FOH'ers Daily Smoke

[havanaclub]

how are yours coming along?

Not too bad. All 3 I have had unfortunately can’t seem to stay lit. Humidor fine all other cigars fine, these just seem to go out all the time which doesn’t help with the experience. The first third was great, the remainder didn’t want to burn well.


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[smbauerllc]

On 6/20/2021 at 2:13 PM, Bijan said:

Smoking a Monte puritos with my dad in Montreal with the HC smoky.
Old white band puritos. Not sure when ICT switched to the gold bands. Very strong and spicy.
Might light up a Monte 2 in a bit.

Edit: Monte 2. Forgot my BR cutter and couldn't find another one so used a Cuban cut on a figurado for the first time. Working ok.

I recently went through a couple boxes of the monte puritos as my after lunch smoke, and the gold band ones sound like they haven't changed anything but the band at some point.

Definitely strong and spicy, but not too much so.

Great little after meal quick smokes for the price.

Have more, along with the RyJ Puritos and Partagas Chicos in my cart for my next cc order.

On 6/20/2021 at 11:42 PM, SigmundChurchill said:

Let me know what you think of the 2012 Espy.  And it may or may not be your cup of tea either.  We all have different palates, and that is OK.
There is a difference between liking it, and recognizing it's uniqueness.  That is all I was trying to say.

I certainly have high hopes for the Espy.

They seem pretty universally loved, and have 9 years on it, so in theory it should be excellent.

Have learned through the roughly 20 vintage and aged smokes I have had so far that I dont really "get it" when it comes to how most people feel about aged sticks.

For the most part I just haven't found them particularly special, just different, and not any better than recent production of the same sticks.

With the vast majority I have actually preferred the recent production better.

Perfect example of your statement about different palates and different likes.

I'm sure I'm in the extreme minority with this

On 6/21/2021 at 2:31 AM, Jackinkc said:

MC #4
Partagas Short
RA Small CC
Enjoying these short smokes. Love how the flavor profile is different in all of them. 

I don't really buy many short smokes, as the always end so quickly, I'm left craving more.

I do keep MC #3 and 4 one hand, as I don't really consider them a short smoke as they last me about 45 minutes if I make sure I control my smoking pace.

Also do love the Partagas Shorts and RASCC too.

Pretty well covers all the only short smokes i buy, except for the occasional few Reyes and El Principe, as they are the tastiest short smokes in my humble opinion

On 6/21/2021 at 2:33 AM, Lrabold89 said:

 This couldn’t be more true …..siglo II is not even in the same realm as these others mentioned …..the II is more similar to a Cosho than a VI IMO

I did used to smoke a lot of CoRos and Siglo VI's back when I was working in the oilfields for Halliburton and was making ridiculous money with the roughly 40 hours a week of overtime every hitch.

But that was about 10 years ago. Now I'm on a fixed income with my navy pension and after paying the extreme rent to live here in the veteran's home, I just can't afford to get CoRos often, and haven't bought a Siglo VI in about 10 years.

I recall them being exceptionally tasty though.

23 hours ago, njpinette said:

Saturday's Smoke Partagas D5

Sunday smoke, Por Larranaga Picadores LGR NOV 18

Nice. Have smoked a fair number of the D5's lately as my regular vendor was giving free 3 packs of them with every order over a certain amount, so ended up with a fair number of them.

Just as tasty as the D4, just a little shorter. Still plenty tasty

Love the Picadores. One of the very few smokes i keep more than 2 or 3 of in my stock.

22 hours ago, Goodfortune said:

Medio Siglo UTL MAY 18

What do you think of these?

I have been tempted to get a couple a number of times when I'm making an order, but haven't pulled the trigger yet due to cost mainly, but also not a big Petit Robusto fan.

21 hours ago, TheFullMontecristo said:

Afternoon Esmeralda

I hear a lot of good things about these from many different people, so planning to try and get a couple in a private sale in the future

20 hours ago, TobaccoRoad said:

Monte #4 BEO JUL 16 and RyJ Churchill UEB SEP 19 - Really enjoyed the Churchill. Excellent choice for a lazy afternoon. Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there.

I was a little underwhelmed with the couple of RyJ churchill's I've had.

