Dunhill Don Candido Seleccion Suprema No. 501's...anyone know anything about them?

[dentonparrots]

That's a very interesting place to keep cigars! Can you dial temperatures down to below 70*?

I would highly recommend NOT inhaling cigar smoke regularly

Hi, the incubator goes as low as 68 degrees (which is what I have iot sey at for the cigars) and upt to 70% humdity so it's ideal really, well, for now it is.

I thought it best not to inhale the smoke...it killed me when I did smoke never mind now

Welcome from NY. Soccer, booze and stogies...now we're talkin!

Save em for a special day, but definitely smoke em. As a gift-giver I would hate to have my gift not enjoyed, no matter how rare.

F*CK IT! you have 4, light one up tonight!

You sound like soooo much like me....but I'm going to resist for now until I'm with the friend who gave them to me and a fitting occasion

[Shelby07]

You don't inhale cigars. You just draw the smoke in and roll it around your mouth just like you enjoy a glass of wine. When you expel the smoke you will get additional flavors on the finish. The other thing to remember is don't smoke too fast. A cigar should be drawn on about once a minute. More than that will cause the cigar to get hot and harsh. Leaving a cigar too long without a draw will cause it to go out in a few minutes. In fact this is the preferred way to extinguish a cigar. Let it die a dignified death. Never snub it as the cigar will stink up the area in short order. Once the nub extinguishes itself clean out the ashtray, otherwise the stale cigar will stink.

I never heard of the incubator approach, but it sounds interesting. Keep in mind that changes to temperature and humidity should be very gradual. Extreme swings in temp or humidity usually will damage the cigar, causing it to split or crack. The spanish cedar in a humidor is there to buffer humidity changes so as not to shock the cigar too much. If you have a box, store box and all inside the humidor, if it will fit. The box and the cigars will eventually stabilize, and the box will minimize the effect of opening and closing the humidor. A cigar should be stabilized for at least a month or so in a controlled environment before you smoke it to allow the entire cigar to stabilize throughout. Opening and closing the humidor will cause rapid changes, so keep it short and avoid gawking at your stash several times a day. The best thing for a cigar is stability over a long run.

Cigars usually perform best at about 65-70% humidity. The humidity does make a difference as to how the cigar smokes, so make gradual changes and experiment with burn and flavor. Many people like to "dry box" the cigar for a day or 2 before smoking it. I would definitely recommend doing so for cuban cigars. If they are too moist they will burn hot. If they are too dry or the water content is not uniform throughout they will crack or unravel.

Temperature is important. Many people like to age cigars at lower temperatures because it slows down the aging process and lets the flavor develop more uniformly. Most serious collectors keep the temperature at about 55 degrees F for long term (years) aging. The more a cigar ages the smoother it becomes.

While talking of temperature, keep your cigars at or below 70-75F. While the manufacturers do their best to control them, some cigars contain beetle eggs, and they will hatch if the temp is too warm over and extended period of time. One beetle can propagate quickly and destroy your entire stash.

That should be enough to get you started. There is a lot more information on these and other subjects on this forum and throughout the Internet.

Aren't you glad you asked??


Oh yeah... as for the cigars, get one back from your dad (you have 2, right?) and save them for your children's graduation days! You should be ready by then.

[Shelby07]

...and another thing...

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER (did I say NEVER!) store flavored cigars with REAL cigars. The flavors will infuse your other cigars and ruin them. My preferred method for storing flavored cigars is to leave them outside in the back yard (garden for those across the pond) until they disintegrate or the dog gets them then chuck 'em, but that' just me.

[dentonparrots]

Aren't you glad you asked??

Oh yeah... as for the cigars, get one back from your dad (you have 2, right?) and save them for your children's graduation days! You should be ready by then.

Definately glad I asked, thanks. I've been doing pretty much what you suggested regarding the smoking side of things after I read up a little on the web.

