The PH Cigar Thread

[Dicky Knee]

Dicky Knee said:

number2 said:

I had no luck in Palma, Bahrain or Dubai airports last year. Off to Palma again in a couple of weeks so will see what the tabacs and airport have to offer, but I'm not holding out hope.

The airport had no cigars at all. Mrs Knee is off to Palma as well in a couple of weeks so I'll give her a shopping list and see if she has any luck.

Mrs Knee is just back from Palma. My shopping list was RyJ Mille Fleur, No.2 and No.3.

She found 10 tubed No.3 for EUR7.70 each but that was it.

[paulguitar]

Dicky Knee said:

Dicky Knee said:

number2 said:

I had no luck in Palma, Bahrain or Dubai airports last year. Off to Palma again in a couple of weeks so will see what the tabacs and airport have to offer, but I'm not holding out hope.

The airport had no cigars at all. Mrs Knee is off to Palma as well in a couple of weeks so I'll give her a shopping list and see if she has any luck.

Mrs Knee is just back from Palma. My shopping list was RyJ Mille Fleur, No.2 and No.3.

She found 10 tubed No.3 for EUR7.70 each but that was it.

I'm down to my last few Cubans. It's not good out there.

[number2]

paulguitar said:

Dicky Knee said:

Dicky Knee said:

number2 said:

I had no luck in Palma, Bahrain or Dubai airports last year. Off to Palma again in a couple of weeks so will see what the tabacs and airport have to offer, but I'm not holding out hope.

The airport had no cigars at all. Mrs Knee is off to Palma as well in a couple of weeks so I'll give her a shopping list and see if she has any luck.

Mrs Knee is just back from Palma. My shopping list was RyJ Mille Fleur, No.2 and No.3.

She found 10 tubed No.3 for EUR7.70 each but that was it.

I'm down to my last few Cubans. It's not good out there.

I've been in Palma a few days . Popped into my usual tabac and no Partagas at all, some small vitola Cohiba, a few Siglo IV iirc, and some R&J, and what I think were Trinidad Topes 12 from my cursory look. Not a total disaster. I've a box of the latter (at the old Duty Free price!) and like them, so will pick a few up for the travel humidor. Iirc about 58 euros a stick. If it's open when I finish my beer .

[EJH]

I popped into Davidoff in Monaco yesterday (killing a couple of minutes before a meeting).

Seriously limited selection. They had a good selection of the low number Cohiba siglos, a poor selection of Montecristos and Hoyo de Monterrey (a couple of each) 2 Quai Dorsais. No RyJ at all.

For a shop that has always been so well stocked to be so poorly stocked was quite interesting.

Edited by EJH on Saturday 8th July 22:54

[number2]

How odd.

I picked up a handful: 4 x Trinidad topes 12 and 2 x cohiba media siglo.

£324.

Used to pick of a box of 25 Partagas SD4 for that!

[number2]

The Cohiba was a fantastic smoke. I forgot how good they can be.

Perfect construction giving a really easy draw - my preference - and a wonderfully light 'hay-like' flavour.

My tendency has always been to go for more heavy hitting cigars but that has certainly changed now. I've a lot of them to work through though fortunately .

[p1doc]

just spotted this thread my dad used to be cigar smoker so might try to start-have got summer sampler pack from cgars and a montecristo no4 from harrods/jjfox on recent family holiday

[D1on]

Whats the best supermarket bought cigar?

[Goaty Bill 2]

D1on said:

Whats the best supermarket bought cigar?

That would be a matter of personal taste more than recommendation.
The off the shelf brands sold in supermarkets and newsagents are generally machine made, including the Cuban brands, constructed much more like a cigarette, though wrapped in a tobacco leaf, and of course quite a different smoke from a cigarette.
I have very little experience of them so would suggest some experimentation.
Cafe Creme, Henri Wintermans and Hamlets seem to be the most common.

If you can find Cuban made 'minis' (Montecristo, Cohiba), often described as Cigarillos, they will very likely be a better smoke but could easily cost twice as much.
Likely only available via actual tobacconists though.

[Goaty Bill 2]

Fox cigar event last night.
UK launch of the Highclere Castle Victorian Toro by Foundation Cigars of Connecticut and Nicaragua.
Length: 6"
Gauge: 52


I was unusually impressed with this one.
Easily one of the best competitors with the Cubans I have every tried.
A full bodied cigar with real character such as one comes to expect from more expensive Cuban cigars.
Well worth experimenting regardless of usual preferences.

Paired with Highclere gin, made entirely from ingredients and botanicals grown on the castle grounds.
This is not some flavoured hipster monstrosity, but a traditional if very unique gin. I prefer it cold and straight up. Now available from Fortnum & Mason, and of course at the castle itself.
Lord Carnarvin was on hand to give some family history, brief details of the castle cellar (very impressive of course) and we even discussed vintage cars (a Roller and a Singer in his care).

