Podcasts about doublewood

Tasting Notes:  William Grant hit a HOME RUN when they brought out the Balvenie DoubleWood, taking a practice that had been fairly common in scotch aging, the addition of sherry aged cask whiskies to ex-bourbon barrel casks and giving it a name and providing some insight into the process. The label was creative, and more importantly, the juice was excellent. Along with the barrels, they stuck a 12yr age statement on it and have never backed down. Pure arm-chair leather malt with dark fruit, cherry, honey malt, and just a pinch of cinnamon. The Balvenie has always been a juicy malt, but the addition of the sherry adds a fruit element that provides even more complexity.  Arm-Chair Leather Honey Malt Deliciousness

Frizz and Bob pop the cork on Balvenie's DoubleWood to celebrate the 30th anniversary of a hip hop 101 staple, A Tribe Called Quest's Midnight Marauders. We'll take you on a crate diggin' journey of Tribe's most obscure musical references, the power of using positivity to turn pain into prosperity, the finesse of some of the finest sampling in music history, and smort worter.

This week's Misfit Entrepreneur is Wylie McGraw.  Wylie is a former professional baseball player, competitive bull rider, 3-tour combat veteran, founder of Radical Performance Acceleration, and host of the hit podcast Wise Words & Whiskey.  Wylie works with the world's highest caliber founders and leaders from Fortune 500 CEO's to Pro Athletes helping them breakthrough and remove their inner demons to help them find deeper meaning, true motivation, and make their impact. Wylie brings a no-nonsense, navy seal style approach that gets results and then some and I've excited to have him on to talk everything entrepreneurship and how his methods work. www.WylieMcGraw.com ​ Podcast:  Wise Words and Whisky Wylie grew up in a household of athletes and high performance.  He grew up around pro-athletes and California Angels pitching staff because of his dad and was recognized at a young age for having a great arm.  They started to cultivate him, and his focus became sport.  He loved it.  As he got older, he started put the pieces together of how much of a business the sport was and the stressed brought on by it – he started to rebel and push away.  He sought other outlets and different friends to challenge himself.  As he got into high school, he became friends with a group of rodeo cowboys.  He jumped in feet first and found he really connected with it and loved it.  It unleashed the wild side that he had and how to conquer fear and use it as a catalyst for higher performance.  The next evolution for Wylie was the US military.  It was an environment to continue pushing his limits.  His time in the military helped to understand what it takes to push people and help them find their true self. You say “leaders call you when they want their life back.”  Explain that. Wylie realized that we have transition moments and periods in our lives.  In those moments of change and discomfort that Wylie realized he had gift.  He was the one that people came to expose the darker sides of their lives and would leave him and the discussion being better off. After he came out of the military, he knew that he could use this to help people in a much bigger way. He could push people, but give them to love, care, and find their path to being truly fulfilled.  He started with combat veterans and through world of mouth was introduced to others that needed support and help.  He found that many people that had done a lot of work on themselves still were not where they wanted to be.  Many people insulate their stress and pain, but don't eradicate it.  This is why people call him. With all the work you have done, what have you found is typically the biggest obstacle to people reaching their potential and why? Human beings are good at masking what is truly happening internally for them. Our mind is the biggest liar that we face, but our bodies – we at the core know the truth. Our minds lie to us about the truth and we tell ourselves the lie over and over compounding. And when we get to a point later in life, where we have had success and done great things, we personally feel unsatisfied and unfulfilled.  We chalk that to the cost of being human and that's the way it is – that's BS. Because of this many are disconnected from their own truth.  We do things we know we shouldn't be doing anyway – why?  The people at the top are the biggest culprits of that because they have the means to do so.  And as such, they need the most help live their truly best life. What is the process you take people through on how to overcome this? It starts with the moment they meet Wylie. We are dynamic beings with many different facets. When we try to approach growth and personal development, we do compartmentalized – trying to find a “step by step” process and that simply doesn't work since everyone is drastically different. The real magic is in the nuance of working specifically on themselves through not hiding the truth inside them.  This is Wylie's gift to see this and pull it out of people.  The real breakthroughs happen through an intimate understanding that is addressed head on.  Once this happens, then an individual has to recalibrate and do the work. Fear is part of the transformation and is needed as part of the development.   3 tours in war zones, talk to us about your experience as a soldier and leader.  What did you learn about to overcome immense challenges and limits? Combat will stretch you.  The only other thing close is the wars we fight within ourselves. Every man in Wylie's family served, so it was a time honored tradition, but Wylie was after the structure, discipline, and time honored commitment to excellence. You are pushed mentally, physically, and spiritually to the absolute brink and break you down.  You are then built back up and are better for it.  You can keep calm in chaos naturally. Kosovo taught him how to be still, focused, and grounded.  It was the first place he got shot at and experienced combat. He came back and was in the process of going to Ranger school when 9/11 happened and he was one of the first groups to go into Afghanistan. He then went into Iraq which was a different type of combat being in close quarter and in cities.  All of this helped him in seeing his limits and go through them and overcome fear after fear and break free from any chains that had bound him.  It helped him create a real, intimate relationship with himself, shed his demons and live truthfully with himself. At the 30 min mark, Wylie talks about confronting ourselves.  We don't want to face ourselves which is why many times top athletes and high performers essentially hire “yes men” and surround themselves insulating the lie. People are scared of what they need to face in themselves and get exposed. Instead of just admitting it and going to work, we make excuses to stay where we are and feed their demons. This gets reinforced by society. What are your top lessons from your leadership experience, you feel can help entrepreneurs the most? Being a leader is about service outside of yourself.  You first have to lead yourself to lead others. It is about standards, value, and habits, but it goes beyond that to do the work to master who you are.  Admit that you have been lying to yourself about a number of things and decide to confront these things head on – you'll be amazed at how fast things will change if you do.  Lead yourself first. What are lessons you learned from your baseball and rodeo days that translate well to entrepreneurship? We are always going to experience moments where we are not motivated and hit our limitations. This is where we need to become more self-aware and realize you are struggling and being stretched.  This is good and if you push through these times, you will get to a new level. You have to learn how surrender your rigid thinking – you have the capacity and the ability.  Don't let your mind limit your body. In bull riding, you cannot fight the bull, you need to relax and literally become one with the bull and it's movement.  When something is really uncomfortable on your path to personal growth, surrender because that is what you really need.  Wise Words and Whisky, what's your favorite label? Balvenie and Doublewood neat.   Best Quote:  Human beings are good at masking what is truly happening internally for them.  Our mind is the biggest liar that we face.   Wylie's Misfit 3:  You have to be willing to admit to yourself the biggest lie you have been telling yourself and confront it.  Find your truth. It is time to welcome necessary suffering.  Suffering is important for growth.  Find comfort in the ambiguity of live and in fear.  It is an ally for your personal growth and development.

