Cigar Snob Magazine July August 2023

FIRST JULY / AUGUST 2023 DISPLAY UNTIL 09/25/2023

CLASS BEACH SMOKING BAN CIGAR ROCK CITY BOURBON BREAKDOWN

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editorials JULY / AUGUST 2023

22 GIFT GUIDE Here’s some cutting-edge golf gear for you discerning, have-it-all linksmen along with a bottle of golf-friendly refreshment to ease through a summer on the course.

25 5 TO TRY - BOURBON A handful of pairings run the profile gamut. We’re so inclusive it hurts, so check out the fine brown liquors that go well with some very well-curated smokes.

26 HENRY MCKENNA SINGLE BARREL

BOTTLED IN BOND / FUENTE FUENTE OPUS X 20 YEARS

27 CHESTNUT FARMS BOTTLED IN BOND / OLMEC CLARO

28 JEFFERSON’S OCEAN WHEATED MASH BILL / AGANORSA ANIVERSARIO MADURO

30 CALUMET FARM 10 YEAR OLD / LIGA PRIVADA H99

32 BIB & TUCKER AGED 10 YEARS / NUB CONNECTICUT

37 CIGAR ROCK CITY Detroit smokes, and we take you on a detailed trip through fabled Motor City, warts and all. We smoke, we visit friends, we eat and then we smoke some more. Line up this Michigan urban oasis for a visit and see for yourself. Or take our word for it.

63 BEACH BUMMER The Man is always after our smokes, and now he’s trying to outlaw our passion of twinning a smoke with some seashore. Never fear, though; here’s a guide to some choice smoke and sea locations.

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features JULY / AUGUST 2023

14 LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

16 FEEDBACK

18 WHAT’S BURNIN’

48 SMOKING HOT CIGAR SNOB ALL ABOARD FEATURING DIESEL VINTAGE

71 RATINGS

84 TWITTER SCOREBOARD

86 INSTAGRAM SCOREBOARD

88 EVENTS 88 ATLANTIC CITY CIGAR SOCIAL 90

TABACÓN GRAND OPENING

91 EL VECINO GRAND OPENING 94 LAUNCH OF SOULS FROM THE EARTH 96 GALIANO CIGAR ROOM 4TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY

98 COHEA GOLF TOURNAMENT

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Together for tomorrow!

InterTabac 2023 World’s Largest Trade Fair for Tobacco Products and Smoking Accessories

JULY / AUGUST 2023

VO L . 15 IS SU E 4 www.cigarsnob.com PUBLISHER & EDITOR Erik Calviño SENIOR EDITOR Steve Miller COPY EDITOR Michael LaRocca SALES & OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Oscar M. Calviño PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Ivan Ocampo ART DIRECTOR Andy Astencio ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Jamilet Calviño DIGITAL RETOUCHING SPECIALIST Ramón Santana DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGEMENT Gianni D’Alerta Natalia Marie García

Secure ticket now!

14 – 16 September Messe Dortmund Germany

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Gavin Maliska CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR Florin Safner CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS David Benoliel Andy Astencio EVENT PHOTOGRAPHERS Jamilet Calviño Cristene Martínez-Paez Tim Hawk Nicole Oliva Cover Photography by David Benoliel www.davidbenolielphotography.com Cover Model - Serena Morizio Cigar Snob is published bi-monthly

by Lockstock Publications, Inc. 1421-1 SW 107th Ave., #253 Miami, FL 33174-2509 Tel: 1 (786) 423-1015 Cigar Snob is a registered trademark of Lockstock Publications, Inc., all rights reserved. Reproduction in part or full without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. Cigar Snob is printed in the U.S. Contents copyright 2006, Lockstock Publications, Inc. To subscribe, visit www.cigarsnob.com

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www.intertabac.com 12 | CIGAR SNOB | JUL / AUG 2023

Ours is a tight-knit family. My siblings and our extended families spend a good deal of our free time together. I’m not talking about getting together two or three times a year, it’s more like two or three times a week. We grill, get in the pool, go out on the boat, or go to the beach and we always, always smoke cigars; they are a constant in the equation.

So when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new law in 2022 giving the state’s municipalities the ability to ban smoking in parks and beaches, there was a bit of a panic. It reached a fever pitch when Miami Beach almost immediately made use of its newfound banning power, with a park and beach smoking ban that kicked in on January 1st. Thankfully for my cigar-loving crew, the state law has an exemption for cigars carved into it, meaning that counties and cities can ban cigarettes, pipes, and vape from parks and beaches but not premium unfiltered cigars. Our very own Gavin Maliska wrote an informative piece on the subject starting on page 63 but the topic got me thinking a little more on it.

As you’ll read in the piece, the push for banning smoking on public beaches is mainly about preventing the micro plastics in cigarette filters from polluting our waterways and damaging wildlife. According to Ocean Conservancy reports, cigarette butts are the number one item found on Florida’s beaches over the last 30 years. This ban aims to eliminate that problem, but I’d love for us as premium cigar smokers to see this as a shot across the bow. We may have dodged a bullet in Florida but if we leave our cigar trash lying around parks and beaches, we may end up on the chopping block soon enough.

As I mentioned, we regularly smoke cigars on the beach and I’m always vigilant of picking up after ourselves. When you’re finished with your cigar, don’t bury it in the sand. Although premium long filler cigars degrade rapidly in nature, it is still a form of pollution. Think of it as you would an apple core or banana peel on the sand. You walk up to a spot on the beach where you and your family are going to set up camp and find a mess of apple cores and banana peels in that spot. Sure they will degrade in a few days’ time but for that moment, it’s unsightly and polluting. Instead, pour water on the cigar to make sure the fire is out and throw it out with your trash. If you smoke thinner ring gauges, you’ll find they fit perfectly into an empty beer can.

cigar ratings, and a bunch of events covered by our intrepid team.

The aforementioned story by Gavin Maliska is titled “Beach Bummer” and it recommends several beaches where cigar smoking is still allowed.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject; even better you can give us a recommendation of your favorite cigar-friendly beach by sending an email to feedback@cigarsnobmag.com.

As always, thank you for making us part of your cigar journey. If you like what we do, be sure to check out the Cigar Snob Podcast wherever you get your podcasts, also the YouTube channel where you can see a video version of our podcasts as well as behind the scenes videos of photo shoots, cigar insider interviews, and our popular mail time videos.

In addition to the beach smoking piece, Gavin and I teamed up on the latest installment of 5 to Try (p.25). This time we focused on five killer bourbons and found the perfect cigar to go with each. Our senior editor Steve Miller put together a gem of a travel story titled Cigar Rock City (p.37). Having grown up in and around Detroit, his insights on the Motor City, and its cigar and music scene, are not to be missed. Speaking of motoring, our All Aboard photo shoot (p.48) showcases the new Diesel Vintage with the help of the gorgeous Serena Morizio and classic locomotives. There’s much more to check out in the issue with a golf-themed gift guide, 48

Keep ‘em lit,

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Erik Calviño ecalvino@cigarsnobmag.com

SOUTH OF THE BORDER Ok guys, I’m Jesus Maldonado from Monterrey, México, but don’t worry if you end up reading my question, I do have a U.S. address for MY SWAGPACK!!! Ok, now the Q… Have you ever had an experience where the retrohaling was better than the regular puff? I’m curious to hear of other experiences, because a couple of weeks ago this happened to me. I was visiting a cigar lounge in Mexico City and I picked one of their cigars, a Casa Turrent Doble Claro 1880 (anytime I visit a cigar lounge I do buy from them, try to give them business plus it’s an opportunity to try new things). It was an ok cigar, a little earthy, but then I did a retrohaling and wow, a better experience even from the regular puff.

Is this normal? Has it ever happened to some of you guys? Strange to me, retrohaling is not for every cigar in my experience.

Ok, congrats on the magazine, podcast and thanks for doing what you do.

OVCIGARS

OSCAR VALLADARES TOBACCO & CO.

OVCIGARS

OSCARTOBACCO.COM

Gracias y saludos, Jesus M Monterrey, México Via feedback@cigarsnobmag.com Jesus, Where have you been this whole time?

Mexico? Just kidding, the truth is not everyone who smokes cigars is a retrohaler (the act of expelling smoke through one’s nose.) However, it is most certainly an essential part of cigar smoking. Most of the flavor you derive from eating, drinking, and cigar smoking comes from your sense of smell. The combination of taste and smell allows us to perceive complex flavors in our cigars. Scientifically speaking, when we eat/drink/smoke, volatile compounds are released and interact with olfactory receptors in our nasal cavity, creating an overall flavor perception. In fact, when the sense of smell is impaired, like when you have a cold or when holding your nose, the ability to taste and discern flavors is significantly reduced (as tested at Cigar Snob Labs.)

You are correct though, retrohaling is not for every cigar. Some cigars can be excessively peppery and/or spicy and

will produce a burning sensation in your nasal passage if the majority of the smoke is expelled through the nose. Gauging how strong or spicy an unknown cigar is is part of the cigar tasting adventure. And while retrohaling may not be for every cigar or even every cigar smoker, it is definitely a vital part of enjoying cigars.

Thanks for listening, Swagpack en route.

NOT TRUDEAU I have recently gotten into cigars and have listened to your podcast and have learned so much that it has helped me tremendously in making my selections and knowing how to go about cigars, everything from caring to storing and more.

In addition, your humor keeps me laughing the whole way through. I thoroughly appreciate how in-depth you get from inside to out of each cigar you speak of and there is never a one-sided opinion.

Thank you and keep it up.

Justin F Via feedback@cigarsnobmag.com Hey Justin, We truly appreciate the kind words. We’ve come to realize the Cigar Snob Podcast has become a real crowd pleaser to those who have run across it. We get tons of feedback (mostly good) echoing your same sentiments. The majority of folks we hear from enjoy the banter for one, but also want to learn more about cigar culture in general – which says a lot about cigar smoking and how it is more than what it’s perceived to be by the non-smoking world at large.

Enjoying cigars is an experience that spans a wide array of realms including: history, politics, flavor, style, etiquette, travel…just to name a few. On the podcast we love getting down and dirty into all these topics and the platform lends itself as an ideal place to have great conversations where we can agree and disagree on everything that comes up – much like a typical conversation you’d find a bunch of strangers having in a cigar shop. In the end, isn’t that what it’s all about? Except listening to the podcast won’t get any smoke blown in your face. However, if you want to get a look at what our ugly mugs look like (except for Jasper who never wants any camera time), check out the video edition of the show on our YouTube channel (youtube. com/cigarsnob).

Thanks for listening!

WRITE US AT FEEDBACK@CIGARSNOBMAG.COM 16 | CIGAR SNOB | JUL / AUG 2023

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OLIVA SERIE V ROARING 20’S LIMITED EDITION: AN EXCLUSIVE CIGAR FOR EXCEPTIONAL TIMES Oliva Cigars introduces the Oliva Serie V: the Roaring 20’s, a 6 x 60 Perfecto-shaped cigar with revenues going to the Oliva Helping Hands Foundation. The cigar was produced with craftsman Daniel Marshall, known for developing the 24k, a cigar coated with Florentine gold foil.

The Roaring 20’s is a tribute to the post-war Flapper era and is presented in a tailor-made case wrapped in a cigar band that hails from the Principality of Monaco, a city/state on the banks for the French Riviera. The trimmings were crafted by Bruno & Dimitri Sonderegger of Switzerland.

“We’re so excited to present this cigar to the world,” CEO Fred Vandermarliere said in a press release.”The idea was born before a worldwide pandemic took people’s freedoms away. I see it much more as an artwork than a product to smoke…especially when such an ode contributes to a better future for the local communities that make it all happen.” The Oliva Helping Hands Foundation seeks to create a positive impact on the lives of communities in Nicaragua, with an emphasis on helping cigar rolling parents with small children.

GOVERNOR OF NEVADA SIGNS PREMIUM CIGAR TAX CAP The state of Nevada will cap taxes on premium cigars at 50 cents via a statehouse bill that passed with wide majorities in both the assembly and the senate.

The measure was carried through the lawmaking process by a coalition of locally owned small businesses, which organized an effort with legislative allies of their local cigar shops.

Las Vegas cigar entrepreneur Michael Frey and Nevada lobbyist Mike Sullivan of The Ferraro Group, who assisted efforts in the capitol, said in a press release, “This was a legislative effort to bring tax fairness to Nevada for a small segment of the local economy.”

Glynn Loope, director of state advocacy for the Premium Cigar Association, added in the same press release, “Nevada’s community tobacconists made the case in a manner that sets a national example. They built a bipartisan co-

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alition of legislative support, made the case that the tax cap was a small business issue that would improve their competitive position, and discussed the impact on women and minorityowned small businesses at hearings. PCA welcomed the opportunity to provide committee testimony, grassroots advocacy, and research support on tax and public health issues. The local cigar shops of Nevada, though, made the difference.”

CONNECTICUT LAWMAKERS PASS MEASURE TO ALLOW CIGAR BARS Connecticut has updated its laws governing cigar lounges after Gov. Ned Lamont signed a bill that passed the state senate by a 29-7 margin.

The measure allows establishments selling cigars to also offer alcohol, a practice that has been prohibited since the state enacted a smoking ban in bars in 2003.

“For many of us, this action and support by the legislature is a symbol of support for our small businesses and an opportunity for our local shops to diversify, as we cater to a discerning adult clientele,” Nick Casinelli, the owner of the Connecticut Cigar Company in Stamford, said in a press release. “It’s also an opportunity for Connecticut to keep revenue and jobs in the state, given that cigar bars in surrounding states have been capturing such business.”

Lamont, a Democrat, is the eighth governor in the nation to sign pro-cigar legislation this year.

THE AGING ROOM QUATTRO NICARAGUA SONATA SHIPS IN JUNE The Aging Room Quattro Sonata is now available in six states.. The box-pressed collection features all Nicaraguan tobaccos and comes in a 5 x 50 Espressivo ($13.02), 6 x 52 Maestro ($13.13), 6 x 54 Vibrato ($13.24), 7 x 50 Concerto ($13.37), 6.5 x 52 Impromptu ($14.98) and the 6 x 60 Grande ($13.55).

All but the Impromptu come in 20-count boxes, which comes in a box of 10.

From his early classical music studies, Rafael Nodal, head of product capability for Tabacalera U.S.A., has been fascinated by famous sonatas.

Nodal wanted to compose a Nicaragua Sonata to celebrate the Nicaraguan people and their land.

“Not with notes or to be played on the piano, but with tobacco leaves to be enjoyed by adult consumers looking for something unique,” Nodal said in a press release. “The Aging Room Nicaragua Sonata is composed with leaves grown in the valleys and mountains of Nicaragua and nurtured by the dedicated people of Nicaragua.”

DREW ESTATE RETURNS TO THE PCA TRADE SHOW IN MARCH 2024 Drew Estate, which withdrew from the PCA trade show in 2020 along with three other major premium cigar producers, returned to the show this year.

