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Lyon posted:Whoops I meant picadores but then I wrote and googled the wrong thing. My brain is mush today. All good, yeah they're mixed short and long filler. Generally not going to have the complexity of long filler cigars, but there's plenty of good ones!
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Aug 5, 2020 12:36
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Hell yeah poor decisions crew!  I'm having another EP Carrillo New Wave Connecticut Stella. Giving them an off day has helped, and I'm looking forward to seeing if they last long enough to really improve. Even if they don't, this is really yummy. I haven't had many Connecticut wrapped smokes prior to this summer, but I think I'm getting what the flavor is based on how this overlaps with the H-2K-CT Centurions. They're mild-medium, very smooth. There's a perfume flavor and occasionally this super rich chocolate that lasts for a puff or two before it disappears. Cream builds through the smoke, so the complexity of pricier smokes is there. It likes slow draws, especially if you're going back-to-back on puffs like I have been the last few days. I'm really pleased. A box of 20 is right at $80, which is pretty bananas for a full size long filler (5-1/8" x 44 IIRC). A lot of stuff in this price range comes in 50 cabs to hit $4/stick, which can still be tough to swallow.
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Aug 6, 2020 22:39
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I generally avoid the General versions of Habanos, but I'll report on ones that stick out: The Punch London Club is a nice, inexpensive smoke. Punch Signature and the special limited releases (Egg Roll and Chop Suey) have also been very good. The ROMEO series from Romeo y Julieta have also treated me well. I don't recall the regular one, but the 505 and Añejo are excellent for spicy and rich flavors, respectively. The San Andres is also good. Don't bother with the General Cigar Cohibas.
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Aug 7, 2020 17:30
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Very nice! Trying a new vitola of the San Cristobal Revelation, this time the Mystic (corona). We had been smoking the Prophet size (Robusto) and that was stupendous, but the siren song of the noble corona can't go ignored forever. I'm a little peeved that there's a Habanos meetup this weekend and I'm not going out to that in all this. I need this pandemic to be loving over with.
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Aug 8, 2020 03:11
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Ooh nice order! I haven't tried that EPC Reserva, just the standard. Doesn't sound too far from the regular, so I'll try to remember to pick some up. I'm really excited to try more Curivari stuff. These picadores have really sold me on trying the stuff further up the line. They're really well balanced in a way I'm having trouble describing with some really tasty spice. I have gotten strong coffee and toffee, which is fun. Definitely have to re-up my Centurions before then, though!
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Aug 9, 2020 04:56
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Lyon posted:NFM is the cigar devil. I’m not unconvinced that he works for My Father doing guerrilla marketing on obscure forums That would be pretty fun! I train folks on how to use SOLIDWORKS, and that's an extremely fun and good job since my hobby is making stuff and I volunteer to train folks on how to use CNC machines  Honestly, this thread is great and I love sharing my finds. There are a bunch of Not Chill™️ cigar forums or places that try to make entire lifestyles around cigars and this weird version of masculinity attached to it. The industry seems to try to promote that image, too. So uhhh yeah I'm just 'gized and y'all are cool. Glad to be the thread devil 😹
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Aug 9, 2020 16:13
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Opus X of any variety is easier to get from a B&M than online. They're very good and worth smoking, but I don't know about keeping them on hand by the box or anything. Everyone's budget is different, mine just flat out wouldn't afford them even if I loved them. Even though I'm also a daily cigar smoker, I really enjoy having some special finds on hand for special occasions. I've got my last AF Añejo Shark for just such an occasion this weekend. Definitely check it out if it sounds up your alley. Hype is hype, and that's especially true in cigars.
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Aug 9, 2020 20:28
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Seasoning can get finicky, and it kinda takes a while. Most guides will advise wiping down the shelves with distilled water and leaving them in the container with a ramekin or small bowl of the same at least overnight.