Wir haben es uns spontan im Dr Hops gemütlich gemacht und Mal wieder Baratmosphäre geatmet. In dieser Folge erwarten Euch zwei Whiskys aus Neuseeland. Nummer eins ist ein Blend und zwar der New Zealand 18 Doublewood aus der New Zealand Whisky Collection. Richtig gelesen - 18 Jahre! Nummer zwei ist aktuell noch nicht wirklich bekannt aber seit letztem Jahr in Deutschland zu haben. Tim hat den Scapegrace Single Malt Whisky REVENANT III von der Tarona mitgebracht. Spannend! Viel Spaß beim hören Olli und Tim

Brandon and Michael rate and review Cali Distillery's Maverick's Doublewood Small Batch American Whiskey. They break down the tasting notes and profile. Cali Distillery, located on West Coast in Gardena, CA, has a California Twist on American Sipping Whiskey. You can find them on Instagram @calidistillery and at https://www.calidistillery.com Head over to Walk Offs and Whiskey and use promo code "BNB" for 10% off your next purchase! https://walkoffsandwhiskey.com/ As always follow us on everything! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarrelsnBarrelsPod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barrelsnbarrelspod/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9dcmbbjVCuQXC7gTY2yLHg Twitter: https://twitter.com/barrelsnbarrels --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barrels--barrels-podcast/support

