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I am also a 5-6 point guy. Excellent (superb, sublime… etc) Great Good (above average) Average (my average could range to what experiences I have had lately) Below average Bad (dog rocket etc.)

… I got that beat! Hamlet and I agreed on zoom that we don’t give a shit about what each other thinks!!! 🤪

I think 5 gets the job done. I like to use the letter grades but with + and - that turns into 13 different grades. And numbers 1-5 can turn to 50 when people decimalize. I think this nails it for me. 🙄 Is it necessary to decide if a perfect Siglo VI is better or worse than a perfect Esplendido by grading one a 97 and the other a 96? Not for me. "Superb" works just fine for both

I went 5 because I'm still (always) a learner. In reference to a post above, retrohale is the greater part of my palate, but I do get some input from my tastebuds if they're not blown out.

HUHC with a coffee break today

Thx Lisa! I can sleep 1 more hour longer LOL

The Xiaomi factory is actually owned by BAIC. A lot of Chinese car factories are now nearly fully automated, with only a small part of human interaction during the build. This is the Changgan factory.

Caught up with Bill and Ana last night. Bill brought some excellent cigars including this 1970 Monte 1 Solid 97. The night :100 😁

I would say that's basically true. Certainly much more "intense" in character. Some of that was due to youth. A young CC would tend to be much more tannic and ammoniac. No way would you want to smoke a Monte 2 or Lusi with less than 3 years on it. Even aged they were considered "powerhouse" cigars, particularly the PSD4. CCs in general were pretty much understood to be strong and intense. If you want mild get a Macanudo. There's definitely some flavors that have been lost since those days. For example RyJ Ex 4 was like eating a bowl of tropical fruit. There were brilliant woody flavors in cigars like Hoyo and Punch that I haven't tasted since then. The earthiness in Partagas and Boli was like fresh soil, almost peaty like an Islay whisky. Vegueros had an intense grassy flavor that was really nice, and Cohiba had a bit of that grassiness also. Of course there are some cigars that have changed less than others. I think ERDM is not too far from what it was. QdO Coronas. And the new brands are about the same as they were when they came out-- Cuaba, VR and SC. I also recall much more box-to-box and cigar-to-cigar consistency in the 90s. Construction was generally better and I rarely had a bad-burning cigar. They would stay lit much longer as well.

Hand a guru 5 cigars. There is a good possibility that he gets none of them right, unless the catalog is so thin that only two exist. How many PCs were made in the 90’s? A lot! There was a lot of depth of field. There were a lot more opportunities to smoke good cigars back then. MHO. Cigars were a better value and it did not sting if you got a dud. And you did get duds back then too. You just tossed it and could open a new box! I think cigars were better. There was more fun in the exploring the many cigars that there were to try. I believed in flavor profiles back then, but I figure that I was convinced based on belief alone. I think Cuba has effed up the Cuban cigar. I felt in love with the Cuban cigar back then. Now I just hate Tabacuba! I really know very little about Cuban cigars today. The cost of knowing is simply too high. The education is not worth the mediocre smoking time and the cost for the experience. Without wanting to sound like a pig about it. I would take any of my $3 PCs from that era over a newly minted $50 cigar from today. I thought great cigars were everywhere. I no longer believe that, but maybe I just did not know better. In an argument against my own beliefs, I like 70’s music and think music today just sucks! Maybe it’s just about enjoying the new experiences of being younger. MHO.

Hi Guys I won't get into the office for the normal start of 8.30 Brisbane time (school drop off 😉 ) It will be 9.30 tomorrow See you than Lisa

Strangely I think what confuses people the most is the 5 - 6 range which is puzzling to me. Most cigars should land in the 5 - 6 range as being "it was fine, there was nothing technically wrong with it, but it isn't something that stood out, that I'd necessarily remember a year from now, etc." . For me once you get in the 6.3+ range that's when you are finding cigars that you'll seek out and enjoy. 7+ are the gems and 8+ you get into unicorn territory. We've had a few under 5s and they're appropriately rated IMO.

Enjoying a Monte 2 tonight after some serious spring cleaning. Came from the first box I received from our almighty authoritari…I mean gracious host.

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!

