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This series to explore whether a particular cigar is humidor worthy. Cost these days is an issue for many so let's see if we can highlight some absolute standouts. This should particularly assist those new to the cigar world. To be fair, most of the cigars we have featured to date have scored exceptionally well. Surprisingly well! Scoring is: 1-3 (Poor) 4-6 (Average to good) 7-10 (very good to excellent) Use the Poll. You are more than free to comment away! I was asked yesterday about my favourite winter cigars. Now winter locally is not quite Calgary At best, I might have to reach for a pullover/jacket three - four weeks a year....at night...maybe To me, a winter cigar must be constructed flawlessly, flavour rich and be able to be smoked comfortably in under 45 minutes. They don't have to be immensely complex but they need to have a clearly defined personality. Cuba has a plethora of half and petit corona that can fill the brief. Nothing fills it better than the Trinidad Reyes ....except for that annoying aspect of price....it is pretty much perfect. We have developed the MOFOH Sovereign Sun to produce a cigar that is 80% as good for 30% of the price..... but the king is still the king! Trinidad Reyes ....Let's kick off the discussion

I’ve never tasted chocolate in any cigar. Ever. I’ve probably smoked more Monte 2 than any other CC over the years so feel like I’m missing out. I’ll often get a good chocolatey aroma off the wrapper when I open a box, but that’s a different story. Anyway, I’ve had plenty of young ones. Liked them. I’ve had plenty of 10-15+ and my oldest are from ‘05. Liked them also. So as long as they’re past the 12 month mark, I’ll smoke it and usually like it - of course duds can happen young or old. So I can’t speak to any of the stuff about them going flat and losing the chocolate flavors but will say they are noticeably different with age - not from a flavor standpoint though. The old ones are simply smoother and rounder. Sometimes I’m in the mood for that, sometimes I’m in the mood for one a bit fresher and punchier. I’d say this holds true for all other aged Monte’s I’ve had too. I have some No 3s from 09, 5s from 10, and a bunch of 4s from the mid teens. Same thing - to me they’re just noticeably smoother than their younger counterparts.

‘14 RASS Cab - super smooth and tangy - 90 mins

La Regenta

2013. 54. Sweet bliss.

The Lizards pair the CAO Brazilia in Box-Press with Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The guys discuss recommended celebratory cigars, they answer a listener email on the best credit cards for rewards, and they share a voice memo unlike any other before. PLUS: The Women in Lizard Nation, Cigars for Celebrating Milestones, Cigar-Adjacent Gifts from Significant Others, Davidoff Ownership Transition, Tennessee Legislator Proposes E-Commerce Ban, New Cuban Trinidad & More

I've always enjoyed Monte 2 relatively young in the 3-5 range. Chocolate, barnyard, and twang all in harmony at that time. I don't think I've ever had a 10+ year old one; never considered it really. They were always an everyday cigar for me, so no reason for me to hold any back for aging.

The situation is grim and getting worse. Sadly this is a slow and painful bleed out. I'd rather just rip the band-aid off!

BUP SEP 19

The three biggest revenue earners for Cuba are tourism, medical services and mining, specifically the Moa Nickle-Cobault mine. Moa is one of the largest Nickle Cobault mines in the world. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/canadian-mining-company-pauses-cuba-operations-due-to-fuel-shortages/3832806 Canadian mining company pauses Cuba operations due to fuel shortages Sherritt International Corporation to 'place the processing plant on standby within the next week,' says statement. Merve Aydogan |17.02.2026 - Update : 17.02.2026 HAMILTON, Canada Canadian mining company Sherritt International Corporation announced Tuesday that it will pause mining activities at its joint venture in Moa, Cuba, due to fuel supply constraints affecting the country. "The Corporation expects to pause mining operations and place the processing plant on standby within the next week during which time, planned maintenance activities will be performed," it said in a statement. Noting that it had been notified that planned fuel deliveries to Moa will not be fulfilled, and that the timeline for resumption remains unknown, the company stated that it is "actively engaging with relevant counterparts and evaluating all options for sourcing input commodities." "Currently, there is no immediate impact on operations in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta," it added, stating that the refinery continues to produce finished nickel and cobalt for sale. But available feed inventory is expected to last until mid-April, said the statement. Sherritt is a world leader in hydrometallurgical processes to mine and refine nickel and cobalt, and operates what it describes on its website as the only significant cobalt refinery and one of just three nickel refineries in North America. The announcement comes as Cuba's fuel crisis worsened after the US cut off oil supplies from longtime ally Venezuela, which had been shipping tens of thousands of barrels daily to the island. US President Donald Trump also threatened to impose tariffs on any country that sells oil to the island. Since the Trump administration's Jan. 3 military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a longtime supporter of Cuba's government, it has sought to strengthen the US position on Cuba. In a late January executive order, Trump described the Cuban government as posing "an unusual and extraordinary threat," saying that a declaration of a national emergency was necessary. Cuba meets about one-third of its energy demand with domestic production, according to sources cited by the Spanish wire service EFE. For the remainder, it depends on imports, primarily from Mexico and, to a lesser degree, Russia, with Venezuela accounting for around 30% of total supplies in 2025