The lizards discuss the Padrón 1964 Anniversary Torpedo in Natural paired with Balvenie's 12 Year Doublewood and answer a listener question about non-alcoholic drink pairing and cigar cutter choices. // Join the Lounge Lizards for a weekly discussion on all things cigars (both Cuban and non-Cuban), whiskey, food, travel, life and work. This is your formal invitation to join us in a relaxing discussion amongst friends and become a card-carrying Lounge Lizard yourself. This is not your typical cigar podcast. We're a group of friends who love sharing cigars, whiskey and a good laugh. Email us at loungelizardspod@gmail.com to join the conversation and be featured on an upcoming episode! Find us on instagram: @loungelizardspod

I'm Back! with a request from my good friend Matt, Balvenie DoubleWood 12. I missed you all so much!   Send your questions/comments to Barrelhousepocast@gmail.com www.barrelhousepodcast.com for social, merch and more! www.barrelhouse.live for the livestreams and youtube www.patreon.com/barrelhouse to support the show, keep the lights on, or buy me a drink Until Next time, Drink whiskey, be merry and Take care

Booze and Cigars and Stuff is weekly bonus material for the As I Was Saying podcast. Rob and Les offer their opinions on cigars and booze pairings and other stuff. This week, Les offers his thoughts on Balvenie Doublewood 12yr Scotch and Rob reviews Buffalo Trace Bourbon. Vegancuts celebrates the vegan lifestyle, regardless of how you live it, and brings you vegan products you can trust. They offer vegan snack, beauty, and makeup boxes. Our listeners that are interested in trying out Vegancuts can use the referral link and then type in our coupon code at checkout to get a $5 discount on subscription boxes. vegancuts.com/ref/240/ Coupon code - AsIwasSaying

The Balvenie 12 Doublewood vs the new Balvenie 12 The Sweet Toast of American Oak, vs The Balvenie 12 and the Balvenie 15 Sherry Cask. We'll talk through each one and give our opinions live. Scotch in the news, Dr. Scotch and more... --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/scotch4dummies/support

Welcome back, everybody!  We have a new program for you today. Fantasy Highland will join two of my passions, football and whisky, into what is, hopefully, a palatable listening experience. Each episode, I, and hopefully a guest, will talk about a new whisky or two and get into some football and or fantasy football.  If the timing is right, hopefully you can enjoy a dram with us while you listen. Today's guest is the venerable Scott Fish.  Scott is my favorite commissioner.  I've played in more than a few of his leagues and there is nobody I trust more to dispense league lading wisdom.  Seriously, if you run a league, you just have to follow Scott. In addition to being a great, and I mean great commish, Scott's a dynasty maven who can really run a team.  I'll be picking his brains some on this year's rookie class. Scott runs the coolest league in all of fantasy football: The Scott Fish Bowl.  We'll talk a bit about hat as well.  It's only fitting as it brings people together much the way a fine dram can.  This year's theme is toys, which is also fitting if you are familiar with how Scott uses his various leagues to raise money for Toys 4 Tots each year. Lastly, the whisky.  Scott turned me onto one of his favorite drams: Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14.  It took me a while to finally take the plunge.  Me, being the value-hunter than fantasy has conditioned me to be, kept buying the Balvenie 12-year old Doublewood.  It was on sale!  It's a very nice bottle in its own right, but the Caribbean Cask is something special, as Scott and I will get into.

Booze and Cigars, As I Was Saying Podcast weekly bonus material. Rob and Les offer their opinions on cigars and booze pairings.

In the Early 1980s, David Stewart, the Master Distiller at Balvenie began an experimaent that no one beloeived in.  Mr. Stewart took 12 year old scotch that had aged in ex-bourbon barrels and then transferred it into a Sherry Cask.  While Sherry casks had been used before to age whisky, no one had ever tried using multiple casks. Stewart was a pioneer in the evolution of wood finishing, and in 2016, he recieved an MBE for services to the Scotch Whisky Industry.  Join us as we kick off Season 2 of the B-S.E.A. Whiskey Underground as we drink some Balvenie Doublewood 12 and 17-year old whisky. “If you came here to learn, drink what you have learned.  If you came here to share, share what you drink. If you came here a stranger, may you exit as a friend; and if you came here for and adventure, drink up!” Facebook Group The B-S.E.A. Whiskey Glass

