El Presidente

What an excellent video in a world of cigar influencer crap. I visited the Correnti factory years ago. It is indeed a time capsule. Every continued success to Chris and his team.

Happy Birthday John!

I loved that school/sport stage of life taking Ben, Becky and Tom to the various week trainings and weekend games. Very special. Enjoy!

Assuming it is not an overly thick wrapper + construction good...glorious. I love a mottled wrapper with what looks to be a rosado tinge. Photos can be deceptive, of course. Reminds me of the wrappers on many of the Punch Punch 50 cabs when they were available. If it was my box, straight down for a 60-90 day nap/acclimatisation and try one. Work out your strategy from there.

Relatively quiet one this weekend which makes a nice change. walk and gym now (after I tap this out), Zoom with Hamlet, knock out a couple of hours work, read the newspapers + Negroni (3) followed by Saturday arvo kip. I think I will cook up some pork rack for dinner and have an espresso martini movie night + a Fenomenos. Need to find a 2 hour plus movie classic. ......will report back. Tomorrow (Sunday), Ben and I are taking the boat out for a 1/2 day fish. I haven't been out for a while so am looking forward to spending the time with Ben and hopefully bringing home some dinner. There are a couple of cigars in the Fabrica 5 development pipeline I need to try, so that will deliver the perfect opportunity. What's up for the weekend?

What could go wrong

God damn Commie

Lessner Gomez, Tourism Czar for Cuba is the best I have seen since Baghdad Ali MISSISSAUGA — Amid recent comments from U.S. President Trump threatening to halt Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba, the country’s Ministry of Tourism is pushing back against misconceptions about possible fuel shortages and widespread power outages. Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Jan. 14, in Mississauga, Lessner Gomez, Marketing Director of the Ministry of Tourism of Cuba (MINTUR), urged Canadian travellers to not by swayed by recent media reports. “I want to reaffirm that Cuba continues to be a safe destination with very hospitable people who stand in solidarity. It’s business as usual,” said Gomez, adding the country receives an average 120 flights a week from Canada and hopes to welcome one million Canadian visitors this year. Gomez’s assurances come more than a week after Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. forces in Caracas, and three days after Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Sunday: “THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA — ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.” Trump did not provide any details about the deal. When asked by Travelweek, Gomez dismissed suggestions of direct talks between U.S. and Cuban leadership. “Yesterday, Trump said that he spoke with the Cuban president. But the press asked the president about it and he said this isn’t true – he never spoke with Trump.” Myth One: Cuba Relies Solely on Venezuelan Oil One major myth surrounding Cuba’s current situation is the belief that the country depends entirely on Venezuela for fuel. This is not the case, said Gomez. “Cuba is a sovereign country and we have many different contracts with many different countries. From all these different contracts, we get all the fuel for everything we need to run the country,” he said, noting that just three days prior, Cuba received a new shipment from Mexico. “And who knows, with our good relationship with Canada, we can probably get fuel from Canada, too.” This diversification in fuel supply will carry the country through to at least the summer season, he added. “Our hotels have enough fuel for the short-, medium- and long-term.” Gomez also clarified that aviation fuel has never been sourced from Venezuela due to the nature of its oil. “Before the Venezuela situation, the fuel was being used for flights did not come from Venezuela. The characteristic of Venezuelan oil is heavy, which is why it was never used for airplanes,” he said. Earlier this week at a similar press conference in Montreal, Canadian travel partners were provided with a signed letter from the Cuban Aeronautical Institute confirming that airports and hotel operations have the fuel and supplies needed to sustain the winter season. Myth Two: Blackouts are Disrupting Tourism Despite recent media reports of power outages across the country, Gomez stressed that a lack of fuel is not to blame and that resort areas remain unaffected. “The main issue with the blackouts isn’t due to fuel – the grid is aging and authorities did not receive a proper maintenance schedule,” he said. Notably, all major tourist zones in Cuba operate independently of the national electrical grid. “Our hotels in all tourist destinations operate on their own grid separate from the national grid. Plus, hotels have their own generators that can be used if needed to run operations,” added Gomez. To address long-term concerns, Gomez said the country has been developing renewable energy solutions for the past few years. For example, at the Melia Trinidad Peninsula, 80% of the resort operates on solar energy. “For all new hotels and investments, the number one consideration is the inclusion of renewable energy,” said Gomez. Addressing Mosquito-borne Illnesses Cuba is currently dealing with outbreaks of mosquito-borne illnesses including dengue, chikungunya and the new Oropouche virus. As reported by CTV News, officials have reported more than 38,000 suspected cases of the diseases. Noting Cuba’s tropical geography and its similarities with many Caribbean destinations, Gomez said these concerns are not unique to Cuba and apply to multiple destinations across the region. “Mosquitos are common for all tropical climates – they’re not exclusive to Cuba. There were upwards of nine other countries included in Canada’s travel advisory earlier this winter for mosquito-borne illnesses,” he said. According to Gomez, Cuba will soon implement a plan for pest control and spraying in all the resort areas. “The latest data from the Ministry of Health shows a downward trend in the number of cases, so this is good news,” he said.

