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Hi everyone, nice to meet you I am Robusto Rob I have recently started enjoying a cigar again after a long time with out one. I had forgotten how amazing it can be to sick back and burn a stick. Anyway I hope you have all had a good week! - Robusto

This finally arrived on the shelves of our Provincial gov't's liquor monopoly shelves. Looking forward to try it ASAP.

Dear FOH: I'm so happy to have found a group of serious cigar smokers with Friends of Habanos International. Your feedback will help me immensely. I'll be 59 in June so I decided to get started building my "Retirement Collection". I started my collection in 2014 like a crazy man and must have ordered maybe 8-10 boxes. Now I have 5- humidors and am running out of space That's problem #1. I want to store cigars properly so that they will taste great within that 5-7 year time frame. Problem #2 I can't seem to keep my hands out of the cookie jar. I need a strategy but don't have a clue Problem #3. I don't know what I don't know Problem #4. So I'd like to throw myself down to the mercy and collective intelligence of you all for your kind, thoughtful and sage advice. Got any great ideas as to what to purchase and store for that time frame, storage advice, etc.? What questions are important to ask? I have to do something quick about storage. What do I do? I'm looking for fellow collaborators. Raymond-Michael Kornfeind [email protected]

Hey everyone, I have a friend travelling to veradero at the end of the month and I am interested in some custom rolls. I've done a little research and found that Alfonso at the LCDH at 63 calle does custom rolls. I'm curious to know if anyone has tried them and what their thoughts were. Thanks and Happy Smoking!

Cheers I'm currently en-route to Havana, Cuba re-routing me from Atlanta airport which has closed in/out flights from now till who knows to lovely New York airport now. Then will take straight shot away from Irma to Havana, Cuba to arrive on Tuesday 9/12/2017......finally! Havana is slowly regaining power back and should be back on at least in Havana by Tuesday when I arrive and the water not exactly sure but I just took a shower in the sink at the airport in Kansas City with couple hand fulls of water.....? As for the flooding in Havana it should reside a considerable amount by Tuesday when i arrive. Have a full itinerary and have extended our stay since the crazy cancellations. Have made sure NO damage was done from the wind to Hirochi Robaina tobacco farm. Unfortunately I cannot say anything 2 hours down the coast opposite of Pinar del Rio to the far end as it was damaged considerably. Those areas sustained a direct hit from Irma and in shambles......sad! Will post many pics once back from trip and cheers all! Robert

Hey all I am just curious as if there were tattoo parlors anywhere in Cuba? Cheers

Hey brother and sisters I am traveling to Cuba Sept 10-15 and asking if anyone has advise for food, drinks, music ,art and of course where to "if any honey spots" for and to find Cuban cigars? Any help is greatly appreciated! My first time going to Cuba from US. Thank you guys! Robert Rogers

Good evening all, So what's the deal with these sticks? They've got to be the only Cohiba I've heard virtually nothing about and I'm not sure if that's good or bad. I've just found a box of 25 from a reputable seller for just $250 which strikes me as an insanely good deal for Cohibas. What do you guys think? Is it worth it? Cheers

Evening... Heading to Toronto tomorrow for 3 days. I've been a fair amount but usually never have time to kill. Other than La Casa Del Habano and Thomas Hinds I don't really "shop around" or know too many shops. A quick internet search shows many more but in some of the reviews I see things like "great hookah selection" along with pictures of "water pipes" which makes me usually steer clear of some. Maybe unfounded? Looks like Metro Cigar might be a good place to visit...any others that I should see for selection and/or price? Also best cigar friendly upscale bar/restaurant? Thanks in advance to all who reply!

This removal of the restriction appears to only apply to cigars and Rum purchased in person outside of the US. I wonder what the broader impact will be? http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/10/14/obama-cuba-regulations-expands-trade-travel-rum-cigars/92042662/

What do you think how old Cuban cigar should be for smoking? Is 1 year good or 3-4 years or more? And what do you think about consistency about Cuban cigars in a box?

Hi guys. I'm looking to splurge a bit and buy my first regional box. What would you recommend? Por Larranaga Belicosos Extra? Saint Luis Rey Pacificos? Juan Lopez #4? or Punch Sabrosos??? How are they lately?

