Would you like a Cigar?

[Pheroze]

Wellington Ale is not strong but has a great "Ale" taste, if you like that. I prefer an ale to a larger. I think the bitter notes and relative flatness is better especially as a fall/winter flavour. I found another local brew called Barking Squirrel. (I saw it on the shelf from a distance and initially read "barfing squirrel" which caused me to take a second look). Again, not a strong ale taste but very pleasant for sure. Maybe shades of Newcastle Brown but not as strong. The problem I find in Ontario with foreign imports is that they are often brewed under license by Labatts or Molsen. So, I am not confident I am getting the real deal.

 

[R. Etheridge]

Punch champions. Great sticks. They are small little perfectos with a lot of flavor.

 

[JES Adventures]

While on safari, I smoke Montecristo No. 4 while driving around on the afternoon hunt, a nice medium body smoke.

Then a Partagas Lusitania by the fire to cap off the night, a full flavored smoke thats lasts an hour.

 

[mdwest]

Absolutely love cigars... so much.. that I keep a small stockpile of cigars on hand for special occasions....








(every day is special around here! )

 

[Philip Glass]

A Robusto in a Maduro wrapper preferably Dominican and not too strong.
Philip

 

[Buckdog]

I am not picky all of the above would be perfect for me along with a nice bottle of 18yr old glenlivit which was a steal at 40pounds in heathrow a couple weeks ago got 4 bottles couldnt resist!

 

[curtism1234]

I am not picky all of the above would be perfect for me along with a nice bottle of 18yr old glenlivit which was a steal at 40pounds in heathrow a couple weeks ago got 4 bottles couldnt resist!

50 dollars for Glenlivit 18? That's the 750 bottle? Wow

I like a cigar at the time but have regret the next 3 days as it's all I can taste. Thus I limit myself to one every couple years

Hookah on the other hand...

 

[rookhawk]

Whenever I go to Africa I stop in Dubai for a stock up on critical supplies for a couple weeks in the bush.

Always:

Cuban Partagas Serie E #5
Cuban Diplomaticos #2
Cuban Ramon Allones Robusto
Cuban Bolivars
Cuban Cuabas
Cuban Henry Clay

And when I'm back in the States I tend to go for extremely full body:

La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Digger (60 ring gauge by about 11")
La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Chisel

 

[mdwest]

When in Dubai, go to the LCDH at the far end of Terminal 1 and ask to see their "aged" stock..

the last time I was in there they had probably 2 dozen boxes of Ramon Allones Superiories with box codes 6-8 years old... and several Romeo y Julietta and Bolivar options (probably 30-40 boxes total) that were anywhere from 10-15 years old..

 

[edward]

cough,cough,enjoy all.id have a thumbs up and smiley face if i could figure out how.

 

[Ray B]

I see the Demonrats are lifting the ban on importing Cuban cigars into the US, so I guess we can all find out if they are all they're cracked up to be- or saves us a trip to Canada.

 

[curtism1234]

Really?

 

[rookhawk]

Nah. You won't see Cubans anytime soon. The media as usual has the facts wrong.

The new rule says you can legally bring two boxes of Cubans home with you from travel abroad. This was something everyone was doing illegally for the past 60 years. No change of any note.

The bigger problem is that the Communist government has been determined to be "Legitimate" by the world courts. Meaning, they seized brands/companies in 1959 that you may know such as Hoyo De Monterrey, La Gloria, Partagas, H. Uppman and dozens more. For the past 60 years Cuba has been selling those brands worldwide as legitimate properties of the Cuban regime.

Enter the US. We allowed the refugees from Cuba to come here and sell cigars. So in a US tobacco shop you will have the same brands but by different owners. The owners are cuban refugees that the world courts have said are illegitimate. Put another way, almost every cigar in the USA is a fake, a counterfeit, a forgery as the world copyrights to the names of common cigars belong to Cuba, not to the owners of these brands in America.

So you can imagine why you'll not see Cuban cigars in the USA anytime soon. There is a HUGE trademark dispute and the US owned trademarks conflict with the rest of the world.

 

[Rob404]

I don't smoke in my house, so I save my Cigar smoking at the Reloading bench in the Garage and at the range. I found a few real tasty Cigars in the 14.00 range
Kristoff Ligero Matador Maduro
Kristoff Matador Madura Cello
I buy them from a Cigar store in Victoria Minn called of all names Churchills

 

[Ray B]

Do I read that correctly? You smoke at the reloading bench in your garage?

 

[mdwest]

Nah. You won't see Cubans anytime soon. The media as usual has the facts wrong.

The new rule says you can legally bring two boxes of Cubans home with you from travel abroad. This was something everyone was doing illegally for the past 60 years. No change of any note.

The bigger problem is that the Communist government has been determined to be "Legitimate" by the world courts. Meaning, they seized brands/companies in 1959 that you may know such as Hoyo De Monterrey, La Gloria, Partagas, H. Uppman and dozens more. For the past 60 years Cuba has been selling those brands worldwide as legitimate properties of the Cuban regime.

