JohnS

Certain image formats aren't compatible with our forum, unfortunately. These include AVIF and Apple's HEIC. Ken, upload those images and I'll download and convert them to JPG for you. I'll fix the thread and then delete this post. All good. 👍

Welcome back, Anthony! I believe El Pres had a thread recently where he mentioned the best sellers of the current lot of Nudies/MOFOH/Fabrica 5 cigars. Amongst them were the Ninfas, Queen Corona, MOFOH Trinity, N6 Cananazo Amante, N8 Churchill I believe, from memory.

The season is a long one, full of peaks and troughs (or valleys). Let's see where the Red Sox are around the mid-point...which is traditionally around the All-Star Game in July. I'm excited for Tanner Houck. What a fine pitcher he has become. That 'Maddux' he threw the other day was sensational! Losing the first 5 games of the season, with practically one hit from going down 0-6 and to come back to win the next 10 in 13 games? It's only been done five times in the history of baseball. Yes, the Mets are on a roll. Alongside the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers, who collectively are the 'hottest' teams in MLB at the moment. Let's see how they go on this upcoming West Coast trip against the LA Dodgers and SF Giants. One thing I can't explain...has leaving the NY Yankees allowed Harrison Bader to play 'out of his skin', especially in clutch-hitting, or is it the fact he can now grow facial hair on this team? 🤔

I was actually thinking about that last week. It depends on @El Presidente 's schedule whilst he's away in the United States. If he has time, he'd announce on the forum and on the day's 24:24 listing. They're always a good catch-up. Let's schedule one for this week coming. This Sunday evening 8 pm NY time or Monday morning 10 am Sydney/Brisbane time (Yes, it's a little earlier but I'll stay for awhile so we'll start early and go until late). Look forward to whomever can make it. We'll make another announcement for it on the day.

Bolívar Coronas Junior MSU Jul 2019 The Bolivar Coronas Junior is another minutos (42 ring gauge x 110 mm or 4⅜ inches in length) which, like the Ramon Allones Small Club Coronas, I have found to be very dependable; even more so than the Montecristo No.5 and San Cristobal de La Habana El Principe. In relative comparison within the Bolivar marca, of the four Bolivar vitolas I have sampled in the last three years or so including the Bolivar Tubos No.1, Bolivar Belicosos Finos, Bolivar Petit Corona, I would rate the Bolivar Coronas Junior as perhaps the best (but maybe only just a little better than the others) for how consistent they've been for me. I've not found my recent BCJs smoked as particularly 'Earthy'. This one certainly did have some Earthiness to it. Along with that were those other core Bolivar flavours that I've consistently found in these: light cocoa, leather, espresso coffee and cedar. This cigar was around medium-full in body which once again, had plenty of flavour. This particular Bolivar Coronas Junior took me an sixty-five minutes to smoke. In summary, this Bolivar Coronas Junior smoked as reliably as my last one smoked from this box. It was a decent 91 to 92-point cigar.

Ramón Allones Small Club Coronas ETP Mar 2017 The Ramon Allones Small Club Corona is a reputable (42 ring gauge x 110 mm or 4⅜ inches in length) minutos. I think I had around six or seven RASCCs mainly in the second half of 2022, and overall I rated them quite well for their flavours and smoking time. In fact, although I would opine that cigar enthusiasts favour the Montecristo No.5 or San Cristobal de La Habana El Principe more, I find the Ramon Allones Small Club Coronas is quite dependable and varies less in its quality, both construction-wise and flavour-wise. Despite the fact that I had a number of RASCCs in that aforementioned timeframe a year ago, this is only me second one since, for no peculiar reason other than I've had a whole lot of other cigars to peruse in the meantime. When it comes to the RASCC you are really looking for its typical and distinctive dried fruit flavour, something akin to raisins. When that is present they're ideal. When they are not, I tend to still find them a decent option to smoke when I need a shorter smoke due to time. This RASCC started off quite woody alongside with some characteristic light cocoa flavour. About one-third of the way into the smoke, the cigar ramped up in spice, which I found somewhat atypical. After this, the cigar settled down and exhibited leather and that 'raisin-type' sweetness we all know and love. Again, the construction was spot-on here; both the burn and draw. Despite this Ramon Allones Small Club Corona having more strength in comparison to my last few, I still found it fine to smoke. I still continue to maintain that in my view overall, they represent decent value for a minutos-sized cigar.

