I do love Cardenal Mendoza, and Fundador isn't bad either.

My favorite cigar is Carlos Toranos Torpedo Maduro. (probably showing that I'm not an afficiando, which I'm not)

I don't smoke, but I do love me some Hennessy Cognac...

I don't drink straight Brandy much, but I do love Sherry.

I enjoy a variety of mid range cigars and I smoked a pipe for a while, bit I felt it was making me smoke too often so I stopped that.

Romeo y Julieta were my favorite cheap cigars in school, but they don't care them at the package store where I buy my cigars now.

Can't say I've ever tried sherry. Go by a cigar shop and get a macanudo, abge, I bet you'd like it.

obiwan, listen young padawan :-)

Try some Spanish brandy, it's every bit as nice as cognac but at a fraction of the price. Look for Solera Gran Reserva on the label, it is comparable to a VSOP or XO cognac (I'm no expert, but that's what I've been told) and you can get a bottle for much less than a comparable cognac. Cardenal Mendoza is a good one or Carlos I.
Fundador is good too. You might like the literary heritage of Fundador, that's what the protagonist drinks in "The Sun Also Rises".

The package store has a fairly large humidor. I'll look for it next time I'm there.

Sherry is delicious. I'd recommend Amontillado. You can then go sweeter or drier depending on your preference.

Also, this fall I'm thinking of carving my own corn-cob pipe. Has anyone here done that before?

Abgemacht, didn't you bring up that topic in a game we once played in??

Amontillado? Hmmm, sounds good. Another with a fine (if macabre) literary heritage.

@ abge

I have absolutely no idea how to make a corn cobb pipe, but I did find this:

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/08/09/how-to-make-a-corn-cob-pipe/


hope it helps.

We had a teacher in high school that smoked a pipe and you could always tell if he was in the break room because of the cherry tobacco smell. Pipe smoking is cool, the smoke actually smells good. Never tried one myself though.

OK...

I'm a scotch drinker. Single malt (never blended). Preferable Glen Fiddich or Glenlivet, the older the better.

Cigars: I have a 300+ count humidor for aging and my personal enjoyment and a 50 count for sharing when visitors come calling. I've smoked about everything listed here so far and none (not even Macanudos) compare to the A. Fuente Hemingway line (Classics and Signatures being my favorites). I also keep boxes of Ghurka Crests and CAO Cameroon L'anniversary. Cameroon wrappers are simply the best. Superior to Connecticut shade, sun grown, or maduro in every way. But right behind them is the Italian and Brazilian wrappers.

Pipes - I'm carve my own from briar and hope to turn handmades and especially freehands into a side business as I improve my technique. My favorite pipe is an old Savinelli full bent (the 614 shape) which I bought more than 25 years ago and my favorite tobacco is one of a number of English blends (Tinderbox sells one called Sherlock's Choice I just love). I also enjoy CAO Moontrance with fruit, vanilla, and bourbon in it's flavor. It's a great after dinner dessert smoke.

Wow, Scotch is the only thing I've ever drunk that I got mean on. The whole lot of us were getting belligerent as the evening went on and I pretty much swore the stuff off after that. Much like Tequila, which makes me sick.

Well, considering I don't drink to excess *ever* (not good for a diabetic to drink in general, much less to the point of stupor)...

Hm, I like Grand Marnier, does that count as brandy? My main drink is gin, though. And I haven't had a cigar since college, when we used to once a week buy cigars and walk from our college to the state capitol smoking them. Not for any political reason, just because it was a nice walk.

I used to walk from my college to the state capitol all the time. But since it was in downtown Atlanta, I can't say it was a nice walk usually.

Mine was Lansing, so...yeah. I mean, there's some rough stuff even along the main road, but I lived in Buffalo before that and Hong Kong and Detroit since, to say nothing of intermittent time in Chicago. It was pretty small potatoes.

I never had any problem with anything being rough, I just didn't like the basic city noise and smells, etc.

Atlanta was the murder capital of the country when I went to school there and I used to go down to campus (we didn't have dorms) at 2:00 and 3:00 working on papers (I liked the calm empty computer labs) and never had anything remotely threatening happen. It was nice to be young and immortal.

As a Scot I always choose single malt over brandy. My favourites form a very long list, but a personal favourite is Ardbeg 17 year old (the old version, not the newer one).

On cigars, I was a novice until a trip to Cuba last summer after which I returned with much knowledge and more than my customs allowance of Romeo Y Julietas, which I like very much. I also found Bolivars very enjoyable. My friends complain that they're too strong but I find them the perfect compliment to a generous dram.