Drew Estate withdrew from PCA along with Altadis U.S.A., Davidoff of Geneva USA, and General Cigar Co., citing dissatisfaction with the handling of the event by PCA. “We are returning to PCA 2024 primarily due to two reasons,” David Lazarus, senior vicepresident of sales, and President Jonathan Drew said in a statement. “First, over [the] past two years, Drew Estate and PCA leadership engaged in numerous mutually beneficial conversations that forged closer alignment in our positions regarding the most important, industry-wide matters that we all face. This newfound alignment allows the premium cigar industry to better meet the significant challenges together and advocate for the best interests on behalf of consumers, retailers and manufacturers. Second, the change in dates which slots PCA 2024 to take place in late March rather than July is a valuable change which more strongly aligns with the natural cadence of our industry’s business cycle.”

AGUA CALIENTE CASINOS IN PALM SPRINGS ANNOUNCES NEW CIGAR MENU ADDITIONS AT THE STEAKHOUSE Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs, the original property of the three Agua Caliente Casino locations across the Coachella Valley, now features a new suite of elevated experiential dining offerings at its restaurant, The Steakhouse.

This includes a new menu of exclusive cigar offerings at The Steakhouse’s outdoor patio, smoked ice cubes and a tableside French press coffee service.

The cigar menu is new to the restaurant and

MYFATHERCIGARS.COM

features 10 types of cigars. It is the only noncigar lounge in Palm Springs where guests are able to smoke cigars and dine at the same time.

A menu of suggested cocktail pairings is available that pairs beverage selections with the new suite of cigars.

The patio overlooks the San Jacinto Mountains.

In keeping with the theme of smoke, The Steakhouse also features a twist to its craft cocktail menu – smoked ice cubes, with palm tree embellishments. The smoked ice cubes are paired with The Steakhouse’s signature Smoked Old Fashioned, which features the Maker’s Mark Private Selection exclusive to Agua Caliente Casinos. The smoked ice cubes were designed to produce tasting notes that pair with cigar smoke and the dishes served at The Steakhouse.

The tableside French press coffee service is also new to The Steakhouse, featuring coffee by Enne Coffee Roasters based in San Diego steeped and served fresh at the table.

ESPINOSA DELIVERS THE LATEST IN THE 601 LA BOMBA LINE Espinosa Premium Cigars is releasing the 601 La Bomba Warhead IX, the ninth installment of the 601 La Bomba line. The 6 x 56 perfecto ($13) is a Nicaraguan puro with a limited run of 5,000 boxes and is produced at the San Lotano Factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua. It ships in 10-count boxes.

“You know it’s PCA time when Warhead Appears,” Erik Espinosa said in a press release.

“Year in and year out, our customers look forward to this release. It’s a great cigar, in yet another great vitola.”

AVO ANNOUNCES SEASONS LIMITED EDITION SERIES 2023 AVO Cigars is releasing the summer edition of the AVO Seasons Limited Edition Series 2023.

AVO releases one cigar per quarter in 2023, each designed to capture the spirit of the season.

The summer version features an Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper, Mexican binder, and Dominican filler. Like the rest of the seasonal series, it comes in a 6 5/8 x 50 size.

“This special release has been created by our Master Blenders who have worked with tobaccos across multi-faceted origins to craft the perfect seasonal blends,” Edward Simon, CMO at Oettinger Davidoff, said in a press release. “Tobaccos from each cigar can be found from diverse grow-

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ing regions such as Ecuador and the Dominican Republic, with tobacco aged for up to 14 years.”

All four editions are presented in boxes of 10 cigars each. The packaging design reflects each season individually with respective icons, varnished patterns, and season-typical colors and graphics.

There are 4,000 boxes available per edition.

FOUNDATION CIGAR COMPANY ESTABLISHES NEW OFFICE IN CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY Foundation Cigar Company has opened its new office on a 300-acre farm situated in the Connecticut River Valley tobacco-growing region.

The new office is located on land owned by Dunn & Foster in Ellington, Connecticut.

“This is the Napa Valley of cigar tobacco,” Nicholas Melillo, owner of Foundation, said in a press release. “And most people outside the cigar world don’t realize its importance. I hope to help change this. The connection between Nicaragua and Connecticut has profoundly impacted my career and represents the heart and soul of Foundation Cigars.”

The collaboration between Foundation Cigar Company and Dunn & Foster Tobacco originates from a friendship between Melillo and Jon Foster, co-owner of Dunn & Foster, which grows and sells Type 51 tobacco, better known as Connecticut Broadleaf.

Their initial encounter occurred in 2004 during Foster’s visit to Estelí, Nicaragua, where Melillo lived full-time. Since that meeting, Melillo and Foster have shared a vision to promote the tobacco cultivated in the Connecticut River Valley.

THIS SPRING, ROMEO Y JULIETA OPENS ITS BOOK OF LOVE Romeo y Julieta is now shipping its new Book of Love blend. The 6 x 52 Toro features Ecuadorian filler tobacco, with a Dominican binder and a Dominican wrapper.

The Book of Love is presented by cigar maker Altadis U.S.A. in a 10-count box.

“The Romeo y Julieta Book of Love is one of the most flavorful blends we’ve ever made for the Romeo y Julieta brand,” Pedro Ventura, director of operations, said in a press release.

“The most predominant tobacco in the blend is

the Dominican Piloto variety from two regions of the Dominican Republic – Navarrete and La Canela – located in the heart of the Cibao Valley.

This cigar from Romeo y Julieta, with its great complexity and medium-to-full body, will satisfy even the most educated of palates.”

JOYA DE NICARAGUA TO RELEASE NÚMERO UNO DELUXE HUMIDOR LIMITED EDITION Joya de Nicaragua announces the Número Uno Deluxe Humidor, a 150-capacity unit that comes loaded with Número Uno cigars, including 75 6 5/8 x 44 L’Ambassadeurs and 75 6 7/8 x 48 Le Premier. The Número Uno features an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos.

This humidor highlights the attributes of Número Uno, adorned by the Obras Maestras badge and the JDN tobacco leaves. The limited, onetime production of 400 humidors includes 300 for the U.S. and 100 for the rest of the world.

The retail price is $2,850 and it will ship to stores in July.

“This JDN Número Uno Deluxe Humidor was created for our amigos, the real cigar connoisseurs,” Juan Ignacio Martínez, executive president of Joya de Nicaragua, said in a press release.

“This is the piece that every Joya de Nicaragua lover should have in their sacred space.”

MIAMI CIGAR & CO. TO RELEASE LIMITED EDITION CIGAR FOR NESTOR MIRANDA’S 80TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AT THE 2023 PCA Miami Cigar & Co. announces the limited edition NM80 cigar brand, created to commemorate Nestor Miranda’s 80th birthday, which was celebrated at the 2023 PCA in Las Vegas July 7-11.

The NM80 comes in a 5 5/8 x 48-52 Ruky ($18), a 7.5 x 38 Lancero ($19) and a 7 x 56 Danno ($20).

Miami Cigar has produced 500 boxes of the NM80, a Nicaraguan puro.

“I really wanted to create a cigar that Nestor could be proud of,” Jason Wood, vice president of Miami Cigar and Nestor’s son-in-law, said in a press release. “The entire project was tailormade for Nestor, vitolas, blend and packaging all have that Miranda elegance that makes him the man that we all love.”

Golf

GIFT GUIDE

IT’S THE HEAT OF SUMMER AND YOU’RE REALLY COOKING ON THE COURSE, WE KNOW. BUT WE ALSO KNOW YOU’D LIKE ANY EDGE YOU CAN GET OUT THERE, SO HERE ARE SOME ITEMS AND NOTIONS TO TAME THAT GAME INTO THE BEST IT CAN BE. FROM STYLISH KICKS TO GAME-APPROPRIATE BOOZE, WE’VE GOT SOME IDEAS, SO DIG IN.

SHOTSCOPE X5 shotscope.com

$299.99

GFORE GALLIVANTER gfore.com

$225 Nothing says golf snob more than the Gfore Gallivanter golf shoe, which brings style and performance to the course. These bad boys are crafted with top-notch materials, giving you that luxurious feel and long-lasting durability. They’re waterproof with killer traction, ensuring stability and protection no matter the weather. So, step up your golf game with the Gfore Gallivanter where style and functionality meet on your feet.

All right Grandpa, time to bring your game into the 21st century with the Shotscope x5 golf watch. It’s not just any ordinary timepiece, but a game-changing companion on the course. Packed with advanced features, this watch tracks your shots, analyzes your performance, and provides valuable insights to elevate your game. With its sleek design and rugged durability, it’s the perfect blend of style and functionality. So gear up, my dudes, and let the Shotscope x5 be your ultimate golf partner.

TRUGOLF MINI trugolf.com DEWAR’S 19 YEAR OLD “THE CHAMPIONS EDITION” dewars.com

$86.99 Attention, whisky enthusiasts and golf fans, prepare to be captivated by the Dewar’s 19 The Champions Edition, a blended scotch crafted in homage to the prestigious U.S. Open golf championship. This limited release, which made its debut in 2021, showcases the host of this year’s U.S. Open — the iconic Los Angeles Country Club.

The 19-year age statement is a nod to the revered “19th hole” of golf lore. And let’s not forget the box adorned with the iconic U.S. Open trophy.

The scotch itself features tasting notes of rich caramel, velvety vanilla, and a hint of toasted oak. Cheers to this year’s champ, Brooks Koepka, and to this perfect blend of whisky and golf.

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$249.99 Whether you’re into perfecting your swing or just having a good time, the TruGolf Mini is a hands-on helper that connects you to over 100 golf courses, driving ranges and putting greens. Alone, it’s plenty of fun as a family game night. If Dad wants to up his golf game, though, TruGolf Mini also allows practice and analysis in the living room via a sensor that pairs with provided software. The unit includes a weighted swing trainer that replicates the sensation of club and ball impact. You then get some data-driven insights after each shot. Apple’s latest “Vision Pro” doesn’t sound so great after this budget-friendly package.

LINKS & KINGS CROSS WOOD COVERS linksandkings.com

$100 Want to give your golf game a major upgrade? Links & Kings has crafted a collection of head covers that are pure class. Each one is designed using the finest leathers, blending old-world charm with a dash of modern design. The result? A style that’s one-of-a-kind and performance that’s second to none.

3rd Camp Camacho Release

San Andres Maduro Wrapper

CONQUERING THE RUGGED TERRAIN OF HONDURAS IS NO EASY TASK. MANY HAVE SOUGHT THE CHALLENGE, WITH FEW LITTLE REWARDS. AT CAMP CAMACHO, OUR BLENDERS NEVER BACK DOWN FROM SUCH A CHALLENGE. THIS TRIFECTA IS BUILT ON THE DARKER SIDE OF BOLD, WITH THE INFAMOUS MADURO WRAPPER. THE CAMACHO FACTORY UNLEASHED 3 IS THE THIRD RELEASE IN THE FACTORY UNLEASHED SERIES, CREATED TO HONOR THE FINEST CRAFTSMEN THAT FUEL WHERE BOLD IS BORN. GRIT AND DETERMINATION REQUIRED. LIKE ALL LEGENDARY BEASTS IN THE WILD, THIS SMOKE IS A RARE SIGHT WAITING TO BE FOUND. VENTURE OFF THE BEATEN PATH AT CAMPCAMACHO.COM AND JOIN OTHER ONLINE THRILL SEEKERS AND BECOME AN AMBASSADOR OF BOLD. or of bold.

Follow Us @CamachoCigars JUL / AUG 2023 | CIGAR SNOB | 23

BOURBON BOURBON, THAT MOST AMERICAN OF ALL WHISKEYS, MAY NEVER HAVE EARNED THAT DISTINCTION IF NOT FOR THE FRENCH. IN THE EARLY 1700S, WHEN FRANCE CONTROLLED LOUISIANA, A FRENCH ENGINEER LAID OUT NEW ORLEANS AND NAMED A STREET IN THE FRENCH QUARTER FOR THE ROYAL HOUSE OF BOURBON. A CENTURY LATER, TWO FRENCH BROTHERS MOVED TO LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, AND FORMED AN APPRECIATION FOR THE CORN LIQUOR DISTILLED IN THE REGION. THEY MADE THEIR MARK BY SHIPPING CHARRED

OAK BARRELS OF IT TO BARS ON BOURBON STREET. IT BECAME POPULAR AS A CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE TO COGNAC WITH CUSTOMERS ASKING FOR “BOURBON STREET WHISKEY,” AND LATER “BOURBON WHISKEY.” À VOTRE SANTÉ!

by Gavin Maliska & Erik Calviño

HENRY MCKENNA 10 YR. SINGLE BARREL BOTTLED IN BOND The company opened its original distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky on acreage owned by William Heavenhill. A typographical error in the state’s paperwork separated the name to Heaven Hill and rather than correcting the error, they left it as is and the operation that went on to become the world’s largest independent, familyowned bourbon distillery got its name.

In November of 1996, a fire that was suspected to have started by a lightning bolt struck the distillery ‘s warehouse, resulting in flaming rivers of whiskey running downhill to the company’s distillery. The loss was valued at $30 million, including 92,000 barrels of whiskey. Incredibly, the company’s bottling plant reopened the next day, shipping product to customers from their remaining stocks of whiskey. Desperate to either build or buy a new plant and resume distilling, their patience was rewarded in 1999 when United Distillers offered Heaven Hill the opportunity to purchase their Bernheim Distillery. The deal was made and today the operation pumps out well-known brands like Elijah Craig, Evan Williams, and Henry McKenna to name a few.

Whiskey University, an organization that educates and encourages knowledge of Kentucky bourbon and Tennessee whiskey, reports in its biography of Henry McKenna that he emigrated from County Derry, Ireland, in 1819, and moved to Nelson County, Kentucky, in 1838.

After working manual jobs for many years, he married Lizzie McGuigan, also from County Derry, and opened a flour mill to grind his neighbors’ wheat. The process produced so much waste that McKenna set up a still in the back and turned out a barrel of wheat whiskey a day. He later added corn, the predominant grain in the area.

KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY 50% ABV Henry McKenna single-barrel, Kentucky straight, bottled-in-bond bourbon is a 100-proof memory of an Irish immigrant who brought his family’s whiskey recipe to America and made it work with the grains found here.

Today McKenna is produced by Heaven Hill Distillery, family owned and operated since its founding in 1935. It was started as an investment by the Shapira family, which operated department stores, and was run by members of the Beam bourbon-making family.

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Three years later, his whiskey business had expanded to the point he hired a full-time distillery superintendent. Along with practices that ensured his batches wouldn’t be contaminated, McKenna became known as unique among Kentucky distillers for refusing to sell whiskey before it had been aged at least five years. While highly popular, the business remained relatively small, producing no more than nine barrels a day.

Heaven Hill recognizes the value to customers of being labeled “bottled-in-bond.” To earn such a label, bourbon has to be a product of one distillation season for a single distiller, stored in a federally-bonded warehouse under U.S. government supervision for at least four years, and bottled at 100 proof.

The mash bill for Henry McKenna and other bourbons produced by Heaven Hill shows a heavy corn, light rye mix of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley.

The bottles of Henry McKenna also carry the barrel number and the date the whiskey was barreled. A recent bottle is dated 8/29/12, indicating it was put in the barrel for aging almost 11 years ago. This designation allows drinkers to compare the whiskey from different barrels to experience the variation that is bound to occur.

The McKenna 10-year was named “Best Single Barrel Bourbon” at the World Spirits Competition in San Francisco in 2018 and again in 2019. Its brother bourbon, Elijah Craig Small Batch, was named “Best Small Batch Bourbon.”

