The Cigar Thread

[CLAY]

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

This man knows.  I have seen proof.  

[Mr.Black]

Yet another RP Edge Maduro. I am stuck in a rut.

[Dan K]

Looking to buy a gift for a buddy's birthday and a friend has some torpedo looking Robaina's.  Are they any good?

[Mr.Black]

Looking to buy a gift for a buddy's birthday and a friend has some torpedo looking Robaina's.  Are they any good?

If they are in the store on Monday, I will try one and let you know.

[Dan K]

They won't be in any US stores... but maybe ask the guy behind the counter?


Birthday party is tomorrow and I have a bartender friend with a 7 foot tall humidor who's always willing to help me out if I want to hook up a client with a few cigars, etc.  TOmorrow is for my buddy.  I'll buy him a few and get a bunch of others for smoking tomorrow.  WIll post pics tomorrow.

[CLAY]

I need to pick up some more.  I smoked my last one a week or so ago...  

[Mr.Black]

They won't be in any US stores... but maybe ask the guy behind the counter?

Never smoked a Cuban I didn't like.

[DrMikey]

So, I'm lighting a Gurkha for a Thanksgiving Day smoke.  Held the lighter about an inch beneath the end.  I like to light the edges if the wind allows, but tonight had to draw on the cigar to get a light.  This usually works well enough, resulting in a cooler burn with little or no butane taste.  Here's what happened:



It smoked well enough, a bit hot, but otherwise fine.  After several minutes, it looked like this:



In the moment it took to walk inside and get the camera, it went out.  I finished it after cutting off the partially burned couple of inches and it smoked just fine.  

Just kinda funky.  BTW, I find Gurkhas pretty good.

[rgbeard]

A nice cohiba, purchased from a store NOT in the tourist-trap area.

[DrMikey]

I'm a football fan.  In celebration of my favorite team's win with a very good Gurkha "Evil" the other night, it occurred that some wins rate a better stogie than others.  In the spirit of the (football) season, I submit the following quality of victory scale.  With apologies( ) to fans of teams other than my Green Bay Packers, here goes:

1.  Don Jose.  This is a cigar typically found at Tobacco Outlet stores.  Equivalent to a Topic or perhaps an Arrango Sportsman.  For the  much bandied-about "ugly" win.- the kind of game where you just barely pull  off the victory, or do so by benefit of a boneheaded mistake from the opposing team or coach.  Or you win by benefit of a bad call by the ref, turn the ball over three times and still come out on top; where you feel you might not have deserved it.  The win over Carolina comes to mind, as do the more recent ones over Tampa Bay and San Diego.

2. Fuente.  This is for the kind of game that wasn't stellar, but wasn't a squeaker.  For the workman like efforts that have defined contenders over the years.  Maybe one turnover.  For the kind of game that you were pretty sure about, but in which the opposition didn't roll over.   Wins over the Bears and Falcons come to mind.

3. Puros Indios (or Licenciados).  A premium kind of victory.  Maybe an upset, or a hard fought battle won against a worthy opponent.  Or a blowout of a division or traditional rival.   The victories over the Saints and the second Minnesota game are examples.  Any playoff win gets at least  a Puros.

4. Gurkha.  This is reserved for the kind of knockdown heavyweight battles that you find on league highlight reels for the season.  Last minute comebacks, road shutouts, and overtime wins against equally matched teams rate this $8 cigar.  Sunday's win over the Giants and 2010's Jets game rate one, as did the Badgers' victory over the Spartans.  

5. Cubano (Cohiba, Romeo e Juliet, or any good stogie truly from Havana).  Reserved for deeply satisfying, monuental games.  The Super Bowl.  Last year's NFC championship victory over the Bears comes close, if not all the way.  Other examples include the victory in Minnesota last season, and the 1997 thrashing of Dallas at Lambeau.


Now, no list would be complete without this consolation stogie or "Loser List":

1. Dutch Masters.  For the inverse of #1 above.  One could argue that under certain circumstances, a loss is worthy of a Don Jose.  Overtime losses and close games could qualify.  Just about any of 2010's Packer losses fit this one.  Al Capones also work here.

2. Swisher Sweet- For the kind of game where you were overmatched, but were not embarrased.  The Packers' 2008 season had a bunch of these.

3. Phillies (plastic tip variety, with "certain non-tobacco ingredients" added).  Reserved for games you don't want to remember.  You know, the Forest Gregg era.  Lindy Infante.  Mike Sherman playoff games.  

I welcome your feedback...

[CLAY]

Time to visit the shop again.  It has been too long.  

[Hardware]

Just spent 10 days in Cuba.

I stocked up with a friend.  We each split a box of Romeo y Julietas and Punch cigars.  I also got a box of mini Guantanameras as well mini Punches and mini R y Js.

[Mr.Black]

My choice this week is three Omar Ortez Torpedo Maduros.



At 3/$15.00, it is a good smoke.

[CLAY]

I've been a big fan of the Arturo Fuente maduros lately.  

[Mr.Black]

[Mr.Black]

A good night for a locally hand rolled CT. Shade tobacco smoke.



http://www.cvtobacco.com/home.html

[Bounce]

65% RH is a little low.

Just fired up a couple of AF Bolivar Fuente maduros (library edition) that I bought from a friend who was clearing out his humidor (bought in June of 2007). Nice! The cigar boxes look like hard backed books.

[Mr.Black]

65% is what I have at the moment. Its better than no humidor at all. I'm in the process of reactivating the box after a long hiatus. The quality smokes on top will be gone by Monday and the rest should survive at 65%.

[Bounce]

Some say 70% but I prefer 68%. i also wait to use  humidor until after it's stable. It can suck your cigars dry trying to pull moisture into itself during start up.

Have you done the salt test on your hygrometer to know what the offset is?

http://www.cigargroup.com/faq/#6.1

[rgbeard]

yesterday evening was a nice CAO given to me by a friend.