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Final report and to try and overtake NFM as the #1 poster. El Centurion H-2K-CT was dope even without having any time in a humidor and smoking it straight off the truck. Excited to throw the remainder into a humidor and see how they develop. The Oliva Serie G was as usual a very solid smoke. The standout surprise of the night for me was the Perdomo Champagne Noir. I had smoked one of these before and was not overly impressed. It may have been the time in the humidor, a previously bad stick, my palate changing, the company I was with tonight, or any number of reasons but this one was super good and the burn and construction was impeccable. I love the aftertaste of a maduro after a good night. I had to take a picture of the ash which I don't think I've ever done before and feels kind of dopey but I'm sharing it anyway. This was a robusto and that ash was solid, it didn't fall off even after I placed it in an empty plastic cup as I was cleaning up (I will admit to being a little more careful than I normally would have been). 
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Aug 8, 2020 07:26
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I’m from the US and know nothing about Cubans so unfortunately I won’t be of any help Mrenda. I smoked an EPC New Waves Reserva and it was really good but I felt like there was a different flavor profile to this cigar compared to a standard Connecticut. I don’t know how to describe it exactly but it was very good. It almost felt like a blonde stout does, I was surprised by the characteristics when I tasted it. It was thick and chewy with some tobacco oomf but there was a sweetness that balanced it out. I just got in a stupid number of cigars but then I saw a lot of DPG lines that were close to closing on CigarAuctioneer without any bids so I continue to be an idiot.
I also grabbed a RoMa Craft Intemperance EC XVIII petite corona 5 pack and a Best of Miami sampler with a bunch of La Aurora. Everything was $5 or less a cigar except the El Centurion which was $5.50/per so I’ve convinced myself it was worth it. I didn’t have space for my last order so this won’t help. Looks like I'm gonna be ordering some more Tupperware. I seriously need an adult to supervise me. Lyon fucked around with this message at 01:43 on Aug 9, 2020 |
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Aug 9, 2020 01:35
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NewFatMike posted: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 bid on a 5 pack of EPC New Wave so I can compare them. I got the Reserva 5 pack off CigarBid for $12 and it’s a tasty cigar just not what I expected for a Connecticut. I also just added the DPG Blue which I haven’t had yet. CRIP EATIN BREAD posted:popped another one of those pichardo san andres tonight after a work get together, and i'm still impressed. a solid profile with a perfect draw straight out of a 1950s movie. I started with one Sistema, I just ordered numbers four and five. I also tend to go overboard when I jump into a hobby so you may escape this fate. I buy most things in pairs so I have one Tupperware full of all the cigars I haven’t tried, one filled with the seconds, and a third that was all Oliva, Perdomo, and Rocky Patel. The seconds box is full and I bought a bunch of 5 packs so I’m going to have to reconsider this approach. Maybe just a second seconds box and a “good” cigar box. Kenning posted:Lol I just did the same thing today. I'm still waiting on my last order (coming Monday) but today I sniped a couple things at excellent prices. I blame NewFatMike. NFM is the cigar devil. I’m not unconvinced that he works for My Father doing guerrilla marketing on obscure forums  .Let me know what you think of the Montecristo White. I have one more to smoke, I think my first one was too dry. I just got a bunch of AJF samplers so I’ll have to check what the crossover is between them and the box press perfecto sampler. This week I’m ordering off of CigarAuctioneer though, the one rule I’ve stuck to is that I will only pay one shipping fee in the same week because I’m clearly a shrewd and wise manager of my finances.
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Aug 9, 2020 15:52
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Maybe a dumb question but how hard is the Opus X to find? Is it worth snagging that sampler or a couple of these from Fox Cigar while they’re in stock? Edit: I just got back from a hike and am smoking a La Aroma de Cuba and holy moly what a cigar. Lyon fucked around with this message at 19:25 on Aug 9, 2020 |
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Aug 9, 2020 19:03
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Okay for $30/cigar on CigarFox I'll hold off and see what pops up at my local B&M in the future perhaps. I'd like to try the Opus X and Anejo at some point but I also have entirely too many cigars to smoke through already. I'm trying to come up with a new organizational methodology so I'll use my cigar energy to focus on that. I noticed in the old thread people posted good deals a lot which would probably be bad for me financially but might be useful. Has anyone ever considered setting up a cigar discord? It might kill the already slow thread but man I need to word vomit everywhere. Lyon fucked around with this message at 21:17 on Aug 9, 2020 |
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Aug 9, 2020 21:15
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I have some more bids out. My buddy wanted to split another box so I suggested the Oliva Serie V No. 4 (petite corona), I bid on a 5 pack of Serie V Lanceros for myself, and a 5 pack of the La Aroma de Cuba Rothschild because I smoked one today and it was delicious. Still trying to workout my organization system, how do you guys curate your cigars? I think I’m going to keep it mostly the same but do two boxes for cigars I’ve tried before/are aging, one box for cigars I haven’t tried yet, one box for low to medium regulars, and one box for the nicer stuff maybe. I also ordered cedar trays off amazon to put in the boxes that don’t have them, should I just dunk them in distilled water for a minute and let them dry?
