I would go with a macanudo and bring something sweet in case his stomach turns.

zero

zero,

That sucks about the Padrons, All of the high end ones I've smoked have been the big flavorful smokes you expect to get and the construction has always been superb. They might be paying the price of overproduction if your experience isnt just an extreme outlier.

About the Monte No. 2, this is my dad's go to, and more of a once in a while thing for me, but although there have been up and down years for cuban tobacco, and the monte stuff is produced in huge quantity, that is still surprising. They are on the mild side of medium-bodied, and if you expect cuban = lay you out, then I can see where it might not add up. But the oily wrapper and pleasant nutty taste has always been there for me. And I've not seen the crease you describe ever. My guess is they were fakes.

As far as the RP stuff, I think that the brand is too spread now, with not enough differentiation in the line. I haven't had a 1990 in a year or more now, so I'll have to grab some soon. The decade is a modern "good" cigar, big dark wrapper, big vitolas, but with most of them I agree the flavor profiles aren't very complex.

Thanks for the update.

My recent purchases were 10 Vintage 1987 Montecristo Churchills from some scam JR tricked me into. They taste ok, but mostly faintly old. They do burn and draw very well, and are a nice departure from other more full flavored smokes. I also picked up a box of La Gloria Cubana Serie R #3. These are a great value at <4 bucks a pop.

I did some research on fake cubans yesterday and I can say unequivicably that they are fake. I think that a box of No 2's should go for around $360 in cuba which means > $12 a stick and the price I paid was too low for them to be real since the cuban price is set at the factory and thus the lowest price you can ever expect to pay. I paid about $8 per stick so they were almost certainly fake.

The Padron is a huge disappointment. I got them straight from the factory and so I expect them to be impeccable. If you are smoking a padron and thinking "weak and flavorless" there is a big problem IMO. I can only hope that peoples reviews that they get better as they are aged in a proper humidor are correct. I smoked this one only a few weeks after receiving it and it may not have been in my humidor long enough.

If you get the 1990's my favorite is a very large ring gauge round cigar that I think is the Toro. The Torpedo's are ok but this monster cigar is the IMO the best incarnation of the 1990. I have two in my humidor right now just waiting!

zero

prices went up a ton at my local place, really pissed me off. Anyways, I bought a $10 (...) RP 1992, cut it, but ended up not smoking it. Is there a way to preserve it after its been cut?

It should still keep ok in a regular humidor environment. I honestly am not sure why people say you should not cut and store a cigar. There is probably a reason but I have not noticed any difference between cigars stored in my humidor that are cut at the smoke shop.

zero

looking to buy some Cohiba Sublime LE 200 only want like a 3 or 5 pack cant really find any online so if anyone knows where to get some it would be appreciated

Just did three days in Vinales in Cuba and was one of the most incredible places I have ever been too. Countryside looks like something out of Dinotopia or Jurassic Park and on basically every flat part there is a tobacco plantation complete with drying house and sometimes a little shack with some guys rolling.

Picked up a few samples from as many little plantations as possible and slowly getting through them. No names alas as they all just come bound in string but they all seem very good and would advise anyone who likes hiking/rock climbing/caving and/or cigars to go there if they ever get the chance.

Ridiculously cheap too - was picking up high grade Churchills (many with very distinct flavours that were unique to the plantation - you could often smell the differences in flavour in each drying house and compare them to their cigars and others you had) for between $.50 and $1 each in places.

Pics to follow when I get them off my gf's camera.

I bought a CAO Brazilian on vacation in Colorado and I forgot to pick up a cutter so on my balcony I cut it with a scissors and the end was all shredded. It kept crumbling in my mouth so I cut off the entire diameter but then the tobacco started unraveling. I probably got 3-5 puffs out of it then got pissed off and threw it out. That was my only experience with that cigar but it sounds like people like them so I'll give it another try.

I like long, thick (ygos?) cigars but I get very congested after smoking a big cigar like that. I have chronic rhinitis anyway so maybe it's just me but I've heard others say they get very congested. Any way to counteract this? I mean other than "try not smoking a big cigar".

Go to the pharmacy and ask them for some Alkalol (non rx but they usually keep it in the back, it's also non addictive like afrin and such), put it in a nose spray bottle. This stuff really works great and it is super cheap.

My humidor Humidity levels has dropped lately in my Humidor and I even refilled the Humidifier..does that mean I'm gonna have to wipe down my Humidor again with distilled water?

No you won't have to wipe it again. Give it a few days to balance out.

Do you have a nice humidor that is solid or do you have a cheap one that most likely leaks? You may need another humidifier device to lay in there if your house is extremely dry and your box leaks. In the winter it will be harder to maintain proper humidity. Fill it with more cigars. Humidors regulate better when they are full.

Good luck.

Actually it's been a week now since I refilled the humidifier and even then I don't think it was empty. It's sitting at like 45% right now..will this damage my cigars at all? Also the humidor seems well made and I'm pretty sure it has a good seal..I will check later though...maybe I will buy some humidity beads.

Also try recalibrating or testing your hygrometer using the salt method.

Are these any good?

http://www.larosacubanacigars.com/

Just found this thread so as an avid cigar smoker myself I thought I'd drop by and say whats up.

Most recent smoke was a Man o War after about two years rest. I think all of AJ's blends benefit greatly after a year or so.

@NYCJOSH
- never heard of those smokes myself.

They are a shop in the city that makes all of the cigars in house...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8A6y...layer_embedded

On their website it says they are Cuban/Dominican blend. How can theis be?

confirmed from vid: cuban seed grown in D.R.

zero

They take the Cuban seed and grow it in the Dominican Republic.

I went over there to try it out and it was vacant, and they guys selling fake jewelery in front said they went out of business!

A few years ago there was a good place similar to this in New Orleans in the French Quarter. Loved the smoke and it was very inexpensive but I never went back to buy a bundle.

zero

Yeah, sometimes those handmade cigars can be excellent.

Any cigar friendly places in Atlantic City?

I am a cigar noob and I just dove off the deep end. Ashton Savoy large humido, a cheapo 50-ct humidor for $20 from cigarmonster, 15-ct custom sampler + 5 CAO Brazilia + 5 CAO Gold + 5 Romeo y Julieta Bully from famous-smoke.com, plus a 20-ct maduro sampler and 5-pack of 5 Vegas Series 'A' off of cigarbids. Not to mention all the accessories, including an Dupont Maxijet. What have I done.

I would suggest you take some notes, real basic stuff, so you have an idea of your preferences when you smoke all those. Your goal should be to find shapes and flavors you enjoy IMO, that will narrow down some choices for what to try next, which helps a ton in the massive sea of cigars that exist. Check out some cigar blogs to get an idea of what things are important to other people, and then make up your own mind.

Have fun.

Not quite sure but I whatever it is, its AWESOME!