TASTING NOTES: Wonderfully intense and complex on the nose featuring cinnamon, Christmas cake, caramel, and a touch of oak spice. On the palate you’ll find a medium to full bodied spirit with a creamy mouthfeel with notes of toffee, sweet spices, and dried fruit balanced by just the right amount of oak tannins. The finish is long and warm with the spice turning into a tobacco note.

Fuente Fuente OpusX 20 Years

PAIRING NOTES THE MEDIUM TO FULL STRENGTH CIGAR IS LOADED WITH BALANCED FLAVORS OF CEDAR, SWEET CINNAMON, DRIED FRUIT, AND A DELICATE TOUCH OF SPICE ON THE RETROHALE. AFTER A SIP OF THE WHISKEY, THE FLAVORS OF THE CIGAR ARE HARD TO FIND. WE SUGGEST TAKING THE SIP AND HOLDING OFF ON THE PUFF UNTIL THE WHISKEY IS GETTING TO THE FINISH; THAT’S WHEN THE MAGIC HAPPENS. THE TOFFEE AND DRIED FRUIT INCORPORATE BEAUTIFULLY INTO THE PROFILE WHILE THE OAK AND CEDAR INTERCHANGE.

CHESTNUT FARMS BOTTLED IN BOND The bourbon was distilled and bottled for Total Wine at the 200-acre operation in Bardstown, Kentucky, which is owned by the Sazerac Co. The distillery also produces bourbon for Costco’s Kirkland Signature label and Trader Joe’s.

While Barton doesn’t disclose its mash bill, Chestnut Farm reviewers have determined it is high-rye bourbon with rye content between 12% and 15%. Other Barton-made bourbons that follow this mash bill include Ancient Age, Elmer T. Lee, Rock Hill Farms, Blanton’s, and Hancock’s President’s Reserve.

The label for Chestnut Farms bourbon proclaims it is “bottled-in-bond straight bourbon whiskey.” This indicates the bourbon is a product of one distillation season for a single distiller, was stored in a federally bonded warehouse under U.S. government supervision for at least four years, and was bottled at 100 proof.

The Total Wine listing for Chestnut Farms and discussion among reviewers indicates it was a “highly allocated” bourbon, meaning it was kept in low supply at the retail level to help create demand among consumers.

mixing an herbal remedy of aniseed and gentian, which he called Peychaud’s Bitters.

Some mixologists put the bitters in the brandy with a little sugar, et voila!

Peychaud’s Bitters is now a Sazerac brand, but Sazerac-de-Forge et Fils succumbed to the Great French Wine Blight that wiped out most of Europe’s grapes in the mid-1800s. Savvy Americans substituted rye whiskey for brandy, then added absinthe, an anise-flavored wormwood liqueur that would be banned across the world in 1912, blamed for deaths, credited with fabled hallucinogenic powers, and associated with addiction. It wasn’t until the mid-1930s that a safer substitute, Herbsaint, was produced. Sazerac bought that brand in 1949 for its new Sazerac recipe.

TASTING NOTES: Presents a sweet nose bursting with classic bourbon notes of vanilla, caramel, and burnt sugar along with subtle layers of dried fruit and mint. On the palate you’ll find plenty of body with a balanced attack of caramel, oak, and spice with an extra long finish.

While it is distilled by Barton, Chestnut Farms is bottled by another Sazerac company, Clear Springs Distilling Co., in Bardstown.

New Orleans-based Sazerac is the largest distilling company in the United States, owning 74 brands, including Buffalo Trace, Van Winkle, Weller, 1792, OFC Vintage, and Eagle Rare. Its Barton 1792 distillery is kept busy not only producing its own brands but supplying the bourbon for clients under their labels.

The company has also returned to its roots, producing French cognac in Sazerac de Forge blends that date from the 1800s.

KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY 50% ABV Bottles of Chestnut Farms Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey sport a fine sketch of a horse running around the outside of the bottle, which separates the bourbon from other labels produced through Barton 1792 Master Distillers.

Sazerac is as New Orleans as beignets and café au lait served curbside at Cafe Du Monde.

The Sazerac Cocktail was born in New Orleans in the 1800s and remains one of the world’s most well-known drinks. In 2008, the Louisiana legislature proclaimed it the official cocktail of New Orleans.

Sazerac got its start by importing its French brandy, Sazerac-de-Forge et Fils, to the coffee houses of New Orleans. In the early 1800s, Antoine Peychaud, an emigrant from French Saint-Domingue (now Haiti), made a name for himself as a druggist in the Latin Quarter by

Olmec Claro

PAIRING NOTES THE CIGAR IS THE LIGHTER SHADE SIBLING OF THE OLMEC MADURO, CIGAR SNOB’S 2022 CIGAR OF THE YEAR. THE LIGHTER WRAPPER ON THE CLARO KNOCKS DOWN THE PEPPER AND EARTH OF THE BLEND WHILE ACCENTUATING THE CEDAR AND SWEET ESPRESSO NOTES. THE CHESTNUT FARMS BOTTLED IN BOND INTRODUCES A RICH AND CREAMY CARAMEL SWEETNESS TO THE CIGAR THAT SETTLES NICELY IN BETWEEN THE PEPPER AND CEDAR FLAVORS.

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JEFFERSON’S OCEAN WHEATED MASH BILL While bottles of Jefferson’s Ocean, with its world map on the back, spur mental images of wooden ships, sails straining in the ocean breezes over a deck covered with barrels of bourbon, photos of Jefferson’s Ocean voyage show barrels on pallets inside containers stacked atop other containers, some of them open like a top-down convertible. Whether it actually makes a difference is debatable, but you can’t argue with the popularity of the brand.

nearly caramelized.

The latest edition of Jefferson’s Ocean is a wheated bourbon that stayed in barrels during voyage 29. The barrels were loaded on a ship in Savannah, missed a storm, and passed through the Panama Canal into the Pacific. The ship sailed across the Pacific around Australia and entered the Indian Ocean with stops in China, Korea, and Japan before returning to the U.S. The word “wheated” on the label indicates that wheat replaced some or all of the rye in the portion of the bourbon that wasn’t at least 51% corn. It’s a process used in Pappy Van Winkle, as well as more accessible bourbons such as Maker’s Mark.

Image credit: jeffersonsbourbon.com

TASTING NOTES

The captain’s log of each journey is listed on the Jefferson website.

SINGLE BARREL STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY 45% ABV With so many bottles of bourbon lining shelves at larger liquor emporiums, it can take a little tap dance for a brand to be noticed through the clutter. In 2021, Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea was launched and became the best-selling bourbon brand over $70. Aged at Sea was literal; The company placed barrels of bourbon aboard ships that sail the Seven Seas.

Jefferson claims the movement of the water and the variation in temperatures as the ship travels helps to age the bourbon as it sloshes through charred layers of the oak barrel. Some consumers claim they can also taste a hint of salt in the bourbon. The journeys are charted on small booklets that accompany each bottle, reading of storms and exotic locales, with such descriptions as the ship leaving port “at the stroke of midnight.” The captain’s log of each journey is listed on the Jefferson website.

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Jefferson’s Bourbon is crafted at the Kentucky Artisan Distillery in Crestwood, Kentucky, outside Louisville. Instead of distilling its own, Jefferson’s says it “seek(s) out new and aged barrels of bourbon from established distilleries that have perfected their art over hundreds of years. Then we do some old-fashioned experimenting…” The Jefferson’s brand was founded in 1997 by Trey Zoeller and his father, Chet, whose 2009 book “Bourbon in Kentucky” traces the history of every distillery that ever existed in the state. The company claims the family’s whiskey interests date back eight generations to Marian McLain, who was arrested in 1799 for bootlegging. She is remembered with a pricey blended bourbon in a bottle that carries the profile of a woman of that era.

The Ocean concept was developed in 2012 when Trey Zoeller partnered with Chris Fischer, the founder of OCEARCH, a nonprofit that studies and tracks marine life. Five barrels of Jefferson’s bourbon were strapped to the group’s mothership to determine if the constant movement would help the bourbon increase contact with the charred oak barrels. The barrels remained onboard for three years and resulted in a bourbon that was blackened, syrupy, and

This wheated single barrel expression of Jefferson’s popular Ocean line has an enticing nose of corn, oak spice, and vanilla. The palate is almost a direct continuation of the nose but with a dry, toasty characteristic to the oak. This whiskey tastes a bit hotter than its 90 proof; therefore a splash of spring water isn’t a bad idea.

Aganorsa Aniversario Maduro

PAIRING NOTES THIS ULTRA-FLAVORFUL AND WELLBALANCED MADURO DELIVERS A TON OF CHOCOLATE, SWEET PEPPER, AND CEDAR FROM THE ONSET. THERE’S A COMPLEXITY TO THE SMOKE THAT MAKES YOU WONDER IF YOU SHOULD EVEN INTRODUCE THE BOURBON AT ALL, BUT DEFINITELY DO IT. IT TURNS OUT TO BE ONE OF THE BETTER COMPLEMENTARY PAIRINGS IN RECENT HISTORY. THE CIGAR IS TRANSFORMED. THE CHOCOLATE DISAPPEARS ALMOST ENTIRELY AND IS REPLACED BY DELICIOUS MALTY SWEETNESS, WITH A LONG, SPICY FINISH.

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CALUMET FARM 10 YEAR OLD The fabled Calumet Farm is situated outside Lexington, Kentucky, just a mile or so east of Keeneland Association, one of horseracing’s most epic ovals.

While it began in 1924 as a small farm established by William Monroe Wright, millionaire owner of Calumet Baking Powder Co., Calumet Farm’s focus shifted on his death in 1933 when his son, Warren Wright Sr., moved into breeding and racing Thoroughbreds.

In 1939, Wright hired trainer Ben Jones and his son, Jimmy, who over the next 20 years would train seven Kentucky Derby winners and three Triple Crown champs. One horse in the stables didn’t fare well on the track, winning just 10 of 27 races it entered, but excelled at stud. Bull Lea, of the Bull Dog-Rose Leaves pedigree, was purchased in 1936 at the Saratoga Yearling Sale and would sire a progeny in the 40s and 50s that included 52 stakes winners and three Kentucky Derby winners.

After decades of success, Calumet Farm’s winning ways dwindled in the second half of the century, with Forward Pass in 1968 its only Derby winner, and the star-crossed Alydar its brightest prospect, in 1978.

But the farm has changed hands from the Wright family and is on the comeback, owned by an investor group and leased to billionaire Brad M. Kelly.

Western Spirits Beverage Company was formed in 2008 to build a brand of bourbon to honor the legacy of Calumet Farm. The company sources all bourbons from undisclosed distilleries, and they’re bottled at Three Springs Bottling in Bowling Green.

Calumet Farm’s 10-year-old straight bourbon honors Bull Lea. The label on the bottle shows the horse wearing colors with a jockey aboard.

Banners salute his being named Leading Sire five times.

KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY 50% ABV

The mash bill for the bourbon shows 74% corn, 18% rye and 8% malted barley. The mix is called “high rye,” and Calumet Farm says the mash bill allows for “the bold, yet smooth flavors of our bourbon to present well, whether that is neat, over ice or in a classic cocktail.”

Some things just go together, like Kentucky, bluegrass, horse racing, premium cigars, and bourbon.

The bottle is labeled 100 proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, meaning it is 50% alcohol and was aged in charred oak barrels for at least two years.

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The bottle also indicates it comes from a batch of 50 barrels, which would produce somewhere around 12,000 bottles at the standard 240 bottles per barrel. The label further says it’s “non-chill filtered for added depth of character,” which indicates the whiskey hasn’t been cooled and forced through a filter that would remove particles.

Calumet Farm recommends its 10-year-old bourbon is best consumed neat, in a Glencairn glass, at room temperature after it has been allowed to breathe for 15 minutes. Add to that a comfortable chair on the back porch of the main house with a view across rolling fields of grass as horses graze in pastures separated by white wooden fences, just down the road from Keeneland.

TASTING NOTES A tantalizing nose featuring a combination of toffee, peppery spice, and corn, this Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey shows its age with a healthy dose of oak aroma as well. The palate is refined and layered with plenty of classic bourbon flavors of caramel and vanilla held up against a core of oak, pepper, and even a touch of tobacco.

Liga Privada H99

PAIRING NOTES THE AWARD-WINNING LIGA PRIVADA H99 PACKS A TON OF FLAVOR INTO ITS 6 X 52 SHAPE. IT’S GOT SWEET PEPPER, CEDAR, AND A DELICIOUS NUTTINESS SITTING ON TOP OF A SMOOTH EARTHY BACKGROUND. THE CALUMET 10 UNLOCKS A HIDDEN NOTE OF EUCALYPTUS IN THE CIGAR THAT ADDS ANOTHER DIMENSION WHILE THE BOURBON’S HEAT IS KNOCKED DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY BY THE CIGAR’S EARTH AND PEPPER.

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BIB & TUCKER AGED 10 YEARS emerged in this category in October of 2014.

The name derives from women’s clothing items used in the 17th to 19th centuries: a bib still used today mostly by babies and lobster eaters, and a piece of material that kept the décolletage tucked away.

product are the same as those used in distilling bourbon, except for what it calls “an extra blessing,” the charcoal filtering.

But while the state of Tennessee requires the Lincoln County Process, federal regulations defining bourbon neither require nor prohibit its use.

Bib & Tucker says the process, “combined with the precise amount of time spent in the barrel, develops our exceptionally smooth yet complex bourbon.”

Image credit: bibandtuckerbourbon.com

TASTING NOTES

Bib &Tucker is filtered through maple charcoal before aging.

SMALL BATCH BOURBON WHISKEY 46% ABV With bourbon laying claim to being the only true American whiskey, the question arises of how long that has been the case. Bourbon makers can’t put up numbers like Scotch distilleries, some of which predate golf, or rum distilleries that spread across the New World thanks to Columbus dropping off some sugar cane plants taken from his father-in-law’s Madeira farm.

But in a relatively newer country, bourbon can still brag some dates. Burks Distillery in Marion County, Kentucky was formed in 1773, and is the oldest enduring distillery, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Burks is also where Maker’s Mark has been produced since 1954.

But the cocktail culture has welcomed another line of bourbons that only look and sound old.

Bib & Tucker Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey

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The bottle is distinct, with rounded corners and raised lettering that makes you want to pick it up. It stands out on an abundant liquor store shelf holding numerous brands of bourbon. And maybe that’s really all it takes, along with slogans on each bottle, like “Why It’s a Fine Time to Drink.” The label notes Bib & Tucker is “artfully crafted and patiently aged” in Tennessee for 10 years, sourced from an unknown distillery and double-distilled, first in a column still and then transferred to a pot still.

The bourbon was introduced by 3 Badge Beverage Corp., part of 35 Maple Street Spirits in Sonoma, California. It was purchased in 2017 by the Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits, a company that owns several wine brands—including The Calling wines, co-owned by sports announcer Jim Nantz—along with Cantera Negra Tequila, Gray Whale Gin, Redemption Whiskey, Luksusowa Vodka, and Masterson’s Rye. Unlike most bourbons, but in keeping with other Tennessee Whiskeys, Bib & Tucker is filtered through maple charcoal before it is moved into a charred oak barrel for aging. It’s a process that some say involves gravity rather than pressure.

