10 Things Every Cigar Smoker Should Know
From seed to shelf, from filler to binder to wrapper, these are the 10 things every cigar aficionado needs to know when cutting, lighting and smoking his favorite cigar.
cigar tips and tricks
The ABCs of Cigars
From amatista to zafadores, we define 26 cigar-industry terms every aficionado needs to know.
Why is There a Stem in My Cigar?
While veins may not be pretty to look at, they can be full of flavor. The stems, too. At the center of each tobacco leaf is a thick, linear structure known as a midrib, i.e. a …
10 Things To Know About Fuente Fuente OpusX
The mystique behind Fuente Fuente OpusX has endured for 25 years since its birth in 1995. We compiled a list of 10 facts that will shed some light on the cigar brand that became a …
How Cigar Aficionado Tastes Cigars
Every cigar that appears in the tasting section of Cigar Aficionado or Cigar Insider is rated blind, removing any prejudice or brand familiarity a taster might have.
A Curious Collection of Cult Cigars
Some of the industry’s offbeat cigars have gained a serious cult following over the years in much the same way cult movies attract a small, yet passionate fan base.
What's a Cuban Cigar Factory Name?
Cuban cigars vitolas are referenced in two terms, the factory name and also the market name.
counterfeit cigars
8 Things To Know About Counterfeit Cuban Cigars
Save your money (and your palates) by following these eight key tips to avoid getting burned by a fake Cuban cigar.
How To Spot A Fake Hoyo De Monterrey
Learn how to tell whether the Hoyo De Monterrey you're smoking is authentic or fake.
How To Spot A Fake Partagás
Learn how to tell whether the Partagás you're smoking is authentic or fake.
How To Spot A Fake Cohiba Behike BHK
Find out if your Cuban Cohiba Behike BHK is real or fake.
How To Spot A Fake Romeo y Julieta
Find out if your Cuban Romeo y Julieta is real or fake.
Cigar 101 Videos
Cigar 101: Cigar Lighters & How to Light a Cigar
Senior editor Andrew Nagy shows how to operate the most common types of lighters used to light a cigar.
Cigar 101: Cigar Cutters & How to Cut a Cigar
Senior editor Andrew Nagy demonstrates how to operate the most common kinds of cutters used to clip cigars.
Cigar 101: Snakes In The Humidor
Cigar Aficionado's resident snake experts, David Savona and Gregory Mottola, talk and smoke culebras, the twisted, serpentine cigars that come in threes.
From the Farm: Nick Melillo On Connecticut Broadleaf
Nick Melillo, the creator of Foundation Cigar Co., and senior editor Andrew Nagy discuss the highly sought Connecticut broadleaf from the tobacco barn on Nick's farm in Connecticut.
Rocky's New Crop
Rocky Patel talks about his newest tobacco crop growing in Estelí, Nicaragua.
Ecuador's Cuban-Seed Wrapper
Ecuador Habano-seed wrapper is one of the most popular wrappers on the market.
Cigar Brands
Cuaba
The Cuaba name originates from the Taino indians, the indigenous inhabitants of Cuba before the Spanish discovered the island in the fifteenth century. A cuaba was the type of …
Trinidad
Trinidad, which gets its name from a Cuban city, is one of the anomalies within Cuba's collection of cigar brands. It started as a commercially unavailable cigar reserved for …
Hammer + Sickle
Eric Hanson, founder of Hammer + Sickle vodka, debuted his cigar brand of the same name in 2010. In adopting the symbol of Russia as the cigar's logo, he points out that the …
Viaje
When Viaje started in 2008, it was anchored by two traditional core lines—Platino and Oro. Owned by Andre Farkas, Viaje really started to gain traction after his Viaje Oro Reserva …
Romeo y Julieta
Romeo y Julieta is one of Cuba’s larger cigar brands, with a vast portfolio of sizes. The brand’s origin dates back to 1875. The Romeo y Julieta Churchill is perhaps the most …
Montecristo
Created in 1935 in Havana by Menendez Garcia y Cia., Montecristo is a mainstay of the Cuban cigar portfolio. From the diminutive and ubiquitous Montecristo No. 4 to the stately …
tobacco
Crop Report: Nicaragua’s Tobacco Season Extends into June
The season is extending an extra month, to mid-June.
Black Gold
The San Andrés Valley on Mexico’s Gulf Coast produces some of the most sought-after tobaccos in the world.
Shade in the Dusk
The once-dominant wrapper leaf grown under cloth in the Connecticut River Valley now needs protection from encroaching development.
Connecticut Tobacco Crop Report
After a disappointing 2018 season plagued by heavy, consistent rains, cigar tobacco farmers in the Connecticut River Valley are optimistic that this year’s crop will yield some of …
Nicaragua’s Tobacco Growers Optimistic About Crops Despite Wind
As Nicaragua approaches the end of its 2018–2019 tobacco-growing season, reports from some of the country’s major growers of premium leaf are mostly optimistic.
Drought In Dominican Republic Means Smaller But Better Tobacco Harvest
The weather has been unusually dry in the Dominican Republic over the last few months, and while that lack of rain has meant a lower volume of tobacco coming from the fields, this …