tbkro
New Member
Hi there!
I am new to CP. I live in Seattle, WA and smoked my first cigar about 18 years ago, though only very occasionally for about 4 years. I did not smoke any for 5 years and then 9 years ago, during a trip to Europe, I was seduced by a Punch ISOM. For 6 years after, my gig had been to smoke 4 cigars a year. Then, while in Puerto Rico, I bought a box of Padron Londres Naturals and fell in love.
Since then, I've bought two desktop 50 humidors that stored a wide range of sticks and have been learning more. Earlier this year I bought a digital humidor on eBay and stuck that in one of my humidors. Damn near cried when I realized the analog POS hygrometers that came with those humidors were just that, a POS. So I bought a 300 cigar humidor that really only holds 200-- a common occurrence I understand, sort of like a reverse fish story (how big was it again?). I got in on the 2fer Humigauge Perfecto hygrometer deal when that was on and have since acquired a 38qt cooler that now has a few boxes.
My wife (no kids) is a Librarian and as a result I have cataloged all of my cigars. After 22 years of marriage and 6 years of dating before that, she's plum wore we out and now I catalog everything. A side note, our 1st date was some space movie called "Star Wars." In 2 hours we're headed to see Star Wars III-- should be fun.
My oldest stogie is one remaining Punch Coronation from that trip 9 years ago. My newest is the box of La Aroma de Cuba Corona’s, which arrived yesterday-- love those sticks. It's a funny story how I tried my first one.
Some of you may know that the cigar tax in WA state is 129%-- and this does not include Sales tax which is another 8.8%. The good news here is that now that the stadiums are built, the tax will be reset to 50 cents per stick on July 1st. As a result, I do all my shopping online or at out of state retailers. The February 05 issue of CA was a summary of their 25 best cigars of last year. Being a newbie, and having found through the years that for the most part I like what they like, I have been using this as a guide to fill my humidors.
Well, I was in New York 2 months back visiting Davidoff in Midtown Manhattan as I had bought cigars online from them and they were having an Anniversary sale/party the day I was there. I am browsing through their very nice humidor, admiring the Padron Serie 1926 40th Anniversary hand carved box they had just opened. I take a good whiff of the box-- WOW! From behind, in a Spanish accent come the words, "have you tried one?" I turn around and say that I haven't but look forward to it. Standing there are two well-dressed gents, one older than the other, each with lit cigars in their hands. The younger one extends his hand and introduces himself as Jorge Padron and then introduces his father, Jose Padron. I'm in New York, thinking to myself, "yeah right," but the owner of the shop was escorting them about. I speak Spanish and had a great chat with both Padron's. I look forward to smoking that 40th Ann stick at a special occasion in the not too distant future.
Cigar #16 on the CA list was LAdC Corona which I had decided to smoke in the store. Of the 25 on the list, I picked up 12 of them there. Lots of foot traffic inside, there's a gent rolling Davidoff Torpedo's in the corner. I am sitting there puffing away when another gent approaches me with an open box of cigars. He reaches down to my chair and asks, "Have you tried one of mine?" It was Don Lino and he gifted me a Duma from his Africa line. I haven't smoked that one yet, but expect to soon. Needless to say, that was a special day. Kinda didn't want to leave waiting to see if a Fuentes brother would show or something...
More recently I was in Canada and had an opportunity to smoke some great cigars while there:
H. Upmann Mag46 (5 5/8x46)
Punch Punch (5 5/8x46)
RA SCC (Small Club Corona)
SC La Fuerza (5.5x50)
SLR Serie A (5 5/8x46)
VR Famosos (5x48)
Boli CJ (Corona Junior) (4 3/8x42)
Qd'O Gran Coronas
I really like the Cuban Corona or Corona Gorda size.
Well, that's my story and I'm stikin to it.
--- tbkro
p.s. my handle is derived from the Spanish word "tabaquero" which simultaneously means tobacco roller and tobacco dealer or processor. The latter is clearly the definition that applies to me-- now where's that match...
