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If you do go to check on your place don't open up the humidor -- you will just let the moisture (humidity) out, allowing your cigars to dry out even more.

Just leave everything as is until the power has been back on long enough for the temps to come back to normal.

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Thank you!

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what is the best whiskey to drink with a Monte Cristo? I would like to know, tnx

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I have never had a Monte Cristo, had some lovely pies made with Crisco and some with lard, again it's all preference.

To answer your question, which ever you prefer? I am sure you will get some excellent recommendations here, but I have always followed the simple rule of smoke what you enjoy and enjoy what you smoke, the same goes for drinking. Heck you don't wanna know from me, I'm not even from this part of town, I'm from the west side of Chicago.

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I agree 110%!

However, personally, as well as a few of my close friends, prefer Dark Aged Rums.

My personal favorites are Goslings Old Rum and/or Goslings Black Seal Rum. A second, less expensive favorite is The Kraken Black Spiced Rum.

http://www.goslingsrum.com/microsites/oldrum.php

http://www.goslingsrum.com/microsites/blackseal.php

http://www.bevmo.com/Shop/ProductDet...um-750ml/32547

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Drink Jameson 12 year, or drink nothing at all.

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How long do you recommend letting a cigar sit in your humidor after first getting it? I've heard about people letting them season in their humidor for a little while. Also what is the benefit of letting a cigar age for a year or two?

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3+ months for me. Though, some don't make it after the first week. Age lets the flavors mellow out, and also causes smoother taste/less harshness.

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Some are 2+ years, some are lucky to make it through the front door at all

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I let them acclimate to my humidor for 2-3 weeks.
:2
YMMV

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About a month for me. Most of the shops here keep the sticks a little more wet than what I prefer. Sometimes though, they don't survive the night.

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What's your guys' opinion of punch cutters? I've never used one or really cared to and I haven't seen much conversation here about them. Are they as bad as I would assume they are or what?

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I enjoy my punch, nice clean hole, no shrapnel.....they have there place, I don't like punching small rg cigars as they seem to get tarry.

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I am fairly new into cigars myself and always used a straight cutter, even had a lighter with the little punch on it and never used it, that being said about 2 months ago I started going with a punch 90% of the time and I love it.

Never had that happen, thankfully, unless they are too small for your punch then you cut, but I've punched most of them that can be and *knock on wood* no tarry mess.

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A punch can come in handy for certain vitolas. A great example would be the Berger Argenti Fatso line. It's a box pressed/wafe shape that would get split if cut with a snip without a careful hand.

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I also tend to use a punch on short filler cigars. It helps from getting small pieces of tobacco in your mouth.

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Newb question:

Sorry if this has been asked before, I haven't read all of this thread yet.

I have been using my pipe lighter (Xikar Resource) to light my cigars. Is it better to use a torch lighter for cigars?

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Soft flame or torch don't really matter outside of personal taste. The fuel matters though. A soft flame bic butane lighter works well. A zippo for instance that uses naptha which doesn't burn completely clean may taint the taste of a cigar. Potential adulterant of the cigar at lighting is also why you should wait until the sulfur end of a match burns off before lighting with a match.

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Thank you. I use the same care in lighting practices with my pipe tobacco.

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Thanks guys next cigar I think I will give a punch cutter a try.