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Aug 10, 2020 03:21
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Some bastard keeps trying to outbid me on the La Aroma de Cuba and now we are up to MSRP, let’s see if he does it again. My last bid will truly be my last but at least I’ll have the satisfaction of knowing he’s paying more than he would have on FS/CI if he takes it from me. drat people not letting me get good cigars for cheap. I thought the VSG was just so-so (at Ashton prices) but I will try it again at some point. Sumatra haven’t been my favorite but I recently had two that were pretty good. Edit: Speaking of, I just smoked a CAO Gold Signature Series (might be a Famous Smoke exclusive) that is wrapped in Sumatra. Was pretty good, lots of spice flavors, some anise popped in here and there and then intensified at the end, it was interesting if not something I’d seek out regularly. Lyon fucked around with this message at 17:04 on Aug 10, 2020 |
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Aug 10, 2020 16:01
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Kenning posted:Smoked my second Man o' War Ruination 10th Anniversary box press perfecto yesterday. Opened up like a rich dark chocolate, like a bar of 88 percent cocoa, and then after a while mellowed out into chocolate-covered biscuit territory. A bit of pepper on the spark up, but then it trended sweet, although it's quite a full-bodied cigar. Followed it up a bit later with a Nub Cain 460. It's a good smoke, very meaty and chewy. Also, I'm pretty pleased with the ash I ended up with on this one. I ended up calling it shortly after this photo cause it was late and I suspected it would get hot and a bit less delicious once I finally lost the ash. I have a bunch of Man O’ War stuff in my tupperdors waiting to get the call up so I’m glad you’re enjoying the line. What’s your favorite from that AJF sampler so far? My trays arrived this morning so I wiped them down with distilled water and now they’re sitting in the empty boxes with some small bowls of water. I originally didn’t bother with cedar trays for two of my tupperdors but the cigars in those all started to smell the same so I thought I’d add cedar to the new boxes and see if that helps. I don’t think any flavored cigars snuck in but I suppose it’s possible one of the samplers got me. They still taste as I expect them to but they’ve all got a similar smell. Or I’m crazy. Losing cigars in my boxes is more or less my plan as far as aging goes. I have enough cigars now that I randomly grab something out of the “haven’t smoked it” box and give it a whirl. I’m not intentionally aging anything for a set period of time but I usually buy things in multiples and I’ve been more focused on trying new cigars. This should hopefully lead to a bunch of cigars hanging around for a while and aging naturally. This is how I ended up with 100 bottles of beer in my cellar that will probably never get drank so you’d think I would have learned my lesson but I have not.
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Aug 10, 2020 17:53
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Kenning posted:All the cigars were quite good in that sampler, and it's definitely worth checking out, since I think you can still get it on Cigar Bid for under $70. My favorite was probably the Diesel Unlimited or the Hoyo la Amistad Gold. They're both thick with syrupy notes I enjoy, with the Diesel being a bit more tiramisu and the Hoyo la Amistad being more toffee and cream. The San Lotano Oval was peppery, meaty, and warm spices (cinnamon etc.), the Man o' War, like I said, is very dark chocolate, and the Ave Maria Reconquista was an absolute pepper bomb – quite enjoyable, but more of a sometimes cigar. I just saw it on free fall but unfortunately it’s a CigarAuctioneer week. I’ll have to look for it the next time it goes back up. Speaking of CigarAuctioneer: Gran Habano 12 cigar sampler for $20 (50 lot quantity), I bought this a while ago and I’ve had half of this sampler. I enjoyed them well enough, nothing crazy but for under $2/cigar it’s not a bad deal. https://www.cigarauctioneer.com/gran-habano-top-shelf-cigars/item-40994?auctionnum=4403698 Crowned Heads Coronation 4 cigar sampler for $16 (quantity 5), I’ve had the Four Kicks and the Jericho Hill which were both really good. https://www.cigarauctioneer.com/crowned-heads-coronation-sampler-cigars/item-54066?auctionnum=4405063 Nub Club 358, two of Habano, Connecticut, Cameroon (quantity 5), $16 https://www.cigarauctioneer.com/the-nub-club-358-sampler-cigars/item-29885?auctionnum=4406581 Oliva Serie V Lancero 5 Pack (quantity 5), $20, I’m the bid on there so don’t steal my cigars thank you! https://www.cigarauctioneer.com/oliva-serie-v-lancero-5-pack-cigars/item-36474?auctionnum=4405543 Edit: Figured I would kick off sharing some okay-ish deals to try and get you guys sharing your finds. Share your Cigars International, Cigar Bid, Famous Smoke, Cigar Auctioneer, etc. deals. Lyon fucked around with this message at 01:37 on Aug 11, 2020 |
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Aug 10, 2020 23:34
