In this cigar conversation from the 2012 IPCPR Trade Show, I talk with Tracie Southern. Tracie is working for an up and coming boutique company called J & D Cigars. J & D Cigars is a true “seed to store” company. The company was founded by David Insignares and Jorge Gil. Insignares and Gil have […]
Posts by William Cooper:
Cigar Pre-Review: Swag SoBe Edition

Swag SoBe Edition The Swag SoBe Edition is the third blend to be added to the Swag Cigars family. The cigar was announced prior to the 2012 IPCPR, but had its official launch at the trade show. SoBe stands for South Beach – referring the famous Miami Beach neighborhood. As a part of the packaging, […]
Cigar Conversation: Brian Chinnock of Chinnock Cellars (Part 15 of the 2012 IPCPR Conversation Series)
In this cigar conversation from the 2012 IPCPR Trade Show, I talk with Brian Chinnock of Chinnock Cellars. Brian is both a winemaker and a cigar maker from California and has brought these two worlds together as no one has before. In this conversation, Brian gives us some background of how he got involved in […]
Cigar Review: My Uzi Weighs a Ton (MUWAT) +11 by Subculture Studios/Joya de Nicaragua

The My Uzi Weighs a Ton (MUWAT) +11 made its official launch at the 2012 IPCPR Trade Show. The +11 becomes the second non 60 ring gauge cigar in the MUWAT line. The MUWAT line was launched a year ago at the 2011 IPCPR Trade Show. The MUWAT was a joint collaboration with Drew Estate’s […]
Cigar Conversation: Antonio Lam of Reinado Cigars (Part 14 of the 2012 IPCPR Conversation Series)
In this cigar conversation from the 2012 IPCPR Trade Show, I catch up with one of the rising stars in the cigar industry – Antonio Lam of Reinado Cigars. Antonio founded Reinado Cigars a couple of years ago and his cigars have gotten many accolades. Reinado is a true boutique company that is focused on […]
Cigar Conversation: Ernesto Perez-Carrillo of E.P. Carrillo (Part 13 of the 2012 IPCPR Conversation Series)
In this cigar conversation from the 2012 IPCPR Trade Show in Orlando, Florida, I sit down with the “Godfather of Boutique Cigars”, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr. of E.P. Carrillo. We start off our conversation talking about the E.P. Carrillo Inch line – a new line launched at the trade show. Ernesto discusses how he wanted to […]
Assessment Update: Emilio AF Suave

Assessment Updates will be posted on this web-site to: 1) Assess “pre-review” cigars that were not given a rating or score (typically pre-release cigars); 2) Provide numeric ratings to cigars previously assessed prior to the implementation of the numeric scoring system; 3) Provide a re-assessment and re-score of a previously assessed/score cigars. Today, we provide an […]
Cigar Review: Cuenca y Blanco by Joya de Nicaragua

Cuenca y Blanco by Joya de Nicaragua The Cuenca y Blanco cigar is a new cigar that was launched by Joya de Nicaragua at the 2012 IPCPR Trade Show. The cigar was anticipated for two reasons: 1) It was the first blend by Joya de Nicaragua since Jose Blanco signed on to be the senior […]
Cigar Conversation: Tres Reynas with Janny Garcia, Raquel and Patricia Quesada (Part 12 of the 2012 IPCPR Conversation Series)
In this cigar conversation, we meet the women behind the Tres Reynas cigar. The Tres Reynas brings together two legendary families in the cigar industry – the Quesadas and the Garcias. It is the daughters (thus the name Tres Reynas) in each of the families that have come together to spearhead this project – namely […]
Feature Story: Oliveros/Boutique Blends at the 2012 IPCPR

At the 2012 IPCPR Trade Show in Orlando, Florida, Oliveros Cigars hosted a media session for several members of the online media. The session covered two main areas:1) An understanding of some of the company’s restructuring, line consolidations and repackaging; 2) A walk-thru of the new offerings (and existing offerings for those not familiar with […]