.2 PTG MAY 21 and Ramone Allones Specially Selected UMR MAR 22…

[jakebarnes]

3 hours ago, Drguano said:

Another chilly morning made warmer withe the arrival of a couple of lovely fragrant boxes. Montecristo No.2 PTG MAY 21 and Ramone Allones Specially Selected UMR MAR 22…

Looks like a wonderful mail day! 

[RDB]

A fresh box of Trinidad Coloniales GLE OCT 21. I really like lighter wrapper Trinis, especially with a touch of greenish gold like this. Could not resist smoking one right away, and sure enough it was excellent: very much on the herbal / tea / sweet biscuit side of things. A shorter Fundy, basically. I’m impressed at how well Trinidad smokes young these days.

 

[Corylax18]

3 hours ago, Monterey said:

Sorry, this has been recently dis-proven.  If I get a moment, I'll find the article and message you with it.  It has also been discussed at length here.  All non-customs are frozen.

Even though all boxes (on island and export) are frozen, I agree with on the need for freezing.  Mixing customs in the stores that aren't frozen with the frozen boxes leads to cross contamination.   So in a way, it is almost pointless that they freeze boxes on the island. 

Dis-proven as in someone has seen the freezers and documented the process? Or dis-proven as in someone heard something from somebody who has a relative in the industry, who heard something from their boss? 

I've seen too many swiss cheese looking boxes in Havana LCDHs to believe that they actually do it. I havent been down there for over 2 years, but they sure werent freezing them before then. 

[Bijan]

On 2/20/2022 at 10:15 AM, Monterey said:

All boxes, including boxes sold on the island are frozen.

True, but due to iffy storage (with customs) in some shops might be worth freezing those again.

Edit: oops missed the post where you said this!

 

15 hours ago, Corylax18 said:

Ive purchased 3 boxes of these from different sources, at different times. A 14, a 16 and an 18 box. All three are the most overfilled cigars I've ever owned. Rock solid from tip to tail. 

I've got two boxes.  A 19 and a 20. I'm currently smoking out of the 19 box and so far so good, and the 20 don't look bad either.

[Corylax18]

3 minutes ago, Bijan said:

I've got two boxes.  A 19 and a 20. I'm currently smoking out of the 19 box and so far so good, and the 20 don't look bad either.

Lucky You! All of mine look wonderful, near perfect. But they just wont smoke. I've smoked great ones before, but got very unlucky with the full box purchases. Do you want to trade some of my plugged ones for your good ones? Maybe you can start a new thread, @corylax18's plugged cigars? Haha. 

[Bagman]

58 minutes ago, Bijan said:

True, but due to iffy storage (with customs) in some shops might be worth freezing those again.

Edit: oops missed the post where you said this!

Yeah, anyone who has been to Cuba can look at the store conditions and easily say "I'm going to be refreezing my boxes!"  The conditions are horrible at some of them.  Melia Habana is the worst of the bunch.  In part because the distance from the outside door to the "sometimes closed" humidor is like 10 feet.  Always so warm and humid in the humidor.  Not to mention the customs which are like 2 feet from the outside elements! 

[Goodfortune]

PSP Especiales No. 2 LTO SEP 21

[GoodStix]

6 hours ago, Goodfortune said:

PSP Especiales No. 2 LTO SEP 21

Would love to hear what you think when you crack into this code.  Enjoy

[hrs1]

Monte 1s & Mag 50s

[jakebarnes]

2 hours ago, hrs1 said:

Monte 1s & Mag 50s

 

These photos of Monte 1's make me regret not pulling the trigger on those ones up in 24:24 two days ago. I am a sucker for a good lonsdale/cervantes, and those look absolutely gorgeous. 

The Mag 50s remind me that I wanted to add a box of 46s soon. Gorgeous haul, @hrs1!