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Kenning posted:I smoked the first one just a week or two after getting them. I have another one that's been in the humidor for a month or so, and I've got a 5-pack of the normal torpedoes coming soon, so those will probably get some time to relax in the box. God dammit now I’m going to have to find these sooner rather than later. I’ve been reading through the old thread and they seemed to share deals a lot. I just grabbed the first few decent ones that I thought new-ish posters such as myself might appreciate (or any lurkers). Part of my motivation is exactly the same as yours, I need to stop buying cigars and maybe sharing cool deals with the thread will work as a substitute. Or I’ll fail dramatically and eventually ascend in a cloud of smoke. I have five of those Sistema containers and I refuse to buy any more. Edit: All this Man O’ War talk and the first two cigars I grabbed out of the tupperdor were Armada and Ruination so I smoked the Ruination. Very nice cigar. Smoked it until it started to get really hot down towards the nub. Earth, pepper, leather, some chocolate and coffee, it was very enjoyable. Lyon fucked around with this message at 05:19 on Aug 11, 2020 |
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Aug 11, 2020 02:16
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Kenning posted:Tonight I decided to throw caution to the wind and smoke a CAO Flathead 660 right off the truck. Luckily cigars tend to not be too dried out when I get them delivered, and this one seemed to be in quite good condition, so I went for it. I have found the CAO cigars to be either bad to okay from the ones I’ve gotten in sampler packs except for the MX2 which I thought was quite tasty. I’ll have to try a Flathead and a Pilon if I ever see them pop up. I’ve tried the Gold, Brazilia Gol!, Gold Signature Series (second best), Italia Ciao, and the MX2 which may not be representative of their quality or maybe I couldn’t appreciate the Gold/Brazilia/Italia when I smoked them as they were some of my first cigars. If you ever see a good deal on the Flathead or Pilon post it for me .
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Aug 11, 2020 05:35
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So I’m smoking a Creme de Jamaica which I have no idea where I got but I assume a Famous Smoke sampler. It’s a fine little Connecticut nothing special but it’s smokable, lives up to its name and is straight cream with a little bit of coffee and sweetness. So out of curiosity I wanted to see who manufactures the brand and it turns out to be General Cigar Company. Cool cool, I’m not a super snob. I still drink Miller/Bud/Coors while also driving eight hours to Massachusetts and Vermont to get the nectar of the gods. However, this led me to their Wikipedia where I learned that none of the brands GCC brands are affiliated with their Cuban counterparts of the same name? Not even licensing agreements or anything? That seems crazy to me. So all of the US brands like Cohiba, Bolivar, Punch, etc. are basically just used for marketing purposes. Altadis is/was affiliated with the Cuban brands of the cigars they manufacture for the US right? Somewhere in the convoluted chain Altadis/Imperial Brands owns a stake in Habanos S.A. anyway. Although a quick google informed me that Imperial Brands is selling off their premium cigar business and it looks like the US operations and the other part of the business are being split up but maybe that’s just for legal reasons due to the embargo? I’m sure I’ve gotten a lot of this wrong but still what a whacky world.
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Aug 11, 2020 17:36
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It’s probably common knowledge but I had zero idea. I’ve only ever tried a GCC Partagas and maybe a Punch but I will try to avoid their knock offs on principle. I don’t particularly love any of the Altadis brands either so I doubt I’ll acquire too much more or their stuff, I have some RyJ, Montecristo, and H Upmann but only 10-20 total probably. Altadis at least seems to have some claim to legitimacy but I didn’t delve any deeper than my cursory googling earlier. I smoked a JD Howard Reserve this afternoon, I grabbed it purely because the cellophane was sticky and I wanted to get it out of my tupperdor. I was expecting it to be some weird Famous Smoke exclusive but when I looked it up I was pleasantly surprised it was a Crowned Heads cigar. It was super tasty, tons of spices, lot of cinnamon and coffee. It was almost too much of a good thing. I wouldn’t smoke those every day but it was definitely good. The last third the spices mellowed a bit and it was a nice ending to a fairly intensely flavored cigar. I’m about to smoke a Guardian of the Farm because I’m an idiot. Edit: This may be one of the best cigars I’ve had to date. Pepper, nuts, wood, cream, with an underlying sweetness. drat, reminds me a bit of the Oliva Serie V but a little bit lighter, maybe cream instead of leather and chocolate. It also feels similar to the JD Howard Reserve I smoked earlier but much more balanced. Or maybe that’s all just bias from having smoked them a few hours apart. This is a collaboration between Aganorsa and Warped. I bought the Aganorsa sampler randomly but I’ll have to check out Warped now too. After finishing the cigar I sort of have the same opinion of it as I do the JD Howard Reserve, wish it had developed a bit and toned down some of the intense flavors maybe but it was still really good. Lyon fucked around with this message at 06:40 on Aug 12, 2020 |
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Aug 12, 2020 04:36
