The year 2022 is going to be remembered as quite an active one in the cigar industry. In particular, one newsworthy item has been the large number of new companies entering the cigar industry. This year probably saw the largest amount of new companies enter the scene since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) […]
Agile Cigar Review: Tatuaje Monster Mash Jekyll
William Cooper Agile Cigar Reviews, Reviews No Comments 85-87, Agile Cigar Review, Assessment Update, Tatuaje, Tatuaje Monster Mash, Try a Sample
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 re-scoring or giving a score for the first time. It might be a blend we […]
Cigar Review: Fratello Navetta Inverso Toro Grande
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 85-87, Fratello Cigars, Review, Try a Sample
In 2018, Fratello Cigars would release its fifth regular production cigar, the Fratello Navetta Inverso. A year earlier, Fratello released its fourth regular production cigar, the Fratello Navetta. The Navetta would incorporate a blend featuring a Ecuadorian wrapper, Dominican binder, and Nicaraguan fillers. For the Navetta Inverso, it would basically incorporate the same tobaccos, but […]
Cigar Review: A. Flores 1975 Connecticut Valley Reserve Azul Churchill by PDR Cigars
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 85-87, PDR Cigars, Review, Try a Sample
In 2016 PDR Cigars unveiled the second installment under its Connecticut River Valley line, the Azul. A year earlier the Connecticut River Valley line was first introduced as one of PDR’s most premium offerings. The Connecticut River Valley blend was highlighted by a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. The Azul also utilized a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, […]
Cigar Review: Davidoff Year of the Tiger
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 85-87, Davidoff, Not Recommended, Review
Late in 2021, Davidoff released the 11th installment of its Chinese Zodiac series, the Davidoff Year of the Tiger. This annual ultra-premium series is one that is highly anticipated by Davidoff cigar enthusiasts. While the start of the Chinese New Year falls in between January 21st and February 20th, Davidoff typically puts out the Zodiac […]
Cigar Review: Platinum Nova Leo 11 Edition Limitada
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 85-87, Not Recommended, Platinum Nova, Review
At the 2021 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show, Platinum Nova Cigars would introduce a second cigar under its Personal Reserve series known as the Leo 11. The name Leo 11 comes from Leonor Abzaradel, who serves as the CEO of the company. In 2020, Platinum Nova had released the Leo 10 to commemorate Abzaradel’s […]
Cigar Review: Southern Draw Fraternal Order Blue Corona
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 85-87, Review, Southern Draw, Try a Sample
Over the years, Southern Draw has built quite an impressive portfolio of brands and brand extensions for its cigars. While many of these are well-known, the one brand that has floated under the radar has been Fraternal Order. Fraternal Order is a line that has been primarily (but not always exclusively) sold through Cigars International. […]
Cigar Review: Rocky Patel A.L.R. Second Edition Toro
William Cooper Reviews 1 Comment 85-87, Review, Rocky Patel, Try a Sample
At the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show, Rocky Patel Premium Cigars introduced the A.L.R. Second Edition line. A.L.R. stands for Aged, Limited & Rare. As the name indicates, second edition refers to the second blend in this series. The concept behind the A.L.R. line is simple – it involves developing a cigar, rolling the cigar, and […]
Cigar Review: Villiger TAA Exclusive 2021
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 2021 TAA Exclusive Series, 85-87, Not Recommended, Review, TAA, Villiger
In 2021, Villiger Cigars would introduce its second cigar that would be a part of the 2021 Tobacconists Association of America (TAA) Exclusive Series. Since Rene Castenada became the President of Villiger Cigars North America, he has paid particular attention to the handmade business of Villiger, using multiple factories (including Villiger’s own) to produce the […]
Cigar Review: Vintage Rock-A-Feller Cigar Group Art of Magic Cardician
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 85-87, Review, Rock-A-Feller, Try a Sample, Vintage Rock-A-Feller Cigar Group
In 2020, word came from Vintage Rock-A-Feller Cigar Group (VRCG) of a limited edition offering known as the Art of Magic. Art of Magic was named because of VRCG owner Kevin Schweitzer’s love of Magic. It was a small batch release done out of the Aganorsa Leaf factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, but it caught the […]