The Cigar Thread

[bassjones]

I'm normally a pipe smoker, but do enjoy a cigar as well.  I really like the Fuente 8-5-8 in a maduro wrapper.  The Rocky Patel are also quite nice and a Punch Pita as well.  I'm not too terribly picky and I have a cheapo store brand cutter and a small humidor that normally has 4-10 Fuentes in it.  Oh, and Clay, Bell's Oberon FTW.  NICE!

[Mr.Black]

At the lake.  Courtesy of Mr. Black.  Thank you sir, I enjoyed it immensely (much to the chagrin of wife, but that's ok!).  

Absolutely my pleasure sir. The RP Edge has become my new fave.  

[Papa Lazarou]

Cuban are the best. Then there are the nasty cheap English ones and the MUST AVOID AT ALL COSTS Canary Island/ Spanish ones...

[Bounce]

Actually, over the past 10 years, Cubans have started to drop in flavor. Their construction is usually still very good but some have wrappers with more/larger veins than in the past and that full flavor is waning. They had problems with crops a while back. In conjunction with increased demand there have been rumors that they are cutting their filler with tobaccos from elsewhere. You still get that back-of-the-throat Cuban bite but the kick you on your ass flavor is lessened.

This doesn't bode well for when we lift the embargo. There will be a flood of pent up demand. Production will either increase (with quality dropping) or prices will rise as demand outstrips production. Eventually this will stabilize as smokers learn that what they were missing, while good and unique, isn't worth the premium they'll pay for something they may consider only marginally better than the best Dominican or Honduran selections.

[Bowtie76]

I"m not a big smoker but someone turned me onto Kristoff's and I've enjoyed a few of those.  

Anyone tried on, and if so anything else I should be looking at to broaden my horizon's, EOE's.

[KenH]

When I lived in Miami I worked on a boat next to a man somehow related to the Padron family. Every Christmas he sends me a box of cigars, I send him a case of Tennessee whiskey. The deal being at midnight New Years we light up and toast each others' crews, no matter how many miles between us. I no longer smoke, so I give them to my son for his annual New Year's bash. Last year I sent a case of Prichard's Sweet Lucy Bourbon Liqueur. He sent two boxes of Padron's Family Reserve 52x6, one natural, one madura. The boys really enjoyed those with their Sweet Lucy. They certainly smelled, ...,  uh, robust. General consensus from the crew was Sweet Lucy + Family Reserve = cultural diversity at its finest. ¡Salud y amor y tiempo para disfrutarlo, mi amigos!

[Mr.Black]

When I lived in Miami I worked on a boat next to a man somehow related to the Padron family. Every Christmas he sends me a box of cigars, I send him a case of Tennessee whiskey. The deal being at midnight New Years we light up and toast each others' crews, no matter how many miles between us. I no longer smoke, so I give them to my son for his annual New Year's bash. Last year I sent a case of Prichard's Sweet Lucy Bourbon Liqueur. He sent two boxes of Padron's Family Reserve 52x6, one natural, one madura. The boys really enjoyed those with their Sweet Lucy. They certainly smelled, ...,  uh, robust. General consensus from the crew was Sweet Lucy + Family Reserve = cultural diversity at its finest. ¡Salud y amor y tiempo para disfrutarlo, mi amigos!

[JReazor]

Anyone with in striking distance of Chambersburg, PA should pay J.M. Boswell's shop a visit. The humidor isn't amazing but it's nicely stocked. Its still a family owned and run buisness. They know how to treat thier customers.

My first pipe was an inexpensive Boswell that I bought in VA in '96. I happened to have it in my tank bag when I passed the shop on my way to the 2009 Burger Run. I talked to J.M.'s son for a while before I dug the old pipe out of my bag. The dude takes one look at it all grimy and oxidized and says "let me have that" and disappears in to the back. He comes back, hands me a freshly polished pipe and offers me a little sample of one of their bulk tobacco blends. At this point, I haven't spent a dime and really didn't intend to. I ended up buying my second Boswell and a handful of nice cigars that day.

There's also a smoking lounge up stairs and it's just a nice place to hang out and shoot the shit.

[tdeboeser]

Enjoyed a "La Aroma De Cuba" last friday... mild, pretty nice.  And best of all it's pretty cheap.  

I give it a  

[tdeboeser]

Love my "smoke breaks" at work...

Just finished a carrillo ... another relaxing mild smoke...

[CLAY]

Fuente Gran Reserve maduro while I brew my pumpkin spice ale and drink a Founder's breakfast stout.    

[Mr.Black]

It's Monday so I'm in Worcester. Looks like another RP Edge Maduro for me.

The owner told me to try their house cigar and let him know what I thought of it. I'll probably have that one after the meeting tonight with the other sots.

[DrMikey]

While driving to Minneapolis the other night, I smoked my first Gurkha.  An "Evil".  Very, very good medium to full bodied smoke, with nice cocoa notes and a very smooth finish.  My only concern is that is burned pretty fast.  

[Mr.Black]

The above mentioned "House" cigar turned out to quite good. The gauge was a bit large for my liking so I was given a smaller gauge to try. Very nice. Picked up 3 for $12.

[Bounce]

Had a cigar crawl in Houston a couple of weekends ago. Lots of cigar swapping, drinking, meals, and conversation. A great time was had by all.

One that I picked up was a (non-Cuban) RyJ Churchhill En El Tubo (aluminum tube). Good construction and burn. Mild to medium body, loads of dense smoke with hints of spice, cocoa, and an earthiness that made for a good smoke.

[Tombstone]

This guy rides a beemer, has a hilarious blog, and seems to know a lot about stoogies (stogies?). If you want to buy the book, buy it off his blog...much less expensive.

Blog;
http://jackriepe.blogspot.com/
(or you could go to my blog and link to his from there....)  
http://2mbstonestravels.blogspot.com/

Book;


Blank space;

[Papa Lazarou]

what is the USA's position on bringing in Cuban cigars these days?

[coho]

what is the USA's position on bringing in Cuban cigars these days?

Technically, Class 'B' felony (Trading with the enemy).

Real world, it's an excuse to jam an arm up yer butt and dig through yer luggage.  Every time.  Forever.

[Papa Lazarou]

Technically, Class 'B' felony (Trading with the enemy).

Real world, it's an excuse to jam an arm up yer butt and dig through yer luggage.  Every time.  Forever.

Well then, I won't be bringing any of those over.  

[Mr.Black]

what is the USA's position on bringing in Cuban cigars these days?

if you take a pocket full of non Cuban bands and put them on the Cubans, they don't mind.