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 […]
Up for review today is Four Roses Yellow Label, the company’s entry level product. Calling anything from Four Roses “entry level” though could be a bit of a misnomer. Unlike many bourbon boom companies that churn out poorly balanced, mediocre bourbon blends, you’d be hard pressed to find any Four Roses bourbon that doesn’t reach […]
Up for review today is the Fonseca Nicaragua Petite Corona. It’s a unique cigar, firstly because it comes from a collaboration between two great families in tobacco: the Quesada’s and the Plasencia’s. Second, this is the first Fonseca brand cigar ever to be made outside of the Dominican Republic. Product Specifics Cigar Reviewed: Fonseca Nicaragua […]
Up for review today is the Aging Room Pelo de Oro. Besides its gorgeous branding, the Pelo de Oro is notable for its filler tobacco. Pelo de Oro (which translated means “golden hair” in spanish) is a difficult to grow leaf, with high susceptibility to disease and low yields. At the time of purchase, I […]
Foundation Cigar Co.’s Nicholas Melillo announced this handsome stick last summer, basing its name off the subject of El Gueguense, a centuries-old Nicaraguan folk tale about, that’s right, you guessed it, a wise man: In the seventeenth century, somewhere in the streets of a small colonial Nicaraguan city governed by the Spanish authorities and inhabited […]