I love Ashton cigars as much as my wallet hates them, so I’ll keep an eye out for those. For favorite smoke if price isn’t an object, my easy choice is their Puro Sol. If I care about what I’m spending I’m likely to grab a Perdomo Lot 23.Originally Posted by RoyGBiv
Sitting on the back porch enjoying a pipe of the MM. A really nice, balanced blend. Thanks again for the recommendation.
The Ashton Connecticut half coronas are an affordable 12 bucks for a 5 pack. Cheap, compared to their VSGs that are my favorite non Cubanos. I'll keep an eye out for the Puro Sol.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." - Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776
No problem! I spent a lot of time smoking dozens of different English blends and eventually decided that as far as I could tell, 965 did everything any of them did as well or better. Nightcap is the only different one I’ll probably still grab occasionally.
I need to have a porch again - my parents’ house with their big wraparound Victorian porch absolutely spoiled me. Some day, hopefully.
We had some nice weather here in the DC area today, so this afternoon I made a small fire in my fire pit, and had an AVO cigar. A very enjoyable way to spend some time.
Sparked a 6x50 Flor de Oliva, poured a large shot of Pusser's rum over an ice cube, and fired up an irreverent podcast. Now chilling with the beagle in cheap style.
Overtime week full of stupidity and mentioned to the better half that I could use a couple cigars to unwind on the weekend evenings. She, bless her heart, picked up a Flor de Oliva toro (6x50) and an Arturo Fuente 8-5-8 (6x47) yesterday and left them on the counter for me to see when I got home. Currently puffing the Fuente while youngest rubs my most recent mix (Goya adobo, jalapeno powder, hot paprika, kosher salt, finely ground black pepper) on a Boston butt. Will start the pork in the smoker come morning. Undecided between hickory and apple but have 2/3 of the cigar left for contemplation of such matters.
Always Hickory with Butt.
We are blessed with a full house for the next few weeks until the kids return to school and/or start new jobs.
Wife was clearly needing a break from the bustle on Thursday afternoon, so I took her to a local cigar bar for a drink and a smoke. I had
shopped there before but never stayed for a drink. We both had Ashtons in different sizes, both with Connecticut wrapper. The draft stout was good and Wife enjoyed her fizzy gin something. Returned home a few hours later with attitudes properly adjusted.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." - Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776
Going to start the first couple hours with hickory and then the remaining cook time with a hickory/apple mix. Feeling adventurous.
Wife brought me a tin of Macanudo Ascot cigarillos, 4.2x32, when she came back from her trip. Brought it to the pub tonight when I dragged a friend out. We lit up after and went boulder hopping at the river as the drizzle wetted everything. I managed to finish mine while he lost his in the drink at the final third. He bit his cap and I cut mine with a sharp Opinel. The wrappers, as is so common in a cigarillo, were fragile and I'll bite the rest. Cutting isn't any cleaner.
While more expensive than the H. Upmann Demi Tasse that I like, these come in a nice tin and also taste good. Having only a sample of two, I still need to see if the Macanudo has as many blockages in the cigars as the Upmann cigarillos do.
The little things aren't cheap enough to be a regular feature in life (the H. Upmann Demi Tasse are if you keep a long needle handy to pierce plugs), particularly for a pipe guy. But I can see myself regularly buying a tin to bring to parties as hand-outs. Light easily, taste good and mild for most to appreciate, small enough to avoid vitamin N overdoses, and not intimidating. Metal pack to protect them and look charming while offering the cigars to others.
I'll give a few more away out of this tin on my next shift. One to a coworker fresh off Wuhan Flu isolation as a welcome back, one to our dip guy, and another to the cigarette smoker in the little social circle. We have a dinner coming up for some of us long-timers but I'm thinking a handful of Macanudo Café Court would be better after the meal. Bit bigger, individually tubed, wrapper on as well as a fullsize cigar, less fragile, still mild yet tasy, and prettier.
I'm always buying samplers from Fox Cigar and CigarBid to try different things. My favorite so far is probably either the Illusione Rothschilde or the Guardian Of The Farm series.
But my go-toes are either the AF 8-5-8 or an Oliva Connecticut Reserve. Both are reasonably-priced, accessible to guests who don't really smoke, but also good enough that enthusiasts won't turn their nose up at them.
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