The Boli' Cave Gems Revealed!

[Emaresee]

Years ago i was lucky enough to get some JBM coffee in a staff sale at Harrods- its very nice, very smooth and rizh. It was the wolrds most expensive for some time- a mix of demand outstripping supply, and a
relatively small growing area makes it pricey. It has a distinct flavour due to terroir etc and remains ine of the most sought after coffees.
I know full well that [MENTION=941]Simon Bolivar[/MENTION] knows his beans and wont have been duped, but for anyone else going to Jamaica hoping to get some on the slide- think cuban cigars at prices too good to beleive. often whats on the bag doesnt match with whats in the bag.

[Simon Bolivar]

Years ago i was lucky enough to get some JBM coffee in a staff sale at Harrods- its very nice, very smooth and rizh. It was the wolrds most expensive for some time- a mix of demand outstripping supply, and a
relatively small growing area makes it pricey. It has a distinct flavour due to terroir etc and remains ine of the most sought after coffees.
I know full well that @Simon Bolivar knows his beans and wont have been duped, but for anyone else going to Jamaica hoping to get some on the slide- think cuban cigars at prices too good to beleive. often whats on the bag doesnt match with whats in the bag.

Indeed, just like not buying Havana's on the beach or from a guy, whose relatives work in a cigar factory ect.

[K444HEP]

Indeed, just like not buying Havana's on the beach or from a guy, whose relatives work in a cigar factory ect.

I ended up ordering some Jamaican Blue Mountain and have been enjoying it a lot this week. Not cheap by any means but as I'm not usually an everyday coffee drinker, think I will order a few more bags to have when I'm in the mood for one. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

[lestabantam]

I once read that the Queen has a cup of blue Mountain every morning, Along with cereals and mueslis from tupperware boxes.

[K444HEP]

I once read that the Queen has a cup of blue Mountain every morning, Along with cereals and mueslis from tupperware boxes.

I'm no queen...

[thedame007]

I'm no queen...

Nonsense, i am certain you could pull off a tiara at least

[K444HEP]

Nonsense, i am certain you could pull off a tiara at least

Well, I am one of those arty types...

[Simon Bolivar]

No5: Boli DT: So gentleman, I am back on the rig & have a few pics to post from my last 3wks leave, as I haven't found a way of compressing photos as home, this will be a catch up. The first comes from the day before I left the rig last trip, I managed to grab a coffee break out of the Sickbay for the first time that trip & went to try out the Smokers TV room. I don't know why but there seems a rule offshore that he lights are on in the Non-Smokers & off in the Smokers. Makes it all look very furtive. At least on the Curlew, the Smokers had a window but sadly not here.

Anyway, I found a suitably small but interesting stick for my first smoke on the Brent Charlie. I did smoke one of these several yrs ago on the Curlew & this is my last. How many of you have tried a Boli Demi Tasse I wonder? I know Tippex has, as my pair were both generously gifted to me in the long & distant past.

For those who are familiar with the ERDM DT, if you think of that as milky coffee, the Bolivar DT would be a moka, coffee & dark Belgium chocolate. Amazing wee smoke, only wish I could afford a complete Semi Bote Nature box of these.
The following day & hit the beach in Aberdeen & was soon collecting a rare box of 1980's Party Royales. The only real clue to their age is that they were discontinued in the 80's but it's possible they were older.
Either way, they still held a surprise or two. The flav was strong & immediate. Built up & kept going to the band, where it finally turned bitter for me & it won it's right to a Viking funeral. For a marvela, it was a gem & a half. My erstwhile companions were as impressed as I was, with these humble smokes. I'll be keeping an eye out for them at auctions, in case more come up.
We then followed up with a three fine R&J ExNo4's from McDee. Many yrs since I have had one & this was worth waiting for, as a good as middle of the road marca (excepting the Tubed Churchill) gets. So thanks to Stevie Boy for the Party's, Wigan for his hospitality & McDee for reminding us not to over look modest classics.

[handlebarpipe]

Thanks for the update and the photos. Looks like you all had a great time.
Marc

[mcdee]

Great post and a good evening that Simon, as were the '06 BBFs on Wednesday!

[Simon Bolivar]

Cheers McDee, a pleasure shared is a pleasure dbles or tripled in our case!

[K444HEP]

Looks like you had a great time!

[Simon Bolivar]

No6 Boli RC: 27th & 29th Oct: My Nephew Tony came over to collect some household goods my wife donated to him, as he is unfortunately separating from his partner of 13yrs & mother of his two children. I guess the good news is that he managed to find a flat just a 100mtrs down the road & the kids are old enough to come & go as they please. Tony has been coming over occasionally since Feb for a cigar & seems to be enjoying the journey; I supply the cigar & he brings the drinks, an amicable arrangement I am sure you'll agree.