Puro Desnudo N7 Ninfa Is the Puro Desnudo N7 Ninfa the 'cigar of our times'? The cigar we need right now, amidst the struggles Habanos S.A. has been experiencing for some time to maintain a quality and regular production of their unique, luxury tobacco-based product? It may well seem to be so. For me, it may be the cigar we deserve when smoking Habanos cigars represents such a big opportunity cost, both in terms of the retail price and the efficacy of replacing one's stock, which isn't always that easy because it's difficult to know if one's favourite Habanos cigar is in hiatus or not. Now, it's a rare thing that I smoke a cigar, indeed any cigar, back-to-back. But when this particular Nudies product sells out in its 50-count packaging not once, but twice and then proceeds to sell out once it becomes available in a 5-count pack...well, I can't help but wonder that there must be a reason for this unprecedented outcome within the Nudies program. In my view, quite simply, the size of the cigar itself, being a Ninfas with a 33 ring gauge x 178 millimetres (or 7 inches) length is an homage to the times when long-and-skinnies were more widely available than they are now. Furthermore, this is a cigar that is by no means complex, and in my opinion this makes it the perfect choice of cigar within one's rotation when you need something more regular and available than a Habanos cigar. This particular Puro Desnudo N7 Ninfa was fairly similar to my last one in terms of flavours; 'graham cracker', a bit of nut, baking spice and molasses in the first half to two-thirds and a transition in strength and spice in the last third. The whole thing took me eighty minutes to smoke and honestly, I could easily smoke another one right now as I write this. Then again, so could you and maybe that is why they are currently 'sold out' at the time of writing this review.

Puro Desnudo N7 Ninfa I wonder if it's an exaggeration to state that the Puro Desnudo N7 Ninfa represents the current peak of the Nudies program. In other words, starting with the initial Nudies Lanceros and Carlotas in 2019/20, then moving forward to the second release 2021 versions that came out in Rosado and Maduro wrappers, I wonder if I could safely say that the Puro Desnudo N7 Ninfa is the best cigar that this program has produced thus far? Perhaps we could subjectively argue that the Desnudo Canonazo Amante VI, or Desnudo N5 Queen Corona or even the MOFOH Robusto Trinity have climbed the apex of excellence in this program for us? Ultimately, we need to consider that the Puro Desnudo N7 Ninfa had sold out not once, but twice since its release a little over two months ago. Now, that's saying something! The Puro Desnudo N7 Ninfa came about because El Pres himself lamented the discontinuation of the Punch Ninfa in 2002 and his 50-count box had long gone. Sure, one could say the Quai d'Orsay Panetelas lasted until 2010, or even the Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo du Gourmet until 2013 (although this cigar was one-third of an inch shorter in length the the traditional Ninfa size), but did anyone care about these cigars in the same way as the Punch Ninfas? I'd say no, mainly because the Punch Ninfas was an 'everyday' smoking-type cigar, a potential regular in one's rotation and that is what the Puro Desnudo N7 Ninfa has been designed to be. In El Pres' words, the cigar was blended to be "mid bodied and rich. There is a purveying raisin/fruity sweetness that melds well with other nuances of tart cooking chocolate, sourdough and just a touch of spice on the retrohale. The cigar builds progressively but never loses it’s composure. The aroma is indeed something special and reflects the flavour profile. Only two sets of rollers/bunchers from our Fabrica 5 team are permitted to roll the Ninfas. They have been hand picked as the best of the best from our high performance Fabrica 5 unit. The construction quality reflects this. The blend is 100% Honduran and includes a special leaf that has enthralled us but until now we were at a loss as to how best to use. We found the right cigar for it to shine." I smoked my first one today in a split with some other Sydney FoH members. So, that makes for a 25-count. It wouldn't surprise you to know that I thought it was excellent. Sixty-five to seventy minutes of smoking joy. The type of cigar I could light up again immediately after finishing the previous one. I think I may need a few more to ascertain a general flavour profile. I can state that I thought it was somewhat 'graham cracker' in nature, a bit of nut, baking spice and molasses. I mean, the leaf is all Honduran but its not bad in how wholesome it is on the palate, like a Cuban cigar. So there you go. I think I've said my piece. I may as well stop the review here and smoke another one. I hope to see you in a little while!