Since 2013, the state of Tennessee requires use of this pre-barrel filtration, called the Lincoln County Process, before a distiller can call its product Tennessee whiskey. Jack Daniels, which also uses the process, explains on its website how all the steps used to make its

This Tennessee-made bourbon whiskey opens with an almost overwhelming amount of corn and caramel sweetness on the nose with subtle notes of oak breaking through. The palate is a little hotter than expected but a drop of water or a clean ice cube takes care of that. The sweetness from the nose comes through with even more intensity as you drink accompanied by strong oak tannins.

Nub Connecticut

PAIRING NOTES THE CIGAR DELIVERS AN INTERESTING COMBINATION OF VANILLA CREAM BALANCED BY SUBTLE EARTH AND SMOOTH PEPPER ALONG AN EXCELLENT SMOKE OUTPUT. THE CIGAR’S VANILLA CREAMINESS FILLS THE GAPS IN THE WHISKEY QUITE NICELY AND OFFSETS SOME OF THE HEAT FROM THE ALCOHOL.

EDITOR’S NOTE WE PARTNERED WITH TOTAL WINE & MORE (TOTALWINE.COM) TO PUT THIS FEATURE TOGETHER AND PABLO ESTADES WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN MAKING IT HAPPEN. THANKS, PABLO.

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Cigar Rock

Photo: iStock.com/Davel5957

City

To a kid growing up in Michigan in the 60s and 70s, Detroit was the show, a mecca of sports, entertainment and power in the state. While time has taken its toll on its standing, the city remains an alluring beacon, both a historical testament to American tenacity and a playland of good food, strong culture and a continually evolving cigar scene.

And add music to that bewitching mix – Motown was an integral part of the landscape,

but the rock music that came from the oily underpinnings of the factory floor is among the most influential in history.

A chance to visit the Motor City, a place where I don’t need to Google Map everything, was a welcome opportunity. Finding friends and familiarity, the city and all of its magnificent flaws remains a desirable destination.

BY STEVE MILLER

Photo: franklloydwright.org

But there’s nothing like a drive from stem to stern of Woodward Avenue in Detroit to give you the flavor of a city.

From manicured to mangled, the cruise takes in the earthy reality of the metro area. Start in the leafy, upscale Bloomfield Hills and make the 28-mile drive to the center of Detroit proper, the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center.

The journey down Woodward – which includes the country’s first mile of paved roadway, constructed in 1909 – delivers a cultural saga that ranges from tragic to beautiful. The monied palaces of the suburbs give way to the freshly crafted lofts of the city center, but also include the wreckage from decades of mismanagement, graft and other malfeasance.

The urban wreckage that lines the streets on some portions of the route, though, is part of the charm that is Detroit, a city with more history than promise. As a settler outpost in the 1700s, it emerged as one of the most important parts of the rise of the industrial U.S. with the

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founding of the automobile and the Ford Motor Company in 1903. It took 60 years for urban decay to create what we have today.

Yet the social spoiling is part of the charm of Detroit, which along with the car has brought us radio news programming, the three-color traffic light and Motown music.

Today, in addition to major league sports, amazing music, and a thriving literary and arts culture, the city is also teeming with cigar possibilities.

So, a sunny spring day starts at Smokey’s Cigar Lounge in Bloomfield Hills, an established outpost for 33 years. Set in a strip mall on Woodward, nestled close to a Starbucks, a Thai eatery, and an optometrist, among others, Smokey’s features a sizable humidor, private memberships and a smoking area for walk-ins near the front door.

From Top to Bottom: The Frank Lloyd Wright Affleck House on Woodward Dr.; The humidor at Churchill's Cigars in Birmingham

House, a single-story architectural gem that used an open floor plan in the 40s, way before it was cool. Seasonal tours are available.

Most humidors in Detroit are full, many of them overstocked with overflowing boxes, and Smokey’s adds a generous selection of in-house sticks produced “by whoever we can get to do it,” Paul says.

The drive also takes you past Cranbrook, the exclusive private boarding school, and Joe Muer Seafood, the latter the home of the simply named Jalapeño Cocktail, a steamy refreshment that includes Jalapeño nectar. Ask for extra spicy. Muer, an institution since 1929, has another location downtown, at the Renaissance Center on the Detroit River.

We drift south down Woodward, the avenue flanked by three country clubs, two private schools, tennis clubs, and the Frank Lloyd Wright Affleck

Further south, Churchill’s Bistro and Cigar Bar in Birmingham is just off Woodward in the middle of the town’s business district. Like Smokey’s,

Golf Club in Spain and including 30 PGA tour stops.

Smokey’s recently expanded, almost doubling in size to accommodate a comprehensive overhaul including new furniture, a glassed-in private lounge and the addition of a $50,000 TrackMan 4 golf simulator.

“It’s already a hit,” says Paul Essa, coowner of the store. “Golf is a big deal around here, we have a terrific market for it, and both our regulars and visitors are loving it.”

TrackMan includes simulations for over 300 courses around the world, from St Andrews Links in Scotland to Valderrama

Photo: Churchills Cigars

here are plenty of urban drives in the U.S. that provide a local’s look at a city and its region. U.S. Highway 1 on Florida’s east coast from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami, Sunset Boulevard from Pacific Palisades to downtown LA, Broadway in New York from the Financial District to Yonkers; all are well-suited as self-learning stretches of road.

THREE DETROIT BRANDS

Photo: The Detroit Club

A LEGACY OF CARBONATION

At lunch hour, a crowd arrives, some smokers, but “about 20% of our customers don’t smoke,” a bartender says. The outdoor patio in front is the only non-smoking section to Churchill’s, which has a West Bloomfield store and added a bistro location in Grosse Pointe Woods in 2016. Both have full menus with ambitious dishes, from dry-aged steaks to scallop and shrimp risotto, as well as full bars, down to wine lists with a generous selection of Italian reds.

Down the block about 300 feet from Churchill’s is the former office of Creem magazine, a 60s-70s music publication that was the counterculture answer to the stuffy establishment that was Rolling Stone. The city of Birmingham in 2015 honored the headquarters with a plaque, commemorating its 1973-1986 life there.

Creem called itself “America’s Only Rock and Roll Magazine,” and was fanatically irreverent while earning the respect of music fans and bands everywhere – except from the staid Rolling Stone honchos in San Francisco.

Historic sites continue – four miles from Churchill’s is the former site of the Machus Red Fox restaurant, where Teamster union boss Jimmy Hoffa was last seen on July 30, 1975. The Red Fox opened in 1965 and after Hoffa’s

and Dizzy Gillespie all delivered from the tiny stage. Baker’s dishes up plates of fried chicken and mac and cheese, best enjoyed at lunch.

From Top to Bottom: Uralli Cigar Bar at The Detroit Club; Original Detroit style pizza at Buddy's disappearance, the proprietor feared the infamy would impact traffic. But the dark inference of Hoffa’s involuntary vanishing act had the opposite effect, and the restaurant prospered for two more decades before closing in 1996.

Today, Andiamo Italia West sits on the corner of Maple and Telegraph, dishing up Pollo Francese and Costolette di Maiale to solid reviews.

Not far past Eight Mile is E. McNichols Road, aka Six Mile Road, and a couple miles to the east off Woodward is the home of the original Buddy’s Pizza, which is widely credited for the wonder that is Detroit pizza.

Buddy’s is now ubiquitous in the city, thanks to the success of this original, simple pizzeria model that began as Buddy’s Rendezvous Pizzeria in 1946.

It’s the creation at the heart of Detroit pizza, the diligent, careful layering of the ingredients with a thick, crispy crust.

The pizza is served on a steel pan – the way it was at the start when Buddy’s got the pans from nearby automotive

Back on Woodward, Barrels & Vines is a gas station in Royal Oak that sells $300 bottles of wine, offers a good bourbon selection, and a humidor. The pizza is not bad either. There are two locations of this gas station, both on Woodward, and both local favorites for the booze selection alone. The small but well-curated humidor gets its supply and recommendations from Churchill’s.

Deeper south is the fabled Eight Mile Road, the demarcation point for Detroit and the northern exurbs. Prince had Paisley Park, all feathers and purple tapestries, Eminem had Eight Mile, grimy gray and sometimes scary.

But the entry to Detroit proper also has a gate made of history: Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, opened in 1934 and claiming to be the world’s oldest jazz club, sits off the corner of Eight Mile and Livernois, a beaten down joint in a beaten down neighborhood. Legends have played this 150-capacity hole-inthe-wall: Earl Klugh, Yusef Lateef, Chet Baker, Pat Metheny, Pharoah Sanders,

Photo: buddyspizza.com

Churchill’s has boxes of cigars stacked to the ceiling in its cozy humidor. While the place offers a full menu, it remains focused on its cigar customers and an $800 annual membership has a waiting list.

+ Vernors ginger ale – Kids grow up in Michigan with Vernors in every convenience store cooler, on every grocery store shelf and any other place soft drinks – called “pop” in Michigan – are sold. The bottled variety is best because it gets so amazingly cold, and the whoosh as you pop the bottle cap or – in a more contemporary fashion – twist the top off the plastic container emits a small blast of piquant air. It’s highly carbonated, and a youthful challenge was to inhale that air, take a chug and see if you could keep from sneezing. + Stroh’s beer – At one time, Stroh’s was the largest brewer in the U.S., pushing out 84 million gallons of the stuff a year in the 1950s. The million-plus square foot brewery was in the middle of downtown, where Detroit Lions fans now park. The recipe came from Germany but the flavor was pure American, a sudsy brew that today is liable to be shouted down by the beer flavor mavens. The company was sold off and moved in the 90s.

But you can still get Stroh’s in some states, although finding it should be reported as if it’s a Bigfoot sighting. + Faygo – This local cut-rate soda has been a favorite for decades, particularly the strawberry flavored Redpop, which became a classic because it pairs so well with vanilla ice cream in a float. The brand was founded in Detroit in 1907 and still keeps its headquarters there. Its flavors are sometimes questionable – Candy Apple, Cotton Candy, Raspberry Blueberry are on the roster – but Faygo has remained a solid favorite, particularly in Michigan. Bonus for the brand: Detroit rap rockers Insane Clown Posse shower their fans with Faygo as part of tradition, going through several pallets of the soda at every show.

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by Detroit native Jack White, who led the Detroit band the White Stripes. The Detroit Third Man is one of three in the world, the others being in Nashville and London. Pressing plant tours are available and recommended.

Some of the Cass buildings are old and some are new, and despite the ‘G’ word that marks the resistance toward making things better, the fixes are working. Gentrification is better than gutted.

We recall a Cass Corridor venue in the early 80s called the Freezer that featured national bands playing venues that used power that came through allweather extension cords connected to the power poles on the street. It was taking back the streets in a fitting gesture – ripping off The Man – and that was how Detroit ran at the time.

Photo: The London Chop House

After record shopping, eating and honoring some history, a cigar is enjoyed at the Uralli Cigar Bar in the Detroit Club, which also houses a hotel and restaurant. Uralli opens most days at 3 p.m., and its humidor is a greatest hits affair. But the atmosphere is clubby and old school, and $20 non-member admission aside, it’s a fine place to take some time to ponder the day. A fiveminute walk takes you to London Chop House and the LCH Cigar Lounge, an old school establishment that ticks all the boxes, from the low lights to the standout bar service, along with sink-

into-yourself leather chairs. The LCH opens at 4:30 p.m. and offers full dining in the lounge. While the chop house opened in the 30s with a menu featuring the best in Great Lakes fish, the top of the menu today reflects its name; beef in several cuts.

Both lounges sit in one of the few crowded parts of the city and are close to the major entertainment venues, including Comerica Park and Ford Field, home of the MLB Tigers and NFL Lions, as well as Little Caesar’s Arena, a major concert venue, and the Fox Theater, a more intimate site. The action of the city centers in this small area, making it an easy evening.

The landmark hotel in the city is the 33-story Westin Book Cadillac, a $200 million revamp of a downtown classic that has housed America’s celebrities since it opened in 1924.

Katharine Hepburn, the Beatles, Elvis, Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy, and Frank Sinatra have all conked at the Book Cadillac. In its more downtrodden days of the late 70s, old soul rockstars stayed there – Iggy Pop, David Bowie – sopping up the run-down ambience of what once was.

Marriott, owner of Westin, updated the place as part of the reopening in 2008, and while the new touches are in keeping with today, the exterior still reflects the 15th Century, Italian Renaissance style it came with.

From Top to Bottom: The London Chop House's cigar bar; The Westin Book Cadillac in downtown Detroit was opened in 1924 plants. Eat it with a Vernors ginger ale, the creamy soda that is part of Detroit’s foodie heritage. It was developed in the late 1800s at a soda fountain in downtown Detroit and has continued as a favorite ever since.

Motor City’s Corktown Stout is a solid bet, and across the street is Third Man Records, a record store, browsing room, pressing plant and an institution in some music circles as it is owned

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Photo: marriott.com

Back to the main drag, Woodward winds past boarded storefronts and an easy turn into the Cass Corridor neighborhood, which includes Wayne State University. Motor City Brewing Works-Midtown, Jolly Pumpkin Pizzeria & Brewery, and the Bronx Bar are all part of the hustle of the seven-block area that has forever been a bohemian culture hub.

distributors, and tech developers. The stream of them along suburban avenues is just like the oil industry suppliers, rig repair, digging services etc., in West Texas, where shops and businesses exist only to serve and accommodate the region’s economic engine. Suburban Detroit has prospered despite the poor performance of the American auto industry, which has for decades been soundly thumped by automakers from Asia and Germany.

Photo: nps.gov

That prosperity has helped deliver a bevy of cigar lounges. The majority of them feature the full lounge experience, with full bars, massive TVs, and large humidors. Several also feature full food menus.

Across the street sits another slice of Detroit cuisine – Lafayette Coney Island and American Coney Island.

A Coney dog is a dog, mustard, beanless chili and diced onions on a steamed bun.

It will reward you before it punishes you.

Choose between the two – American has been there since 1917, Lafayette since 1924, both started by Greek immigrants that came to the city in the early 20th century.

Graced with fine spring weather – yes, we stated as much before but in Michigan, this is so rare it’s worth mentioning twice – we needed a place to smoke the Butera Royal Vintage Bravo we’d bought at Smokey’s. We leave Woodward behind and just outside the bustle of downtown, a couple miles up Jefferson, sits Belle Isle, a state park set on an islet just over the MacArthur Bridge. The island offers views of downtown Detroit on one side, the less interesting shoreline of Windsor, Ontario on the other. There’s plenty of room on a weekday afternoon and you can grab some bench and smoke without bothering anyone.

Photo: lafayetteconeyisland.org

The nearly 1,000 acres of park at the mouth of the Detroit River give cover to terrestrial birds including eagles and cranes, while visitors take advantage of the golf course, yacht dock and lily pond, all while following twisting paths that wind through the grassy park.

The Coney joints of Detroit remain latenight favorites but the once-beloved Coney dog is being edged out of Detroit – what were once outposts for the fabled, decorated dog are now taco joints, nestled in younger-tilted neighborhoods.

That’s not a terrible thing, as these fresh foodies are as adept at crafting tacos as their predecessors were at turning basic tube steaks into scarf-worthy deliciousness. We like pig lips and nitrites, and for decades, so did Detroiters.

