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The only thing aging does is mellow out a cigar just like whiskey, less harshness. So if your sticks are dogshit, it will remain dogshit. Sometimes I like my cigs to be a bit peppery. So it really depends what you want in a cig.

I was in Beirut for a few days and I was wondering which boxes I should buy below the 100$ mark. So I went looking in cheapo subsection to see what the flavors of the month are. Quinteros Favoritos and RG Perlas were coming up often. So I picked up a box of favoritos 67$ USD and Perlas for 90$ from duty free airport. RG Perlas is pretty much a Montecristo at significant discount, I swear if I anyone did a blind taste they wouldn't know the difference. Same cocoa vanilla chocolate coffee taste which is a well established Monte signature. Burn was razor sharp and it never turned harsh towards the nub. Excellent little cig, more complex than Upmann HC and 10$ cheaper to boot. Box date unknown couldn't find it. Quinteros Favoritos is ugly mofo. Some people said it reminded them to a Partagas D4....WTF people? Not even close. This is a gimped bolivar RC that has hints of its signature taste but fails to prevail. Burns fast but not as fast as RASS. Won't be buying again, should have bought 85$ box of Partagas Habaneros instead. Box dated Apr 2015.

I tried one in France, just like every other Montecristo, it smells great but tastes nothing out of the ordinary for brand, gets boring fast. Lots of vanilla cream, hint of cocoa, shitload of smoke, surprised on good construction, doesn't burn out unlike Upmann HC. Harsh burn at the last third. Does its job to give you a sample of signature montecristo flavor. Still prefer Upmann HC because of premium pure tobacco taste that pairs with anything and affordable price.

Is this a review of a Partagas Short or you want to make love to a leather couch? Im confused ??? My shorts have none of the stuff you guys are describing. Mine are Dec 2012, the first inch is toasty leather (I hate), then the rest quickly mellows out to sweet creamy honey cedar and a bit of spice near end. It's pretty spectacular box, and they getting even better every week resting in my humidor. I'm so glad I bought two boxes. I won't be smoking them in winter, so another 6 months on them going make these babies perfect.

Thanks for the review, always wanted to try the El Principe, but hard to find a shop that has it since it's very unpopular brand. And the size is perfect for us in the cold tundra of Canada.

Yes, have switched to Stevia more than 5 years now and never looked back. It takes a bit of time to get used to it but once you do, you can't tolerate white sugar or that high fructose crap anymore and have eaten less sugary foods ever since. I am not a diabetic just a personal preference. Latest research shows sugar is toxic to our body. Yes I can see the overlapping contradiction of smoking cigars yet avoid sugar I also noticed Stevia is not full bodied sweetness, you taste the tea first then a bit of sweetness hits you while white sugar sweetness hits your mouth first and overpowers the taste of the tea.

For me Rooibos tea with a bit of honey/stevia/sugar is the best pairing for 100% of cigars. It's neutral enough not to rob you from the pleasure of a good cigar but also keeps your mouth refreshed for the next puff. Everything else is conditional to the strength and complexity of the cigar. Most cases I avoid alcohol since in my opinions steals the subtle flavors of many prominent cigars. Not a pairing fan.

I have no idea how long some of these cigars were left in shops humidor, so I can't tell you if they are recent or new. But looking at small hair crystals on many of my smokes, I say most of them have been aged. Some of them the guy told me have been sitting in his humidor over a decade. It don't really matter to me cause I want instant satisfaction and I am not an apologist cuban smoker. So if I get a bad cigar, I won't excuse the brand or vitola. I'm paying top dollar for these cigars, I demand a good experience. I smoke mostly Cuban but Padron and Oliva Nics have been great consistent casual cigars. I have been smoking over 10 years now. Not a chain smoker but on occasions. These two weeks are exception to the rule, since I am binging at the moment. As for Monty 2, I have a spare one, will let you guys know if the second one is any better. Don't get the wrong idea, its a great cigar, but nothing I would go crazy about, especially when its overpriced. I'm Smoking H. Upmann 46 magnum right now and so far so good and will smoke a few more like HDM Epicure no 2, Lopez No 2 Bolivar Finos.... If you guys want to me to a try a specific cigar or any recommendations, let me know.