They were only decent to me, but didn't live up to the price for them in my opinion

18 hours ago, havanaclub said:

Happy Father’s Day gents.
Time to unwind after a busy day with a Diplomaticos Belux BRO MAY 19

What did you think of it?
@havanaclub

I bought 2 a couple months ago but wont be trying my first until sometime next month

[Jimmy_jack]

First time with RyJ Churchill’s. So I did two days 1 each day. Top is from a Tubo, bottom from a dress box. Very similar flavors but the dress won the fight. Also had a crazy good ash. Will be buying a box. 

[Chibearsv]

7 minutes ago, Lrabold89 said:

smh....ridiculous....especially with them being $20+ a stick.......i hope mine arent like that ...not sure if i have the BRO code or not i cant remember ...i do really love the blend on these tho

Of all people, you should have the BRO code.  🤣

[Bijan]

1 hour ago, smbauerllc said:

Have learned through the roughly 20 vintage and aged smokes I have had so far that I dont really "get it" when it comes to how most people feel about aged sticks.

For the most part I just haven't found them particularly special, just different, and not any better than recent production of the same sticks.

With the vast majority I have actually preferred the recent production better.

Perfect example of your statement about different palates and different likes.

I'm sure I'm in the extreme minority with this

Aged cigars are different and not simply better as you say.

For me the biggest difference is that some cigars are gone and discontinued now. So the aged ones are all that is left.

I don't think you're in the extreme minority especially in practice. Most people here (myself included) are not smoking mainly 20+ year old cigars.

One thing I will say is I think you mentioned you don't retrohale the cigars, and with well aged cigars even more than relatively new cigars, a lot of the flavour/aroma and complexity is in the retrohale vs the palate.

[smbauerllc]

Aged cigars are different and not simply better as you say.
For me the biggest difference is that some cigars are gone and discontinued now. So the aged ones are all that is left.
I don't think you're in the extreme minority especially in practice. Most people here (myself included) are not smoking mainly 20+ year old cigars.
One thing I will say is I think you mentioned you don't retrohale the cigars, and with well aged cigars even more than relatively new cigars, a lot of the flavour/aroma and complexity is in the retrohale vs the palate.

Yeah, they just aren't worth the price or effort for aged cigars for me.

I understand what you mean about discontinued smokes. Those are a whole different story.

A handful of my aged stock is discounted cigars, but I wanted to try them enough to be willing to pay a bit more for them.

Found private sales to be the best way to go with them.

Yeah, I have heard a lot of people say retrohaling makes a big difference, but it just burns my nose badly, makes me cough my lungs up, and my asthma doesn't appreciate any amount of smoke in my lungs

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[Bijan]

3 minutes ago, smbauerllc said:

Yeah, I have heard a lot of people say retrohaling makes a big difference, but it just burns my nose badly, makes me cough my lungs up, and my asthma doesn't appreciate any amount of smoke in my lungs

Definitely being mindful of your health is most important but I think it's possible to retrohale without inhaling any smoke and if you only pass some and not all the smoke through your nose you can avoid the burning.

The technique for me is to "move" the smoke to the back of my mouth and then just breathe out through my nose a bit. Maybe 10%-20% of the smoke goes out that way and I exhale the rest out of my mouth after.

[SigmundChurchill]

8 hours ago, smbauerllc said:

I certainly have high hopes for the Espy.

They seem pretty universally loved, and have 9 years on it, so in theory it should be excellent.

Have learned through the roughly 20 vintage and aged smokes I have had so far that I dont really "get it" when it comes to how most people feel about aged sticks.

For the most part I just haven't found them particularly special, just different, and not any better than recent production of the same sticks.

With the vast majority I have actually preferred the recent production better.

Perfect example of your statement about different palates and different likes.

I'm sure I'm in the extreme minority with this

Actually, I am right there with you.  I have always said that aging cigars is not the panacea that some people believe it to be.  Sometimes the cigars taste better to me, sometimes they taste the same to me, and sometimes they taste worse to me.  

Back in the 90's and early 2000's, a lot of young Cuban cigars were basically unsmokable.  They often had a strong ammonia taste and smell to them, so you had to age them to get rid of that.  Sometimes that took years.  Since then, they have gotten progressively better at producing cigars that can be smoked young. Many of them still need a couple of years to be in their prime, but after that, I am not tasting a whole lot of difference.