Like anything, it changes. Now it’s fatty chorizo and cheesy tortillas.

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Carl is a retired customs agent at the border of Canada and the U.S., and from where we stand at the shore, as he languidly casts a fishing line, we can see the Ambassador Bridge that connects the countries.

“Musky, walleye, perch, bass – this feeds right off [Lake] St. Clair so we get anything it has pretty much.” Carl says.

As we talk, a beaver wanders the shore 50 feet from us, poking around before settling under some brush. Freighters, Coast Guard cruisers and the occasional yacht sail by as we talk.

The Dossin Great Lakes Museum on

From Top to Bottom: Belle Isle sits in the Detroit river on the U.S.-Canada border; Lafayette Coney Island's coney dog with the standard fixings.

Belle Isle explains the city’s maritime past. It includes the restored Gothic Room, the smoking lounge, from the S.S. City of Detroit III, a steamer launched in 1911.

Weekdays are the best time to visit Belle Isle, as thousands hit the park on summer weekends and summer holidays creating a busy “Summer Rental” scenario. There’s also the solace of winter; you’ll find yourself alone, surrounded by skeleton trees as the sun rises, seeing the river and skyline in a light that is different than any other season.

The day ends with a late lunch on the front patio at Churchill’s in Grosse Pointe Woods, digging into a satisfying Greek salad with blackened salmon.

Heading north at rush hour, it’s clear there is no rush hour in Detroit. Yes, traffic will back up at some times but there’s no denying that the flight of population from both Detroit and Michigan has made the streets and highways easier to navigate. It’s striking especially if you are used to dealing with urban traffic in a bustling city, and the ease is welcome.

The northern reaches of Detroit are thick with development, including the rows of auto suppliers and auto industry-connected tooling shops, parts

The Godfather Cigar & Martini Lounge has two locations in north Detroit, both with a bar, outside patio and private upstairs lounge for members. The lounge in Rochester Hills is in the middle of a shopping center with nary a complaint from neighbors or the patrons of the next door grocery store.

Its humidor is, like the others we visited in the city, well-stocked, even overflowing with product, from the greatest hits to smaller boutique brands.

A couple of other lounge proprietors with neighbors told us they encountered few problems despite their location, which speaks to the easy-going relationship that cigars have with their communities – very encouraging especially considering Michigan has had a stringent smoking ban since 2010. Cigar lounge licenses are limited but transferable and run around $100,000.

Travelers often find a place that suits them, be it a restaurant, a bar, or a cigar lounge.

In our case, Ambassador Cigars and Spirits became our home away from home during this trip. It’s a dark corner bar/eatery that features cigars, with a large humidor – again, boxes stacked to the ceiling – and the usual lounge leather chairs, tables, and some standard roomy booths.

Our first visit, we pulled a Romeo y Julieta 1875 Nicaragua and a glass of Daou Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles and sat at the bar. As is the tradition in Michigan, barstool conversation ensued, candid and free-flowing.

Situated in a spot that pulls cigar fans from several surrounding suburbs, the Ambassador secured a strategic location when it opened in 2016, explains Sean Coughlin, who is now partner in the Ambassador.

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“I was working in the beer and wine industry and one of the accounts was a cigar lounge and when they needed someone, I took it,” Coughlin says.

He jumped at the opportunity to be more involved in the Ambassador, where about 90% of its clientele are regulars.

“When we put the humidor together, I wanted to make sure that since all the cigar makers are putting this money into art, especially with the boxes, I wanted the humidor to be well-lit to show the boxes,” he says.

Photo: Ambassador Cigars & Spirits

The place is cozy, and one can imagine coming into its warmth while a Michigan snowstorm blitzes the landscape.

“Yeah, in Michigan, we know that the good weather means the stores do better and the cold weather means the lounges do better,” Coughlin says.

It was such a good experience, we brought friends a couple days later.

The Ambassador had been suggested to us a few weeks earlier by Larry Fratangelo, an Ambassador regular and a Detroit native who has played and toured with everyone from ParliamentFunkadelic to Aretha Franklin. He’s currently the percussionist with Kid Rock’s touring band and has just wrapped rehearsals for a series of tour dates.

Fratangelo lights up a Cohiba, a favorite of his along with the Fuente Fuente Opus X, and slides into a booth.

“I started with the small stuff, like in Funkadelic I smoked those cigars with the wooden tip,” he says. The infamous Hav-A-Tampas, as he recalls, and indeed, a 70s promo photo for Parliament-Funkadelic shows Fratangelo holding the old-school panetela.

His first premium cigar was more recent, although his memory is hazy.

“It may have been with Chad [Smith] from the [Red Hot] Chili Peppers, as he likes cigars, too,” says Fratangelo, who Smith credits with helping him learn to play the funky rhythms that made the Peppers platinum. Smith grew up in Bloomfield Hills.

Fratangelo knew he had a good gig with Rock when he cruised past the gates of the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. Kid Rock is a connected golfer and when he received an invitation to play the fabled home of the Masters, he asked Fratangelo to join him.

“We had a show in Charlotte and a

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Top: The humidor at Ambassador Cigars & Spirits in Troy

show in Atlanta and the golf in the middle,” Fratangelo says. It was four or five members of the band, some of the security team and several members.

“We showed up in the early afternoon and had a walk-through of the clubhouse, with all the clubs from the winners and the trophies and it was just golf history right there,” Fratangelo says. The course was all he expected with a heavy dose of expertise.

“I had a putt lined up and I said, ‘I’m going at it like this.’ And the caddy says, ‘No, you want to do it over here.’ He knows the course, so I line it up as he says and of course, he’s right.”

Joining us at the Ambassador is keyboardist Jimmie Bones, Fratangelo’s Kid Rock bandmate and a long-time fixture in Detroit’s music scene. Bones is Detroit born-and-bred with roots that date back to when the city was a bustling megalopolis with two million residents and we talk old Detroit stuff – the old Tiger Stadium, the old train station, the old…well, everything in Detroit is old, in a good way.

Bones comes to the Ambassador noting he is primarily a pipe smoker, dabbling on occasion in cigars. He has usual stops on the road for his pipe needs – he singles out Chicago’s Iwan Ries & Co. and Milan Tobacconists in Roanoke, Virginia, as obligatory visits when he plays those areas.

But today he fires up a Diamond Crown Robusto No. 4 and a convert is made; he smokes enthusiastically and notes the flavor.

“I bought my first premium cigar from a bathroom attendant at the House of Blues in New Orleans,” Bones says.

He was playing with Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise in the 90s. “The guy everyone calls ‘doctor,’ and has towels, cologne and a selection of cigars. I bought an Arturo Fuente.”

Also joining us is Garret Bielaniec, who has played guitar on Alice Cooper’s last two records, including 2021’s charting Detroit Stories. With some of his Cooper session money, he bought some audio gear but his home workshop also includes several cigar box guitars, which “usually sound kinda crappy but they look great.”

“Cigar box guitars were made by old blues guys who couldn’t afford a guitar,” Bielaniec says, smoking a Nica Rustica Adobe Toro. “They cost less than $100 to make now, so they were really affordable back then.”

Garret’s a devoted cigar smoker, quitting cigarettes and realizing that cigars taste better and are more fun.

“I had my first premium cigar when I was still in high school,” he says, noting that it was decidedly uncool. “Back then, girls hated the smell of cigars, they were chick repellants. Today, though, it’s different. Cigars smell like money.”

A tidy bow on a Detroit visit comes with

the trip to Detroit Metropolitan Airport for the flight home. A quick 20 minutes west of the airport exit is a German restaurant that is among the best in the U.S. Metzger’s German Restaurant opened in downtown Ann Arbor in 1928, by first generation German immigrants.

It moved to the outskirts in 2000 without changing the menu or the fine service. The bratwurst, the Ziguener steak, the Sauerbraten and the stuffed cabbage are among the best this side of Milwaukee.

Hopefully, you’ve left time for a final smoke, and La Casa Cigar is on the way back to the airport. It’s a spacious lounge with a full bar and fuller humidor with another location in downtown Detroit. The signature of the place though is the house cigar line, called 20 Minutes in Detroit, that includes several named after various Motor City locations, including the 6 x 45 Cadillac Square, and the 6 x 54 Eight Mile. While it’s Detroit based, La Casa also has a lounge in Las Vegas with its own 20 Minutes in Las Vegas line.

The view from the plane as we fly out takes us back over the city then southeast, the brown colors of the factories fusing with the emerging, brilliant green of the season. By the time the northern shore of Lake Erie is below, our days in the city are forming into one more memorable experience.

Like the city and its industrial-era roots, Detroit’s cigar scene is a throwback to an era of tradition. Thank you, Detroit, for the treacherous, flavorful mess that you are.

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Photo: Alabama Dept. of Tourism

BY GAVIN MALISKA

Dauphin Island, AL

your summer dream involves sitting in a lounge chair, your feet cooling in the water, and a newly lit Robusto in your hand, you're probably thinking of a soothing shoreline.

and started banning filtered cigarettes on Jan. 1. Signs at the public access points to Miami Beach declare the beach is “unfiltered.”

Other states have followed Florida’s example but somehow missed the exclusion of premium cigars from the smoking ban. In states from New Jersey to Georgia, lawmakers didn’t consider that premium unfiltered cigars don’t include any microplastics when cigar smoking was swept up in the ban of all smoking at the beach.

It is no surprise that the massive beachfront state of California has banned smoking in the sand, even if its former governor is rarely seen without a cigar in his hand. That same state is to blame for our summer focus on beach culture: the Beach Boys singing about surf and sand, woody station wagons with surfboards hanging out the hatch, baggies and huarache sandals, bushy blond haircuts, “Beach Blanket Bingo” and other quality beach movies.. The pull of beach culture was so strong in the early 1960s that kids like this writer would wear their cut-off shorts, white loafer tennies, and paisley shirts while riding a homemade, longboard skateboard on the streets of Chicago. The movement to ban cigarette smoking on our beaches is science-based, aimed at eliminating the release of microplastics into ocean water and into fish. The plastics used to make the filters that occupy the end of the vast majority of cigarettes break down in nature to contaminate ocean waters and be consumed by fish, harming marine life and fouling the food chain.

The Ocean Conservancy is the organization most often credited with working to have cigarette filters banned from the beach sand. J.P. Brooker, director of Florida Conservation for the Ocean Conservancy, said his organization’s annual beach cleanup day usually pulls in about 140,000 cigarette filters from beaches across his state, including 32,000 from Miami Beach alone.

But starting this year, Florida’s 825 miles of sandy beaches, which draw 19 million tourists each year, are covered under a new state law that gives seashore communities the right to regulate cigarette smoking and vaping on the beaches they control. However, the law specifically identifies the smoking of unfiltered cigars

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Photo: Miami Beach Marketing and Communications Office

It’s summer and the beach beckons in a nation that boasts more than 95,000 miles of waterfront. But if you also want to enjoy a premium unfiltered cigar while getting a little sun, your choices have been drastically narrowed. The bad habit of cigarette smokers tossing their butts on the sand and a misunderstanding about what goes into a cigar have states lined up to ban smoking at the beach.

Miami Beach's smoking ban campaign poster as a permissible activity and prohibits counties and municipalities from trying to ban them from the beach.

Brooker expects the new law will result in fewer cigarette filters being found on beaches and less microplastic entering the oceans. The Florida Ocean Conservancy helped write the law in Tallahassee and followed it through the legislative process.

The Conservancy did not have a problem when the legislature amended the bill at the last minute to add provisions that keep local governments from regulating unfiltered cigars on the beach. Other organizations, such as the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Florida Conservation Voters, the American Lung Association, and Sierra Club Florida haven’t been as understanding about the cigar exception. But unlike the Ocean Conservancy, those organizations aim more at controlling tobacco usage than removing microplastics from the ocean.

“We were fine with the exemption because our focus is on plastics, and we want the plastics off the beach,” Brooker said.

“We’re not looking at it from an air quality perspective that some organizations are.

“This isn’t about cigars. Florida has a rich history of cigars. I’m a native Floridian, and I live in Florida now, and I smoke cigars. We are concerned about getting the microplastics off our beaches.”

Many proponents of the overall ban on smoking outdoors point to studies first conducted on the impact of second-hand smoke in enclosed spaces. These studies were used to adopt laws that banned indoor smoking from the workplace and spots where the public gathers, like bars, restaurants, and theaters. The stance promoted by tobacco control activists insisted that if second-hand smoke is bad for people indoors, then it would be bad for people anywhere.

The change was made because “cigar and pipe smoking is such a small part of the problem,” State Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota), a sponsor of the legislation, told NPR affiliate WUSF. “It's the filters, those plastic filters within the cigarettes that cause environmental pollution as they make their way into the waterways.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency followed suit with a statement that claimed, “Whether the exposure occurs indoors or outdoors the adverse health effects remain the same. The only difference is that indoors the concentration of harmful chemicals, compounds, and particles is kept in and doesn't go away as quickly as outdoors."

In Okaloosa County, an ordinance approved this spring reads: “It shall be prohibited for any person in or on any County-owned public park or public beach to smoke, burn, ignite, inhale, exhale or consume any cigarette, pipe, lighted tobacco product, electronic cigarette, or vapor producing device other than an unfiltered cigar.”

New studies of second-hand smoke outdoors have found the smoke dissipates as fast as it is created and have otherwise been inconclusive, but comments on social media include Karens warning that if you can smell a cigar, even from a distance, you are suffering the ill effects of secondhand smoke. That fear was the basis for banning smoking a cigar at the beach.

The cigar exemption has not been fully understood, even in a state with many companies and their employees working to import and manufacture premium cigars. Many anti-smoking activists looked at it as a missed opportunity to exercise their control over the behavior of cigar smokers. The Sarasota HeraldTribune joined the tobacco control crowd and likened the unfiltered cigar exemption to adding a Porterhouse steak to the menu at a vegetarian restaurant.

The Florida Legislature unfortunately fed the confusion, even when it excluded cigars from the beach smoking ban. The House didn’t take the time to write a new bill to keep microplastics off the beach but simply amended the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act to become the Florida Clean Air Act, then added the rights for cities and counties to restrict smoking at public beaches and public parks. Indoors became outdoors, and the aim of the act seemed to be eliminating smoke rather than regulating microplastics. Exempting unfiltered cigars just didn’t fit into that concept. And while states like New Jersey have been swept into the movement and banned all smoking of everything from its beaches, many states, counties, and municipalities have refused to do so.

Brooker now spends time traveling the state to help the 35 coastal counties and hundreds of municipalities to write their own local ordinances banning cigarette smoking and vaping on the sand.

Miami was quick to adopt the new law

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We’ve picked out several beautiful beaches along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts that invite you to visit (and spend your tourism dollars) and enjoy a cigar on the sand. Take a walk or just sit, they don’t care, and some of them even let you hold a beer in your unoccupied hand. If you’re interested, you might want to take advantage this year, before they change their minds.

Photo: Miami Beach Marketing and Communications Office

as it encompasses a number of small towns and beaches stretching some 110 miles from Panama City Beach to Perdido Key.

South Beach Miami Beach: Along with Ybor City in Tampa, Miami is the cigar capital of Florida, and maybe of the entire country.

by. If you’re into people-watching as you smoke, South Beach is the place to spend your time away.