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How's everyone holding up with quarantine/social distancing/whatever? I got into cigars because of the quarantine and feeling sort of trapped at home. I'm definitely still using it for my moment of zen and I guess now I'm hooked. Also, any of the crazy coffee folks still in here lurking? I'm reading the old thread and there was a picture of a coffee brewing contraption that I can't find now. I've reached 2011 and in old thread nostalgia news the double box pass has just swapped routes so Box A is now heading down the reverse Box B route and vice versa. ThatOneGuy posted:What you're tasting in the Guardian of the Farm is all Warped. Skip Aganorsa, head straight to Warped. All of Aganorsa's best cigars are collabs with Warped or others. I bought an Aganorsa sampler so I've got a few more to smoke through. To continue that I smoked a JFR Lunatic Habano this afternoon, which is an AJ Fernandez collaboration I think. It was pretty good. A lot of red pepper, I can still sort of feel the tingling in my mouth but it was cut fairly nicely with some milk chocolate sweetness and some woodsy flavors. Great smoke production and burn. I will definitely keep on the lookout for Warped as I'm trawling the the bid sites. Thank you for the suggestions, I have no idea where to start within a given brand other than either a sampler or just grabbing whatever their Connecticut is (though I'm moving away from the latter approach). NewFatMike posted: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. I'm going to have three different Oliva Serie V vitolas that I plan to do a comparison of. See if I can get a feel for the differences or if I'm a complete tasting failure. I haven't smoked enough of the same cigar in different vitolas and I don't know that I will be truly able to tell the difference but it seems like a fun experiment. I'm curious as to the most "dramatic" differences people have experienced within the same cigar but different vitolas but I imagine it's probably pretty mild.
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Aug 13, 2020 02:46
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Kenning posted:D-d-d-double post! Your first mistake. Kenning posted:Perdomo Champage Puritos. Petite corona, 4 x 38, 5 five-pack tins. This one bottoms out somewhere around $65 I think. I smoked one of these this afternoon. This and the robusto if I want a slightly longer smoke are the perfect size for this cigar. I had a couple of toros but that’s a little too long in my opinion. The Perdomo Champagne was my first love. I’m going to pull my payment info out of CigarAuctioneer and CigarBid so I can’t impulse buy anymore. I bought a lot of cigars this week. It might be some sort of record. I just bought two new Sistema boxes and swore no more but I think I’ll need order at least one to hold all this. I think I bought almost every single My Father/Pepin Garcia I haven’t tried that I could find on CigarAuctioneer. A few of the My Father/DPG’s were poorly labeled on CigarAuctioneer, particularly the Le Bijou, and no one bid on them so they were significantly lower than the prices on Famous Smoke or Cigars International.
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Aug 14, 2020 01:13
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CRIP EATIN BREAD posted:I hope you really don't mean dunk. You definitely don't want to do that. I was being mostly facetious, I don’t have that much distilled water left anyway. They are just some cedar trays I’m tossing in the bottom of sone tupperdors and with the boveda two way humidifiers I feel like being super precise isn’t as necessary as when I seasoned my actual humidor. I’d post my buys this week but the extreme excess has me both excited and ashamed.
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Aug 14, 2020 03:40
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Double post to try and get some eyes on this question. Has anyone smoked the Ave Maria Divina? It’s currently $40 for 10 on CigarBid. There’s 250 lots so it probably won’t go up too much from there. I’ve never had it, I’ve liked the Ave Maria stuff well enough but I really don’t need 10 more cigars so maybe it’s best if no one answers or you tell me it’s bad. It has an insane MSRP and a 5 pack is listed at $80 on CI. In cigar journal news, I smoked a Kristoff Shade Grown earlier today. It was fine, nothing to write home about. I smoked a Perdomo Champagne Purito (4x38) which is one of my favorite go to small guys. I am now smoking an EPC Seleccion Oscuro which I just started but it is dynamite so far. I bought these because La Historia was real good and I am not disappointed so far. Lyon fucked around with this message at 05:24 on Aug 14, 2020 |
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Aug 14, 2020 05:15
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CRIP EATIN BREAD posted:Hey thanks to whoever informed me that cigarbids is a thing because my amex is on fire right now. One of us! One of us! One of us! What are you bidding on? Open right now on CigarBid AJF Box Press Perfecto II sampler Kenning has been enjoying, AJF Divina 10 pack is one of the current specials (seems like a heavy discount but no idea if it’s worth it), Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Maestro 5 pack cigar of the year 2019, etc. are all up with a decent number of lots. If I see solid cigars, for a decent price, with large-ish lot quantity I’ll try to post them periodically. I’ve found that CigarAuctioneer is a lot sloppier but also has a lot less people using it so you can get better deals if you are judicious with your search and can sift through their samplers and five packs. I snagged a ton of Don Pepin Garcia blends/brands 5 packs for cheap. I would avoid any of the samplers with Famous Smoke exclusives though.
