I’m presently enjoying this Kristoff stick with an accompanying dose of Woodford.  A very nice end to a long day 

26 minutes ago, Tranquility Base said:

No doubt.   When my grandparents moved out of their house and into a condo I got one of the loveseats that were in their family room and set it in my bedroom as a place to sit and watch TV.  Every time I sat down the aroma of stogies came wafting out and I was 5 years old again hanging out at their house with my cousins.

Oh yeah I get it.
 

When we were dating back in the 80s my wife wore a perfume called Sand and Sable.  I know if I ever smell that perfume again I would be 18 again and probably explode lol

On 8/14/2025 at 6:43 PM, Watusi said:

I am sure I would benefit from your experience.

I don't think you can wrong with Romeo Y Juliet.  An oldie but a goodie.   For a change from the basic Romeo, try the San Andres and the 1875.

I really like the CAO Brazlia, for a good cost effective cigar. 

Cohiba Maduro is a favorite, when I can get them. 

Camacho makes good and cost effective cigars.  

I have liked most of the Drew Estes and Rocky Patel cigars that I have tried.  Also, when you go to a cigar lounge and see their house brand, it is probably Estes.  Ask them.  

One of my favorites, little pricey:  Padrone 1964.  Very nice.  

And my favorite to date, pretty pricey:  Arturo Fuente Opus X.   Be careful if you want to try it, because that indulgence can get expensive.  

 

15 hours ago, Ram said:

I don't think you can wrong with Romeo Y Juliet.  An oldie but a goodie.   For a change from the basic Romeo, try the San Andres and the 1875.

I really like the CAO Brazlia, for a good cost effective cigar. 

Cohiba Maduro is a favorite, when I can get them. 

Camacho makes good and cost effective cigars.  

I have liked most of the Drew Estes and Rocky Patel cigars that I have tried.  Also, when you go to a cigar lounge and see their house brand, it is probably Estes.  Ask them.  

One of my favorites, little pricey:  Padrone 1964.  Very nice.  

And my favorite to date, pretty pricey:  Arturo Fuente Opus X.   Be careful if you want to try it, because that indulgence can get expensive.  

 

Funny story.  I was out of the country on a cruise and we ported in Jamaica.  I knew my youngest son was about to get engaged and I thought maybe I would pick up some cigars and we could celebrate the event with him and my other son.  At the time, I had never smoked a cigar in my life.  So I went into this cigar shop and told the guy what I had in mind.  He asked me how many I wanted.  So I said I don't know really, I need 3 for this event, but I have friends I could share with, so maybe a box of 20.  I was clueless.  First cigar he showed me he said would run about $67.  I thought that's not too bad for a box of cuban cigars, lol.  He had to educate me that it was per cigar.  

Long story short, I ended up with 3 Romeo Y Juliet cuban cigars at $28 each and a big case of sticker shock.  That was a really good introduction though for my first cigar. 

On 8/18/2025 at 10:39 AM, Watusi said:

Funny story.  I was out of the country on a cruise and we ported in Jamaica.  I knew my youngest son was about to get engaged and I thought maybe I would pick up some cigars and we could celebrate the event with him and my other son.  At the time, I had never smoked a cigar in my life.  So I went into this cigar shop and told the guy what I had in mind.  He asked me how many I wanted.  So I said I don't know really, I need 3 for this event, but I have friends I could share with, so maybe a box of 20.  I was clueless.  First cigar he showed me he said would run about $67.  I thought that's not too bad for a box of cuban cigars, lol.  He had to educate me that it was per cigar.  

I have encountered something similar.  Best advise, when shopping in other countries, many times they try to sale local cigars at American prices.  Most Cuban cigars are pretty cheap in Caribbean countries and expensive in the US.   I had a guy try to sale me a lighter for $65 that was a $5 lighter in the US.  

37 minutes ago, Ram said:

I have encountered something similar.  Best advise, when shopping in other countries, many times they try to sale local cigars at American prices.  Most Cuban cigars are pretty cheap in Caribbean countries and expensive in the US.   I had a guy try to sale me a lighter for $65 that was a $5 lighter in the US.  

