Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)

[T.G]

Originally Posted by idrankwhat

I got some empty boxes from my local B&M store to put some of the many samples I've bought in. I put them into my coolidor and now it smells more like the stale smoke of the B&M than the spanish cedar and cigars of my regular humidor. Any ideas how to get rid of the stale smoke smell without throwing out the nice boxes I got?

Yeah, throw those pieces of **** in the trash. You just did almost the equivalent of putting a half smoked cigar back in your humidor. Nothing is going to make that smell go away with them in there.

[bobarian]

Use Tupperware or plastic trays to separate your samplers.

[WhiteMamba]

If I get a box of cigars and they are vacuum packed could I leave them in there to age or does there need to be air flow?

[T.G]

There has been a whole lot of debate on that. Restricted airflow long term aging vs normal aging. How long you plan to age also plays a factor. A year or three might not make a noticeable difference, yet a decade or two might. It's very subjective.

If nothing else, you probably should open the vacuum bag just to inspect the cigars then reseal them if desired.

[QUAZY50]

After I receive some orders of smokes in the mail, should I put them in a tupperware with a Boveda pack for a few days? Or what is the best process for them to make it into my humidor? I only have the one humidor.

[bobarian]

Originally Posted by QUAZY50

After I receive some orders of smokes in the mail, should I put them in a tupperware with a Boveda pack for a few days? Or what is the best process for them to make it into my humidor? I only have the one humidor.

If you dont have space a tupperware is fine. Otherwise they can go directly in your humidor.

[wesvan]

I guess this is the place to ask my first question instead of where I put it before. So here it is: Does the wrapper, binder, and filler leaves have to be of the same moisture content when rolling? And what would be a optimal moisture content. Not wet but maybe just barely moist or something like that?


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[wesvan]

Does the wrapper, binder, and filler leaves have to be of the same moisture content when rolling? And what would be a optimal moisture content. Not wet but maybe just barely moist or something like that?

[Byaah]

Originally Posted by wesvan

Does the wrapper, binder, and filler leaves have to be of the same moisture content when rolling? And what would be a optimal moisture content. Not wet but maybe just barely moist or something like that?

As I understand it the RH of the tobacco does not have to be exact b/w each leaf but when rolling starts they do need to be more wet than usual to keep the pliable and ready to be rolling without destroying the inventory.

Here is a great read on all of that that will give some explanation to your question:

http://www.tobacconistuniversity.org...ge_rolling.php

[jojoincali]

Hi all, new here, and have a box of cigars I am trying to identify. I received them as a gift in 2000. They are Montecristo Le Cigar des Arts 2000 Millennium collectors edition. It contains 12 sealed tubes and a cutter in a beautiful black lacquered box. They have been stored in a controlled environment and NEVER OPENED.

Can anyone tell me anything about these? I cannot find anything recent online.

[Remo]

Originally Posted by jojoincali

Hi all, new here, and have a box of cigars I am trying to identify. I received them as a gift in 2000. They are Montecristo Le Cigar des Arts 2000 Millennium collectors edition. It contains 12 sealed tubes and a cutter in a beautiful black lacquered box. They have been stored in a controlled environment and NEVER OPENED.

Can anyone tell me anything about these? I cannot find anything recent online.

Montecristo Platinum Royale Delacroix
Posted on April 27, 2008 by cigarfan


It’s been a while since I fired up a Monte Platinum, and to tell the truth I was a little hesitant about this one. Back in the day they used an Indonesian wrapper that really put me off my oats, but they switched to a San Andrés maduro which has made a big improvement. Even so, this one has been languishing in my humidor for a couple years.

The “Cigare des Artes” line was introduced by Consolidated Cigar in 1998 (before the company was swallowed up by Altadis USA) as a fuller bodied version of the standard Montecristo. The original line had a Nicaragua wrapper, and the packaging was extravagant: cedar-wrapped cigars in aluminum tubes sold in specially decorated boxes or ceramic jars.

The art chosen for the line was unusual for the American cigar market: the paintings of French artist Michel Delacroix, most of which feature cityscapes of Paris and its environs prior to World War II. He paints in the “naif” manner — a simplistic, folksy style that ignores perspective and looks sort of like the art of Grandma Moses. Given the slick, cosmopolitan images used in cigar advertising today, this isn’t what I expect to see on a cigar box.

The painting commissioned for this line is called “Montecristo Royal,” a crisp looking winter scene of the city that includes a huge sign on a building that reads “Montecristo Fine Cigars” with the Montecristo logo. The sign looks out of place, just as the painting does on a box of cigars. It took a while, but eventually I began to see its charm.

When the original “Cigare des Artes” blend was discontinued in 2002 it was replaced by the Platinum blend, but the commercial vitolas and the artwork still bore the impression of Michel Delacroix. The 7.25 x 52 double corona up for review here is called the “Royale Delacroix.” This size was discontinued in 2004, so this stick has a few years on it. (I received it in a trade about two years ago.)

