Brand evangelist, digital marketer, cigar and spirits expert specializing in consumer tasting and educational events. Matthias made the long trek from his hometown of Portland, Oregon to New York City in 2007, and in nine years has hosted more than 120 events and helped promote and launch dozens of cigar and whiskey brands in the U.S. In 2016, he joined the Cigar Journal Tasting Panel, blind-reviewing pre and new release cigars.
Quesada Cigars has announced the return of the much-anticipated Quesada Oktoberfest series for 2023, featuring a Mexican San Andrés wrapper. This year marks the third consecutive release where Quesada has employed a blend of a Mexican San Andrés wrapper over a Dominican binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic.
The 2023 series will comprise four distinct sizes: the Bavarian (5 1/2 x 52) priced at $10.80 per cigar, Das Boot (6 x 52) at $11 per cigar, Über (6 x 65) at $11.80 per cigar, and the Salomon Press (6 3/4 x 50/33) at $14 per cigar. The Salomon Press size, returning for the first time since its unique debut in 2014, is distinguished by its double perfecto shape with round tapered ends and an aggressive box-press at the center. The Salomon Press cigars will exclusively be available at events, with Quesada not disclosing the production quantity for this specific size.
Hector Becerra, National Sales Manager added: “This year we will have an additional size. We wanted to make it very special, so we are bringing back our Salomon Press for this 2023 edition, very limited production and exclusively for events. This cigar is unique, collectable, and blends perfectly with this year edition. The Salomon Press size is a patent of ours and a great addition to the Quesada line.”
The other three sizes—Bavarian, Das Boot, and Über—have been consistent offerings in the last three Oktoberfest series released in 2019, 2021, and 2022. The company plans to roll out 500 boxes for each of these sizes.
Manuel “Manolo” Quesada Jr., expressed his excitement about the return of the popular blend. “This will be our third year developing the known Quesada Oktoberfest blend with beautiful Mexican, San Andres wrapper. People have loved this combination, and we really enjoy the pairing with the tobaccos used,” he stated in a recent press release.
The Oktoberfest 2023 series will be unveiled at the 2023 PCA Convention & Trade Show, scheduled to take place from July 8-11 in Las Vegas. Quesada Cigars intends to begin shipping to retailers in August.
Ferio Tego has announced the release of their latest core offering, the Ferio Tego Summa cigar. Co-owned by Michael Herklots, Ferio Tego collaborated with Quesada Cigars in the Dominican Republic to produce the new blend. The Summa features an Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper, Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers.
According to Herklots, “The word summa means a ‘comprehensive work’, a ‘summary or a synthesis of the body of work’ thus far. Ferio Tego Summa is a blend that embodies the diversity and complexity of the Ferio Tego Portfolio. The Summa blend highlights the incredible trifecta of body, flavor, and intensity… and maximizes those levels with wonderful balance.”
Ferio Tego took to Instagram to describe their Summa cigar, stating, “The Ferio Tego Summa is an abundant cigar that is full flavored and full bodied with an intensity that is present, but graceful. The flavors are structured in such a way that creates a subtle but relentless crescendo of flavor and complexity without becoming overbearing. The velvety mouth feel preserves a lingering finish that skews towards a darker style of flavors but is complimented by an underlying buttery note that adds a touch of levity to the blend. Each Ferio Tego Summa vitola tells a unique version of the Summa story.”
The highly anticipated Ferio Tego Summa cigars will begin shipping on June 28, 2023. Cigar enthusiasts can also look forward to experiencing this exceptional blend at the 2023 PCA Convention and Trade show in Las Vegas in July.
Miami, FL, January 23rd, 2023– Artesano Del Tobacco and co are so excited and proud to share with you the creation of EL Pulpo Cigars which means “The octopus” in english. This project began back in 2016. After working on this project we contact AJ Fernandez to help us create the EL Pulpo cigars. AJ Fernandez used different blending techniques, fermentation ,and aging process that led to the creation of the EL Pulpo cigars . EL Pulpo cigars will be Packaged in Ten-count boxes the cigars will come in box-pressed sizes: Robusto, Toro, and Belicoso.
