Every year, and the day before the Rocky Mountain Cigar Fest, Nick Melillo holds a Foundation event at a cigar lounge in the Denver, CO area. This year, it was at The Smoking Cave in Highlands Ranch, CO. The event also served as the launch party for Foundation’s newest release, the Olmec. I was lucky…
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Micallef, there is a lot to unpack with this brand. Full disclosure, I like the Micallef / Gomez Sanchez Family cigars, every one I have smoked I have enjoyed. I have had the chance to chat up their team at the PCA this year. If we are looking at the beginning of an end to…
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My most recent podcast episode features Rick and Sara Rodriguez of West Tampa Tobacco Co. During our conversation, Rick discussed what it was like going from a “corporate kitchen” (CAO) full of “ingredients” (almost any tobacco he wanted to work with), to a “home kitchen” (WTTC) with few ingredients (limited access to tobacco) to work…
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Rick Rodriguez is a name that most enthusiasts and aficionados have heard of. Rick has had a lot of accomplishments over his 22yrs with General Cigar Co. Learning from such Titans in the industry as E.P. Carillo, Daniel Núñez, and Benji Menendez, Rick took over as “Brand Ambassador” for CAO. There he had a string…
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Tucked away in a nondescript strip mall on the southeast side of Omaha, the Omaha Cigar Company sits in-between a dry cleaning business and a Korean food restaurant. The small storefront and lack of an eye-catching sign, it’s the kind of cigar lounge that you might pass by and not think twice about. But should…
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John Laurendi, owner and co-founder of Peter James, announced his foray into cigars with his Los Estoico line. Listening to John talk about his cigars, you can hear the passion in his voice. Known for their leather cigar cases, cigars seem like the next logical step for Peter James. The Los Estoico line have a…
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Cigar smoking is about slowing down, relaxing, socializing with other people of the leaf, and shutting out all of our daily distractions. We don’t want to think of the smoke and smell that can linger afterwards; which is why most of us smoke at a lounge or outdoors. But what about when you can’t? There…
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Premium Cigar Association 2022 For The First-Timer Imagine with me, if you will: I arrive at Treasure Island Hotel & Resort where the wait time for the line to check-in is over an hour with only two desk receptionists working and over 40 people trying to check-in. Behind me, there is a group of gentlemen…
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J. London is a brand that I was first introduced to during the PCA 2021 Trade Show. I was able to chat with the man behind the J. London brand, Jonathan Fiant. I can remember being impressed with the Gold Series ; so much so, that it ended up being one of our brands to…
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By the Numbers The PCA 2022 Trade Show has come and gone. All of our coverage of the show has been published and it’s been two weeks since its ended. It was only our second show but, to be honest, this was our first real PCA Trade Show. Last year’s show was much smaller due…
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