DesNudos N3 Colorado Maduro Carlota Having sampled the DesNudos N3 Colorado Rosado Carlota recently, I felt it's only natural to want to smoke its fraternal twin, the DesNudos N3 Colorado Maduro Carlota as that is what I tend to do. If you aren't aware, the term 'Colorado Rosado' refers to what we know as a 'Natural shade wrapper' in Habanos cigars. 'Colorado Rosado' is the term used for Non-Cuban cigars. The difference in wrapper shades, therefore, between these two releases is in fact the only point of variation between the cigars. In other words, the leaves inside contain the exact same blend. Keep that in mind the next time you smoke a DesNudos N3 Colorado Rosado Carlota and a DesNudos N3 Colorado Maduro Carlota or Lanceros 'back-to-back' (or one after the other). This DesNudos N3 Colorado Maduro Carlota certainly did have a core sourdough, leather and citrus twang blend, similar to the DesNudos N3 Colorado Rosado Carlota, but the maduro wrapper on this cigar imparted a completely different flavour upon the cigar because that aforementioned flavour profile was much more muted in comparison to the Colorado Rosado Carlota I smoked previous to this Colorado Maduro Carlota. The maduro shade wrapper made this cigar more sweeter in its cocoa, but unlike the last time I smoked this cigar fifteen months ago, I can't say that it had anywhere near the same amount of anise or licorice. It was, however, quite easy to smoke, with full wafts of smoke per draw. It was effortless for an experienced cigar smoker to smoke. I had the opportunity to sample a pre-release DesNudos N3 Colorado Maduro Carlota three years ago. At the time I summarised that cigar as follows: "In summary, think of some of the finest darker-wrappered Romeo y Julieta Exhibicion No.4's you've smoked being combined with a Partagas Serie du Connaisseur No.3, but not as 'toasty'. Now that would be a fine cigar indeed. And indeed this was!" I can't help but think that the sweetness that the wrapper on this cigar imparted upon it was not too dissimilar. Trust me, I enjoyed it just the same!

DesNudos N3 Colorado Rosado Carlota In 2019, the original Nudies N1 Lancero and N3 Carlota were released. The N1 Lancero aimed to replicate the blend of the long-discontinued Partagas Serie du Connaisseur No.1 and No.2. The N3 Carlota replicated the Partagas Serie du Connaisseur No.3. They were well-received by our members, with the consensus opinion been that they were remarkably 'Cubanesque' for cigars utilising Non-Cuban tobacco. Construction on these cigars were consistently sound, the small team of rollers responsible for the rollout no doubt contributed to this consistency. The DesNudos second version of Nudies had an additional Maduro-wrappered release for each vitola. I acquired a Colorado Maduro and Colorado Rosado version of both the N1 Lancero and N3 Carlota in March 2022 and left these cigars to rest for around eight months prior to smoking my first DesNudos N3 Colorado Rosado Carlota, a 38 ring gauge by 152 mm (or 6 inches) in length vitola. This therefore, is my next one from the 15-count package I acquired, smoked fifteen months later! The cold draw was in no way as 'grassy' in feel as the 2019 version. The very first puff revealed a wonderful sourdough, leather and citrus twang which was the core flavour of the cigar from beginning to end. There was no spice, there was no grassiness. The ash held together well and the cigar was medium-mild in strength. Unlike the original Partagas Serie du Connaisseur No.3, the overall texture or mouthfeel of this cigar was not 'toasty' in the least; rather it was more like a traditional Cuban cigar, more 'rounder'. In comparison to the last time I smoked this cigar, I would add that the flavours have obviously melded more. In summary, this DesNudos N3 Colorado Rosado Carlota, at almost two years of age, is a pleasant, simple and 'rounded' smoke from beginning to end. It remains very simple to smoke.

