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Lat SS Torpedo 2015 Would have been cigar of the month had it not been for the others

I really wanted to like this and my writing shows. I think Anejo is a better cigar and we'd probably both agree. I did think you'd think this is a little MC-esque, ie boring. Pretty much the exact opposite of the EotB as I recall. We are lucky to get to have damning opinions here, I'd say.

@Çnote I don’t think this one grabbed me quite the same as it did you, although we do share some profile perceptions. A good stick, just not really one I care to repeat, at least without a couple years’ downtime maybe.

Congrats @Çnote!!

Lovely darker wrapper on this smoke, and I’m looking forward to trying out this blend with a different wrap. Intrigued might be the better word, as I do enjoy the usual Don Carlos Cameroon wrap. Cold draw gives me dark notes, plum wine and cocoa, a little medium roast coffee bean. The light-up is very flavorful, some more cocoa and coffee, along with raisin and oak wood. Going on, the oak wood is very prevalent here, along with some umami and more than a little leather. Flitting in and out, I get notes of candied bacon. Interesting and unexpected from a Don Carlos. Second third ramps up in sweetness, with some caramel-dipped cashew, and a fair bit of citrus crème. The finish on this smoke is leaving something to be desired. A little ashy, not as velvety as I’d expect from DC. Past the midway point, citrus disappears and is replaced by something like huckleberry. Earthy, rich, strewy. More coffee in the mix here, and some chewy damp earth. The last third goes very dark. Molasses, rum raisin, umami, but unfortunately some bitterness. It’s not constantl, and it’s not overpowering. Just like when you’re munching on freshly shelled pecans, and find a bit of gritty shell stuck in one of the dimples but you eat it anyway. The nub is more sweet, darkly sweet still, but almost dessert-like. I would like to try this stick again in a few years, and I think it’s got the legs for it. Gets an 88 from me today. Not great, but it’s headed in that direction.

Congrats!

I tried the Killer Bee. Has a unique flavor profile.

Congratulations!!

@Capn_Jackson Chocolate, earth, and leather. I usually don't like these things this savory, even in Fuente, but this is very well done. Extremely young, lots of promise, kinda monolithic. Nice transition into smooth leather going into the 3rd3rd. Woodsmoke and coffee come thru in the nub. The bands had just enough glue, incredible construction, incredible burn given this is so fresh. I'm hoping by the time the corona is released these are a thing you can just get a box of at msrp, but I can't justify 2ndary when there are other things lurking out there at disco. I'd probably be better off just waiting for a BR release in a corona-ish size than chasing these around. Opportunity cost is looking high on Fuente these days. Easy 92, could be 96 down the road Another great Fuente really

Congratulations @Rupe!

Congratulations!

Cold Draw: Light cedar, sweet hay, and a touch of honeyed bread. First Third: Smooth Creamy cedar with hints of toast and light coffee. Second Third: Notes of cedar, nuts, and subtle sweetness. Final Third: Earthy, light spice, and fading cream.

That's a good cigar. Need to hunt for a few.

Congratulations @Rupe

Black Works NBK. Kept going out on me.

Friends of mine are involved with the trade negotiations between the two nations. The opportunity is there, but it takes time. It took decades for Coca Cola to penetrate the Indian market or even less time for Fosters. Could be even less for Bourbon producers considering the legacy they already have established.

Ramon Allones No. 3

I've wanted to try one of hers ever since I started smoking cigars.

JL1

A lucky draw [emoji50] Thanks for posting these fun polls @moefoh!!

@Rupe!

My white whale. For whatever reason, Viaje as a brand has always resonated with me. Maybe it's the hunt for releases, maybe it's the branding. I had a fresh Oro in 2021. Oro was the release that put Viaje on the map with a CA#2 in 2010. In the early days, it was rolled regularly and released a couple times a year as a core brand, and by 2012 was announced as an annual release. By 2015c it had become a sporadic release, similar to how Viaje distributes today. This box undated but with a CA#2 sticker on the inside lid. My understanding is that this specific package was only used while it was a core brand, but Viaje packaging is hard to research. My unedited stream of consciousness notes: Roast pork and pineapple Pomegranate molasses prosciutto Banana bacon? Banana marshmallow? Barbecued meringue? Rich warm honey - incredible We're an inch in Golden treacle. Sponge cake. Crème anglaise. Spun baking spiced sugar. Verge of blonde caramel. Finishing up 1st3rd - tobacco < shortbread < Cointreau Shifts hard into savory unami mushrooms and then again into egg yolks and lime zest. We're at 1/2 way, a tiny touchup, humidity is all over the place this week and it's not burning 'perfectly.' Getting to the band Lemongrass? Citrus honey? Buttermilk marinade? Cadbury creme egg smashed with a chocolate orange Mushrooms in lemonade hehehe Mushroom demiglace Back into roast pork with charred pineapple and a touch of paprika. Velvet like an Elvis portrait. No harshness, retrohale is brown sugar syrup even with some humidity sniffles. I've been consciously smoking this slow, but it's getting hard to keep the cherry cool. Panatone, sultanas, banana foster, unflavored custard ice cream. Ginger wafers. Black pepper olive oil cookies. With my eyes closed I could know this is the nub. Hard shift down into condensed milk & Vietnamese coffee. The end of an espresso cup rinsed with cognac. Rum raisin and horchata. Duck stuffed with prunes and walnuts and flamed in armagnac, lip numbing peppercorns and honey as a finale. 96? The best cigar I've had this year? Thanks for making an excuse to smoke this, @El Presidente!

👍