docbp87

Hey I just wanted to drop back by here after being "disappeared" for a few years, after I got a few PMs. My offer to put folks in touch with him was a few years ago, and sadly I haven't the slightest clue how to reach him now... It does seem that some other members here are still getting his wonderful product, so you'll probably have better luck asking them Cheers folks.

So for those who haven't given these a try for fear of strength... yes, they are full bodied cigars, and have a bit of strength, but compared to the full bodied Nicaraguan cigars that are so popular in America right now. If you give the Opus a few years of down time they become even less potent nicotine wise.

Fuente makes some of the only NC cigars still holding my interest as well. In fact, most of the cigars Fuente makes are worthwhile IMO. The Opus X, as well as a few other high end Fuentes are certainly among my favorite cigars. The PerfecXion X is a great size, and certainly a long smoke. The PerfecXion No. 4, the 5 3/16x43 is my personal favorite though, and one that I enjoy regularly. As good as they are young, they get infinitely better between 3 and 5 years later. Nothing compares to the Don Carlos Edicion de Anniversario for me though.

Anyone interested in more info about J-O can PM me... I won't bite, or get mad. Just don't PM me asking for sources for commercially available brands, because that is why we have our hosts.

Yeah, Ralfy is the man. I've learned more about Whisky from Ralfy than anywhere else probably.

You know, it's a really good thing we can't get these here. As much time as I spend at the B&M (literally across the street from my job), I would be dropping 40 bucks a DAY or whatever on Behikes. Sure, I'd be happy... but my savings wouldn't actually last very long.

I've gotten bundles and mixed samplers of cigars from John on several occasions, and for the price, they really are great. I've had the pleasure of smoking some examples with several years of age on them, and these were consistently the best examples I've smoked. Like with any "custom" or "farm rolled" sticks, it all comes down to the tobacco the roller has access to, which in my experience with J-O, ranges from extremely high quality, to just good enough. I've never had a total bust from him, but I've had some examples that were either too tight, or too light. It happens, but for the price you can't really be too upset. Sizes I've had the best luck with are the Baby Salomones, Lanceros (pig tail/shag foot, 8x38 monsters!), the culebras (believe it or not! Crazy cigars, and fun to share), any lonsdale sized sticks (especially those with the shag feet), and the shorts. As for the origin of the tobacco, I really do believe that they are indeed Cuban. Again, as with any customs, quality of tobacco makes a huge impact, no matter how flawless the roll is. As for saying that it is Nicaraguan, or otherwise, I would swear that some of the wrappers I've had on EL's (the Upmann Mag 48 comes to mind) could easily pass for Nicaraguan. I've never had a cigar from J-O that didn't have at least one element that was truly "Cubanesque". I know calling cigars Cubanesque is pretty loaded, especially the way it has been beaten like a dead horse by the marketing departments of every NC brand on earth, but if nothing else, the overuse makes it all the more obvious when something really IS Cubanesque. John is also a joy to deal with. Not always the fastest communication via email, but he has never ignored me. The cigars can also be so fresh when they arrive that it makes for an awesome exercise in seeing the cigars fresh from the table evolve. Worth a bundle to sit on for a few years to see them open up.

One of my all time favorites. Super complex profile. I've gotten everything from white chocolate and orange zest to cream coffee and leather from Reyes. Most of the time though, when I get down to then end, I wish it was as long as an 'A'.

Panetelas are a size that has interested me lately, but it just seems like there aren't any around!

Font is wrong. Aside from the fact that the only Cohiba Piramides with that style band have been either from one of the special humidors, or the Seleccion Piramides.

Behemoth... Someone posted their entire Evangelia Heretika DVD on youtube, and I've been watching this evening.

Looks like mold, but unless there is some massive amount somewhere else in the box, I wouldn't worry about it for a second. Just wipe it off, and make sure they are stored in proper conditions from now on.

Welcome! What part of Virginia you in?

PLPC this morning.

Three 12 count boxes of Trini Reyes.

Never had a Fundadore, but the Trinis I have had have all been wonderful, especially the Reyes. I know you don't like the size Ken, so a good Reyes probably still wouldn't do it for you, but the flavor profile I get from them is awesome... earthy, little bit of citrus, white chocolate...

Nino, I work in a pharmacy, and let me be the first to say that I wish my pharmacy was more like that!