Any visit to Miami Beach should include a drive down Collins Avenue and a stroll down Deco Drive on the way to South Beach, the epitome of beach glamour. You can visit any number of cigar shops across the city and indulge in cigar culture in neighborhoods like Little Havana, where you can buy a guayabera, a sleek straw fedora, and a couple of smokes for your day at the beach.

The Emerald Coast, northwest Florida: The Florida Panhandle along the Gulf Coast has taken on the unofficial moniker of “the Emerald Coast,” a reference to its clear, greenish waters lapping at white sand beaches, considered to be the cleanest in the country. This selection may be a little unfair to other beach communities

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Photo: Golden Isles Convention & Visitors Bureau

Even off the beach, you can sit at an outdoor café, enjoy a beverage with your cigar, and watch the world pass

Along the Emerald Coast, you can do what you’d like, either spend your entire time on the sand, shop and

St. Simons Island Pier

The city invites you to stay a while with numerous top-of-the-line hotels to choose from, and even some classics that offer easy access to the beach without emptying your wallet.

The array of restaurants and bars is dazzling and will greatly outnumber the days you have to spend.

The beautiful people, flashy clothes, great food and drinks, fast cars, and a seemingly endless flow of cash make this the ultimate big-city beach experience, the opposite of the deserted island life some imagine when considering a vacation.

The Emerald Coast is also referred to as the Redneck Riviera and L.A. (for Lower Alabama), because unlike the southern half of the state, northern Florida is definitely part of the South. You get grits on the plate for breakfast and can find fried anything depending where you eat. The towns along the Emerald Coast can be bustling and growing, like Destin and Panama City Beach, or quaint and famous, like Seaside (famous for being a master-planned community from the get-go, as well as the location for the Jim Carrey movie “The Truman Show”), or purposely tiny and laid-back, like Grayton Beach (famous for Kenny Chesney jamming at Red Bar). But they all have one thing in common: they embrace the beach and the Gulf waters and share the Emerald Coast. After decades of gladly accepting cash in exchange for being the spring break debauchery capital, Panama City Beach changed its mind a few years ago and passed a string of laws designed to persuade college kids to take the party elsewhere. A curfew that closed the most offensive section of beach at 10 p.m., a crackdown on underage drinking, and a ban on alcohol on the beach seemed to put an end to it, although some kids haven’t completely learned the lesson. Any PCB stay in the spring break months would best be moved away from the hotel strip.

enjoy numerous restaurants and bars, take the kids on rides and other amusements, play golf at any number of courses, charter a boat for a deepsea fishing experience, or just stake out a place and smoke a cigar. There are hotels in various price ranges and too numerous to mention, along with plenty of investment properties rented out by the day, week, month, or entire season.

Smokers can check out the selections at country singer Luke Bryan’s Shore Thing Cigars on 30A in Watersound, Harbor Cigars on 293 just north of 98 in Destin, PCB Cigars on 98 near Laguna Beach, or Florida Cigar & Tobacco off 98 in PCB. St. Simons Island, Georgia: Leaving the state of Florida for neighboring Georgia presents a dilemma. Tybee Island, the state’s largest and most active beach, just east of charming and historic Savannah, went smokeless this year, banning cigars along with all other tobacco products. However, south of Savannah, St. Simons Island offers beaches less crowded and more pristine, peaceful, and cigar friendly.

Miles of undisturbed beaches on St. Simons Island encourage swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, sunbathing, shelling, or just taking your cigar for a walk down the sand. Natural maritime forests and sand dunes offer spots for wildlife, from blue herons to bald eagles, and sea turtles. It makes perfect sense that St. Simons restaurants offer local seafood and include small, casual places as well as fancier restaurants like Georgia Sea Grill and Echo.

Accommodations range from VRBO rentals, to small hotels, to the five cool cottages at The Park, to The King & Prince Beach & Golf Resort, a large and historic property with a variety of accommodations and recreational opportunities. While there are plenty of cigar shops to choose from along U.S. Route 17 west of the island, Weber’s Growler Factory seems to offer the only large humidors on St. Simons, along with craft beers.

Kiawah Island, South Carolina: Kiawah Island, about 21 miles south of Charleston, boasts multi-million-dollar coastal estates behind two gated entrances, a high-end luxury resort, private golf and beach clubs, and one of the country’s most highly rated public golf courses, the Ocean Course,

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which has hosted both the Ryder Cup and the PGA Championship.

a couple hours from the Gulf to your plate.

Unlike the city of Charleston itself and surrounding islands and beaches, Beachwalker Park on the west end of Kiawah Island is a cigar-friendly and dog-friendly beach with public access, run by the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission.

Dauphin Island is also the sunset capital of Alabama, a perfect place to grab a beach chair and a cigar to watch the day become night.

You can smoke on the beach but are asked to pick up after yourself. Your dog can come along, but leash rules vary by season, so check the internet to see what applies during your stay.

The Charleston area offers numerous hotels, or you can choose to stay on the island itself. Besides the luxury Sanctuary resort and spa, there are numerous cottages available to rent, and VRBOs of various sizes and prices.

The city of Charleston supports a wide number of cigar shops with large selections to choose from, and if you can’t find a restaurant you like in the Charleston area, you’re just not hungry.

Topsail Beach, North Carolina: The sands of Topsail Beach, between Jacksonville and Wilmington, North Carolina, off U.S. Route 17, stretch from Surf City to the southmost point of the 26-mile-long Topsail Island.

The island’s pristine sands, expansive views, old-school coastal charm, and casual approach to island life make it a perfect place for relaxation. And it’s cigar friendly. If you want to sound like a local, try saying “TOP-sul” instead of “top-SAIL.” The island boasts several locally owned and operated hotels and motels with views of the Atlantic or the Sound, along with several restaurants offering lots of fresh seafood, a general store, unique shops, and a fishing pier. Topsail Marina has slips for rent and a boat ramp.

Legend has it the island was named Topsail because pirate ships that preyed on cargo ships in these waters hid behind the island with their topsails visible from the sea. Before World War II, the island was accessible only by boat and used by local families as a

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Port Aransas Beach, Texas: At the opposite end of the barrier island from the hot spot of South Padre Island, north of Padre Island and east of Corpus Christi, lies Mustang Island and Port Aransas Beach, 18 miles of sand popular for surfing, swimming, fishing, and sunning. Also good for just sitting there, and smoking a cigar.

Photo: Anne Ousey/Giant Noise for Port Aransas Tourism

Besides miles of wide sandy beaches, the park offers a boardwalk and accessible ramp; lifeguards; rental of beach chairs, umbrellas, and boogie boards; dressing areas and restrooms; a snack bar; a picnic area with grills (first-come; first-served); and outdoor showers.

You’re probably better off bringing cigars with you for the trip rather than trying to find a premium cigar on this small island. If you don’t bring your travel humidor, most of the smoke shops north of the bridge cater to the bong/vape cartridge/hookah crowd.

It will take a drive to Mobile to find something better, and who wants to leave the island?

Keepers at Horace Caldwell Pier in Port Aransas place to picnic on the beach. Treasure hunters have searched the island’s wooded areas for Blackbeard’s buried treasure.

During WWII, the Army used the island as part of their anti-aircraft training and built a floating bridge. Postwar, the Navy took over with a guided missile development program and testfired more than 200 missiles. Several structures still exist from that time, including the concrete launch pad that is now the patio at the Jolly Roger Motel.

After the military pulled out in the early ’60s, the town was incorporated as a family-oriented approach to beach living. There are fewer than 500 yearround residents, but the population increases to around 7,000 during tourist season.

Smokers can find a selection of cigars at Tobacco City, off 210 north of Surf City, and at Galaxy Tobacco in Hampstead.

Dauphin Island, Alabama: On a map, or from a plane or even a drone, Dauphin Island looks so small against the Gulf of Mexico, just 15 miles of sand, most of it only a quarter-mile wide, connected to the mainland of Alabama by the two-lane, three-milelong Gordon Persons Bridge. Some of its larger neighbors, like Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, through their

“Leave Only Footprints” programs, have banned cigar smoking from the sand.

But Dauphin Island’s beaches remain cigar friendly, and dog friendly, too.

The town is small, with only 1,800 residents in the 2020 Census, and is noted for its migrating bird population as the dry land in the flight path across the Gulf. Fort Gaines, built in the early 1800s to help guard Mobile Bay, is open for tours. And shell mounds indicate the island at one time was home, or maybe a vacation spot, for the Mississippian Mound-Builder culture.

The island’s history is written in misery, as it was the arrival site of the first African slaves brought to Alabama in 1719. In the early 1800s members of Indigenous tribes, including Chickasaw, Cherokee, Choctaw, and Creek people, were forced to cede their lands to the government at the start of the forced displacement of nearly 60,000 people, referred to as the Trail of Tears. The island was claimed by Spain, France, Britain, and finally the United States. It was occupied by Confederate Troops until Union Forces took it in the 1864 Battle of Mobile Bay. So, there’s history to discover, including a 150-year-old lighthouse that was in use until the 1970s. The small town boasts locally owned shops and galleries, and casual, charming bars and restaurants that serve locally harvested seafood, only

Port Aransas is home to the Texas Sandfest every spring and offers great fishing opportunities, boat charters, kayak rentals, golf, and wellness and spa activities.

Places to stay on the island include cottages with water views along the beach, conventional motels, luxury condominiums, and private beach houses big enough for family and friends.

There are local art galleries and artists, a museum, a theater, and the Chapel in the Dunes. You can enjoy wetland walks, yoga on the beach, summer science camp, and birding on the boardwalk, among a number of planned activities to stretch the summer.

The quaint downtown brings great restaurants, fun bars, and locally owned shops and boutiques. And after a day of fishing, you can bring your catch to one of more than a dozen restaurants that will clean it and cook it to your liking.

From Fisherman’s Wharf in Port Aransas, you can take a ferry for a day trip to San Jose Island, a private bird sanctuary that was once a ranch and is accessible only by boat.

If you don’t bring your own, you can find a few humidors of premium cigars, with brands like Plasencia and Knuckle Sandwich, at the Padre Island Cigar Company, just south of Mustang Island on Highway 22.

JUL / AUG 2023 | CIGAR SNOB | 69

48 CIGARS TRAVEL CASE: El Pama (elpama.com)

CHURCHILL Sobremesa Brulee

$ 1 4.45

91

VITOLA: Double Corona LENGTH: 7 RING: 54 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Mexico FILLER: Nicaragua

Oliva Connecticut Reserve

90

VITOLA: Churchill LENGTH: 7 RING: 50 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Nicaragua

VITOLA: Churchill LENGTH: 7 RING: 50 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua

VITOLA: Churchill LENGTH: 7 RING: 52 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua

VITOLA: Churchill LENGTH: 7 RING: 54 WRAPPER: USA/Connecticut BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Nicaragua

Caldwell Eastern Standard

89 72 | CIGAR SNOB | JUL / AUG 2023

A smooth, well-made Churchill covered with a supple, light brown wrapper with minimal veins.

Opens with tons of lightly roasted nuts, vanilla cream, and soft spice along an excellent draw and an even burn. Mild to medium strength.

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C Covered with a soft, supple wrapper with a velvet feel. Delivers a core of nuts, wood, and sweet spices along an excellent draw and burn.

Produces a good output of mild smoke while leaving behind a solid, light gray ash.

$ 9.50

Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Champagne

89

N I CA R AG UA

$ 9.99

San Lotano Requiem Connecticut

90

Opens with a subtle sweetness on the lips that subsides to reveal a profile of toasted nuts, subtle cinnamon, cedar, and a touch of caramel. This mild to medium strength blend provides a firm draw and slow burn with a long, creamy finish.

$ 11.6 8

Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real

90

N I CA R AG UA

N I CA R AG UA Delivers a smooth core of black pepper, toasted oak barrel, and bitter coffee complemented by a touch of vanilla cream on the finish. This mild to medium strength Churchill is consistently well constructed providing an easy draw and an even burn.

$ 10.25

N I CA R AG UA A thick Churchill covered with a nearly flawless, light brown wrapper with minimal veins. Provides an open draw while producing a somewhat thin output of mild to medium strength smoke with notes of subtle pepper, wood, and earth accompanied by a hint of roasted almonds.

$ 13.10 VITOLA: Cream Crush LENGTH: 7 RING: 48 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Dominican Republic FILLER: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C A medium bodied blend covered in a supple, light brown wrapper. Delivers a woody profile complemented by subtle notes of dried fruit and mild coffee accompanied by a touch of cream on the finish.

JUL / AUG 2023 | CIGAR SNOB | 73

LANCERO Davidoff Millennium Limited Edition 2023

92

VITOLA: Lancero LENGTH: 7 RING: 40 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Mexico FILLER: Dominican Republic

Oliva Serie V

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C Covered with an oily, reddish brown wrapper, this flavorful lancero draws and burns impeccably while producing an excellent output of medium plus strength smoke highlighted by notes of sweet cedar, cinnamon, earth, and black pepper.

$ 8.67

91

VITOLA: Lancero LENGTH: 7 RING: 38 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Nicaragua

My Father La Gran Oferta

N I CA R AG UA Flavorful and well balanced with a core of cocoa, dark roast coffee, and roasted nuts accompanied by notes of pepper and earth in the background. Produces an excellent output of aromatic, medium plus strength smoke while leaving behind a dark gray ash.

$ 10.80

91

VITOLA: Lancero LENGTH: 7 1/2 RING: 38 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Nicaragua

Aladino Maduro

N I CA R AG UA A consistently well-constructed lancero covered with a dark brown wrapper and topped with a neat pigtail. Provides an excellent draw and burn leaving behind a dark gray ash while producing notes of cocoa, earth, and smooth pepper.

$ 9.50

90

VITOLA: Elegante LENGTH: 7 RING: 38 WRAPPER: Mexico BINDER: Honduras FILLER: Honduras

Black Label Bishops Blend

90 88

H O N D UR AS Ultra-consistent and well-constructed, this medium strength blend delivers a balanced profile highlighted by notes of roasted almond, cedar, and cocoa along with a smooth, creamy texture.

Draws and burns impeccably while producing an excellent smoke output.

$ 12.50 VITOLA: Lancero LENGTH: 7 RING: 42 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Ecuador FILLER: Nicaragua & USA

Crowned Heads Four Kicks Capa Especial LE2022

74 | CIGAR SNOB | JUL / AUG 2023

$ 2 9.00

VITOLA: Lancero LENGTH: 7 1/2 RING: 38 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua

N I CA R AG UA This uniquely shaped blend is covered with an evenly colored, dark brown wrapper and topped with a pointed head and a covered foot. Produces tons of aromatic smoke with a core of sweet earth, red pepper, and charred oak complemented by a hint of dark chocolate.

$ 11.95

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C An earthy blend covered with a dark brown wrapper showing thick veins. This slow-burning lancero produces a thin smoke output with a heavy profile while leaving behind a dark gray ash.

JUL / AUG 2023 | CIGAR SNOB | 75

FIGURADO Illusione OneOff

$ 1 7.50

92

VITOLA: Piramides LENGTH: 6 1/8 RING: 52 WRAPPER: Honduras BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Nicaragua

Herrera Esteli

Impeccably balanced with a core of cedar, nuts, and cream complemented by notes of savory spices and black tea. Produces an excellent output of highly aromatic, medium strength smoke along a perfect draw and an even burn.

