Earlier this month, when I reviewed the lIlusione 88 Candela, I made the comment that I had not paid enough attention to Dion Giolito’s Illusione line. I have another confession to make – while I feel Illusione has some the highest quality cigars out there, they just have not fit in with my taste profile. […]
Last night was pretty busy night from my perspective as I attended a terrific Oliveros event at Outland Cigars in Charlotte, NC. However, I really wanted to make a point to catch the webcast of the La Gloria Cubana Serie N virtual smoke featuring Team La Gloria Cubana (Michael Giannini, director of marketing; Rick Rodriguez, […]
Last month, I got my introduction to Savinelli Cigars and when I sampled the Savinelli Nicaragua Reserve, I really enjoyed it. Therefore, I was pretty excited to sample more from the Savinelli line. This time I was fortunate enough to try the Savinelli Special Selection 2005. After enjoying this blend, I raised the question – […]
Swag Limitado 99 Pre-Release In my motto – “it’s all about the cigars – the smoke, the craft, and the people”, it really is the people that make the cigar industry the best industry in the world. Over the past few months, I’ve gotten to meet some great people. Fabian Barrantes, Director/VP of Marketing of […]
If you have been following my ramblings, you know that 2010 was La Gloria Cubana’s year – they were the only brand to have three cigars in my Top 20 for Cigar of the Year. Much of what I liked was the innovation that was demonstrated by “Team La Gloria Cubana” (Team La Gloria members […]
It’s been a great month for cigars with all of the new releases coming out. It’s important not to take our eyes off the Pleasure Police though. Glynn Loope, Executive Director for the Cigar Rights of America posted an important post for all cigar enthusiasts nationwide – the proposed Maryland cigar tax increase appears to […]
The time has come. If you have followed my ramblings, you know I was a huge fan of the Avo LE10. In fact, I named it my 2010 Cigar of the Year. When talk of the Avo LE11 began hitting the internet, I was excited. There was no question – I had to try this […]
One cigar line that has been really garnering a lot of attention is the new La Palina El Diario – meaning “everyday smoke”. La Palina’s William Paley is intending this to be a cigar that one can reach for as a quality everyday cigar. Unlike the current Family Series and 1896 lines which are produced […]
As I follow various cigar brands and the people behind them, when it comes to Perdomo Cigars there is no question about their commitment to bring a quality product to the marketplace. I’ve witnessed Nick Perdomo’s care and commitment first hand, and from a consumer point of view, he’s done a great job at providing […]
With March 22nd being Avo Uvezian’s 85th birthday, I figured I was long overdue to provide a detailed assessment for my 2010 Cigar of the Year – the Avo Limited Edition 2010 (Avo LE10). First up, you will notice that this cigar was not only my #1 Cigar of the Year for 2010, but it […]
A true friend to all cigar enthusiasts in the Carolinas, Oliveros’ Rafael Nodal will be at Outland Cigars on Thursday March 24th (Ballantyne Location) and Friday March 25th (South Park) location for a two day event extravaganza! Rafael has blended some of the finest cigars over the last few years. King Havano challenges the best […]
Because Connecticut Shade wrapper cigars tend to be milder in nature, I often have to look for a special one. Back in 2010, when I tried the San Lotano Connecticut, I thought it broke the mold for Connecticut Shade wrapper cigars because it brought spice and robust flavors for it. However, the San Lotano was […]
