James Giehm

Cigar Review: Boris Karloff Robusto from Tatuaje

Late last year, Tatuaje released the Boris Karloff Robusto. It’s a 5-1/2″ x 52 that features an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over binder and fillers from Nicaragua. Made at My Father Cigars S.A., it is actually the second size of the Boris Karloff to be made in 2025. The first was a 5-5/8″ x 49 size…

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Cigar Review: Powstanie War Bear 2025

In 1942 a Syrian brown bear cub, named Wojtek (pronounced VOY-tehk) was gifted to Polish soldiers, eventually drafted into the Polish Army, helped carry ammunition in battle, and was given the rank of Corporal. Powstanie has an almost annual release named after this famous Polish soldier/mascot, and last year’s release was the Wojtek War Bear…

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Cigar Review: Thunderkiss by Crowned Heads

During an early episode of what is now Oz Heads Podcast, Jon Huber said something along the lines of, “The day of the $10 cigar is dead; the day of the $20 cigar is upon us.” That has stuck with me. Very soon after that proclomation, Crowned Heads released their first cigar with a $20…

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Cigar Review: Patina y Viso Verdigris

The cigar industry is full of collaborations between different blenders and companies. Some of my favorite cigars have been collaborations: La Coalición, The Maker, Dark Time, and the list goes on. So when Mo Maali from Patina teamed up with Tyler Jefferies from Viso Horny, I was more than intrigued. Patina is home to some…

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Cigar Review: The Lil’ Trout from Lure Cigars

Lure Cigars added to their portfolio with the release if the Brown-E-Trout (6″x54 box-pressed toro) and the Lil’ Trout (5″x52 box-pressed robusto)in October of 2025. The Brown-E-Trout was first released in the Fall of ’24 as part of Lure Cigars’ limited releases known as “Catch & Release.” This is the first time that Lure Cigars’…

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Cigar Review: Crowned Heads Belgian Blue LE 2025

Late last year (2025), Crowned Heads announced that they would be releasing a follow-up LE to their Belgian Blue LE 2024. This is not unheard of for Crowned Heads, but what makes this release a bit different is the size. The original (2024) was released in a 6″ x 54 toro, while the Belgian Blue…

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Episode 168: Matt Booth of Room 101

James and Nick welcome Matt Booth of Room 101 Brand. Recorded LIVE for our Patreon supporters, Matt fields questions from them as well as discussing several topics with James and Nick. Matt talks about his time in the Marine Corps and how it shaped his career. Matt discuses being “on” all the time and whether…

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Cigar Review: Equanimity Justice from Stoic Cigars

Late last year Vance Taylor launched Stoic Cigars. His initial release was just called Stoic and came in four sizes: Justice (toro), Moderation (corona gorda), Courage (robusto), and Wisdom (churchill). The size names come from the four pillars of Stoicism. Released in August of this year, his sophmore release, the Equanimity, does the same. The…

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Episode 167: Dave West of Avowed Cigars and Small Batch Cigar

Dave West joins James and Nick to catch up on everything that’s been going on throughout 2025. Dave addresses if the industry is seeing a slow down in sales or a shift in buying patterns. He tells us what he thinks it all boils down to. Dave tells us why some cigar shops are thriving…

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Cigar Review: Dark Time by West Tampa Tobacco Co

I was able to catch up with Rick Rodriguez and his daughter, Sara, while visiting the West Tampa Tobacco booth at the 2025 PCA Convention & Trade Show in New Orleans, LA. During our conversation he showed off the Dark Time as the company’s first $30.00 cigar. This was obviously something that they were both…

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