Ross Blainey is William Grant & Sons’ The Balvenie Brand Ambassador for Australia and New Zealand. His job, as he puts it, is to bring the stories from the 126-year-old Speyside distillery to those who haven’t been able to get there. Some of those tales are also behind the company’s new ‘The Balvenie Stories’ range of whiskys. Ross’ first encounter with The Balvenie’s Single Malts was as a teenager, when he was tasked with building the whisky range at the Dufftown pub where he was working. He grew the bar’s range of single malts from under 10 to almost 200, yet found that he kept coming back to The Balvenie 12 DoubleWood as his go-to dram. We ask Ross about the process to becoming a Brand Ambassador, the qualities that bode well for success in the role and what goes into developing brilliant tasting events. "It's about passion and communication." Then, we explore what's next for the category of whisky, as well as some food pairing tips, with some classic stories from the Distillery interspersed throughout. Key points 05:14 Getting into Whisky 07:05 Ross’ go-to dram 11:08 Becoming a Brand Ambassador 16:09 Tasting events 19:00 The weirdest tasting note he’s encountered 20:40 The Balvenie Stories 27:27 What next for the category of Whisky? 34:12 Translating the Scottish accent 36:34 Food pairings

Hallo liebe Zuhörer und Zuhörerinnen, nachdem wir letzte Woche ja eine sehr lange Folge - mit unserem Rückblick zur Messe - hatten, ist unsere aktuelle Folge diesmal etwas kürzer. In dieser Folge verkosten wir kurz und knapp, aber hoffentlich nicht weniger informativ, den Klassiker aus Balvenies Core-Range. Wie uns die Abfüllung gefallen hat und ob wir den Whisky weiterempfehlen würden, könnt ihr in der aktuellen Folge hören. Wir wünschen viel Spaß beim hören. Übrigens, sollte euch der Podcast gefallen, würden wir uns über einen Like oder ein Kommentar auf unserer Facebookseite sehr freuen! Über neue Abonnenten auf Facebook freuen wir uns natürlich auch sehr!

In this episode we compare The Balvenie 12yr Doublewood (link here) to the 17yr Doublewood (link here) . We break down the nuance differences each have while smoking a Montecristo Classic Torpedo (link here). Its a short episode, just short of 20 minutes and it is definitely void the life banter back and forth between the...

New guest and new whiskey in the house tonight!!! We have Joey Gottschall and Mark Woodrum in the studio and we are talking a lot of whiskey! We have Balvenie 17 year DoubleWood and Greenspot Irish Whiskey in the house and AC/DC's Back in Black on Vinyl! What are you waiting for?!?! Download and listen today! #FYM #tipping #20% #FirstConcert #Shinedown #Godsmack #Fatherandson #Balvenie #doublewood #singlemalt #ScotchWhiky #17years #Doublecask #Greenspot #irishwhiskey #SinglePotStill #TripleDistilled #10years #mitchell&Son #Beards #whiskey #whiskygram #whiskyporn #instawhisky #whiskycollection #newwhisky #ACDC #BackinBlack #BigBalls

While there are hundreds, if not thousands of people who've been in the ‘family' of distilling and making single malt Scotches (as well as blends), there is really only a handful of people (or arguably none) who have had as much influence as David Stewart, Malt Master at The Balvenie for over 50 years. Besides developing the practice of finishing whiskies (with the 12 year Doublewood – which he developed before the term ‘finishing' was termed for the practice) and developing all the single malts at The Balvenie. He also consulted in the design of the Glencairn whisky glass, now considered the preeminent piece of glassware to enjoy the spirit. So valued is his work that last year he was bestowed the title of Member of the Order of the British Empire (or MBE). A couple of weeks ago I had the distinct pleasure of chatting with David Stewart for a few minutes after an intimate tasting he led at Jack Rose Sallon in Washington, DC. Take a few minutes (bear with the background noise) and listen to the words from one of the true legends in the history of Scotch Whisky as we discuss his ‘favorite' single malt from The Balvenie, some of the process that makesThe Balvenie the distinctive and world renown single malt we enjoy today – and he sets the record straight about the Kininvie distillery‘s origins. Cheers!

