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Sponsors Ocean State Cigars "Welcome to the Stogie Geeks Show!" "This is episode 15 of Stogie Geeks, where the cigars sometimes burn as crooked as the local politicians and the bourbon flows steady… Joining me in the studio is Tim "I ride the short bus to pronunciation school" Mugherini! Mark, who is a big fan of the unbanded cigar, is also here, welcome Mark!.

Tonight Tim and Mark are smoking an unbanded cigar provided by myself. I am smoking an unbanded cigar from Stogie Santa, who could not be with us tonight. I will reveal to Tim and Mark what their cigar is at the end of the show, and Stogie Santa is going to text me the details of my cigar to be revealed at the end of the show.

Editors Note: We have reached a new milestone hear on the Stogie Geeks show. After episode 15 we had our first member vomit from excessive drinking. Congrats to Ben!

This week we are drinking

Ron Anejo Santiago de Cuba

Paul's List * Hoyo de Monterrey Du Roi (cuban) - This smoke was outstanding. Granted it was 10 years old. Makes me want to buy a cab of 50 of these and sit on them for 10 years. Nice smooth, wood flavors, still had tons of flavor and was not aged out. This cigar was also equally as good from start to finish, where I burned my fingers off! Thanks to Bill from the Cigar Snapshot podcast for this gift! * God of Fire Serie B Robusto - Nice toasty flavors on this smoke, poured smoked, but in the end it was no where close to being a $22.00 cigar. I'd pay maybe $10 for it. * Padron 45th Anniversary - Still the benchmark high end smoke. The flavors just keep building throughout, getting better and better as the cigar progresses. But, there are not buts, get yourself one of these smokes and enjoy it with a nice cup of coffee. Tip: Dry box this smoke first before smoking it! * CAO Sapranos Associate - I really love the flavors in this cigar, first 2/3 were really nice, almost a citrus sweetness. The finish wasn't bad, but wasn't good either. * La Riqueza - When I lit this up the flavors just poured in my mouth, however, it was plugged and I pitched it. I need to re-visit. * San Cristobol - I smoked one of these last summer, and it was totally amazing. I bought a bunch, and they are just not as good now. Flat, and not a lot of flavor. * Benji Menendez Master Series - What a great smoke, sweet flavors, complexity, balance, spice, this cigar has a lot going for it. Its cameroon wrapper will surely please. It should be noted this is the original release, the re-release in a toro size is just as good. Aging will be kind to these smokes as well, so seek them out.

Tim's List * Kristoff Criollo Madador - I did some grilling with the company of this 6.5 x 56 Toro from Kristoff. This stick performed well with a free flowing draw and a ton of smoke. The flavor profile didn’t change up much but it was enjoyable. Something I would certainly smoke again in a similar situation. “The Angler” * Bolivar Petite Corona - This three year old Cuban was gifted to me by Paul. My first Bolivar actually. Perfect construction and a smooth earthy profile made this 5 x 42 stick a pleasure to smoke. I am typically not a fan of "earthy" but this stick pulls it off in a not "in your face" manner that it is completely enjoyable. "Box Worthy" * Arturo Fuente Short Story - A great way to start my Easter morning. A refreshing classic from AF IMHO. I always keep a fiver around. * Camacho Liberty 2010 - Paul gifted me this Camacho Liberty 2010 that had a fair amount of plume on it. I had tried the 2009 but felt it didn't quite meet my expectations for such a high price tag. The 2010, however, was a different story. Smooth and complex, I really enjoyed the cedar sweetness on the last third. Besdies the Camacho 11/18 is still a favorite vitola of mine. "Box Worthy" * Paul Garmirian Reserva Exclusiva Gran Panatela - A fantastic smoke I enjoyed at lunch this week. Thank you Paul and Stogie Santa for gifting me this. This stick measures in at 7 1/2 x 40 and was just as toasty and complex as the Corona I reviewed a while back here. I wish I had more. "The Oasis" * Diamond Crown Julius Caesar Robusto - Well constructed with a beautiful wrapper. The flavor profile was very earthy with some woodsy notes and an occasional sweeteness. Not bad but not great. * Padron 2000 Natural - With a MSRP around $4.00, the Padron 2000 in either the Natural and Maduro is probably one of the best price concious Nicuraguan Puro's on the market. The natural offers up a profile of wood, hay, and coffee. A definite "fiver".

Stogie Tech: How To Find Aged Cigars Some of the listeners I've been talking to were wondering how we find aged cigars. I also talk to many people in the local lounge asking the same question, usually when they ask what I am smoking and its something older than 5 years! Here are some tips:

• Get friendly with your local shop - Look, don't just walk into your local shop and ask, "Got anything with age on it?". Instead, try to start a relationship with them. Talk with them about cigars, about which ones you like, which brands they carry, etc… Then, have a list of cigars and brands that you like. Do your research, find out what may have been limited some time ago and prove your knowledge. When you start asking about rare or aged stuff in an intelligent manner, they may be more inclined to break out stuff that has been laying around. Also, don't be afraid to look around. Some good signs of age are yellow cellophane, plume, or boxes that lok old (e.g. Davidoff small white boxes that look like they have been dragged through the dirt). Stogie Santa and I would have lots of conversations about aged stuff, I'd ask for all kinds of crazy stuff that I read about online, and I scored some gems this way. From then on, he clued me in on several more vintage smokes.
• Look online - Online shops sometimes have a "vintage" section, and this goes for Cuban and non-Cuban smokes. It will typically be buried on the site, but you can find some neat stuff if you look hard enough. With Cubans, feel free to email and find the box dates (all Cubans have a date on the box, for the most part). The other thing is to note when a limited release was produced, and search for that limited release. You will be surprised with what you find.
• Trade with friends - Again, its about telling people what you like. Talk to your friends, tell them you've always wanted to try a specific cigar. Or that you had an aged cigar you really liked, they may be willing to trade with you.
• Online Forums - I will let Tim and Mark handle most of this one, but often you can find aged cigars by buying and trading in the forums.

Diversion of the Week Stogie Fresh: Why are Cuban cigars so Expensive? David "Doc" Diaz two part post outlining the historical, social, political, and financial reasons affecting the cost of Cuban's can be found here; part 1 and part 2. A very education and interesting read.

Stogie of the Week Gurkha Black Dragon Imperial Presidente Origin: Honduras

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro

Binder: Cameroon

Filler: Dominican

Strength: Medium

Vitola: Presidente

Size: 7 x 56

Age: 1 Year in the humidor

MSRP: $288.00 box of 20, $14,40 each. Paid $5.00 ($46.00 for 10 on cigarbid.com)

Paul was smoking an Ashton VSG Double Corona with 2 years of age.