Min Ron Nee has passed away

[BrightonCorgi]

One thing I credit MRN for is rinsing cigars before cutting. Not all the time, maybe 25% of them. I find it does make many more refined and smoother tasting. Also prevents the cap from cracking when cutting. At a minimum I rinse the head of pretty much all cigars before I cut them. My "routine" is the cut the cigar over the kitchen sink.

[ha_banos]

19 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

One thing I credit MRN for is rinsing cigars before cutting. Not all the time, maybe 25% of them. I find it does make many more refined and smoother tasting. Also prevents the cap from cracking when cutting. At a minimum I rinse the head of pretty much all cigars before I cut them. My "routine" is the cut the cigar over the kitchen sink.

This and Dave dude's and the FoH dunking video which I've shared around, makes for hilarious reactions and conversations. I wonder was it MRN's crazy concoction to do this then I wonder? lol

 

[Connoisseur Kim]

RIP MRN. Although I've never seen MRN, I always thankful to him as an avid CC aficionado since without him I would never know fine and rare CCs like La Glroia Cubana Medaille d'Or No. 4; detailed information of CCs including CC marcas' history.

I feel really sad that nobody in the Korean cigar community mentioned him and his wonderful works even once. May the cigars be with him eternally.

[ha_banos]

Mitch has posted an old photo with MRN on FB. Of course I always did wonder and it is nice to put an albeit young(!!!) face to a name  

[Justins123]

28 minutes ago, Connoisseur Kim said:

RIP MRN. Although I've never seen MRN, I always thankful to him as an avid CC aficionado since without him I would never know fine and rare CCs like La Glroia Cubana Medaille d'Or No. 4; detailed information of CCs including CC marcas' history.

I feel really sad that nobody in the Korean cigar community mentioned him and his wonderful works even once. May the cigars be with him eternally.

Yeah if it wasn’t for him there are a lot of wonderful Cuban cigars I would have never tried.  (Unfortunately many of them since discontinued.). It’s hard to overstate his impact on the hobby. 

[Connoisseur Kim]

1 hour ago, Justins123 said:

Yeah if it wasn’t for him there are a lot of wonderful Cuban cigars I would have never tried.  (Unfortunately many of them since discontinued.). It’s hard to overstate his impact on the hobby. 

Much agreed. I would never know fine and rare CCs including LGC MdO No. 4 if it wasn't for him as these CCs are still being treated as mythical in the Korean cigar community (the classic long CCs aren't widely available and well known in my country).

He will be remembered as one of the greats of Cuban cigars and we won't forget his passion for CCs forever.

[BrightonCorgi]

16 hours ago, ha_banos said:

Mitch has posted an old photo with MRN on FB. Of course I always did wonder and it is nice to put an albeit young(!!!) face to a name  

Can you post the photo here? I do not do the FB.

[MossybackR]

10 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

Can you post the photo here?  I do not do the FB.

Note the inscription in the upper left — Dr. Nip.

Edited March 14, 2024 by MossybackR
Added comment

[Mr. Japan]

A true friend has gone, definitively he will be in good company smoking up in the blue sky.

Nothing else I can add, both Prez and Alexander have put down in words his character and life.

Thank you Dr.Nip for sharing since 2007 many cigars, champagne, porto, dinners...life stories.

 

 

[MrFolgers]

A great blog about him I remember reading years back: http://flyingcigar.de/flying-cigars/200901-hong-kong-visible-inmenso-days-with-min-ron-nee/

My favorite part (and is a part of this auction) : 

Quote

We continued our conversations on a wide range of topics and, while discussing cigars, I was shown 5 Partagas Visible Inmensos. I had the exclusive pleasure of holding and admiring all 5 Immensos on my lap – one of the rarest Cuban cigars, and believed to be the largest official production vitola ever made, pre or post Revolution.

These are the ONLY 5 post-Revolution specimens known to exist to date within serious collectors’ circles. And Min Ron Nee owns ALL of them !

 

 

[SigmundChurchill]

12 hours ago, MrFolgers said:

A great blog about him I remember reading years back: http://flyingcigar.de/flying-cigars/200901-hong-kong-visible-inmenso-days-with-min-ron-nee/

My favorite part (and is a part of this auction) : 

Many of us know that blog well. Nino was a great guy and beloved member here. Unfortunately he is no longer with us as well.

https://www.fohcigars.com/forum/topic/153491-rip-nino-munoz/#comment-1162275

[kyee]

For those that used to frequent the ICC forums, MRN used to post there and there were some legendary stories he wrote about. One thread even covered the smoking of one of those ultra rare Visible Inmensos he did with Fatcigar. 

[benfica_77]

Great Video

 

[Rocketman64]

Sorry to hear this news. Seemed like he had a happy and full life touching many people around the world.  Need more like him. Thanks for sharing all the memories.  

[Puros Y Vino]

On 3/17/2024 at 2:17 PM, benfica_77 said:

Great Video

Lots of great insight from this video. Worth the watch. The shots towards to the end, which presumably shows some of MRN's stockpile, is jaw dropping. 

[SCgarman]

2 hours ago, Puros Y Vino said:

Lots of great insight from this video. Worth the watch. The shots towards to the end, which presumably shows some of MRN's stockpile, is jaw dropping. 