Enter the US. We allowed the refugees from Cuba to come here and sell cigars. So in a US tobacco shop you will have the same brands but by different owners. The owners are cuban refugees that the world courts have said are illegitimate. Put another way, almost every cigar in the USA is a fake, a counterfeit, a forgery as the world copyrights to the names of common cigars belong to Cuba, not to the owners of these brands in America.

So you can imagine why you'll not see Cuban cigars in the USA anytime soon. There is a HUGE trademark dispute and the US owned trademarks conflict with the rest of the world.

Its actually even more complicated than that... but.. I have a feeling as soon as the US Govt truly lifts the importation ban, you'll see ships sailing north full of product to sell...

A company called Altadis, which has recently been bought by Imperial Tobacco (UK based) is in partnership with the Cuban government and owns 50% of Habanos SA, the Cuban government owned company that produces all Cuban cigars and owns all Cuban cigar marcas.

Imperial Tobacco owns a subsidiary of Altadis based in Florida called Altadis USA.. Altadis USA over time has bought up, and now owns all of the non Cuban cigar brands that have the same name as the Cuban cigars that are very popular in the US (Cohiba, Romeo y Julietta, Montecristo, H. Upmann, etc..etc..)...

So one company (Imperial Tobacco) ultimately owns controlling interest in all of the Dominican and Nicaraguan factories that produce the non-Cuban cigars with traditional Cuban names, as well as 50% interest in all of the factories and brands that make cigars with the same traditional Cuban names..

They have been planning and waiting on a lift of the importation ban for a long, long time.. and have been making strategic moves so that the moment the ban is lifted they will be able to not only bring the Cuban product to market rapidly.. but will also have enough quantity on hand to satisfy the needs of the American market..

If/when the ban is lifted, you'll see Cuban products on shelves in your local retailers within a matter of weeks (assuming US Customs clears them quickly)..

 

[Velo Dog]

Hello FerRGarza,

This is a great topic, thank you for posting it.

Unfortunately, I've not enjoyed a cigar in years.
But when I was enjoying one from time to time, my favorite was Ghurka Perfecto (Dominican Republic) - ten or so years ago, selling for $12. to $15. each, retail on the shelf and of course about $8. to $10. each, when ordered by the box, via the internet (I think they were packed 20 or 24 in a box ?).

Many years ago, while fishing in Central and South America, I had tried several assorted Cuban cigars, (with my great expectations diminishing each time).
However good they were (and they were good), the much lauded Cubans were no better or worse than most other long filler, premium tobacco, hand rolled cigars, from other tobacco producing countries that I had tried.
It is true that there are many counterfeit labels, between the Southern USA border and Tierra Del Fuego so, perhaps I was smoking counterfeit ones, grown and rolled in whatever country I was visiting, each bearing fake Cuban labels / bands, and I do acknowledge that possibility.
Perhaps some day I will get to go fishing at Cuba and then while ashore, I can be reasonably sure I am buying a genuine, puro Cubano.

Incidentally, IMO the Hondurans roll an excellent cigar .... or, at least they did 15 or so years ago, somewhat better than anything I tried with a "Hecho en Cuba" label on it.
Not the cheap machine made ones, sold in some Roatan tourist bar / gringo resort but, the ones you can watch being expertly rolled on a work bench, in any professional Tobacconista shop, in various cities, (such as San Pedro Sula for one).
Honduras and Dominica as well, turn out some very poor quality cigars, in large quantity for export.
However, both countries conversely produce, some of the best available, hand rolled from select local tobaccos that I, at least with my low-rent taste buds, would say are the best I have tried.
Worth mentioning is that during one of my fishing trips, I was not in Brazil but did try a cigar from there and it also was excellent but, I have not seen any Brazilian cigar before or since that long ago hook & line adventure.

It sounds cheesy but, in Hawaii, there is an outfit (hopefully they are still in business) called "The Hula Cigar Company" and their products were only around 5 to 8 US dollars per cigar, "back in the day"..
They produced a macadamia nut flavor, a coffee flavor and I think a coconut flavored one.
Again, it sounds weak but, I really enjoyed Hula cigars, my favorite definitely was their coffee flavored one - quite tasty actually.

To recap my opening comments here, my all-time favorite cigar was Ghurka "Perfecto".
Really used to enjoy a Perfecto and a wee drop of well aged Tawny Port (several labels are quite good for Tawny Port) or a Highland Single Malt on the rocks (Oban 14 year is old Velo's favorite of the Scotches, that I have tried so far).

I'm not saying I have enjoyed my last Cigar forever but, as I am getting old, I have been cutting back on alcohol, greasy/salty food, los tobaccos and such naughty activities.
(You will please note that I did not say "giving up" such things, ha haaa.)

Best regards,
Velo Dog.

 

[Foxi]

sometimes

 

[mdwest]

View attachment 161228
sometimes

if youre only going to smoke "sometimes".. a Behike is definitely a great way to do it! excellent cigar!

 

[Rob404]

Do I read that correctly? You smoke at the reloading bench in your garage?

Yup,