We will smoke something else during this show... Download Episode 7 Here Audio Feeds: This week we are drinking Knappogue Castle® 12 Year Old THE BALVENIE, DoubleWood, Aged 12 Years Knob Creek Barrel Aged 9 Years Paul's Top Ten Stogies of 2011 EP Carillo Dark Ritual's Partagas Benji Menendez Re-Release Paul Garmarian Symphony 20th Salamone Tatuaje Fausto Avion Avo LE 2011 Oro Reserva double torpedo or robusto La Verite 2009 Robusto Alec Bradley Fine and Rare Quesada Oktoberfest Padrón 1964 Smoke Inn 15th Anniversary Maduro Tim's Top Ten Stogies of 2011 AVO 85th 2011 Limited Edition - Without one my favorite new smokes this year. I buy very few boxes and this was one of the few in 2011. "The Oasis"> E.P. Carillo 2011 Limitada - "Dark Rituals" - My favorite EPC release to date. Great balance, complexity, and quality. "Box Worthy" Paul Garmirian Symphony 20 (2011) Short Robusto - A great stick that just pours smoke and flavor. I prefer the Short Robusto to the larger sizes. I found the Salomone to have a little too much strength and a little less flavor. "Box Worthy" Tatuaje M80 - Wow! wish I had grabbed a box of these. Great flavor, strength, and construction. "Box Worthy" Tatuaje La Verite 2009 Robusto - Nice mix of wood, spice, and cream. Again I preferred the Robusto to the Churchill. "Box Worthy" Liga Privada Unico Serie L40 - I love everything Liga Privada! Nuff Said! "Box Worthy" J. Grotto Serie Reserve Gran Corona - Wood, Spice, and cream. Love this stick. "Box Worthy" Tatuaje TAA - I wish I had grabbed more of these while they were still available. Nice unique flavor profile. "The Fiver" Tatuaje Black Petit Lancero - My favorite vitola in the black series. I cannot wait until Pete does some other vitola's. "The Fiver" Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial (2011) - I love the new size this year. it is working for me. "The Fiver" Other Stuff We've Been Smoking Paul's List: Arturo Fuente Short Story Maduro - I think this may have the best flavors of all the maduro hemming way sticks, smooth, TONS of flavor, great burn. A winner! Supposed Vintage Pre-Embargo Cuban - So, I was expecting some cuban flavors of some kind, but just didn't get that. It was a well-aged stick with nice flavors, but I don't think it was Cuban. Illusione Mk Ultra - Strength, but lacking on flavors. A Real Cuban (vintage) San Cristobol De La Habana - Torpedo - Soooooo, good. Best stick I've smoked in some time. Tim's List La Riqueza No. 1 by Tatuaje - Wow! Wow! Wow! Check out the review. Nuff said. Paul Garmirian Reserva Exclusiva Corona Extra - Another incredible smoke I recently reviewed. Fantastic medium bodied smoke with a Cuban like flavor profile. In the end, my first "The Oasis" rating given on the site. Unbanded - LFD Chisel Double Ligero (2003) - A gift given to me my stogie santa during the last recording. This stick still has some power after all this time. Unbanded - Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 Toro (2nd) from 2009 - Something was so wrong with this stick. I have had RP Vintage 1990 before and never have experienced such bitter or sourness. I had to give the "Lawn Mulch".