$ 11.10

91

VITOLA: Piramide Fino LENGTH: 6 RING: 52 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Honduras FILLER: Nicaragua

Cuba Aliados Original Blend

91

N I CA R AG UA A balanced belicoso with a smooth and flavorful profile of nuts, black pepper, and wood accompanied by the aroma of tanned leather and a creamy finish. Produces an abundance of smoke while leaving behind a slightly flaky, light gray ash. Medium strength.

$ 11.00 VITOLA: Torpedo LENGTH: 6 RING: 54 WRAPPER: Honduras BINDER: Honduras FILLER: Honduras

La Galera Imperial Jade

H O N D UR AS Consistently well-made and covered with a clean, light brown wrapper showing only slight veins. This medium strength torpedo delivers a flavorful and balanced core of cedar, sweet spice, and toasted nuts, complemented by a hint of earth.

$ 11.08

91

VITOLA: Piramide LENGTH: 6 RING: 52 WRAPPER: Cameroon BINDER: Dominican Republic FILLER: Dominican Republic

León Jiménes Series 300 Cameroon

90

VITOLA: Belicoso LENGTH: 6 1/2 RING: 52 WRAPPER: Cameroon BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Peru, Nicaragua & Dominican Republic

Sublimes

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C Consistently well-constructed, this figurado features a gradual taper and is covered with a clean wrapper. Draws and burns perfectly while leaving behind a solid, compact ash. Delivers a medium plus strength profile highlighted by wood, spice, and a hint of sweetness.

$ 10.8 8

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C Firmly packed and covered with an attractive, light brown wrapper with minimal veins. This mild to medium strength, classic-looking torpedo delivers a core of cedar and spice complemented by flavors of hazelnut, vanilla, and a touch of cream.

$ 9.50

87 76 | CIGAR SNOB | JUL / AUG 2023

N I CA R AG UA

VITOLA: Torpedo LENGTH: 6 1/2 RING: 55 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Honduras FILLER: Nicaragua

N I CA R AG UA A thick, solidly built torpedo with an earthy core complemented by notes of wood, black pepper, and a subtle touch of semi-sweet spices. This medium strength blend provides a good draw while producing a somewhat thin smoke output.

JUL / AUG 2023 | CIGAR SNOB | 77

PERFECTO New World Dorado

$ 12.80

92

VITOLA: Figurado LENGTH: 6 RING: 56 WRAPPER: Nicaragua BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Nicaragua

Cohiba Riviera

Ultra-flavorful and well-balanced with a core of roasted nuts, sweet cedar, and black pepper accompanied by notes of cinnamon and tanned leather. Draws and burns flawlessly while producing tons of medium plus strength smoke.

$ 23.99

92

VITOLA: Perfecto LENGTH: 6 RING: 60 WRAPPER: Mexico BINDER: Honduras FILLER: Honduras & Nicaragua

Knuckle Sandwich Chef’s Special

91 90

VITOLA: Figurado LENGTH: 6 1/2 RING: 52 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Nicaragua

An impeccably box-pressed blend covered with a clean, supple wrapper. Draws and burns impeccably while producing an output of medium strength smoke with a balanced profile of cedar, hazelnut, sweet spice, and a touch of cocoa.

N I CA R AG UA This medium to full strength figurado features superb construction and a beautiful, reddish brown wrapper. Delivers an ultra-flavorful profile highlighted by notes of wood, black pepper, and earth complemented by flavors of dark chocolate and toasted nuts. Full strength.

$ 18.00 VITOLA: Diadema LENGTH: 6 5/8 RING: 50 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Dominican Republic FILLER: Dominican Republic

HVC 500 Years Anniversary

90

N I CA R AG UA

$ 12.50

AVO Seasons - The Spring

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C Firmly packed and covered with an attractive, reddish brown wrapper with excellent oils.

Opens with a firm draw that opens nicely to produce an output of aromatic smoke with notes of sweet wood, smooth pepper, black tea, and a touch of citrus. Medium bodied.

$ 13.50 VITOLA: Salomon LENGTH: 6 3/4 RING: 56 WRAPPER: Nicaragua BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Nicaragua

Angel Cuesta

N I CA R AG UA A thick, well-made perfecto covered with an impeccable, reddish brown wrapper. Delivers tons of flavor from first light with a core of roasted nuts, baking spice, and cedar along with a touch of creaminess. Medium strength with an excellent draw and burn.

$ 22.00

88 78 | CIGAR SNOB | JUL / AUG 2023

N I CA R AG UA

VITOLA: Grand Salomones LENGTH: 7 1/4 RING: 57 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Undisclosed FILLER: Undisclosed

USA A large, good-looking salomon topped with a tightly cropped pigtail and covered with a clean wrapper with excellent sheen. Produces a medium strength profile with a core of wood and savory spices accompanied by subtle earth and cocoa.

JUL / AUG 2023 | CIGAR SNOB | 79

TORO A. Fuente Don Carlos

$ 13.50

92

VITOLA: Presidente LENGTH: 6 1/2 RING: 50 WRAPPER: Cameroon BINDER: Dominican Republic FILLER: Dominican Republic

E.P. Carrillo Encore

An old school, well-balanced blend with a core of cedar, sweet spice, toasted almonds, and a touch of cinnamon. This medium strength toro is finished with a clean, light brown wrapper showing thin veins. Draws and burns well while leaving behind a solid, compact ash.

$ 13.35

91

VITOLA: Celestial LENGTH: 6 1/8 RING: 50 WRAPPER: Nicaragua BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Nicaragua

D’Crossier Golden Blend Refinados

90 90

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C Neatly pressed and covered with a supple, reddish brown wrapper sporting slight wrinkles, this medium strength toro delivers a flavorful combination of sweet pepper, earth, roasted nuts, and a touch of creaminess.

$ 24.0 0 VITOLA: Imperiales LENGTH: 6 RING: 56 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Undisclosed FILLER: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua

Las Calaveras Edicion Limitada 2022 VITOLA: LC54 LENGTH: 6 1/2 RING: 54 WRAPPER: Nicaragua BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Nicaragua

Foreign Affair

C O STA R I CA Covered with a clean, supple wrapper with a beautiful sheen and topped with a neatly applied quadruple cap. This medium strength blend produces an output of aromatic smoke with notes of nuts, sweet spice, and cedar complemented by a touch of cream.

$ 13.95

N I CA R AG UA A balanced blend delivering a core of wood, soft spice, and toasted nuts accompanied by a touch of sweetness. This medium plus strength toro is covered with an attractive wrapper with excellent oils. Draws and burns exceptionally well.

$ 11.80

88

VITOLA: Toro Extra LENGTH: 6 1/2 RING: 52 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Ecuador & Nicaragua FILLER: Costa Rica, Nicaragua & Dominican Republic

La Gloria Cubana Corojo de Oro

87 80 | CIGAR SNOB | JUL / AUG 2023

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C

N I CA R AG UA This flavorful blend delivers a medium strength combination of cayenne pepper, mixed nuts, wood, and a touch of cream. Consistently provides a firm draw and thin smoke output leaving behind a solid ash.

$ 10.49 VITOLA: Toro LENGTH: 6 RING: 50 WRAPPER: Dominican Republic BINDER: USA/Connecticut FILLER: Honduras & Nicaragua

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C A wood-dominant blend accompanied by subtle notes of sweet spice, toasted nut, and cream.

This mild to medium strength toro is covered with a bumpy wrapper and provides an open draw while leaving behind a solid, white ash.

TORO Artesano Del Tobacco El Pulpo

$ 16.00

N I CAR AGUA This ultra-flavorful and complex toro opens with tons of earth, dark chocolate, and smooth pepper accompanied by roasted nuts and ripe fruit sweetness. This full strength blend draws and burns exceptionally well while leaving behind a compact, almost white ash.

$ 16.00

N I CAR AGUA A beautifully square-pressed toro covered with a nearly flawless, dark brown wrapper. Draws and burns well while producing an abundance of medium plus strength smoke with notes of sweet pepper, earth, and semi-sweet dark chocolate joined by a touch of raisin on the finish.

VITOLA: Toro Grande LENGTH: 6 RING: 56 WRAPPER: Mexico BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Nicaragua

92

K by Karen Berger 25th Anniversary by AJ Fernandez VITOLA: Toro LENGTH: 6 RING: 52 WRAPPER: USA/Connecticut BINDER: Mexico FILLER: Nicaragua

91 Room 101 Daruma

$ 12.99

N I CAR AGUA Covered with a dark brown wrapper and finished with a covered foot, this flavorful toro provides an easy draw and a good output of medium plus strength smoke. Delivers an earthy core complemented by sweet notes of over-ripened fruit, cedar, and a touch of espresso.

VITOLA: Ranfla LENGTH: 6 RING: 50 WRAPPER: Nicaragua BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Nicaragua

91 Matilde Serena Maduro

$ 9.00

D OM I NI CA N REPUBLIC Firmly packed and covered with a naturally dark brown wrapper with a coarse feel and some thick veins. Delivers a medium plus strength core of earth, wood, and savory notes complemented by a subtle hint of sweet spice while leaving behind a compact ash.

VITOLA: Toro Bravo LENGTH: 6 1/2 RING: 56 WRAPPER: Mexico BINDER: Dominican Republic FILLER: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua

Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged

$ 10.49

D OM I NI CA N REPUBLIC A flavorful blend covered with a dark, toothy wrapper that delivers a core of raisins, oak, and earth accompanied by a touch of spice. This mild to medium strength toro draws and burns well while producing an excellent smoke output and leaving behind a light gray, compact ash.

90

VITOLA: Toro LENGTH: 6 RING: 54 WRAPPER: Mexico BINDER: Indonesia FILLER: Colombia & Dominican Republic

89 ATL Cigar Co. Wise Blood

$ 10.99

N I CAR AGUA Covered with a thick, dark brown wrapper, this toro produces a thin smoke output while leaving behind a flaky, dark gray ash. Produces a medium strength profile highlighted by notes of cedar, ripe fruit sweetness, and subtle spices.

VITOLA: Robusto Extra LENGTH: 6 RING: 50 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Ecuador FILLER: Nicaragua

87 JUL / AUG 2023 | CIGAR SNOB | 81

ROBUSTO My Father La Antiguedad

$ 8.50

91

VITOLA: Robusto LENGTH: 5 1/4 RING: 52 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Nicaragua

Illusione Original Documents Habano

91

VITOLA: Robusto LENGTH: 5 RING: 52 WRAPPER: Nicaragua BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Nicaragua

Rocky Patel Grand Reserve

90

Perfectly pressed and covered with a dark, reddish brown wrapper with excellent oils, this medium plus strength robusto provides a near perfect draw and burn. Produces a flavorful core of pepper, sweet cedar, and roasted nuts accompanied by a touch of cream.

$ 11.05

N I CA R AG UA Opens with tons of roasted nuts, deep pepper, and almond cream accompanied by a woody spice on the finish. This impeccably constructed blend draws and burns exceptionally well producing an output of medium plus strength smoke and leaving behind a solid, compact ash.

$ 13.25 VITOLA: Robusto LENGTH: 5 1/2 RING: 50 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Honduras & Nicaragua

Camacho Nicaragua

N I CA R AG UA An attractive blend covered with a clean, reddish brown wrapper showing only the thinnest veins. Produces an excellent output of medium strength smoke with a core of earth, hazelnut, and cedar accompanied by a touch of sweet cream.

$ 9.25

90

VITOLA: Robusto LENGTH: 5 RING: 52 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Honduras FILLER: Honduras, Nicaragua & Dominican Republic

H. Upmann Hispaniola by José Méndez

89

VITOLA: Robusto LENGTH: 5 RING: 50 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Dominican Republic FILLER: Dominican Republic

George Rico El Enemigo

N I CA R AG UA Firmly packed and covered with a clean wrapper with excellent oils. This robusto provides a firm draw producing a good output of medium strength smoke highlighted by notes of sweet pepper, oak, and roasted nuts while leaving behind a compact ash.

$ 9.33

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C Delivers a mild to medium bodied smoke output along a good draw and an even burn. This wellmade robusto is covered with a good-looking, reddish brown wrapper with sheen. Produces flavors of wood, bitter coffee, and soft spice.

$ 15.00

88 82 | CIGAR SNOB | JUL / AUG 2023

N I CA R AG UA

VITOLA: El Insulto LENGTH: 5 RING: 52 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: Ecuador FILLER: Colombia, Nicaragua & Dominican Republic

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C Opens with a profile of cedar, sweet spice, and vegetal notes complemented by a touch of raw almonds. This well-made robusto is covered with a clean, colorado wrapper and provides a firm draw leaving behind a solid, light gray ash.

Medium strength.

ROBUSTO My Father Le Bijou 1922

$ 11.90

N I CAR AGUA Covered with a neatly applied, dark brown wrapper with excellent oils, this medium to full strength robusto extra opens with tons of mocha, earth, roasted nuts, and deep pepper complemented by a touch of sweetness. Draws and burns beautifully while leaving behind a solid ash.

VITOLA: Grand Robusto LENGTH: 5 5/8 RING: 55 WRAPPER: Nicaragua BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Nicaragua

Illusione Original Documents Maduro

$ 10.85

N I CAR AGUA Well-balanced and flavorful with a core of charred oak barrel, black pepper, and earth complemented by a sweet note of licorice on the finish.

Produces an excellent output of medium to full strength smoke while consistently leaving behind a solid, compact ash.

$ 9.25

N I CAR AGUA Soft-pressed and covered with a dark, toothy wrapper. Produces an aromatic smoke output with an earthy core complemented by notes of sweet pepper, espresso, dark chocolate, and a touch of licorice. Medium plus strength.

92

VITOLA: Robusto LENGTH: 5 RING: 52 WRAPPER: Mexico BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Nicaragua

92

Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Maduro VITOLA: Robusto LENGTH: 5 RING: 54 WRAPPER: Nicaragua BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Nicaragua

91 Crux Maduro

$ 11.99

N I CAR AGUA Perfectly constructed and covered with a dark, evenly colored wrapper with a toothy feel.

Draws and burns exceptionally while producing an excellent smoke output with a profile of sweet earth, smooth pepper, and bittersweet cocoa. Medium to full strength.

VITOLA: Robusto LENGTH: 5 RING: 50 WRAPPER: Mexico BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Nicaragua

91 Bolivar Cofradia

$ 5.49

H O ND U R AS A short, earthy blend that provides an excellent draw and an even burn producing a good output of medium strength smoke with subtle flavors of oak, grilled meats, and a touch of hazelnuts.

VITOLA: Robusto LENGTH: 5 RING: 54 WRAPPER: Ecuador BINDER: USA/Connecticut FILLER: Honduras & Nicaragua

90 Casa Magna Colorado

$ 9.4 3

N I CAR AGUA Covered with a dark brown, oily wrapper showing prominent veins, this medium strength robusto extra provides a thin smoke output along a slow burn requiring multiple re-lights. Delivers a profile of earth, pepper, and charred wood.

