For me there were many excellent cigars, but two that were surprises first was Henry Clay, not my cigar and I don’t know how old this cigar was phenomenal complexity first draw was creamy with hint of jasmine and cinnamon, after talking for a bit this cigar was handed to me again second taste creamy butterscotch nutty tiny bit of spice jasmine mint just a beautiful little cigar pure Yummy.

Second cigar was a cigar I won at the shack auction last year Cuban Dinner Cigar Partagas called the flower cigar perfecto, started out a spice bomb settled into a creamy then became creamy vanilla bean flowery oh my goodness how I wish there were more of these. This cigar is a beautiful work of art and so complex.

What was the best cigar you smoked or tasted during Shack IX?
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Difficult choice. The sheer variety of smokes handed my way during PPPs was amazing. Smokes from the 40s, 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond. A 1492 and 1994. Dunhill and Davidoff. Some better than others but what an experience.
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1987 MC #5 w/o a doubt.
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There were some good ones in that PPPP but I think that 89 Punch SS2 was pretty stellar. Way different then most of the other SS2's I've smoked.
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Ah come on guys where are all those great NC's!!:-)
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In the PPPP.
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Either the Ninja or the nameless candella rolled with half burnt pipe tobacco.

Oh wait...that was in the PPPP. Probably the cigar the OP lit and I rudely asked what he was smoking. I hadn't seen the band or I wouldn't have asked. :-) It definitely caught me off guard.
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:-)
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Probably the best sticks I had were the ones given to our PPP from Dan Reeve. It was 1 undercrown corona viva and 1 each of all the leaves that are used to create it...5 sticks in all. It might not have been the best stick I smoked ('99 Boli Gold Medal probably is! :-) ) but it was definitely fun tasting all the different leaves, and then having the Corona Viva and being able to pick out those individual leaves. Further, that corona viva was the best one I have had to date...it was so easy to pick up flavors!

I'm sure the guys in the circle would agree with me that it was a great experience!
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Hands down one of the most enjoyable smoking experiences.
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I've never been able to pick out flavors like I did with that stick, it was definitely a cool experience.
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You brothers rock good education for everyone keep um coming. :-)
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I think it was a Partagas 898 varnished that Klugs made me smoke.
I am not a Partagas fan. I'm gonna have to take a new look at them. :-)
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Best cigar I was gifted: a '70s Partagas Perfecto en cello I received from Allan B. :-)

Best cigar I was passed: a 1492 from Ron. Wow!

Best cigar of my own: '02 Punch Ninfa

Biggest suprise of the Herf: '05 Romeo y Julieta En Cedros #3....it was great.
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tie between festi mareva and 70s dunhill upmann 22. I tried really hard to put one in front of the other, but couldn't pick a winner. that undercrown thingy was cool as hell too, never thought i'd be able to retrohale a bundle of esteli ligero, but it was very pleasant
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This is making me realize how little actual smoking I did! :-)

Best cigar overall: Habanos 1994 that Dave had us try. These didn't do anything for me the first time I tried one (years ago), but they're slowly growing on me. Dave made a useful point with this too: How you smoke a cigar is as much part of the experience as the cigar itself.

Best cigar of mine: 1998 Partagas 8-9-8 Unvarnished that Icehog gave me back in January of '09. Picked it for my Saturday sunset cigar...first time I can recall trying an 8-9-8 UV. Wow...mindblowing. I did NOT want that cigar to end! :-):-):-)
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I almost forgot. Klugs made me try a 1492 or something with numbers. I can't remember what it was. That one was wicked good. I tried to keep it but he wrestled it back off of me.
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I think that was the same Habanos 1994 I cited. That was somethin', wasn't it? :-)
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That's what it was. :-)
Yeah, it was awesome. I could smoke those regular. :-)
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This is what I was getting at.
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