Over the past couple of months, I have gotten the opportunity to sample cigars made my Savinelli. The Savinelli Nicaragua Reserve and the Savinelli Special Selection 2005 were both very positive cigar experiences. Usually the third time is important for me when I look at a brand – namely if a company has three solid […]
The story of the Illusione Nosotros is one that does not have a happy ending. This project started out as a cigar “dream team” collaboration by Illusione’s Dion Giolito and Drew Estate’s Jonathan Drew. The Nosotros would be launched under the Illusione brand and began to surface in early 2010. With these two cigar titans […]
The My Father Limited Edition 2011 is the second in what now seems to be an annual release of a limited run My Father cigar. Last year, the Limited Edition 2010 made a big splash and has to be considered a commercial and critical success. This year’s edition brings some changes in terms of the […]
Last year, there was no question that one of the revelations in terms of a new cigar line that was launched was Bill Paley’s La Palina line. These cigars might cost a little more, but they consistently deliver in flavor and quality. Last year, I focused around the Family Series and rated two cigars in […]
On this web-site, I continually try to generate some additional awareness for legislation that affects us as cigar enthusiasts. Perhaps this post represents the most important political action item I have posted to date. You probably are aware of the FDA’s intent to regulate the cigar industry and lump cigars in with cigarettes. This is […]
When you hear the name El Credito, two things come into my mind: 1) The famous factory where many of the famous La Gloria Cubana cigars are made; 2) The El Credito cigar line – value priced cigars that are also produced out of this factory. Coming off what I considered a stellar year for […]
I’ve been throwing around an expression in my last three cigar reviews – “build a core line and they will come”. But in reality, when it comes to Tatuaje it really is “release a limited cigar and they will come”. Tatuaje has always caught the attention of cigar enthusiasts with their retail only exclusive cigars. […]
This past weekend, I got a some face to face questions asking me what I knew about the Para Japon cigar from Miami Cigars. I thought I’d post what I know, where you can get more information, and some thoughts. The Para Japon project is another example of the cigar industry stepping up in […]
The Lounge at Metropolitan Society In the Spring, 2011 issue of the Cigar Network magazine, I wrote up a feature story on “Cigar Lounges: The Fabric of the Cigar Lifestyle”. In that article I discussed the various types of cigar lounges and the fellowship and camaraderie they foster. While it might seem like I am […]
In my last review of the E.P. Carrillo Core Line, I mentioned “build a core line and they will come”. I guess to some extent this holds true for Tatuaje Cigars, but Tatuaje really has built their reputation on their limited releases. Ultimately, I think the success of any cigar line comes down to a […]
As I continue to follow the cigar industry, one rule of thumb I see when it comes to manufactuers is “build a core line and they will come…” Such is the case with E.P. Carrillo. When Ernesto Perez-Carrillo launched his E.P. Carrillo Cigar company, the initial releases were limited edition runs. It was in 2010 […]
At the end of 2010, there were three cigar manufacturers that decided to release “New York only” cigars. In other words, these would be cigars that would be sold exclusively to retailers in New York State. The idea was that the New York State cigar would provide a much needed jolt to retailers in New […]
