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So I know it's not Cuba, but I had the chance to visit Altadis USA's Connecticut Broadleaf farm last week during the harvest. Since we're all cigar lovers here, I thought I'd share some photos. There's a brief description under some of the photos. Enjoy and feel free to ask questions. I never get tired of being in tobacco fields. They are gorgeous. These plants have already been topped are were going to be harvested any day. Broadleaf is stalk cut, meaning that the leaves stay on the stalk instead of coming off in primings. The top is cut earlier so the bottom (huge) leaves can really grow and get all the nutrients in the final stage of growth. Undoubtedly the biggest leaves I've ever seen in person. Flowers and seed pods left on for show (untopped plant). Broadlead doesn't grow as tall as shade / other varietals. Very very old seeding tractor, still in use today. Workers ride on each station and feed the seedlings into a wheel that places them equidistant from each other. Replacement parts have to be made in house. Cutting the plants, of course by hand. Each person makes their own custom ax out of a saw blade and weight it to their personal preference. They are sharpened after every row. The stalks and leaves sit on the ground for 45 minutes before they are put onto the barn slats so the leaves can start to wilt and be less rigid and be handled without damaging the lead. A torn leaf means it can't be wrapper which means less ROI. Curing barns can be fully vented on the sides to control temp and humidity during 6 to 8 weeks of curing. Fresh cut stalks being hung in the barns. Another barn that had been filled earlier (I think a week before). This I had never seen in practice before. Cooler temps and rain were moving into the area so they use propane burners with metal plates above to control the temp and excess humidity. Notice the barn slats were all closed. They rushed us in and out via a small side door to keep as much heat in the barn as possible. Welp, that's it. Hope you all enjoyed a little view of Connecticut Broadleaf!

My first Connie A. I'm in trouble. This cigar is what obession is made of. It's young, rested about 30 days, only 2 days dry boxed, and it's still one of the best I've ever had. Spectacular!

In-service the last couple days at school as we prepare for the kiddos to be back. Football season already in full swing. Time to relax this evening with a HdM Rio Seco and some EHT with a few ice cubes, because it's August in Texas.

La Gloria Cubana Taínos LRE Dic 2009 This is the first cigar from a box I've rested in my On-line Humidor for a number of years and recently had shipped. If you've researched the La Gloria Cubana Tainos on the forum you'd know that it is a much-loved and much-missed cigar. Although, perhaps the examples from the early 2000's were not as much-loved, the last few years of production in '08 and '09 were better. This LGC Tainos had a core cream, nut and fruitcake flavour that was wondrous, together with some floral notes that comes with aging. Retrohaling, which I'm disinclined to do on younger cigars, presented no issue here as the draw left a pleasant tingle through the nose and I had no problem retrohaling into the last third either. What a pity this cigar had to end after around two hours. Even then I wanted to smoke more but it would have necessitated burning my fingers!

Woke up early to start smoking a pork but. Decided while I’m at it to have an HdM DC while everyone is still asleep.

I woke up to a foggy morning at the beach. I am hopeful it will burn off later. I started the day with a 1966. And then a BBF. And the sun is out!

Aloha Friday gang!

RyJ Short Churchill. Really nice cigar, but I just wish it could somehow be two inches longer Thanks @cmbarton!

EUB JUL 17 Churchill. Gifted from a BOTL on another forum. Pretty pleasant cigar.

After a long day at the office I am squeezing in a very satisfying short before the wife and kids are home from the cottage. HQ REG NOV 17 from a 50 cab. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Trinidad Robustos Extra OUS Sep 2009 This was the first cigar sampled from a 12-count box I've rested in my OLH for a number of years and shipped recently. After smoking it, you have to wonder why this was ever deleted. Simply put, this was as close to a 100 point cigar that I've ever had, and trust me, I've been fortunate to have had some good ones. Better than the recent LCDH Trinidad La Trova? In a word...yes. What made this near 10 year-old cigar so sublime was the rich creamy butter texture it gave from beginning to end. The La Trova I had a few months ago was similar but more intense in flavour, more salty and spicy. In comparison, this Robustos Extra had no significant dough flavours, but it had cedar, grass or hay, leather and tea flavours aplenty and these flavours were both balanced and mild. It was also very easy on the nose, retrohaling was pure bliss throughout the smoke. The question of when cigars are at the peak comes up from time-to-time on our forum. This cigar today makes that question moot as I have every confidence that I can leave the rest to smoke over the next 5 to 10 years and this will still be great.

SLR DC OTS DIC 09 About to embark on this beautiful two hour journey. Thank you to my buddy @ayepatz for this smoke I wouldn't have otherwise experienced. Iain you're a gentleman and a very generous friend. Cheers mate!

Super oily and rich Gigantes from '16. Excellent example!