I don't know how Cubans were in the 90s, but I read that they were a lot stronger in strength than today's Cubans. To me, all Cubans are mild whether they're Partagas or Hoyo.

Recently in Antigua Barbuda on vacation. Two Islands, one country. I want to share my experience with the local cigar scene. FYI, it seems that there was an LCDH on the island of Antigua at some point, but I believe it is currently closed permanently. The best/only places I found were both in or near the Heritage Quay shopping complex which is right next to where the cruise ships make port. It's easy to travel to the area by car as well and there are very reasonably priced parking lots within 4 or so blocks from Heritage Quay. There's also parking on the street as long, but none of the street parking was available on any of my trips. Parking at lot cost approx. $3-6 for several hours, plus, I saw a dead rat in one of the parking lots at no extra charge. Many internet searches seemed to direct me to Signature Smokes which is on the second floor of the green building in the pics below. Despite the fact that the google profile says "open 24 hrs", it is not open 24 hours...or at least not for 24 consecutive hours. I went twice on two different days in mid to late afternoon and it was closed. FYI, cruise ships were in port at these times so I figured everything would be open. Although I never made it inside Signature, I happen to find a store called "Tobacco Negro". It does not have a website per se, but it does have a facebook page, so it's legit per se. I was pleasantly surprised and pleased with Tob. Negro. It is located within a few blocks of Signature. You can see Tob. Negro's general location in the overhead pic below at the approximate intersection of Thames St. and St. Mary's. Tob. Negro is located on the second floor of a retail building housing several independent stores. There is a pic of Tob. Negro as seen from the street below (the one that shows a building with a staircase on the outside going to the second floor). The staff were fine, but did not have any particular interest in cigars. The selection was solid. Some of every marca if I'm not mistaken. Full boxes, singles, nothing aged that I saw. I included a few general pics of their shelves below, but there were several shelves that I did not take pictures of. Prices were good as well IMO. For a quick example: Dip. 2 $18. CB Box of Sig VI tubos $975. It appeared and felt to have proper humidity control. They actually answer their phone.They do not have butane, but they do have zippo fuel (in case you don't want to light your cigars). Packed in ziplock bags and brown paper bag. Rec. bringing your own container. The staff were happy to show me boxes and open fresh boxes for singles if there were not any open boxes already on the shelf. Saw the staff dead drop a whole box of HDM Epi 1's. Yikes, that's why I don't touch other people's sticks. I also saw the clerk drop one of the cigars I purchased off the countertop and then put it back in my bag because she didn't know I saw it drop. Charges are pending pursuant to the Magma Carta and assorted international laws. Hope this is helpful to anyone traveling.

It's a left field cigar for him to bring up and I would say the ManTua is a great cigar but is within the spectrum of modern Punch character, and no other Punch I've had is blended quite like it although the 898 and SS1 ER are in that same arena of flavor for Punch. So to say it doesn't taste like a Punch I don't think is entirely accurate. With his RA example it's true that the current RA (and Punch) profile has little in common with pre-2002 profile so if that's his benchmark then I suppose he's correct. Punch's flavor range has definitely evolved in the past 10 years and is getting quite diverse like HU has been for a while. If one isn't smoking CCs and Punch on a regular basis there would be no way to know that. If you're only familiar with Punch DC and Punch Punch I could absolutely see someone saying the ManTua is not Punch DNA. Yes, I'm not sure where his interests lay. Based on my experiences with people mainly in the NC world I would highly scrutinize any statements he makes. I can't deny that I also feel differences between brand profiles have diminished since the 90s. No way around that conclusion. While I can't say he's completely full of it here this to me sounds like someone who just hasn't smoked many CCs in the last 10 years. Those years seem pretty arbitrary to me. There were some outstanding cigars being produced in 2010-2014, particularly Cohiba. And I also think he's giving a lot of weight to aging which seems to me to be more a relic of previous eras. He's seeming to suggest that aging of CCs is essential or that a CC isn't worth smoking unless it's aged which I would strongly disagree with. The vast majority of CCs are perfectly enjoyable with a year on them or even less in some cases. I can't challenge him on the statement that some cigars don't improve with age, particularly NCs as I'm not an NC smoker but I have heard similar things about some NCs. I've also had CCs that taste exactly the same to me after 5+ years.

Hell

Thanks 🤙