The PH Cigar Thread

[jinkster]

I'm running 2 of the 75 Boveda packs, maybe i'll take one out in order to get the humidity a tad lower. When I put new cigars in the humidor it did drop to 72 and then back to 75. Would you recommend I take out 1 of the Boveda packs?

[anonymous-user]

RichUK said:

Took a small selection sailing last week.



The Casa Cuba was a little disappointing, not as pleasant as the others. I'm still struggling to find decent NC's that I enjoy. However all the others were perfect, and enjoyed sitting on the edge of the boat after a good day on the water.

That's a very nice looking carry case you've got there Rich. Bought from cgarsltd I take it?

How did you find the Mag 56? I've only had one last summer and found it an enjoyable smoke but my jaw hurt towards around the middle of the final 3rd. I like a larger ring gauge (quiet at the back) but I think 52 is pretty much my limit.

[Mastodon2]

jinkster said:

I'm running 2 of the 75 Boveda packs, maybe i'll take one out in order to get the humidity a tad lower. When I put new cigars in the humidor it did drop to 72 and then back to 75. Would you recommend I take out 1 of the Boveda packs?

Personally I'd just pull both a put a 69% sachet in. I run my humidor at 69% or thereabouts and it has the cigars in great condition. I find getting into the 70s to be too much, certainly by the mid 70s I find the cigars are too wet and don't smoke as well.

[RichUK]

DoubleTime said:

That's a very nice looking carry case you've got there Rich. Bought from cgarsltd I take it?

How did you find the Mag 56? I've only had one last summer and found it an enjoyable smoke but my jaw hurt towards around the middle of the final 3rd. I like a larger ring gauge (quiet at the back) but I think 52 is pretty much my limit.

I did. IIRC it was about £30 or so, but well worth it.

The Mag 56 was wonderful. I'm also a fan of a larger ring gauge cigar. The Mag 56 isn't that strong, but has some sublime flavours. Certainly one of my favourites at the moment.

[EJH]

DoubleTime said:

RichUK said:

Took a small selection sailing last week.



The Casa Cuba was a little disappointing, not as pleasant as the others. I'm still struggling to find decent NC's that I enjoy. However all the others were perfect, and enjoyed sitting on the edge of the boat after a good day on the water.

That's a very nice looking carry case you've got there Rich. Bought from cgarsltd I take it?

How did you find the Mag 56? I've only had one last summer and found it an enjoyable smoke but my jaw hurt towards around the middle of the final 3rd. I like a larger ring gauge (quiet at the back) but I think 52 is pretty much my limit.

I had one of the Magnum 56s when I was in the SoF in June. I was slightly disappointed; it seemed to be a bit of a blunt instrument and didn’t have the detail (complexity) of the Short Churchills and D4s that I usually keep in the humidor (noting that both are materially better after a little ageing).

Same shopping trip, I bought one of RJ’s 2016 Limited Edition Churchills…which I enjoyed very much and thought was a different league to the Magnum 56.

That said, I appreciate that this is personal preference as opposed to categorical fact

Mastodon2 said:

jinkster said:

I'm running 2 of the 75 Boveda packs, maybe i'll take one out in order to get the humidity a tad lower. When I put new cigars in the humidor it did drop to 72 and then back to 75. Would you recommend I take out 1 of the Boveda packs?

Personally I'd just pull both a put a 69% sachet in. I run my humidor at 69% or thereabouts and it has the cigars in great condition. I find getting into the 70s to be too much, certainly by the mid 70s I find the cigars are too wet and don't smoke as well.

I agree with this; I like my cigars to have a good squidge (they seem to plume smoke very nicely when thus) and find that ~67-70% is about right.

Above that, they can be great…but you’re rolling the dice of them being drowned, flavour being muddied and them not drawing at all well.

