I have said before that the Midwest seems to be largely overlooked by the cigar industry. There are a few exceptions, like Up Down Cigar in Chicago or Safari Cigars in Omaha, NE. There are a few in St. Louis that seems to get some love, too. But by-in-large, most cigar shops throughout the Midwest…
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I travel to Capital Cigar Lounge in Lincoln, Nebraska and sit down with Alec Rubin of Alec Bradley Cigars. Alec and I discuss what it was like growing up in the industry and his unique cigar journey. Alec describes what it’s like working with family, what he believes makes a cigar manufacturer “boutique,” and his opinions on vitolas…
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One of the great things about driving to the PCA Trade Show, was being able to stop at cigar lounges throughout my trip. When I got to Albuquerque, New Mexico, I wasn’t sure what I would find. Honestly, Albuquerque isn’t known for its cigar culture…but maybe it should be? Monte’s has been in Albuquerque since…
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James visits Capital Cigar Lounge in Lincoln, Nebraska to sample their restaurant quality coffee from a French Press and review the Sobremesa Brûlée Blue. A delightful pairing that brought out beautiful notes of wood, pepper, and spices.
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I am joined via Zoom by Andy Sweis, owner of Cedar Room Fine Cigars & Lounge in Scottsdale, AZ. We talk about how he got into the cigar industry and how it is a family affair for him and his brother. Andy talks about staying on the bleeding edge of boutique cigars and new releases….
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Located in a neighborhood center in the DC Ranch area of North Scottsdale, Arizona, sits Cedar Room Fine Cigars & Lounge. Cedar Room is one of the nicest cigar lounges that I have visited. This should come as no surprise and Andy Sweis and his brother, owners of Cedar Room, watched their father own and…
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If you have even a passing familiarity with online cigar spaces, you’ve probably heard of r/cigars: the cigar-centric subreddit of the “front page of the internet.” It was there, early in my cigar journey, that I was introduced to Fox Cigars. There were so many posts by reddit users that featured purchases from Fox Cigars,…
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James visits Habano Cigars in Davenport, Iowa to review the Zino Nicaragua Robusto and the Volado Blend from Janus Coffee Roasters. The Zino Nicaragua is a medium to medium+ cigar with notes of cream, avocado oil, nuts, and earth. The Volado Blend coffee is a medium/dark roast with notes of barley and nuts. The pairing…
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While in Las Vegas for the PCA 2021 Trade Show, I decided that I wanted to visit a cigar lounge before the show started. I arrived a day early and decided to see what Vegas had to offer. Instead of hitting up the usual suspects on the Vegas Strip, I decided to drive a few…
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James and Tim return to Habanos Cigar Lounge in Davenport, Iowa to smoke a Don Fausto by Anya Ramirez and drink some Cigars for Warriors Loyalty Blend Coffee from Janus Coffee Roasters. Are your local B&Ms carrying enough boutique cigar brands? Are they carrying any boutique cigar brands? What’s enough? is the staff trained? Plus,…
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