Happy and sad instant cigar collection

[larrysson]

It's been awhile since posting, but here we are. Feeling the need to share. A long time friend of mine has terminal cancer. He was an avid collector of all things tobacco related, including high grade pipes and Cubans. A few years ago, after his first diagnosis, he stopped smoking and asked me to find homes for all his pipes and tobacco tins. He won the first round, but unfortunately it has come back and won't be going away again. He has been a good friend and it's often hard to think about.

One day last week I had delivered a very big and heavy box. To my surprise, it was full of cigars. I got ahold of my friend, and he says to "enjoy them, and think of me when you smoke 'em." Its hard to know how to feel. This is the most generous gift I've ever had, and I'm happy that he thought of me, but real sad about the circumstances of getting them. Will I enjoy them, or just feel loss every time I smoke one?

Most of the sticks are fine, and have been aging away for ten or so years. Some are not in very good shape. I'll attach some pictures in a minute. I searched around youtube to see if there was any way to save the damaged wrappers or split foot (feet), or if there was a way to re-wrap a cigar, if I could find some leaf. There was some good videos about the subject, but I thought it might be worth talking about it here to see if any of you could point me in the right direction. Worst case scenario, I'll cut the most damaged cigars down into 30mm lengths and smoke it in a dedicated pipe. "Bad" cigars are the last two images.

I don't have a humidor anymore, and the size requirement for this instant collection is a bit daunting, so I'm looking into my options for storage. Currently, my workshop is sitting at 67% humidity, so am I safe to assume I have some time to figure things out before needing a humidor?

Yeah so that's it...happy to have a cool instant collection, happy to be back into cigars (been smoking one a day and forgot how much I love a nice cigar) but still feeling kinda weird about it. Just thought talking about it might help.

Anybody know anything about the picture below..Don Gabriel? Nice hour+ smoke, not much info out there about them. Some say cuban, others say not....wrapper colour is all over the place.



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[simwells]

Sorry to hear the news of your friend, got to have been a difficult time

that’s quite a gift! Definitely got to be bitter sweet with how it’s come about though.

For storage I’d pick up a large scuba container off eBay, you should get that lot into one of these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114607197468

Then some boveda to control the humidity

Many of those cigars do look too far gone, I certainly haven’t had success fixing much but a split in a wrapper or minor repairs. Split foot sometimes can just be cut and smoked


And got to say those MdO No.3s!


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[SHAMZ84]

That truly is a story...your friend seems like a great fella....would have fitted in well here


Regarding the bad state cigar look at buying some glue as some of them look repairable.

I've used this before and is great

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B072BD918F/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_GX4G34GBB8SAXY51DGRX

[mcdee]

A very kind and generous gift from your friend, who obviously thinks a lot of you. I'm sure he'd want you to enjoy these cigars while reminiscing of happy times together. Wishing you both all the best.

[Haaltert]

Sorry to hear this story, but indeed he must be a true friend.

As for the Don Gabriel cigars, I think,they are Canary Islands cigars.

Scubador with some boveda will do the trick for sure!

Nice collection that is, those MdO3 and Bolivar RE are true gems.

I hate to say and please accept my apologies should I be wrong, im only trying to help really, but I struggle with the Cohiba’s. The ones that you can see the most of are the Piramides, to my kknowledge these were made as from the launch with the new Cohiba bands (standard band G) and these come in 10ct boxes only.

Great collection, touching story, and if you ask me, your friend would love you to smoke them, thinking of him

[PeeJay]

What a friend and what a treasure trove of smoky memories to enjoy!

[ha_banos]

Sad tale indeed. Time is a healer they say. And it doesn't seem to do bad by cigars either! Lovely gift of course. Some real crackers in there. Curious to find out more about those Don Gabriel if you do.

Enjoy the memories as you do the cigars.

As for the cigars, the scuba'dor is probably the best first call. Put a couple of large boveda packs in there as they may need to settle in. https://www.cgarsltd.co.uk/boveda-hu...ords=Boveda+65
Welcome back.

[Horsebox]

Sorry for your sad loss. As many, if not all on here will agree, a cigar collection is to many something very personal and valuable beyond its £ worth. Your friend must have thought very highly of you to pass this on. Hope you can enjoy a few sticks and remember the good times you had together!

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[Emaresee]

a glorious legacy... long may he be fondly remembered!

[Give the man a cigar]

What a wonderful gesture from what must be a true friend. Such a sad back story to it but he must want you to enjoy them and reminisce all the good times you have both had.

[Simon Bolivar]

Indeed, a generous gift for a true friend; guess many of us would rather have a friend/s to enjoy our cigars than strangers. On a practical note, it seems you're friend understandably didn't have time to maintain these properly & maybe didn't have a humi (as he didn't include that). The wrinkled effect on many, occurs when the humidity has risen & fallen frequently. They can still be smokable just not attractive or in extreme saleability.

The Old World Reserve seem beyond rescue. The bottom pic cigars probably can be improved good enough for you to smoke. The rest doesn't look too bad. Split feet don't usually need trimming. If you can get hold of a tobacco leaf repairs can be made with pectin or cigar glue.

Put them in a scubador type box & raise the humidity very slowly for fear of further damage when they expand. Allow 3-6months for best results. Flav maybe muted but a bitter sweet smoke no doubt. The Boli Especials are very special & I hope for your sake they have retained their very unique flav.

[larrysson]

Thanks for all the great replies. Upon further reflection, I have realized how I feel about the gift, and when smoking them, comes down to choice. I can either think sad thoughts, or think of fond memories and good times. Taking the above suggestions, I have ordered a scuba container and few big packs of 65% Boveda and some pectin.

Simon you are correct, I never saw any kind of humidor in his house, but there was a very big insulated cooler. I know he stopped smoking in 2015, so they could have been in that cooler for the past five or so years. Fortunately, the few I've already smoked burned evenly and with good flavour, but I'm no cigar flavour expert. The long term plan is to get them in the best shape I can, and smoke every last one. The sticks in the Olde world boxes are "Carlos Bespokes" whatever that is. I think they will be fine cut down and stuffed in a large chamber pipe. I may make a pipe just for that purpose.

I think I do want to get a nice humidor, been looking at this one: https://www.cigarsunlimited.co.uk/ac...m.html#SID=450
It kinda looks like the one I sold to you some years ago. You still have that cabinet humidor?

[Moley]

What a true and generous friend

[Simon Bolivar]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/Humidoro?_sop=16&rt=nc

Hi Larry, Yes indeed I still have it, seem to remember you had to sell a fine collection within the week so you could buy a classic motorbike; do you still have that?
Your example seems far too expensive, here's a link to Pluto, a German EBay dealer who posts to the UK. I have brought from him before, very good service & better prices.

[Sean]

Like everyone else said such a sad story but your friend must of knew by sending them to you they would get fully appreciated.


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