La Gloria Cubana Medaille d'Or No.4 ETP Ene 2016 The third from my box, this La Gloria Cubana Medaille d'Or No.4 was a little different to the other two in that it had a hint of nut and cream, albeit mainly in the first half of the cigar. Fruit, wood and a little spice flavours were well-balanced throughout. The odd thing about this cigar was the fact that it went out two or three times. This was not on account of the gorgeous winter afternoon weather today which was 21°C (or 70°F). The re-lights did not detract from my enjoyment of the cigar at all, thankfully.

54

ERDM CX from 15 honey sweetness with some nuts and a hint of floral notes

C&C Time. Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

What's left of a CORO from 08, and a damn fine smoke it was! Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Upmann- Connie No. 1 Meg May 16 UFC fight with Hoyo De Monterrey Double Coronas (Feb 17) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Hoyo De NUB!!!

Change of pace today, a Bolivar RC and iced Black Rifle Coffee this afternoon:

Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.2 BUP Mar 2018 I haven't had one of these for a couple of months so I decided to re-visit it to see how it was developing and also for a change-of-pace from my regular cigars I've been smoking lately. This was mainly cedar wood and light cocoa with a hint of malt and vanilla...quite nice overall. It didn't have any cloved spice to it at all. Construction was perfect, as was the burn. If it had some more 'vanilla-type' sweetness to it I would have enjoyed it even more, but it was most satisfactory as it was, despite the surprising slight 'nicotine-kick' I got in the last third.

Piramides...gift, year unknown. Prolly 2014-2016 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Another good day. TEA OCT 16 PSD4 MEG MAY 17 Connie A. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

UAO Oct 18 Sig II. This is the first Sig II I've tried and it's starting off great even though it's very young. Thanks @Dynamo320!

First Connie A from PSP 24:24. I rarely smoke this large of ring gage but I am an big Upmann fan at this point. A light draw with thick smoke and mild temperament To start. Very nice. Cheers

EML MAY 15 CORO. A little past the half way mark and it has been outstanding. Nice relaxing evening and enjoying it with an Americano. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This box is for me after all those splits.

Heart be still...

Plpc to end the week.

Juan López Selección No.2 MEL Dic 2016 The Juan Lopez Seleccion No.2 has been a forum favourite in the last 2 years, having enjoyed a resurgance only bettered by the re-branding of the Quai d'Orsay marca. I tend to find them a little too strong for my liking when in their youth, although today's example seemingly 'turned-a-corner' from this box. Despite being two-and-a-half years old, the first third of this cigar was the first time I got such a strong orange citrus and chocolate flavour from the 'get-go' out of four cigars smoked from the box. My palate very much connected with this profile. Towards the end of the first third I got an uneven burn develop in the wrapper and unfortunately it didn't self-correct this time, so I touched it up, but thankfully I needed no more re-lights. At this point I picked up strong notes of white pepper and espresso coffee, although still with a little orange citrus and chocolate. The final third was all toasted tobacco and it got a little more intense in flavour delivery, yet I still had no issue smoking this down, I didn't finish it early as overall it was a good smoke. With a quarter of the box consumed (as I have given away three for other cigar enthusiasts to enjoy), I can safely say that these need more time down for me as the cigar was medium-full to full in strength in the back half and I much prefer them milder. I look forward to re-visiting them in a year or two.

Just fired up a 2010 VR Unicos

MSU AGO 18 Partagas Serie E No. 2. Very nice Claro wrappers, the construction is excellent and the burn has been almost perfectly straight. I’m getting all the flavors that I enjoy from a good Partagas. This is the second out of this box of five and both have been exceptional. MSU seems to be quite a good code from what I’ve seen here on the forum. I have some UAO with darker wrappers so I’ll have to pull a box of those out and see how they compare.

Hanging on the deck on a humid Sunday....Have a great days folks!

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Ramon Allones Superiores ULA Mar 15 Not sure what is smoother, the cigar or the over-creamed coffee. 😄

HDM De San Juan (SOM SEP16) - 24:24 Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

Left family at home, brought panpipe for weekend with the guys Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Lunch. Yum [emoji39] Break from driving with a TOU NOV 17 HDM Short Robusto. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Beef in the smoker, a bit of Zacapa, and a Short Churchill. Happy Friday!

Diplomaticos No 2 - August 18 Mmmmmm... fantastic. I wish I could clone this box.

UAO OCT 17 Siglo VI this morning for the ride home from a very busy 24 hour shift. Also celebrating being off for the next 2 weeks. I’ll be headed out to the beach in a couple of hours. Esplendido La Fuerza

Siglo III Followed by El Principe Late night BRE FEB 18 HU Regalias, coffee, honey, spice.

Boli Greco Gesendet von meinem CLT-L29 mit Tapatalk

2012 Ramon Allones Eshmoun RE Lebanon. This is a fantastic smoke.

Siglo IV from Jul 12 to finish the weekend. Gesendet von meinem CLT-L29 mit Tapatalk

Partagás EL 2014 - Selección Privada (LUB OCT 14)

Finishing off a great week. Still loving the minuto. This Part Short has yet to disappoint. Great for night time yard work. It doesn’t go out if I ignore it a bit. The finish is long and really pleasant.