Phillys

@treberty in the gift box, there are some unbanded cigars in the same bag. It's a selection of customs from Alfonso. Forgot to mention them anywhere. Thanks for organizing the pass!

I was expecting the box on Monday and finally arrived late Friday afternoon. I'm slow to post as we were moving this weekend, but all done now and here are my proposed puts/takes. Puts: H. Upmann Mag 50 (LOR Sep 10) H. Upmann Royal Robusto (AME Nov 12) Flor de Cano Grandioso RE A/P (ROL Jul 13) Cohiba Robusto (POU Ago 12) Cohiba Piramides Extra (AME Nov 12) Takes: Diplomaticos #2 (RAT Fev 20) Punch Punch (UTE Oct 15) H.Upmann Connie 1 (POS Sep 11) Cohiba Siglo IV (UMR Sep 20) Punch 898 RE A/P (LMB 19 Added: Alfonso Laguito No.1 Custom for @FrancisK7 as he is the last stop before the box reaches its final destination, enjoy

Want to scan it and I can print and add it if you want.

Why are all the Gods such vicious *****, where is the god of **** and wine? - Tyrion Lannister

Great work @ATGroom, CCW is a treasure.

From my own experience, and from the boxes I have/had, it depends. Most will probably say 5 years, but again, it depends. I've had some that were more coffee, wood, bit of spice and not much sweetness at 6 years (I think 2012s). Then the next box, same box code, few months apart were starting to show hints of caramel 3 years in. The first box is long gone, but the second box with the sweeter profile built a good caramel backbone with a coffee, cream aspect. Still have 2 from that box, will have to revisit. In my experience, I find that the PLPC exhibits more of the caramel profile and tends to build and build 5ish years in, but YMMV.

That sounds fun!

Poor guy...

I learned to BBQ when I was a kid. Best advice I was given is keep it simple at first. Get a good thermometer with probe, once for the chamber, one for the meat. Use temps as a guide, nothing replaces feel and touch. You can look at cook times on the web (in relation to temp) for a very rough estimate, but be ready to go over or under by a good margin depending on that specific piece of meat. Smoker temp anywhere between 225 to 275ish works, I don't stress about rock solid temps and still make killer BBQ. Beef - Kosher salt, pepper, wood smoke, simple beef has a lot of flavor and stands up well with minimal seasoning. I find finish temp range is narrow for beef, some cuts a bit under cooked and it's tough, a bit overcooked and it's dry. Brisket, short ribs, chuck, tail, cheeks work well in a smoker. Pork is just magic, extremely versatile and IMO more forgiving than beef brisket or beef short ribs. Ribs, shoulder, cheeks, belly, hams, hocks, tongue, everything goes with pork, except for loins and chops, I find them better on the grill. Pork ribs are easy, try the 3-2-1 method at 225F (always ends up 2-2-1 when I do it). Remove the membrane on the underside, trim the narrow end a bit to where you have bones (put the trim on the smoker for a quick Dad snack). Apply rub, wait 5 minutes drink beer, put on grill, bone side down 2 hours (or 3) until you have a good bark and drink more beer. Wrap in foil with apple cider vinegar or apple juice or whatever liquid you like, stout or beer can work also, bit of brown sugar. back in the smoker for another 2ish hours (more beer), you will get to know your smoker in time and know how long it takes by the amount of beers you've had. Take out of foil and return to smoker to dry off and finish, another 30-60 mins or so. Don't go fall off the bone, as others have mentioned, they should bend and crack at the bones when ready but not break. Shoulder, super easy, rub (with a bit more salt than the rib rub), smoker for a long time, when you hit the stall (around 165ish) wrap it and return to the smoker. If you want sliced pork, go to about 190-195, pulled you just go by feel (around 200F-205F). When the stick a probe in and feels like room temp butter it's ready. Let rest for 30 mins to an hour (make sure temps go down when you remove it or else it keeps cooking. you can cover it after it has gone down, towel, cooler, oven at 170F whatever suits you. I like pork belly on the smoker, a bit fatty, but I eat around the bigger chinks of rendered fat. basic rub for pork (measures are very approximate), 2 finger of paprika or other pepper powder (I like chipotle, guajillo, ancho instead of paprika), 1/4 to 1/2 finger of kosher salt (or just sprinkle the salt on the meat before the rub) use less salt for ribs, more for shoulder, 1 finger coarse cracked pepper, you can add a little bit of onion and garlic powder (size of a nickel or quarter, to taste), I use a pinch of Jamaican all spice. Taste and add whatever you think would work, you can add 1 finger of sugar (less or more to taste), but watch your meat, it will tend to darken more and burn of there is too much). Go a little bold on flavor of dry rub, taste will be attenuated a bit when, if you don't like it adjust add more paprika, pepper, salt, whatever is off. Some sauce the pork heavy, some leave it dry or somewhere in the middle. On the wood. I don't know what you have in Aus, I like cherry, apple, maple, hickory. go with less wood smoke and first and work your way up to find the sweet spot. On the charcoal, lump has better flavor but can sometimes be less consistent, briquette is more consistent. Look for the minion method online (what I do) or snake method can work well with ribs. Smoked turkey is amazing, brine overnight, pat dry, add salt/pepper (50/50), unsalted butter under the skin and smoke at 275F-300F until desired doneness.

That's a really good site to learn. They have good tutorials.

This And this. Big RG fan here, the whole lineup is good.

The PLMC is a staple in my humidor, such a great inexpensive cigar. Still have half a box of AME May 13 left, really good box, smoking really well now. 2015s are coming around.

Some of the sauces in the list look insane. The first on the list (Melinda's Ghost Pepper Sauce) doesn't seem that hot, I have it with eggs and tortillas often. I make a hot sauce with very juicy mangoes, habaneros and ghost peppers, and a few spices, most find it way too hot, but I like it with soft scrambled eggs, chicken or white fish. Can pick out most flavors in the various sauces, but some are just hot and not very flavorful. Don't know up how hot I could go yet, I have a good tolerance for heat. I've taken small bites of ghost peppers when cooking, very hot, but add a very distinct flavor.

So, how did you cook it? I had ignored all the talk about the reverse sear, until last year. Tried it once and will never go back. Dry-aged (or dry-age cheat) with a lot of marbling, salt, cooked to 115-120F at 250F in the oven, then sear at the highest possible temp for a minute on each side on either a good carbon steel pan or charcoal. Then let it rest for 10 minutes. Perfect rare across with no grey whatsoever and perfect every time.

Big thanks to FOH! This comp is so much fun. @MoeFOH how do you come up with the various answers? Hilarious. And shout out to @Fuzz for the answers in context, pure gold.