Cigar Aficionado

19/05/2025

The El Pulpo line from Artesano del To***co is hearty and robust. Made in Nicaragua by A.J. Fernandez, it’s composed of a Mexican San Andrés wrapper and Nicaraguan to***co. The brand has performed quite well with this magazine, even earning the No. 10 spot in our 2023 Cigar of the Year rankings for its Belicoso Grande vitola. One of the newer additions to the line also did well in our blind tastings, a small 4 inches long by 48 ring gauge cigar known as "The Fry." But while small in stature, it still delivers a full-bodied experience like the rest of the line.

https://www.cigaraficionado.com/ratings/25744/name/el-pulpo-the-fry-miscellaneous

16/05/2025

Alma del Cielo is the fourth release in Plasencia Cigars’ Alma series, and is defined by a high-altitude to***co grown in the mountains of Nicaragua’s Condega region.

Alma del Cielo is intended to be a medium-bodied cigar, and comes in three sizes, each packed in boxes of 10.

Get more info: https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/plasencia-s-sky-kissed-alma-del-cielo-now-available

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The Nicaraguan cigar with high-altitude to***co is making its way to retailers. | Cigar Aficionado

15/05/2025

Eladio Diaz worked for many decades at the Davidoff factory before going off on his own and opening Tabacalera Diaz Cabrera (TDC) in the Dominican Republic.

Last year he released a cigar for his 71st birthday, and next month, he’ll be launching one for his 72nd.

Learn more: https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/eladio-diaz-72-aniversario-arriving-next-week

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A birthday blend with Dominican to***co from the country’s northern and southern regions. | Cigar Aficionado

14/05/2025

Most ci**rs come in boxes, some come in bundles, but Pete Johnson’s Pork Tenderloin comes curiously packaged in white butcher paper, much like you would find at a high-end meat market.

“The name is truly fitting for the cigar,” Johnson tells Cigar Aficionado. He describes the smoke as having “rich, bold flavors with that broadleaf sweetness and aroma of smoked meat.”

Get more details: https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/tatuaje-pork-tenderloin-returns-for-2025

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Most ci**rs come in boxes, some come in bundles, but Pete Johnson’s Pork Tenderloin comes curiously packaged in white butcher paper, much like you would find at a high-end meat market. | Cigar Aficionado

13/05/2025

You may know actor Michael Cudlitz from "The Walking Dead" or "Band of Brothers," and though he shines while performing in tough-guy roles, his love for ci**rs is no act.

The veteran actor is a true lover of the leaf and is even a cigar bar owner. He sat down with executive editor David Savona for our May/June cover story.

Subscribers are starting to receive the issue now and it will be available to all on newsstands next Tuesday, the 20th.

Learn more about the issue: https://www.cigaraficionado.com/issue/may-june-2025

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13/05/2025

It’s the Swiss Army Knife of cigar lighters, a sturdy, masculine-looking beast that can light your smoke, cut it in a number of ways and even serve as a cigar rest.⁠
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The Visol Joplin Quad Torch sells for $80. ⁠
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Learn more: https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/cigar-toy-visol-joplin-quad-torch-flame-lighter
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It’s the Swiss Army Knife of cigar lighters, a sturdy, masculine-looking beast that bears some resemblance to an electric shaver. | Cigar Aficionado

12/05/2025

If you find yourself in Portugal you might come across the Saint Luis Rey Adamastor. ⁠
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It’s the country’s newest Regional Edition cigar, and like the iconic Trinidad Fundadores, it measures 7 1/2 inches long by 40 ring gauge—and it even has the pigtail cap.⁠
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Read more: https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/a-long-thin-saint-luis-rey-made-just-for-portugal
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This Cuban Regional Edition Saint Luis Ray is the same size as the Trinidad Fundadores. | Cigar Aficionado

12/05/2025

In 2010, Bill Paley revived La Palina, a brand his grandfather created in Chicago in the mid-1800s. At the start, the ci**rs were expensive and manufactured in the Bahamas. Today, La Palinas are manufactured in most of the major non-Cuban cigar producing countries, including Miami's El Titan de Bronze factory. The La Palina Family Series Miami Pasha Coffin comes from this factory in Little Havana. At 7 inches long by 50 ring gauge, this Churchill was recently given a 90-point rating by Cigar Aficionado blind taste testers.

https://www.cigaraficionado.com/ratings/25761/name/la-palina-family-series-miami-pasha-coffin-churchill

09/05/2025

The Minneapolis City Council passed a law last year that prohibited cigar smokers from smoking for more than 15 minutes inside to***co shops. But, you can't smoke a cigar in 15 minutes, not even a short one.

Now, the sole cigar shop in Minneapolis where smoking is allowed is suing the city.

Anthony’s Pipe & Cigar Lounge, owned by Hadi Aboumourad, has filed a lawsuit with attorney John Sperry that is asking the courts to make a ruling on the law, with hopes it will be repealed.

A long legal battle likely lies ahead. To get the full details and to support the shop's GoFundMe campaign, visit the link below: https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/minneapolis-cigar-lounge-sues-city-over-15-minute-smoking-limitation

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After a city ordinance limited indoor smoking time to no more than 15 minutes, the cigar lounge is fighting back. | Cigar Aficionado

08/05/2025

The legal battle for Cohiba has been going on for nearly 30 years, and a judgement has just gone in favor of the Cubans—again.

This most recent ruling is a result of a suit filed in February 2023. General sought to reverse a decision made by the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) in 2022, which ruled to cancel General’s Cohiba trademark registration in the United States. Yesterday, General lost the case.

But fans of non-Cuban Cohibas don’t need to worry, as it appears that these ci**rs won’t be disappearing from retail shelves any time soon.

Get more info: https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/cohiba-vs-cohiba-another-win-for-cuba

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Judge dismisses General Cigar’s lawsuit in the decades-long legal battle over the Cohiba trademark. | Cigar Aficionado

08/05/2025

Where To Smoke: The Trapper’s Den At Lone Mountain Ranch

This rustic, luxury retreat in the mountains of Montana is an outdoorsman's paradise, and its new cigar lounge is reminiscent of the early days of the American West.

They call the cigar lounge the Trapper’s Den. That’s not a play on words or a tribute to the once-popular profession in this part of the country: it’s quite literally a fully-restored Trapper’s Den from 1915.

See and read more: https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/the-trapper-s-den-at-lone-mountain-ranch

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The rustic retreat delivers an unfettered Montana experience with a splash of luxury, and its owners just added a new cigar lounge meant to transport you back to the early expansionist days of the American West. | Cigar Aficionado

07/05/2025

We love whiskey at Cigar Aficionado, and our colleagues at Whisky Advocate magazine have found several cigar whiskies that are meant to pair with fine, handrolled ci**rs. Check out their research:

Pairing ci**rs with whisky is a long-standing pleasure. People who enjoy both love to mix and match them together, se…