The wrapper on this slugger is a Habana 2000 grown in the San Andrés Valley of Mexico, normally known as a great producer of maduro wrapper. The binder is Nicaraguan, and the filler is a blend of leaves from the Dominican Republic, Peru and Nicaragua. And like most (if not all) Montecristos, it is rolled in the Tabacalera Garcia factory in La Romana, DR.

The wrapper on this cigar is dark, nearly maduro, with a lot of oil. The overall appearance is rough, but attractive nevertheless. The roll is solid and the draw is just right. It lights up easily and starts to build a solid light gray ash.

The first third is marked by a sweet hickory flavor and a mild body. For the first inch there’s just a hint of bite, but this vanishes as some cocoa flavors make an entrance. Into the second third the finish grows and leaves an earthy aftertaste. The flavors get a little more chocolatey but in a muted rather than a robust way. A good contrast is the RP Olde World, which has similar flavors but articulates them much better. The aroma up to this point is of sweet wood and is generally quite pleasant.

After an hour I find that I’m becoming bored with this cigar. It’s burning well and tastes fine, but it’s lacking in substance. Maybe if I were sitting in a Paris cafe, circa 1895, watching the snow fall on a horse drawn carriage while I sipped my coffee, perhaps then I might find the patience to smoke this big boy to the end. As it is now, in the twenty first century, watching the jets streak across the night sky bound for Nellis AFB, I’m ready to call it quits.

The Montecristo Royale Delacroix is fine cigar, no doubt. Fans of mild to medium bodied cigars will find this double corona very enjoyable, but if you’re looking for a little more flavor, you may want to look elsewhere.

I found this online that I think is them

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by jojoincali

Hi all, new here, and have a box of cigars I am trying to identify. I received them as a gift in 2000. They are Montecristo Le Cigar des Arts 2000 Millennium collectors edition. It contains 12 sealed tubes and a cutter in a beautiful black lacquered box. They have been stored in a controlled environment and NEVER OPENED.

Can anyone tell me anything about these? I cannot find anything recent online.

Welcome to the Asylum.

[T.G]

Originally Posted by jojoincali

Hi all, new here, and have a box of cigars I am trying to identify. I received them as a gift in 2000. They are Montecristo Le Cigar des Arts 2000 Millennium collectors edition. It contains 12 sealed tubes and a cutter in a beautiful black lacquered box. They have been stored in a controlled environment and NEVER OPENED.

Can anyone tell me anything about these? I cannot find anything recent online.

Those are the original / limited run Montecristo Cigar de Arts cigar from 1999. IIRC, the aluminum tubed ones came later.

They were rare when they came out. I'm sure the are even more rare now. I think the last time I saw one was 10-11 years ago. I have no clue whatsoever as to their value nor do I know if the cigar got better or worse with age.

Welcome aboard.

[SipNpuff]

Hello, I'm new here and to cigars in general. I have spent an enormous time soaking up information but decided to join this forum so I don't read the same information multiple times.

Being so new I have not settled on what I prefer. A friend gave me a Gurkha Euphoria that I did enjoy. I've searched high and low but can't find anything about it. Can anyone enlighten me about them?

Thanks and I am looking forward to the day I enjoy the right cigar with a good glass of whiskey.

[icehog3]

Gurkha makes about 400 different cigars, give or take a few baker's dozens, Bill....but I can't find a single thing about a "Euphoria".

[SipNpuff]

That is what puzzled me Tom. The only thing I found was a picture of one. I have found no mention of it anywhere via google. This is the picture that was posted. Any idea where else I might look?

[T.G]

Might have been a one off for an event or a specific shop. Could try emailing Gurkha cigars directly, they might be able to help.

[SipNpuff]

Have not been too lucky with that so far Adam. I was hoping someone here was familiar with them so that if I couldn't locate any then maybe they could steer me towards something comparable.

I do plan on trying a few sampler packs but being OCD I am trying to find out some more about the Euphoria.

[dave]

SnP,

I am among those that would typically give you a snarky response to a Gurkha inquiry, despite the fact that I sheepishly admit to having enjoyed some in years past.

Snarkiness aside, there is a strong case to be made for abandoning your quest. Even if it is a GREAT cigar...and even if you can find the lone source....and even if they don't charge you an exorbitant price....very few Gurkha cigars are long for this world. You may find your holy grail of cigars early in your adventure...but you will be disappointed because it is highly unlikely you will access a reliable, recurring supply. Worse, you may find Euphoria again a year or two later, and find that while it has the same name, it could be a totally different blend, crushing your enthusiasm for Gurkha and turning you into the same crotchety, cynical Gurkha basher that so many of us have become.

[T.G]

Dave is wise.