DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

So I get to the mail yesterday and there is some sort of check I got mailed to me. Opened it and it stated it was a check for settling a class action lawsuit and it was my piece of the pie. I thought is this a con? One of those deals where if you deposit the check you are on the hook for the money plus interest.

As it turns out it was legit. I spent a pretty penny on the ex-wife's engagement ring, wedding ring, my wedding ring as well as other jewelry gifts for her over our 8 years. Apparently I filled out the online form over 2 years ago and DeBeers coughed up about a $500 million I believe and they just started distributing the checks last week.

I have not bought cigars since long before the flying humidor incident and yes, could the money have been used elsewhere, yes, but after the year I have had I thought you know, treat yourself to something already and fact of the matter is its not your money. So popped over the border today to pick up a few things in Hudson, WI.

http://i.imgur.com/qDDqyMH.jpg

You only live once right?

Now off to a Viaje event tonight and tomorrow the mack daddy of the summer, the largest Liga Privada / Drew Estate / Joya de Nicaragua event in the upper Midwest sans Chicago.

Can't wait!

-(P

J.

PS - "Lone Star Mafia," they may not be quite as big as the bombs you sent me as they are spread over 3 people but payback is coming...

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

Wow. How cool. Congrats! Very nice selection to boot

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

Those are some great looking cigars James :tu

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

nice.

Now those 2 cigars on the bottom row, with the black & silver labels, what are those? I don't recognize them

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

Ferdinand,

They look like Gurhka Ghosts.

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

That's quite the haul you got there

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

Unexpected cigar bounty, one of life's great pleasures! :)

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

Some dark & yummy goodies for sure. :dr :dr

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

Damn James. Is it worth driving over there to grab cigars? I'd much rather give my money to my local, but with taxes so much lower over there I've been thinking about it for a little while now.

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

Pete if I posted what I actually paid no one here would believe me. Send me a PM with your eMail addy and I'll explain or pdt447 Gmail. Its a BS "ghost shadow" account but forwards automatically to my private email. I am very good friends with the owner of the two MN stores (U of MN & Oakdale) and the one in Hudson, WI as well as personal friends of the GM in Hudson. I work there when I want to just for fun. No pay, like Tim Tebow with the Patriots, sticks as a "thank you."

One box of the UF -13's is for a friend who will be at the Viaje event at Fuegos tonight and the box of Undercrown Corona Viva!'s was a gift from Hattem the owner.

I support local everytime I go into a B&M. I might not smoke what I bought that day (can't get Ligas here) but however many sticks I herf not from there I buy the equivalent from them. Not to mention when going good to events or like Fuegos it's worth the drive to buy in bulk there due to his deeply discounted prices due to volume, low WI tax (MN is 70% and going up in August) and a personal discount hence why I requested your email. Admittedly he is the bane of every Twin Cities B&M but welcome to capitalism.

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

Glad to see you stocking back up James

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

if what he says is true Tony....he might be sending some of that to us.....

James just an FYI....thats a big mistake brother

:su

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

Wow, very cool, you deserve it after the spell you have had :tu

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

Pfft my turn baby!

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

:r:r:r whoop up on Jason, good! He deserves a good smacking!

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

hush your mouth sissy :fu

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

Just got home from the Viaje event in Minneapolis. What a blast. Great sticks, great people and the catered dinner was friggin amazing.

http://i.imgur.com/NyqU0za.jpg

The two sticks to the left were freebies for those attending the event, they had 3 packs of Viaje Super Shots for $20 so figured why the hell not and smoked my first Ashton ESG tonight that was gifted to me by the friend I picked up the box of UF-13s for above. Review coming this weekend on the ESG. Very tasty.

Ahh time for bed, up bright and early back to the surgeons office and then at 1400 off to the Liga Privada event. Damn nice few days boys. Thank God for everyone you get!

J.

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

Correct. Not a Gurkah fan by any means but I love the Ghost and at $4.49 a pop I'll smoke em all week long.

I know Gurkahs aren't the most popular stick around but if you have not given it a dance try the Ghost. They are very well and consistently constructed, have a very very nice balanced strength and flavor profile and much like Liga Privada's the smoke output is off the charts. To be frank, I don't even like smoking them inside at the club or B&M as the smoke output of one is equal to about 3 Ligas and 6 of any other cigar lol.

Try em, I think you will be happy you did.