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Aug 10, 2020 04:52
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ThatOneGuy posted:Did she say what size humidor? If not, get a really large cooler. gently caress messing with cheap wood poo poo. Hell yes, this post rules. Timely, too, since I had a Buenaventura last night and a Padron Maduro 2000 this morning. I'm super excited to try more of the lines! For my budget and smoking rate, those Dappers are a bit pricey, but they're on my list! Maybe one day I'll go for an ST DuPont, but that'll probably be after I've financially recovered from years of freelancing. For now, those Prometheus lighters look great. I recently came across Atabey cigars from a friend's Instagram post. They're more in the $20-30/stick range. He's an understated fella and said "Pricey, but good" and for the cost and duration of seeing a movie in theaters, why not? I'll probably pick a 3 pack up for my birthday. I've been in the process of building out my home workshop, so I'm looking at cheap and cheerful at least for the rest of the month while I pick up a 3D printer (the ones at the makerspace are regularly left in disrepair, which loving sucks). Gotta make those box jigs so I can Lotta Curivari variants and probably a box of Tatuaje Series P Robusto on the way for the rest of the month. Hopefully I can cajole my partner into a box of Centurions as well.
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Aug 11, 2020 16:15
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No idea about the latter, but yeah, zero of the general stuff has to do with Habanos. It's a straight up rip-off. I've heard rumors and stuff that like families of the original owners fled the revolution and set up shop in the DR or whatever, but I'm convinced it's all bologna. Same stuff for rum. There are perennial copyright disputes in American court over it, too. Recently GC was awarded exclusive rights to the branding in the USA, so now even if the embargo is ever lifted there'd be an additional clusterfuck. Anyway it's all dumb and I get icky feelings smoking the 1:1 knockoff poo poo from GC brands and barely feel any better smoking unrelated ones.
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Aug 12, 2020 04:03
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Oh yeah, the Padrons are way higher on the list than Atabey. Life is long, but it goes fast so might as well give them a shot. Get a pretty label out of it at least  These San Cristobal Revelations have really settled, took about a week with 3 days of a closed off humidor. This box in particular is of the Mystic, the corona vitola, and I normally have the Prophet, which is a Robusto. It's a little hard to describe how the flavor is different. The funky mulled and intense spices of the Robusto are much more mellow here. The cream is a lot stronger. It's not a peppery spice in this blend regardless of vitola. It's neat. Really fun case study on how vitolas change things even in the same blend.
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Aug 12, 2020 15:49
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Nah, you won't be a failure if you don't notice! It's all about breaking in and paying attention to your palate. Takes time, but it's a skill worth having. Also there's so much variability cigar to cigar that it's all pretty whatever. Enjoying it however you do is the only right way to do it! Quarantine has been tough. Prior, I was 3-4 cigars/week, now I put as many away in a day. Going on walks is all well and good but it's gonna be winter soon. I guess we're finally going to put up some vinyl sheets on the balcony to smoke outdoors! Luckily I've been about to work from home, and I'm grateful every day for lucking out on landing this job in January. How about y'all?
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Aug 13, 2020 03:30
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Picked up a mess of Curivari cigars from Fox Cigar. Really thrilled to order from them again. Had a few big purchases on this one paycheck, so it's definitely cheap and cheerful for at least a month. My partner is proposing tomorrow (had to change of plans from the original surprise weekend so planning it out kinda needed my knowledge), so I've laid out my fully decadent arrangement: Arturo Fuente Añejo Shark La Aurora Hors D'Age 2018 Corona Extra My Father La Gran Oferta lancero Hamlet Tabaquero Salamon Tomorrow is very special and my final splurge will be on my favorite whiskey: Nikka Coffey Grain. I hope everybody has a special weekend and great smokes!
