Back in 1971, Jack Rothman opened his first cigar store in New York City. That cigar store would grow and become JR Cigar. A year after opening his first store, Jack’s son Lew Rothman was approached by a customer asking if he could have cigars mailed back to his home state, leading to the […]
Cigar Review: Vintage Rock-A-Feller Cigar Group Art of Magic
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 91-93, Box Purchase, Review, Rock-A-Feller, Vintage Rock-A-Feller Cigar Group
The Art of Magic is a new limited edition project started by Vintage Rock-A-Feller Cigar Group (VRCG). In 2017, Vintage Rock-A-Feller Cigar Group was acquired by Kevin Schweitzer, who at the time was a Wall Street trader who had been a cigar enthusiast for 25 years. At that time, Schweitzer became the company’s sole owner and […]
Cigar Review: Rocky Patel Quarter Century Robusto
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 91-93, Box Purchase, Review, Rocky Patel
Over the years, cigar companies have released cigars to commemorate milestones or occasions. Sometimes these are limited edition cigars, annual releases, or even regular production cigars. Rocky Patel Premium Cigars is no exception. In 1995, an entertainment lawyer named Rocky Patel along with Phil Zanghi would found a company called Indian Tabac. Eventually Patel and […]
Cigar Review: Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua Churchill by Altadis USA
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 91-93, Altadis, Box Worthy Consideration, Montecristo, Review, Tabacalera USA
When it comes to iconic brands in the cigar industry, Montecristo is one that stands near the top. Montecristo traces its roots back to 1935 when Alonso Menendez and Jose Manuel Pepe Garcia started a brand in Cuba inspired by the Alexandre Dumas novel, The Count of Montecristo. While the brand is still an iconic brand in […]
Cigar Review: Illusione Epernay 10th Anniversary D’Aosta
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 91-93, Buy Multiples, Illusione, Review
In 2019, Illusione Cigars marked the 10th anniversary of its Epernay line with the release of a commemorative cigar, the Illusione Epernay 10th Anniversary D’Aosta. The Illusione Epernay is considered somewhat of a game-changing cigar. For a long time, cigars with Nicaraguan tobaccos were often associated with strong and bold, but when it came to […]
Cigar Review: Sobremesa Brûlée Blue by Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
William Cooper Reviews 1 Comment 91-93, Box Worthy Consideration, DTT, Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust, Review
The Sobremesa Brûlée Blue is 6 1/4 x 46 tweaked version of the Sobremesa Brûlée, Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust’s Connecticut Shade offering. If you have followed the career of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust owner Steve Saka, you will know that with most of his core lines, he has also released alternative, “tweaked” versions of those […]
Agile Cigar Review: Southern Draw Jacobs Ladder Brimstone Un Presidente
William Cooper Agile Cigar Reviews, Reviews No Comments 91-93, Agile Cigar Review, Assessment Update, Box Purchase, Southern Draw
Agile Cigar Reviews are cigar assessments where we use a lightweight, shorter format. These will never take the place of our comprehensive reviews. They are only used on blends we have previously assessed. This might be a blend we are rescoring or giving a score for the first time. It might be a blend we […]
Cigar Review: 601 Black Toro by Espinosa Cigars (2020)
William Cooper Reviews 1 Comment 601, 91-93, Buy Multiples, Espinosa, Review
In 2020, after several years of anticipation, the 601 Black made its return. The 601 Black is a cigar that traces its roots back to EO Brands, the partnership between Espinosa Cigars’ founder Erik Espinosa and Eddie Ortega. 601 Black was one of the original 601 blends released in the EO portfolios. At the time […]
Cigar Review: E.P. Carrillo Pledge Prequel
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 91-93, Box Worthy Consideration, EP Carrillo, EPC, Review
The E.P. Carrillo Pledge is the third installment in E.P. Carrillo’s Perez-Carrillo Series (also called the Family Series). The Perez-Carrillo Series is probably the collection of cigars in the E.P. Carrillo portfolio that has garnered the most acclaim. The first installment was the La Historia. Released in 2014, this is a blend highlighted by a […]
Cigar Review: Crowned Heads La Coalición Siglo
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 91-93, Buy Multiples, Crowned Heads, Review
If you have followed the evolution of the first seven years of Crowned Heads Cigars, it was a company that established manufacturing partnerships with two cigar factories: Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr‘s Tabacalera La Alianza and the Garcia Family’s My Father Cigars. The latter part of 2018 would be a very important one for Crowned Heads as […]