The Cayman Cigar Company is unique in that the net profit of the company goes to charitable causes. This is a Corona parejo with a medium dark wrapper that is a bit rustic but shows an light oily character. The cold draw is perfect.

The Cayman Cigar Company is unique in that the net profit of the company goes to charitable causes. This is a Corona parejo with a medium dark wrapper that is a bit rustic but shows an light oily character. The cold draw is perfect.
This is a robusto size is a special edition made in honor of Guy Fieri’s 55th birthday (just in case you didn’t know, Fieri collaborated with Eric Espinosa to develop the blend for the Knuckle Sandwich line). The wrapper is a rich dark brown. The notes from the foot are earthy. The cold draw is perfect.
This is a very attractive box-pressed cigar with a rich Broadleaf wrapper. The foot gave up light notes of coffee and cedar. The cold draw is perfect. Tonight’s beverage is Desert Door Sotol.
This is a beautiful Cigar with very little aroma from the foot. The cold draw is slightly tight, but I expect it will open up as the cigar burns. Tonight’s beverage is a 50ml pour of Clyde Mays Rye.
I was fortunate enough to see Rick Rodriguez at a recent event and he gave me a couple of pre-release samples. This cigar is beautiful, with a nice dark San Andreas wrapper. There are light sweet notes from the foot. The cold draw is perfect.
This is a very good looking cigar with a smooth dark Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. Notes of cocoa are detected in the foot and cold draw, which is perfect. Tonight’s beverage is a 50ml pour of Woodford Reserve with a sparkling water back.
This is a very nice looking cigar. The Cameroon seed Honduran wrapper is a nice medium brown. Very subtle notes of loam and wood from the foot. The cold draw is perfect.
The premium cigar and pipe tobacco industries have long been targets of organizations seeking to restrict or eliminate the use of tobacco in society. This paper will examine some of the tactics used by these groups in their efforts to marginalize industry producers, retailers, and consumers. These tactics include conflation of data, prohibition and virtue signaling. Finally, the paper will examine how these organizations fundraise on the decades-long decline in tobacco use while publicly perpetuating the notion of an ongoing crisis. By analyzing these tactics and strategies, this paper aims to shed light on the challenges facing the premium cigar and pipe tobacco industries and to offer insights into how it can successfully navigate these challenges.
“Those who smoke cigars heavily or inhale deeply also increase their risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. (…) Cigar smoking has many similar consequences as cigarette smoking”[1]
An interesting claim but let us look at the facts. The NASEM report, released March of 2022, stated “Conclusion 5-5: There is strongly suggestive evidence that health consequences of premium cigar smoking overall are likely to be less than those smoking other types of cigars because the majority of premium cigar smokers are non-daily or occasional users and because they are less likely to inhale the smoke.” [2]
Continue reading Goals and Tactics of the Anti-Tobacco GroupsThis is an attractive cigar with a slightly rugged dark wrapper. The foot reveals notes of cocoa and coffee. The cold draw is perfect.
The initial flavors are earthy with just a hint of graphite. The mottled grey ash looks fairly solid and the burn is even.
Continue reading Espanola 1996 MaduroThis cigar has a smooth Corojo wrapper. There are mainly vegetal notes from the foot. The cold draw is perfect.
This is a very attractive cigar with a smooth medium brown wrapper. The aroma from the foot is very light. The cold draw is perfect.
This cigar has a beautifully smooth San Andreas wrapper. The aroma from the foot has earthy Nicaraguan notes. The cold draw is perfect.
This long perfecto has a beautiful dark brown smooth wrapper. Early notes are earth and cedar. The early retrohale is very smooth. The ash is tight but the burn is a bit diagonal.
This is a very good looking cigar with a very smooth wrapper. The aroma from the foot is savory. Pairing with a Willet bourbon.
This cigar has a very smooth San Andreas wrapper with an inch of Candela on the closed foot. The cold draw is very tight, maybe because of the closed foot; it opens up to perfect once lit.
This cigar has a very smooth, lightly oily wrapper. The foot releases light tobacco notes. Having a coffee with it. The cold draw is a bit firm, but should open up when the cigar is lit.
Continue reading JRE Aladino Cameroon RobustoThis cigar has a medium-dark Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper which is very smooth. Unlike other Carrillo cigars, this is produced by the Oliva Factory in Nicaragua. There is a light mustiness in the foot. The cold draw is perfect. Tonight’s beverage is a Scotch Ale.
This cigar has a very attractive medium dark Corojo wrapper with a slightly oily touch. According to one of the clerks at a local shop, this is the best of the Validation Series. We will see. The cold draw is perfect. Tonight’s beverage is a Lakewood Salted Caramel Imperial Stout.
We looked at all the “Top Cigar of 2022” lists from popular media to create this ranked list of the most popular companies. The more cigar blends chosen and the more often they were rated drove companies up the list.
Continue reading Ranked Best Companies of 2022 as rated by ‘Top Lists’This is a list of cigars that rated 94+ over 2022 (including one or two late-2021 releases that weren’t readily available until 2022). The list is alphabetical by company and there is no 1-25 or whatever. I personally recommend that you try any of these that you think would fit your palate preferences. If you think I “missed” or “omitted” anything, it’s only that they weren’t readily available at local shops. If I didn’t personally smoke it, I can’t rate it. Also, no Cubans are listed.
Continue reading Top cigars of 2022This cigar has a rich dark somewhat rustic wrapper. The perfect cold draw evidences rich tobacco and light coffee notes. Today’s beverage is a Lakewood Salted Caramel Temptress Imperial Milk Stout.
This cigar has a slightly oily wrapper with a medium box press. Some sweetness is noted on the foot. The cold draw is perfect.
This cigar was created to honor the 75th birthday of the owner of the Quesada brand. It has a rich dark wrapper with coffee and tobacco notes from the foot. There are a couple of veins along the wrapper. Tonight’s beverage is a Real Ale Coffee Porter.
This is a very rich looking cigar with a smooth dark wrapper. Aromas from the foot are light and enticing. The draw is a bit tight. Tonight’s beverage is a Wiseacre Brewing Gotta Get Up to Get Down Coffee Milk Stout.
Dissident Cigars are produced at the Oveja Negra facory in Esteli, Nicaragua, the same factory that produces Black Label Trading Company cigars. A beautiful medium brown wrapper adorns the cigar, which has a shaggy head that is tightly wrapped above the body. Light tobacco notes are present from the foot. The cold draw is perfect.