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Cigars and whisky are two luxury items that I have spent a lot of money on in the past. Every time, I am left thinking the cost was not worth the taste, but it was worth the experience. Like most regular folks, I can't afford to enjoy the higher ended options often lot but every now and then, its worth the experience. With that said, the only cigar that I would be willing to pay over $100 for fresh/new would be a BHK. If I could get a 20+ year aged Monte #2, Fundie, Esplindido, or Sig 6 then I would jump all over those as well.

From what i hear leaving the social media section empty will result in automatic rejection, you gotta put something. Also if i recall correctly, the social media thing goes back to the Obama era but it was limited to your employment/ hiring. now the challenge is how to differentiate between a national security threat /vetting system and scathing criticism?, there's a thin line. locally speaking, you cant get a sim card or opening a bank account with out biometric verification (finger print/ facial recognition).

I recently discovered Tap That Ash in Franklinton also. Very fine top shelf liquor selection but a relatively small humidor with sticks at very high premium prices. $10 cutting fee if you bring your own.

I've been looking into it after reading Guy's post and here's what I found: •There are no Maxim's cigars listed in France today. •There used to be at least another Maxim's DR cigar available around 2000, a mini panatela sold at 4,5€, which was a lot of money for such a small cigar at the time. Reviews were awful too. •There were at least two other Pierre Cardin Maxim's cigar called Omnibus (a torpedo, 7" cepo 52) and a Churchill you could find in Paris and NY's Maxim's for around 15$ a stick.

Sounds like something that won’t be going away any time soon. Very unfortunate.

Happy Hannukah to all those who celebrate the festival of lights. Cherish the time you have with family and friends this holiday season.

I'd put all DC's into non-casual smoke category. Better to smoke a couple corona extras if it's not 100% about the cigar.

Oh your an FOH member for 5 years? Well come right on in! Welcome! They're good guys. Ain't never said anything bad about US politics there. What does FOH mean anyways?

The cigars look well presented in the pictures. Does Maxim still offer branded cigars?

It includes email addresses used along with social media services subscribed to. The US (and some other countries) have access to WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. This would include reviewing past posts and associations along with any obfuscation or misdirection on questions asked.

Saw this guy live in Nashville and have him on heavy repeat since. Excellent Bluesy guitar, excellent live performer. Start with Salty. https://www.pingroseplays.com/

If I could get my hands on an Edmundo Dantes, I would probably drop the coin for that, the other one is a CoLa.

Siglo VI Espy Those may be the only two I've ever paid more than 100 a stick for. I had the opportunity to buy some 2015 BCG for 100 a stick a while back and declined.....definitely a chased after stick for me personally, but still thought that was a little too excessive imo.

Ghostbusters impact and staying power make this an easy choice.

Speaking of total tent pegs. Probably the worst examples I've a tent peg was a lancero. This thing was SOOOOO incredibly tight that I struggled to even light it. Unfortunately, no picking, prodding, or massaging made any difference. I left the stick sitting in an ashtray at the lounge I was at....shame.

Hey Guy! Good story and info! Don't be a stranger.

All politics aside, what does this actually mean in practice to " submit social media history for 5 years?" No way they are asking you to submit every post. I would be lucky if I could find that for the last year. Maybe its just asking for you to submit your profile names? Even then, there are profiles I have created and totally forgotten about over the last 5 years for any number of reasons. I would guess they have the ability to get past private accounts if they really wanted to. However, I doubt they would even go that far unless there was something else that triggered suspicion.

Great story, thanks for sharing. Bummer that the cigar was a miss, and I LOVE the Lonsdale size, too.

This is me, too. My sister & I still laugh at some of the ridiculous scenes when we get together during Christmas time. That movie was ALWAYS in the monthly rotation on HBO/Cinemax back in the day.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank @loose_axle for gifting me the cigars aforementioned above because I have to admit that these cigars were all unique to this Blog Series in some way, and they extended this year's Series too. A special thanks to @Luca for the Punch 48 also. Initially, I had intended to end this year's Series here at this point, but my ventures in France in October this year resulted in some incredible generosity on behalf of some dear friends towards me and thus, we will extend the Series a little. The final five cigars will be published before the end of the month. See you then! John.

HdM DC.

