Monterey

RAG Nov/18

I bought a 50 cab in Havana 2 months ago. Late 2018 box code, forgot the exact month. I bought blind and opened up a week later at home. They were beautiful. I was very happy.

Don't yell at me for them disappearing on 24:24, picked up in Cuba. Sometimes hoarding feels good.

So this is a follow up to my previous review I did last year. At that point, it had 5 years of age. I wanted to compare the notes from this one to the one I did last year It is 65 degrees outside (18C), the warmest day in almost 6 months here in the pacific northwest. As normal, I’m drinking coffee with my cigar. <-Cut and pasted from my review before. Even the environment is the same. From before: The cigar was medium in strength, but had medium to full flavors, my perfect match. The flavor was a strong blast of cocoa, but no milk chocolate. Strong hints of cedar also was present. There was cream, but not as much as usual. Not a sweet cream, but a nice neutral cream. This test: The strong blast of cocoa was not as present. Instead, it was heavy cedar. So strong, it just took over the cigar. I had this cigar a month ago, and it was all chocolate and little cedar. odd. From before: A nut presence came, and I describe is mostly as a dry walnut. All 4 flavors dominated the cigar thru most of the smoke building in intensity as the cigar went along. This test: The nut was there, but more of a dry nut. Probably due to the heavy cedar. Cream came in, but like last year, it wasn't heavy. Cigar from last month had heavy cream. From before: It was a complex smoke to me. I was very surprised since the cigar needed major work just to get it to smoke. The cigar lasted for 1 hour and 35 minutes. Back in 2013, CA gave this cigar/year the honor of cigar of the year. They may have been right. Along with that and 4 more years of age, this was one of the best cigars I’ve had in awhile. This test: The cigar was not plugged this time. Nor have any been since the previous review. The cigar lasted the same time. Overall for this time, the cigar was just too much cedar. Cotton mouth came in and ruined the smoke for me. But in general from my last few cigars, the chocolate has amped up while the cedar died down. Aside from this cigar, another year of age has turned the cigar more of a creamy milk chocolate. I'm liking this cigar more with the additional age.

Prior to 2013 based on the band.

It's actually 50 if you are smart. 25 when you go thru security with your carry on, 25 more when they call you back later for your checked luggage. Just don't be dumb enough to bring your carry on cigars with you to the checked bag search

You need to get a perfecdraw. I've tried many things over the years, but nothing works like a perfecdraw. Unless it was just a tad snug, dry boxing won't help much for a plugged cigar. Helps more on oily cigars where the wrapper won't burn as fast as the insides. Dry boxing helps dry out the wrapper so that you get a better burn. So unless you have a thick and or oily wrapper, there really is no reason to dry box. At least in my opinion. Try running your humidor a tad lower.

Not sure about your dry box comment. A properly stored cigar doesn't need to be dry boxed. I smoke a lot of monty 2's. All at 62 rh and I never dry box

I also received my lighter today. took 10 weeks, what a nightmare. I'm so over Xikar.

Not true. You are required to keep a full time schedule. Not saying that would get busted for not, but the law states we must keep a full time schedule for every day we are there. You are not allowed to do anything touristy like go scuba diving, play at the beach etc . . .

Alright, I said I would check on you after an Alaskan winter. Did you survive? Course a lot of places in the lower 48 were colder than the North Pole. So perhaps it would have been colder if you stayed. Still glad your moved? How did your smoking trailer hold up during the cold of winter?

Mexico has a 2 box limit, period. The US has the loosest laws of bringing cigars back. It's also technically illegal to go to Cuba from Mexico, for US citizens. Assuming they found out.

It seems to be Miami. There was another person who had 36 boxes and they busted him. 4 boxes is all he kept. So it could be worse. I brought in 34 boxes 2 months ago. In Atlanta, they didn't even ask if I had tobacco. Just alcohol. So I guess stay out of Miami, I'm sure they are doing what there boss is telling them to.

Better way to reply to a post than to duplicate all of the pictures!

Someone posted that there are 50 cabs of Punch DC everywhere. Anyhow, let us know about it all upon your return. Have fun.