Up today was a pair of Boli RC 2007. These came from Kevree, a member of the old group that Martyn & Mr Nozzle will recall. I hadn't smoked an RC for yrs & this has obviously been remiss of me but then again, you don't get to smoke decade old smokes without learning to resist temptation! The flav of fine Boli's came through in a puff or two & Tony remarked how good it was. The RC is actually considered to be on the light side of the Boli range but when aged I have to say that full but refined flav is a delight.

A ERDM DT 2011 after church, with a couple of coffees. I keep meaning to bring my own coffee as the standard church coffee doesn't match the elegance of the DT, in anyway! To contemplate in a church garden, whilst smoking Havana's smallest hand rolled cigar, is a moment best enjoyed alone - occasionally disturbed by the ginger tom.
Next episode - my First Boli Poderosos.

[Simon Bolivar]

No7 Boli Poderosos: It’s been a long gap since my last report on here last Nov & I was about to start
with cigars from my cruise when I noted above, that I was going to mention my
first Poderosos so here we go...

As we have plenty of new members join this year & perhaps some longer
serving members who haven't heard of this Regional Edition, here's a little
background.

The Bolivar Poderosos was released in Belgium & Luxembourg (not including
Netherlands, although previous RE's have). At 54RG x 7" it's classed as a
Dble Pyramid & unusually was chosen to be presented in an 898 format
varnished box. This size of the cigar sits imposingly in the hand & is
obviously going to be a big smoke in flav, strength & time so please
allocate a suitable occasion to try one. Remembering all Boli's improve with
age & the general rule of the bigger the stick, the longer the maturing
process takes, stands true with this vitola.

When they were initially released I wasn't interested, they are just too
big to appeal to me & at E21 a pop, I spent my money on other things.
However, spotting a jar of these one a Swiss site for E1,250 got me thinking.
Firstly, I hadn't heard anything about a jar being released; secondly, I
couldn't believe they would be that expensive in Belgium. A plan was hatched, phone
from the rig to check out my local Belgian contacts, find out about this jar
& see how expensive they were & whether it might be worth buying
one as an investment.

I found out it wasn't a jar released by Habanos (that's why it doesn't appear
on the Cuban Info Site) but by the Ghent & Knokke LCDH's. They still
had some & they were around a third less; I arranged an immediate visit to Ghent. I
had never previously bought cigars purely to re-sell but with the banks
effectively charging to keep my money, I considered the risk to be worthwhile
on the basis that: there has never been a 'bad' Boli ER, large sticks are in
favor, the jar is stunning & features none other than the General himself
& even if I sold in 5yrs for just E50 more, it would still represent a much
better return than the bank. On the day I decided to buy two jars & was a
little surprised to find they were separate from the cigars. 'Do you want the
boxes?' quick as a flash I confirmed I did. The cigars have been stored in the
boxes ever since, deep within the Boli' Cave, taking up a lot less room than
they would have done in the jars. The jars have been kept in their cardboard
boxes & the boxes kept in plastic bags so they wouldn’t fade in the
sunlight.

I don't expect to make as much as the Swiss site was asking & although it
did disappear from their site after 6months or so, I don't know how many they
had or how much they finally sold it for. But how to know when best to sell, is
the crucial question for any investment. To help me make this decision, I
bought a couple of singles on the day & have acquired a few more since.
Last Oct they were 4yrs old & my herfing buddy MJ was determined I should
try one, that he himself had gifted me 6 months before. My initial thought had been
to wait until they were 5yrs old & sell the first maybe keeping the
second for another couple of years. This decision rested on this tasting...

I had just purchased an awning for our small patio so we sat outside, put the 2
bar fire on & having admired the cigars, cut & lit them. I have to say
that for 52RG+, I prefer the this format so you can cut to get the draw of your
choice, & you don’t get jaw ache from having the full width of the body in
your mouth. I paired the cigar with a few bottles of Zundert Beer 8%, & it
matched very well. The flav’s came in quickly & although milder in the
first couple of inches, soon picked up to Med to Full bodied. It was indeed a good
cigar already, perfect construction & suitably complex but still needs more
time to reach maturity IMHO & I will be keeping them for another 5yrs before
auctioning them. Having tried them, I decided would be a good idea to get a few
more singles but alas, even though I had seen them a few months before in Belgium,
all stocks seem to have been sold now. Worth grabbing a few should you ever
come across them, though the secondary market exists the price is already far
higher.

[mcdee]

Entertaining read there Simon and I really like the Bolivar glass. The cigar looks good too.