A humble but educatedcigar journal.
Reviews, new releases, news, and unhurried education on the cigar lifestyle — written by a man who has been paying attention to the smoke for longer than he'd care to admit.
The Quiet Renaissance of Cuban-Seed Corojo
Once nearly lost to blue mold and economics, the thin, oily Corojo wrapper is finding its way back into the hands of patient blenders — and patient smokers.
There is a particular kind of attention that Corojo demands. The wrapper is thin, almost translucent in the right light, and it carries a sweetness that sits somewhere between hay and toasted bread. For a long time it was easier to grow something sturdier — something that wouldn't bruise in transport or surrender to a season of blue mold. Easier, but not better.
What I have learned over four decades is that the wrappers worth waiting for are almost always the fragile ones. The blenders who returned to Corojo did so knowing they would lose more of a crop than they would have with a hybrid, and knowing their patience would be invisible to most of the people who eventually smoked the result.
This is not a trend piece. It is a small note of gratitude to the people who chose the harder seed.
Essays & Field Reports
On Patience: Aging Cigars in the Humidor
The case for letting a good cigar rest for a year before you reach for it — and the case against waiting so long you forget what you were saving it for.
A Field Report from Pinar del Río
Notes from a week in the vegas of western Cuba, where the tobacco is grown the way it has been grown for generations — slowly, and by hand.
The Return of the Lancero
Long, thin, and out of fashion for a decade — the lancero is back, and it was never really gone for those who knew where to look.
Recent Reviews
1964 Anniversary Maduro
A reference-point maduro. Dense, sweet, and unhurried — the kind of cigar that makes you put down whatever else you were doing.
OpusX Reserva d'Chateau
Iconic for a reason. Bold and complex, with a structure that rewards a slow, attentive smoke.
Serie V Melanio
Creamy and powerful at once — a study in how a full-bodied cigar can still feel refined.
Industry News
Pinar del Río Reports a Steady, Late Harvest
A cool, wet end to the season pushed the harvest later than usual, but early word from the vegas is that the leaf is sound — if a little lighter than last year's.
Habanos S.A.
FDA User Fees Rise Again for 2026
The annual user-fee assessment that funds tobacco oversight climbed again, with the cost passed through to importers and, eventually, to the price on the band.
FDA / TTB
The Year-End Awards Season Begins
The publications have begun releasing their year-end lists. Take them as conversation starters, not as verdicts — and remember how many 'cigars of the year' you are still smoking a decade later.
Cigar Aficionado
New Releases
- Oct 21, 2026
Casa de la Habana 2026 Reserva
Casa de la Habana
A small-batch reserva aged three years before rolling, in a single robusto format. The blender calls it 'a cigar for an evening with nowhere to be.' I am inclined to agree.
Robusto (5½ × 52)·Limited - Oct 14, 2026
Cohiba Behike Series Returns
Cohiba
The Behike line returns to limited production after a long absence. The BHK 52, 54, and 56 are back, with the medio tiempo leaf that made the original so discussed.
Robusto / Torpedo / Gordo·Limited - Sep 30, 2026
A New Connecticut Shade from Nicaragua
Aging Room
A shade-grown wrapper cultivated in the Jalapa valley, aiming for the creaminess of Connecticut with a little more backbone. Early samples are promising.
Corona (5½ × 44)·Wide - Sep 3, 2026
Spring Release Roundup
Various
Six new releases worth a second look this season — from a restrained corona to a bold, box-pressed toro. Brief notes and first impressions inside.
Assorted·Wide
Learn the Craft
A patient, jargon-free education in how cigars are made, stored, cut, lit, and enjoyed. Start anywhere; there is no rush.
"Smoke slowly. Pay attention. Share the good ones."
— The Draw by Holy Outlaw Cigar, Est. 1986