VITOLA: Robusto LENGTH: 5 1/2 RING: 52 WRAPPER: Nicaragua BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Nicaragua

87 JUL / AUG 2023 | CIGAR SNOB | 83

TWITTER SCOREBOARD The cigar world is on Twitter and we aim to keep track of who’s leading who. The following is a scoreboard of the cigar world’s most relevant Tweeples. The list is sorted by number of followers and broken into groups: Top 20 Twitter Cigar Companies & Reps, Top 10 Twitter Retailers, Top 10 Online Cigar Tweeps, Top 3 Twitter Cigar Organizations, and Top 3 Cigar Radio Twitter accounts. If you have the numbers and belong in one of these groups, stand up and be counted! Set us straight via Twitter @cigarsnobmag.

TOP CIGAR COMPANIES ( sorted by Twitter followers ) Drew Estate Cigars @DrewEstateCigar ....................................

Rocky Patel @RockyPatelCigar ...............................................

Padron Cigar @PadronCigars ..................................................

CAO International @CAOCigars ................................................

Ashton Cigars @ashtoncigar ...................................................

Alec Bradley Cigars @AlecBradley ...........................................

La Flor Dominicana @LFDCigars ..............................................

Jonathan Drew @JonathanDrewArt .........................................

Camacho Cigars @camachocigars ...........................................

La Gloria Cubana @lagloriacubana ..........................................

Pete Johnson @TatuajeCigars ..................................................

Xikar Inc @XIKARinc ...............................................................

E. Perez-Carillo @EPCarrillo ....................................................

Davidoff Cigars @Davidoff_Cigars ...........................................

Nick Perdomo @PerdomoCigars ..............................................

JC Newman Cigar @JCNewmanCigars .......................................

Oliva Cigar Company @OlivaCigar .............................................

AJ Fernandez @ajfcigars .........................................................

Punch Cigars @punchcigars ....................................................

Ernesto Padilla @PadillaCigars ................................................

TOP CIGAR ORGANIZATIONS

45179 40162 29011 28262 23343 21049 20584 17740 17381 16012 15683 15044 14518 14203 13942 13744 13543 13344 12933 12888

TOP CIGAR RETAILERS & REPS Famous Smoke Shop @FamousSmokeShop .............................

Mulberry St. Cigars @MulberryStCigar ....................................

Cigar Hustler @cigarhustler .....................................................

Jeff Borysiewicz – Corona Cigar Co @CoronaCigarCo................

Cigar Row @CigarRow ............................................................

Barry – Two Guys Smoke Shop @Barry2Guys ...........................

Michael Herklots @MichaelHerklots .........................................

Lindsay Siddiqi @TheCigarChick ..............................................

Cheap Humidors @cheaphumidors ..........................................

Buckhead Cigar @BuckheadCigar ............................................

19435 12418 10272 7855 7129 6197 6045 4802 4673 3987

TOP ONLINE CIGAR TWEEPLES David Voth–Sex, Cigars, & Booze @SexCigarsBooze .................

Cigar News @CigaRSS ............................................................

Cigar Events @CigarEvents .....................................................

Blind Man’s Puff @BlindMansPuff ............................................

Cigar Dojo @CigarDojo ............................................................

Robusto Cigar Babe @RobustoBabe ........................................

Cigar Federation @CigarFederation .........................................

CigarHustler.com @CigarHustler .............................................

Stephen LaPre, Sr. @CigarChairman .........................................

Cigar Vixen @CigarVixen .........................................................

84 | CIGAR SNOB | JUL / AUG 2023

135653 19740 16393 14709 12311 11938 11176 10272 8832 8485

Cigar Rights of America @cigarrights ...................................... 14458 Premium Cigar Association @PCA1933 .................................... 9694 Tobacconist University @tobacconistU ................................... 4253

TOP CIGAR RADIO Cigar Dave Show @CigarDaveShow ........................................ 10079 KMA Talk Radio @KMATalkRadio ............................................. 2045 Cigars and Scotch @CigarScotch ............................................ 2043

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE TWEETS, MENTIONS, AND RANDOM SOCIAL MEDIA GOODNESS.

@Makineti_aka_kui

Light Reading, Heavy Smoke #cigarsnobmag #cigarwomen #cigarporn #cigarsnoblife #cigarclassylovers #classyfashion #cigarlife #cigarpassion #cigarlove #sheisbeautiful #lovingthisdress #momentsofmine #grandcathedralcigars #tampa #tampaflorida #tampalife #lifeisbeautiful #floridalife #fitbody

@lesfineslames

Do you even punch bro?

Picture @ymomblan PUNCH BRACELET - Sangre Gold Skull Romeo Y Julieta Linea de Oro Dianas @habanos_oficial⁠ #PunchBracelet #lesfineslames #romeoyjulieta #ryj #myhabanosmoments #skull #gold #carnelian #cigarcutter #jewelry #luxury

HANDMADE IN ESTELI, NICARAGUA W W W. D R E W E S TAT E . C O M JUL / AUG 2023 | CIGAR SNOB | 85

INSTAGRAM SCOREBOARD Since its launch in October of 2010, the cigar world has become enamored with Instagram. Today the ‘Gram is unquestionably the most popular platform on which to share snaps of what you’re smoking and drinking. This scoreboard is sorted by number of followers and broken into groups: Top 20 Cigar & Cigar Accessory Companies, Top 10 Retailers & Reps, Top 10 Cigar Influencers, Top 3 Cigar Organizations, and Top 3 Cigar Radio accounts. If you have the numbers and belong in one of these groups, stand up and be counted! Set us straight via Instagram @cigarsnobmag.

TOP CIGAR & ACCESSORY COMPANIES ( sorted by Instagram followers ) Padron Cigar @padroncigars ...................................................

Davidoff Cigars @davidoffcigars .............................................

Drew Estate Cigars @drewestatecigar .....................................

Raquel Quesada @raquelquesadaofficial ..................................

Rocky Patel Premium Cigars @rockypatelcigar ..........................

Arturo Fuente @arturofuentecigars .........................................

Epic Cigars @epiccigars .........................................................

Boveda @BovedaInc ...............................................................

Gurkha Cigars @gurkhacigars .................................................

Xikar Inc @xikar .....................................................................

Camacho Cigars @camachocigars ...........................................

La Flor Dominicana @LFDCigars ..............................................

My Father Cigars @myfathercigars ..........................................

Oliva Cigar Co. @olivacigar .....................................................

Ashton Cigars @ashtoncigar ...................................................

AJ Fernandez @ajfcigars .........................................................

Nick Perdomo @Perdomocigars ..............................................

Alec Bradley Cigars @alecbradleycigar ....................................

Plasencia Cigars @plasenciacigars .........................................

Joya de Nicaragua @joyacigars ...............................................

166369 147534 142555 111221 110876 109104 86836 85323 78703 77092 73668 73298 72829 68284 64349 63991 59422 59318 59243 53539

TOP CIGAR RETAILERS & REPS Havana Phil’s Cigar Company @havanaphils .............................

Privada Cigar Club @privadacigarclub .....................................

Famous Smoke Shop @famoussmokeshop ...............................

Mulberry St. Cigars @mulberrystcigars ...................................

Michael Herklots @michaelherklots .........................................

Cigar Hustler @cigarhustler ....................................................

The Cigar Culture @thecigarculture .........................................

Master Sensei @cigardojo ......................................................

Angela Yue @angela_yue .........................................................

La Casa Cigars & Lounge Vegas @lacasavegas ........................

58583 58242 54988 45517 30661 29045 28794 27772 24922 24589

TOP CIGAR ORGANIZATIONS Premium Cigar Association @PCA1933 .................................... 18290 Total Product Expo @totalproductexpo ..................................... 7785 Cigar Rights of America @cigarrightsofamerica ......................... 4487

TOP CIGAR RADIO Cigar Dave Show @cigardave ................................................. 3578 KMA Talk Radio @KMATalkRadio ............................................. 1583 Eat Drink Smoke @eatdrinksmokepodcast .............................. 1380

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE TWEETS, MENTIONS, AND RANDOM SOCIAL MEDIA GOODNESS.

@sistersinsmoke

Smoke what u mean and mean what u smoke; Partagas No.4. #MyHabanosMoment S/o to my good folk at #cigarsnobmagazine for @iranismontes and I’s spotlight during #ProCigar

TOP ONLINE CIGAR INFLUENCERS ON INSTAGRAM Liz Cigar Life Style @remarkable_liz ........................................

Cigar Lover @cigarlover12 ......................................................

Delicia-Creator-Influencer @cigarvixen ...................................

Whiskey Girl Josie @whiskeygirl_josie .....................................

Eric Kim @scotchandtime ........................................................

Angela, CCST & IACS CCS @cigarsmokingchick .......................

Nikki @cigarpassionista ..........................................................

Melanie Sisco @lilsiscokidd21 .................................................

Cigars / Smoke.Laugh.Live @world.of.cigars ............................

HERficinado / Cigar Lifestyle @herficionado .............................

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105770 102897 89837 89245 57058 46956 41873 40460 35972 31613

@projectcarboninc

Happy 4th of July and a very Happy Birthday to the Red White and Blue

JUL / AUG 2023 | CIGAR SNOB | 87

EVENTS THE ATLANTIC CITY CIGAR SOCIAL BORGATA HOTEL, CASINO & SPA Atlantic City

The Atlantic City Cigar Social, presented by Cigar Snob at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, brought together 600 cigar lovers from the tri-state area to enjoy cigars, craft beer, local cuisine, and live entertainment. Attendees received a cigar from 21 different cigar companies including Rocky Patel, Drew Estate, Cohiba, Gurkha, and Oscar Valladares.

Patrons were also able to take advantage of event specials from partner shops Smoker’s Haven, Somers Point Cigars, and Tennessee Avenue Tobacco Company. Beverage sponsors included Angel’s Envy Bourbon, Prisoner Wine, Dewar’s Scotch, D’Ussé Cognac, Mister Fingers Alibi Gin, Patrón Tequila, and beer from Dogfish Head. Prepare to hit next year's event by visiting accigarsocial.com for updates..

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Photos by: Tim Hawk

JUL / AUG 2023 | CIGAR SNOB | 89

EVENTS TABACÓN CIGARS & SPIRITS GRAND OPENING Doral, FL

The owners of Downtown Cigar Bar and Galiano Cigar Room opened their third location, Tabacón Cigars & Spirits, with an event that featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by Doral Mayor Christi Fraga and city officials. Guests were welcomed with a glass of Champagne, while DJ Carluba warmed up the crowd for local band Afro 23, who brought the house down with Afro-Cuban music.

Ciro and Maggie Rodríguez, Barbie and Ozzie Gómez and Marcela and Luis Requejo

Daryl Arias and Yanira Estrella

Eddie Piedra, Alison Rolfs and Henry Infante

Mike and Luz Freire and Armando Lapido

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DJ Carluba

Victor Hernández, Belkys Sánchez and Mery Tapanes

Bernie Rodríguez, Patty and Albert Sosa

Andy Chirino and Mauro Caballero

JUL / AUG 2023 | CIGAR SNOB | 91

EVENTS EL VECINO GRAND OPENING Miami, FL

El Vecino, Spanish for “The Neighbor,” the new cigar lounge operated by the Ariete Hospitality Group, celebrated its grand opening with a week-long series of events. We attended the hospitality, investors, and friends and family night, where Aganorsa Leaf provided cigars for all guests. Elevated cocktails featuring Havana Club rum were served, accompanied by an assortment of restaurant-level hors d’oeuvres catered by Ariete's Brasserie Laurel, conveniently located next door.

Terence Reilly and Michael Beltrán

Chef Ashley Moncada and Valerie Falsetto

Nicolás Antonio Jiménez, Todd Oretsky, Geoff Harris and Chuck Brecker

Daniel Radrizzani and Monica Bonilla

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Ellie Groden, Cristian Canencio, Cindy Herde and Gio Gutiérrez

Sebastián and Pablo Estades

Sara Mladenovic and Kristi Stout

JUL / AUG 2023 | CIGAR SNOB | 93

EVENTS LAUNCH OF SOULS FROM THE EARTH THE TANK BREWING CO.

Miami The Plasencia Cigar family successfully launched its foundation, Souls from the Earth.

The kick-off event, hosted by The Tank Brewing Co., featured finger foods and endless pours of The Tank’s brews. Those wishing to fire up a Plasencia crossed over to the brewery’s on-site cigar lounge. A select group gathered in South Florida for the official U.S. launch of the foundation, where the vision, mission, and goals were established. The event was attended by the founders, the elected board of directors, and other invited supporters. The foundation’s primary focus is to engage and support the growth and development of underserved children in Nicaragua.

To learn more about this organization, visit www.soulsfromtheearth.com.

The Souls from the Eath Board

Lilia and Tico Gutiérrez

Robert and Jessica Liguori

Patrick Hurd, Ibis Lu and Taylor McOwen

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Ana Margarita Martínez and Liza Santana Photos by: Nicole Oliva

EVENTS THE GALIANO CIGAR ROOM 4TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY Coral Gables, FL

Galiano marked its fourth anniversary with live music from local acts Afro 23 and Bamboo Taxi. The celebration featured cigar specials, cocktails, and a full house.. Additionally, the team behind Galiano announced the upcoming opening of their new Doral spot, Tabacón Cigars and Spirits.

Marcela and Luis Requejo, Ciro and Maggie Rodríguez and Barbie and Ozzie Gómez

Macarena and Manny Iriarte

Arianna Domínguez, Giselle Garriga and Marielys Pérez Falcón

Alex Hernández, José Noguera and Juan Hernández

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Ceci Rivero, Yaritza Payret, Daniel Rodríguez and Daniel Rivero

Desiree and Carlos Ruiz

Beatriz Peraza and Rolando Lazo

Bobby Singer, Rocio Montoya and Maggie Rodríguez

Chris and Lourdes Hodges

Alejandro Martínez Cuenca Joya De Nicaragua

Dion Giolito Illusione Cigars

Carlos "Carlito" Fuente, Jr. Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia.

Erik Espinosa Espinosa Cigars

Karl Malone Barrel-Aged by Karl Malone

cigarsnobmag.com/podcast

JUL / AUG 2023 | CIGAR SNOB | 97

EVENTS 2023 COHEA GOLF TOURNAMENT Miami Lakes, FL

The 2023 City of Hialeah Educational Academy fundraiser golf tournament was once again successful in raising money for the academy's athletic program. It was held at Miami Lakes Golf Club, formerly Shula’s Golf Club, where teams competed for the prize of being crowned the 2023 champion. Golfers were treated to goodies including premium stogies provided

by Oliva Cigars and beer poured by The Tank Brewing. The ladies from Hooters were also on hand serving up some wings. This year the Cigar Snob team came up just short of winning once again but as always their score was legitimate – which cannot be said for the other teams there.

Rodney Velázquez, Carlos Sánchez, Alex Plaza and Miguel Fernández

Yadira Creighton, Carlos Álvarez, Ivelisse Ocampo, Daniela Carrera and Erik Calviño

Ana Gamundi, Oscar Rodríguez and George de la Torre

Vanessa and Carlos Rodríguez, JC García and Dago Jorge

Kelley Cast, Kevin Frickle, Timothy Putnam and Michael Mreczko

Omar González, Iván Ocampo, Erik Calviño and Ulpiano Puente

Johnny Nieves, Mike Mata, Danny Cruz and Benny Ruiz

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Photos by: Cristene Martínez-Paez

JUL / AUG 2023 | CIGAR SNOB | 99

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