Went to Puerto Vallarta last week.
Had a pocketful of pesos, and decided to spend them to boost the sin tax toll.
Picked up two boxes of cigars, some Teamo Mexican minibustos that are more notable for their cool "comic book cigar" shape than their flavor.
Second box was cuban Guantanameras. Also got some decent booze on the trip.
So, I sloxhed a bit of the cognac into the snifter, and savored one of those cubans. It's all true. Had some cuban stogies over the years, and they tend to live up to their considerable reputation.

I once had a few cubans deliverd via smuggled sailboat stash.

Poor things were dry, and no amount of prep would keep them from canoeing.

Drats.

Friend of mine gave me one once after a trip to honduras. they are the sh*t.

I found myself actually savoring it. No hotboxing, no overindulgence.
Relit it half a day later--still tasted great.
As for staleness, I'm guessing they sell, literally, boatloads straight from the island.
I took it straight into my climate-controlled room (I run an evaporative humidifier 24x7 in there, and since that's where I sleep, it never gets particularly hot, thanks to the AC. Since this is the the Potent Potables Forum, Alex, anybody have any other consumables that live up to a lot of bragging?

Ah, cognac and a good cigar! I'll have a cognac, but as an ex-smoker I can only enjoy the cigar second hand.

A trip to Nat Sherman on 12th East street and 42nd Avenue (formerly 500 Fifth Ave) was always in store when I hit Manhatten.

http://www.natsherman.com/


Not a consistant smoker by a long shot (I've not touched a smoke in 7 years besides an occasional cigar), I'd indulge in an occasional smoke every few weeks or so, a pack of Nat Sherman MDCs would last me.... decades. But I'd share with friends and hand out to panhandlers a few. It's truly a tobacco of the gods.

http://www.natsherman.com/cigaretteList.cf...331ECD&root=111

I don't really care to smoke, and worry for my friends who partake in it on a steady diet, but I remain a fan of the taste of good tobacco.

I also enjoyed the occasional clove cigarette, preferrably the Djarum Black.

http://www.salecheapcigarettes.com/djarum/...e-cigarette.php

I'd send art-house hags and goth kids in a tizzy as I'd light up.

With wooden matches, of course.

Sir a few corrections are in order about now....

Nat Sherman store is located at 12 EAST 42nd Street (at 5th avenue).

As for the occasional hand rolled (cigar that is). I have become addicted.

Alas I have come to love the sports and habits of kings, fools and braggarts!

Barring the occasional blow hards and bullsh** artists.

In order of importance:

The rewarding sound of a finely mastered Bob Fine Mercury Living presence or Robert Layton RCA RED seal.

Audio components that meld together sonically like a swiss chronometer

50 year old Single malt Scotch whiskey I.e. Glenlivet or Chivas Royal Salute

Any Chambertin's or Montrechet's, Throw in a Amarone or a Brunello
(mind you I have given up serious drinking about 5 years ago and miss my bottle of Scotch every 2 days!)

Then we savor a churchill size 48-50 x 7" Dominican Finas such as a Le Prueba, Cohiba, or Montecristo even Nat Shermans own growths.

but as luck would have it, I can only enjoy 2 of the 5 at any given time.

Which do you think I'd select?

They've relocated the "official" store as you've stated. Check the website fellas, for those who plan on visitting. The old location at 500 Fifth is going to be nothing but a memory if it already isn't...

http://www.natsherman.com/home.cfm?code=htm

Glenlivet, by the way, is a favorite of mine, though I don't partake often.

there used to be a place that made hand rolled cuban seeds on like 32nd and 6th in nyc. over by manhattan mall (former gimbels). Don't know if its there anymore.

Remy martin XO is also good to drink with a cigar. Drank 1/2 a bottle at a party once, its very smooth and a serious upgrade over the regular stuff. It also doesn't give you that I've drank to much feeling even at the amount I consumed. It should though...it's $125 a bottle or so.