Back in the day during the cigar boom when I was partners in a cigar store in Brooklyn, NY of our biggest selling cigars was Gispert. Over the years the cigar in my opinion became a shell of what it once was, a mild flavorful cigar. This year Altadis USA intensified the brand with the release of the Gispert Intenso. The cigar is being billed as a dark full-boded addition to the mild line. It […]
Browsing Tag
Nicaragua
What does David Garofalo and I, Barry Stein have in common? We have both had our own cigar on the market. That is where the comparison ends as my cigar is no longer on the market and his cigar outsold mine by a HUGE margin. Garofalo cigars are made by Nick Perdomo and ongoing 50th Birthday present for David G. Originally released as a Connecticut Shade, the cigar eventually made its way to the market […]
Warped Cigars was founded in 2009 by a then 19-year-old Kyle Gellis but things didn’t fully take off until the company attended their first IPCPR in 2014. What sets Warped Cigars apart from other boutique manufacturers in my mind is they haven’t created their name on strong cigars. The future of Warped might be in danger though as none of their brands make the predicate date of 2007. Like many newer manufacturers they are taking […]
It’s been a while since I visited this brand, considering the last time I enjoyed one was probably back in July. And with the weather warming up slightly this week here in New England, I felt like something that would bring me back to those warm summer nights. Don Pepin Garcia is a legend in the premium cigar industry. He’s been blending and rolling cigars for many years, and recently, his son continued the tradition. […]
The band is back together this week as David Garofalo and Mr. Jonathan return from their trip to Nicaragua and the Perdomo factory. Rumour has it that Mr. J is going to get outed on the show, and Barry gets his grades from the boss on his job hosting the show last week. In the first hour we will light up a Brick House cigar from the care package and a Perdomo Habano BBA in […]
Before Aging Room Cigars came to fame, Rafael Nodal of Boutique Blends was very well known for being the creator of Oliveros, a brand of premium smokes renowned all over the country. And now, some years later, Oliveros is back once again. Rafael brought the name back to offer aficionados with a cigar for any palate at a wallet friendly price. Today, I’ll be taking a look at the Oliveros Gran Retorno Banjo Habano. What […]
I was going through my humidor this morning trying to find something for today’s review, a task that always takes me far longer than it needs to. I remembered that Steve Saka made a post on Facebook earlier this week saying that Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust would be one of the cigar company sponsors for the 32nd Two Guys Smoke Shop Anniversary Party, I dug out my box of Sobremesa Corona Grande that was sitting […]
As I’ve said before, I’m a huge fan of fine Nicaraguan tobacco. There’s just something about its richness that I love. Historically, Christian Eiroa crafted his cigars in Honduras using primarily Honduran leaf. But now, he has a Nicaraguan cigar with a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper on it. Sounds nice, right? This is the CLE Prieto. What am I Smoking? Cigar: CLE Prieto Robusto Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro Binder: Nicaragua Filler: Nicaragua Length: 5 Inches […]
It’s the holidays and everything and everywhere seems to be getting a little crazy. People are doing last minute shopping, fighting over parking spaces, tearing each other’s hair out for the last Furby… it’s like 1998 all over again. After it’s all said and done, most of us will probably feel like we need to be in an Asylum. Which perfectly segways into this review of the Asylum 13 Fifty. What am I smoking? Cigar: […]
At IPCPR 2016, Dion Giolito unveiled a new look for his Cruzado line of cigars. The cigars which were once packaged in the retail friendly 4 rows of 5 cigars has been replaced by a more traditional sized box with two rows of 10. Also gone is the cross on the box, replaced with hands bound together, with Cruzado above and an upside down Illusione beneath. Cigar: Cruzado Country of Origin: Nicaragua Wrapper: Nicaragua Corojo ’99 Rosado Binder: Nicaragua Filler: Nicaragua Length: 6″ […]