Last week when The Cigar Authority headed south, one of the cigars we lit up was Studio 21. I remember looking at it and having no idea what it was, but I smoked it and both Chuck Morrison and I were in agreement, that it was a damn good cigar. Studio 21 is best described as a mild, smooth creaky smoke that shares many similarities with mild cigars with one exception, the price. Today’s cigar […]
The inspiration for Barabbas comes from the story of a man who faced death several times throughout his tumultuous life. Most people know this cigar’s namesake from his affiliation with Jesus of Nazareth. It was Barabbas, known for a life of crime, who was freed by Pontius Pilate, which ultimately led to the crucifixion of Jesus. What is not widely known, however, is the personal transformation he experienced as a result. Witnessing the impact of […]
This morning when I came to work I had another review scheduled, but over the weekend we received a little gift from our friends at Perdomo. The Perdomo Double Aged Sun Grown is a cigar that I was looking forward to ever since the Connecticut arrived a few weeks back. Now with this in hand, I can’t wait for the Maduro to arrive. There will only 240,000 cigars equaling 2,500 boxes of each wrapper released […]
The Perdomo 20th Anniversary features tobaccos grown on Perdomo’s farms in Esteli, Condega and Jalapa Valley in Nicaragua. Each cigar in the Perdomo 20th Anniversary is barrel-aged in bourbon barrels for 14 months. The cigars are available in both a Sun-Grown and Maduro format with 6 different vitals. Cigar: Perdomo 20th Anniversary Size: Robusto (5 x 56) Wrapper: Sun Grown Binder: Nicaragua Filler: Nicaragua Strength: Medium-Full The Look: The Perdomo 20th Anniversary Robusto is a soft box pressed beauty with a reddish-brown wrapper […]
Before Hammer + Sickle got into the cigar business they were in the spirits business. Hammer + Sickle Vodka begins their process in the Black Earth region of central Russia where arctic temperatures produce an excellent crop. Every spring the wheat is harvested and shipped to their distillery in Klin where small batches of ultra smooth vodka are created. With the addition of Ginger Beer with lime to their arsenal the ingredients for a Moscow Mule […]
Perhaps one of the most talked about releases at IPCPR was the Padron 50th Anniversary which will be presented in a gorgeous humidor and released in early December. However, the 50 Years Family Reserve by Padron has hit the shelves, perhaps earlier then expected. Site sponsor Two Guys Smoke Shop, received their order today. In honor of Jose Padron opening his first shop 50 years ago today on September 8th, 1964 in Little Havana a section […]
I’ve long considered Jose Blanco to be not only my friend, but to a degree my mentor. We email each other on a regular basis, and he has always been there for me with words of support. In fact, it was Jose Blanco that gave me my first lesson on tobacco that went above and beyond his renowned tasting seminar. Today’s cigar is the freshman release from the Jose Blanco owned Los Cumbres Tobacco. The […]
In the 11 weeks that I have been a part of The Cigar Authority, this is the third Illusione review I have done. Before you start calling a party foul, I asked my co-work Ed Santamaria to reach into my humidor to pick out today’s review. In the past we have reviewed the Illusione 68, and Gigantes. According to their website, “A cigar for the masses. Price vs. quality – unmatched in the marketplace. The illusione […]
The Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic hasn’t been in production for sometime, and when it was they were available as part of a lancero sampler from My Father Cigars, and also in 50 count boxes via New England sales representatives, The Cigar Agency. Site sponsor 2GuysCigars.com has them available as part of a sampler pack. In fact, these cigars might be the last 100 available. When I first reviewed the cigar as part of my […]
Founded in 1989 by two Cuban immigrants, Mariana & Nestor Miranda; Miami Cigar & Company is celebrating its 25th Anniversary. As part of the celebration they have rebranded their signature line and today we have the first of 3 reviews over the coming months. The Nestor Miranda Collection is available in three wrappers. Cigar: Nestor Miranda Collection Size: 4.5 x 50 (Robusto) Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut Binder: Nicaragua Filler: Nicaragua Strength: Mild/Medium The Look: At first look you question whether or not this […]