Most Cuban cigar smokers are familiar with the 1959 exodus, and the subsequent embargo enacted by president Kennedy. With recent softening of the embargo by president Obama the future of the Cuban cigar industry seems uncertain. What might happen if the Embargo is ultimately dissolved and Cuban tobacco becomes legal once again? There is wild speculation on the possible outcome. Some speculate Cuban cigars will decline in quality as the demand for Cuban tobacco will overwhelm supply, thus some advocate stockpiling while you can. Some speculate the tobacco stocks will be bought up by established big brand names and new hybrid products will be invented that contain Cuban tobacco and thus a new breed of hybrid cigars will emerge and displace many established brands. There is another possible outcome, which I suspect has been somewhat overlooked; the return of the Cuban cigar families to Cuba. Virtually all of the top cigar families escaped from Cuba during the exodus, many with loads of Cuban tobacco seeds. A lot of those families established operations in nearby countries, namely Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, and of course the USA. Most, if not all the Dons from that era have since passed away, but in many cases their offspring still produce cigars. If conditions are right, and once the aging Castros die, I believe several of the cigar families will likely return in some measure to Cuba. The Cuban cigar families have refined their craft over the years. They have created new strains of tobacco, and improved the rolling and quality control. If they were to bring their knowhow and new strains to Cuba, I believe it could lead to a renaissance. It would take time to get established and it may take years before they have enough supply to produce top quality cigars, but over time they may turn Cuba into an even greater Cigar powerhouse. Before that happens I'm sure a lot of land claims would need to be settled in some fashion. I know some of these families, and they are still quite bitter over losing their farms and factories, so this matter alone could take decades. Maybe the whole thing will wither on the vine and these disputes may just kill the whole idea. The new FDA regulations may be another huge hurdle. But what if? I'd like to hear what others think about this.

Hi all, Below are all my reviews of my 'A Quick Smoke' series. Feel free to binge on them, watch one or two, or not watch them at all! Enjoy

What are the two best H. Upmann cigars among No. 2, Sir Winston, Magnum 46? I'm just want to know the two best cigars of H. Upmann .

REVIEW: 1982 Davidoff No 2 Tubo Note. I use the following double forward slashes to separate a tasting note, or general thought. "//" Vitals: Laguito No 2 Vitola. 38 by 152mm(6.0) First released in 1969 and discontinued in 1991 34 Year old sample. Prelight notes Smooth, claro wrapper. Floral aroma, pine, almost "perfumy". Hints of pumpkin spice. Baking spice on the foot. Yellowed band shows its age. Clean, smooth tobacco aromas all around. 1st. Third Woodsy // earth opening // cedar, hickory // slight astringent notes // Dark Chocolate // Very smooth // Hints of hickory // bubbly, champagne like flavour, almost dry and apple like(very odd, never experienced this before). 2nd Third Smooth tobacco // nutmeg // champagne // honey // sweet, bready, tobacco // honey // graham cracker // marshmallow on a few draws // showing some strength now // rich tobacco hit // back to honey // nutmeg Final Third Nutmeg // toasty tobacco // black pepper // nice strong hit, very rich // vegetal notes // good pepper hit // champagne again // rich, almost effervescent hit, hard to explain, almost bbq like in flavour // spicy cedar // nutmeg on finish // rich, dark flavour like a stout // anise // vegetal with a bit of espresso on the finish // coffee, cinnamon // this last third is exceptional // coffee grounds, Conclusion I'm no stranger to vintage Davidoff cigars. I haven't smoked as many as I would like to, but the ones I have had, have been excellent/intriguing. My high point still remains a 1970 Cuban Davidoff No 1 (a Lancero). A cigar that was a buffet of flavour and for it's age, a somewhat full bodied cigar. The No 2 is the No 1's shorter cousin and from what I recall, this blend is far different, but no slouch in comparison. It was predominantly medium bodied with a few good shots of boldness/strength strewn about. I took this beauty right to the nub until I could no longer hold it. Smoking time was about 65 minutes. As far as a vintage cigar goes, this was a winner. It was dynamic and took me on a journey. I can't imagine what this was like fresh but I'd assume it was medium/full bodied. Being sealed in a tubo since 1982 I'm sure has softened it's edges. Nonetheless, it was a brilliant smoke. At many times I was at a loss for words trying to pick out a flavour. This was totally worth the price of admission. Score: 94

Buddy of mine is moving and gave me two footlockers of cuban cigars. They have not been taken care of over the past few months (which is blasphemy). They look and feel a little dry. I've read multiple places about trying to revive cigars, so not looking for help there unless anyone has amazing information that has worked for them. I've taken my large humidor and placed a large amount of the cigars in with an Oasis humidifier, taking it up 0.1% every few days. I was wondering any good idea on set up for the 2 large footlockers (in case anyone is wondering, they are "the Havana Foot Locker Cigar Humidor")? First time with humidors of this size, so not sure on passive vs active. Any information is appreciated. -Vinny

