I smoked a cigar recently that was part of a set gifted to me by a friend on my birthday. It was a sampler from a company that I was not previously aware of. As I was in Canada for the day, and one of my cigar smoking buddies threw a birthday herf and invited …
Sperlinga: Thank You Your Grace!
When I went to meet my friend and her husband in Havana recently I was really looking forward to catching up, enjoying a cigar and a drink (or two... or three), and chatting about this and that. My friend Danays Leon is one of a select few women who are full-fledged Habanos Sommeliers, and it …
Reynaldo the King!
One of the more difficult hotels to find in Old Havana, if you do not know exactly where to look, is the Conde de Villanueva. Located in the Calle de los Mercaderes, it is a true gem. Once you walk into the open-air foyer, you will know that it is worth the search. When some …
Plume? Unlikely.
While reading through the usual posts about plume versus mold on a Facebook group of cigar lovers, I happened on a reply by Matt Alward that caught my attention. I reached out and asked if he would be interested in writing it up as a proper article. Matt is a microbiologist with good credibility to …
Johnny Tobacconaut… to the moon!
I picked this cigar up in a blind sample from Neptune Cigars recently, and I did not have a lot of hope for it. I am always wary of cigars that have that full-length sheath, and the tissue wrapper, and I am not usually a huge fan of perfectos. It sat in my travel humidor …
La Ultima Noche…
The last night of a vacation is usually the hardest, but this time is an exception. Liza left yesterday morning and I have been going it alone for two days... with my cigars. Because I'm a pretty personable guy, I've made some friends here... including seventy-seven year old Pete from Edmonton, who has latched onto …
Welcome to Turquesa!
As much as I love Havana, it seems I am always on the go there. So when Liza and I arrived at our resort in Varadero yesterday, the stress (whatever little there was) melted away completely. There was a minor mixup checking in, but that was an easily rectified problem. Welcome to a week at …
