The story of Johnny Tobacconaut and Room 101 is full of false starts and premature finishes. Room 101 was born in 2003 by Matt Booth as a jewelry company. In 2009 Matt Booth would hook up with Davidoff in their attempt to get younger and cater to the growing boutique cigar market. In 2017, he would not renew his contract with Davidoff and announced he was leaving the cigar industry. That decision was short lived […]
The CAO Amazon Basin was originally introduced in 2014 and received critical acclaim. This year the CAO Amazon Basin returns for the first time since 2022. I’ll be honest, I walked into Twins Smoke Shop in Londonderry, New Hampshire and asked the dreaded question of, “What’s new?”. My boy Nick told me the CAO Amazon Basin to which I said no thanks, the last few haven’t been that great. Well, he told me, “This one […]
The E.H. Taylor Corojo for me seems like a match made in heaven. Cigars and whiskey has long been a pairing for many cigar smokers. For me, I started out with cigars & scotch, before making my way to cigars & rum. These days like countless others I pair my cigars with bourbon. As a bourbon enthusiast it’s frustrating so many brands are difficult to come by and E.H Taylor is one that is increasingly […]
Ammunition comes from Caldwell Cigars & Wildfire Cigars as a PCA Exclusive with a catch. The partnership makes sense as Jeremy McDonald served as sales director for Caldwell Cigar Co before launching Wildfire Cigars. The PCA Exclusive wasn’t ordered on the trade show floor, but rather at a concert featuring McDonalds band Louder’s The Roar. Personally, I think this is a horrible idea for two struggling brands looking to get their message out. Instead, they […]
Le Bijou (The Jewel) from My Father is an ode to Don Pepin Garcia’s father who was born in 1922. It was also my first introduction to Pelo de Oro tobacco which if you know me from previous podcasts and websites is my favorite tobacco. The history of My Father Cigars is an interesting one. They first began as El Rey de Los Habanos when Don Pepin Garcia left Cuba in 2001 when he would […]
The word summa means a ‘comprehensive work’, a ‘summary or a synthesis of the body of work’ thus far. Ferio Tego Summa is a blend that embodies the diversity and complexity of the Ferio Tego Portfolio. The Summa blend highlights the incredible trifecta of body, flavor and intensity… and maximizes those levels with wonderful balance. Or here in New England, Summa is better known as one of the four seasons. When Michael Herklots left Nat […]
The Muestra de Saka Krakatoa according to the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust website, “was truly agonized over and took well over three years to perfect.” Named after the famous volcano located between the islands of Java and Sumatra in the Indonesian province of Lampung the cigar would have been an ideal candidate for Sumatra tobacco. Since its famous eruption in 1883 the volcano continues to add new land masses to the region with various eruptions. […]
In 2018, Drew Estate released Liga Privada 10 Anniversario to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Liga Privada line. While the master blender behind the cigar is debatable, it is a cigar that changed the face of Drew Estate. According to a press release at the time of release, “The hard work began deep in the Valley, hunting for the dense lush leaf required to turn our dream cigar into a reality. This cigar symbolizes […]
The Kristoff Tres Compadres is a tribute cigar to three friends. Kristoff owner Glen Case memorializes his friends who passed away. Rolando Villamil, the factory manager at the Charles Fairmorn factory where Kristoff produces its cigars, and Chuck Finch, Case’s best friend since high school. Add Glen Case to the mix and you got Tres Compadres. Made at the Tabacalera von Eicken S.R.L. in the Dominican Republic these Nicaragua Puros feature the companies new packaging […]
In 2020 at the Tobacco Plus Expo Aganorsa Leaf debuted the limited edition/limited production Supreme Leaf. When the brand was first unveiled the purple, yellow and orange box was straight out of MS-Paint and didn’t have a look of a cigar that would stick as one of the most anticipated limited release. The Aganorsa Leaf Supreme Perfecto is the 7th release in the line since its inception. Prior releases have been Robusto (5 x 52, […]