Man, that week went by quickly. It seems like I had barely enough time to finish a cigar or two before I was staring down the barrel of another Monday. But I’ve gotten in a few sticks in since the annual top ten lists went up. So… It’s once time again for another issue of […]
The Box-Worthies: Brian’s Top 10 Cigars of 2016
2017 is here, and just when you think it you’re safe from 2016, up pops my list of the top 10 cigars of 2016. I hope the sudden shock and inevitable controversy that follows is not too taxing on your health. Remember, breath deeply and evenly when you’re yelling at me over the internet. Stress, […]
Brian’s The Week In Smoke, Issue 106
This time of year can be a lot of fun, but it doesn’t always afford me many opportunities to enjoy a fine cigar. Or a lot of time to write about (or video) the cigars I do get to enjoy. But I did my best to shoehorn in as many as I could. The silver […]
Padron 50th Anniversary Maduro “The Hammer”
I’m a little late to the game with this cigar. Released in 2014, the Padron 50th Anniversary or “The Hammer” is a commemorative cigar celebrating the 50th anniversary of the company’s founding in 1964. The cigar was released in a natural and maduro wrapper in a stunningly beautiful humidor that retailed for $5,300.00. The cigars […]
CAO Amazon Basin
The popular CAO Amazon Basin has returned after a hiatus of several years, and I made a point not to miss it this time around. According to CAO, the supply of the blend’s key component, Amazon-grown Braganca tobacco is only harvested once every three years. As you can imagine, that makes it pretty difficult to […]
IPCPR 2016: Daniel Marshall
We met up again with Daniel Marshall at IPCPR 2016, and he was only too happy to give us the tour of his cigars and high end humidors. He’s in a good position in the context of the new FDA regulations, as all of his Heritage Brand cigar lines have been in production since well […]
IPCPR 2016: Smoking Jacket
In this video Ben Lee talks to Hendrik Kelner, Jr, the man behind Smoking Jacket cigars. This year Kelner is introducing the brand’s second limited edition, the Gran Toro. And limited edition is right, there are 300 boxes of 10 cigars produced for the world, 250 of them destined for the U.S. market. Each one […]
IPCPR 2016: Viaje
It’s always a good time talking to Andre Farkas at IPCPR. This year in the Viaje booth we discussed a variety of topics, and some of them even had something to cigars. Seriously though, the Viaje booth was the same as last year, because as Farkas tells us, changing it every year gets expensive. And […]
Gurkha Vintage Selection Shaggy Toro
When I was writing up last week’s Week In Smoke, I was a little surprised to discover we have never reviewed the Gurkha Vintage Selection Shaggy. I know it’s a cigar that I’ve talked about with people a number of times over the years, and people have had generally positive things to say about it. […]
Brian’s The Week In Smoke, Issue 101
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), […]