UKCF ANNUAL BIG HERF 2011 Sat 6th August Birmingham

[SmokeyDave]

Just arrived home after an absolutely fantastic evening in the company of fellow cigar fans

It was nice to put faces to the names finally, apologies to all those whom I did not get a chance to chat to, next time!

Great fun with the blind tastings (four different cigars were presented of which I tried two).

Hope everyone had a safe journey home.

Lastly a huge thank you to our host, Keith, who made us all very welcome in a superb venue and went out of his way to make sure all of us were well looked after.

Dave

[The Prince, Moseley]

Thanks Dave and a big thank you to everyone who made the trip. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves as much as I did. great to meet some new friends and see some old friends again.

[The Prince, Moseley]

Here's a bit of feedback on the blind tasting.

We gave folks a choice of two different pairs of cigars. They smoked either a Vegas Robaina Don Alejandro and a Dunhill Signature Robusto or a Oliva VSG Figurado and a Romeo & Juiletta 1998 Prince of Wales.

The highest scoring cigar of the evening was a Don Alejandro from Vegas Robaina. Smokey Dave scored this at 91pts with 56 (from 60) for flavour and aroma: 13 points for construction (max 15): 14 for Burn & Draw (max 15): 4 (max 5) for appearance and 4 (max 5) for overall experience. The cigar was universally liked with some great comment. Although I would like a job swap with the Brother or Sister who commented ... " a pleasant breakfast smoke".

The Dunhill Signature Robusto polarised opinion. It did have a couple of fans with "excellent" and "very good", but it also had folks who really didn't like it at all.

The shock of the evening was The R&J Prince of Wales ... I think the groups comments could be summed up as "good pub, average cigar". I think this reflects my own experience. I bought a box really wanting to like them, but its just a bit of a let down with a tight draw and not much flavour.

The final cigar was the very distinctive Oliva VSG Figurado. I personally like this cigar. I didn't smoke one on the night as I had enjoyed a couple earlier in the week but it didn't get many fans.

My personal tally for the day was:

Upmann Magnum 46; Nub Cameroon; San Cristobal de la Habana Murralla and a Partagas Short (thanks Money Nuts). I am ashamed to admit but its late now: I think I had one other smoke in the middle somewhere and I simply can't remember it!

Just hope my tongue forgives me tomorrow morning!

[Bigboned]

Sounds like a really good time was had by all. Nothing like divisive opinions to create conversation! Well done Keith and fair play to you

[Eddie]

To anyone who missed it, if you ever get chance to visit the prince... make sure you go. Its a strange place with a beach, cocktail bar and cheese & wine selling shed, not to mention the indian food served onsite.

Many thanks to Keith for hosting and everyone else for great company. Even Gemma enjoyed herself.

[linfield100]

Sorry I couldn't make this in the end guys. Had a bit of a bug all week and didn't want to spread it around.

Next time.

Tony

[spirit_of_will]

Sounds like a great evening... where's the rest of the stories and pics? CIV can't have been the only one with a camera...

[Drewmidorn]

Great day and some great company in a really great, welcoming venue. Thanks to Keith for being a fantastic host.

My addled brain will never remember everyone's name and forum handle so if you fancy it name yourself and number yourself from left to right. I'm the one taking the photo. Lol

D

[Eddie]

7&8 Gemma and Eddie

[The Prince, Moseley]

Thanks for kind comments. Great shot Drew. Very front left in hat, Keith aka The Prince.

[cj121]

What a very enjoyable afternoon and early evening (had to leave about 8.30) meeting up with chaps and chapesses. Seating (as anywhere) dictated not being able to get around to everyone as once plonked, that was it!!

An excellent venue with an even more excellent, and imaginative, host, Keith. A big thank you for you hospitality and generosity with the blind tasting Keith. Shame about the RyJs, they didn't seem to flower did they? Bugger. However, thank you for the opportunity overall. I would thoroughly recommend popping into the Prince at any opportunity folks get, with weekends being especially themed from what I gather. Top marks, and not a crochet needle in sight
Here's to more of the same


Oh yeah, I'm the bloke with no eyes in the rear right corner.

[bfg84]

Just wanted to say it was a pleasure to meet everyone, what a great group of people! big thank you to Keith a great host who put on a great night at a great venue!
This was my first Herf and its just wet my appetite for more!

Dan

[daverave999]

I'm the grinning dude in the pink shirt at the back. I've got photos but a late night when I got back last night (again...) and spending today diving off waterfalls means I cba sorting them out right now.

Apologies to anyone I didn't get the chance to chat to. My excuse was I had a stinking hangover and was driving so no chance of hair-of-the-dog!

Was good to put some faces to names finally. Some people were nowhere near how I'd pictured them!

I had a great time and want to say thanks very much to Keith for hosting and all the little extras he'd provided for us. A great venue-if you're in the area make sure you pop in. Caters very well for smokers, funnily enough.

My tally for the day was the RyJ PoW, PLPC and my first ever Partagas 898, which I was most impressed with.

Here's to next year's!

[monkey66]

What a great day!

First off big thanks to Keith for being a generous and welcoming host. Keith has built a tardis-like venue that from the outside looks like a normal traditional pub but has a bohemian covered area at the back with space for several hundred people, a fully fledged Tiki bar with sand and flaming cocktails, a cheese and wine bar and fresh Indian food!

As always great to meet new friends and old. I kicked off with a '98 fundi (whilst still sober) then onto the blind tasting (another act of generosity and thought from our host )

It turned out I smoked the Dunhill signature Robusto and the VR Don Alejandro. I found the Dunhill really nasty and scored it appropriately. I was confident the second stick was Cuban and not too bad but couldn't say what it was (I suspected a Lusi based on it's size but not flavour). Having no real experience of VR's perhaps not surprising that I could not name it. Still blind tasting is very hard and great fun, recommend it to everyone.

Afternoon flowed into even and the good times continued to roll.

I finished with a '08 Sir Winston.

Conversation, cutters, music, balti's, girls and guns, rum, cocktails ....what a great evening!

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A lovely room and bed at the HdV was a welcome site for this smoked-out monkey

[HabanoSy]

Looks like you guys had a superb time...

Cheers, HabanoSy