quote:

Originally posted by Ronin1069:
Jay,
My Brick and Mortar carries Viaje . Their website is not always up to date, but if you let me know what you are seeking I will check there tomorrow and see if they are available (and pricing)

My BM carries them also, but they sell out fast as fuck. Usually I can only pick up what left in the singles box they opened up. Most of the smokes I like from them are seasonal and I tend to smoke during the season they are released. The ones gator linked had 2-4 years of age on them.

quote:

Originally posted by Jaywendland1981:
I have with cubans. The smaller vitolas seem to have draw issues, I'll put three in a leather (cedar lined) cigar case on wednesday, and they will smoke great on the weekends.

Thanks for this Jay. I've found the tight draw to be especially true for the Juan Lopez. Going to play some Humidor Roulette this weekend and change things up a bit.

I dry box lanceros, lonsdales, coronas, and if a cigar feels tightly rolled. It definitely helps.

I also store cigars at different RH Cubans, and smaller RG 65%, larger ring gauge 68 and long term storage 70. If I want to smoke something from storage I move to the 65% box at least a week prior to smoking.

Love stuff like this. Dry boxing...never even heard that term until recently.

That said, smoking a Cuban Ramon Allones right now that has been living at about 63% the past week. First time I have not had to continuously relight one of these - very cool.

This thread is great. Not only has it cost me money like erj_pilot, but I learn something new all the time!

Follow-up on the Bobalu cigars. I smoked one of the black-label maduros and was impressed. Not complex, but very nice. I smoked one of the Connecticut shades and it was super mild. I'll keep some around for cigar novices, but it was almost too mild for me.

I ordered some more today. 5 more of the black-label and 5 triple Lijeros based on Flash Ninja's rec.

Turns out the guy I talked to, Jeff, is actually the owner. Very nice guy and a good operation they have going.

Finished the second Bobalu Black Label tonight. What a good smoke. Smooth and a nice burn.

OK guys, I'm still learning. I picked up a few sticks at my local store today. Way down here in the Valley we can't support a dedicated cigar store, so my local store is a liquor store that has a decent walk-in humidor.

This is the second time this has happened, which is why I think I should ask.

After smoking that nice Bobalu Black Label I was still going and I decided to try a Camacho that I picked up today.

When I cut it I noticed that the wrapper flaked off everywhere into a bunch of small pieces.

After about a half hour I was looking at this burn:



It looked like the thing was slowly exploding. I also was constantly getting pieces of wrapper in my mouth.

A few minutes later the burn looked like this:



I am thinking that this is a cigar that has gotten too dry. This is the second time it has happened with a cigar from this place - the first was with a nice My Father.

What say the experts? Is this normal, or should I have let this cigar sit in my (brand new) humidor for a while?

Thanks.

yep, too dry. Same thing would happen with most of the smokes I got from Cigars International. So I stopped using them. I only buy from my local guy http://www.seriouscigars.com/ or from Emersons http://www.emersonscigars.com/ or Atlantic http://www.atlanticcigar.com/A...Cigar-Exclusives.asp. They all ship with a boveda pack and use 2 day shipping. CI's shipping would take 5-6 days sometimes.

Since you live in a dry area, you might want to get a humidor if you dont already, even a cheapy like a travel humidor, and keep the humidity kind of high like 72%. I have noticed that in my region the Humidifier liquids dont keep it high enough, so I switched to water pillows and distilled water. I could never seem to get above 63% some days it would hit 65%, but a bunch of water pillows and water and I'm now at 70%.

CRA Launches New Congressional & White House Petition Regarding FDA Final Rule On Premium Cigars - this is VERY bad for small business cigar shops. Most irritating to me is that it does not affect "on line" so there is little to nothing on sites like JR and CI about this.

Has everyone signed the CRA petition ?

Please do so if not!

Write your Congressman

Write the White House

I've done a little internet sleuthing and found that General and Altidas have not lifted a finger to fight this. And for the most part, your favorite online retailers will pretty much be left alone. Gee I wonder who owns the popular online sticks?

***General Cigars***
- Olivia
- Macanudo
- Cohiba
- Partagas
- La Gloria Cubana
- CAO
- Punch
- Hoyo de Monterrey
- Excalibur
- Foundry

***Altidas***
- H. Upmann
- Montecristo
- Romeo y Julieta
- Siglo Limited Resserve

This is a two part analysis that is pretty informative. I only posted part two. Part one is linked at the beginning.

