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: AJ Fernandez New World Dorado Robusto
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 88-90, AJ Fernandez Cigars, Buy One, New World, Reviews
Back in 2014, AJ Fernandez Cigar Company launched what would become the company’s most successful brand, New World. The original intent of the brand was to pay homage to the days of exploration, in particular when the Europeans observed natives smoking tobacco. New World introduced a box-pressed Oscuro-wrapped offering at a very attractive $6.00 price […]
Cigar Review: Meerapfel Richard Double Robusto
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 91-93, Buy One, Meerapfel, Review
The Meerapfel family has over 150 years of experience in various aspects of the tobacco business. Today they are best known for being tobacco brokers and, in particular, are known for brokering tobacco out of Cameroon, Africa. In addition, the Meerapfels work with Arturo Fuente Cigar Company on its international distribution outside the U.S. In […]
Cigar Review: Alec Bradley Double Broadleaf Gran Corona
William Cooper Reviews 1 Comment 88-90, Alec Bradley, Buy One, Forged Cigar Company, Review, Scandinavian Tobacco Group, STG
Back in 2019, Alec Bradley launched a series known as the Experimental Series, a series of cigars that would see the company “experiment” or work with tobaccos they have not worked with all that much. 2022 would see Alec Bradley introduce a line to the market known as the Alec Bradley Double Broadleaf. The name […]
Cigar Review: Byron Selección 1850 Grand Bouquet by Selected Tobacco
William Cooper Reviews 3 Comments 88-90, Buy One, Byron, Review, Selected Tobacco, United Cigar
In 2022, Nelson Alfonso’s Selected Tobacco would introduce its fourth blend under its Byron Cigars brand, the Byron Seleccíon 1850. If you have followed the career of Selected Tobacco owner Nelson Alfonso, you will know when it comes to his cigars, he very much focuses on the aging process of not just the tobacco, but […]
Cigar Review: Tatuaje 7th Tuxtla
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 88-90, Buy One, Review, Tatuaje
Back in 2012, Tatuaje Cigars released a cigar called the Tatuaje Mexican Experiment. The cigar was at the time a limited and regional release that quickly developed a cult-following. The cigar was pretty much exactly as advertised – Pete Johnson’s experimenting with the Mexican wrapper. While Johnson has done other Mexican releases, including bringing back […]
Cigar Review: Crowned Heads Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2022 LC52
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 88-90, Buy One, Crowned Heads, Review
When you look at annual limited edition series releases, one that has to certainly be on the list of iconic collections is Crowned Heads Las Calaveras line. Las Calaveras was launched in 2014, and it is the first release that Crowned Heads would do with the My Father Cigars factory. The name “Las Calaveras” translates […]
Cigar Review: Olmec Claro Toro by Foundation Cigar Company
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 88-90, Buy One, Foundation Cigar Company, Olmec, Review
At the 2022 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show in Las Vegas, Nicholas Melillo’s Foundation Cigar Company introduced a two-blend cigar line known as Olmec. It pays tribute to the culture of the Olmecs, who were the earliest known major Mesoamerican civilization. They flourished in the period of 1600 and 400 BCE. According to Foundation […]
Cigar Review: Blackened M81 Toro by Drew Estate
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 88-90, Blackened, Buy One, Drew Estate, Review
In 2022, Drew Estate announced a three-way collaboration project that was done between Metallica’s James Hetfield, Distiller Rob Dietrich of Sweet Amber Distilling, and Jonathan Drew known as Blackened M81. Blackened is the name of a whiskey collaboration of Metallica and Dietrich and Dietrich and Drew have been friends for a while. It was Dietrich […]
Cigar Review: HVC Selección No. 1 Maduro Esenciales
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 88-90, Buy One, HVC, Review
In 2023, HVC Cigars made a bold move. After over a decade of producing some highly acclaimed cigars at the Aganorsa Leaf factory, HVC Cigars’ owner Reinier Lorenzo made the decision to open his own factory, Fabrica de Tabaco, and start shifting production to come from there. While Lorenzo still maintains some production at Aganorsa […]