Oliva Serie V Melanio Churchill Oliva famously gained credibility and publicity via its win for the Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado with Cigar Aficionado in 2014. The Oliva Serie V Melanio Churchill was Cigar Aficionado’s No.8 cigar of the year in 2018 and 2020, with scores of 93 and 95 respectively. I was quite impressed with the Oliva Serie V Melanio Churchill cigars I smoked since the Habanos price changes in mid-2022 that I decided to acquire a 10-count box by the end of that year. The Churchill size is a vitola I quite like for when I feel like a long smoke and as we know, we aren't exactly 'flush with options' when it comes to Habanos Churchill-sized cigars. The Oliva Serie V Melanio Churchill is box-pressed but has a normal straight foot and a slightly curved head with a 178 mm (or 7 inches) length and 50 ring gauge, which is a little bigger than the traditional Habanos girth for a Churchill-sized cigar that is usually 47 rg. It comes with the now accustomed, yet impressive, Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper but it is the binder and filler which makes a difference to the Melanio line. Both the binder and the filler use Nicaraguan Jalapa tobacco which is said to impart more flavour and less strength. As usual, on the cold draw I was impressed with the exquisiteness of this cigar's aroma, the sheen on its wrapper and frankly, how well these are made. The cigar opened with some luscious chocolate and cedar and developed in the first third with the addition of milk coffee. In the middle third, I noted some leather, whilst in the last third the cigar was a tad more 'woody', but honestly not that much, the flavour blend stayed much the same. Throughout the cigar there was a nutty texture akin to almonds or walnuts and the strength of the cigar was mild. It was effortless to smoke and retrohale through the nose. As I alluded to earlier in this review, Habanos S.A. have very few Churchill-sized cigars left; in fact, just three in regular production (Cohiba Esplendidos, H.Upmann Sir Winston and Romeo y Julieta Churchill). These all enjoy a ‘lofty’ reputation within the Habanos catalogue, Although, this wasn't brilliant as potentially those Habanos cigars, it was still a pleasure to smoke over two-and-three-quarter hours (yes, it was indeed fifteen minutes short of three hours). I very much enjoyed it and I'm glad I acquired a box. In my opinion, I feel the Oliva Serie V Melanio Churchill is a quality addition to my collection of other Habanos Churchills in my humidor. At least it's easier to replace than those other aforementioned Habanos cigars currently!

RGB Jul 2022 Montecristo Petit Edmundos...

Put it this way, there's already been eleven (11) auctions on Bond Roberts for the calendar year-to-date (which I believe is more than normal in comparison to other Habanos cigars), and there's been no issue reaching $US100 a stick, for starters, for stock aged five years or less.

If you happen to own an exotic and expensive supercar, this is how you'd want to garage it... Underfloor heating, custom lighting, $385,000 TVs: How the super-rich store their supercars By Simon Usborne, CNN Developers say clients want to display their cars much like pieces of art and commission custom spaces to help them look their best, as demonstrated here in one of the showroom garages of the 8899 Beverly apartment complex. 8899 Beverly CNN — Gil Dezer has a commanding view from his four-floor penthouse at the top of his 60-story residential tower in Miami. But the billionaire property developer is not that interested in looking out across the beach towards the Bahamas. He prefers to gaze through his large internal windows at 11 of his favorite cars. “From my living room I can see two cars, from my kitchen I can see two more cars, and then seven from my man cave,” Dezer, who is 48, told CNN via video call, preferring to describe, rather than show me, his apartment. “For me, it’s like an art collector with a Da Vinci: He doesn’t put it in storage, he puts it on the wall.” Dezer said his own Mona Lisa is one of his three exotic supercars: a McLaren Speedtail, a Porsche 918 and a Bugatti Chiron, each of which is worth more than a million dollars. It’s why, when he commissioned the tower, he helped design a central elevator that whisks vehicles up to personal, glass-walled sky garages. The 8899 Beverly apartment complex in West Hollywood boasts "showroom quality" parking facilities. 8899 Beverly For the super-rich car enthusiast, the humble garage — traditionally a utilitarian lock-up and object of the suburban dream that was cut off from the rest of the home — has become prized real estate, where drivers can not only keep their cars but commune with them alongside like-minded friends. “We call them ‘gallery spaces’ rather than garages now,” said Graham Harris, a founding partner at SHH Architecture and Interior Design in London, one of the world’s leading design studios for those of high net worth. “It’s all about drama and theater and backdrops and the right kind of lighting. Gone are the days when a garage was just a concrete bunker.” Harris — whose projects have included a £125 million ($US158 million) refurbished mansion on London’s prestigious Belgrave Square — told CNN garages are growing not only to house expanding car collections (he recently completed a 26-car basement garage under a new home in west London) but more living space, too. Personal, glass-walled "sky garages," which can show off car collections, are in demand amongst the super rich. Bentley Residences In merging the garage and the traditional American basement den, these super-luxe “man caves” can include advanced car racing simulators with wraparound screens or virtual-reality headsets, as well as elaborate bars, full-length bowling alleys, golf simulators and giant screens for watching sport. “A lot of clients are ordering the Samsung ‘Wall’ (a bespoke LED display), which can be any size you want, with a starting price of £300,000 ($385,000). It creates an incredible backdrop for any scene you want in your garage,” Harris added. Materials are also changing. Concrete floors are passé; Harris now commissions hand-poured resin that can be finished in any color and protects car tires while also repelling dirt or oil. Lighting can be recessed into the floors to highlight cars so that they appear to almost float. Turntables in personal garages at the Bentley Residences facilitate the easy movement of super cars. Bentley Residences Turntables in the floor and sophisticated hydraulic racking systems make it possible to stack, move and display cars easily, all the better for any in-house valets, mechanics or drivers to ensure a favored vehicle is on hand at any given time. Harris sends me a photo of a 16-car garage he created “somewhere in Europe.” Visible through a large window that can be frosted at the touch of a button, it has a resin floor and a central turntable with a high-gloss black ceiling designed to mirror the cars beneath. On the other side of the glass, the client’s study stands slightly raised above the garage, with crown-cut walnut walls with hexagonal leather panels and hand-gilded moldings. It’s all a world away from the functional spaces Dezer’s father Michael used to house his cars when he started the family’s property empire. The priority for Michael, a bus driver’s son from Tel Aviv who moved to the US aged 21, was simply finding room for them all. A client’s study stands slightly raised above their garage, with crown-cut walnut walls with hexagonal leather panels and hand-gilded moldings. Adam Woodward “He had 85 cars when I was in fifth grade and bought an old car dealership to keep them in,” Dezer Jr said. The family ended up buying a disused shopping mall in Orlando, where Michael now keeps more than 1,800 cars worth around $200 million in the Orlando Auto Museum, part of Dezerland Park, a theme park. Gil Dezer has taken a different approach, with his own collection of just 32 cars split between his home in the Hamptons and his Miami penthouse. He wants to see and drive them all the time, immersing himself, and his fellow residents, in a kind of autopia. His building, which was completed in 2017 at a cost of $480 million, is called the Porsche Design Tower and was one of the first such branded residential developments. The central car lift, patented as the “Dezervator,” made the tower a hit with those who valued privacy and security. Lionel Messi moved in when he signed with David Beckham’s Inter Miami soccer team (although Dezer said the footballer later moved to a house “in the middle of nowhere” when thousands of fans began to stake out the street outside the building). The new Bentley Residences in Miami will feature four car elevators and space for three or four cars for each of the 216 apartments. Bentley Residences The Dezers are about to start building the 62-floor Bentley Residences, also in Miami. It will include design cues from the car brand as well as four Dezervators and space for three or four cars for each of the 216 apartments, which will also have balcony swimming pools and range in price from $5.5 million to $35 million. “Bentley wants (the development) to be a continuation of the automobile experience,” Dezer said. “We’re working on a system where the music playing in your car will continue when you step into your apartment.” Of course you’d be mad to buy an apartment in the Porsche or Bentley tower if you didn’t own a car, but do you have to want to stare at your cars all day to live there? “You’re asking a very hurtful question right now,” Dezer said, laughing. “About 5% of residents have drywalled over the windows (into the garage). My sister has a beautiful apartment here and I walked in there and she had done it and I was about ready to kill her.” Source: https://edition.cnn.com/style/gil-dezer-billionaire-cars/index.html

