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Continue reading →: La Gloria Cubana Intención Update and DealA couple of months in the humidor have done wonders for the La Gloria Cubana Intención. The profile is nuttier, the bright citrus and cedar stand out more clearly, and the whole cigar feels much more integrated. I bumped its score to 94 and immediately bought another box. At $69.50…
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Continue reading →: Transitions: It’s All in the BunchBunching is something almost every cigar smoker knows about, but I discovered there’s far more nuance to it than most of us realize.
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Continue reading →: Review: Auremio Collectio MaduroWrapper: Cuban-Seed MaduroBinder: SumatraFiller: Nicaragua: JalapaSize: Toro (6 x 50)Strength: Medium → Full (nub)Body: Medium → Full (last couple of inches)Price: $15.91 USD per cigar / $350 per 22-count box, direct from AuremioFactory: Undisclosed factory, NicaraguaBlender: Auremio / factory blending teamRelease: Regular ProductionSmoking Time: 1:50Experience Rating: 97 I have to…
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Continue reading →: Review: Cayman Doubloon ToroThe Cayman Doubloon is probably the most divisive cigar in the Cayman lineup. Some think it doesn’t have much to it. But give it a close look, and its character reveals itself. And what a character it is.
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Continue reading →: Understanding Priming, Grading, and SortingPriming often gets conflated with quality. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Priming tells us where the leaf came from. Grading and sorting tell us what’s good and where it belongs.
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Continue reading →: Auremio Cigars DeliciaeThe Auremio Deliciae Maduro is a remarkable cigar, especially for what is ostensibly a debut core line. Smoking as many cigars as I do, this one got my attention quickly and kept it. Based on this one, I’m looking forward to what Auremio has in store.
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Continue reading →: Review: Privada Cigar Club BowserA rare Privada one-off from La Zona, Bowser is the kind of cigar I don’t usually review because most readers can’t easily buy it. But this one made enough of an impression to justify the exception.
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Continue reading →: The Wrapper Doesn’t Know the FutureThere seems to be a common misconception that keeps circulating in cigar culture that the wrapper type determines the aging potential of a cigar. The thinking is that the darker the wrapper, the better the cigar will age. It’s not only wrong, it’s ridiculous. A cigar is a complete system,…
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Continue reading →: Recommending Cigars to BeginnersRecommending cigars to beginners is about more than picking a light cigar. If we want them to love the hobby as much as we do, we have to bring out our inner tobacconist.
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Continue reading →: Happy 4th of July!I’m spending the 4th of July weekend at a good friend’s house in Ramona, CA. He lives in a beautiful home at the top of a hill just outside of town, and last night, we sat around the campfire in his backyard to watch the sunset. Being the “keeper of…
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