Eva Kahurangi's Monte2

You might remember Leo's birth was celebrated with a Montecristo A [or number 1?]

Now, here's Eva with a Montecristo number 2! 

Here's tae my new niece

That is SAm's new baby girl born on Friday and currently nameless. 

P.s. The cigar I am smoking is a Romeo y Julieta spelling J-u-l-i-e-t-a 

[the heretics suggested some cigar themed names for SAMs last child so why not this one? now to find out the names of Fidel Castro's mistress ]

CHRISTMAS HAS COME EARLY FOR GOOD BOYS

... For those who asked for it. Sept-oct & nov-Dec batches out now...

From left to right:

September-October

• Montecristo no.2: El magnificent puro que hopefully has come of age (2011 box). This is a beautiful, beautiful cigar to look at, in fact i would like to varnish one and put up on my mantlepiece. The estimate when we first tried it at this infamous Texas Hold'em Up Poker party is that it would need 5 years before it was ready to smoke. Almost there now, you can play it safe and bury it in your humidor for another year or fire it up on new year's eve. Make sure you have a free 1h30 after a heavy red meat and red wine meal on a dry windless day...


• Por Larranaga Petit Corona: from a 2012 cabinet of beauties. As with the other PLs, you generally want 2yrs minimum age. These are ready to rumble: almost full bodied, rich and powerful cedar, coffee grinds and orange peel reminiscent of its smaller brother reviewed here. They stand up easily to black coffee and get so strong in the last third that i've been finishing off with this wonderful NZ coffee liqueur 


• Cohiba Secretos: the last of these Heretic favourites. These 2013s have been stronger than previous boxes and not quite as sweet so I suggest that these be after-dinner port or whisky options.


• Rafael Gonzalez Perlas (x2): more of these extended coffee break beauties. Delightful and surprisingly hefty.   
 

November-December

Juan Lopez no.2: Vitola - Robusto, and robusto it is, plenty of meaty heft to complement the rich cedar that we enjoyed in the J-Lo no.1. It is young (2014 box) and you could lay it down or pull out a heavier accompaniment (bourbon, whisky, etc)  and enjoy it now if you have a good hour free. I'll be interested to hear from you where these are at right now

Ramon Allones Superiores: Vitola - Corona Gorda. The perfect size for a warm still evening or a lazy afternoon. Still young (2014 box) but not as hefty in body as the J Lo no.2 and a really enjoyable richness. Forgot to write down the flavours but i remember the hay and almonds. Really enjoyed this with a light scotch, it will could get richer with age but smoking fantastically now.

Por Larranaga Petit Corona: (see above)

Partagas Short: small but mighty, this is full of tannin and will be at its peak  in perhaps 3+ years. No need to wait if you have balls of steel and a whisky at hand.

El Rey del Mundo - Demi Tasse : welcome back to an old friend, cigarette sized but packed tightly enough that it should last you at least 20min. As with all skinny cigars, do not puff fast to avoid burning your tongue, and best not to smoke in humid conditions as the leaves will expand and block the already tight draw. Despite the dark wrapper adding a bit of cocoa flavour, it has the classic ERDM citrus tinge... so hard to match with a drink - maybe a light roasted, fruity, single origin coffee? you tell me!

Funny bunch trifecta at the Basin

Oops just found this draft post from back in June... We went straight from a port tasting session in a liquor store to the basin reserve for a smoke. Good times