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

Got the low down as well about the new MN taxes. Its going from 70% to 95% in August. However its a good thing as there is now a $3.75 cent cap per cigar that retails for $12 or over meaning that pricing on higher end sticks such as the Ligas, Padron, Opus, God of Fire et al will actually come down due to the cap. Biggest impact will be to cig smokers and chewers.

I was told the goal was to separate cigs, flavored cigars & chew from premium hand rolled cigars which was accomplished this legislative session.

Now the goal is to show the state over the next two years that cigars need to broken out into their own tax bracket or to lower the cap by 25% to 50% as the upcoming new cap will actually bring in less tax revenue for the state vs their current methodology.

What a pain in the ass but that's the latest scoop directly from a MN State Senator that was at the Viaje event tonight.

-(P
J.

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

Yeah that's what I heard as well. I'm just so sick of paying almost more money on taxes than the cigar itself. Not to mention the shop owners don't see any of that money.

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

Yeah I got into a long conversation with the owner of BURN and a TobaccoGrover about that tonight. They are happy as the higher end sticks will come down in price due to the cap which means they will sell more and they won't have to lower their retail price thus, at least in theory, profits will go up due to more bang for your buck...in theory.

The Senator is a big cigar guy so are two of his closest friends. Inge Thulin and Greg Page, CEO's of 3M and Cargill respectively.

And quiet as its kept, look for a new B&M with a large "ultra lounge" in a joint venture from BURN & TobaccoGrove coming to a Twin Cities suburb towards the end of 4th quarter 2013 to 1st quarter 2014 with a big big name sponsoring the Grand Opening weekend. :tu

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

I would hope that this "ultra lounge" will be in the east metro as the other two are in the west? :r

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

Nice score - diamonds don't always have to be a girl's best friend.

Got my check too -- this thread gives me some ideas

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

The ultra lounge is supposedly going to be the nicest in the Twin Cities on par with the private club Fuegos and a titch less than the ultra exclusive $30,000 mandatory 10 year lease that's capped at 50 members & good luck even finding the place Herrbies.

No comment on the 3 potential locations other than one is East of 35W. Fuegos is also opening a St Paul location by the end of year with a b!tchen roof top deck similar but smaller than Seven and Crave down on Block E in Minneapolis.

Only thing that blows is the yearly membership dues went up quite a bit from 2012 to 2013 and to get reciprocity between the two the cost is going up again in 2014 unless you join at the Churchill level by the end of 2013 as then you have no additional cost between locations.

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

Heck yeah! I felt terrible though as I went into Wells Fargo to set up a new account and the lady asked me where the check was from and I replied "Do you know the company DeBeers? It's a class action lawsuit settlement." She replied "I'm from South Africa here in the United States on political asylum so yes, I'm all too familiar with DeBeers."

*crickets chirping* Open mouth insert foot & crawl back into my hole.

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

That's a first...go to a Viaje event and come home with Ashton sticks. :r :r :r

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

Very Nice Pick Up! It's always a great feeling when you receive "Surprise Money"!

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

Damn fine grabs brother.

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

It was a gift from my best friend for driving 82 miles round trip to my B&M in Hudson, WI to pick up a box of UF-13's I had special ordered for him. He has more money than God for someone of his age and sticks to boot and gifted me a God of Fire 2005 Carlito, Partags #4 CC, and a Opus X something of another from 2007. He always takes care of me when I go out there for him as its about a 110 mile round trip trip for him and until 3 weeks ago I lived only a 21 mile round trip.

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

Can't knock a gift like that. :tu :tu

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

Yeah he has been my as Jay from Clerks introduces Silent Bob would say, "I'm Jay and this is my hetero life mate Silent Bob" lol my best friend going on 25 years.

He has 4 humis at home, a huge locker at his private club, 2 more at public B&Ms in the Twin Cities area, and 2 at his inlaws place in FL and 2 at there place in Hawaii.

You know he has a sickness when he texted me from Hawaii a few weeks back and said something along the lines of, "I 'found' a box of Opus X's with bands from 2003 and a box of Cubana Cohibas (no idea the name of the blend) from 1999 I'll bring home and we can rip through em." First off who the hell "finds" something like that? If I had those sticks I sure as hell would know we're they were at all times. He even has a rider on his home owners insurance for them. Granted it does not say "cigars" but he and his agent conjured something up lol.

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

:emo2004

Re: DeBeers diamond company, thank you for the cigars
 

that's quite a haul man, glad to see your stock building back up. :)