I know some of you enjoy cigars - share!

[sunbyrned]

I'm sitting here reading the forums and enjoying the last cigar of a box I split with my FIL before he was killed, and wishing I could share with him the great group of people I have found on this forum.

My absolute favorite smoke is a Perdomo Lot 23, and he was a fan from the first one I shared with him. It's not the "best" stick I've had, but it's such an all-around good smoke, in addition to the memory of him, that I think I'll always be keeping a box on hand, if possible.

My "best" are two different smokes, Nub Cameroon and Rocky Patel's Vintage 2003 Cameroon. I think they're both stellar in their own way. Difficult to keep, but I think a higher humidity is the key to getting them not to split before I can smoke 'em, and I've been having enough luck with them that I'm considering a box of each pretty soon.

What are some of the smokes you guys enjoy?

I picked up a few Perdoma’s lot 23 based on your post in honor of my son’s girlfriend who just psssed away. It was a nice moment for both of us. I appreciate the suggestion. Peace!

 

[drewkaree]

Amazon.com

Hit up that link, it's for Xifei brand stuf. Everything I've gotten from them seems to be a quality item, and they're running an Amazon deal on lots of their stuff with various discounts, as well as throw-in items for free if you find something you'd like to buy. I picked up 2 lighters for others, and a cutter that I'm digging that seems like it'll be a great addition - V-cut, guillotine, and 2 punches all in one, their circle cutter

 

[drewkaree]

So for today, I have a few "accessories" to share. I just had to refill a lighter, and I've had this thing for quite some time. No idea for how long, but it was a throw-in with some Perdomo cigars I bought long ago, when I first started smoking cigars. It's a tabletop lighter, as you can see in this photo (and also a smoke for the evening, the Drew Estate Factory Smokes Connecticut Shade):



As you can tell, it's old, beaten up, and well-worn. I'm not a fan of the Vector butane that's in that pic, but only because I find the Xikar High Altitude Performance butane to work so much better than anything else I've found. I'm working through that last can of Vector, and I know I've ran it in the Perdomo lighter several times, so it'll be used up with that, and eventually I'll have nothing but the Xikar fuel here at home.

That lighter is a Vector Thundra lighter, and it's no longer a cheap date, but it comes with one of the best warranties I've ever come across. If it stops working, send it in. They'll fix/replace it, no questions asked, no receipt you have to hang onto, no "registration" they force on you (which is just a method to spam you - looking at you, Xikar!), just stellar. I can state that I've had that lighter for at least 15 years, but I couldn't pin down how much longer beyond that, and I've never once had an issue with that thing not lighting, and it's still going strong to this day.

I modified mine long ago, because when I first got it, it was possible to set the flame height screw low enough that it wouldn't light. Come to find out, the fix for that is the same fix for the cheap Ronson single-flame torch lighters that I've recently done. Remove the screw at the base, pull the cover off, remove the O-ring around the adjustment screw, and remove the brass shim. That shim is the limiter, and is designed to keep the flame within reasonable limits, but they tend to place them so that the high end isn't a total flamethrower, but that causes the low end to be too low. Simple fix, great lighter. If you want a Perdomo, it can be found on e-bay, but it's no less expensive. If it doesn't matter, you can then find several different designs on Amazon at this link:

https://www.amazon.com/American-Thundra-Desktop-Lighter-Cigar/dp/B075GC19C6?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.KTwbgdqut-_semi8nJljIDvRACEIuYettvW_TpqGBRNgHnYbNjvZCF6j9iBnFYaovCo6M3DdeVK8rD8UvL1N6M5wf__WnIKM0rvL1pGLINXawsmIWubpurpA6lTJVnu4qDTMuf_WVxxaAfvp_v6hN6v-bG6p0z8lh1x2CwplaK8IXTVj5W_XqBex12TnUj7zlXPU-410kZL771DhCyWoPoUeZtPBfupPg45KzFx0OynN4gY0m73Jguabw74Vp6UBHEw-BOKDl5VnOdLZCI2SWbV6b8oJetaBXvGCqtW2m3U.7foMvEMEaTP9D5Aij2diD1qv8_D7vqUQYYia5eNMdXU&dib_tag=se&keywords=american%2Bflag%2Bvector%2Btundra%2Bdesktop%2Blighter&qid=1749455054&sr=8-1&th=1

Here's how the Perdomo looks all fresh and not worn and ravaged like mine:

 

[drewkaree]

The other item in that pic above that I wanted to share with you is the grey screwdriver looking thingy. That's a Xikar bleeder tool, and it helps you bleed your lighter. Better than a screw/nail/golf tee/whatever, because it's designed to fit the valve, and you don't have to worry about marring the edges of the valve. Additionally, if there's any butane still left in there, and you've used one of those other pokey things to bleed your lighter, you know that it'll blast your fingers, and make it uncomfortable. There's also the issue of having to turn the lighter all the way to the minus sign - for which you may need a screwdriver.