If we're talking single malts, I tend toward the 10-year Laphroiag, but I've recently taken a liking to the 12-year Glenmorangie original expression. Quite smooth.
I don't cotton much for brandy or sherry, but a glass of Taylor Fladgate 20-year tawny port suits me just fine. I prefer Sandeman's, but they don't carry it in my area. Seems I can only get it when I'm on vacation. Ah well, something to look forward to.

@rojimy, if you like the 10 year olf Laphroaig, try the Quarter Cask or Cask Strength ones - they're both pretty punchy!

@TOgilvie...unfortunately, my state doesn't sell anything other than the 10-year at the ABC. I'd have to get it shipped in or go and get it from a state that does sell it. That's more coin than I'm willing to spend on a bottle. Not for a lack of wanting to sample it, though.

I forget how lucky I was living in Scotland! Easy to forget that not every pub has fifty different whiskies behind the bar.

big tick for the Laphroaig
& the other single & pure malts that come from the "island" distilleries
as they use a blend of seaweed and peat / "turf" to make the filtering charcoal
unlike the "Highland" & "Lowland" distilleries that use all peat stuff to make the filtering
charcoal
also like the Laguvallin (Highland)
single malt-- all from one grain mash through to muturation
pure malt -- mash is all Barley grain
so pure single malt-- mash had no Wheat added to Barley & it's not blended malts
there are lots of little Distilleries that produce some fantastic Scotch Whiskies.
personally I think the GlenLivet range is overrated ( sorry Dwaugnar )

Best "cigars" home made using tobaccco from Nat Sherman's Havana Ovals
cigarettes, maybe with a touch of Clove cigarette material, with Australian grown Sensimilla Heads ( or modern super strong strains ) & imported Afghani Hashish
20% Nat Sherman tobacco (USA)
2% Clove cigarette
68% Aussie Marijauna
10% Afghani Hashish
there's a smoke to enjoy
it's a pity so many countries have these archaic drug laws that equate that sort of
civilised smoking with meta amphetamine / heroin use

of course you can always substitute BC Buds for the Aussia marijauna
( British Columbia Buds ) our Canadian cousins are onto a winner

Blending cigarette tobacco can't be called a cigar. Shredded tobacco is at best a cigarello. Cigars must be whole leaf.

I've been on a rye kick recently. Usually will drink Jim Beam Rye as a regular basis, but will drink better stuff when I get my hands on it. Just got a bottle of Knob Creek Rye that I haven't opened yet.

As for cigars, there's a small local shop run by a local Cuban family that still hand rolls them in the back of the store and they own their own private tobacco fields in Mexico. They moved to the US after the revolution in Cuba and the grandfather was a cigar maker there so he just kept making them here. And then his son took over and now his Grandson runs it.

@Jon65...strangely enough, my wife and I will be travelling the Kentucky Bourbon Trail for our anniversary in November. There's not only the mainstream distilleries, but also a heap of small craft places that do rye and moonshine.

If you are into rum, I'd recommend Cruzan "single barrel" over ice. It is the only Cruzan rum that is good straight though, all others must be mixed.

Any idea how long they age their tobacco both pre and post rolling, Jon? I might be interested in trying one if they are well fermented (yes, tobacco ferments as it ages).

I tried Captain Morgan's 100 last year and liked it quite a bit. I mixed it with Coke though.

I'm worried about the two cigars. My brother in law won't be over until tomorrow evening and they've been out of the humidor since this time yesterday. They're in a Ziploc type bag the guy gave me at the store. Will they still be good?

I'll have to try that, CA...lol--Spanish red wine is excellent (one of the few things man's man Hemingway and I agree on.) ;)

And +1 for sherry, abgemacht--also good, especially sweet and Amontillado.

Maker's and a Romeo y Julieta. The thing keeping me from getting into brandy is having to buy snifters I'll never use for anything else.

As long as the bag is sealed, they shouldn't lose or gain too much humidity. Just keep them out of the sun and in a 70-74 degree air. Nno fridge or freezer. they are great for pipe tobacco (especially the freezer) long term but the worst thing ever for cigars.as the moisture expands as it freezes and cracks the tobacco leaves as well as leaving them dried out. the only time you want to do that to a cigar is trying to save it from tobacco worms. The freezer can kill the worms and you might be able to slowly return it to room temperature, but that is a last resort knowing that the cigar is already dead from worm rot if you don't try something.

A good tequila goes very well with a cigar. One that can be sipped from a snifter.

Punch Rare Corojo with an El Tesoro anejo is a favorite combo.

If you insist on brandy, then a remmy VSOP with a Monticristo is a similarly priced combo.

This was funny, I had no idea this thread would spawn spin offs.

Draug, I don't know off the top of my head. Next time I'm in that area I am planning on stopping by there and resupplying, and I'll ask.

What is a Monticristo? Oh, upi mean a Montecristo. :-) CAO Italia or Brazilia are similarly priced to the Monte and better cigars, IMNSHO.