Two million to four million usd worth of Cuban cigars is more quantity than most here have ever seen under one roof, I'm fairly sure.😉

[benfica_77]

13 hours ago, Puros Y Vino said:

Lots of great insight from this video. Worth the watch. The shots towards to the end, which presumably shows some of MRN's stockpile, is jaw dropping. 

Yup and Dave mentions as well that he has a warehouse that what's in that room is only a fraction of it. Mind blowing...he was also a big fan of champagne I feel like him and Ken would get along. 

[Ken Gargett]

5 hours ago, benfica_77 said:

yup and Dave mentions as well that he has a warehouse that what's in that room is only a fraction of it. Mind blowing...he was also a big fan of champagne I feel like him and Ken would get along. 

yes, he would have been someone i would have loved to spend some time with. 

[NSXCIGAR]

On 3/21/2024 at 5:33 PM, benfica_77 said:

Yup and Dave mentions as well that he has a warehouse that what's in that room is only a fraction of it.

I noticed the great majority of what's in the book was not in the auction. Some of the most valuable items like the Boli Especiales No. 2, Gold Medal, SLR Prominentes, Diplomatic Lanceros, Siglo XXI humi, 1492, 1987 and 1994 aren't in there. If this auction total is any indication he's probably got another $10-20 million worth at least. This lot was probably just what was lying around the house. 

[GP012]

14 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

I noticed the great majority of what's in the book was not in the auction. Some of the most valuable items like the Boli Especiales No. 2, Gold Medal, SLR Prominentes, Diplomatic Lanceros, Siglo XXI humi, 1492, 1987 and 1994 aren't in there. If this auction total is any indication he's probably got another $10-20 million worth at least. This lot was probably just what was lying around the house. 

If we assume that he truly owned most of what was included in the book, then the ~130 or so lots had some peculiar inclusions or exclusions and were but a very small selection of his overall collection. Was he intending to test the waters prior to his health declining?

Very few of the lots scratch the surface of "legendary" status cigars. You mentioned the Siglo XXI humidor, 1492, CT25th/1987 and 1994, but he had so many others such as the Cohiba Coronas, Dinner of the Century, Sancho Dorados, PL Magnums/PL Dunhill 31, Punch Serie B/C, RyJ Clemenceau, Quintero Churchills, Green Box/Finest Selection banded Sir Winstons, etc, etc.

The two super rare items I noticed were the Cohiba Coronas Especiales with the first gen bands and the Maria Guerrero Grandes de Espana, with the latter noted that he was aware of only two boxes in existence although others have surfaced since. LFDC Cristales and the Gran Coronas from the 1987-1992 period were certainly very rare, but what of the Short Churchills and Diademas?

There are so many special releases for London merchants - JJ Fox & Dunhill Seleccions/variants being the most common, but also Fribourg & Treyer, Geo. F Trumper, House of Rothschild... yet only the Fox Nectares No 2 and another ERDM Fox Selection in the auction.

I found the high quantities of en cello cigars - although not all machine made - to be interesting as well. The last surprise was that a box of the Festival del Habano Marevas from 2000 was not included. Back in the days of ICC, there was a theory he was sharing those with many members to increase the value as he had purchased too many boxes.

Rob's comments earlier in the thread put it best - Eccentric, private, generous to those he trusted, sometimes controversial. Dr Nip was an enigma, as was his auction.

[MossybackR]

On 3/13/2024 at 4:46 AM, BrightonCorgi said:

One thing I credit MRN for is rinsing cigars before cutting. Not all the time, maybe 25% of them. I find it does make many more refined and smoother tasting. Also prevents the cap from cracking when cutting. At a minimum I rinse the head of pretty much all cigars before I cut them. My "routine" is the cut the cigar over the kitchen sink.

I took a non-cigar smoking friend to an event many years ago and gave him a cigar to smoke. He proceeded to moisten and lick the entire cigar in a manner that would fit have well in an early pornographic movie clip. My current “routine” is to discretely moisten the head of the cigar to facilitate cutting and prevent cracking the cap.

[Hammer Smokin']

I'm gonna guess your non-cigar smoking friend was a joint smoking friend? 

Christening the joint is pretty common. 

[BrightonCorgi]

4 hours ago, MossybackR said:

I took a non-cigar smoking friend to an event many years ago and gave him a cigar to smoke. He proceeded to moisten and lick the entire cigar in a manner that would fit have well in an early pornographic movie clip. My current “routine” is to discretely moisten the head of the cigar to facilitate cutting and prevent cracking the cap.

I have a cousin who has been smoking Habanos for 40+ years and does the same (licking the whole cigar). He is someone of distinction and elegance oddly enough. Very old school but crude to our eyes habit.

[MossybackR]

8 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

I have a cousin who has been smoking Habanos for 40+ years and does the same (licking the whole cigar). He is someone of distinction and elegance oddly enough. Very old school but crude to our eyes habit.

Yes. I did mention to him that was a procedure in the olden days and not around today. That was before I saw Pres’ video. I still may try the rinsing concept one of these days.

[ha_banos]

10 hours ago, MossybackR said:

I took a non-cigar smoking friend to an event many years ago and gave him a cigar to smoke. He proceeded to moisten and lick the entire cigar in a manner that would fit have well in an early pornographic movie clip. My current “routine” is to discretely moisten the head of the cigar to facilitate cutting and prevent cracking the cap.

I presume he didn't smoke DC's then!