The HVC Black Friday 2023 continues a tradition started in 2015 when HVC released a cigar in honor of Black Friday. This year the HVC Black Friday 2023 measures 4.5 x 56 which makes the Petit Gordo the biggest ring gauge in the series and the second time it measures at 4.5″. The company has released just 600 boxes of 50 for a total of 30,000 cigars. Black Friday has become synonymous with holiday deals […]
Boliche Blvd. epitomizes the idea of go big or go home in a nod to Tampa’s rich cigar making history and its vibrant present. If one cuisine singularly identified with the history of Tampa, it’s Cuban food, mixed with a dash of Spanish and Italian — the ethnic mix whose labor force kept the cigar factories humming in the early 20th century. The Cuban culinary tradition continues along the Cuban corridor of Tampa’s Columbus Drive, […]
At the end of 2022, when we were strictly a liquor review site operating as The Liquor Authority we named our first ever Liquor of the Year, Chicken Cock Straight Bourbon Whiskey. We opted to only announce one winner with no end of year list. In 2023, The Barrel Burner has decided to expand how we announce Liquor of the Year. Starting on Monday, December 18th, we will announce our Top 5 liquors beginning with #5. […]
The Perfect Fifth, an American independent Scotch Whisky bottler known for its rare, ultra-premium single cask Scotch Whiskies, is introducing a new line, Oran, a blended Scotch Whisky created by whisky expert Jim Murray, author of “Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.” Murray has long served as a behind-the-scenes blender for many distilleries world-wide, but his partnership with The Perfect Fifth is his first public foray into an official blending role with a company, allowing his 40 […]
In the June of 2023 Nick Melillo owner of Foundation Cigar Company announced the release of Charter Oak Pasquale. According to their website, The “Charter Oak Pegnataro and Pasquale” cigars embody the commitment to excellence and artistry that define Foundation Cigar Company. Crafted by Nicholas Melillo, Founder and Master Blender, these cigars pay homage to the unwavering spirit and timeless wisdom passed down by his grandfathers. They also serve to pay tribute the opening of Foundation’s […]
From the Yellow Bird Tennessee Bourbon Whiskey bottle, “Tennessee and the Appalachian Region have a rich history coal mining. These hard working and courageous miners helped establish the state and its modern economy. The smaller, less regarded hero of the times was the Canary who was employed to identify dangerous gas leaks inside the mines, therefore saving countless lives. As a proud Tennessee brand, they honor the history while paying just tribute to our feathered […]
J.C. Newman Cigar Co. and the LeRoy Neiman and the Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation will begin shipping the LeRoy Neiman 2023 Collectors Edition cigars to 177 of the leading premium cigar retailers in the United States. This new luxury, handcrafted cigar is a collaboration between America’s oldest family-owned premium cigar maker and the foundation of the late, iconic, cigar-smoking American artist, LeRoy Neiman. All profits are being donated to support arts education in Tampa’s public […]
Today’s review; Ozgener Aramas comes from Ozgener Family Cigars. They might seem like a newcomer to the cigar industry, but they have been around for a long time. While the new company is run by Tim Ozgener, he got his feet wet in the cigar industry working for his dad Cano Ozgener who founded CAO Cigars. On January 1, 2007, CAO would be sold to Scandinavian Tobacco Group and Tim would soon after leave the […]
On October 31, 2023, UK-based Drinks International published its annual top 50 list of The World’s Most Admired Whiskies based on voting by an Academy of independent whiskey experts (writers, educators, bar owners, and other specialists with no affiliation to any brand) from more than 20 countries. For the first time an American whiskey, Michter’s, topped the charts as The World’s Most Admired Whiskey. Michter’s is celebrating this extraordinary recognition with the December release of […]
On Wednesday, November 29th, the award winning independent bottler, Lost Lantern, will celebrate the many ways whiskey can be enjoyed during the winter with its annual Winter Whiskey Wednesday drop. Created specifically to be enjoyed during the coldest season of the year, these new bottlings are sure to evoke thoughts of crackling fireplaces, home-baked holiday treats, and the dreams of summer that keep us warm on the darkest and coldest days of winter. “In Vermont, […]