[Goaty Bill 2]

EJH said:

Mastodon2 said:

jinkster said:

I'm running 2 of the 75 Boveda packs, maybe i'll take one out in order to get the humidity a tad lower. When I put new cigars in the humidor it did drop to 72 and then back to 75. Would you recommend I take out 1 of the Boveda packs?

Personally I'd just pull both a put a 69% sachet in. I run my humidor at 69% or thereabouts and it has the cigars in great condition. I find getting into the 70s to be too much, certainly by the mid 70s I find the cigars are too wet and don't smoke as well.

I agree with this; I like my cigars to have a good squidge (they seem to plume smoke very nicely when thus) and find that ~67-70% is about right.

Above that, they can be great…but you’re rolling the dice of them being drowned, flavour being muddied and them not drawing at all well.

I also think that's good advice regarding using one 69% sachet.
Get a couple (or more) as spares, or in case one isn't enough, but looking at the size of the humidor, I would guess Mastodon2 is correct in suggesting you very probably only need the one.

As I said earlier, you've seasoned the humidor well to 74% ish and even pulling both the 74s and dropping in a 69, the humidity will probably take a good week or more to drop right down to 69%. You wouldn't want it happening any faster than that really, so don't try and hurry it up. Like I said previously, and I think we've all agreed, you're not in dangerous territory, just less than ideal...


Edit:
Bloody awful 'English'.

Edited by Goaty Bill 2 on Thursday 10th August 12:28

[jinkster]

Goaty Bill 2 said:

EJH said:

Mastodon2 said:

jinkster said:

I'm running 2 of the 75 Boveda packs, maybe i'll take one out in order to get the humidity a tad lower. When I put new cigars in the humidor it did drop to 72 and then back to 75. Would you recommend I take out 1 of the Boveda packs?

Personally I'd just pull both a put a 69% sachet in. I run my humidor at 69% or thereabouts and it has the cigars in great condition. I find getting into the 70s to be too much, certainly by the mid 70s I find the cigars are too wet and don't smoke as well.

I agree with this; I like my cigars to have a good squidge (they seem to plume smoke very nicely when thus) and find that ~67-70% is about right.

Above that, they can be great…but you’re rolling the dice of them being drowned, flavour being muddied and them not drawing at all well.

I also think that's good advice regarding using one 69% sachet.
Get a couple (or more) as spares, or in case one isn't enough, but looking at the size of the humidor, I would guess Mastodon2 is correct in suggesting you very probably only need the one.

As I said earlier, you've seasoned the humidor well to 74% ish and even pulling both the 74s and dropping in a 69, the humidity will probably take a good week or more to drop right down to 69%. You wouldn't want it happening any faster than that really, so don't try and hurry it up. Like I said previously, and I think we've all agreed, you're not in dangerous territory, just less than ideal...


Edit:
Bloody awful 'English'.

Edited by Goaty Bill 2 on Thursday 10th August 12:28

Thats great, I shall do that and report back in a few weeks.

[DRFC1879]

I'm putting myself wide open to ridicule here so before I go on I'll try to justify myself as an occasional cigar smoker by saying I love a Cohiba or Romeo y Julietta as much as the next man however I'm looking for help with something a little more run of the mill:

Whenever I go to the States on holiday (every four or five years generally) I enjoy smoking a brand of pipe tobacco cigars by the name of "Black & Mild". I've tried numerous times to find them for sale in the UK/online with delivery available to the UK and always drawn a blank. The nearest things I've ever found on sale in my local tobacconist are Swisher Sweets but they don't hit the spot in the same way.

Anybody got any recommendations for an everyday cigar that might do the job? Cheers.

[Goaty Bill 2]

No ridicule from me.
I really miss being able to buy Old Port Colt tipped and wine dipped cigars from Canada.
A long way from a Cuban yet lovely in it's own right.

Sorry, no real advice to offer, except to peruse the online tobacconists and try a few of their oddities.

The Henri Wintermans half corona has been mentioned previously.
By no means in the same league as a decent Cuban (or an Old Port for that matter) but not at all unpleasant.