Punch 48 2016 - Especialista en Habanos y La Casa del Habano Exclusivo TOS Dic 2016 When I first tried the LCdH Punch 48 (when it was first released) I noted the roasted nut profile in it was so dominant. At around the 18 months mark the peanut profile was still there; albeit, not as roasted. A Hermosos No.3, at 48 ring gauge x 140 mm (or 5½ inches), the size now seems more akin to a coronas, especially since the Robustos (50 ring gauge) and Petit Robustos is now the average-sized Habanos vitola these days. Incredibly, this is only the third Punch 48 that I've had in the last four-and-a-half years! I must thank @Luca for gifting me this cigar to review. With that passage of time, I can assuredly say that the profile upon lighting this cigar demonstrated that 'roasted nuts' was no longer an adequate adjective to use in profiling it, after eight-and-a-half years that is. Around four years ago I noted that there was a gorgeous sour citrus twang intermingled with a similarly gorgeous light cream and cedar note. Today, I wouldn't say that the sour citrus twang was as evident, but there was certainly remnants of it. Furthermore, much like last time I smoked this cigar there was some cedar, light cream and nuts (just not roasted) too. I got a copious amount of smoke per puff and this no doubt contributed to the one hour and forty-five minute smoking time. In summary, this was quite a fine cigar. At eight-and-a-half years of age, these are coming along just nicely. I expect them to continue to improve in the long-term as the blend melds even more.

Vegas Robaina Unicos Sevilla Jar 2016 593 According to an article dating back two years from Cigar Journal, Serie Sevilla is the name of a collection, exclusive to the Spanish market, of Habanos cigars presented in English earthenware jars. The jars, made by “La Cartuja de Sevilla”, are a replica of those made by the same firm in the middle of the last century for the Partagas and Ramon Allones brands, which are now genuine museum pieces. The first edition of Serie Sevilla, produced in 2016, featured Montecristo No.3, followed in 2017 by Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial, H. Upmann Magnum 50 in 2018, Partagas Serie P No.2 in 2019, Romeo y Julieta Short Churchills in 2020 and Ramón Allones Allones Specially Selected in 2021. The 7th edition consists of 1,000 numbered pieces. Each of them contains 21 Unicos, the brand’s Piramides (156 mm in length and 52 filler), entirely hand-rolled and preserved in the best conditions. It is priced at €25 per cigar and €525 per box. So, this Vegas Robaina Unicos is from Jar 593 and these cigars were produced in 2016. I'd like to thank @loose_axle for making it possible to review this cigar! I must admit, in writing this review, that I've had many more Vegas Robaina Famosos and even Don Alejandros than I've had Unicos. In surmising as to why, I think the reason for this is because, at least for me, Vegas Robaina represents a change-of-pace marca. In other words, a brand that I turn to every now and then to freshen my palate, so-to-speak, otherwise I'd be smoking solely Cohiba and Quai d'Orsay cigars, at the present time! Despite my relative inexperience with the Vegas Robaina Unicos, I have smoked more than enough cigars to know that this cigar, at nine years of age, was a quality specimen of its ilk. At this stage of its development, it didn't much in the way of quality chocolate, but it did have a subtle herbal quality to it, together with a raisin/dates/prunes fruitiness to it that made it effortless to smoke. Needless to say, I very much enjoyed smoking it! I have around eight Vegas Robaina Unicos cigars in my inventory. After smoking this example from the seventh edition of the Spanish Seville series, I am inclined to let them rest awhile. Maybe it won't be five years until I have the next one from the box, but nonetheless, I'm in no hurry.

Partagás Lusitanias UEB Jun 2018 The Double Coronas is a vitola with a 49 ring gauge and 194 mm or 7⅝ inches length. It typically takes a long time to smoke, somewhere in the vicinity of two-and-a-half hours or more. Of the Double Coronas in regular production in the current Habanos catalogue, I would believe that the Partagas Lusitanias is rated the highest among our members. It wasn't that long ago that the Partagas Lusitanias was seemingly unavailable for the greater majority of 2022 and 2023. Fortunately, alongside the other Double Coronas in regular production; namely, the Ramon Allones Gigantes, the Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas and the Punch Double Coronas, these have all been made available again, albeit in select quantities and at select times. I last smoked a 'Lusi' from this UEB Jun 2018 box code about a year and nine months ago. At the time, the flavours I had listed were sourdough, milk coffee and leather. Any paprika spice to be had in that cigar was after the first third, and it was much less than the two previous UEB Jun 2018 Lusis I had prior to that one. Also, it was quite light on any caramel-like sweetness (what El Pres lists as nougat). For me, that suggests that the cigar is settling within its current phase of development. Construction-wise, all my UEB Jun 2018 Partagas Lusitanias have struggled to maintain a one-inch ash, but this one 'bucked the trend' in how well it ashed, by contrast. Overall I consider this UEB Jun 2018 cigar better than my last one, but I consider my last three or four UEB Abr 2019 Lusis were all better by comparison, though. So, when was the last time you smoked a Double Coronas and if you have some in your humidor, are you reticent to smoke your stock given the current state of things? (I.e. especially with the increase in pricing and issues in regards to availability.) I sometimes wonder when will be the next time that I reach for a Double Coronas myself, but invariably of recent times, say the last twelve to eighteen months, I seem to be fortunate enough to find one to smoke!