How do I introduce the Montecristo No. 2? Anyone with even a few months in the cigar world will know that, among Cubans, the Monte No. 2 is one of the most recommended and revered. The purpose of this review is to find out: is the Montecristo No. 2 really that good? For those of […]
A few weeks ago I was down on the outskirts of Shenandoah Valley for a hike-focused bachelor party. It was an amazing time, in part because we were able to visit the Copper Fox distillery in Sperryville, VA. We got a great tour and I was able to taste the Copper Fox Peachwood American Single […]
La Instructora (from Tabacalera Palma and created by Jose Blanco and Aaron Saide) is a fairly recent cigar line, having only come onto the main stage of the cigar world at IPCPR 2017, as reported by Halfwheel. I first noticed this cigar at Barclay Rex‘s downtown location, and thought the $20 price tag for a nearly […]
The Quesada Cigars Oktoberfest has, for three years now, been one of my favorite seasonal releases. Also, one of the few releases I enjoy in a larger format – my max preferred ring gauge is 54. In either case, the Quesada Oktoberfest series is a medium to full bodied offering that I think offers a […]
The last in the trilogy of cigars made for the Mexican market is the Edmundo Dantes Conde belicoso. The previous two releases where Edmundo Dantes Conde 109 & 54. These cigars are now sought after smokes that are consistently getting better with age. I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy boxes of the two and sadly […]
Digging through my humidor looking for an afternoon cigar to relax with during a cold and blustery afternoon I came upon a Cuban Regional Edition from El Rey del Mundo called the Petit Compania. I remember several years ago I picked these up in Paris at La Civette tobacco shop. They have quite […]
Like many cigar smokers, the name Perdomo brings back fond memories of my earliest days smoking. Lot 23 Maduro, for instance: one of the first cigars I ever reviewed. So I was excited to finally get a chance to review the 20th Anniversary Maduro. On to the review… Blend […]
I’ve been a well known fan of the team at Ashton and San Cristobal Cigars for a long time now. They create some of the most well balanced, flavorful cigars in their price range. So when I chanced upon a few San Cristobal Quintessence cigars at Nat Sherman on 42nd st, I picked them up […]
Two months ago I was in Orlando and visited Cigarz at Waterford. It’s a beautiful shop with a select choice of premium cigars. Israel Markevitz who is part owner and a cigar connoisseur with over a decade of experience in the industry has managed shops in Florida as well as New York. Israel recommended I […]
It isn’t often in the world of spirits (or cigars for that matter) that a new accessory creates the veritable firestorm of buzz on whisky social media that was created by the release of the Norlan Glass. In 2017, Norlan Glass announced its newest product: Norlan VAILD (not veiled or vailed!). In this post, I’m […]
El Gueguense (“The Wise Man”) is the first release from Nicholas Mellilo of Foundation Cigar Co. Like The Tabernacle, it was reviewed very favorably by myself, the wider cigar blogosphere, and also Cigar Aficionado which gave it a Top 25 rating in 2016. As you’ll see in the review below, this cigar deserves the praise […]
Up for review today is the Aging Room Sungrown Solera Fantastico (Toro). The Solera line was released at IPCPR 2016 and since then has gained significant traction in the U.S. and international market. This line is particularly visible on social media because the large double-bands make this line impossible to miss on Facebook, Twitter or […]