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Aug 14, 2020 16:34
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Thanks! I'm swimming in feelings
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Aug 14, 2020 16:42
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Hell yeah! Big week all around. Thanks for all the well wishes, friends ♥️
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Aug 14, 2020 18:39
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I'm really pleased I put today's smokes in the travel humidor with some 69% Boveda packs. It's really letting me get the most out of it. La Aurora Hors D'Age is up first. It really feels like I'm getting more of the Dominican terroir out of it (god what an insufferable sentence). Smooth, creamy flavor, almost like an Upmann, with slight spice building up. I'm not sure that coffee is the best pair with this one, but life is long and I'll be getting more! I'm being left to my own devices while my partner runs around for whatever production is coming this evening, so I'm definitely gonna be enjoying myself to an unusual extreme hehehe
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Aug 15, 2020 15:38
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My dudes, I am blessed with the best partner, now fiance, in the world. They really went all out on this proposal, and the fairy tale elements aside, they purchased a way the gently caress out of our price range box of my absolute #1 favorite cigar of all time: the 2017 La Aurora Hors D'Age. They are magnificent, and so is the box:  A black velvet bag is within the cardboard box:     I failed to get a picture of all of them in there because I couldn't stop myself. They're gorgeous!
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Aug 16, 2020 02:32
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Ooh nice! I broke out my pipe the other night for the first time in a long time. Had a Boveda pack in the jar with my tobacco, but it was pretty flavorless. I guess chilling sealed for 2 years will eat up those aromatics. That Ashton Artisan's Blend looks like it might be up my alley. Can't hurt to branch out every once in a while. I haven't had very many complex pipe tobaccos, so hopefully that'll fit the bill! The Arturo Fuente Añejo Shark is even better than I remember it. Keeping it chill today, so a mellow, rich smoke is the perfect fit. I'm excited to check out those Casa Cubana mentioned upthread, although the corona Arturo Fuente Añejo is around the same price by the box. It'll be a minute before I can afford that, though! Curivari sticks are scheduled to arrive tomorrow. That'll be nice to really sink my teeth into for the cheap and cheerful times
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Aug 16, 2020 19:56
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I'm becoming a bigger and bigger fan of Hamlet the more I smoke from them. I know it's well established, but I feel like it doesn't get the air time that a lot of bigger stuff gets. I had some Toraño Vault sticks a little while back that were great, too. The baby blue one struck me as particularly nice. Distributed by General, but I haven't seen them get very much shelf time or space. One of my favorites is the Jose Sejias Signature Series 2000 figurado. I don't believe they're in production anymore, but I still see them from time to time. Paul Garmirian, PG Cigars, are really goddamn good. More delicate in their complexity. They're very selective about their retailers, so if you see someone carrying it, they might have some other neat stuff on the shelves. Having the Hamlet Tabaquero Salamon today, and this is a great way to kill a morning post engagement. It's a hell of a smoke:  Curivari order from Fox came, so that's exciting! No samples, which is a bit of a bummer, but whatever. The handwritten notes are always a plus, though! Can't wait to give these boys a shot this week.
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Aug 17, 2020 17:53
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I'm a terrible monster and have already cracked into one of the fresh Curivaris from the travel humidor. The Cafe Noir 54 is extremely good. Huge fuckin' stick - 54 x 6-1/4". It's really only going to get better with time, but I'll be hard pressed to get these to last more than a week or two! My full review will be forthcoming, but for now I am absolutely buying more of these. Smoke well and drink deep friendos!
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Aug 18, 2020 22:59
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Curivari have earned my love and a permanent spot in my humidor. I usually go for spiced or spicy kinda heavy hitting smokes. These are more umami with deep flavor and varying complexity. In a very similar lane with Padron. I'm having another Cafe Noir 54, had a Buenaventura over breakfast, and a Don Leon last night, so these comments are kinda spread over the marca at large. I think there's a temptation to describe these as "uninteresting" or bland only because I'm not getting anything jumping out and grabbing you by the nose to notice it. These are very deep, well rounded smokes that wan you to be interested in it. Yeah, Cafe Noir specifically is a great line, loved all 3 that I ordered, mentioned earlier. This is accessible, complex, and inexpensive. A super rare combination, and I think it's really going to help me extra appreciate my usual spicier smokes. But the complexity goes as far as you're willing to investigate. On a finishing note, the draw is fantastic. Marcas that focus on the draw in particular always pull me in. Padron and Hamlet are two marcas that stand out in that regard (if you know any others holler!). If you have a perfect draw every single time, I'll not have negative things to say about your brand. It shows that you respect the customer's time and expectations.
