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Tobacco Leaf Classification

Tobacco Leaf Classification

Cigar Box Factory Tour

Cigar Factory Tour

See cigar boxes being handcrafted at this Esteli factory.

Cigar Making at Tabacalera Fernandez

Cigar Making at Tabacalera Fernandez

An insiders look at cigar making, from the factory floor to packaging.

Cigar Lighter Maintenance

Cigar Lighter Maintenance

Keep your lighter working perfectly with these easy to follow suggestions.

27Dec
Special Edition; Limitada; Reserva; Aniversario…when cigars have these titles, we know they are cigars of distinction; with one distinction being their high price.  For example the “regular” Padron line sells in the $6 range, but if we want to sample the elite 80th Anniversary cigar, it will set us back a whopping  $33!  That’s more than five times the cost.  Or take the Arturo Fuente line: $6 for their “regular” Sun Grown cigars vs. $79 for an ...

These days strong cigars are all the rage.  So much so that the word ligero is featured on many cigar bands/rings as a way of trumpeting its strength. Ligero leaves are generally taken from the upper-most part of the tobacco plant and are strong because these leaves get the most sun and consequently are the thickest and most potent. [...]



Was I doing this wrong? During a recent visit to a local cigar lounge, I noticed a wall poster that piqued my interest.  It was a La Flor Dominicana poster depicting “How To Cut A Chisel”.  I’ve been smoking Chisels since their first incarnation and they are some of my favorite cigars.  All the Chisel [...]



Mike Z. asks:  ”Are you supposed to add water to the Exquisicat beads before you put them in the Tupperdor?”   Mike refers to the article Perfect Cigar Conditioning…Can it be achieved? In that article we explored using Tupperware to store cigars, hence the term Tupperdor. Here is Joe’s reply to this most excellent question: “I suggest [...]



Life is full of mysteries.  Like, why do some cigars taste good all the way to the nub, while others turn bad about halfway through?  I tend to walk away from a stick if this happens, never to return.  Do you “plow through” the bad part in hopes of the cigar regaining its lost luster?  I’m [...]


*Sneek Peek!*

*Sneek Peek!*

The new box pressed Epernay from Illusione.

Joe’s Gems

Joe's Gems

Aging Room M356

Cigar Band Art Gallery

Cigar Band Art Gallery