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  • BOTL UPCOMING MAINTENANCE

    Hi Everyone, as mentioned in my introduction post, BOTL needs quite a bit of updating, patching and whatever else I might come across. Over the next few weekends BOTL may be unreachable on occasion as I do migrations or updates, etc. Just be patient - we'll be back! I'll generally try to keep these maintenances until later in the evenings.

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  1. Cigar Surgeon

    What CC you smoking?

    Enjoyed a lovely Mag 46 from 2006 with some coffee.
  2. Cigar Surgeon

    JDN going away?

    Lanceros. The best vitola that never sells.
  3. Cigar Surgeon

    JDN going away?

    Joya de Nicaragua was the first cigar factory in Esteli. Drew Estate handles their distribution, JdN does production for a number of other brands (e.g. Sobremesa). They'll be around for a long time to come.
  4. Cigar Surgeon

    Cuban's you've bought in the past that you know you won't buy again?

    Double Edmundo Flor de Cano Behike
  5. Cigar Surgeon

    What would the reaction be if...

    One day I sat down and calculated the value of all the cigars I owned. Then I was curious as to whether I had more in cigars, or scotch. Needless to say I deleted that spreadsheet.
  6. Cigar Surgeon

    Cuban quality

    Hey, I'm the GM of 16 stores across Alberta. You are correct, our effective tobacco taxes work out to about 372% these days. It has to do with the fact that our PTT (Provincial Tobacco Tax) is a multiplier of the Federal excise tax, and then 129% on top of that with a capped rate of $7.83. Which...
  7. Cigar Surgeon

    What CC you smoking?

    A little Monte 80th action.
  8. Cigar Surgeon

    freezing and fumigating ??

    I think it's important to highlight that only Cuban cigars designated for export are frozen. It's relevant because product in Cuba at the LCDHs has not undergone any fumigation or freezing, which puts you at major risk if you bring product back directly. Here is a better way I should have...
  9. Cigar Surgeon

    freezing and fumigating ??

    ...what? You've got it completely backwards. All non-Cuban manufacturer's fumigate at all stage of production, and then freeze before shipping. Habanos SA only freezes for product that is being exported, just before it's exported. Habanos SA does not use fumigation.
  10. Cigar Surgeon

    Mexico and Cuban Cigars

    Lots. I'm also a GM for a cigar store franchise for 16 locations so I see a lot of Cubans go through the stores. Like I said, they could just be a really shitty box but given that it's Mexico, it's not an LCDH, I always operate from the standpoint of they are fake until there's sufficient...
  11. Cigar Surgeon

    Mexico and Cuban Cigars

    The pictures don't give great detail but if you look at the Robainas at least half the sticks have water spots or wrapper imperfections would be very uncharacteristic for Robainas. Also looking at the image again it looks like the Robaina on the right side has beetle holes. If you look at the...
  12. Cigar Surgeon

    freezing and fumigating ??

    Haha I was worried someone was going to ask. I was just down there a few weeks ago and I asked and was told the name but never bothered to write it down. It's a gas and the explanation I've been given is it doesn't absorb into the tobacco, but it displaces all the oxygen and simultaneously...
  13. Cigar Surgeon

    Mexico and Cuban Cigars

    The easiest way to check what kind of shop it is; take the stamps from the box and plug them into the Habanos SA web verification tool. If you find any fakes, or not found, you know it isn't a reputable shop.
  14. Cigar Surgeon

    Mexico and Cuban Cigars

    Montes look fake. The Robainas look fake. Whenever I travel I automatically assume that anything outside an LCDH is fake (because it probably is), and I operate under the condition that the legitimacy of the product needs to be proven beyond a doubt.
  15. Cigar Surgeon

    freezing and fumigating ??

    Hey a topic I can actually answer in great detail. For non-Cuban production most factories employ anti-beetle fumigation at almost every stage of the process. The moment the tobacco comes out of the curing barn it is fumigated, and then at staged intervals along the process it continues to be...
  16. Cigar Surgeon

    Going to the Caribbean

    It's a huge pain in the ass. Even the agents don't know, I got stopped transiting through the airport from Nicaragua -> Houston -> Calgary and they started to claim I couldn't have more than 50 cigars as a visitor.
  17. Cigar Surgeon

    Going to the Caribbean

    The $400 restriction were specifically travelling to Cuba and bringing back Cuban goods (cigars, rum, whatever). Bringing back Cuban cigars from another country falls under the general customs allowance. https://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/kbyg/customs-duty-info
  18. Cigar Surgeon

    Going to the Caribbean

    $800. You can bring up up to 100 cigars (regardless of origin), and other goods up to a value of $800. So you have some wiggle room.
  19. Cigar Surgeon

    Question for you regular burners

    The best way for me to not want another cigar, is go to a herf and have 3 cigars in a night. Or when I go on the Drew Estate Cigar Safari and have 10 cigars a day for 4 - 6 days. I smoke 3 - 5 a week when the weather is nice. A couple during the weekend and then I might do a two-fer on Saturday...
  20. Cigar Surgeon

    IPCPR 2016 B Roll Video

    I'm behind the camera. I did do a few interviews in 2016, but none of it included any particularly interesting or funny B roll footage. You got it! Grant is a fun interview.
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