I gave a coffin with 2 in it to my dad (he's thinking of selling his after learning the rarity to buy some rare parakeets from Belgium instead with the proceeds, whatever floats your boat eh!) but I still have 4 here in 2 coffins to cherish and eventually smoke...like when the kids leave home

Thanks again, Carl.

I passed my local store today and popped in and bought a Bolivar and an El Rey Del Mundo to try next, this is going to be an expensive hobby!

[dentonparrots]

My dad rang me tonight to tell me of his near death experience he had earlier today...

He's been reading a fell-walkers guide (fells are like mountains; but less) to the Lake District in Cumbria near where we live, and the author of the book (re-print I assume) had his ashes spread at a particular place and my dad thought "Wow, this must be some place if he had his ashes spread there!"
He's recently retired and loving it at 57 and off he set with his little Jack Russel dog called PIP to get to the top, where after reaching the summit, is a gentler decent on the way down the other side.

After 900ft of very steep climbing the ground was starting to slip away under his feet and he thought it was best to get up to the summit and go down the other side of the fell, rather than go back down the way he'd came due to the ground giving way and the steepness of the climb. He's done a lot of fell walking but was surprised at the intensity of it all the same.

Right at the very top last 20ft or so before the summit, there are large man-size slate-like steps and he had to pop PIP onto what appeared to be the last ledge whilst he pulled himself up.
Just as he hauled his ass up he seen a Ram charging at them both (rams are like a sheep but a whole lot meaner)...he grabbed PIP as quickly as he could and the ram went barreling over the top of them onto a ledge below and luckily couldn't get back up to them.
As he said, if it had hit him they'd have been pushed so far back they'd have fallen far enough for them to have both died for sure.


Apart from saying "Man, that's friggin nuts" the only words I could muster were.......

"I'd have lit one of those cigars as soon as I got back home!"

[stjohnroe]

Welcome from further south

[dentonparrots]

Thanks again for everyone's help on cigars.

I've got really into them so far. I've tried H. Upman, Dunhill, Bolivar, Luiz Martinez, Monte Cristo, El Rey Del Mundo and I've got my eye on pretty much every brand they stock in my local tobacconists. I also rummaged out a cigar a friend gave me a couple of years ago that I forgot about called Backgammon that was tubed and for appearing to be one of the lesser expensive brands it was like smoking heaven itself...

I'm going to try them all at my leisure to see what I think is best before I go investing in heavy numbers but I'm hooked so far. Thanks again folks.

[dentonparrots]

I've tried H. Upman, Dunhill, Bolivar, Luiz Martinez, Monte Cristo, El Rey Del Mundo and I've got my eye on pretty much every brand they stock in my local tobacconists.

Cuaba, Romeo Y Julieta, Punch, Cohiba also all under the belt and fully appreciated. In fact the one thing that has really struck me (that never did about cigars until my friend gave me the DC's and I looked into them etc) is that it's the appreciation that makes each draw/ cigar memorable and worthwhile.

The same friend has incredibly gave me a full box of 25 of the Don Candido No 502's shown here with a coffin of the 501's.


If you think they look good, you want to smell them! It's like having the worlds best cake in front of you and knowing you can't eat it....well, I could, but would you? It would be sacrilege and I'd never forgive myself.

From the 1st round of testers that I've smoked so forr, the Romeo's Carona's have proven to be my favourites; they're like smoking chocolate. The Punch Petit Punch was nice and creamy all the same...but the Bolivar's heavyness dragged me in, but then the Cohiba was good and I enjoyed the lightness of the Upman. Man, it's tough having choices!

The same friend is looking to possibly sell 4 full boxes of the 502's (in 25's) and 2 of them still have their seals intact and unbroken, also he'll possibly be parting with a few of the boxes of 501's in their double coffins. I've contacted a London based cigar store who is hopefully holding a Cuban Dunhill auction in Sepetember if anyone is interested as I think that is where he'll be selling them through.