In the world of Cuban robustos, there are plenty of names that stand out, but one that is often overlooked is the Juan Lopez Selección No. 2. The Juan Lopez brand as a whole is one that gets little attention in the cigar community, to the benefit of those who know what the brand is…
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With a pedigree lasting 155 years, Five Brothers Pipe Tobacco is a living classic. It is a shag cut pure burley blend with a legendary strength. This high nicotine sets it quite apart from some of the more well known pouch tobaccos. With its unassuming label, pure tobacco flavor, and strength, Five Brothers is primarily…
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This episode I chat with Evan, the founder of The Blend Newsletter, via Zoom and we discuss his cigar journey, how he fell in love with cigars, how the global pandemic helped him find his passion for the leaf, and how he curates the newsletter each week. We end up talking about what it’s like…
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Who doesn’t like a good mystery? Near the end of 2019, When I sat down with Jeremy Casdagli, founder of Casdagli Cigars, one of the last things he mentioned on the podcast was two new cigars coming the following year (2020) called the Cypher and the Enigma. The blends would be undisclosed and left up…
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The Casdagli Cigars Mareva Spalato No. 2 is the regular production follow-up release to the original limited production Mareva Spalato. The Mareva Spalato No. 2 was blended by Master Blender Hendrik Kelner Jr. and originally rolled in the Kelner Boutique Factory in November 2019 and the tobaccos used are all aged at least three years….
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I visit the Drawing Room QC and chats with two of the owners, Eric Norton and Shale Sage. The trio discuss the cigar community and rich cigar history in Davenport, Iowa, the cigar industry, how cigar manufacturers sell cigars to B&Ms, and how Eric and Shale started their cigar journeys. They also discuss opening a…
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The Joya de Nicaragua Ninjaragua is the latest collaborative effort from Cigar Dojo. The Ninjaragua is a Nicaraguan puro that features a dark, rich Nicaraguan habano criollo wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler. This extremely limited collaboration came with a commemorative challenge coin in the shape of a shuriken, or throwing star. With only 450…
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James and Tim sit down at David’s Fine Tobaccos in Clive, Iowa and discuss what celebrities they’d like to have a cigar with. We find out who Tim’s hall pass, how disappointed she must be, and how much better Janus Coffee Roasters Peru Capili Medium Roast is compared to Sam’s Club coffee.
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I sit down with the third generation owner of David’s Fine Tobaccos in Clive, Iowa, Sean David. Sean and I discuss a wide range of topics that both his customers and cigar aficionados and enthusiasts will find interesting. We talk about the 40+ year history of David’s Fine Tobaccos, what’s changed over that time, and…
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Earlier this year Drew Estate announced that the long-awaited Liga Privada H99 would be available at all Drew Estate Drew Diplomat Retail program events held between February 1 and May 12. My “local” lounge, located an hour and half from where I live, just happens to be one of those retailers. So when Habano Cigars…
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