I am new to CP. I live in Seattle, WA and smoked my first cigar about 18 years ago, though only very occasionally for about 4 years. I did not smoke any for 5 years and then 9 years ago, during a trip to Europe, I was seduced by a Punch ISOM. For 6 years after, my gig had been to smoke 4 cigars a year. Then, while in Puerto Rico, I bought a box of Padron Londres Naturals and fell in love.
Since then, I've bought two desktop 50 humidors that stored a wide range of sticks and have been learning more. Earlier this year I bought a digital humidor on eBay and stuck that in one of my humidors. Damn near cried when I realized the analog POS hygrometers that came with those humidors were just that, a POS. So I bought a 300 cigar humidor that really only holds 200-- a common occurrence I understand, sort of like a reverse fish story (how big was it again?). I got in on the 2fer Humigauge Perfecto hygrometer deal when that was on and have since acquired a 38qt cooler that now has a few boxes.
My wife (no kids) is a Librarian and as a result I have cataloged all of my cigars. After 22 years of marriage and 6 years of dating before that, she's plum wore we out and now I catalog everything. A side note, our 1st date was some space movie called "Star Wars." In 2 hours we're headed to see Star Wars III-- should be fun.
My oldest stogie is one remaining Punch Coronation from that trip 9 years ago. My newest is the box of La Aroma de Cuba Corona’s, which arrived yesterday-- love those sticks. It's a funny story how I tried my first one.
Some of you may know that the cigar tax in WA state is 129%-- and this does not include Sales tax which is another 8.8%. The good news here is that now that the stadiums are built, the tax will be reset to 50 cents per stick on July 1st. As a result, I do all my shopping online or at out of state retailers. The February 05 issue of CA was a summary of their 25 best cigars of last year. Being a newbie, and having found through the years that for the most part I like what they like, I have been using this as a guide to fill my humidors.
Well, I was in New York 2 months back visiting Davidoff in Midtown Manhattan as I had bought cigars online from them and they were having an Anniversary sale/party the day I was there. I am browsing through their very nice humidor, admiring the Padron Serie 1926 40th Anniversary hand carved box they had just opened. I take a good whiff of the box-- WOW! From behind, in a Spanish accent come the words, "have you tried one?" I turn around and say that I haven't but look forward to it. Standing there are two well-dressed gents, one older than the other, each with lit cigars in their hands. The younger one extends his hand and introduces himself as Jorge Padron and then introduces his father, Jose Padron. I'm in New York, thinking to myself, "yeah right," but the owner of the shop was escorting them about. I speak Spanish and had a great chat with both Padron's. I look forward to smoking that 40th Ann stick at a special occasion in the not too distant future.
Cigar #16 on the CA list was LAdC Corona which I had decided to smoke in the store. Of the 25 on the list, I picked up 12 of them there. Lots of foot traffic inside, there's a gent rolling Davidoff Torpedo's in the corner. I am sitting there puffing away when another gent approaches me with an open box of cigars. He reaches down to my chair and asks, "Have you tried one of mine?" It was Don Lino and he gifted me a Duma from his Africa line. I haven't smoked that one yet, but expect to soon. Needless to say, that was a special day. Kinda didn't want to leave waiting to see if a Fuentes brother would show or something...
More recently I was in Canada and had an opportunity to smoke some great cigars while there:
H. Upmann Mag46 (5 5/8x46)
Punch Punch (5 5/8x46)
RA SCC (Small Club Corona)
SC La Fuerza (5.5x50)
SLR Serie A (5 5/8x46)
VR Famosos (5x48)
Boli CJ (Corona Junior) (4 3/8x42)
Qd'O Gran Coronas
I really like the Cuban Corona or Corona Gorda size.
Well, that's my story and I'm stikin to it.
--- tbkro
p.s. my handle is derived from the Spanish word "tabaquero" which simultaneously means tobacco roller and tobacco dealer or processor. The latter is clearly the definition that applies to me-- now where's that match...
