Second Opinions: The Top Cigars of 2011

When the various annual lists of top cigars of the year are released, it’s always a contentious issue. Everyone’s palate and preferences are different, with some people loving certain cigars that others hated, and vice versa. More than any other, the list that usually elicits the most debate and controversy is the top 25 published by the leading cigar “lifestyle” magazine. For better or worse, there are often more than a few surprises contained in that particular list, but at …

Contest: Win a Black Label Viceroy Torch

Last week we gave away a Back Label Table Torch to one lucky Facebook user. This week we are going to be doing something very similar for our Twitter friends. The prize is a Black Label Viceroy Torch, courtesy of Lighters Direct. Entering is simple, all you have to do is click on the little ‘Tweet’ button down below to share this post on Twitter. Once you do that, be sure to follow @StogieReview.

That is it all …

The Box-Worthies: Brian’s Top 10 Cigars of 2011

‘Tis the season for cigar lists, and here’s mine. I like to think of what follows as my real top 10 list. Meaning that, when I lift the humidor lid, the following cigars are the ones I really hope to find waiting for me front and center. New or old, complex or straightforward, these are the smokes I’m always happy to light up, the ones I do my best to keep in supply. Of course, it didn’t always work out …

Charlie’s Top 10 Cigars of 2011 (plus giveaway)

It’s that time of the year again when every cigar reviewer publishes a post that starts with “It’s that time of the year again…” As long as I’ve been smoking cigars, I’ve looked forward to these top X lists since it allows you to do a few really cool things:

1. Discover some gems you might have missed
2. See which review source most closely aligns with your smoking palate
3. Compare the rankings to see if there’s a cigar or two which

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Walt’s Favorite Cigars from 2011

It is that time of year again, where Top 10 Lists are in abundance and manufacturers salivate at the opportunity to Re-Tweet, Share, and +1 all of the praise that their cigars receive. I generally enjoy this time of year and am eager to put a list of my own together. This year, however, I am absolutely dreading it.

In years past I would open up the Cigar Review Index and take in all the cigars we’ve reviewed throughout the …

Contest: Win a Black Label Table Torch

A few weeks ago our good friend Steven, from Lighters Direct, asked me to review a lighter, the Black Label El Presidente. Along with that lighter, Steven sent along two others for us to give away.

The first of those lighters is a Black Label “Bombay” Table Torch (Model LBLT100). Entering is very simple, all we ask you to do is “Like” Stogie Review on Facebook. You can do so with the widget down below. If you …

Top 10 Cigars – TGT Edition (2011)

Man where did 2011 go? Seems like the older you get the faster time goes by. Before 2012 gets here its time to look back at 2011. 2011 was another awesome year for cigars! I’m anxious to see what Walt, Brian, Mike and Charlie have listed this year. This year is no different than previous years. I had a difficult time paring the list down to just ten. To help me pare the list down, I limited it to cigars …

An Afternoon with Ernesto Perez Carrillo

When I think back to what I was smoking when I first started enjoying cigars there are a handful of cigars that come to mind. One of them was the El Rico Habano and another was the La Gloria Cubana Serie R. I’m pretty sure at the time, I had no idea who actually made these cigars. Of course now I know that Ernesto Perez Carrillo was the man behind La Gloria Cubana. I didn’t know his family …

An Evening with Benji Menendez

Last week Benji Menendez was in town visiting both locations of W.Curtis Draper. Since I had to cancel my participation in the blogger trip with General Cigar down to the Dominican Republic I made plans with the folks at General to get time with Benji while he was visiting. I’ll be honest. I wasn’t sure what to say to this icon in the industry. Seriously, I’ve only been smoking since the end of the boom in the late 90′s. …

Delaware Cigar Festival 2011

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending the Fifth Annual Delaware Cigar Festival. The is organized by Gary Griffith, brand owner of Emilo Cigars, and Premium Cigar Manager of the Delaware Cigars chain of stores (In excess of twenty stores in the state of Delaware).

Tickets went on sale a few months ago and were $125.00 each. With your ticket you gained access into the event, received a large goodie-bag of cigars, were provided with food …