RAFAEL GONZALEZ CORONA EXTRA 5 5/8 x 46 JUN 08 Rafael Gonzalez is a marca I literally have NO experience with. I know very little about the brand, and before receiving this particular stick as a gift recently, I had never even seen in real life. That, for me, is enough to have sparked interest and excitement, but more than that, Rafael Gonzalez is an old brand, and sadly is one that has gotten no love of late from Habanos (the Corona Extra was actually cancelled in 2010, leaving only a handful of sizes remaining in the line, much like other classic brands that are categorized as "Local Brands" in the Habanos portfolio). The Corona Extra is a classic corona gorda in size, and was first introduced before the Revolution. The marca itself has been around since the late 1920's, though according to Trevor's "Cuban Cigar Website" (http://www.cubancigarwebsite.com) production actually stopped on the RG brand from the early 60's until 1965 when it was reinstated. I hate to turn these opening paragraphs into rants as often as I do, but Habanos treating classic brands, that have a century, or more in some cases, of history the way they do, cutting sizes, whittling brands down to nothing, is just shameful. The Cuban cigar industry is one of phenomenal HISTORY, though it seems lately, all Habanos S.A. cares to do it hop trends, slashing classic lines to bits in order to add a hot new 3x60 piece of maduro trash to one of the major share brands (read: Cohiba or Montecristo), that may appeal to the casual smoker, or the uninitiated, but is downright offensive to those who have a vested interest in "old school" "old world" classic Cuban cigars, which certainly does not have room for the junk trends that the American market is eating up right now. Anyway, the Rafael Gonzalez Corona Extra I have here in my hand features a very reddish brown, almost clay colored wrapper, well oiled, with only very fine veins visible. The stick has taken on a slight box press from its presentation and packing in the unique looking Rafael Gonzalez dress box. The band is one of my favorites, a simple light brown strip with no decoration, only straight forward white text that tells everything you need to know... the name of the marca "MARQUEZ FLOR DE RAFAEL GONZALEZ" and the origin "HABANA". These simple brown bands (with similar designs found on several other classic cigar brands) have long been favorites of mine, in their understated simplicity, and rustic old world design. This cigar to me is about the tobacco, not the fancy-pants frills and dressings. The seams are tight, and the triple cap is flawless in its application. The bunching feels even and just slightly firm, though the cigar itself does not feel particularly heavy in the hand. The cold aroma from the foot is a toasted bread, slightly sweet, and a very subtle herbal note. The cold draw is a touch tight, but offers a very sweet vegetal tobacco note. The sweetness is like molasses. Hopefully the draw will open up a bit once lit. Lit at 2:30pm Right out of the gate, the Rafael Gonzalez offers a bit of burnt toast, black coffee, and sweet cream. There is no spice whatsoever, and the body is a delicate mild to low medium. Smoke production is awesome, and the draw, despite feeling a bit snug, is actually plenty productive, and works out fine. Maybe 3/4 of an inch in, a little tang (that Cuban "twang" I guess) works its way into the mix which balances the sweetness already present. The burn line isn't perfect, but it actually is performing better, from a technical standpoint, than the Behike I smoked a few days ago. Over the course of about the last half inch, a milk chocolate sweetness (not bitter sweet, but milky sweet) has arrived, and now plays a major role alongside creamed coffee, burnt toast, and a slight herbal flavor. I'm not sure if this flavor combination is my favorite necessarily, but it has been nothing short of very interesting so far. Performance through to at least the halfway mark remains great, not a razor sharp burn, but good enough. The smoke production, and draw is now pretty much flawless, despite having been a bit tight at the start. Getting into the final third, unfortunately there isn't much to say that hasn't already been said. Nothing has really changed after the addition of the milk chocolate flavor early in the second third. The herbal quality as well as the 'Cuban twang' have both intensified a bit, and the sweetness of the chocolate and cream have fallen off. The toasted bread flavor has pretty much remained consistent the entire way through. This may not have been the most complex, or in your face cigar in the HSA portfolio, but what it lacks there, it more than makes up for in interesting, unique character, and old school, rustic charm. This is a cigar that I would love to have in my regular rotation to mix it up from time to time, and I would love to see how it pairs with a few different spirits (especially heavily peated Islay Whisky, or a very floral Irish whiskey). Let this one go out at 3:55pm, so it lasted for an hour and a half, which is about what I expect from a Corona Gorda that burns at the right pace. I really found this enjoyable. Thanks for readin'.

*****a...

I thought so too... but to be honest, it just burned realllllly quickly. Every draw seemed to burn up an inch of it! I was kind of disappointed with that.

