In 2021, HVC Cigars would release an exclusive offering to Mr. J’s Havana Cigar Lounge in Coventry, Rhode Island. Mr. J’s is a store owned by Paul Joyal, whom many will also know as the owner of Ocean State Cigars (makers of the J. Grotto brand). In 2020, Mr. J’s would relocate to a larger […]
Cigar Review: Frontline Defender Toro
Today we have a first-time review from a brand called Frontline Cigars. Frontline Cigars is a brand that is operated by Blue Line Cigars in Illinois. The brand is sold direct-to-consumer, but the company does wholesale its brands to retail stores and distributors. The brand also has a strong giveback model. Frontline cigars donates 10 […]
Cigar Review: Liga Privada 10-Year Aniversario – A Savage Feast by Drew Estate
Today we take a look at one of Drew Estate’s event-only cigars, the Liga Privada 10 Year Aniversario – A Savage Feast. It’s a special version of the Liga Privada 10 Year Aniversario blend in the Feral Flying Pig vitola size. When it comes to companies exhibiting at IPCPR/PCA Trade Shows, Drew Estate’s new product […]
Cigar Review: VegaFina Vindobona Exclusivo Austria
In 2021, VegaFina would release a regional cigar to Austria known as the VegaFina Vindobona Exclusivo Austria. VegaFina is a brand sold by Tabacalera S.L.U. group, which is a sister operation to Tabacalera USA, the group that owns the brands under Altadis USA. While VegaFina is a brand that has been primarily distributed in the […]
Cigar Review: Davidoff JR 50th
In 2021, JR Cigar celebrated its 50th anniversary in business. To commemorate the occasion, the company decided to work with its many partners and suppliers to create a series of limited edition 50th anniversary cigars. A total of 12 cigars were produced during the golden jubilee year, working out to approximately one cigar per month. […]
Cigar Review: Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Black Toro
Earlier this year, General Cigar released a new Hoyo De Monterrey cigar under its Excalibur sub-brand known as the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Black. For a period from 2016 to 2019, much of the focus of the Hoyo brand was around the Hoyo La Amistad sub-brand, a line of contemporary-looking cigars produced in Nicaragua by […]
Cigar Review: Pichardo Maduro (Box Pressed Toro) by ACE Prime
In 2020, ACE Prime would introduce the Pichardo Maduro. This would become the first offering in the ACE Prime portfolio to feature a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper. ACE Prime is a company that launched in 2019. It was founded by Luciano Meirelles and Don Eradio Pichardo. Each of the principal owners have launched a namesake brand, […]
Agile Cigar Review: Viaje Holiday Blend Candy Cane Edición Limitada 2020
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: H. Upmann 1844 Classic Toro
Just prior to Tobacco Plus Expo 2021 (TPE 2021), Altadis USA announced a new expansion to its H. Upmann 1844 line known as the H. Upmann 1844 Classic. The H. Upmann 1844 Classic adds a Connecticut Shade wrapped offering into the portfolio. The H. Upmann 1844 line is pretty much the bread and butter […]
Cigar Review: Asylum 13 BigTime Tommie 70 x 7
If there is one thing that is guaranteed to get both people in the cigar industry or hard-core cigar enthusiasts excited, it is when they see a premium cigar product make it into mainstream channels. Look no further when a team wins a championship and is smoking a cigar – often the question on many […]