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Aug 19, 2020 22:41
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Lancero is my favorite vitola and that's like 38-42 so  The Curivari I've had have had a pretty good taper to them, and the Cafe Noir have a good box isi, so it's a manageable smoke geometry. Happy to be of service
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Aug 20, 2020 04:59
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Yeah, cigars are live cultures and a bunch of stuff has an ideal condition range around the same as cigars'. Honestly it's probably a sign that you're keeping your humidor in good shape. Tubos are especially susceptible to this kind of thing, so a lot of folks store them with the caps off or check them regularly. That reminds me to check on a few 10+ year old sticks. WHOOPS.
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Aug 20, 2020 14:13
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 I don't need itI'll probably have to treat myself to a box on my birthday or something because I'll have been fiscally responsible for a full month haha. I checked on the Reserva del Nuevo Gordo Miguel, and the Siglo II I bought in Sicily in 2009 and La Aurora Preferido Gold I got for high school graduation are still good! Side note: I've been using torches for about a year - I regularly swap back and forth between hard and soft flames. After going back to my IM Corona Old Boy, I have a distinct preference for soft flames. Feels like the delicate flavors stick around better. Overall, a very productive day today - I might celebrate with a finer than usual stick tonight. Some big stuff I've been working on at the intersection of my work and volunteer efforts has finally started to coalesce, so I'm super happy!
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Aug 20, 2020 22:10
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That sounds delightful! Those lanceros are a TAA discuss and come from TAA certified retailers. Check with your local shops to see if they carry them? Tatuaje also do a bunch of TAA specials, and My Father has a The Judge TAA this year that's supposed to be great. I should snag some soon. Those lanceros are loving great. E: having a San Cristobal Revelation Prophet (Robusto) this morning. Most recently bought a box of the Mystics (Corona), and the Prophet is the stronger smoke for this blend. A lot more citrus and spice. The Mystic is just a less unique smoke. Still good, but less unique. NewFatMike fucked around with this message at 14:37 on Aug 21, 2020 |
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Aug 21, 2020 13:10
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There are great inexpensive Habanos, too! H. Upmann Regalias, Hermano y Quintero Nacionales, Partagas Mille Fleurs off the top of my head are $5/stick or under and are a great way to see if you'd like the more expensive offerings  Humidor is struggling a little, I may need to figure out a better system of adding new sticks. Dropping 40 into it has dropped my humidity to 62% for a few days. Even adding a ramekin of distilled water overnight didn't help! Nothing catastrophic and the sticks that have been in there are smoking fine even though the new ones need some extra time. Part of it is probably because the La Aurora Hors D'Age I put in there are like 60rg and long as hell, so they're a lot of mass to humidify. Oh well! Live and learn. I'm planning on getting some drawers for my humidor and I'll have to figure out a way to season those. Hopefully it'll make these swings less extreme.
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Aug 21, 2020 19:52
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Seems like Chicago just got hit with a seasonal shift, too. It's been very dry the last week or so, so that's probably not helping at all. All my Sterilite bins have been holding smelly things like solvents and perfumed moisture removers, so I'll probably have to get another one to season the trays one at a time. At least hobbies are a fun pain in the rear end!
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Aug 21, 2020 21:14
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I generally try to avoid knockoffs of Habanos, and Fonseca No. 1s are super delicious. Tragically, I suffer from a disease known as "being an enormous sucker." My local B&M just got these: https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/my-father-made-fonseca-shipping-next-week A little pricier than I like to keep it, but again. I'm a loving mark.
