Late last year, J.C. Newman Cigar Company announced it was revamping its Perla del Mar brand. Perla del Mar was J.C. Newman’s premium box-pressed brand and was offered in two blends – a Connecticut Shade and a Maduro. While the company felt it had a good brand in Perla del Mar, they felt they could […]
Cigar Review: CLE 25th Anniversary 11/18 (2020 TAA Exclusive)
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 2020 TAA Exclusive Series, 88-90, Buy One, CLE, Review, TAA
In 2020, CLE Cigar Company announced a cigar to commemorate owner Christian Eiroa’s 25 years in the cigar business. The cigar is called the CLE 25th Anniversary. One of the vitolas in the line would be made an exclusive cigar to the Tobacconists Association of America (TAA) 2020 Exclusive Series. 11/18 is a size introduced […]
Cigar Review: CAO Arcana Mortal Coil (Toro)
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 88-90, Buy One, CAO, General, Reviews, Scandinavian Tobacco Group, STG
At the start of 2021, General Cigar Company announced the launch of a new limited edition series under its CAO brand known as Arcana. The Arcana series is described as one that features unique tobacco forms and techniques from various regions around the world. The first cigar of this series is called the Mortal Coil. […]
Cigar Review: Black Works Studio Hyena Corona Gorda
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 88-90, Black Works Studio, Buy One, Oveja Negra Brands, Review
Earlier this year; Black Works Studio, one of the brands owned by James Brown of Oveja Negra Brands, announced the release of a cigar known as Hyena. Hyena would be the second Oveja Negra release to feature a Cameroon wrapper following up 2020’s Black Works Studio Killer Bee Swarm. The Hyena gets its name from […]
Agile Cigar Review: Aladino Vintage Selection Toro by JRE Tobacco Co.
William Cooper Agile Cigar Reviews, Reviews No Comments 88-90, Agile Cigar Review, Aladino, Assessment Update, Buy One, JRE Tobacco Co
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 rescoring or giving a score for the first time. It also might be a blend […]
Cigar Review: Trinidad Espiritu No.2 by Altadis USA
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 88-90, Altadis, Buy One, Review, Tabacalera USA, Trinidad
In 2019 Altadis USA decided to give its Trinidad brand a refresh and relaunch by introducing the Trinidad Espiritu Series. Altadis would reach out to AJ Fernandez who had been working with Altadis on several projects over the past few years, including reimaging brands such as Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, and H. Upmann. The resulting […]
Cigar Review: Tatuaje TAA 2020
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 2020 TAA Exclusive Series, 88-90, Buy One, Review, TAA, Tatuaje
The Tatuaje TAA 2020 edition marked the tenth consecutive exclusive release for the Tobacconists Association of America (TAA) Exclusive Series. Since the launch of the first Tatuaje TAA release in 2011, the Tatuaje TAA releases have been some of the most sought-after releases in the TAA Series. Many will actually credit Tatuaje with putting TAA […]
Cigar Review: Protocol Eliot Ness Maduro (Toro)
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 88-90, Buy One, Cubariqueño Cigar Company, Protocol, Review
In 2019 Protocol Cigars would release a two-blend cigar release known as Protocol Sir Robert Peel. Protocol Sir Robert Peel would mark a major change in terms of a cigar being released as the line was intended to be a more premium offering in the portfolio. This would be reflected in both the blends and […]
Cigar Review: Liga Privada Unico Serie Pancetta by Drew Estate (2020)
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 88-90, Buy One, Drew Estate, Liga Privada, Review
In 2019, Drew Estate announced a new addition to its Liga Privada Unico Serie called Pancetta. This cigar would be an exclusive offering to two retailers in the Mid-Atlantic region: Wooden Indian Tobacco Shop in Havertown, PA, and Barrister Cigars in Union, NJ. These are two retailers that go back to the early days of […]
Agile Cigar Review: HVC 500 Years Anniversary Shorts
William Cooper Agile Cigar Reviews, Reviews No Comments 88-90, Agile Cigar Review, Assessment Update, Buy One, HVC
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 rescoring or giving a score for the first time. It might be a blend we […]