What cigar (or pipe) did you smoke today?

[RudyN]

4Noggins Western Sunrise in a Peterson Sherlock Holmes Baskerville.

 

[hd3kmize]

Montecristo No.2

 

[One Drop]

Montecristo No.2

What a wonderful cigar, and a true classic. It was the first torpedo I ever smoked and it remains a favorite cigar of mine, just a perfect smoke that keeps developing from the first airy smooth and gentle start to the slightly spicy earthy intense finish, with one of the smoothest most flavourful middle sections when it purrs along for such a long time like a Gran Turismo car on an open road.

I have an interesting related anecdote from the month I spent in Cuba about 15 years ago (one of a hundred, I learned so much and met so many fascinating people there in every facet of the industry).

It was at the incredible La Casa del Habano cigar shop in Miramar, which is famed for the selection of older boxes, rarer editions, the quality of everything they stock, as well as their incredible bar and rum selection, the smoking rooms, and the coffee they serve to every customer (It's an absolute must visit for any aficionado visiting the Island). One of the two owners is the son of the legendary Alejandro Robaina, also of the brand Vegas Robaina fame.

It was he that served me, and he took the time and pleasure to answer my ridiculous number of questions, perhaps finding a Canadian visitor that was so interested and already a bit knowledgeable was refreshing to him, as he seemed as excited as I was to keep discussing and sharing stories and his knowledge. I think I must have stayed over two hours as I had more than a few glasses of rum to follow the complimentary coffee in the interval.

After we had been talking about some of the newer brands and the ones that had recently disappeared or had became rarer or downgraded in importance in the pyramid of Cuban brands, I asked him what his favourite brand was, and what most Cubans in the industry preferred and tended to smoke most often. I remember him laughing out loud and leaning into me conspiratorially, and then telling me that though he had many favourites for rare occasional smokes, his cigar of choice, the one he smoked every day, and that of most Tabacaleros, is Montecristo, specifically the N°4 and N°5.

Up to then I had unjustly ignored these vitolas, though I had smoked many N°2, a few of the incredibly elegant and delicious Especial, and two Montecristo A (one on my 30th birthday and the other at a bullfight in Sevilla, both near religious cigar experiences and a must do at least once in life for any cigar smoker).

Soon after that. I tried both and realised what I had been missing, and have always had since then a box of one or the other in my collection, and an occasional N°3. They are perfect and you never tire of their balance, traditional Habano flavour profile, perfect consistent construction, and versatility, as they go with everything, don't take overly long to smoke, develop nicely as they burn down, and leave a long pleasant taste between puffs and for long after finishing one. They are to cigars what a Czech Pilsner is to beers, the Wiener Schnitzel or BBQ spare rib to meat, and the Glenlivet to malt whiskeys: straight down the line, unassuming, the perfect expression of the category, timeless.

And kind pf like what Cubans drink in general, decent ordinary white rum, neat, in small cups poured from the flask.

 

[RudyN]

Boswell Northwoods in my Pre-Republic Peterson.

 

[RudyN]

Boswell Military Force in a Boswell Bent Modified Billiard.

 

[RudyN]

4 Noggins Western Sunrise in a Rustic Peterson XL02 2023 Christmas Pipe.

 

[RudyN]

Boswell Northwoods in a Peterson Ebony 303.

 

[RudyN]

Boswell Military Force in a Peterson 314.

 

[RudyN]

4Nogins Western Sunrise in a Peterson 1308.

 

[hd3kmize]

Cohiba Red Dot

 

[RudyN]

4Noggins Western sunrise in a Rustic Peterson 2023 Christmas Pipe.

 

[Adman256]

It's a display Humidor big enough to hold about 8 boxes of 25, and about 25 loose cigars, I keep an assortment of loose ones ready for smoking and the boxes less humid for long term storage. Most of them are larger, fuller, very rich tasting Habanos, brands like Partagas, special edition Montecristos, Bolivar, Ramon Allones, etc., which have all matured, mellowed a bit and whose flavours have blended beautifully, but have not really lost their power, or spiciness and complexity. A few like the Montecristo special edition and Partagas Lusitania Double Coronas (the latter a cabinet of 50, always superior for aging) have become absolute jewels, some of he greatest cigars I've ever smoked (they were excellent to begin with, I chose the very best boxes for myself and sold the others in my bar). The mellower ones I had I made sure to use up earlier, save the Upmanns because they didn't really call out to me.

I've worked very hard to maintain the humidity, difficult at the altitude I live where the air is very dry, so they have been constantly at the same level of humidity and remained in their boxes, which helps enormously at retaining flavour and evenness. They were all bought in Cuba or wholesale in Switzerland, and before the recent crazy price hikes.

Partagas Lusitania Double Coronas, you sir certainly know your cigars. I applaud you!

 

[RudyN]

Boswell Military Force in a Peterson Killarney 999.

 

[RudyN]

Boswell Northwoods in a Peterson 302.

 

[RudyN]

Boswell Military Force in a Bent Boswell Freehand Pipe.

 

[RudyN]

4Noggins Western Sunrise in a Rustic Peterson Shelrock Holmes Professor.

 

[RudyN]

Boswell Northwoods in a Rustic Peterson Mark Twain.

 

[RudyN]

Boswell Military Force in a Peterson Dracula.

 

[RudyN]

4Noggins in a Peterson 2021 St. Patrick's Day Pipe.

 

[RudyN]

Boswell Northwoods in a Peterson Kinsale XL16.