The Xikar bleeder tool has a slotted and a phillips bit, and there's also a directional port that allows any fumes or butane to blow off to the side, away from your hands. The valve portion of the tool is hidden under the cap on what looks to be the end of a typical screwdriver like this. All in all, it's a nice piece of unnecessary kit that I didn't mind throwing $10 at. Below is a pic of mine, and the best place (and price) to find it is at Cigars International, linked here: https://www.cigarsinternational.com/p/xikar-torch-bleeder-screwdriver-tool/2021284/

 

[drewkaree]

I think I've mentioned before that I find Boveda packs to be hands-down, the best method for maintaining humidity for my cigars. They make them in several different percentages, and my choice is 69%. At 70%, you really have to start to keep an eye on the temperature you're storing your smokes at, as cigar beetles can lie dormant in your sticks until the right conditions come about, and I feel 69% not only gives me the perfect spot for a wide range of smokes, but it at least gives me some headroom and peace of mind, with at least a fighting chance to avoid a beetle infestation. Being in WI, the temps aren't really something that I have to worry about too much, but some of you may have more issues than I. Boveda has quite the range, so check them out.

The other thing I have learned over time is that Boveda is in the business of making money, so THEY want to sell you more of those packs, again and again. Their recommendation is that when the pack is hard/crunchy/solid, toss it and open up a new one. Lather, rinse, repeat. I'm of the opinion that if the packs work well (and they do), and they work as intended (and they do), then you can "recharge" them by soaking them in water. The gel or whatever they use in those packs is designed to absorb excess humidity, or enhance the humidity in your humidors if they're low. They do the give and take of humidity until they reach a point where they're "used up", so to speak, and that's the hard/crunchy stage. How they make the magic that keeps it at the humidity stated on the package is beyond me, but that voodoo is awesome, and when they've reached the end point, soaking them in water is enough to bring them back to life. No magic here, just find a container, put them in, and let them soak until the package feels jelly-like again.

If you're concerned that they're TOO humidified by doing this, think about it - they've given off all they have to give, that's why they're hard/crunchy. Your humidor is probably UNDER-humidified at that point, so you should be fine to put the recharged jelly packs back in there. I would recommend that you dry off the packs first, and allow them to dry out so that the paper wrapper is dry again. They won't have dried out at that point, it's just the paper, and the jelly won't be soaked either. Just put them on a towel and let them rest until the paper feels like it did when you first unwrapped them. Here's the latest round of recharging I'm doing, and what it will look like for you as well (a tupperware container will suffice too)



As I'm sitting here writing this, I have 8 more currently upstairs in another container, soaking away. I find I can recharge these at least 3 times without any issues. After that, you want to start carefully inspecting them when you pull them out of the water to see if there's any tearing, or if the wrapper is starting to look fuzzy. If so, then it's time to toss them. If you're careful with them, you can avoid soaking them altogether, by putting them in a well-sealed container with an open container of water. This will allow the jelly stuff to absorb the humidity from the water as they were designed to do. This will only work if the jelly inside the packets hasn't gotten to the hard/crunchy stage, but eventually, even this method won't be able to maintain the packs, and you'll have to soak them in water.

Cigarbid is the place to pick up a good deal on a 10-pack or whatever quantity you want, but you'll have to be more patient depending on the humidity percentage you're looking for, and you'll have to verify that the price you're bidding isn't going to exceed the cost of just buying them from some place. It used to be that I could get a 10-pack on CigarBid for about $2.50/ea, but that's from Ye Olden Times pre-covid.

