Weekend at the Shack

A long time ago, a man purchased a piece of bayfront property that he called The Shack.  One day that man got together with a dozen of his pals from a cigar web forum and had a Herf.  For those that do not know what a HERF is, it is simply a get together for cigar lovers, where cigars are smoked, beverages are drunk and food is consumed.  Well after 5 years, it was time for Shack Herf VI. 
I took a few days off from work and headed up to Ohio for the event.  But I am not here to tout the virtues of the Shack Herf.  I am here to say that I smoked a good many cigars there, and I KNOW that I have not been smoking many cigars for this blog.  So I thought maybe I could write a bit here and there about the cigars I smoked.  But to be honest, the best cigar I smoked of mine was a 2 dollar tubo from Belinda in a plastic tube.  It was a Coronas Claro Tubo.  It was bright and fresh and breezy, twangy and totally enjoyable.  It was a machine-made cigar, but quite a nice surprise. 

Later during the day, I had occasion to join a Puff, Puff, Pass.  Several people ring a table and most times contribute a cigar to the circle which travels along at one puff at a time and rotates clockwise or counter.  The stars of this PPP were a Cohiba Maduro Genios, kind of a fat toro or corona gorda.  It was toasty and chocolatey and was the star for a time.  Also featured was a fantastic Partagas Lusitania from 2001 that rolled along with no particular wow moments until about halfway, and it absolutely sparkled with flavor and spice and herbal excitement.  Then a gent walked up with a real rarity nowadays, a Ramon Allones 898 from a cabinet, I think from the 2001 vintage.  I could be wrong.  Everytime it passed around the table, it had gotten just that much better.  I have no qualms about saying that it was the best tasting cigar lit at that hour, and there were some real stunners going among the 100-125 people all smoking at once.  I threw a Bolivar Belicoso Fino in there at one time and it was good, but did not get anyone all that excited.  To kick the whole show off I smoked a 01 Cohiba Lancero that was very well regarded, from the same batch as the original one that began this blog.  We also tried a Partagas Serie P No.2 Tubo that was pretty nice, as well as a H. Upmann Magnum 48 EL.  Imagine those all going around the table over and over.  I think no one got sick, but that is no easy thing to puff at a rate of one every 15-30 seconds.  It also ruins cigars, and I think they all expired at abut the 1/3 to 1/4 mark and certainly none were nubbed.