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Aug 22, 2020 14:36
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Not much to report smokes wise besides ongoing humidor fuckery, which is a sadness. Hopefully I'll have a good process soon! Turns out a second local shop I frequent will "ship" to my out of state address to bypass Chicago's insane tobacco tax, so that's good! Really excited to get some more business where my friends work in these tough times. Gonna pick up a Sterilite bin this week and next paycheck I'll be picking up some drawers for my wineador, so I'll have a big rear end seasoning station with slats to promote more airflow 
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Aug 24, 2020 21:39
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Regarding my wineador, I've made some progress on figuring out my extremely low humidity (~60% despite having plenty of humidification sources): It's been really warm the last week or so, and we keep the Windows open pretty regularly, so the condenser is doing a lot of work. I believe adding so many new cigars to the mix sucked a lot of humidity out, which is understandable, but the refrigeration process condensed a lot of moisture out of the air and drained it out because it's running so much more often and kept the humidity from recovering to normal. I dropped the apartment temp one degree and increased the humidor temperature by one degree, and overnight I got 2-3% increase in humidity. 65% isn't great, but it's much closer to smokeable than 60%. Hopefully it'll keep coming up to 70%. I'm also getting some PG recharge solution for my beads. I've been using just distilled water for a year now, but hopefully this will get them a little happier. It's only a matter of time before I just put an oasis in there
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Aug 25, 2020 15:40
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ThatOneGuy posted:60-68% is where you want to be for keeping stuff smokable. 65% is great honestly. 70F/70% is a myth for being the perfect storage condition; it should be viewed as a maximum instead of the ideal. That's good to know! Usually things have been pretty good, and humidity has stayed under. I've also relocated the fan because I think I've got some dead zones somewhere in there. Overall getting drawers with slats will also help with airflow instead of some empty boxes with the lids taken off. Lyon posted:Hopefully you get it figured out. I just have junk in my boxes and I would still be sad if they got messed up but I can imagine the extra stress you guys with nice collections go through. I'm reading this as another experienced cigar smoker advocating against a cigar fridge though Unless a wrapper bursts catastrophically that can't be glued back together from getting oversaturated, there's not a lot of permanent damage you can really do to a cigar. Some of those 10+ year old ones have lived in...6 houses with varying levels of care (I took many years off of cigars). The wineador has been good - I'm not sure if you're delineating between a fridge and a cooler, though. This one is more or less a converted wine cooler. It's got a 300 stick capacity, but we consistently keep it well below that for a mix of budget and increased consumption during the ronitimes. That's certainly not helping keep the swings in humidity in check.
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Aug 25, 2020 17:15
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Kenning posted:I have bad news thread. There was a bunch of mold on several of my Montecristo Whites. Of the 10 I got, have developed mold since I got them last week, including a bit on the foot. Is there any intervention to save these smokes? It's a nice cigar, and I'd like to enjoy more of them. I kept them in cello, so I'm hopeful that the spores haven't colonized the rest of my humidor, especially since I haven't moved them much since putting them in. I assume one of the 5-packs was infected. What color is the mold? White mold is usually just rub it off. Blue or green mold you could try rubbing off and putting in the freezer for a week and see if it comes back. Some coronavirus related pay cuts at work are being relieved, and I'm really excited to be back at my old purchasing power. Gonna pick up an extra box or two to celebrate! E: also turns out one of my hygrometers is 4% off the other, so I have been chasing down a nonexistent issue because I had a few crummy sticks l-m-a-o NewFatMike fucked around with this message at 19:53 on Aug 26, 2020 |
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Aug 26, 2020 19:49
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Funny, I just had a My Father special yesterday or the day before. It was average for a My Father, which is a guaranteed good time anyway. I personally think the DPG Blue is better - they have a fantastic cereal element to them. Little low on supplies right now. Placed an order from Cigar Page, they had a box of Romeo Nicaragua 505 Toros for $90/20 which is too good a deal to pass up even if they need a month to humidify. Also got some PG humidifier recharge stuff. It's been a year since I got the bead jars, and IIRC you don't need to use it every time you refill like the manufacturer says, but you do need to do it sometime. A year feels like a good time to try Looking at refilling my Centurion H-2K-CT and getting some Flor de Las Antillas in as well. We've blown through the Curivari here, too, so a restock there is absolutely happening. My partner and I had a frank discussion about the actual amount that we smoke during these wacky times, so I think there's going to be less feast or famine in the humidor ahead. San Cristobal Revelation Prophets are back in the humidor and these are way better than the Mystics holy moly.