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Aug 14, 2020 16:04
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Congrats! That’s awesome and looks like a hell of a line up.
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Aug 14, 2020 16:36
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Ophidian posted:CONGRATS NFM! Congrats to you as well! Hope you love never ending projects . Everyone making big moves. Me, I’m ordering a pizza. I just smoked a DPG Cuban Classic and it was okay. A lot of leather and nuts? maybe but once the pepper dropped out it got kind of boring. I have four more that I’ll let sit for a while and see what comes of them. This has probably been the least memorable DPG I have smoked, not good or bad really. I have a CigarAuctioneer order arriving tonight that I’ll have to take a picture of and post because I have zero self control and it’s a bit of a monster. Edit: drat the tracking updated and now it's supposed to be delivered on Monday. God drat you UPS. Not that I'm short on cigars in the mean time and I'm still getting a pizza. Anyone else have an opinion on the DPG Cuban Classic? Am I a terrible person? Also has no one smoked that Ave Maria Divina that is MSRP $180 for 10? That’s obviously ridiculous and also maybe why no one has tried it. Lyon fucked around with this message at 03:16 on Aug 15, 2020 |
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Aug 14, 2020 23:13
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I 100% agree that the MSRP is bullshit but the rest of the line is reasonably priced and I’ve never heard bad things about AJ Fernandez. There are 250 lots with only around 150 winners so I might scoop them for $40 and report back. I think I’ve only had the Ave Maria Lionheart which I enjoyed but I’ve tried a bunch of his other lines. AJF is a bit hit or miss for me but at the very least these should be decent and $4/cigar isn’t terrible. Screw it I’m going for it. Definitely going to need another Sistema box now. I’ll report back or if anyone wants to try one hit me up, assuming I win anyway.
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Aug 15, 2020 05:00
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It turns out I’m a complete idiot. First, it’s Divinia not Divina and second I actually have one already from a sampler pack I got a while ago. Oh well, I bid on the 10 pack so hopefully they’re worth it for $4/cigar or by some miracle I get outbid on them. In my shame I smoked a Vudu something and it was okay. A lot of red pepper with some sweetness. It went out with around 1/3 left and I let it go. A shameful end to a shameful day. The pizza was good at least.
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Aug 15, 2020 08:33
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Smoking an Alec Bradley Tempus Nicaragua, tasty cigar, not sure I’d go out of my way to acquire more but I’d smoke it again. What are some lesser known brands that you old timers enjoy? For instance I had never heard of Warped until I looked up Guardian of the Farm and saw it was a collaboration with them. Same for Curivari, never heard of them or seen them on any of the main sites. I’ve tried most of the “big name”/common brands moderately priced stuff like RP, Oliva, Perdomo, Gran Habano, Alec Bradley, La Aurora, Montecristo, the non flavored Drew Estate, etc. and I’ve dabbled on the edges of some other brands like Illusione, EPC, Arturo Fuente, DPG/My Father (although I have almost all of their main stuff coming in now because I have no self control). So I’m wondering what else is out there. One day I will step up into the big leagues of things like Ashton ESG, Padron 1964/1926, high end stuff from the normal brands, and Cubans but I’m trying to build a cigar base to work from. NewFatMike posted: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. Man that is super exciting. Let us know how it goes. I’m wishing you all the best! Enjoy the cigars, whisky, and of course getting engaged .night danger posted:Any goon-recommended sites for ordering to a Canadian address in particular? I have zero input on ordering cigars online from Canada but hopefully there are still posters from the great white north who can assist. You do have legal access to Cuban cigars and I believe NFM, Ophidian, and ThatOneGuy have made some recommendations from that angle if you’re looking for some suggestions. Edit: My lack of self control order just came in.    Those boxes are pretty much 100% full except the actual humidor which I’m trying to re-season as it didn’t seem to be holding humidity well. My only major regret, other than the fact that I am a complete idiot, was that I impulse bid on some gigantic El Centurions instead of being patient for a vitola that I enjoy more. Lyon fucked around with this message at 20:45 on Aug 15, 2020 |
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Aug 15, 2020 19:55
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Congrats again NFM! The something awful celebration where we all swing by and smoke your La Aurora Hors D’Age box is next weekend right? I’m smoking a Diesel Heart of Darkness and it’s definitely an intense cigar. The first half had a hefty meaty flavor to it. There is some nice espresso coming off the last third now. It’s not bad but not something I’d want to smoke regularly I don’t think. I split a box of Oliva Serie V Coronas so I smoked one of those last night and I think it’s my favorite cigar. I could smoke that for days without getting bored. I also smoked another Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua and I think that cigar is still a bit beyond my palate. I asked this before but I think it got lost, what are some brands you old timers like that are less well known or don’t show up frequently on the major online retail sites?
