- Cigar Confidential -

Revisiting the Aging Room M356

October 31, 2021

Last night, while looking in my humidor for a cigar to smoke before dinner, I came across an old favorite that had been resting patiently for this moment. The box of Aging Room M356 Prestos almost reached out to me and said “I am ready, here I am.” This was my second box purchased in… Read More

- Cigar Central -

Fun and Games with the CigarMedics Humidimeter

November 7, 2021

Cigar smoking is a lot of fun. And collecting cigar accessories is part of the enjoyment. Some of my friends scour the internet looking for cigar-related gadgets and often find things that are useful. Putting aside the wristwatch that doubles as a cigar lighter, one such item is the CigarMedics Humidimeter. What is this thing?… Read More

- Encore -

Aladino Cigars, flavor beyond tradition.

August 4, 2019

If you are an empirical cigar smoker like me, then you smoke cigars critically…always checking those mental boxes for flavor, balance, construction, and strength. Over the years we create an internal data base of all the cigars we’ve smoked. That, in turn, influences how we judge each cigar going forward. For myself, I like to… Read More

PerfecDraw cigar tool…where have you been my whole life?!

September 23, 2018

  Plugged cigars are the bane of all cigar smokers. It’s frustrating trying to smoke a stick that won’t even draw enough air to light the foot; and this can happen to any cigar regardless of price, size, or point of origin. I’ve tried all kinds of tools to remove tightly bunched tobacco from a… Read More

Buying Cigars in Cuba: a smoker’s dream come true.

March 26, 2017

A few weeks ago I made my first trip to Cuba. It was a trip planned last year with a group of cigar aficionados, and needless to say, we were excited to finally visit the renowned birthplace of cigars. For this article I will focus solely on the “cigar experience” while in Cuba, leaving all… Read More

On the road in Pinar Del Rio, Cuba

March 5, 2017

About two hours west of Havana lies Pinar Del Rio. It’s the town near the Vuelta Abajo where the best Cuban cigar tobacco is grown. Here is a video I took while visiting the region on Feb. 21, 2017. Visiting Cuba for the first time was quite an education. A full article is coming soon.

When Good Cigars Taste Bad, part 2.

January 31, 2016

(In Part 1, we discussed a number of factors that influence cigar flavor. Here, in Part 2, we look at them again, and offer a few new observations on the subject of cigar flavor perception.) After ten years of smoking cigars, I am struck by how every cigar I light has a unique quality that… Read More

The Last Word On Cigar Cellophane.

July 5, 2015

Well, maybe it’s not the last, last word, but for the benefit of newbie cigar smokers, it’s a subject worth revisiting. When I first started smoking cigars in 2005, I was very confused. The amount of information regarding cigars seemed overwhelming. To add to my confusion, opinions seemed to run in polar opposites. This was… Read More

And the Best Cigar Lighter is…not a cigar lighter.

January 4, 2015

Finding the right cigar lighter is a personal matter. We all have our preferences, and there are lots of lighter styles from which to choose. But ultimately, what we cigar smokers require from a lighter is universal: a solid flame that lights each and every time we pull the trigger. That’s not a lot to… Read More

Traditional Cigar Flavor…does it really matter?

November 10, 2014

How many times have you smoked a cigar in public, and had someone ask, “Is that a Cuban?”? When you explain why it is not, they are always surprised to hear that great cigars can be made outside that large Caribbean island. Without getting into the endless debate of Cuban (CC) v. Non-Cuban (NC) cigars,… Read More

The Best Cigar We’ll Never Smoke…

January 25, 2014

We cigar enthusiasts are a fastidious bunch.  We research our purchases carefully, always looking for the best cigars at the best price.  We peruse endless reviews and ratings with anticipation, hoping to uncover the next great cigar.  But, as it turns out, no amount of web surfing, or magazine reading will ultimately lead us to… Read More

Cigar Aging: is it worth the effort?

November 1, 2013

Updated 12/2014 Ever notice that the highest rated cigars are usually aged Cubans?  In Cigar Aficionado, these cigars are listed in the esteemed Connoisseur’s Corner.  There, it seems, the oldest cigars get the highest scores.  For example, in the December 2011 issue, a 1956 H. Upmann no. 120 hit a perfect 100.  Coming in second… Read More