Some cigars are much more than just a cigar. There are special instances that turn a really good cigar into an incomparable moment in time. And as we learned last time, a distinctive cigar can turn an unspectacular occasion into a special hour. But aside from that, there is also another kind of cigar – those treasures that we have set aside for exquisite moments. Often these are various precious items that have been stored for a longer or shorter period of time. However, every passionado has at least one cigar in their humidor for which they know a very particular occasion will be required in ..read more

“In these pages I want to explain why I consider tobacco to be an integral part of my life.”-JOSÉ ORLANDO PADRÓN José Orlando Padrón, founder of the world-renowned cigar brand and pioneer of the Nicaraguan cigar industry, celebrated his 91st birthday in the middle of this year. The most valuable present to mark this jubilee, however, was prepared by and for himself (and, above all, for us passionados). In line with the Cuban poet and author José Martí, according to which every person during his or her lifetime should plant a tree, have a child, and write a book, José O. Padrón wrote an autob ..read more

Punch “Dad’s Home Movies” is a never-before-released, limited-edition blend created for inclusion in a specially-designed ten-count box that looks like a VHS tape with sleeve, straight out of the 80s. Punch Brand Manager John Hakim explained, “With the release of Punch Dad Bod for Father’s Day last year, we knew we were on to something. So we upped the ante this year with Dad’s Home Movies. It serves three purposes in one: It lets the Dad in your life know how much you care, opens the door for you to rib him for being old, and gives you a chance to enjoy a great Punch cigar with him while he r ..read more

Black Label Trading Co (BLTC) now shipping the new Limited Release, Orthodox. Hand crafted at Fabrica Oveja Negra in Esteli, Nicaragua.  Orthodox is a small batch release offered to retailers who attended this year’s PCA tradeshow.   “Orthodox is really about Black Label getting back to its roots. We’ve done a lot over the last 10 years but at our core we are about highlighting the strength & intensity of Nicaraguan tobacco. That’s what I went for with the Orthodox. It’s extremely bold with spice throughout the palate and nose. Its intensity is balanced by flavors of dark fr ..read more

Elie Bleu is the latest addition to the list of sponsors for the Cigar Smoking World Championship. The French company creates luxury cigar accessories and has been around for 45 years. CSWC founder Marko Bilic is of course very excited about the partnership. “This partnership marks the aspiration of CSWC to achieve true excellence within our community,” he says. “With this collaboration, we aim to reward the best in the world of slow smoking with the best. Elie Bleu can be found in the presidential offices of many world leaders, and now, it will grace the possession of CSWC champions.” “Sponso ..read more

Rodolfo “Rudy” Padrón, cousin of the current company boss Jorge Padrón and nephew of the company founder José Orlando Padrón, died a short time ago. His family honored him with a heartfelt obituary: “It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Rodolfo (Rudy) Padrón. He passed peacefully surrounded by his loving wife, daughters, sister, son in laws , grandchildren, members of the Padrón Family and close friends. A humble and thoughtful man, Rudy was a loving and dedicated husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin, friend and advisor. Rudy was a calm, patient and caring tea ..read more

Bond Roberts, the online global Cuban cigar auction platform which has quickly become the trusted benchmark for auctioning aged, rare, and vintage Cuban cigars, launched Bond Roberts Cigars at Paramount Worldcenter, Miami on Saturday 27 April. The launch party, hosted by Rob Ayala, CEO of Bond Roberts, saw a group of cigar lovers joined by Oscar Valladeres, Hamlet Paredes, and Rob Fox, of JJFox, to celebrate the brand. The cigars, blended by legendary Cuban cigar roller Hamlet Paredes, are produced at Oscar Valladeres’ factory in Honduras under the Fabrica 5 concept.  The Fabrica 5 concep ..read more

The time is here. The wait is over. The countdown has started. When the qualifiers in Norway and Switzerland take place on May 4th, this year’s Cigar Smoking World Championship season will once again be officially underway. And it starts with one of the heavyweights. In 2023 Norway was one of the best performing nations on the circuit, with two names in the top 20, Tormod Skarmaas in second place and Rolf Broch right behind him. With times well over three hours and a fifth place in the grand final for Skarmaas they are two of the favorites also this year. “The remarkable smoking times of 3 hou ..read more

Crown and Barrel is thrilled to announce its collaboration with Cigar Journal to host an exclusive cigar blind tasting experience on May 21st, 2024. This event is set to take place at Crown and Barrel cigar lounge, an exquisitely curated space that caters to the discerning tastes of passionados in search of an unparalleled cigar experience.  Located on the 11th floor of The L Place, participants will embark on a journey of discovery as they explore two cigars of unknown origin. Guided by their senses and refined palates, attendees will have the opportunity to unravel the intricate nuances ..read more

J.C. Newman Cigar Co. and Corona Cigar Co. opened a new Diamond Crown Cigar Lounge at Corona’s Tampa cigar store at a grand opening celebration attended by 250 people, including local politicians and local celebrities. This is the 36th Diamond Crown Cigar Lounge currently open in the United States. This new Diamond Crown Cigar Lounge is also the second one at a Corona store; the Diamond Crown Cigar Lounge at Corona’s downtown Orlando store opened in 2008. “We are so proud to have a Diamond Crown Cigar Lounge in our hometown,” said Eric Newman. “Because Tampa is ‘Cigar City,’ it is important to ..read more