I'm not sure of the exact dates of the tobacco changes but there has been an evolution of tobacco science and I'm willing to bet that the newer iterations are much different than those from 20-25 years ago. So for long term ageing now we are kind of in a blind area. To be sure, Cuban cigars are far more approachable than they were when I started smoking them and the OGs talk about how potent the cigars were in the '90s. As a rule, I put cigars away for around three years before I sample them. That way, I know they are acclimated to a good RH and won't be wasted. Montecristo #2 is in the 5-10 years class like most of the cigars I smoke.

Those of us who use AI on a daily basis and work in the industry are happy to have our (current) jobs replaced, so we can be freed up to go work on other, more meaningful pursuits. Those who live in "surface reality" and never touch the stuff are terrified of being replaced. I think we've got quite a long way to go, but one mantra I've been sharing: "This is as bad as AI will ever be, today." -- It's just getting better and better by the minute. We're in the "lift-off" phase, about ready for a hockey stick over the next decade. I believe we're in the second Gilded Age. Watch this PBS docu and tell me you don't see any similarities. Now, times were tough and quite odd, but would you go back and stop this if you could? A rising tide lifts all ships, but the water will be rough and choppy during the change.

@canadianbeaver I live in the Coachella Valley too. We should meet up at Pivat next time you're in town.

I'm noticing my MON5800A is always dryer up top than down below. I wish it would even out!

AI is such a bad move. It’s already soooo advanced from when it first came out. No way that people won’t use it for their purposes, good or evil.

This level of AI generated content is nearing the endgame. It's not about generating original content for entertainment purposes. It's about altering "reality". If people thought "fake news" was already brandished illegitimately, this will be the icing on the cake. Any news story that needs to support or discredit a narrative will have convincing audio video "evidence" to back it up.

Congratulations!!!!

Say whaaaaaat? Thanks everyone!

Wish I could smoke these everyday ☺️

Don’t worry that you are buying too many CC, buy more without hesitation. Your wife is dead wrong, you can confidently laugh her off.

Best deals on Cohiba are found on the beach in Mexico 😉

Age my own stock. Way too many clowns out there with questionable/inadequate storage conditions, despite them trying to convince you otherwise. Some people will say practically anything to make a buck. 🤣

Don't smoke a wet cigar. You will struggle with it and it's unpleasant flavors. It will not draw smoke. If you manage to get to the halfway point it might open up. But you just spent 45 minutes pissed off and didn't understand what's wrong with the cigar. Dry boxing would have fixed much of this, laying them down for a while even better. Don't buy $5 Cohibas that the mop boy is selling in the bathroom along with cologne, chewing gum. John

- If you're not into skinny cigars, don't buy them. - If you can swing it, always buy two boxes. One for short term, the other for the long haul or to trade down the road. - If you are open to recommendations, ask the vendors you buy from (especially online) what is good at the moment for the vitola you like. - Don't buy NCs with an eye on investment value. They don't increase with value over time like Habanos. - Plenty of humidors, ashtrays, cutters, etc. on Facebook Marketplace and the like. - The more humid the cigar gets, the more muted the flavors become.