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Fine Tobacco NYC is more than a website about cigars. We’re a group of cigar enthusiasts (now 4000+ strong!) that get together for cigar classes, cigar and spirits pairings, live jazz events, and more, all to explore the art and enjoyment of fine tobacco.
Recent Posts
Balvenie The Week of Peat – 14 Year
March 16, 2021
48.3% ABV – 96.6 ProofSuggested Retail Price: $100Distiller Rating: 90Drinkhacker Rating: A- Mark Garbin’s Review: Now we come to the most startling moment of our story, the 14-year Peat Week. Confession: This became my gateway bottle to the world of smoky whisky. When I drank it long ago, the dram’s earthy, heather fragrance surprised
Balvenie Portwood – 21-Year
March 16, 2021
40% ABV – 80 ProofSuggested Retail Price: $250+Distiller Rating: 93Whiskey Reviewer Rating: A Mark Garbin’s Review: Balvenie’s core product range ends with the 21-year Portwood. It carries over the same iconic aroma adding port’s sugared tinge derived from barrels that stored the rich wine for over three decades. The silky yet
Balvenie Caribbean Cask – 14 Year
March 16, 2021
43% ABV – 86 ProofSuggested Retail Price: $60+Distiller Rating: 89Whiskey Reviewer Rating: B+ Mark Garbin’s Review: The Caribbean Cask, aged fourteen years, takes the Twelve’s scent but infuses tropical fruits into the nose. On the palate, the rum casks produce a sugar cane island extract that morphs into an easy Speyside
Balvenie Doublewood – 12 Year
March 16, 2021
40% ABVSuggested Retail Price: $55+Distiller Rating: 87Whiskey Reviewer Rating: B Mark Garbin’s Review: The Balvenie 12-year’s malty, cereal, toasty essence led to a smoothness that showed a sweet side with a wisp of vapor and slight, smoky wood. A lingering finish ensured no central theme rose to the fore. It’s the model, balanced- Perfect Pairings IV – Balvenie
March 16, 2021
Epiphany – an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosureMerriam-Webster’s Dictionary What were you doing in 2015 on the first Thursday in December? In an age of isolation, can we even recall times when we enjoyed whisky in joyous company? Years ago, that frosty night forever etched itself in my mind. The site: New 
Craigellachie 17 – War for Your Tastebuds
March 16, 2021
46% ABVDistiller Rating: 92Suggested Retail Price: $150+ Mark Garbin’s Review: Wow! Did whisky aromas ever jump out at you straight from the glass as you wait the customary twenty pre-nosing seconds? Well, this one did in a contest for dominance between honey, malt, alcohol, cream and dirt. Yes, those scents attacked from a Glencairn with
Craigellachie 13 – The Bad Boy of Single Malts
March 16, 2021
46% ABV – 92 ProofUSC Rating: 93Distiller Rating: 88Suggested Retail Price: $70 Mark Garbin’s Review: They call Craigellachie 13 the “bad boy” of single malts; a moniker well deserved. Its old-fashioned distillation method requires cooling in copper coils called a worm tub (Click here). The result highlights every flavor and
Listen: Kevin Sun Talks Luxury Cigar Club Cigar University Binder 101
February 12, 2021
On this week’s episode, Kevin Sun joined the guys at The Straight Cut on an educational journey, exploring how different binders contribute to the tasting note in a cigar. Created by Luxury Cigar Club in collaboration with Valacari Cigar Company, this first installation in the Cigar University Series will help cigar smokers understand the (often
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