I am a big fan of Ashton’s cigar lines from their more mild Cabinet blends, to their fuller Virgin and Estate Sungrown cigars. Their newer Ashton Symmetry line is once again made in collaboration with the Fuente’s and lives up to its moniker of a perfectly balanced smoke. Product Specifics Cigar Reviewed: Ashton Symmetry Belicoso […]
Up for review today is the Carolina Blue Maduro Gran Robusto, a beautiful cigar in an elegant gran robusto size. Carolina Blue is a relatively new company which was founded in 2016 as a partnership between Francisco De La Cruz and Christopher Moore, who had recently retired from military service. To get a feel for […]
Up for review today is Basil Hayden’s Dark Rye (2017 Release), which is the first permanent addition to the Basil Hayden’s family ever. To any Bourbon or Rye enthusiast, this is exciting news. But the release had some scratching their heads when it was announced that the new Rye blend would include the addition of […]
A few weeks ago I was in Palm Springs, California on business at the JW Marriott. It’s a special resort, with breathtaking views of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains, an incredible golf course, and if that isn’t enough, a handful tropical birds that inhabit the massive hotel lobby. So it was clear to […]
I’m not always excited to review cigars and whisky. I might be a jerk for saying that, but the simple truth is, I sample a lot of “meh” product, and not many deserve 500 words of description. So it’s always a treat when I’m sitting down to review a product that I know will challenge […]
Back on the reviewing table today is the Davidoff Colorado Claro Short Perfecto. This blend was originally released in 2002 and then re-released in 2009. I purchased this cigar without realizing that this is in fact a limited blend, with only a few hundred boxes of each size made. This could explain why the Colorado […]
Nat Sherman has been putting out some wonderful premium cigars for some time now (see Metropolitan Habano, Timeless, Bench). The Panamericana brand is an exclusive only available to shops that are members of the Tobacconists’ Association of America. The Secretos is the smallest vitola in the line, but one not to be underestimated. This was […]
It’s always a treat to review a cigar you’ve never heard of before from a producer you might not know as well (in this instance, Drew Estate’s La Gran Fabrica factory). It’s an opportunity to go outside your comfort zone; to potentially get a fresh perspective, and maybe even find a new go-to cigar. That’s […]
McClelland Tobacco, one of the most legendary names in pipe tobacco, is closing its doors after more than forty years in business. The company, which created some of the most popular pipe tobaccos in the world (Dark Star, Personal Reserve: Blackwoods Flake, Christmas Cheer, and Turkish Ribbon, to name a few), cited policy and regulatory […]
Glenlivet 12 is one of those scotches that is too often overlooked by scotch fans looking for the ‘next best thing.’ I’ve got news for you: Glenlivet 12 isn’t on every bar and tavern shelf because it’s pretty to look at (though it is). It’s on every shelf because it’s an affordable, approachable, and broadly […]
There are individuals in the cigar industry who source tobacco to create a blend, others have a blend made for them and others who farm tobacco and sell to companies. A.J. Fernandez chooses to do it all. A.J. is one of the finest blenders, farmers and cigar creators out there. His ability to oversee the […]
Up for review today is another blend from Moore and Bode, a little known brand based in Florida. This brand, though, is not to be underestimated. The last Moore & Bode cigar I reviewed, the Moore & Bode Candela, earned an overall score of 91 (excellent). In this review, we’ll look at the Moore & Bode […]