I have come to the hopeful conclusion that premium cigars are not going to bear the brunt of this legislation. I believe it will go after vaping and flavored cigars. Especially the submission of formulas. That seems to me to be directed at vaping and flavored cigars.

https://www.reddit.com/r/cigar...ith_the_fda_part_ii/

I will savor a Glorioso later this evening. The rain has moved through Houston and it's going to be a beautiful, cool evening...

In celebration of finishing the hardwood floor in the living room and dining room...AND accepting an offer on our old place! Today was a good day!!

Sweet! Good days all around. You guys are enjoying some nice smokes!

Yeah...just came in from my relaxing smoke. It was a cool, Houston evening, but I think the humidity was 300%!!! It's going to be one foggy mother in the morning...

That front came through here around 8:30 local. Behind it the wind is calm and the same 300% humidity!

Enjoyed another Bobalu out on the patio. Quiet, calm, first night in at least a week with no wind. Relaxing is an understatement.

I've been to Corona in Florida. What say the rest of you?

Nine most luxurious cigar shops in America.

1. Grand Havana Room
Beverly Hills, CA
http://www.grandhavana.com/home.html
The Grand Havana Room is a member’s only cigar lounge that also includes a dining room and rarified cigars. Although the Grand Havana Room holds two distinct properties – one in New York and the other in Beverly Hills – you can expect to see more celebrities enjoying the Beverly Hills grounds which can only be entered via a private elevator. The centerpiece of the club is the humidor of humidors, a glassed-in room featuring 350 blond-wood lockers, each featuring the names of the who’s who in Hollywood and others who are happy to live a life of quiet opulence.

2. Vintage Wine & Cigars
Huntsville, AL
http://www.vintagewineandcigars.com
The 2-story cigar lounge at Vintage Wine & Cigars is the perfect place to enjoy a quiet evening or spark up a good conversation with Huntsville’s most sophisticated crowd. Complementing your favorite cigars are Vintage’s huge selection of imported wines and beers, all awaiting the opportunity to pleasure your palate. This is southern hospitality with an infusion of old world charm
.
3. Club Macanudo
New York, NY
http://www.clubmacanudo.com/index.php
Nestled in the heart of New York’s Upper East Side, Club Macanudo is a stylish place to catch up with friends, conduct business and even bring your significant other. A state-of-the-art ventilation system makes this venue the perfect environment for smokers and non-smokers, and the connoisseur’s selection of food, drink and cigars is sure to please all of your guests. While Club Macanudo is open to the public it is not open to those who aren’t appropriately dressed.

4. Cigar Masters
Boston, MA
http://www.cigarmasters.com
Cigar Masters originally set out to create an ambiance where fine cigars could be enjoyed while relaxing in a comfortable environment. Originally just a coffee and cigar stop, Cigar Masters has evolved to award such prestigious recognition as Boston’s Best, Top 10 in the Country by Cigar Aficionado and Top 20 Cigar Bars in the Country by GQ Magazine. Cigar Masters will not be seen in any advertisements, they rely strictly on word of mouth patronage and appreciate the fine art of conversation.

5. Havana Club
Baltimore, MA
http://www.havanaclub-baltimore.com/
Boasting the role as Baltimore’s hottest upscale nightclub, Havana Club delivers while offering beautifully appointed settings with lush leather chairs, private seating areas, and an extensive wine list. For those smokers who wish to mix cigars and nightlife, Havana Club offers an ideal locale for private parties or a night on the town.

6. Burn by Rocky Patel
Naples, FL
http://www.burnbyrockypatel.com/
As if Rocky Patel’s name didn’t already precede him in the cigar world, this lounge will surely solidify him on the map of truly great cigar lounges. His lounge features an exotic mix of Mediterranean, Asian, and Cuban accents, and of course the full line of Rocky Patel Premium Cigars and those of other notable manufactures. Burn offers both indoor and outdoor lounging areas and a full selection of cocktails, wines, reserves and cordials.

