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…
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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…
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You may have heard of Iowa and many mid-western states referred to as “fly-over country” in the cigar industry. It’s sad, but it’s true. In this fast paced world we flock to the big cities engulfed with big brand chains, convenience, and high speed internet. Everything is fast, and we just try to keep pace….
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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…
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It is hard to believe that it’s been three years and almost seventy podcasts ago when I sat down and chatted with one of the owners of Up Down Cigars in Chicago, Illinois, Phil Ledbetter. It’s even harder to imagine that it took me that long to get to Up Down Cigars…but it did. If…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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On a hot, muggy Caribbean day in 1825, a Spanish immigrant stepped off a boat in the harbor of Havana, Cuba. After weeks of travel at sea, he had finally arrived in the very place he would make his fortune and create a legacy. This man was Ignacio Larranaga, the founder and patriarch of the…
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The Plasencia Cosecha 149 is a tribute to the family’s 149th crop of tobacco. I enjoy many of Plasencia’s lines, the Alma Fuerte is a cigar that a recommend to everyone. It is one of the first brands that was recommended to me when I began my journey into cigars and since then I have…
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