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Aug 16, 2020 21:08
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Kenning posted:Now that's a hefty smoke! Looks great. I love the puritos as well. The strongest cigar I think I've smoked to date or at least the one that knocked me on my rear end the hardest was probably 601 La Bomba. I smoked the Ave Maria Divinia that I had gotten in a sampler pack and I'd say it is a close run at smokes like the Oliva Serie V. It was really good, maybe a little more subtle or less intense than some other similar smokes. Mostly coffee and nuts with a subtle sweetness. I enjoyed it quite a bit. The MSRP on it is obviously insane but in the $3-5 range I was impressed with it. I don't know that I need 10 of them but maybe my buddy will split them with me. Edit: What lines are good entry points (knowing this is fully subjective) for Joya de Nicaragua, La Flor Dominica, Nat Sherman, La Gloria Cubana, AVO, Graycliff, etc? It's rare to see samplers of these guys and I haven't really tried much from these brands. Also, what off the beaten track should I try from here, https://order.shopkeep.com/cigarmojo ? Lyon fucked around with this message at 04:41 on Aug 18, 2020 |
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Aug 18, 2020 00:54
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He’s the cigar devil for a reason . Kenning I ordered that AJF box pressed perfecto sampler to split with a buddy of mine. I’ll have to compare notes with you after I’ve tried them. I smoked a La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial which was good but I think I liked the original more, a La Imperiosa Magicos which was good, and a Padron 5000 which I liked much more this time than the first one I smoked. I’d like to try a smaller version of the Padron, either the 2000 or 3000. I’m going to have to revisit the LAdC EE because it got a lot of hype and maybe I was expecting too much.
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Aug 20, 2020 09:18
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Kenning posted:Excellent thread, thanks for posting that. drat those were not up on CigarAuctioneer when I bought my box. Curse you MSRP. The nice thing about CigarAuctioneer vs CigarBid is when you add an auction to your watch list it will show you the future auctions with the scheduled date/time or just listed as unscheduled. Unless I’m just blind but I haven’t found that on CigarBid. I have created a library of cigars I really liked and cigars I want to try on CigarAuctioneer that I check up on periodically.
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Aug 20, 2020 22:30
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I had a Gran Habano Vintage 2002 last night that went out about halfway through and I didn’t bother relighting it. It was okay but just wasn’t doing anything for me so I let it go. This afternoon I smoked my second El Centurion H-2K-CT and it is a phenomenal smoke. Really enjoyed it and hoping it gets better with time since I still have eight more in the tupperdor and I probably won’t get back to it for a while. I’ve got one last order coming this weekend that I’m splitting with a friend. I’ve decided that once I’ve smoked enough of my stash to have an empty tupperdor I will buy some cubans to experiment with. This will be my motivation to stop buying cigars for a while. It’s going to take me a couple of months probably and then I can justify spending some extra money on the cubans.
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Aug 21, 2020 19:45
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I smoked a DPG Original/Blue and man that’s one hell of a cigar.Ophidian posted:I met a neighbor today who informed me they smoke cigars and drink beer once a week on our block. Nice! Meeting the neighbors is always interesting when you move. Hopefully you’ll have a close, location wise, new smoking buddy(ies). I’ve been reading the old thread so I’m glad to know the adventures of Ophidian have turned out well. Feels sort of like I skipped to the end of a book. It looks like you and ThatOneGuy are the only active survivors from the early days of the last thread. I’m waiting to see what tragedies befell the missing posters as I continue my cigar thread archaeology. CRIP EATIN BREAD posted:You know, I thought the big Sistema with 2 cedar trays would be a ton of cigars, but I got my 30 smokes in today from my cigarbid order and I nearly filled one tray. I guess I’m going to be a multiple tupperdor guy. Nobody in my house but me to complain at least. I have 5 Sistema’s now  . I just put one tray in the bottom because the second tray just barely fits (assuming we got the same size) and I didn’t want to mess up the seal on the box. I also bid on the 92+ this week with $30 as my max but it went up into the $40s apparently. I set and forget my bids for random packages like that. Seems like we are cigar doppelgangers this week.I think Oliva is great and I always keep them on hand because they are tasty smokes, you can get them pretty cheap, and they are good quality. I tend to share Oliva’s with friends/new cigar smokers for this reason. Oliva Serie V and Master Blends III are the two best cigars they make and I also really like the Connecticut Reserve when looking for something milder. All of their “main” cigars are solid. I usually bid on the Oliva 5-Star Sampler #3 and the Oliva Top Ten Intro Sampler because they have the V, MB III, O, G, and the Connecticut Reserve which is basically what I consider their main/best line up. All of the cigars in those samplers are natural except for the MBIII which, I thought, was a maduro but now I can’t find anything to back this up so it may also be natural. There is a maduro version of the V, O, and G as well as a variant of the V which is the V Melanio (both natural and maduro) that are all good too. I enjoy all of these cigars and if I’m bidding on CigarBid and see the samplers I mentioned above I always bid on them and set my cap at $3-3.50/cigar. They also have their Nub, Cain, Inferno, and a couple other lines but I haven’t loved these as much as the above mentioned cigars. Nubs are fun because people tend to have strong feelings about them in general but also which Nub is the best. TLDR: Oliva is good, try them all!
