Home General Discussion

Nicaragua Play by Play

Alex_SvensonAlex_Svenson Posts: 1,224 ✭✭✭
So I hate Twitter but guys have asked for more pay by play from my trips. So I am going to use this tread to give you guys a play by play of my trip to Nicaragua this week. I will post pics when I can.

330am wakeup in Chicago. Driver comes at . Arrived airport 445 for a 550 flight. Not too crowded and grabbed breakfast at the dunkin donuts kiosk.

6am travel agent did a great job on the seats..... So I thought. Got the exit row for extra leg room since i am a towering six feet five inches but the other big guys on the flight had the same deal so while I can stretch out the legs, we are cramped up top shoulder to shoulder.

10am arrived Miami and met Josh. For those of you who don't know, Josh is my right hand man at cigar,com along with tim. We grabbed a rum and coke at the admirals club and hustled to our gate to meet our flight to Managua. We were one of the last ones on and as soon as I entered the plane I heard someone holler out my name. I looked down the aisle and saw pete Johnson from tatuaje cigars and don pep in Garcia. We exchanged hellos before finding our ways to our seats. They are yelling at me to turn off my iPad. More to follow when I get to Nicaragua.
«13

Comments

  • RedtailhawkozRedtailhawkoz Posts: 2,915
    This is Great! LOL Keep um coming! WHat a Job!
  • NYHCx516xNYHCx516x Posts: 728
    dont ever let them Eff with the iPad man!! glad to see you doing this. I think we all will be able to life the dream through you! Thanks!
  • KriegKrieg Posts: 5,188 ✭✭✭
    This is great, thanks for the insights Alex. I would love to go on one of these trips, question: How safe is it down there?? I'm sure you know as well as I do, that Governments seem to change daily in Latin & South America.

    "Long ashes my friends."

  • Joeyjoe21_8Joeyjoe21_8 Posts: 2,048
    awesome....anyone else notice the rum and coke at 10am! lol...my kinda guy right there! lol. sounds great..cant wait to hear more
  • t_evan50t_evan50 Posts: 1,725
    Excellent. Would love to make a trip down there myself. I typically go with Grey Goose and Pineapple Juice before 11am. :)
  • TatuajeVITatuajeVI Posts: 2,378
    Awesome, looking forward to more updates.
  • rwheelwrightrwheelwright Posts: 3,296
    Need a left hand man?
  • Sandman1amSandman1am Posts: 2,567
    rwheelwright:
    Need a left hand man?
    I know what I do with my left hand and what some other people do with their left hand in different countries.....you SURE you want to be his left hand man? LMFAO!!!!

    This sounds like an awesome trip.
  • HaybletHayblet Posts: 2,429 ✭✭✭
    That's pretty cool that Pete Johnson and DPG were on the same flight, and getting a Rum and Coke @ 10am is the best way to start a day! Hope you have fun Sir!
  • rwheelwrightrwheelwright Posts: 3,296
    Sandman1am:
    rwheelwright:
    Need a left hand man?
    I know what I do with my left hand and what some other people do with their left hand in different countries.....you SURE you want to be his left hand man? LMFAO!!!!

    This sounds like an awesome trip.
    hey man, whatever it takes! LOL!
  • Alex_SvensonAlex_Svenson Posts: 1,224 ✭✭✭
    1200pm arrive Managua, clear immigration and clear customs. Shorty Rossi (star of the show pitboss and inspiration for the Diesel Shorty) is set to arrive on a connecting flight from Costa Rica with his assistant Juan. I add minutes to my phone and by the time I get back they have cleared customs. Apparently, animal planet is available via sattilite in Nicaragua as many people seem to recognize shorty and are coming over to say hi. While he shakes hands with some fans we wait for the driver to pull up in front of the airport. We pile in the land cruiser and we take a 90 minute drive to Esteli. The driver left all the cigars at the factory so I opened my bag to present my companions with a very special surprise, some Gran Habano Corojo #5 from their original production year. These are one of my favorite cigars in my collection and after 10 years of slow aging, are amazing. I got a box as a gift from George Rico during a visit to his factory about three years ago and what I handed out represented the last few remaining sticks. We all lit and enjoyed the cigars while talking life, politics and everything in between.

