Work Flow

I’ve been busy as of late with work, Gracie’s first birthday (happy birthday again baby girl) and a mess of other stuff so I really haven’t had too much spare time to smoke enough to do a fair review of anything. As I get back on track I thought I’d publish something that I’ve put off for months now. I’m constantly asked lots of questions about how I produce my video reviews, what type of camera, software, etc,. Walt and …

Casa Gomez Maduro Toro

You may not recognize the Casa Gomez name, but Benny Gomez and his family have an interesting history in the cigar business. Like many of the people in the business, that story goes back to Cuba where his grandfather was involved with cigar distribution to local hotels, restaurants and clubs. But even more interesting is cigar factory Benny’s father established in Miami’s Little Havana after the revolution is what we now know as the El Credito Cigar Factory. According to …

J. Fuego 777 Zero (First Impressions)

Last year I named the 777 Corojo by J. Fuego my number 10 cigar for 2009. Despite my praise for the Corojo, I was not a fan of the 777 Maduro. With my thoughts of the Corojo and Maduro being polar opposites, I didn’t know what to think when Jesus introduced the new Connecticut wrapped 777 Zero at IPCPR.

Being Connecticut wrapped, I opted to pair it with a morning cup of coffee and take it for …

Brian’s The Week In Smoke, Issue 2

Love it or really love it, The Week in Smoke is back with another list of shoot-from-the-hip mini-reviews. (Or should that be, burn-from-the-hip? On second thought, no, no it really shouldn’t be.)

In case this is your first Week in Smoke, be advised that it covers many (though not necessarily all) of the cigars I’ve smoked in the past week or so, along with a couple of quick thoughts that came to me at the time. These are not …

Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 “A”

Wrapper : Honduran broadleaf
Binder : Nicaraguan
Filler : Dominican and Nicaraguan
Source : Mike

Short and sweet writeup for you today on this Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 “A”, since this is the only one I have ever had. I was gifted this by Mike whom had it for over 5 years in his humidor. Size on this cigar is 8.5 x 50. Yes, 8 and a half inches long!

Most noticeable thing is that the cigar flavors …

Augusto Reyes Red Label (First Impressions)

Earlier this month I had my first experience with an Augusto Reyes Signature. The cigar was provided for our Twitter Brothers of the Leaf Cocktail Hour Press Kit and I was impressed by it. A couple of weeks later I came across a second cigar among my IPCPR samples and was more than happy to set it aflame.

When I mentioned what I was smoking on Twitter, it was suggested that I try the Augusto Reyes Red Label. …

WB Brands The Natural Toro

In the face of the ever-increasing restrictions on where and when we can enjoy a premium cigar, it’s heartening to see people still passionate enough about tobacco to risk their time and money on the cigar making game. And as long as that remains true, the industry’s future looks bright. One these newcomers is someone you might recognize from his prior work on the football field, Walter “WB” Briggs. The one time New York Jets quarterback recently launched the “WB …

Stogie Review Trivia Contest

Every so often Stogie Review likes to reward its viewers/reader with contest prizes. This time around we have something a little different, which we hope will be fun for all participating. In the photo above, there are five prizes. To win one of those prizes, we have a series of trivia questions for you to answer. The answers to those questions can be found on Stogie Review, the Stogie Review Fan Forum, and on the contest sponsor websites, …

Pinar Del Rio Value Line Reserve – torpedo

Origin : Dominican Republic
Wrapper : Connecticut
Binder : Dominican Republic
Filler : Dominican mixed filler
Source : Thompson Cigar with my own money

I have a cigar for you today that seems to be a Thompson Cigar exclusive, the Pinar Del Rio Value Line Reserve. These cigars are available in three sizes on Thompson’s website, Churchill (7×50), Toro (6×52), Torpedo (6 1/2x 52). Pricing for these goes from $32.95 to $34.95.…

Avo Heritage Toro

He may be 84 this year, but Avo Uvezian is still full of surprises. First it was the uncharacteristically portly and potent LE 10 that hit the shops earlier this year. And then, a few months later at IPCPR, it’s the Heritage. In addition to being fuller-bodied than his regular lines, it also carries the smallest price tag of any AVO cigar brought to the market in some time. Also surprising was how it quickly became one of the most …