So I am on 2 weeks vacation in French Riviera, and I had the opportunity to smoke some of the most famous cuban smokes. Partagas D 4 Perfect from start to finish. Cedar, woody flavors with no bitter aftertaste or harshness. How a partagas should taste. Never relight a Partagas they lose all their flavor. Partagas Lusitanias You have to smoke crap half way to have a lesser version of Partagas D 4. Not worth it. MonteCristo No 2 Although a nice construction, this tastes similar to a non-cuban Padron. Lots of smoke with coffee, dark chocolate undertones. Just get yourself a Padron. Cheaper and just as satisfying. Why play the roulette on Cubans when Nics have consistency and reliability in giving you same experience over and over. RASS Excellent cigar for newbies. Sweet and satisfying. One of the best bang for your buck cigars out there. Getting a slightly looser smoke gives you a better experience. Beware of russian roulette in construction quality. Cohiba Siglo I Excellent consistent smoke. I never been disappointed with these small cigars other than my wallet. Davidoff 1000 series Garbage. Salty, harsh and expensive. The only thing going for this cigar is marketing. I kid you not, this is the description of flavor from cigar assholnado. ".Small and slim, this petit corona starts with a sulfuric mushroom taste. The smoke later becomes earthy with touches of citrus...." Yes who wouldn't want some coffee and sulfuric mushrooms in the morning. The question is, who tasted sulfur? I will smoke a few more before I leave, so I will update as I go. Update: Trinidad Coloniales (2004) Excellent start, strong tobacco flavor with no aftertaste. Smooth cigar until it nears the band where harshness comes out of nowhere, smoke remained cool until end. For me Trinidads are like price of a ferrari for a engine of a toyota. Great cigar but mispriced. Update: H. Upmann 46 Magnum Incredible cigar, probably one of the best cigar I've smoked yet. This cigar will definitely have a home in my humidor. From start to finish, give you a light smooth smoke with perfect balance of toasty and sweet. Can keep this cigar in my mouth for minutes and it doesn't burn my nostrils or any harshness. It gets even sweeter as you reach the end. I really did not expect this from this brand and really my first time smoking an Upmann. Rob was spot on putting this cigar in his top 10. I smoke this straight on and did not pair with any drinks. Update: Juan Lopez Seleccion no 2 Nice construction, hard draw. Open tasted just like an average Nic, lots of chlorine taste. Then mellowed out with dominant leathery taste which I do not care for. No complexity and had to relight a few times. The only thing that saved this cigar in Cuban authenticity was its floral smoke aroma. Disappointing cigar. Update: HDM Epicure no 2 Nice construction, nice draw. Starts with earthy flavors and ends up predominantly with cigarette nicotine taste. Not much complexity. Don't understand the hype about this cigar. Update: Bolivar Belicosos Finos Good construction, good draw. Signature Bolivar flavors of earthy, milk chocolate and coffee. Creamy smoke. Burned really fast. Overall a very good cigar. The non-issue with bolivars is that most vitolas all taste pretty much the same. Royal Coronas just as good and cheaper. One of my favorite brands in consistency. Update: H. Upmann Half Corona Flimsy construction, slightly tight draw. Same excellent balanced flavor of Magnum 46 with less toastiness and more cocoa undertones with a hint of cedar. Burned out a few times. runs a little hot at the end but a worthy contender to partagas short. Cohiba Secretos Good construction, beautiful maduro wrapper, slightly tight draw. Powerful start with many strong flavors of cocoa, cedar and spices, gradually mellows out and shifts to intense chili chocolate and vanilla mix. Very complex cigar in a tiny package. Excellent cigar overall. Price well worth it since its already aged 5 years right out of the box. One of the most original cigars I've smoked yet. Partagas E No 2 Good construction, good draw. Start is all coffee and you thinking it will be a great cigar then midway to end start to be acidic and barny with some harshness. Guess needs to be aged. Disappointing cigar. Update: Punch Punch Beautiful construction, excellent draw and razor sharp burn. From start to finish light smooth smoke all vanilla bean flavor with a hint of cherry. Another winner in my book. Excellent cigar. Definitely will buy more. Partagas Shorts (box 25 2012) Well constructed tiny cigar, slightly tight draw and very good burn. Starts off strong with a bouquet of flavors from wood, cedar, coffee and vanilla and god knows what else... the smoke itself is sweet on the tongue. Mellows out pretty quickly with smooth flavors slightly alternate with each puff. Midway to end I'm getting more vanilla with a light spicy finish.Best bargain cigar out there. That's about it folks, vacation over and saved the best for my last cigar review which will be H. Upmann Sir Winston. Will update when i smoke this baby.

I had bought a cab of 50, 5 years ago from on Rob's recommendation and each year smoked a few. Should you let them age? It really depends what you are looking for. If you looking for a more mellow smooth sweeter taste, then yeah age them at least 3-5 years, but note more oyu age them less distinct flavor it has and more smoother it gets. If you want tangy lemon spicy taste smoke them young. For me I look for a bit of both to keep it exciting. These cigars do pretty well in consistency, but once in a while you will get a really good one that smokes like a god with a balanced profile of its signature flavors. I usually smoke them after a big meal with no drinks on the side or just plain water. I am not believer of pairing, it robs you from its distinct flavors. I also love smelling these cigars unlit, they smell like dark chocolate.

Boss, I'm that boys father!

Ok so I just went to the cigar shop next to the Monte Carlo casino and I bought a Cohiba Secretos and a Hoyo Robusto just for kicks. And guess what? Cohiba Secretos tasted exactly the same as the fake Cohiba Genios, the same smell, taste but the difference between the two was that the real thing was more refined (less harsh) and burned slower. Seriously, I can't believe they are making this good quality fakes. I dunno if it's cuban tobbacco inside or if this is a top notch nic, but now I feel a bit better since it's not a complete loss. What would be really funny is if the ones I just bought are fakes as well I seriously doubt it because there is no way this cigar shop being in such a prestigious location would be selling fakes. Anyways here some shots of the real thing.

From left to right. Siglo ? / Monte Cristo Edicion Limitada 2006 Maduro Robusto / Cohiba Genios / Cohiba Gran Reserva 2003 Any thoughts would be appreciated.

I did not bash Rob I was just pointing out the reason for purchasing from there. I will said it again, I have no complaints against FOH, they have good service,

I already have many GENUINE cubans and nicuraguans in my humidor of 500 stock. The very least if you guys can tell me if the Cohiba Genios, Montecristo LE 2006 Maduro are genuine, that is enough for my dollars worth. I tried the Gran Reserva and it tasted not as good as the Genios. I don't know if any of these are real since they are in their REAL boxes. I will take close ups of each, if they are all fake. I am going to kill a family relative since he forced me to buy it from this guy. Initially I just wanted to buy from the airport where I knew they were authentic although more expensive. BTW, for reference, a box of genios at the airport is 495$ And box of Partagas D4 is 160$, which sorry to say still is cheaper than FOH. I have ordered from Rob previously and have no complaints but I always worry from the risk of being caught from customs.

Check below for images.

Cheesecake taste? More like eggs & chlorine These do burn really fast, it's best to increase the humidity in your humidor and let them rest for a few weeks to slow the burn. The quality on each each varies, so it's a hit or miss. You are too generous on the score, I would give this a passable grade of 68.