No pics of mine, but Harbor Freight has Pelican-type cases for about $30 that will hold about 150 sticks, and a smaller case for $13 that should hold a box of smokes (about 20), as long as you pay attention to the length. Some Toro's are a bit too long, but Robusto's should be fine, and anything in the smaller sizes as well. Churchills likely won't fit the $13 case. IF you buy one of these, don't bother with the pick and pluck foam inside, just remove it. It shouldn't be glued in there, in my experience. You'll also want to get rid of the plastic smell. This is easy to do - open it up, and set it outside in the sun for a day or two, or as long as it takes for there not to be a plastic smell to it. If that's not enough time, you CAN throw in some broken-up cigar boxes or some Spanish cedar if you have it, and close that in there for a week or so, before setting it out in the sun. The cedar should absorb a ton of the main stink, as well as give off some of its own scent, and the sunbathing should finish off the job. Links for the 2 different harbor freight cases here:

$12 version: https://www.harborfreight.com/1800-weatherproof-protective-case-small-black-64550.html

$30 version: https://www.harborfreight.com/2800-weatherproof-protective-case-medium-orange-58655.html

I happened to stumble onto a sale from Home Depot for some Husky cases that are similar as well, but they don't seem to be running deals on those anymore, and to be honest, I've found the Husky versions to be just slightly too big. They're closer in size to the $40 version that Harbor Freight sells, and anyone who's shopped Harbor Freight knows it's just a matter of time before there's a coupon or sale, or both, for any product they sell. Those 2 links above should get you in the neighborhood of finding the $40 version, but I'd go with one of those 2 I linked above.

Regarding humidification of those cases, I'd use 2 Boveda's for the $12 version, and 3-4 for the $30 version, and you've got a practically bulletproof method for storing your smokes at your perfect humidity preference. Sure, it's not going to be as nice as a fancy wooden humidor, but I've got several wooden humidors that simply don't hold temps or humidity anymore. I only keep them around for the scent of the Spanish cedar. I still use one to dry box any cigars that I might be smoking in the next day or so, if I can remember to transfer them, but that's a sentimental humidor, and I doubt that I'll ever get rid of that one.

If anyone is interested in one of my wooden humidors, hit me up, and I'll shoot some pics of what I've got that I'd part with, that are still decent - I'd never curse you with one of the disappointments I've got, nobody should have to deal with those mistakes

 

[drewkaree]

This past week, a smoking buddy brought a few cigars for our golf league. His brother was in Florida, and picked up a few smokes for him, and he was kind enough to offer me a stick. He had LFD's, their La Nox, and the Solis. I chose the Solis, and while I was thankful for the smoke, it just was not my cup of tea. Pepper throughout - black & red, a fair amount of a vinegar-y taste from the halfway point until I put it down, and at the point in the pic, it was starting to give off a sort of paint thinner taste. That was the point where I stopped trying to milk it through to the end of my golf round, and give up on the stick. From what I've gathered from other reviews, it's a consistent point of the pepper in just about every review, and I can see why. Strength-wise, it didn't strike me as much more than medium, but I think if it were stronger, I'd have been out on this stick much earlier.

As I've often said, that's why there's so many different types of cigars (and beer, whiskey, wines etc). Different strokes for different folks. If this sounds like your jam, it doesn't sound like it's a cheap date from a local B&M, somewhere around the $10-15 mark. I'm glad to have had the experience and the chance to try it. I didn't have any time to investigate it, as we were out on the course, but looking at the info on it, I would have had a better idea that this wouldn't have been something for me. There's a Habano wrapper, which can be good, but I've found few and far between that I like - the Nubs are one, for instance. The binder is a Sumatra leaf, which tends to be very dry to me. Sometimes that's a very good thing, but if there's a lot of leather/wood/cedar flavor to the stick, if there's a Sumatra leaf in there, it's almost like a desert to me in how dry it's going to smoke. Anyway, here's the beauty shot:

 

[drewkaree]

And I'll share a bit of what I've been smoking lately, as I've snapped some pics, but either forgot to post them up, or simply couldn't for various reasons. Mentioned above, the Nub Habano that I recently enjoyed:






When I was finally able to make it up to the lake house this year, I found an Oscar 2012 barber pole waiting for me.







Then there was a bit of an auction kick I was on, and I snagged a 10-pack of my favorite Rocky Patel cigar, the 2003 Cameroon. If you want to try these, I suggest a single to start. I've found these to be fairly delicate, as most Cameroon's are for me. Arturo Fuente also uses a Cameroon wrapper for a lot of their sticks, but it's definitely a different type, as you can see in the color difference of this Rocky. The Nub Cameroon's use a similar wrapper to the Rocky's, and it's also another favorite of mine. The Nubs are WAY more delicate for some reason, so I tend to buy them and smoke them almost immediately. This Rocky Patel shown below ended up being a 20-pack auction that I won, and the price was unbeatable.

