99call

Very odd, to see another smoker going through a similar aged box of Famosos at the same time, and also being a bit spellbound. I think Rob referred to is as 'sheer lushness'. I'm finding it mesmerising, I don't think i've smoked any other cigar which feels so unadulterated, like it's just pure terroir, like warm red cuban soil rolled into a cigar. That sounds incredibly existential and wankey, but I don't care. I feel confident now, that if I was trying to express to a friend how good cuban tobacco could be, I think I would give them a one of these Famosos, and tell them. "great cuban tobacco can taste like, lemongrass, chocolate, dates, berries, wood etc etc......but this....THIS..... tastes like great cuban tobacco" Glad you are enjoying yours John, as much as I'm enjoying mine.

@Bartolomeo I believe was the first time to make this call.......and what a call.....some people call is clove, but Wrigley's Juicy Fruit is nailed as nailed can be for my mind.

This restores my faith in the universe. Thanks for the link Ken. Looks like they presented it really nicely too. Just need to mortgage the house now. Great write up too, hats off

I think it's really interesting to look at modern day rugby union with regards to this, and how we perceive and evolve with the rule books of different sports. These days when a winger has a flailing effort to dab the ball down in the corner, and he knows (he 100% knows) he's lost the ball before crossing the whitewash, they often get up celebrate wildly, then go on to slightly grimace to the ten, and tells them "try and take the conversion quickly" To me this is pretty similar, the player knows they've not scored, but they has abrogated their responsibility as an honest sportsman to assist the ref. These days this is done in Rugby Union, with a cheeky wry smile and a "ah well, I had to try my hand". I think if this particular part of the discussion on cheating has taught us anything, it's that the publics obsession with wrong decisions whether is be Tennis/Cricket challenges, Rugbys 4th official, or VAR, is increasingly dissolving the players personal responsibility to govern their own actions, and thats a sad thing. As for Kens, "you can't be a little bit pregnant", I think thats true...... but you can be very, very pregnant.....and it doesn't look like a pleasant place to find yourself haha!! and I think thats what we should keep a grip on. Some cheating like Neil Back, slapping the ball out of Peter Stringers hand into the Leicester Tigers defending scrum, was hilarious as spectator with no team in the game, and many look back on this as almost and admirable 'dark arts' rougish act. I'm sure many supporting Munster would not agree. There is a sliding scale of severity, and we need to be honest to it The reality is, the real arbiter of how bad something was, is not the ref, or the players, It's us as fans of the game. Regardless of who we support, we should chew the fat be reasonable, and point out what is BS when we see it. The history books will self govern the legacy any particular team or player will forge for themselves, all that will take care of itself.

Are they as specific milestones though Ken?. i.e 12, 15, 17, 20 etc? what I'm talking about, is every year from the barrel (including a small bottle of the raw spirit, then 1yr, 2yr etc etc. you could argue that potentially 6 bottles of the 30 bottle package may not be very pleasing, but for true whisky enthusiast, it would be a great tool for learning. If this is what Glenfarclas are doing excuse the follow up message

In all the fabulous, and not so fabulous things distillers are playing around with, I'm surprised nobody (that I'm aware of) has drained off a cask in mini bottles over its whole life, say 30yrs for example. It would be so interesting to buy 30 mini bottles, to get to see the full life of a single cask, the full evolution. For those interested in the ageing process, it would be a wonderful resource, especially if it came with distillers notes.

Wow.....many thanks FOH!! as ever, you are the greatest. Good an everyone who took part, the band less box of Bolivar was my favourite.

another excellent review. Hats off

My comment was obviously that the example I enjoyed, showed the potential/building blocks of a creamy, aromatic, exotic, rich, umami, mid to full, partagas-esk, bolivar-esk great smoke. If they go on to full fill that potential who knows? we will all find out.

And this is why will love sport. We qet to boil down the minutia of the game in our armchairs, or down the boozer, and somehow try to imagine how our own moral compass would fair. I always laugh when I hear people watching the rugby. "Jeeesus, he was through!!! why didn't he just side step those two covering defenders, chip over the full back and run it under the posts!?" Yeah mate!? you surely would have! We get to pin our own morals to sportsmen and women when they do something good, and then they balls up, we get to abandon them, and suggest we are invulnerable to such mishaps. Much like life in the real world, honesty, honour, decency, the truth....... everything is on the slide or in decline. It wont be long before not cheating is thought as being 'soft' or not wanting it enough. Ultimately you get out what you put in. No doubt Joe Root will be disgusted with himself, and thats his legacy. We are what we do. And of course it's a nonsense to suggest we as spectators are any better. I'm sure we'd all be shocked with are own actions if put under the camera......especially hawkeye

Wonderful

I've only been listening to the radio, and watching highlights on the beeb. I did see the BS catch, and I 100% agree to this extent, Whats the point in trying to achieve anything in life if you cant look back and be proud. He should be ashamed, and he should consider himself a cheat. There is a difference however to me, levels of disgrace, and it's got to premeditation. For example I would consider anyone who uses anything either 'of the field' (dirt etc) or semi legitimately 'on the field' sunscreen, sweets etc it's all cheating, but bottle tops and sand paper is a whole other level of premeditation, where the offender has zero chance of explaining their actions as outright cheating. The difference was obvious when Bancroft initially tried to suggest it was sticky tape and dirt. Ken.....I'm not an England fan, I enjoy the Ashes, I enjoy it being a war of attrition. Similarly to the All Blacks, there has historically been some sort of impenetrable air of swagger and confidence about Australian Cricket, and it also being traded on the "hard but fair" brand was always an extra knife in the heart for us in the UK. i.e. "How did they get this good? and we cant even call them cheats!". The reason I find this subject so interesting is that, when nations interweave themselves ideologically with sports teams Wales - Rugby, New Zealand - Rugby, Australia - Cricket, England - Football etc etc It has a giant impact on whole countries and how they perceive themselves. i.e. when our team wins, we feel like we've won together, and when they lose or do something negative we got to take it on the chin. What I've tried to express, and largely failed at, is you've suggested Australian Cricket has healed itself and moved on, that largely Australians are not interested in this anymore. Yet I don't think it's because it's not of interest, it's because what Bancroft, Smith, and Warner did was sort of place the 'Australian way' in the mud. In short I think the reason why this will resonate for much longer than any Australian would like, is that you were on a much higher moral pedestal. Smith's performances have been hugely impressive, and to come back on the field was heroic, but my point remains. None of these actions will ever put the genie back in the bottle, and this is the drama, and the tragedy, it's feels to me like Australian cricket is trying to orientate it's way back to the top of the pedestal, and I just think thats lost on gone. you're now just fighting to see who is the king of the muddy puddle, like the rest of the international sides.

PLMC?...........from my cold dead hands!

great review, good on you

What this thread has made me realise, is some people are super picky. Some of the anomalies I cant even see