The room was dark and I found myself staring blankly at the ceiling. I had been awake for a few minutes and resisted the urge to roll over and look at the clock. It had to be close to 4:00am. Waking up like this, shortly before my alarm sounded, was becoming an all too common […]
Island Jim by Oscar Valladares
In the Cigar Community, the name Island Jim is one that seems to be gathering a lot of attention. Between Leaf and Bean in Pittsburg (which I hear is a great shop) and the Island Jim Cigar from Eddie Ortega’s Wild Bunch release, the man and face are becoming commonplace. I was recently gifted an […]
Aging The Opus X: Do or Don’t?
A night or two ago I was smoking a well-aged Opus X Perfecxion No. 5. As is my custom, I spent a few minutes thinking about what I was tasting- grass, caramel, cedar, maybe a little white pepper. I also noticed it didn’t seem as robust a cigar as the last few Opus X’s I’ve […]
E.P. Carrillo La Historia
Cigar Today I have a cigar that has been hanging around my humidor for a little while, the E.P. Carrillo La Historia. I honestly can’t even remember the price I paid but it seems the range is around $7-$9. I also do not know the size but I am pretty sure it is the Dona […]
Do you shy away from a big fat stick?
Every single cigar shop across the country has that one guy. You know the one. “An 80 ring gauge! For Christ’s sake, smoking that must be like putting your mouth around a big ol’…” You get the idea. Regardless of the phobias some people have about big ring cigars, they seem to be all the […]
Brian’s The Week In Smoke, Issue 85
It’s once time again for another issue of Brian’s The Week In Smoke. 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 the past month, or however long it has been since the last issue), […]
Burns Tobacconist La Aurora 100 Anos Cameroon Lancero
About a month ago, my friend, David Jones of LeafEnthusiasts.com and Burns Tobacconist, sent me a couple of new cigars review which was their exclusive La Aurora 100 Anos Cameroon Lancero. I was excited to get these as I’ve always been a huge fan of the La Aurora 100 Anos cigars. I wasn’t disappointed with […]
Cigars and Talk
Sunday was a beautiful day here in Pennsylvania. It was so nice, in fact, that I couldn’t resist the urge to fire up the lawn tractor and and tame my wildly growing lawn. With my wife and daughter out visiting my mother in-law, it was a perfect opportunity for me to light up a cigar […]
Cigars and Light Beer
Have you ever made the mistake of posting a photo of a cigar and light beer pairing on social media? Your friends probably read you the riot act for drinking anything other than a high octane, micro-brew, or pinky-finger-up boutique. I’m here to tell you it is alright. I feel your pain and have been […]
Satisfaction Guaranteed
About fifteen years ago I graduated high school with no interest in going to college. Instead, I learned the trade of cabinetmaking and set myself up with a job right away. The position wasn’t exactly what I wanted. You see, I spent the vast majority of my time working with plastic laminate and flakeboard. We […]