[Armitage.Shanks]

I was rather partial to Old Port in my younger days. Villager were another but quite sharp.

[oddman]

I was a cigarette smoker for 15 years and after another 15 years as a non smoker, came back to cigars.

Enjoy one every two or three weeks

My favourites are R&J Short Churchills and Bolivar Royal Coronas. To me they are medium strength (nicotine), produce copious smoke with minimal draw and are generously flavoured.

Partagas and Cohibas are lovely but up the scale on strength.

My sweet spot between ring gauge and length is robusto - 50 x 4.5 - 5" but if you want a standard corona the trinidad reyes is a good call

Non Cubans - Padron, Davidoff and Rocky Patel are worth looking out

[Mastodon2]

40 is a pretty small gauge, which may limit choice somewhat, but definitely add the Trinidad Fundadores and possibly also the Coloniales, which is a little thicker and shorter. I love the rich, woody body of the Trinidad smokes, they're my favourite Cuban sticks. I tend to prefer new world for bang to buck, superior construction and range of flavours, but the Cubans definitely have some nice stuff.

[Goaty Bill 2]

My favourite Montis are probably the double Edmundo.
At 50 gauge (and 6" long) they are a bit fatter than you're used to, but a longer cooler smoke of very similar flavour to your number 2s and 4s.

Never worry about "looking ridiculous", you are participating in a luxury experience, take pride in it!
I've been in a room of more than 100 men and women (okay, mostly men, but...), all smoking RyJ Churchills. No one looked any more or less ridiculous for the size of their cigar
Fatter = cooler.

If you like your RyJs be bold and try the short Churchill, and then when time allows, a full sized one.
Lovely gentle cigars.

When money is no object, it's very hard to beat a Cohiba.

[Goaty Bill 2]

An old friend invited me to join him at his club last night for some cigars he's been wanting me to try.
Cigar 1
Partagas 170 Aniversario
Gauge 56
Length 6.7"

Image not currently available owing to the phone camera having a potato for a lens, and no matching images on the internet that I could find.

Sadly it seems, there is little chance of acquiring the Partagas 170 any longer, aside perhaps from auctions or private collections.
The odd thing I found was that all cigar reviews I could find for this described a completely different cigar.
Cameroon wrapper, Nicaraguan filler etc. etc. This was definitely not one of those - pure Cuban.
ETA - The only explanation I can find for this, is that there is an American version of Partagas, a competing entity, and both declared a 170 year anniversary. These would explain the American reviews and the 'odd construction'.


Cigar 2
Montecristo 80 Aniversario
Gauge 55
Length 6 1/2"



Smoking ones way through two such cigars in a single evening required several hours 'work', even for a dedicated smoker such as myself. However, my friend was quite insistent
I must admit, to my shame, I had seriously considered pocketing the Monti for smoking at home another day.

Both lovely cigars, and well worth the much delayed train journey into London.

Edited by Goaty Bill 2 on Sunday 27th August 10:49

[IanA2]

Hello, long time lurker here, just hang out to breathe in the smoke as I haven't smoked a cigar for well over ten years.

Which is why I'm posting, I'd really appreciate some advice on my stash.

My stash is over ten years old and consists of:

Cohiba: 5 1/2" R52 x 4
5" R48 x 16
5" R38 x 17

Montecristo: 5" R48 x 19

I have an approximate idea of what they cost to replace as new, but I'm wondering if their age would command a premium and it's not a question I'd want to put to a dealer without any inkling whatsoever.

Pointers appreciated. Thanks folks.

[Armitage.Shanks]

Can't help on value but I'll take 5 x Montes off you for a tenner?

[IanA2]

Armitage.Shanks said:

Can't help on value but I'll take 5 x Montes off you for a tenner?

Sure you will, remind me, what is it Armitage Shanks sell.....?

