Master blender Rick Rodriguez seems to be putting in the time and effort it takes to grow West Tampa Tobacco. With the “Red,” they will bring their third regular production cigar to market. They have also produced their first Limited Edition, the Attic, making four blends in just over a year of operation. The Red…
Read More
I have heard about Lampert a few times but if you aren’t completely in tune with the cigar industry, it is possible that you have not heard of this company. Lampert Cigars was founded by the lawyer Dr. Stefan Lampert. His first cigar line was MY CIGAR LAB and while on vacation he wanted to…
Read More
Micallef announced at the end of May, 2023, that they would be releasing their first new blend since 2020 called the Micallef Black at the PCA Trade Show in July. While it won’t get a wide release until July, there are several retailers who have had access to “pre-release” events and have been able to…
Read More
Patina is one of those “if you know, you know” brands. It just doesn’t get a lot of love from some in the industry, which is a shame. I fell in love with the Patina Connecticuts and never looked back. I have been excited about the Patina Sumatra ever since owner Mo Maali announced it…
Read More
There have been a few cigars put out by Altadis by AJ Fernandez. These blends go all the way back to 2017 when the H.Upmann by AJ Fernandez was released with a sumatra wrapper. Then in 2019, the H. Upmann 175th Anniversary was released and was a highly rated cigar also by AJ Fernandez. With…
Read More
We, at least all the cool kids, were excited when Rick Rodriguez stepped out on his own with West Tampa Tobacco. Rick worked at General/CAO/STG for over 20 years, helping to blend some well-known and very popular cigars, such as the Flathead and the Amazon Bason, which made quite a splash with its re-release. West…
Read More
Released in 2022 Caldwell’s Crafted and Curated series acts as a creative outlet for Robert Caldwell, offering unique blending and sizing experimentation to discerning connoisseurs. Some crafted and Curated cigars tweak existing Caldwell blends with different components or process, while others are entirely distinctive blends. However, all are extremely limited in production and represent Robert’s…
Read More
Stolen Throne has always been one of my favorite manufacturers. Lee, JR, and crew are all “cigar guys.” They’re steeped in the culture. They are active in online communities and have always been gracious with their time. The last time I had Lee Marsh, one of the founders and blender of Stolen Throne Cigars, on…
Read More
I was lucky enough to spend some time with Luciano Meirelles, co-founder and CEO of Luciano Cigars, while at the My Old Kentucky Herf. As luck would have it, it was just a couple of months removed from when ACE Prime (now Luciano Cigars) released three new sizes of Luciano The Dreamer. I got to…
Read More
Master blender Noel Rojas has worked behind the scenes for much of his career in the cigar industry, from working on Cuban tobacco farms and studying blending and production techniques to collaborating with various boutique companies to produce highly rated cigars. Rojas Cigars, however, is Noel’s solo venture, having released their first cigars in late…
Read More
Hello fans of Simply Stogies Podcast and simplystogies.com! We appreciate you, the loyal listeners and readers, for stopping by and even considering supporting this passion project of ours. We strive to bring you interviews, cigar reviews, and to bring you along on our journeys as cigar enthusiasts. To help us do this, we need your help! All money donated goes directly to keep the podcast and website up and running and bringing you the latest reviews, taking us to cigar events and lounges around the country, and giving you the best cigar content we can. You can also choose to become a member of our LE Club! For $10 a month or $100 a year, you can get access to exclusive content and a limited edition Simply Stogies Cutter Club branded cigar cutter. Thank you so much for your consideration!
Stay smoky, friends.