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Aug 22, 2020 03:36
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Speaking of Don Pepin Garcia there is a sampler of his blends up on CigarAuctioneer. If you haven’t tried anything or much by DPG this seems like a decent entry point. I didn’t check what it would cost to buy these as singles but at $5.60 a stick this seems like a good deal. This sampler includes: Cabaiguan Belicoso Fino Natural (5 1/2 x 52) Don Pepin Black Belicoso 1970 Natural (5 1/2 x 54) Don Pepin Series JJ Belicoso Natural (5 3/4 x 52) Tatuaje Havana Cazadores Natural (6 3/8 x 43) Tatuaje Havana VI Belicoso Natural (5 1/2 x 52) Tatuaje Reserva Cojonu 2006 Natural (5 1/2 x 52) The auction has four hours left, price is $34, and there are ten lots available with no bids yet so you can probably scoop it for the bottom price. https://www.cigarauctioneer.com/colecciones-del-rey-belicoso-sampler-cigars/item-60847?auctionnum=4424677
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Aug 22, 2020 16:37
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Also, continuing to plug deals instead of buying them myself... Famous Smoke is doing buy two 5 packs get one free as well as buy two samplers get one free. They have some solid 5 packs available for this surprisingly, DPG, V Lance, AGR Quattro Nicaragua, etc. Their samplers tend to have a lot of junk in them but they are usually cheap and there are some good ones if you don’t mind sifting through the poo poo. CRIP EATIN BREAD posted:the two trays did not fit for me at first, either (it was extremely close), but i took a wood plane and shaved like an 1/8” off each, then sanded the faces I shaved and it was perfect. Ahhhh that’s a good idea. I honestly can’t do it right now because I’ve stuffed them so full but I should do this, and will, once I’ve reduced my supply a bit. Ideally I will get down to 2-3 boxes instead of 5 if I can stop being an idiot.
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Aug 22, 2020 18:15
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Stopped by my B&M and it continues to be a major boomer zone but I guess that goes with the territory. There is a new B&M opening a similar distance from me that’s in a younger town so I’m curious to see how that develops. Picked up a Fuente Casa Cuba and Short Story as well as an EPC Encore. Smoking the Casa Cuba here and it’s pretty tasty so far. Tangy pepper flavor, it’s interesting. SomedoodIV posted:So I'm still pretty new to the world of cigars and I've been enjoying them a lot. So far all I've had that I liked was a Romeo and Juliet (I THINK an 1875 Churchill?) And a slaughterhouse (unsure what else) that a friend gave me once. I really liked the slaughterhouse, particularly the leathery/woodsy taste I got from it. If anyone has any input as to what to try next it would be appreciated. I believe I'd look for a claro or Colorado style? I’m relatively new myself so someone can correct me on any of this if my information is off. I believe the 1875 is a Sumatra wrapper and then Colorado refers to the color of the wrapper. I have never personally loved Sumatra wrappers but off the top of my head on the higher end there is the Ashton VSG and My Father The Judge, Undercrown Sungrown was mediocre to me but should be pretty accessible, the only Sumatra I really liked was the La Aurora Preferidos Emerald. Maybe check out some milder cigars too, Connecticut wrappers tend to be a good starting point to expand from. Try the Perdomo Champagne, Oliva Connecticut Reserve, Rocky Patel 1999, or any of the other big name Connecticuts. There are tons of options in this category.
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Aug 23, 2020 20:19
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Neat! Would you say it was better than the average Connecticut? Surprise cigars with friends are the best cigars. I still really like Connecticut wrappers even if smoke them way less than I was when I started. I also need to try the 1964 and 1926, all the weird variations are honestly intimidating me though. The only Padron I’ve smoked is the 5000 natural. I smoked a Nub maduro and it was definitely a cigar. In terms of the Nub wars I’m firmly on team Connecticut but will revisit the Habano at some point in the future. I haven’t smoked the Cameroon yet but generally speaking I’m sort of ambivalent to them so I’m not expecting too much. Connecticut it is. I don’t plan on buying Nubs any time soon though cause large ring gauge cigars aren’t really for me.