Many Cubans found in the Caribbean shops are fakes. Buying from any store that isn't a La Casa del Habanos is taking a risk. You need to have a little knowledge to make sure you aren't getting ripped off at a local shop, and don't even think of buying from a guy on the street. Anything that's missing the Cuban stamp, wrapped in cellophane, or is being sold out of a box not entirely made out of wood is likely a fake. And I disagree that most Cuban cigars are cheap. Real authentic Cubans are NOT cheap. You might be able to get smaller gauage sticks for around $10, but even the mid range smokes are going to be $20 or more per stick, with the higher end brands going for as much as $100 (or more) each. And while real Cubans are good cigars, there are much better values from the DR, Honduras, etc that are as good as or even better than real Cubans. Coupled with the fact that you can't bring them into the US anymore, it's probably not worth the effort, cost or risk of trying to buy them. Unless you are absolutely sure about what you're buying, and understand that the price likely won't align with the value, you're probably better off steering clear, or at least understand you might get disappointed.

3 minutes ago, rjs4470 said:

Many Cubans found in the Caribbean shops are fakes. Buying from any store that isn't a La Casa del Habanos is taking a risk. You need to have a little knowledge to make sure you aren't getting ripped off at a local shop, and don't even think of buying from a guy on the street. Anything that's missing the Cuban stamp, wrapped in cellophane, or is being sold out of a box not entirely made out of wood is likely a fake. And I disagree that most Cuban cigars are cheap. Real authentic Cubans are NOT cheap. You might be able to get smaller gauage sticks for around $10, but even the mid range smokes are going to be $20 or more per stick, with the higher end brands going for as much as $100 (or more) each. And while real Cubans are good cigars, there are much better values from the DR, Honduras, etc that are as good as or even better than real Cubans. Coupled with the fact that you can't bring them into the US anymore, it's probably not worth the effort, cost or risk of trying to buy them. Unless you are absolutely sure about what you're buying, and understand that the price likely won't align with the value, you're probably better off steering clear, or at least understand you might get disappointed.

Cheap is relative, but I was using the term to mean under $50.  Sure, we can go up in price.  I bought cuban's because they were cuban's and smoked them out of the country.  I agree, there are a lot of good cigars from DR and such. 

16 minutes ago, Ram said:

Cheap is relative, but I was using the term to mean under $50.  Sure, we can go up in price.  I bought cuban's because they were cuban's and smoked them out of the country.  I agree, there are a lot of good cigars from DR and such. 

Ahhhh...I understand. Cheap is a relative term, and is based on what you're willing to pay. I should have said that dollar for dollar, Cubans aren't really a good value. You're going to be paying close to or even more than double for a Cuban vs a similar stick from the DR (or other country). That being said, if you're interested in Cigars, and you get a chance to try a real Cuban, you probably should, just to be able to say you've had one (or a few). A good Cuban has a unique, spicy character and a level of strength that is beyond what a typical non Cuban has. I just don't think they are worth the price you have to pay. The other problem, is that because of demand, many Cuban's are "young" and need some aging to be at their best, and since they are illegal to bring into the country, you'll have to generally smoke them when they aren't at their best. Most people I've talked to have been underwhelmed when they finally get to sample a real Cuban cigar.

Hemingway Short Stories. Pretty much have reverted to celebrations only, but they are a waterside necessity at Memorial Day, Labor Day, and visiting my sons in the Navy.

On 8/23/2025 at 10:00 AM, Hearsay said:

Hemingway Short Stories. Pretty much have reverted to celebrations only, but they are a waterside necessity at Memorial Day, Labor Day, and visiting my sons in the Navy.

Here’s a chance to stock up ?

 

https://www.cigarbid.com/a/arturo-fuente-hemingway-short-story/5480799/

On 8/14/2025 at 8:15 PM, Watusi said:

I’m presently enjoying this Kristoff stick with an accompanying dose of Woodford.  A very nice end to a long day 

Back at ya...... I had one in my humidor.  

 

On 9/2/2025 at 3:41 PM, Ram said:

Back at ya...... I had one in my humidor.  

 

If you like that and you’ve never tried this, you should. Dark, rich and flavorful

On 8/17/2025 at 7:19 PM, Ram said:

I don't think you can wrong with Romeo Y Juliet.  An oldie but a goodie.   For a change from the basic Romeo, try the San Andres and the 1875.

I really like the CAO Brazlia, for a good cost effective cigar. 

Cohiba Maduro is a favorite, when I can get them. 

Camacho makes good and cost effective cigars.  

I have liked most of the Drew Estes and Rocky Patel cigars that I have tried.  Also, when you go to a cigar lounge and see their house brand, it is probably Estes.  Ask them.  

One of my favorites, little pricey:  Padrone 1964.  Very nice.  

And my favorite to date, pretty pricey:  Arturo Fuente Opus X.   Be careful if you want to try it, because that indulgence can get expensive.  

 

The CAO Brazilia was a good suggestion. 

6 minutes ago, Watusi said:

The CAO Brazilia was a good suggestion. 

Glad you like it.  One of my favs.