This type of Cameroon wrapper is one that I'm wanting to try keeping at 71% to see if that will help with the fragility, but I'm running my science project on them at 69% in a zipper bag, inside one of my Pelican-style cases, and I'm hoping these will survive through the whole 20-pack. The price I paid for them is about the cost you'd pay for a 5-pack at a local brick and mortar, so while I'll be pretty blue if I can't smoke 'em all, I won't be too put out if I lose a few to cracks and splits. As long as I can get a 5-pack out of the 20, I'll call it a win, and then seriously move to try a different humidity to see if that helps. If all 20 make it through to ash, I'll also have my answer. If I can remember to do so, I'll report back on these, as I think these are a fantastic smoke.





Although I'm a fanboy of Perdomo's, there IS one of their smokes that I recently picked up again, to see if my past experience with it was a fluke, or if it's just not a smoke I was meant to enjoy. This is an example of why you might want to try something out of your comfort zone, or typical smoke. This stick has all the hallmarks of something that would be a smash hit to me, and something I would enjoy. After this stick, I can definitely say this is not the case. The Perdomo 10th Anniversary Maduro reads like it was made for me, yet it's been a disappointment for all 3 sticks I've ever had, and I won't be giving it another chance.

Seems backwards - why try something out of your typical tastes? Well, this fit my profile, yet disappoints me. I've had other sticks offered to me that I've tried, that SHOULDN'T have been enjoyable to me, yet for whatever reason, they went against everything that I would have dismissed them for. If you're not a fan of Maduro's, but like something a bit more "crisp", flavor-wise, this might hit the spot. It's aged in bourbon barrels, which might be the thing that keeps me from enjoying it. The barrel aging lends a bit of whisky-type flavor to it, but to me, it's the wrong type of flavor for a Maduro. Something darker, like a brandy or rum aging, or possibly something in a Port cask would be a better fit. This is too "bright" to me, and it overpowered all the other flavors that SHOULD have been a great flavor profile for me.





Speaking of pairing whiskey with cigars, the Buffalo Trace smokes I got are a great blend for this. The expectation was that it would have that great bourbon flavor. It does, but it's not front and center, and the tobacco has a chance to shine through, and it made this stick a great experience for me earler today while chatting with a friend. The ONLY issue I had with it was that the last third was impossible to keep lit. By the time I had any ash to tap off, it would require a relight. There was a definite plug at the bottom edge of the band, and even running my PerfecDraw in to help open up the draw four times, it still didn't draw well when I reached that point while smoking it. I have a 5-pack of these, so I have a chance to give it a decent test, and this might be one that could use a touch more humidity as well, but as-is, it was definitely worth trying, and if the rest of the pack smokes well, I can chalk the experience with this stick I had today up to a plugged stick, and nothing more. Flavor-wise, great!






Final sticks to report on for today, I picked up 2 weeks ago. We canceled league play for golf due to storms rolling through and a tornado watch for the night, so we headed over to one of our members' house for pizza, drinks and fun hanging out together. I stopped for my brother-in-law to pick up some beer for him, and the liquor store had a reasonable humidor. I picked up these two sticks - the Blackened and the Rocky Patel Edge B-52. The B-52 was a great stick that I'd never seen, and it smoked well. No relights needed, great flavor, and a few of the guys commented on how great it smelled. The Blackened, on the other hand, was a disappointment. I got it because it was a novelty. I like Metallica, and I know James Hetfield's cigar line isn't often found around me just yet.

Given that it was only one stick, it might be worth another shot, but that would entirely depend on the price. If someone were to offer me one, I'd definitely smoke another, but if I were paying for it, I better find it for a better price than I paid. This was one of those "dry as the desert sand" smokes, and just simply wouldn't stay lit for me. I was expecting a bit darker flavor experience, perhaps some coffee or espresso, and it just didn't deliver in the way I had hoped. I dunno if that was due to the relight problem, or if it's just not the quality it should be. Regardless, like I said, it's got another shot in my book, but there won't be a third chance if it performs like this again.







Hope you all are starting to get out on the water, and enjoying some nicer smoking weather. I know many of you can only smoke outdoors, so this time of year is also the time to enjoy the finer treats the cigar world has to offer. Here's to you guys finding something you like, and making the most of the little treats in life that you might stumble upon.