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Woah woah woah So I didn't know what I was in for - New years day normalcy Jan 2, I had the stick lying around for maybe 5 months of so and I was like, "oh well, I think it's aged enough, let's light 'er up" in Chiang Mai, with a beautiful mountain backdrop. Few observations I read on the forum : 1. If you smoke them too fast - they taste different, it's a sipper not a chugger 2. The price, taste, value for money is amazing - simply impressed Onto the tasting notes: First Third are earthy tones such as moss or compost, which are typical of medium-bodied cigars. No spiciness, perhaps hints of cinnamon, setting the stage for a complex flavor profile. The second third, the flavors intertwine. I detected woody notes like cedar accompanied by a nuttiness reminiscent of walnuts. I tasted sweeter elements hints of vanilla or caramel, adding a delightful contrast to the earthy notes. In the final third of the cigar, I found sweetness evolving into a darker profile, hints of molasses. The earthy notes might evolved into a more leathery quality with fruity undertones and hint of citrus, adding a fresh dimension to the experience. I would age further to 1 yr for the rest I have in the stash - my own 2 cents , that's my subjective take to myself , wonder how they taste in 2 or 3 yrs if anyone has experience, let me know.

Wow! Wow! Wow! Before I get into this review deeply, I now understand why people smoked aged cigars, few notes before we dive in: 1. I had a friend guide me and teach me 2. I found it a religious and sanctimonious experience so for the future I'd probably do it alone , It's a cigar that demands your attention and time, perfect for a quiet evening where the focus is on the smoke itself. The Review: 1st Third of the Cigar (Initial Impression) The Punch Churchill 1998 I had was stored under Ideal conditions, I'm greeted with an easy draw and a burst of earthy tones mixed with a subtle hint of spice. The initial flavors are woodsy and robust, setting the stage for a promising journey. There are hints of Cedar and pepper but only briefly 2nd Third of the Cigar (The Heart) The flavors on the second 3rd evolve gracefully giving way to a more complex blend of leather and a hint of coffee. The smoke becomes creamier, and a sweet, nutty undertone becomes more pronounced, balancing the earlier earthiness perfectly. The burn remains even and consistent. my friend and guide - also took me through the process of teaching on how not to draw too fast or too slow and slowly relish it as I was a newbie to this 3rd Third of the Cigar (Finishing Strong) Entering the Dragon - the Punch Churchill 1998 reveals its full character. Deeper Flavours, notes of earth and leather culminate in a rich, more intense profile. There's a noticeable increase in strength, yet it doesn't overpower the refined blend of flavors. It's a crescendo, but not overwhelming, delivering a satisfying end to this amazing smoke. Tasting Notes & Overall Impression From start to finish, the Punch Churchill 1998 for me was a journey of evolving flavors and complexity. Notes for me: earthy, woody, leather, coffee and nutty sweetness. The balance is impeccable, with each third offering a distinct yet harmonious experience

I think the Don would approve of this stick. An aged legend no doubt. It is a rather ugly wrapper to be honest. There is some bunching on the wrapper. This could be a sign of aging. The cold aroma is heaven. Honey is mingling with some nice Graham and a pleasant floral aroma. I am indeed quite excited for this one. Let's put the flame to it and retire this old boy for the FOH heads. 1/3 Light bodied in the initial draws. The smoke has a sweetness to it. Absolutely zero edges to the smoke. Super smooth and floral in taste. Light honey is definitely in the mix. So far it is tasting like the wrapper smelled. Retrohale is absolutely silk. The floral aspect is building as we move through the first 3rd. There is an underlying wood note. I wish I could pinpoint the floral characters. Each draw has me contemplating hard. Wonderful smooth smoke so far. It is holding a really nice ash. 2/3. Things are picking up. Cedar and the honey sweetness are mixing well with the floral character. A slight vanilla coffee note enters and the smoke seems to be getting rather complex. I need to sit and think about it. Okay it is hard to believe but a spiciness has come in to play. Slight pickup in body. Halfway: The smoke has transitioned like a champ. Just flavors all over the place. Super smooth smoke still. The flavor has moved more into the robust coffee/vanilla zone. Still underneath it all lies some lemon herbal floral depth. The retro continues to be smooth. I would rather this cigar never ended. The vanilla note is more apparent now. The spiciness seems to have gone away for a bit. Final 3rd This is a cigar where it can take you a little time to pick out the flavors. That spiciness I was getting is back and it is not peppery. It is not baking spice either. It is a citrus zesty spice. Just wonderful. The flavor has been so complex that I haven't mentioned the draws are spot on. Plenty of white smoke. Just a touch of resistance. The burn line has not been razor sharp but has not required a touchup. Flavors are staying consistent. Nothing new as it approaches nub status. No shame as the flavor progressed they all seem to stay in a very harmonious smorgasbord. Vanilla, honey, coffee, wood, zesty citrus, and the underlying herbal floral character. I smoke this one down to the nub. I did have to touch it up a few times at the end. No worries just a wonderful way to spend a sunny afternoon in Michigan. Score : 99 I marked it down 1 point for the burn issue at the end. The smoke was flawless. A fine example of proper aging.