Damn "Rich" people...... you could add Cuban cigars to the list of things ruined Let the class war begin In defence of "Rich" people...they are people too you know. People supporting families, employees, spas, mistresses. Billionaire's Tax? It seems unfair that Mike and others may soon be CaliHomeless as they leave for Palm Beach. I for one stand with these persecuted. * or rather sit with them over a long lunch. #RichLivesMatterToo Specific Things That Were Once Accessible But Have Since Been "Ruined By Rich People" https://uk.style.yahoo.com/people-sharing-specific-things-were-101602860.html

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 Once upon a time in the late 90's and into the 2000's there was a huge choice of smaller format Cuban cigars. Small format? Think Small Panetela and the like. I would go through box after box of Bolivar Regentes 34 × 125 mm (4⅞″) and Ramon Allones Ramonitas 26 × 121 mm (4¾″). They were good, cheap and that fact that up to 1/4 may not draw, didn't bother you. Of course I was still in my grunge phase (I still am!!!) and the new Habanos management was introducing some wicked Edicion Limitada at reasonable prices. Stock was plentiful, prices cheap, trips to Cuba plentiful and fun with new gun house rollers like Hamlet making a name for themselves. My vision was largely limited to spending as much time with cigar loving clients and friends from around the world. I was having a hell of a good time getting into and out of trouble. When I saw the El Rey Del Mundo Demi Tasse up today, it took me back to those days. Excellent cigar, 30 × 100 mm (3⅞″) with a huge personality. Not a blow you out of your chair cigar, but a cigar of remarkable flavour for its size. I am not sure how this El Rey survived the bean counter purge that took most of the others. I am glad it is still here! El Rey Del Mundo Demi Tasse...Let's kick off the discussion

Great write-up!!!! Now on my list!

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 Outside the fact that they wear the same foil pyjamas, the Old Bolivar Gold medal 42 × 165mm (6½″) and the "New" Gold medal 48 × 165mm (6½″) share nothing in common. It certainly isn't price as thinking back to my original price on the "Gold Medal' Lonsdales was $87 for a box of 10. Madness! In terms of blend, the "New" Bolivar Gold Medal is a fine and far more refined cigar than the original at the same point of age. It is indeed an excellent blend that is well thought out and nuanced. Give me the original whorehouse hellcat any day. In those early days, you never quite knew what you were getting with the Bolivar Gold Medal Lonsdale. Over time it matured from dockside bar wench to finishing school Dux. Still one of my favourites. New one? Very good. Doesn't get me heart racing however. New Bolivar Gold Medal....Let's kick off the discussion

I came across this box of Montecristo being peddled and simply ❤️ the font. It reminded me of "Flash Gordon" (or Flesh Gordon in the 1974 porn version) It got me to thinking