La Escepción 2009 Batet

Several weeks ago, completely out of the blue, a box arrived in the mail with a General Cigar mailing label. Inside were three Punch Upper Cuts (which I reviewed recently), and three La Escepción 2009 Batets. Ordinarily I don’t review cigars sent to me without warning, but I was looking at a week without a specific plan, and well, they did send me enough of the same vitola to arrive at some sort of verdict. And as the newest…

La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Matatan

I’ve got a treat for those of you who can’t get enough video cigar reviews. Once again I’ve teamed up with Rich Meade (aka “BootyRockRich“), a regular on the Stogie Review Forums, to bring you a joint review of the new La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Matatan.

One of the fun things about talking cigars with Rich is the fact we usually have very different opinions. So when we arrived at a similar verdict in our last…

Arturo Fuente Rosado Sungrown Magnum R52

While doing my homework for this week’s cigar review, I was a little surprised to learn that Arturo Fuente’s Rosado Sungrown Magnum was released at the tail end of last year. Sure, I heard rumors about them and even saw one given out at a Fuente event last year, but since I hadn’t seen them around until this past week, I assumed that they just hit the market. And then I remembered a funny story. Actually, not as much funny…

Rocky Patel Sun Grown Fuerte

Ordinarily I shy away from cigars that are exclusive to one retailer, whether they be online or brick and mortar. Not because I have anything against exclusive blends, I just try to focus on cigars that are easily available to the largest number of our readers. But every now and then you come across a cigar that’s just so intriguing, you can’t not review it. Cigars like Jerry’s perennial favorites, the Man O’ War Ruination and the CAO…

Kinky Friedman Kinkycristo

When it comes to characters in the cigar industry, proud Texan and renaissance man Kinky Friedman ranks highly on any list of the biggest. The word is that the musician, turned political candidate, turned cigar maker got into the business because he was looking for an affordable alternative to the Cuban cigars he smoked for so much of his life. Not satisfied with the cigars currently on the market, he decided in 2007 that the answer was to make his…

Nestor Miranda Dominicano Robusto Grande (Pre-Release)

I just love it when a plan comes together. Though calling what I have for you this week the result of a “plan” is really stretching it. It’s more the result of a little luck and a lot of shooting from the hip. Last week, Rich Meade (a regular on the Stogie Review forum, and occasional front-page guest reviewer) and I were sitting in the Buckhead Cigar Club here in Atlanta, doing what guys do in a cigar shop, smoking…

Berger & Argenti Exile Wired Corona

It seems like I’ve been waiting for years to try the Exile Wired. When I started doing my homework for this review, I could see why. I have. Maybe not years, plural, but the Wired had a lot of buzz around it back 2008, receiving high ratings when it was first introduced by the now defunct Cuban Imports cigar company.

Rumors about what happened to the Cuban Imports cigar company made for juicy discussion in the cigar shop lounge…

The 2009 Tarries Cigar Award Show

It’s the cigar award show you didn’t realize you were eagerly awaiting. The Tarries celebrates the unusual aspects of the cigar industry, shining an industrial-sized spotlight on dubious distinctions that may be either points of pride or the stuff of shame. But either way, nothing anyone wants to be known for!

And without further ado, may I have the envelopes please…

Best Smogar Of The Year
Winner: Nub Miami
The “Smogar” is the cigar world’s version of vaporware, or,…

An Argument in Favor of Cigar Reviews

You can’t review cigars for any amount of time without encountering at least one cigar enthusiast who not only doesn’t read cigar reviews, but actively objects to anyone’s efforts to rate, evaluate or describe the experiences of smoking a particular cigar. I’m not talking about people who don’t trust reviews to be objective or accurate, or people who just don’t find them interesting. I’m talking about people who think it’s a contemptible fool’s errand to go any further than “I…

Zino Platinum Crown Series Emperor Edition 2009

Up for review this week is a cigar I’ve been interested in getting acquainted with for a while now, but didn’t think I’d ever be able to give a proper review. That changed recently when I came into possession of a few Zino Platinum Emperors by way of gift and trade. But I didn’t think I had quite enough sticks to be sure I have the Emperor a fair review. It seemed only fair that I throw down a few…