Featured Cigars - April 2018

Shortly after starting the Congress Cigar Company, Sam Paley quickly gained the moniker “Mr. Sam” by the factory workers. The La Palina Mr. Sam you have in your shipment today is a tribute to the man who started it all. This stunning stogie hails from the famed El Titan de Bronze factory in Miami, Florida and comes dressed in a dark and tantalizing Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. Inside, Mr. Sam is packed with Nicaraguan long-fillers and securely...

Mark Twain once said, "Eating and sleeping are the only activities that should be allowed to interrupt a man's enjoyment of his cigar." Anyone who is acquainted with Twain through his legacy of literature knows he was a man for whom cigars were as important as the written word. He’s also famous for declaring: “If smoking is not allowed in heaven, I shall not go!” In the history of cigars, no one has been a bigger fan or a more dedicated smoker...

The Onyx Reserve is produced by Altadis USA, one of the largest cigar producers in the US. This toro's wrapper is made from blackened Connecticut Broadleaf, the binder is from Nicaragua, and the filler is a blend of Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Peruvian long fillers. It is a rich, full-bodied, and super-smooth smoke with some leathery tones, slight peppery notes, a hint of nuttiness, and toasted characteristics. Overall, a great smoke...

The Camacho American Barrel-Aged robusto is the first to be produced in Davidoff of Geneva's prestigious Dominican factory and utilizes nearly 100% American tobacco leaves. Working from the inside out, the Camacho American Barrel-Aged features a well-aged blend of American Broadleaf, Pennsylvania Maduro and barrel-aged Corojo leaves that have been aged for five months in Kentucky bourbon barrels. This unique blend is then secured with an...

This medium-to-full-bodied Blue Label B2 “Cuban Wheels” hails from Danli, Honduras and is the minimalist approach to the original Blue Label—basically they made the best cigar they could without the added cost of packaging. The maker is Gran Habano, the father-son team of Guillermo and George Rico, guys who are under the radar, making reasonably priced and consistently good cigars that are, like them, unpretentious. Of their various Gran Habano...

Debuting at the IPCPR (International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers) in 2011, this masterpiece is blended by none other than Alan Rubin, the founder of Alec Bradley cigars, who, since 1997, has been blending and producing cigars that have been awarded 90+ ratings from Cigar Aficionado, Cigar Insider, and Cigar Journal, just to name a few. The Black Market Esteli is no exception, having earned a 90 rating from Cigar Aficionado. This bad boy...

The 685 Woodlawn was named after Glen Case’s childhood home that he left he was 21. Quick side note: For obvious reasons he won’t release the name of the city the address is in but said that the family has been out of the house for more than thirty years. He intended this cigar to bring back childhood memories of backyard barbeques, firefly catching, and overall shenanigans. Handmade at the Charles Fairmorn factory in the Dominican Republic...

Having debuted in 2013, the Fratello cigar brand continues to be one of the fastest growing cigar companies on the market, and for good reason. Owner, Omar de Frias, carefully plans out everything from the tobaccos used to how they are rolled; every detail is scrutinized, resulting in mouthwatering smokes for every palate. The Fratello Oro hit the scene at the IPCPR Convention & Trade Show in 2016 and is one of their newer offerings. Hailing...

This top shelf beauty comes from the mind of Keith K. Parker. If you don’t know the name you may know of the elegant Prometheus line of cigar accessories. As many cigars celebrate and/or commemorate the places they were born, the God of Fire Angelenos celebrates and honors a place where they are enjoyed with gusto and enthusiasm, Los Angeles, California which, according to Mr. Parker, is home to many of the world’s most passionate cigar lovers.