    3pm arrive esteli and knowing we need cigars stat head right to the fernandez factory. We go strait to the office and greet AJ and his business partner Kris. Immediately, AJ is pulling us downstairs to the factory floor to check stuff out. Two bodegas are full with dozens of brands. Each aging room had close to 700,000 cigars. I love the sight. He explains that with all the rain in esteli, he has had to age cigars longer than usual and the bodegas are backing up. He hands our group two cigars, one habano and one maduro, both measuring 4 x 58. He tells us the are "Fernanditos" which translates to little fernandez cigars.. He wants our opinion on the blends as he has been playing with them for a new project. I smoke the habano and it comes out of the gate strong with lots of spice but settles down nicely. The maduro was good but I felt lacked some complexity. We gave AJ our tasting notes and relocated to the packaging department where they were busy banding Diesel Shorty Cigars. Shorty is blown away, grabs a few 5 packs of the table to smoke later at dinner. From the packaging department, we go back up to the office where a fresh batch of cuban coffee is waiting for us. We sip coffee and return to shooting the ***. AJ reappears 20 minutes later with two new samples. They are triple maduros he has been working on for a proposed line extension for the Verdadero line. The rain is picking up and we have had a long day of travel so we take the cigars to go and head back to the house. We sit down and light up the triple maduros.

    530pm we arrive back at the house and commence smoking the triple maduro cigars which we had been drooling over the entire car ride. Josh and I both agree that one of the blends has some potential but needs some changes as everything is perfect but the finish is just a tad too bitter. We add to our agenda for tomorrow to look over the blend with AJ and make some additional tweaks. As soon as we finish our notes there is a knock on the door. The factory manager remembered we were out of cigars and dropped of 10 of the Diesel Unlimiteds and 10 Man O War Ruination so we had something to smoke at dinner.

    I am attaching some pics. One is of Pete and Pepin hitting the duty free in managua after we cleared immigration while we waited for our bags. The other is of Shorty and I on the production floor in front of the tables. As a gift, Shorty brought us some of his logo panama style hats which we are sporting in the pic. A little blurry I know, but we snagged them with our iphone.

  • Alex_SvensonAlex_Svenson Posts: 1,224 ✭✭✭
    Update: Cant seem to get these photos working. I will try again later. Any skilled html folks that want to email that know how to get it done, please PM me. On a side note, we are going to be making a major upgrade to our forum in the future with a better platform.
  • HaybletHayblet Posts: 2,429 ✭✭✭
    I think I can speak for everybody when I say "I wish we could do what you get to do and get paid for it." One day I hope to just visit Nicaragua...
  • tkohlertkohler Posts: 70
    I'm incredibly jealous right now, sounds like you're having a blast! Keep us updated!! PM sent about the photo issues
  • Alex_SvensonAlex_Svenson Posts: 1,224 ✭✭✭
    7pm departed the house for Coifer restaurant in esteli. The local favorite is churassco steaks. Shorty, Kris, Juan, Josh and I stuffed our faces for a few hours. Smoke a new diesel unlimited robusto before dinner and my staple ruination after dinner. After dinner back to the house where we are breaking the seal on a bottle of flor de cana 18 rum. I love this stuff... by far my favorite rum. You can find it stateside at some of the specialty liquor stores but it runs about $65 + tax. Here you can get it for $30. When I am not bringing back tons of cigar samples and have room in my bag, I load up on it. Off to cocktail then to bed.
  • ENFIDLENFIDL Posts: 5,836
    Alex Svenson:
    Update: Cant seem to get these photos working. I will try again later. Any skilled html folks that want to email that know how to get it done, please PM me. On a side note, we are going to be making a major upgrade to our forum in the future with a better platform.
    PM Sent and Alex's what's your twitter profile? Searched your name and couldn't find you. Thanks!
  • ENFIDLENFIDL Posts: 5,836
    Alex Svenson:
    7pm departed the house for Coifer restaurant in esteli. The local favorite is churassco steaks. Shorty, Kris, Juan, Josh and I stuffed our faces for a few hours. Smoke a new diesel unlimited robusto before dinner and my staple ruination after dinner. After dinner back to the house where we are breaking the seal on a bottle of flor de cana 18 rum. I love this stuff... by far my favorite rum. You can find it stateside at some of the specialty liquor stores but it runs about $65 + tax. Here you can get it for $30. When I am not bringing back tons of cigar samples and have room in my bag, I load up on it. Off to cocktail then to bed.
    That's awesome Alex! How was the Unlimited? I can't wait to try one. My gf is about to send pinups for pitbulls a bunch of organic animal care products that she makes and they are going to give some to Shorty. She said she's gonna try and work a thing with him to donate a new care package thing to people who rescue with his rescues. Crazy to see his name here after talking with her about him over the last few days.
  • KriegKrieg Posts: 5,188 ✭✭✭
    Alex Svenson:
    7pm departed the house for Coifer restaurant in esteli. The local favorite is churassco steaks. Shorty, Kris, Juan, Josh and I stuffed our faces for a few hours. Smoke a new diesel unlimited robusto before dinner and my staple ruination after dinner. After dinner back to the house where we are breaking the seal on a bottle of flor de cana 18 rum. I love this stuff... by far my favorite rum. You can find it stateside at some of the specialty liquor stores but it runs about $65 + tax. Here you can get it for $30. When I am not bringing back tons of cigar samples and have room in my bag, I load up on it. Off to cocktail then to bed.
    Sounds like a great trip already, very jealous!

