March 5th, 2018

My sample sports a perfectly smooth dark wrapper. There’s a light tobacco sweetness coming from the wrapper and foot, with traces of Ligero also present. An ideal draw leads me to believe that this will be a great cigar. Today’s beverage is an Avery Brewing Tweak, a 16% beer that provides a kick all of its own.

The perfect draw affords a purely tasty mouth-feel. The retro-hale has just the right amount of pepper to balance out the flavor. There is also a nice touch of pepper on the palate.

November 27th, 2017

Size of cigar: 6 inches by 50 ring gauge

Until recently, The Ventura Cigar Company (of Ventura, California) had produced ten lines of cigars. Then along came the Case Study line (a prodigious effort), which comprises, in fact, twenty-six different lines. The different blends utilized represent homages to architects of twenty-six famous post-war Los Angeles-area homes. These houses, which have been featured in numerous films, were designed by renowned architects in a minimalist, modernist aesthetic.

February 5th, 2018

Size of cigar: 5 5/8 inches by 46-ring gauge
Wrapper: San Andrés Mexican Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo ‘99
Fillers: Nicaraguan

The Wise Man Maduro represents a follow up to Foundation Cigar Company’s wildly popular El Güegüense. The cigar features the same artwork on the label as the El Güegüense. However, the blue label of the latter has been replaced with a red backdrop. The Wise Man debuted during the 2017 IPCPR, and hit stores several months later in September.

November 20th, 2017

With a continued decline in the number of tobacconist shops, I was recently asked by somebody what over the counter cigars in the UK were like.

I have been buying my cigars online for a while now. But I thought that it might be worth my while to try out some of those available over the counter in the UK.

It's worth pointing out that only budget cigars are available over the counter in the UK. And by law, they must be stored out of sight. So finding out what shops actually stock can be a problem at times. Your best chance of getting a decent cigar (other than from a dedicated tobacconist) is to search out some of the independent whisky shops, as these can offer up a surprising array of decent cigars (albeit in very limited quantities).

January 29th, 2018

Publisher's Note: This is Part One of a two-part series. The Top 10 Cigars of 2017 will be published as the next installment.

Below is a listing of Cigar Weekly's best new cigars of 2017. These results were obtained by conducting a poll of the entire membership of Cigar Weekly. In addition, the CW Review Crew has added their comments about these cigars in the Cigar Reviews forum.  The cigars are presented in order, followed by comments drawn from the reviews.

#1. Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust - Todo Las Dias

"The burn is perfect... a very smooth yet strong cigar." "It also smokes very slow, adding to the flavor." "The wrapper and foot smell like coffee with a light touch of leather." "Very light white pepper." "Comparing the cigar with Saka's other offerings, it's more like the Sobramesa than the Mi Querida, but is its own cigar."

"Medium-bodied smoke and flavors of coffee and leather."

"At 2/3, it changes again to a very pleasant flavor almost beyond description." "To say it completely changes is a very good description." "At 2/3, the strength has built to full-bodied"

"Nearing the end of the cigar provides yet another flavor change that is again representative of a pleasant complexity."

"The cigar starts off medium-bodied and builds to full."

"I don't want it to end."

November 6th, 2017

Size of cigar: 6.0 inches by 52 ring gauge
Wrapper: Brazilian Bahiano Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Fillers: Colombian, Dominican, Brazilian Braganca and Fume em Corda

Debuting at the 2017 IPCPR, the CAO Amazon Anaconda represents the final installment in the CAO Amazon Trilogy. Due to restricted accessibility of the tobacco and where it is grown, this is a limited release. According to General Cigar, the Anaconda is likely the only cigar on the market that utilizes a Brazilian Bahiano leaf as its wrapper.

December 18th, 2017

Size of cigar: 5.5 inches by 52 ring gauge

The Case Study line comes from Ventura Cigar Company. In reality, there are 26 Case Study blends. Each blend is available in one to four vitolas. The 26 blends pay homage to 26 famous homes built in the simplistic, modernist architectural design and located in Los Angeles – hence the simple labeling.

November 2nd, 2017

Macanudo. Now there's a name that brings many differing thoughts to mind whenever cigar smokers see or hear it! Speaking personally, the mention of Macanudo takes me right back to a time twenty years ago when I was just beginning my cigar journey. Little did I know at the time what that journey might entail.

Numerous seasoned cigar lovers count Macanudos among their starter cigars. Some have called them ‘bubblegum cigars’ or ‘lightweights’ (even to the extent of labeling them as ‘for lightweights’) due to their mild character. Many have stated they smoked Macanudos early on and then never returned to them.

For me, every single Macanudo I’ve smoked has brought me enjoyment. I find there is just the slightest hint of sweetness to their character. They’ve always been impeccably constructed, and have usually exhibited some of the smoothest and most visually appealing Connecticut-shade wrapper leaves available in the world of fine cigars.

December 4th, 2017

Size of cigar: 6.5 inches by 42 ring gauge

This cigar has a very nice, smooth Maduro wrapper. The bunch is firm with no soft spots, and the wrapper gives off an aroma of cocoa nibs and leather along with some spices. The cold draw is perfect. My chosen accompanying beverage is a Southern Star Winter Warmer Ale.

The initial draws off the cigar are full bodied with plentiful smoke. There are leather and spice notes. The construction looks very good, with a clean burn and a layered medium grey ash evident. The ale provides a good pairing, with tastes that enhance the flavors of the cigar.

October 30th, 2017

Size of cigar: 5 inches by 50 ring gauge

At the 2017 IPCPR Convention, Ventura Cigar Company introduced a new, broad line of cigars. Actually, they introduced 26 new lines.

This massive product launch is notable for more than its size. First, the lines commemorate 26 iconic, post-World War II homes in the Los Angeles area that were built in the minimalist, modernistic aesthetic. The 26 unique blends pay homage, with their straight-forward black and white bands, to the simple and efficient styles of the homes.