COHIBA BEHIKE BHK 52 4.7 x 52 The Cohiba Behike... Ahh... the name rings true with prestige, scarcity, quality. Originally the Behike name was used for the Cohiba 40th anniversary cigar, a 7.6x52 mammoth, rolled entirely by one roller, packaged in gorgeous custom humidors of 40 cigars, with only 100 humidors total being made. These cigars fetch well over $1,000 US EACH today. Starting in 2010 however, Habanos released an entirely new line of regular (albeit annually limited) production cigars under the Cohiba marca, the Behike BHK series. Available in three sizes, the BHK line makes use of the Medio Tiempo leaf, a small pair of leaves that sometimes (and not always) appear at the very top of a tobacco plant, apparently imbuing the BHK with a unique flavor element. The Medio Tiempo is a component that had fallen out of use in Cuban cigar production, often sorted in with the rest of the ligero, or discarded entirely, because it is small, and only occasionally appears on a plant. The folks responsible for the BHK came upon the medio tiempo in old blend books, and decided to reinstate it, and thus the Behike BHK was born. The BHK 52, the smallest size, was named Cigar Aficionado's cigar of the year for 2010, and has received great praise (or hype?) since coming to market in early 2010. Having just celebrated a birthday, I figured it was as good an excuse as any to light one, and give it a really close, in depth look. This particular example of the BHK 52 features a caramel brown wrapper, with a dusting of tooth, and almost no visible veins. The flag tailed cap is beautifully, evenly applied, and the general construction, as Cohiba should be, is pretty much flawless to look at. In the hand it is fully packed, but light, firm to squeeze, but not hard. The aroma from the foot is a gentle toasty tobacco, with just a slight hay and dirt to it. The draw offers just a slight snug resistance, and tastes of hay, cream, almonds, and a very slight honey. A quick bit about the band, which is absolutely gorgeous, in its intense contrasting black and white, with beautiful gold accents and lettering, as well as the holograms which not only serve as aesthetic embellishment, but also as a counterfeiting deterrent. Lit at 2:40pm Right away the flavors explode on the palate, though it is not an overly strong cigar, or full in body, the tastebuds are greeted with a dark caramel and sweet hay, followed by leather, and finally a little cinnamon spice, that lingers through a long, cedar and almond finish. This particular stick may be just a TOUCH under humidified, as the wrapper seems a little delicate. The burn ran a touch for the first few draws but within about 10 minutes everything has sorted itself out to an even line. The draw is great, and smoke production is... voluminous. The finish seems to have actually gotten spicier, more heat involved, just over the course of the first third. The ash is dark, mostly black, and dense. It has held already for over an inch, and not yet fallen. Getting near the halfway mark the mouthfeel has gotten thicker, like a fresh, whipped cream. The flavor profile has also taken on a woodier, nuttier character than was present at the beginning. There is still a sweet cream and honey on the draw, but they quickly move into a slightly tangy cedar, and roasted almond, with a cinnamon and pepper on the finish that is maybe just a little rougher around the edges than I expected. That said, these are still not very old cigars (September 2010), and Cohiba as a rule seems to benefit from at least two or three years, so I would say this is actually performing wonderfully. Moving to the final third, things sort of ramp up a bit. The flavor profile gets darker, with caramel getting a touch burnt, the cream and honey fading, a bit of leather becoming more apparent, and the almonds getting roasted a little darker. A little dark chocolate also joins the mix for good measure seemingly, which is a nice addition, and adds some certain complexity to things. The draw remains open but firm, and smoke production continues to be outstanding. The burn line throughout the cigar has wavered at times, getting crazy for a few draws before eventually evening back out. The ash continues to hold for pretty much an entire third of the cigar at a time. The finish has gotten significantly spicier, a little bit of hot pepper, balanced by cinnamon and/or nutmeg at times, really bringing everything together. In the end the only thing I can think is that I wish I had more of these on hand, to really be able to see where they go in a year, or three, or five. The BHK 52 is smoking beautifully right now, with a touch of youth popping up here and there, but ultimately, it already has achieved a phenomenal balance of flavor, body, and feel, and in my opinion has the potential to only get better from here. I only pray that they continue to maintain this level of quality in the future. Ended at 4pm on the dot, for a total smoke time of one hour twenty minutes. I wish that maybe it had burned slower, but it is also a little cold out today, so my finger tips are glad it is a shorter vitola.

Freakin' awesome place, and some really beautiful instruments.

Make sure that whoever his immediate supervisor is feels comfortable being honest with you about his performance. If your boy is not doing his share, his boss needs to know he can tell you about it, without your being upset, since he is your kid. How old is he? What are the odds that he will actually be able to avoid smoking any cigars, or indulging in any of the other vices that you fellas peddle down there? (If Mrs. Ayala happens to be reading, this previous statement is entirely in jest, your husband runs the cleanest, most morally-on-point business in the world, and is a perfectly appropriate environment for all ages!)

I do like the idea of incorporating Czar into the name. Heck, why not just Czar's?

Look just fine to me...