7. Casa De Montecristo
Chicago, IL
http://casademontecristo-chicago.com
Chicago’s Casa De Montecristo is best known for a private VIP lounge that offers exclusive benefits and personalized services. Membership includes private access, private humidified lockers, a business conference room, a theater room and more. Casa De Montecristo is an ideal venue for business, relaxation, or a classy location to enjoy sporting events.

8. Ashton Cigar Bar
Philadelphia, PA
http://www.ashtoncigarbar.com/
Ashton is situated in the heart of Philadelphia’s Center City district, conveniently located on the top of Holt’s Cigar Company, the city’s oldest cigar store. Exposed brick walls, wood floors and ceilings, modern furniture and chandelier lighting are all comfortable accents to Ashton’s selection of 200 premium cigars, 250 whiskies and 400 total spirits. Comfortable leather seats and state-of-the-art ventilation make this cigar lover’s oasis a pleasurable experience beyond expectation.

9. Corona Cigar
Orlando, FL (Downtown location)
http://www.coronacigar.com/Downtown-Store/
Situated in vibrant Downtown Orlando, Corona Cigar is known for its wide selection of cigars, wine and spirits and comfortable indoor and outdoor seating. Authentic Nicaraguan furniture, Latin music and one of the world’s largest selections of fine Cognacs, aged single-malt Scotches, small-batch bourbons, prohibition-era whiskies and pre-embargo Cuban rums make this locale one of a kind. Stop by for a drink or choose from over two million in stock cigars. Don’t be surprised if one of your favorite cigar icons is sitting across from you; Corona Cigar attracts the likes of famous international cigar makers such as Carlos and Carlito Fuente, Jorge and Orlando Padron, Avo Uvezian, Rocky Patel, Don Pepin and many more.

Club macanudo, casa de montecristo, corona, ashton.

Best cigar bar I've been to is in San Juan PR. The Cigar House, Best selection hands down, best prices hands down. Two story space very cool lounge.

Of those listed club macanudo was the nicest lounge but very expensive.

Casa Montecristo has a great store they have two lounges one for customers and one for VIPs. They offered me access to the VIP and their aged / limited stock humidor but I didn't take them up on it.

Edit to add; how do they not have casa fuente in Las Vegas. Also list has the usual CA advertisers Patel, Ashton, General, and Altadis.

Guys,

Read this on WSJ today and though it pretty interesting. If you don't have a subscription, I took the time to convert the article into PDF for you.

Some of you I've exchanged emails with so I took the liberty of forwarding to you. Sorry if I missed someone, I tried to sort by screen name.

Unfortunately we cannot attach a document here so if you want the PDF, shoot me an e-mail and I'll reply back to you with it.

I thought it was pretty interesting.

Smoked: Cuba's Cigar Industry Isn't Ready for its American moment...

SAN LUIS, Cuba—The fertile soil here in the Pinar del Río valley has long produced a richly flavored, slow-burning tobacco that is, without exaggeration, the envy of the world.

Some of Cuba’s best-paid workers roll the cured leaves by hand into cigars carrying the names Cohiba and Montecristo and Partagás, luxury brands as coveted by aficionados as the sparkling wines of Champagne or the single malt whiskies of Scotland.

For more than 50 years, Cuba hasn’t been able to sell its cigars to its giant neighbor to the north, the world’s largest cigar market. Now, with the U.S. moving to restore trade with Cuba, excitement is building that a great opportunity is at hand.

If the trade embargo is lifted anytime soon, however, Cuba is unlikely to be ready.

The amount of tobacco under cultivation in Cuba declined 65% between 2009 and 2014, to 21,733 acres, and annual tobacco production declined 21%, to about 20,000 tons, according to the most recent data from Cuba’s national statistics office. Cuba exported 91 million cigars in 2014, down 58% from 2006.

I may or may not be too accurate with this statement, but when people find out I enjoy cigars, they always ask if I've had a Cuban. I have.....exactly ONE on Christmas eve 2005 in Toronto, Canada when I was on a trip. So I tell them that to me, a Cuban isn't such a big deal because (and this might be the inaccurate statement) when the Cuban revolt occurred, most of the cigar makers took the Cuban seed and grew tobacco in Honduras, the Dominican, Nicaragua or wherever they wound up. The only difference would be the soil.

To be honest, that Cuban was waaaaay over-priced and my other cigar brands were just as good or better.