Cigar /Pipe Smoking thread

Passed over after seeing multiple deals on CigarPage. May nab the next one.
I’m on a tighter budget, now that I’m retired. The only way I’m still enjoying cigars is finding deals. I’ve splurged when I’ve found AF Don Carlos reservas for ~$210 per box or EPC Pledge for ~$150 per box, but those have been rarest of the rare.
 
This morning’s post-breakfast puff is a Crowned Heads J. D. Howard reserva robusto. Made at EP Carrillo’s Dominican factory, it has Nicaraguan filler, Sumatran binder, and a fermented Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper. First impressions, sweet hay, cocoa, earth… nutty with a muted pepper that I expect will become more prominent as I progress through the smoke.
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Edit: Burning evenly with clouds of smoke and a firm ash, espresso entering the flavor profile as I reach the second third. Medium bodied with an increasing complexity.
 
Down here in the D.R. for vacation and I’ve been picking up sticks to try, local and main channel brands. Some of the local stuff is amazing, going to try to bring some back. But for main channel, I’ve been really impressed with the La Historia maduro. Very much a cocoa start with a coffee finish, with some undertones of cinnamon and chocolate. Surprisingly a great smoke!
 

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This morning’s post-breakfast puff is a Crowned Heads J. D. Howard reserva robusto. Made at EP Carrillo’s Dominican factory, it has Nicaraguan filler, Sumatran binder, and a fermented Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper. First impressions, sweet hay, cocoa, earth… nutty with a muted pepper that I expect will become more prominent as I progress through the smoke.
View attachment 785460
Edit: Burning evenly with clouds of smoke and a firm ash, espresso entering the flavor profile as I reach the second third. Medium bodied with an increasing complexity.
Looks & sounds interesting. Never smoked one.
 
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This morning’s post-breakfast puff is an Ozgener Nica Criollo robusto. Described as cubanesque, this version features a criollo wrapper and Nicaraguan filler. First impressions, firm construction, earthy, nutty, a little spice, a little sweetness. Medium body.
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It’s just a basic country gentleman but I’m stripping a MM diplomat to customize because I always have to tinker with something. Will post photos when I’m done. Only tried 2 blends so far. C&D Autumn Evening and the house blend of a local shop here in Asheville. Both are really nice smokes but that house blend is just divine. Excited to try others.
 
Not a cigar guy, participation wise, but I love these photos and descriptions y’all share. I watched an interview of Nick Perdomo on Cigar Life Bank’s YT channel. One of the most fascinating interviews I’ve ever watched. I kinda want to check out other videos now. Cigar making is truly an intriguing world.
 
This morning’s post-breakfast puff is a Crowned Heads J. D. Howard reserva robusto. Made at EP Carrillo’s Dominican factory, it has Nicaraguan filler, Sumatran binder, and a fermented Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper. First impressions, sweet hay, cocoa, earth… nutty with a muted pepper that I expect will become more prominent as I progress through the smoke.
View attachment 785460
Edit: Burning evenly with clouds of smoke and a firm ash, espresso entering the flavor profile as I reach the second third. Medium bodied with an increasing complexity.
I enjoyed another one of these this morning. I hope they’re included in future deals.
 
CigarPage.com is offering the Raymond Pages Fat Bastard sampler for $49.99. Twenty special 5x60 cigars to introduce you to their brands. I bought this sampler and posted as I smoked my way through it. Raymond Pages cigars are well made and have a signature spice. After the sampler, I’ve bought BDLs, Buena Vistas, Helias, Record Bonds, Pirates Gold, and Penn Standards.
 
Going dark mode (love the maduro anyway) with delicious 1935 anniversary Monte. These really are some of the best sticks they make that you can get on reg market. Coco, cinnamon, light baking spices, leather
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There’s a deal on these on CI.
Don’t know how to post a link.
 

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Down here in the D.R. for vacation and I’ve been picking up sticks to try, local and main channel brands. Some of the local stuff is amazing, going to try to bring some back. But for main channel, I’ve been really impressed with the La Historia maduro. Very much a cocoa start with a coffee finish, with some undertones of cinnamon and chocolate. Surprisingly a great smoke!
Heard it compares favorably to the La Crema?
 
This lovely afternoon, I’m braving the Fall leaf blowers to enjoy a La Aurora 1903 Cameroon. A medium bodied blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan long leaf filler encased in an Ecuadorian Cameroon wrapper. Spicy, woody, with cinnamon and citrus.
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What are some of your favorite blends?
There are so many, much like cigars. For aromatic blends, I like Cult Blood Red Moon which is a cherry flavored, Nutty Irishman, Autumn Evenings and Eileen's Dream (CAO) the best. There are many I have not tried. Of the non-aromatics, I really like English blends like Peterson's Early Morning Pipe, Bijou and Vieux Carre from Cornell & Diehl. One other interesting blend is called Penny Farthing from GL Pease; it is a shag cut that smokes well. I am smoking a Virginia/Perique called Orion's Arrow which I like but not as much as the English blends that have Latakia which gives it a smokiness that seems, to me, to make it a little smoother smoke.

How about you, have you found some you like well? The varieties seem endless, so I will likely be trying more in the future.
 
It’s 74 degrees out, shirt sleeve weather. Time for an indulgence in a little Tennessee whiskey on the rocks and a J. D. Howard reserva robusto. I’ve only tried a couple of Crowned Heads cigars. I’m liking this one.
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Finally finished customizing my MM cob. Stripped, stained, and shellac’ed. Cut the shank out of the inside and made pipe mortar to fill the bottom. Tortoise Forever Stem(cost more than the pipe) with a brass ring.
 
There are so many, much like cigars. For aromatic blends, I like Cult Blood Red Moon which is a cherry flavored, Nutty Irishman, Autumn Evenings and Eileen's Dream (CAO) the best. There are many I have not tried. Of the non-aromatics, I really like English blends like Peterson's Early Morning Pipe, Bijou and Vieux Carre from Cornell & Diehl. One other interesting blend is called Penny Farthing from GL Pease; it is a shag cut that smokes well. I am smoking a Virginia/Perique called Orion's Arrow which I like but not as much as the English blends that have Latakia which gives it a smokiness that seems, to me, to make it a little smoother smoke.

How about you, have you found some you like well? The varieties seem endless, so I will likely be trying more in the future.
So far, in my new journey into the culture, I have bought Quiet Nights, Autumn Evenings, and a house blend at the local B&M that I believe is ref Virginia based. Early Morning Pipe and Plum Pudding are on my to-do list. I was pleasantly surprised how much I like the Latakia forward Quiet Nights. I was one of the assumed that I would only care for aromatics. So far, I think I love the house blend the best. They sell about 7 pounds a week of it for good reason. How would you desribe perique?
 
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