Here we revisit a super aged Pre Embargo. I am happy to be here and thankful for all that I have. This Corona has been aging for decades wrapped in cedar and cellophane. A great treat to review for the FOH heads. Cold aroma was pure old newspaper after removing the cello and cedar. I let it air out for about 8 hours. Then gave it a rinse with tap water. The smell became ever so slight. A nice herbal ginger floral aroma. Ever so faint but there. The foot is a beautiful box pressed rectangle. The foot is loosely packed but honestly looks gorgeous. The wrapper is a mottled colorado claro as they called them. A rather attractive wrapper for such an aged smoke. The cigar appears to have benefited from the cedar and cello wrappers. 1/3. All it took was toasting the foot of this beautiful smoke. The initial draws are full bore. I know I must take slow drags. The draws are amazing. Light body that has an elegance to it. I am hit with a citrus. That comes in with an herbal ginger flavor. Feels like I am smoking ginger ale at this point. It is proving difficult to smoke this one as slow as I should. The draws are so complex. As it progresses the flavor gets a touch more body. I am actually picking up tobacco. Which to me is a good sign. These were aged well. This is a rare treat. 2/3 A beautiful lemon lime ginger soda flavor is blowing me away. No doubt the body is pretty light. It helps that I have not smoked many cigars lately. The retrohale is so smooth. It really brings forth the floral ginger aspect. The flavor is very light yet so enjoyable. So I am not the foremost authority on super aged smokes. However I have smoked quite a few of them. Usually there is a palate coating effect that is off putting but acceptable. You pick out the subtleties through the retrohale. This one is just smooth. As it approaches half way it picks up a little body. A clove/cinnamon flavor accompanies the herbal ginger ale flavor. Half way and the retrohale is smooth with more body to it now. A slight toasted graham/tobacco enters the fray. The flavor progression is wonderful. I am getting a pleasant cappuccino retrohale. The creaminess is surprising me. The open of the cigar was pure floral/herbal. The complexity is welcomed. As we move to the final 3rd the draw is wide open. The ginger aspect has a slight spiciness to it. Underneath that is the sweet coffee. The retrohale is like candy. Final 3rd and this cigar has held a beautiful ash throughout. Flavors have become more robust. Ginger is in there with cloves, tobacco and cinnamon. This cigar is smoking beautifully. The hand rolled stick is just amazing. As it approaches the end the cigar loses the floral aspect. I am getting more of the tobacco mixed with cappuccino. Retrohale has taken on a slight bite so to speak. The coffee bean flavor is taking over. What a wonderful progression. I nub it till it gets too hot. Just an enjoyable experience. 93 all day These are proof that something magic happens with certain marcas after 20+ years.

Just got a box of Montecristo No 4 from a recent 24:24 a few days ago. BUM MAY 15 PSP/HQ When I ordered I thought it said BUM MAY 16 but upon receipt I saw the box code said 15!! Lucky me!!! I know, I know... You're supposed to wait 30-60 days. But you know sometimes I just can't help myself. I'll take the worst out of the box and give it a shot. Worst case, it sucks and I wait 3-4 months before I try the next one. Well gentlemen, I smoked one of these today and it blew me away! My fiancée even tried it and loved the flavors and asked if I had more. Not sure that was so smart on my part... It had very subtle notes of coffee and milk chocolate and even developed into a more creamy coffee flavor mixed with nuts in the last third. The wrapper was in bad shape before lighting so I was really surprised to find myself smoking this stick down to the nub. I ended up laying it down due to it unraveling on me but the flavors were still great ? Anyways, for those of you that grabbed a box of these and got this box code, you're in for a treat! Cheers!

Well, another Live review, has ended tonight, and I just wanted to write some words about it. Lots of us have been in the forums for a long time (yes I'm talking about people like you piggy or all the moderators and opinionated guys . Since Rob has started with the live reviews meetings, I think the forum has growth to another level for the people that have participated on it. We have made friends and we have had great times. Tonight, even we have not had the opportunity to be with anyone of our has hosts, have been one of my greatest nights in the event (or maybe its the alcohol talking hahaha) In my humble opinion, I think this has been one of the greatest forms ever to have had the chance to exchange with people all over the world experiences and opinions about cigars and life. So even though I know its not easy for every one to join us, I would like to extend the invitation to anyone in here to join us next time. this is really a great community and a great place to know each other, so yeah... next time hop in, have a cigar and a drink. I am sure you will have a great time and a place to meet new friends. All the best to you mates Francisco P.S. Cardhu is a great single malt hahaha

Recently went on a trip to Ottawa and spent some time at the Bacchus smoking room located in the Hilton. i decided to bring along some cigars I had never tried before. Here’s my short review of each cigar. What’s your opinion on any of these cigars? RA Grandes 2008 - really good, rich and creamy but not a lot of evolution in the cigar is the only issue I had with it. Smoke beautifully and had the essential RA flavors. Score 92 Partagas Lusitania 2011 – smooth as silk! Partagas flavors all the way! had some good flavor changes as it progressed. Score 93 SLR Pacificos 2009 – Wow! Amazing flavors in this one. Really creamy and buttery! This was a great cigar with lots of goodness! Score 95 LFDC Grandiosos 2013 – a bit disappointed in this one as the wrapper would just not burn well at all. It had a good draw which makes it even harder to understand the wonky burn. I think it was due to the wrapper being to think on one side or something. Still it was overall an enjoyable smoke with some sweet milky like flavors. Score 89 PL Encantos 2010 – this one was enjoyable but missing the core caramel sweetness. I think it needs more time. Overall though still a very good smoke. Score 91 Cohiba Robusto 2013 – for such a young Cohiba I was impressed with it. It was super smooth and silky with the core cohiba flavors, not much grassiness in this one though…just enough. Very well balanced and no sign of youthfulness until the very end. I think these will age very well. I’m glad I got a box! Score 92 Monty A 2007 – just a pure classic smoke! Classic monty flavors all the way! I only had to lightly touch up the burn on this great giant once. Pure bliss for 3 hours! Score 96