    "Long ashes my friends."

  • betasynnbetasynn Posts: 1,249
    Sounds like a dream trip.
  • HeavyHeavy Posts: 1,591 ✭✭✭
    Verdadero Triple Maduros?? Man, I can't wait for that to come out!
  • denniskingdennisking Posts: 3,703 ✭✭✭
    very cool update. it really sounds like a tight knit bunch of guys in this biz. glad you are having a blast. make it rain in the club homie!
  • stephen_hannibalstephen_hannibal Posts: 4,317
    Damn that's a ton of smoking....

  • HaybletHayblet Posts: 2,429 ✭✭✭
    stephen_hannibal:
    Damn that's a ton of smoking....

    My palate is jealous!
  • Smoke=FireSmoke=Fire Posts: 692 ✭✭✭
    Alex Svenson:
    On a side note, we are going to be making a major upgrade to our forum in the future with a better platform.
    Oh thank God and Sonny Jesus!!
  • KriegKrieg Posts: 5,188 ✭✭✭
    Smoke=Fire:
    Alex Svenson:
    On a side note, we are going to be making a major upgrade to our forum in the future with a better platform.
    Oh thank God and Sonny Jesus!!
    lol, get ready for our post counts to get reset too! lol

    "Long ashes my friends."

  • HaybletHayblet Posts: 2,429 ✭✭✭
    Krieg:
    Smoke=Fire:
    Alex Svenson:
    On a side note, we are going to be making a major upgrade to our forum in the future with a better platform.
    Oh thank God and Sonny Jesus!!
    lol, get ready for our post counts to get reset too! lol
    I'd feel bad for Kuzi and J03z3r or however he spells it with their 12k+ combined posts...
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    Hayblet:
    Krieg:
    Smoke=Fire:
    Alex Svenson:
    On a side note, we are going to be making a major upgrade to our forum in the future with a better platform.
    Oh thank God and Sonny Jesus!!
    lol, get ready for our post counts to get reset too! lol
    I'd feel bad for Kuzi and J03z3r or however he spells it with their 12k+ combined posts...
    just means that you will all have to wait even longer for my 10k post contest.



    edit: i have seen in the past forum updates (even new platforms) that retain all posts and all post counts.

    i hope that is what happens here as well.
  • martymcg43martymcg43 Posts: 396
    yeah... Alex, when are you planning on hiring me? seriously...
  • KriegKrieg Posts: 5,188 ✭✭✭
    kuzi16:
    Hayblet:
    Krieg:
    Smoke=Fire:
    Alex Svenson:
    On a side note, we are going to be making a major upgrade to our forum in the future with a better platform.
    Oh thank God and Sonny Jesus!!
    lol, get ready for our post counts to get reset too! lol
    I'd feel bad for Kuzi and J03z3r or however he spells it with their 12k+ combined posts...
    just means that you will all have to wait even longer for my 10k post contest.



    edit: i have seen in the past forum updates (even new platforms) that retain all posts and all post counts.

    i hope that is what happens here as well.
    If I remember correctly, didn't they upgrade the forums a few years ago and it did end up reseting everyone's post counts??

    "Long ashes my friends."

  • lilwing88lilwing88 Posts: 2,812 ✭✭✭
    Krieg:
    kuzi16:
    Hayblet:
    Krieg:
    Smoke=Fire:
    Alex Svenson:
    On a side note, we are going to be making a major upgrade to our forum in the future with a better platform.
    Oh thank God and Sonny Jesus!!
    lol, get ready for our post counts to get reset too! lol
    I'd feel bad for Kuzi and J03z3r or however he spells it with their 12k+ combined posts...
    just means that you will all have to wait even longer for my 10k post contest.



    edit: i have seen in the past forum updates (even new platforms) that retain all posts and all post counts.

    i hope that is what happens here as well.
    If I remember correctly, didn't they upgrade the forums a few years ago and it did end up reseting everyone's post counts??
    I don't know about all this post count stuff, but I just wanted to get back on topic and say that this thread about Alex's trip is the greatest thread ever!
    Guns don't kill people, Daddies with pretty daughters do…..
Sign In or Register to comment.