For some reason this pic didn't show above. Interesting ly, (possibly because of today's weather) the RF went from 69% to 63% in a just few minutes.


[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/PLsCVWu3[/url]

[Goaty Bill 2]

IanA2 said:

Hello, long time lurker here, just hang out to breathe in the smoke as I haven't smoked a cigar for well over ten years.

Which is why I'm posting, I'd really appreciate some advice on my stash.

My stash is over ten years old and consists of:

Cohiba: 5 1/2" R52 x 4
5" R48 x 16
5" R38 x 17

Montecristo: 5" R48 x 19

I have an approximate idea of what they cost to replace as new, but I'm wondering if their age would command a premium and it's not a question I'd want to put to a dealer without any inkling whatsoever.

Pointers appreciated. Thanks folks.

In principal, aged cigars always fetch a premium at a retailer.
As you are aware, Cohiba tend to be pricey at the best of times.

The trick is convincing someone, other than a real expert (and maybe including real experts), that the cigars have been correctly stored for all of that decade and are in good vintage condition.
(that's not me bargaining btw, purchasing that many Cohiba is out of my reach at the moment sadly )

Unfortunately, anyone I know sufficiently qualified/experienced to make that judgement will be London based, and I see that you are not.

Depending on how they were originally rated, I suppose, being retailed, they could go for anything from 30%-100% over normal retail.

This might give you some idea of auction prices C.Gars Vintage cigar auctions. Obviously complete boxes fetch a much better price than loose as you can see.

I could try and put you in touch with one of our club aficionados if you like. I can't guarantee they'll be able to help, but they're a pretty decent and friendly bunch.

IanA2 said:

Armitage.Shanks said:

Can't help on value but I'll take 5 x Montes off you for a tenner?

Sure you will, remind me, what is it Armitage Shanks sell.....?

I'm sure he meant a tenner each

[IanA2]

Goaty Bill 2 said:

IanA2 said:

Hello, long time lurker here, just hang out to breathe in the smoke as I haven't smoked a cigar for well over ten years.

Which is why I'm posting, I'd really appreciate some advice on my stash.

My stash is over ten years old and consists of:

Cohiba: 5 1/2" R52 x 4
5" R48 x 16
5" R38 x 17

Montecristo: 5" R48 x 19

I have an approximate idea of what they cost to replace as new, but I'm wondering if their age would command a premium and it's not a question I'd want to put to a dealer without any inkling whatsoever.

Pointers appreciated. Thanks folks.

In principal, aged cigars always fetch a premium at a retailer.
As you are aware, Cohiba tend to be pricey at the best of times.

The trick is convincing someone, other than a real expert (and maybe including real experts), that the cigars have been correctly stored for all of that decade and are in good vintage condition.
(that's not me bargaining btw, purchasing that many Cohiba is out of my reach at the moment sadly )

Unfortunately, anyone I know sufficiently qualified/experienced to make that judgement will be London based, and I see that you are not.

Depending on how they were originally rated, I suppose, being retailed, they could go for anything from 30%-100% over normal retail.

This might give you some idea of auction prices C.Gars Vintage cigar auctions. Obviously complete boxes fetch a much better price than loose as you can see.

I could try and put you in touch with one of our club aficionados if you like. I can't guarantee they'll be able to help, but they're a pretty decent and friendly bunch.

IanA2 said:

Armitage.Shanks said:

Can't help on value but I'll take 5 x Montes off you for a tenner?

Sure you will, remind me, what is it Armitage Shanks sell.....?

I'm sure he meant a tenner each

Many thanks, that is very helpful. I really wasn't sure what the premium might be. I had vaguely thought around 50%. Your right about the prices these days. Gave me a shock. I'm retired now, my wife and I look back in astonishment at the way we used to spend money thirty years ago. No more!

[jinkster]

Sautters always advertise for aged Cigars in the Telegraph. How aged I am not sure but might be worth an email/ call.