Everything to Know About the World’s Tallest Residential Clock Tower Coming to Dubai Photo: Courtesy of Franck Muller Dubai is on its way to adding another groundbreaking structure to its already impressive skyline. The new building is set to be Dubai’s first residential clock tower and will be the tallest of its kind in the world, in line with the UAE’s affinity for record-breaking developments. The announcement was made this week in Dubai by London Gate, known as the UAE’s premium real estate developer, and Swiss luxury watch manufacturer Franck Muller. Named The Franck Muller Aeternitas Tower, the building will be the watchmakers’ first venture into the world of real estate, making the project that much more remarkable, given the brand’s reputation within the industry. The tower will be located in Dubai’s Marina area and will stand at a height of 450 meters. Renderings of the tower show an angular structure at the top of the building, with the clock displaying numbers in various sizes and a classic font, with the views possibly being that of the Palm Jumeirah. According to Franck Muller, “The luxurious residential project will be officially unveiled in January 2024 and residents can expect a handover by 2026.” “We are delighted to expand in the Middle East with this partnership with London Gate,” says Erol Baliyan, managing director at Franck Muller. “We have been strategically exploring the branded residential market in the UAE to bring the heritage of brand excellence to the realm of real estate. It is incredible to launch Franck Muller’s first-ever real estate collaboration in a world-class city like Dubai, known to be one of the most vibrant, luxurious, and developed cities in the world. This marks the beginning of a new chapter for our brand. We are excited to introduce a record-breaking legacy for Franck Muller— which is slated to be the first of many iconic ventures that will unfold globally.” Source: https://en.vogue.me/culture/dubai-tallest-residential-clock-tower-franck-muller-london-gate/