After 20 years with General Cigars & CAO it was announced in March 2022 that Rick Rodriguez would be retiring. Beginning in 2000, Rick Rodriguez would start his career as a sales representative learning from Benji Menendez and Ernesto Perez-Carrillo. In 2008 he joined Team La Gloria, the blenders behind La Gloria Cubana. When General Cigar bought CAO in 2009 he would become their blender and brand ambassador. Only 10 days after his official retirement […]
I rarely do formal cigar reviews for The Cigar Authority, I have people for that (Hi Barry), but coming back from the PCA Cigar Trade Show 12 days ago with Covid and smoking no cigars in a week, I found my palate ultra-sensitive. I hear that some people lose their sense of taste and smell as a symptom from the Covid virus, but I think the opposite happened to me, so why waste it. I […]
I believe this cigar flew under the radar of many people attending PCA 2022 as well as those awaiting new releases. I was unaware of the company until David Garofalo mentioned it on our podcast and how he wanted to try it. Freud Cigar Company was founded by Luis Torres and David Stadnyk. Mr. Torres served as the GM for the Davidoff flagship store on Madison Ave in New York City. Mr. Stadnyk is a […]
Noel Rojas has embraced the small ring gauge since he began making cigars and is the self-proclaimed King of the Small Gauge cigars. This year he has released his third Rojas KSG limited edition which is a Lonsdale measuring 6.25 x 42. Made at the Rojas Cigar Factory in Esteli, Nicragua the KSG is limited to 1,000 boxes of 10 cigars. The cigar utilizes tobaccos grown in the Somoto region of Nicaragua which is locate 55 […]
In 2006, from the creative mind of David Garofalo, the Firecracker line was born. The first cigar on the market with a long piece of tobacco at the head was shaped like a ‘wick’ or ‘fuse’ to capture the name of the line; Firecracker. After a few years on the market, the limited release Firecrackers came to life as United Cigars collaborated with a new manufacturer every year to create a celebration cigar for the […]
For an outsider looking in, Michael Herklots was becoming the face of the TAA. He would serve as Emcee for numerous years during the Dream Machine event which was the TAA Trade Show aspect of the convention. In 2022, he returned to the TAA as a brand owner that saw his company Ferio Tego release Timeless TAA 2022. Made at the Plasencia factory in Nicaragua the limited edition smoke utilizes all Nicaraguan tobacco. The 10 […]
More than a decade ago, I made the move from NYC to Miami where I began working at Miami Cigar & Company. One of my greatest memories was heading down to Esteli, Nicaragua with Jason Wood VP of Miami Cigars and Eddie Ortega who was in the process of launching his own lines. During this trip Jason and I were tasked on creating a cigar for the Nestor Miranda Special Selection line to bring back […]
Consider a room known as a studio. A room where craft is King. Perhaps a record studio where legendary music is composed. A move studio where great stores are captured frame by frame, or even a woodworking studio where a natural material is perfectly formed into an elegant design. A studio is also where fine cigars are crafted. Welcome to Studio 21. Where a very special cigar was created and named fittingly ‘Studio 21‘. These are the words […]
According to a Davidoff press release, “To enhance the excitement of the Davidoff Black Band Collection in 2022, the Davidoff Master Blenders created a unique cigar combining the best of the lines’ landmark tobaccos. The result is a cigar with remarkable flavors for the progressive explorer, addressing aficionados who are open to discover new taste experiences. The Limited Edition 2022 blend highlights the three landmark tobaccos of the Black Band Collection (Escurio, Nicaragua & Yamasa) and delivers complex, intense and unique flavors. […]
According to Camacho, This is a cigar that is built on the chassis of their all-time workhouse. The Camacho Factory Unleashed 2 sports a sought-after Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper that is please to the eye with a creamy latte hue that could inaccurately be perceived as a mellow cigar. The press release goes on to say, “A golden Connecticut wrapped cigar that roars strength and character. A true representation of “Where Bold is Born.”The bold intensity and […]