[Goaty Bill 2]

While waiting for the above event to begin, I nipped into Fox's humidor to grab one of the new Fox house blend cigars to try later.
I chose a Churchill vitola:
Gauge: 47
Length: 7"
Origin: Honduras


Smoked after the event at Francos up the road on Jermyn St.
I would presume that the staff had some considerable input into this as the result is pretty good.
As always, one can tell it's not Cuban in origin, but it's one of the better new world cigars I have tried.
Smoke again? Yes, At a price of £25 each they're something of a bargain compared to many others.

Also available as
Canonazo
Gauge: 52
Length: 6"

and

Robusto
Gauge: 50
Length: 4 7/8"

[Goaty Bill 2]

Latest acquisition.
Hand delivered from Tenerife by another PH member.
Partagas Serie D No. 4

[number2]

As you know, SD4s are a lovely cigar... enjoy .

Thanks for the other updates too - always useful, especially the exploration of non Cubans given the pricing/availability of Cubans these days!

[EJH]

Goaty Bill 2 said:

While waiting for the above event to begin, I nipped into Fox's humidor to grab one of the new Fox house blend cigars to try later.
I chose a Churchill vitola:
Gauge: 47
Length: 7"
Origin: Honduras


Smoked after the event at Francos up the road on Jermyn St.
I would presume that the staff had some considerable input into this as the result is pretty good.
As always, one can tell it's not Cuban in origin, but it's one of the better new world cigars I have tried.
Smoke again? Yes, At a price of £25 each they're something of a bargain compared to many others.

Also available as
Canonazo
Gauge: 52
Length: 6"

and

Robusto
Gauge: 50
Length: 4 7/8"

I was left to my own devices a few weeks ago and so pottered down to try the Canonazo. My thoughts are very similar to yours (not perfect...but very good and won't hesitate to buy again) and I think it might benefit from a little time in the humidor to even out as they're still rather new.

Goaty Bill 2 said:

Latest acquisition.
Hand delivered from Tenerife by another PH member.
Partagas Serie D No. 4

That's a box of precious cargo! Do you know where he procured on the island?

[ApOrbital]

Just been given a cali cigar from my chap from the lodge very fruity.Went well with the red wine.

[Goaty Bill 2]

EJH said:

That's a box of precious cargo! Do you know where he procured on the island?

Yes, quite pleased to have it.
I would have happily purchased more but personal limits meant I was fortunate to have these,
From La Casa Del Habano. Virtually empty according to the website.
Apparently a customer mail ordered several thousand Euros worth and all but cleared them out.
New stock in December I am told.

ETA

EJH said:

I was left to my own devices a few weeks ago and so pottered down to try the Canonazo. My thoughts are very similar to yours (not perfect...but very good and won't hesitate to buy again) and I think it might benefit from a little time in the humidor to even out as they're still rather new.

Yes, I think you are right about some humidor time. It never fails to improve a cigar in my experience,
I was initially tempted by the Canonazo but the, ehem 'locals', seemed to prefer the Churchill for now.

number2 said:

As you know, SD4s are a lovely cigar... enjoy .

I've enjoyed a few in the past so looking forward to it after a few weeks/months in the humidor.

number2 said:

Thanks for the other updates too - always useful, especially the exploration of non Cubans given the pricing/availability of Cubans these days!

It just happens that the majority of the Fox events over the last year have featured more non-Cubans than previously.
The events are motivation to get up to London for an afternoon / evening. They're always worth the trip.

Edited by Goaty Bill 2 on Saturday 25th November 18:12

[EJH]

said:

Thank you! I shall go and have a look (as heading over there next week).

There have always been some quite good shops on the island but sorting the wheat from the chaff has always been necessary. Osor (Los Christianos branch) was the best shop I have found but, when there last year, they were very thinly stocked.

[craigjm]

EJH said:

That's a box of precious cargo! Do you know where he procured on the island?

I got them from la casa del Habano in Costa adeja. Very nice shop, huge walk in humidor and very nice owner. They were awaiting their next big delivery so quite limited in what they had but always some good stuff

[RichUK]

craigjm said:

I got them from la casa del Habano in Costa adeja. Very nice shop, huge walk in humidor and very nice owner. They were awaiting their next big delivery so quite limited in what they had but always some good stuff

Antonio is a fantastic guy, in the summer he let me cherry pick what I wanted from a mastercase delivery and then kept them aside for me until the day we left for home.

[paulguitar]

number2 said:

As you know, SD4s are a lovely cigar... enjoy .

Thanks for the other updates too - always useful, especially the exploration of non Cubans given the pricing/availability of Cubans these days!

Indeed, good as always to read the updates.


I'm in the US at the moment, so stocking up:






Two of my favourite non-Cubans. Both are rich and consistent, in my experience. Not quite up there with my Cubans of choice, but those seem to be thin on the ground and increasingly expensive. It seems amazing to me now that I regularly used to buy boxes of Cohiba Robustos and Siglo 4, and occasionally a box of Esplendidos if I'd been well tipped for a cruise or two. Totally out of the question now, with a box of Esplendidos costing well over £2,000. (And that is from Ravi, at a relatively good price!).