Vintage Cigar Review Davidoff Dom Perignon (1985, Cuban) Vitals RG: 47 Length: 178 (7") Date Jan 11 2014. 10:50AM local time Pre-light observations Spongy. Well stored. Sweet aroma on wrapper. Slight cocoa. Milk chocolate wrapper cold draw is firm 1st Third First puffs are toasty tobacco. Slight sweetness. Good draw. Light tobacco smooth. Clean finish. Honey sweet. Toasty. Smooth and mild thus far. Easy to smoke. Cocoa. Slight tart draw. Light pepper finish. Cocoa on the next few puffs. Clean tobacco. Minimal smoke great burn. Dark gray ash falls unexpectedly. Vegetal notes. A succession of clean tobacco draws. Slight pepper buildup ensues. Dusty draw. Clean tobacco. Pure white smoke thus far. Cocoa returns. Tangy tobacco. 2nd Third Cocoa opens up this third. I tap the delicate ash to avoid another accident. Clean tobacco. I clean my palate with soda water to see if it helps me pick up more flavours. Toasty tobacco. Hint of baking spice. Smooth draw. Light cigar thus far. Cocoa hit. Pepper getting stronger over time. A fed minty/menthol draws changes things up. Floral and minty. A see saw of floral and Vegetal noted over the next four puffs of so. Back to toasty tobacco. Floral followed by an ash tap. Tangy tobacco. A bit more flavour now. Mint. Clean tobacco. Overall a light cigar. Wonder if it was blended that way? 3rd Third Toasty. For a few puffs. More pronounced tobacco flavour. Very slight anise and beany flavour. Doesn't last more than once. Followed by rich tobacco notes. Not terribly exciting a cigar but q good experience. Beany again. Anise toasty. Pepper. Clean tobacco on the next few puffs. Beans. Toasty. Rich beany draws as i near the nub. Good rich tobacco flavour. Too late? I drink some Don Julio Reposado Tequila to change things up. At this point, it's safe to try a pairing. And fortunately, it pairs well. Nub is burning hot. Will need to finish soon. Some anise again. Toasty tobacco. My final puffs are toasty tobacco. Time to wrap this up. End time:12:00PM local time. Score: 90 Final thoughts I've been holding on to this single cigar for about five years. I was torn between holding it as a keepsake vs smoking it. Better heads prevailed. All cigars are meant to be enjoyed even white whales. Id like to hear from people who smoked these fresh. Was the blend meant to be light and accessible? Did time weaken this? My previous experience with vintage cigars tell me that a strongly blended cigar can manage to keep its vigor. The Dom Perignon may have been blended to be smooth and light. A 1970's Davidoff No 1 i smoked years ago had a good punch to it at the halfway point. A recently smoked 80's Château LaTour certainly was more robust. Maybe this a dud or the norm for the Dom Perignon? Did they blend this to be their Champagne of cigars? Sweet, dry and subtle? Id love go smoke another sample but to be honest this underwhelmed me. And the price point on these certainly keeps rising. Nonetheless i am glad and fortunate to have tried at least the one.

I have a seller outside of the USA that I have been buying certain aged cigars from for over a year now. I have probably purchased over 10 (maybe as many as 20) boxes from them and every box has been of outstanding quality. Today I received a box of Montecristo # 2 with box code ROA JUN11 and this is the first box of suspect cigars I have received. Please give your opinion. I have taken several pictures from different angles. Keep in mind that these cigars just arrived after 2+ weeks in transit so they obviously need to settle in the humidor for a while. However, I first noticed the wrappers on some of the cigars seemed thin in some areas. The biggest issue though are at the feet. They seem to be uneven and cut poorly. Some are unable to stand up on their foot on a flat surface because of the angle they were cut. That being said, they have the familiar barnyard smell and other than the feet of the cigars, the color of the wrappers and overall appearance of the cigars are uniform. Would Montecristo release a box with uneven cuts at the foot like this? I have 2 other boxes of Monte # 2s, and they do look somewhat similar, but the foot of each cigar is cut better. I hate to think this seller that I have trusted for a long time now would send me fakes. The box was opened and checked by them before shipping so I doubt this could get by them.Please judge for yourselves and let me know your thoughts.