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Aug 28, 2020 19:37
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Lyon posted:I don’t know if this has anything to do with anything but someone in the old thread said when you fill a lighter you should set the flame to the lowest setting/closed (and bleed any air obviously). I have no idea why or what it does but I definitely haven’t been doing that on my small lighters so maybe? Could also be old or bad gaskets. It also took a long time for me to remember to bleed lighters on first fills, which led to much heartbreak and frustration. Ophidian had some awesome lighter recommendations, I'm a big fan of the IM Corona Old Boy. They're not cheap, but after having one for 4 years or so, we picked up another. The nice thing about designs that haven't changed in a long time is that spare parts are everywhere. Ashton Artisan's Blend is due in Monday, Romeo 505 are due in Tuesday, and we'll probably pick up another box or two with some shelves this upcoming week. My local shop has some of those new My Father Fonsecas in, but they're not in the system yet until they've sat for a few weeks and are ready to smoke. 
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Aug 29, 2020 15:26
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Got an early delivery on that Ashton Artisan's Blend and that is yuuuuummy. I recall enjoying Latakia, and there's some in this blend. Was really interesting in that there were flavor transitions. There was some really delicious milk chocolate showing up in there from time to time. Super yummy! Check it out if you're into pipes. Now I'm having a My Father The Judge TAA. This is a hell of a cigar. Very leathery, so spicy. Every once in a while a citrusy note hits. Worth checking out if you're into getting thrown around by a cigar! E: TAA is tobacconists' association of America, so probably B&M only NewFatMike fucked around with this message at 01:33 on Aug 30, 2020 |
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Aug 30, 2020 01:21
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E: Hell yeah about the Centurion! I'm a big rear end Latin dork, and there's a synergy about that with the history of Rome that really greases my goose. Roman (later Egyptian) grain is what fueled the civilization, and Centurions weren't just commanders, they were incredible didacts for both martial arts and engineering. All made by my favorite factory? Hard confluence to beat! I was gifted a Liga Privada No. 9 for my engagement, and it is lovely. Not my favorite for the price of admission, but it's really lovely. I just discovered that La Aurora have more affordable vitolas of their Preferidos line, and that's rad as hell. I'm gonna pick up a few fivers because I haven't had a Preferido in a long, long time, but I remember loving them. At around $5-6/stick for the Coronas and Robustos instead of $15+ for the Perfectos is awesome. Hard to go wrong with a flagship blend! With summer heat breaking, I'm thinking about picking up a few boxes of La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero in maybe the chuselitos. They're super rich and chocolatey, and a lot of red wine flavors poke in. I had some vintage lanceros last year and I don't think I'm likely to forget them. NewFatMike fucked around with this message at 04:04 on Aug 31, 2020 |
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Aug 31, 2020 04:01
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Por Larranaga is suuuuuper good, for whatever reason they're the only cigars I felt needed dry boxing. Fresh out the humidor I would have to PerfecDraw them every time (probably a me issue).
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Aug 31, 2020 04:59
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I still need to try some Oscar offerings. One day!!! ROMEO 505s coming in tomorrow - I really wish General Cigar had named that line something else. They're yummy but the branding is eyeroll worthy. Pulled the trigger this morning on:
Those Southern Draws sound nice - hard to beat a cigar with a well-adjusted draw. I didn't realize those Nasty Fritas come in 50 cabs either... if they have the same profile as the #9, that may be a worthwhile pickup. I'm calibrating the hygrometers today. Getting reeeeeal tempted to pick up a cigar oasis since an active system will probably handle the fluctuations in stock better than the passive beads we've got.
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Aug 31, 2020 15:54
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That's a bummer! I've only ever had the Torano Vault, and just a few of those. I did find something...troubling:  20" x 80 
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Aug 31, 2020 21:55
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It needs a human sized guillotine cutter. "Let them smoke Davidoffs"
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Sep 1, 2020 01:07
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