tigger

Coming soon to CA's Connoisseur's Corner: Aged long term in an oxygen free environment. Salt and seaweed notes dominate. Excellent, if not slightly past their prime. 96 points.

I'm not a fan of monarchy, nor government in general, but I find myself surprisingly saddened by her passing.

I would not buy that box with the seal broken...looks good, but you never know what could have been switched out.

Was quite cautious for 2 years, (vacced, boosted, masked indoors and no large gatherings...mostly to protect some family members who wouldn't have fared well) then caught it at a music festival over the US Memorial Day weekend this May. Spent a day in bed, mainly because of complete lack of energy. Could have spent a second day in bed, but had to work on month end close reporting. By day 3, just some nasal congestion and a mild fever, though it took about a week for my energy to return to completely normal. Bad cold/mild flu is how I've described it.

I can't say that it's consistent, but for me, at their best, Partagas 898s have a deep, dark sweetish note somewhere between molasses and prunes.

I've been bitten by the Herrera Esteli Habano Lancero bug lately. They've been a so-called "Limited Edition," in the past, but they just announced they'll be coming out as a regular release in certain shops this (Northern Hemisphere) summer. They're quite tasty, and I love the size.

I reckon I'm done buying Cohiba. I may purchase one or two more boxes of Fundadores in my lifetime. And from being an all Habanos smoker for a number of years, I'll be purchasing very few going forward, and investigating what's out there for NCs. It's not that I can't buy them. It's that I won't...a combination of irritation and diminishing returns.

It runs the gamut for me from practical uses almost daily like cutting twine and opening boxes/bags of pet and chicken feed...to occasional situations where I need to strip wire, uncap a cigar and the like...to what I'll call "insurance," on things I hope to never need it for like cutting a seatbelt or breaking a window on my vehicle (with the handle, not the blade) in a bad situation.

In these terms, for me it's either a Spyderco Delica or a Kershaw Leek, both well worn but functional, and a cheap but reliable torch lighter. OP, if I had anything as nice as yours, I'd somehow end up ruining them within a day or two...it's a recurring theme in my life. 😂 Side note: I guess it's a function of my age and background, but "everyday carry," means something different to me than the knife and source of fire I keep in my pocket...I've yet to adjust to what it has come to mean.

Hi FOH! I haven't been around much of late, but when I saw this today, I had to pass it along. Be well all!

https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/celebratory-cohibas-and-more-coming-from-cuba?utm_campaign=ca_cohibaworlddays_050421&utm_source=ca_cohibaworlddays_050421&utm_medium=email&utm_content=298bd7a2b0943496a6473c7b9fa19141 I'm clearly part of HSA's target demographic. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Hullo Wilkey! Long time no see. 😊 Partagas 898V come to mind for me.

On rare occasions, I've gotten a vegetal , almost broccoli-like flavor in cigars. I actually like broccoli on my plate, but it doesn't work for me at all in a smoke.

Punch 8-9-8 LMB JUL19 (SELRW)* I really need to charge my beard trimmer. ?

* Man, does my beard need a trim I love the Dalia vitola, and was thrilled when these came out last year, despite their price. I've been smoking them occasionally since their release to track their progression. I think I'll let them rest for another year before I try again. And I think I'll be rewarded for it. 1st Third: True to the previous examples I've smoked, roasted nuts and chocolate, right out of the starting blocks, though slightly less intense in strength and body than when they were first released. Delicious. 2nd Third: Here's where I think it's time to rest these. The flavors become fairly muddled, with some promising tea and citrus notes popping up here and there. Solidly medium bodied. 3rd Third: There's a marked pickup in body and power, though it's nowhere near as noticeable as when they were first released. Nut and chocolate flavors are more defined again...but again, I think they'll be more focused a year or two from now. All told: I give it a 91...which I consider a fine score. I expect that they'll be in the mid-high 90's again on the future. Terrible photo. But it was taken in the garage in the winter during a global pandemic...I haven't been dressing to impress of late. ?