We will start shipping EL Pulpo Cigars to Cigar Lounges in Mid February 2023. “We wanted a blend that fits people palate the way an octopus fits in different shapes, spaces and becomes that shape , we wanted a blend that becomes hard for any smoker to putdown once they light up like an octopus that doesn’t let go of it’s pray, once again AJ Fernandez has done an amazing job creating EL Pulpo Cigars We couldn’t be more satisfied with the finished product and cannot wait for everyone to try it. As they say, ‘good things come to those who wait’ and this statement continues to ring true with the EL Pulpo Cigars. “- Billy & Gus of Artesano Del Tobacco
As with all Artesano Del Tobacco cigars, The El Pulpo cigars is exclusively manufactured and distributed by AJ Fernandez Company
Blend and origin: Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas Maduro Binder: Nicaraguan (AJ Fernandez farms) Filler: Nicaraguan ( AJ Fernandez farms) Factory: San Lotano
Vitolas Retail Price Robusto Grande: 5 X 56 $15.00 Toro Grande: 6 X 56 $16.00 Belicoso Grande: 5.75 X 58. $17.00
Through a fusion of inherited techniques and patience, AJ has developed proprietary tobacco grown from the most prized seeds harvested exclusively on his family farms. Perhaps the most essential quality of an AJ Fernandez cigar is not tangible. It is passion and discipline that motivates AJ to produce world renown premium cigars. The motivation that flows and radiates from AJ are contagious and palatable throughout all the artisans who hone their craft and skills under his hands-on tutelage throughout Nicaragua. All these attributes stem from humble beginnings in San Luis, Pinar del Rio, Cuba where the Fernandez family heritage began.
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Frank Santos at 786.800.5329 or email frankie@AJFcigars.com. artesanobilly@gmail.com info@ajfcigars.com
There are a lot of cigar accessories on the market, and if you look at other cigar accessory lists on the internet, you’ll likely see list after list full of cheap, easily-breakable cutters and lighters or humidors that don’t work. These lists are generally written by non-smokers or retailers with an incentive to push the cheapest products at the highest markups. You certainly won’t find accessories which are genuinely surprising or beautiful. Why? Past decades have been really boring as far as cigar accessories go. The market has had a steady diet of lots of cheap, branded cutters, lighters, and ash trays from major brands looking to get free advertising from cigar lounges and cigar smokers.
Thankfully, in recent years the cigar lifestyle has seen a massive resurgence, and along with that rising tide has come a string of new and innovative cigar accessories.
On this list you’ll find a selection of cutters, lighters, ash trays, and even unique accessories which really don’t fit nicely in one single category. Because these accessories aren’t junk, they aren’t cheap—you won’t find $10 lighters or cheap Alibaba Cohiba knockoffs here like you will on other lists on Google. This list—based on the many cigar accessories I use on a daily basis—is maintained and updated over the years in order to help cigar aficionados discover what are truly the best cigar accessories on the market.
Top Cigar Accessories
So without further ado, here’s my list of top cigar accessories you should consider adding to your smoking room to give it some real spirit.
Les Fines Lames LE PETIT Knife Cutter
Les Fines Lames is a French company that while relatively young is already world-renowned for its incredibly successful lines of cigar cutter knives. The company has dozens of models, each painstakingly designed for maximum aesthetic impact and of course, a superior cut on a cigar. I own four knives, two of which are photographed below.
To me, Les Fines Lames knives have two main benefits:
Enhance the Ritual: cutting and lighting cigars is where every smoke session starts. Sure a standard guillotine cutter will get the job done. But carefully, lovingly cutting the cap off of a cigar with a precision tool simply adds to the experience. It gives the cigar the love and attention it deserves—after all, cigars are hand made and premium cigars require tremendous attention to construct.
Conversation Starters: I’m not one for pretense, but I can’t deny that cutting a cigar with a Les Fines Lames LE PETIT knife makes a statement to those nearby, and I’ve had multiple occasions where the knife started a friendly conversation. In an isolated world of eyes buried in phones, conversation pieces are an act of resistance.
Les Fines Lames LE PETIT Gold Series ArabesqueLes Fines Lames LE PETIT Barrel CognacLes Fines Lames LE PETIT
Now to address one important note: when Les Fines Lames launched, there was some talk among aficionados that because the knives utilize just one blade vs a traditional guillotine cutter, that the knives wouldn’t work as well. In the years since and as the knives have grown in popularity and reputation, those questions have largely ceased.
Click here to explore or purchase Les Fines Lames cigar knives on the Les Fines Lames website.