[griller]

20 minutes ago, Bijan said:

Definitely being mindful of your health is most important but I think it's possible to retrohale without inhaling any smoke and if you only pass some and not all the smoke through your nose you can avoid the burning.

The technique for me is to "move" the smoke to the back of my mouth and then just breathe out through my nose a bit. Maybe 10%-20% of the smoke goes out that way and I exhale the rest out of my mouth after.

Retrohale just like Bijan is advising, and it will complete change the game as far as the flavor/taste experience you're getting out of Havanas. I was just like you for a long time (have asthma & bad springtime allergies), but decided to give the technique described here a try. It takes a few efforts to perfect, but you will be amazed just how much more you taste vs. just using your palate. No ill affects to my health either, but I will admit that I do not retrohale my cigars from April to late May until allergy season is over.

As an example, I smoked a VR Famoso from 2015 on Saturday. Excellent cigar with palate detecting sweet tobacco, and a hint of milk chocolate. Retrohaling detected those flavors, but I also got raisins and a spice that I liken to nutmeg (maybe other refer to this as "baking spices" but not sure...). It just really opened up the smoking experience, and I appreciated the nuances of the cigar even more. 

[Bijan]

Just now, FrancisK7 said:

Are Especials in production? 

I don't think I've ever seen a box anywhere in the past 2 years.

Yes, probably limited production but I have an August 2020 box and I've heard of some 2019 boxes too.

[smbauerllc]

Arturo Fuente Hemmingway Signature

Excellent smoke, like all of the Hemingway's.

The Signature has become my favorite vitola recently

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[smbauerllc]

Definitely being mindful of your health is most important but I think it's possible to retrohale without inhaling any smoke and if you only pass some and not all the smoke through your nose you can avoid the burning.
The technique for me is to "move" the smoke to the back of my mouth and then just breathe out through my nose a bit. Maybe 10%-20% of the smoke goes out that way and I exhale the rest out of my mouth after.

Interesting.
I will have to give that method a try.
Thanks for the tip

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[Cigarsmoker81]

Amazing e2 

[Raskol]

SLR Regios Hermosos No. 4 (TOU OCT17). From our gracious host.

BRC (2018) - 24:24

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[Nevrknow]

2 year old Party short. The second third nailed it for me. Back to sleep for a couple of years tho. It has improved since I first smoked one rott. 

Then this beauty. These things knock my socks off. Punch 898 Asia. I snatch a box when I can.

[Jimmy_jack]

RyJ Wide Tubos. Wow. This thing tries to put me under the table. Very strong smoke. First one. Not sure if that’s normal. Good flavors but llllots of nicotine.

 

[Paladin865]

Vegas Robaina Famosos ARS SEP 19

[RichG]

8 hours ago, Bijan said:

Yes, probably limited production but I have an August 2020 box and I've heard of some 2019 boxes too.

I just received a 2019 box yesterday as a gift. 

[westg]

Monte at Cigar Social Perth. 

[ChangBang]

La fuerzas i got from a trade with @sho671 Got that maple sweet pancake-y flavor which is great!  Not a huge fan of the principes but this is awesome. You smoke one yet sho?

[griller]

RyJ Exhibition #4 from our gracious host. Came from a recent 24/24 & don't have a box date but pretty sure it's 2020 production. Really an excellent cigar with flawless burn and draw. Got flavors of liquorice, cocoa, toast, and sweet tobacco. Medium bodied & actually got a bit of nicotine effects at the midway point. Highly recommend to smoke now, and imagine these would age well, too.

Edited June 22, 2021 by griller
Typo

[RedLantern]

Punch punch from @Lrabold89, thanks brother!

[Bijan]

16 Fonseca KDT Cadetes. Not light at all 35 minutes. Spice and wood cedar with some of that marshmallow vanilla sweetness at times.

08 Partagas Presidentes. Started out sourdough and then went to cloves and incense. But not the typical spicy cloves just pure aromatic clove flavour.

[Trimming]

 

[Edicion]

Ok I do get it why they are so sought after. Lovely and imo the best version of Quai D'Orsays these days.