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 …

Excalibur 1066 Dark Knight

Thanks for all the feedback in the last episode of The Week in Smoke. I’m glad to see interest in revisiting cigars that we’ve reviewed in the past. Walt originally reviewed the Excalibur 1066 Dark Knight back in 2007. Thinking about when I first started smoking cigars I remember the Dark Knight series being a very popular line when it was introduced in the mid-2000′s before the whole boutique craze went into full swing. The Dark Knight series …

Cabaiguan Guapos (First Impressions)

By now, most of you have probably seen the top ten portion of the annual Top 25 list published by a major cigar “lifestyle” magazine that shall remain nameless. As usual, there are a few surprises. Coming in at number 7 was the Cabaiguan Guapos, made by Pete Johnson from Tatuaje. This was a bit unexpected (at least by me), since there are several other cigars in the Tatuaje portfolio that are generally considered to be better…

Whirlpool AP51030K Air Purifier Teaser

Just like the title says, this is a little sneak peek at the Whirlpool AP51030K Air Purifier I just bought. This unit was rated #1 in Consumer Reports in September of 2010.

As many of you know, I had to send the RabbitAir back so I ended up snagging this at my local Sears to replace it for now.

This unit cost a bit over $300 and actually has a higher CADR rating than the RabbitAir did.

I will be …

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 …