Protetta Morning Birds Ash Tray
Another relatively new company is Protetta, based in New York City. Originally the company designed and manufactured catch all dishes, but soon found a high degree of enthusiasm from cigar enthusiasts like myself. The company specializes in stunning, hand painted porcelain trays with removable cigar holders. You can see in the image above that there are actually multiple holders of different colors to customize the look and feel. As with Les Fines Lames knives, these dishes act as conversation pieces. But like any good work of art, they elevate the home or cigar lounge generally.
Click here to explore or purchase Protetta accessories on the Protetta website.
Solid Black Concrete Single Cigar Ashtray from Storck Designs
Switching gears to a completely different design aesthetic. I’m a big fan of these solid black concrete cigar ashtrays from Storck Designs. While certainly quite a bit simpler than hand-painted porcelain ash trays, they make a different kind of statement, placing the cigar in center stage and offering a bit more moody of a vibe. At ~$50, they’re also quite a bit more economical and worth checking out.
Click here to explore or purchase Storck Design accessories on the Storck Design website.
Elie Bleu Alba Series Ash Tray + Accessories
Some aficionados say that Elie Bleu sits at the epitome of sophistication in the world of cigar accessories. While I can’t state that definitively, the French based company is known for its unbelievably high quality of work, with hand made accessories ranging from cigar cutters and lighters all the way up to some of the most expensive hand-made humidors on the planet. Shown above is the Elie Bleu Alba Series, which celebrates the classic artwork of Cuban cigar boxes. The series includes a beautifully detailed double guillotine cutter, torch lighter, leather two-cigar holder, ash tray, and full sized desktop humidor.
You’ll pay top price with Elie Bleu. But you will receive legendary quality and craftsmanship. Sold in the US via Davidoff of Geneva.
One of my newest and most-used accessories is the Xifei 3-in-1 cutter and lighter. When I first received this lighter as a gift I was very skeptical given many of the products produced in China have been off the mark as far as quality goes. But boy was I surprised. This really has become my all in one accessory and I often reach for it when I’m heading out to a lounge and don’t want to pack a bunch of different accessories. For me the key feature is the inward aimed triple torches, which gives a lot of precision to a light. I find that triple or quad torches are often way to indiscrimate with their jets, leading to the wrapper leaf around the foot being scorched (the worst of these being those circular table top lights, AVOID). This lighter has three jets but it is still very precise.
At $128 on Amazon, it’s pricier than other lighters. But the build quality, usability and even look is excellent so it’s a no brainer to me.
Click here to explore or purchase the Xifei All in One Cutter and Triple Flame Lighter
Newair 250 Count Thermo-electric Humidor
I’ll begin by saying that even with my love of luxury cigar accessories, I am still a huge fan of the “tupperdore,” or using airtight tupperware to store cigars. Extremely cost effective and efficient. That said, the Newair 250 Count Thermo-electric Humidor is a great addition to the home for a cigar enthusiast. Here are the benefits:
Aesthetic: the humidor looks great, is relatively compact, and will enhance most rooms it sits in (unless of course your house has a cottagecore vibe in which case no electric humidor will fit!)
Function: unlike traditional humidors, the Newair thermoelectric humidor actually regulates the interior temperature, which means if you have a highly fluctuating environment, particularly with high temperatures, your cigars will remain safe and sound.
Newair produces these electric cigar humidors at varying sizes, so the most important piece of advice I can give you is, try to aim one size above the number of cigars you think you’ll need to store. For instance, while this claims to carry 250 cigars, that’s only under 100% perfect tetris storage conditions which frankly may not be good for airflow and actually keeping cigars humidified. If you truly have 200 or more cigars to store, I strongly suggest moving one step up to a larger size.
One other update since writing this post: Newair now produces the same thermoelectric humidor with a heating feature which is key for people like me who live in colder climates. It’s more expensive, but worth checking out.
Davidoff Discovery Flask & Storage
This goes down in my book as probably the most creative and innovative cigar accessory I own: a solid steel travel flask that swivels to reveal two cigar slots, one at each shoulder. Not only is the build quality superb, but interior storage for two cigars actually is something that comes in massively handy when going out on a daytrip. Sometimes I just don’t want to carry a travel humidor with me. If I’m goin on a hike with a friend, a well built flask and two identical cigars to share is perfect simplicity.
Only note: the cigar storage is good for up to about a Toro size, so if you’ve got 6×60’s you’re planning on bringing on a hike, know they won’t fit.
