Aaron Sigmond and Ian Spanier to Release CIGARS: A Biography

Author Aaron Sigmond and photographer Ian Spanier have joined forces again, this time to release CIGARS: A Biography, their fourth collaboration. Preorder sales begin November 1, 2025, and the book is slated for a February 4, 2025 release.

CIGARS: A Biography is described as a part history book, part travelogue, part photographic monograph, and part luxury reference book. It is a comprehensive survey of cigars that delivers a narrative from Sigmond’s 35-plus years as a cigar connoisseur—often accompanied by Spanier. The book is illustrated with exclusive photography from Spanier in locations such as Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Mexico. It also includes illustrations from the United States, Europe, and other worldwide locations.

Shot on location in Nicaragua at one of the many Plasencia tobacco farms. © Ian Spanier

The forward was written by Tom Chamberlin, a cigar enthusiast and editor-in-chief of The Rake, the world’s leading publication on classic men’s style and good living. The hand-bound illustrated book is presented in a handcrafted cigar–case–inspired slipcase.

“When you’ve had the privilege of unfettered access to true cigarmaking masters such as Carlito Fuente Jr., Litto Gomez, Henke Kelner, Manolo Quesada, and Benji Menéndez; legendary tobacco growers including Don Alejandro Robaina, Jon Foster, and the Plasencia and Oliva families; and cigar merchants such as Edward Sahakian and Desmond Sautter, as well as cigarmakers of my own generation such as Pete Johnson, Jonathan Drew, and Nestor Andrés Plasencia, the humbling fact is you’re always learning,” commented Sigmond in a press release. “Nonetheless, after four decades in and around the cigar world as a retailer, writer and creative director you also have a tale or two to tell, and thoughts to share.”

There are only two torcedors at Tabacalera A. Fuente that roll the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Between the Lines; one places the dark (Colorado Maduro shade) leaf on the cap, and the other, as seen here, has the light (d’oro claro) leaf on the cap. © Ian Spanier

A previously unpublished portrait of Carlos “Carlito” Fuente Jr. marveling at the 2021-22 crop in a casa de tabaco at Château de la Fuente. © Ian Spanier

The book is also described as an anthology of sorts. It features previously published articles and book excerpts that Sigmond thoroughly updated. In addition, there are over 225 photographs. This includes past work from Spanier and unpublished photographs taken in the last decade and a half and all-new images shot specifically for the CIGARS: A Biography release. The result is the book Sigmond and Spanier have long envisioned. It was designed by award-winning creative director Liliana Guia.

Shot in the Dominican Republic, this is one of Spanier’s most award-winning cigar/tobacco photographs published in CIGARS: A Biography for the first time. © Ian Spanier

“From a photographer’s standpoint, a comprehensive body of work like this signifies a deep exploration of the subject, capturing nuances and intricacies over time,” added Spanier. “The evolution in my approach reflects not only a dynamic journey but shifts in composition, lighting, and perspective, showcasing my growth as a photographer and, equally, my growing desire to visually interpret the complexities of this distinctive subject.”