Download Episode 6 Here Audio Feeds: Video for this episode: This week Paul and Tim review the Liga Privada Unico Serie "L40" Lancero, talk about a dozen or so cigars that didn't make the top ten released for 2011, and do a segment on why you should smoke Cuban cigars. Stogie of the Week Liga Privada Unico Serie "L40" Lancero Origin: Dominican Republic Wrapper: Connecticut Stalk Cut Habano (CT River Valley Stalk Cut & Cured Habano Leaf) Binder: Brazilian Mata Fina (Plantation-Grown) Filler: Nicaragua (3 Extra-Choice Nicaraguan Cuban Seed) Strength: Medium-Full Vitola: Parejo Size: 7 x 40 (Lancero) Age: One year in Paul's humidor MSRP: $12.95 (15 count box) Fun Facts: "L40" refers to the slightly larger ring size than the typical lancer. It contains 5 different tobaccos, bumping up the ring gauge to a 40 (from the more traditional lancer ring size of 38). Its recipe was in development for 2+ years prior to release. Other smokes in the "Unico" series include the "Dirty Rat" and the "Feral Flying Pig". From Drew Estate: In our ongoing creation of the Liga Privada line, hundreds of different, distinct blends and vitolas are crafted in our ceaseless search for the perfect smoke. Most samples are dismissed with only a rare, select few being deemed worthy, but regretfully due to tobacco limitations, costs, construction limitations, etc. most of these blends can not be made into a their own stand-alone line. However, they are so perfect in flavor and aroma, we continue to selfishly make them for ourselves to smoke. This is not our desire, we want the Liga Privada connoisseur to enjoy the very same cigars our “El Jefe” smokes regardless of any reason. And with this in mind, we have created the Único Serie – a home for these unique ones. All of the cigars within this series are not only different in size and recipe, but they are extra special, extremely limited and exceptionally delicious. Reference: Liga Privada Unico Series L40 Lancero – Specs Other Reviews: www.acigarsmoker.com Review www.casasfumando.com Review thecigarfeed.com Review This week we are drinking: Knappogue Castle® 12 Year Old THE BALVENIE, DoubleWood, Aged 12 Years Knob Creel Barrel Aged 9 Years Paul's Best Stogies of 2011 - The Runner Ups Tatuaje Capa Especial - Very good, but the La Verite has more and better flavors. However, the La Verite is pricy, not as good of a value. Of either, the Tatuaje Cojonu 2003 is by far the better value, more stick, and great flavors. Tatuaje Black Petit Lancero - This one was just okay in my opinion, nothing really wowed me about it. Viaje late harvest - Great Viaje flavors, one of the better new Viaje releases. Most of which however, missed the mark. Viaje WLP Candela - If you are looking for something different, this is a great choice. Good stick, but not top ten worthy. J. Grotto Serie Reserve Gran Corona - I think its a little unfair to give this stick a review, as the creators are good friends of ours. Having said that, this is a great stick! Good spice and pepper up front, Smooth mellow earthy flavors, good spice in 1st third. I'd still call the flavor a smooth, earthy flavor, typical of Honduran tobacco. If you like the Alec Bradly Prensado line, you will love this cigar! EP Carillo New Wave Connecticut (toro) - EP Carrillo handed me one of these personally, and it was fantastic. I've smoked several more, the Stella being my favorite size. However, I had construction issues with a couple of different sizes, which I think really changed the flavor profile. This is one that I have to re-visit until I find my favorite size. EP Carrillo Short Run 2011 Robusto - Stronger than the 2010 blend, flavors were a bit young, but had a great finish. This was very close to making my top ten. I think with age these sticks will be great, however it can't hold a candle to the 2009 inaugural, 2010 limited, and 2011 dark ritual, all three of which are some of my most favorite cigars to smoke of all time. Casa Fernandez Miami Reserva - Expensive yard gar. EP Carillo Maduro - VERY spicy and peppery start, like 2-3/x as much as all other cigars I've smoked recently. I mean almost to the point, okay never mind I reached that point, I could not retrohale it. cocoa undertone, but the flavors are a bit young and bitter to me, almost reminds me of a Tatuaje Cojonu 2003 La Flor Dominicana Factory Press IV - Smooth flavors right from the start. Smoothness throughout, I'd call the flavors a woody-sweetness. Wish the draw was a tad looser and burned a little better, had to re-light a few time. San Cristobal Elegancia - Great smooth mild flavors, underlying sweetness, very good cigar! I think this deserves a spot in my breakfast cigar rotation for sure. Nice mild spice. Great burn and draw. Punch Rare Corojo 10th Anniversary - Great flavors, different, change of pace kind of cigar. Punch has a very distinct flavor, even Cuban Punch tastes different. Finish was not so good, kinda bitter. Drew Estate Undercrown Robusto - The flavors right away reminded me of the Liga #9, though not as pronounced. I have to say, this one fell apart on me. It was my fault, I let the boveda pack get too dry, and then I was carrying this stick around with me, so it cracked and came apart. Planning on smoking another ASAP. Update: Smoked another one, the flavors in the first 3rd were amazing, then it continued to be an enjoyable smoke throughout. Tim's