S.T. Dupont Brown Double Cigar Case
Similar to the Davidoff flask, the S.T. Dupont Brown Double Cigar Case is all about simplicity and form. Perfect for two cigars up to toro format, it has small touches that give it a classic feel, and the leather ensures long lasting life for the case. Often times with cheaper leather accessories you’re paying less but what you sacrifice is ultimately the life of the product. Fake leather cracks, frays and then looks unseemly. Not so with quality leather products. You can learn more about S.T. Dupont accessories on their website here.
Conclusion
And that’s it, my current list of cigar accessory products and manufacturers that I recommend checking out and purchasing from. Cigars are such a sophisticated and artful product: don’t pair your cigars with inferior, mass produced garbage that won’t stand the test of time or add anything to your cigar experience.
What do you think? Are there accessories not on this list that you think should be? Got suggestions? Leave them in the comments below.
For regular cigar smokers, Oliva Cigar Co is a renowned name. Even among Cuban cigar connoisseurs, Oliva is one of the few ‘new world’ brands held in high esteem the world over. Not only do they produce some of the best cigars on the market – but their products are also carefully crafted with quality and consistency in mind. As a regular Oliva cigar smoker and a cigar event organizer who regularly selects and recommends Oliva cigars, it’s no wonder to me that they’re one of the world’s foremost cigar companies. Outside of the blends being world-class, the company’s ability to replicate the exact blend experience year after year is matched only by other juggernauts like Davidoff or Arturo Fuente.
Oliva produces some of the most sought-after cigars on the market, and one of their most popular series is the Serie V Melanio Figurado. This cigar is handmade with a blend of Nicaraguan Habano Jalapa and Criollo leaves that are aged for a minimum of three years to develop its rich flavor. The Serie V Melanio Figurado features a dark and oily wrapper, with an overall smooth draw and complex yet mellow flavors. It has notes of coffee, leather, earthiness, cedar, and spice that linger on the palate. The wrapper is made from an Ecuador Sumatra leaf that adds an additional layer of complexity to the smoke. The burn rate is also great, as it burns slowly and evenly for an enjoyable smoking experience.
Click here to buy the Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado on Famous Smoke Shop.
Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro Robusto
The Oliva Melanio Maduro is a special edition of the classic Oliva Melanio. It is made with a higher priming of the same Nicaraguan Habano Sun Grown wrapper from the original blend, but the Maduro version has been aged for up to 5 years in order to bring out its natural sweetness and darker, richer tones. The Maduro version also features an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder and a blend of Nicaraguan Habano long fillers. This combination of tobaccos provides a pleasant and balanced full-bodied experience that is unique to the Maduro variant. It delivers flavors such as coffee, dark chocolate, leather, baking spices, and earthy undertones. The Maduro variant also produces thicker smoke due to its increased wrapper priming and longer aging period, making it ideal for those looking for more intense flavor profiles in their cigars.
Click here to buy the Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro Robusto on Famous Smoke Shop.
Oliva Connecticut Reserve
If you want to explore the milder side of Oliva Cigar Co., the Connecticut Reserve has to be your first stop. The Oliva Connecticut Reserve is crafted with an Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut wrapper that offers a smooth, creamy smoke. The interior blend consists of Nicaraguan binder and filer tobaccos, offering a balanced combination of complexity and flavor. Creamy notes of cedar, coffee, and moderate white pepper make this cigar an enjoyable experience.
Click here to buy the Oliva Serie Connecticut Reserve on Famous Smoke Shop.
Oliva Serie V No. 4
The Oliva Serie V IV is one of, if not our all time favorite Oliva Cigar. It is without a doubt perhaps the best ‘small cigar’ on the market. But unlike most smaller cigars which resemble their larger counterparts in name only, the Oliva Serie V No. 4 is like a small espresso shot of the original Serie V blend. Intense, creamy notes of leather, cocoa, coffee, earth, cedar, and spice provide an enjoyable experience for all types of smokers.
Click here to buy the Oliva Serie V No. 4 on Famous Smoke Shop.
Conclusion
Oliva is a company that knows how to craft an amazing cigar. Any of the cigars on this list will be a crowd pleasure for the novice or veteran cigar smoker – so give them a try!
Affiliate disclosure: when you purchase something using the retail links on this or other Fine Tobacco NYC pages, we may earn a small commission. We link to Famous Smoke Shop because they are (in our opinion) the best online cigar retailer. Our opinions on the cigars remain our own!