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Aug 24, 2020 05:18
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Just smoked a Hoyo La Amistad Black which was pretty tasty, tons of espresso with some pepper and tobacco flavors. The draw was absolute poo poo and I lost my PerfecDraw either at my B&M or in my car somewhere so there wasn’t much I could do about it. I got a five pack of these for super cheap so I’ll try it again in a while.NewFatMike posted: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 Once I smoke down my supply a bit I’m going to try and get more slatted trays for better airflow as well. I have Boveda packs at the bottom, middle, sides, and top so hopefully that is enough for my little Sistema boxes but I don’t really know. I just sort of tossed poo poo in the box and hope. You have a fridge contraption right? I was looking at those but haven’t pulled the trigger on anything.
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Aug 25, 2020 01:20
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ThatOneGuy posted:I would invest in coolers instead. I constantly fight with mine. To the point where I’d flip mine if somebody wanted to buy it. The only reason I’ve debated about the cigar fridge is that we don’t have air conditioning and it has been hot in the philly area. We are planning to install a mini split system next year and summer is almost over so I will heed the advice and not get a cigar fridge. On an unrelated positive note I found my PerfecDraw in my car so that was exciting. Also to you more experienced folks, when I finally get around to ordering my first cubans I was thinking of starting with this sampler, it’s a little pricey at $312, but it appears to cover all the major marcas and seems to be a good representative cigar from each one. Worth it or waste of money? New To Cuban Cigars Sampler posted:1. Bolivar Petit Corona
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Aug 25, 2020 06:31
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Ophidian posted:That’s really expensive for 20 Cubans, especially the ones you are looking at trying. Thanks! I’ll check them out. The $312 was higher than I’d like but it’s hard to find samplers or low quantity options so hopefully this is what I’ve been looking for (or it’s a rabbit hole I’ll never return from). NewFatMike posted:Regarding my wineador, I've made some progress on figuring out my extremely low humidity (~60% despite having plenty of humidification sources): 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 .
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Aug 25, 2020 17:04
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Kenning posted:Storing cigars This is from the OP and holds up just fine. I followed these recommendations and now I have five large Tupperware containers full of cigars, two small ones, and a “starter” humidor that are all filled. You can also order cedar trays that will fit and season those for the additional humidity control and smell. The other big thread recommendation is to get a large cooler (like the kind you would take to a tailgate) and use that to store your cigars. If I had known how quickly I was going to accumulate a stupid number of cigars I absolutely would have gone this route. I have no experience with it so I’ll let others chime in on the specifics but it’s generally the same idea as using Tupperware just on a larger scale. Another nice benefit is if you start buying boxes of cigars you can put the entire box in the cooler. Edit: beaten by ThatOneGuy who ironically just said this in my read through of the old thread,  Edit2: Smoked a Don Tomas Special Edition, it’s a Connecticut so it was very mild, sort of dry, a little sweet. It could be a decent yard stick I guess. I’ve been ending cigars about half way through lately if they aren’t doing it for me. Lyon fucked around with this message at 03:11 on Aug 26, 2020 |
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Aug 25, 2020 22:55
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I just smoked a Man O’ War Puro Authentico and it was pretty good. Not sure it’s $8 MSRP good but I’m glad I tried it and it’s probably worth smoking if you see it on special. I don’t think it holds up to a lot of other offerings in a similar price range but it was tasty enough.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. I think the general advice is to gently clean the mold off with a damp towel (possibly with a small amount of alcohol) and to quarantine them in a separate box. It seems like if the mold gets into the foot though you’re probably boned since it could be growing inside the cigar. I don’t know poo poo about cigars so maybe wait for the more experienced folks to chime in. goblox posted:I just wanted to say how much I am in love with my Alec Bradley table lighter. This thing is perfect, looks great, and is super easy on fuel. I have this same table lighter but it’s branded Mantello, got it for $25 on amazon, and I love it as well. I also find I’m having to refill my smaller lighters fairly constantly.
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Aug 26, 2020 19:02
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I had to go sign some paperwork at the bank and my B&M is on the way so I stopped in. Smoked a Tatuaje Verocu Petite Corona and almost cursed the Flyers. I also picked up an Ashton VSG and a Padron 1964 natural. I smoked a VSG before and it didn’t do much for me but I figured I’d give it another shot since it may have been poorly humidified (or I’ll prove I don’t like Sumatra wrappers). I’ve never had any of the Padron Anniversary series so I figured I’d grab one and smoke it this weekend. They have two memberships at my B&M one which is a $1000 flat fee that gets you 24/7 access, 10% off singles, and 15% off boxes, a humidified locker in the members area, plus some other random perks and one that is $200/month but you get a corresponding store credit with the same benefits as the flat fee membership. I’ve debated signing up for the winter but it’s probably cheaper if I just buy some sort of heating contraption for my back porch. What do y’all rig up for the cold months?
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Aug 26, 2020 23:00
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I take back all the bad things I said about you VSG, please forgive me, I love you. I think the first one I smoked was super dry or something because this one I picked up from my B&M yesterday is amazing.
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Aug 28, 2020 00:05
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