We always try to make a point to stop by and talk with Jesus Fuego for a while. This year he got started by telling us that everything they produce is now made at the factory they opened up last year. Which includes the reintroduced Gran Reserva, which is the first cigar they ever released, […]
IPCPR 2017: Warped
Up next on our interview marathon through IPCPR 2017 was Kyle Gellis of Warped Cigars. I was quick to note that while his beard was still very full bodied, the man-bun of last year had been replaced with a more medium to medium-full haircut. From there we talk a little bit about how long Kyle […]
IPCPR 2017: Padilla and Cuervo y Sobrinos
This year we got started with our long time friend Ernesto Padilla. In recent years, Ernesto has had a fairly modest booth at the IPCPR trade show, with his latest cigars the main focus of the booth. This year he did a 540 with his booth design, a flashy overhead sign replacing the familiar backdrop, […]
CAO Amazon Fuma Em Corda Robusto
CAO released a cigar called the Amazon Basin in 2014 to much fanfare. I was never able to get my hands on one, though and, to be honest, I thought it was a gimmicky cigar. Fast forward to 2016 and I was able to get my hands on the 2016 release of the cigar at […]
Southern Draw Quickdraw Pennsylvania Panatela
The first cigar I ever tried from Southern Draw Cigars was the Kudzu Gordo. As most of you know, I’m not a fan of the big ring gauge cigars, but Robert Holt, owner of Southern Draw Cigars, just asked me to give it a chance. The blend on that cigar was tweaked just for that […]
Coming Soon: IPCPR 2017
Let me ask you a personal question: Do you like free cigars? Odds are you do. My scientific, peer-eschewed research indicates 9.5 out of 10 people prefer their cigars to cost nothing. The other guy? He got so excited he scribbled all over the survey, broke his pencil and then fell out of his chair. […]
Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf Maduro Ilustre
I can’t believe it’s been about six and a half years since I reviewed the original Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf with the sun grown corojo wrapper. I declared it box-worthy back then (also in 2016), and still stand by that verdict. I also stand by my liberal use of the tribal textile in my pictures […]
Brian’s The Week In Smoke, Issue 111
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), […]
Celebratory Cigars and the Meaning Behind Them
A few weeks ago, I was sitting at my computer when an alert popped up. I had received an automated email from Indeed. Someone had found an old copy of my resume and wanted to contact me in regards to a job opening. Ordinarily, I simply delete messages like these but I was in an […]
Now Accepting Applicants for a new Everyday Smoke
Back when Jerry and I started Stogie Review, way back in 2006, I was an adventurous cigar smoker. I would seek out new sticks to try, eager to share my thoughts on our little cigar blog. No matter how the cigar turned out – good, bad, or indifferent, smoking and reviewing new cigars was a […]