IanMcLean68

Pictures? How about the real deal! All my favourite heavy metals ...

Sorry Mr Bond, but I have got to go with Star Wars.

I always leave the band(s) on until the cigar has burned up to them, unless they are really loose and just want to slide off, as is often the case with piramides and belicosos. I used to follow supposed etiquette in the early days of smoking and removed the bands as that was supposed to be less ostentatious, but tore too many wrappers on cigars where the applier of cigar labels was a little too generous with the glue. Letting the cigar burn up to the band heats up and softens the glue. And, putting manners and politeness aside, these days I couldn't give a toss about supposed cigar etiquette.

My thoughts exactly!

I picked Bolivar. I don't dislike Bolivar, in fact I like a good BBF or an aged PC or RC, but out of the major brands listed, it's the brand I least connect with. It is the earthiness especially in younger cigars that I don't identify with. I like aged PC when the earthiness gives way to more chocolate notes, and I like the strength and complexity of a good BBF. Is there some reason we are choosing between the major global brands and the biggest of the regionals (?? I'm not actually sure if they are) ?

Easy, Star Wars for me. The Matrix made one good movie before it started getting silly, where at least with Star Wars, they made three before it started really going off the rails, and following on from the dismal prequel series, Disney at least made one and a half good ones, although admittedly the good one was not part of the core movies. Do the maths (just on the core movies): Matrix 1/3 = 33% Star Wars = 3.5/8 = 43.75% If you include the non-core movies, that's 4.5/9 for Star Wars = 50% Star Wars is the clear winner here.

I would like to thank @Luca for this superb Diplomaticos Bushido. Enjoyed whilst imbibing half a bottle of Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin 2018. I'm rather pissed whilst trying to type this up. So many corrections ,,,, Great combination ... I never released how difficult it was to type an entry into FOH'ers daily smoke whilst pissed off my scone. What a fantastic smoke !!! 98/100. The blister on my thumb and the severe case of hiccups I have now are testament to this great smoke,, About 4 years of age and these are just superb now! So smooth. No edges, Rich and flavourful from start to finish. Definitely see the marriage of Montecristo and Partagas flavours along with some nuttiness that reminds me very much of cashews and walnuts. I also saw some flavours in the final third that reminded me of a good Diplomaticos No.4, an amber tree resin spicy vegetal type of flavour. Fantastic smoke!

I have often in the past had the same frustration, especially with longer smokes. However, whenever I have gone to try and do anything whilst smoking I just find that they get in the way of each other, robbing enjoyment from both. So now unless it is something simple that doesn't require my hands or any concerted effort or concentration, like watching some form of media or reading or listening to music, then I just enjoy losing myself in the here and now, the sights, sounds and smells around me, and the relaxation of smoking and doing very little else. My favourite smokes are those enjoyed with friends over conversation and drinks before and after a great meal. I also enjoy a smoke on a long drive listening to the radio or music, I guess the one thing which requires my hands and concentration that I don't mind whilst smoking.

I really can't understand their thing against honey. The most amazing thing about honey is that it never goes bad. Almost completely nonperishable. Natures high-energy survival food and doubles as a good antibacterial wound dressing in a survival situation, not that you are going to go and chase down bee hives, wherever the heck they are, with a big wound, but just sayin'! Many have said that bees are a highly endangered species in general. It's worth our while to invest in their survival. Keeping hives helps.

Do wild bushy unkempt slightly greying non-hipster beards count? i.e. The "I'm too lazy to shave" type beard as opposed to the "Non-conformist (lol) hipster statement" beard? I'm good at those!

Thank goodness for the Internet. Independent reviews available for just about any significant purchase you could wish to make, along with all the technical details, comparisons, interest groups, forums, etc. you could want. It really is fairly easy to ignore the advertising and much easier today to make informed purchases.

Thanks for the laugh! Enjoyed watching this whilst drinking my own morning cup of smashed beans in hot water psychoactive completely unregulated drug! Of course the subtle irony with this is that these are genuinely funny and clever and not horrible to watch, completely unlike the real commercials themselves, especially the ones they are sending up.

Thanks @Fugu, but I never thought for a moment that this was directed at my comment, so all good 😉 For the record, I totally agree with you, which should be fairly evident. Nonsense indeed! Storm in a tea cup really. Far more important an issue is the sheeple herding stupidity of modern day television advertising. I honestly cannot imagine a quicker way to drive me totally bat-shit insane then to lock me in a room and force me to watch non-stop infomercials.

Sacré bleu! I certainly hope not. I know I wouldn't be the only one on this forum extremely disappointed if the PLMC was discontinued. And the Panetelas also have a large following too. However I have come to begrudgingly accept that our forum is not indicative of the general market. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest that they would cut one of the best value vitolas there is out of Cuba, but I am getting kinda sick of HSA and Tabacuba axing my favourite smokes!