Over the past few years, Dion Giolito’s Illusione line has built a core following very similar to what Pete Johnson has done at Tatuaje. Much of the Illusione line is released in small batches, but not to the point where it is very difficult to find most of the blends. I must admit, I have […]
Sorry for the poor picture – Oliva Nub Cameroon When it comes to a short vitola with a big ring gauge, the Nub line is pretty much the industry leader. Originated by Sam Leccia (formerly with Oliva), he Nub line is a brand under Oliva Cigars. In fact this type of vitola has garnered […]
Last year my favorite new cigar that was released by Torano Family Cigars was the “Master by Carlos Torano”. In fact I was so high on this blend that in my Top 30 Cigar of the Year countdown, this cigar placed #17 – an excellent showing in an ultra-competitive year for new releases. I was […]
No I’m not going to be reviewing the classic Ted Nugent tune, I’m going to review a cigar – yes folks this is the Wango Tango cigar. I would categorize the Wango Tango as an “value-priced Indie” cigar. After smoking the cigar, I’m still a bit indifferent to what my final verdict is. If I […]
For a while I’ve been intrigued with sampling the Paul Garmirian line. Paul Garmirian is a Indie cigar line that tends to fall into the more expensive category when it comes to cigars. At the same time, I have not had a lot of success locating this line of cigars in Charlotte, North Carolina. Upon […]
Not the best lighting – the Vegas Cubanas When the name Don Pepin Garcia is mentioned, two things often come to mind. The first is “peppery” and the second is “Nicaraguan” tobacco. I would say this is very accurate as this has become his signature for many of the cigars he is involved with blending. […]
El Primer Mundo Connecticut A few months ago, I was blown away by AJ Fernandez’s San Lotano Connecticut cigar. I ended up ranking this cigar #8 for 2010. This cigar proved to me that a Connecticut Shade wrapper can be something special. I’ve now found a second cigar to join this club – the El […]
The Macanudo brand has been well-known among cigar enthusiasts and cigar novices for some time. Macanudo’s reputation has basically been built on cigars known to be on the milder side. About two years ago, Macanudo sought to change that image by introducing the full-bodied Macanudo 1968. – a very good cigar. This year, Macanudo […]
Back in May, I attended a Cigar Dave event in Charlotte and got to sample the world premiere of the A. Turrent Triple Play. The Triple Play was a Triple Maduro that was created by Alejandro Turrent. I was very pleased with this cigar and in the end I ended up selecting this as the […]
Lately I’ve been exploring Ernesto Padilla’s line and I have made some very good discoveries. The Padilla Cazadores is the latest in the Padilla brand that I managed to try. What I discovered was a pretty good stick at a real good price. I consider a “value priced” stick in the $5.00-$7.00 range. Pretty much, […]