Best Stogies of 2011 - The Runner Ups Partagas Benji Menendez Master Series (Re-release 2011) - Great example of a Cameroon wrapper. I struggled with whether this should be on my top ten. In the end it got bumped but I recommend grabbing a few before they are gone! Viaje WLP Candela - Probably the best release from Viaje all year IMO. I loved the vitola and unique herbal and grassy flavors. Construction was solid. Please make more Andre! Undercrown by Drew Estate - I reviewed back in October and stated that I thought these would getter better with a little time. Sequential sticks I have smoked have indeed balanced out and are smoking good. Viaje Exclusivo Short (2011) - Great little smoke from Andre Farkas but suffered from a high price point in my opinion. E.P. Carillo New Wave Connecticut Stellas - We talked about this stick prior on Episode 3. One of the most flavorful shade grown Connecticut's I have ever had. Tatuaje 7th Capa Especial - A solid medium bodied corona. While I am still partial to the 7th Reserva (Broadleaf Maduro) this stick s a great example of the flavor that the Sumatra wrapper can bring to the humidor. Illusione 88 Maduro - One of my favorite sizes of the Illusione Series. This San Andreas wrapper offers some nice rich Maduro flavors with the same fantastic construction and draw of the ~88~. Illusione 88 Candela - Same great core flavors of the 88 (Leather, earth, pepper) with a hint of sweet grass and tea (which seemed to be strongest in the first third). As always the stick burned great and with a good volume of smoke. Not something I would smoke on a regular basis but a nice change of pace on occasion. E.P. Carillo Maduro - A good solid maduro from EPC at a great price. I recommend keeping these in regular rotation. San Cristobal Elegancia - I agree with Paul. this stick is making it's way into my breakfast smoke rotation. Light, sweet, this cigar pours smoke! Stogie Tech Segment Why You Should Smoke Cuban Cigars I read an article recently, which will go unnamed, that was knocking Cuban cigars and listed several reasons why we shouldn't smoke them. I want to argue the flip side of that coin and tell everyone why I think we should all smoke Cuban cigars. They Are Not THAT Expensive - I don't recommend that you pay a premium for Cuban cigars. There are several sites and people willing to trade with you at a reasonable price. I would not pay upwards of $10 for a Partagas Serie D #4, one of my favorites, but I grabbed a box for $6 a stick and smoked/traded the entire box. Many will have you believing that Cuban cigars are really expensive, and its just not true. The Construction Issues Are Not All That Bad - Here's the thing, tell me you've never had a construction issue with a domestic cigar? Can you? I think not, all cigars suffer from construction issues, and I've had them with Cubans and non-Cubans alike. Again, this is what people want you to believe so you will visit your local B&M and buy legal cigar brands. They Age VERY Well - Of all the vintage cigars I've ever smokes, Cubans age the best. They just seem to keep getting better with age and rarely "age out" or lose all of their flavors after a certain period of time. The Flavors Are Unique and Tasty - I love the Cuban flavor profile, and keep coming back to them because they taste so damn good! No One Makes Their Purchasing Decisions Based On Country Of Origin - If you take issue with the fact that these cigars come from a communist country, then according to that logic, you should not purchase any goods that come from China. Which means you will have to make all of your own cloths and create all your own electronics, or not even use computers at all. Its simply ridiculous. Look, even if you've personally been affected by tragedy that stems from the Cuban communist regime, it still shouldn't affect your purchasing as you are more so supporting the poor factory workers in Cuba than the Government by buying a box of cigars. Look at it this way, I'm Armenian, and my family was personally affected by the holicost. If Turkey made excellent cigars, I'd still buy them. In fact, several of my own family members visited the country and made purchases. Oh also, most of the oil used to make gas for your car comes from a country that has similar ideals, which means your pedaling to work buddy! Help The People Of Cuba - They are the ones suffering most from the embargo. If You Know Where To Shop and What To Look For… - You will never get a fake. Its common sense really, ask around and see where other people are buying or acquiring Cuban cigars, and use the power of social rankings to guide you to the best sites. I'm Not Saying Stop Buying Cigars From The B&M - Don't Let Yourself Be Brainwashed - Look, there are plenty of fantastic cigars available outside of Cuba. This probably started right after the embargo, but all the manufacturers and store owners will say "You don't need to smoke Cubans Cigars, there are plenty of legal ones that are just as good". This brainwashing has gone on for years, and you should be the only judge. Smoke all different kinds, shapes, and types of cigars, and then decide for yourself what you like and don't believe the hype, or non-hype. It Comes Down To Value - Here's the thing, you can get a $6 cuban cigar, put a year of age on it, and it will likely blow away anything in the $6 range domestically.