cigar tips and tricks

Cigar 101: Vertical Brand Tastings, Explained

Cigar 101: Vertical Brand Tastings, Explained

At Cigar Aficionado, we often reference “vertical brand tastings.” The following is a primer on the process and why it matters when evaluating cigar lines.

November 4, 2022
The ABCs of Cigars

The ABCs of Cigars

From amatista to zafadores, we define 26 cigar-industry terms every aficionado needs to know.

February 9, 2021
Why is There a Stem in My Cigar?

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 …

August 28, 2020
10 Things To Know About Fuente Fuente OpusX

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 …

April 2, 2020
How Cigar Aficionado Tastes Cigars

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.

March 30, 2020
A Curious Collection of Cult Cigars

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. 

June 20, 2019
Cc

Cuban Sandwich

A handmade cigar made with a mixture of long-filler and short-filler tobacco. These cigars are sometimes referred to as mixed-fill cigars.

counterfeit cigars

8 Things To Know About Counterfeit Cuban 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.

December 9, 2019
How To Spot A Fake Hoyo De Monterrey

How To Spot A Fake Hoyo De Monterrey

Learn how to tell whether the Hoyo De Monterrey you're smoking is authentic or fake.

August 23, 2018
How To Spot A Fake Partagás

How To Spot A Fake Partagás

Learn how to tell whether the Partagás you're smoking is authentic or fake.

August 23, 2018
How To Spot A Fake Bolivar

How To Spot A Fake Bolivar

Find out if your Cuban Bolivar is real or fake. 

August 22, 2018
How To Spot A Fake Cohiba Behike BHK

How To Spot A Fake Cohiba Behike BHK

Find out if your Cuban Cohiba Behike BHK is real or fake.

August 16, 2018
How To Spot A Fake Romeo y Julieta

How To Spot A Fake Romeo y Julieta

Find out if your Cuban Romeo y Julieta is real or fake.

August 15, 2018

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.

June 5, 2019

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.

June 3, 2019

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.

November 17, 2015

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.

April 20, 2020

Rocky's New Crop

Rocky Patel talks about his newest tobacco crop growing in Estelí, Nicaragua.

June 12, 2014

Ecuador's Cuban-Seed Wrapper

Ecuador Habano-seed wrapper is one of the most popular wrappers on the market.

January 14, 2014

Cigar Brands

La Aurora

La Aurora

Crafted in the Dominican Republic, La Aurora is the island's oldest cigar brand. The first La Auroras were perfectos, and the shapely smokes are still made today for its Preferido…

May 1, 2017
Hoyo de Monterrey

Hoyo de Monterrey

Cuba’s José Gener registered the Hoyo de Monterrey brand in 1865 and the cigar has long been a major name in Cuban cigars. The brand is named after the Basin of Monterrey, which …

April 17, 2017
Montecristo (Non-Cuban)

Montecristo (Non-Cuban)

The brands in the non-Cuban Montercristo portfolio run the gamut from mild to full body, and include such popular lines as Montecristo White, Montecristo Classic, and Montecristo …

May 3, 2017
Herrera Esteli

Herrera Esteli

In 2011, Drew Estate hired Willy Herrera, the former cigar blender from Miami's miniscule but standout El Titan de Bronze factory. According to the company, the blend for Herrera …

April 17, 2017
CAO

CAO

CAO was originally launched in 1993 by Cano Ozgener, who was the founder of CAO International Inc., a company that up until that point was known for its tobacco pipes. The General …

May 3, 2017
Partagás

Partagás

Don Jaime Partagás created the Partagás brand in Cuba in 1845, and he constructed the majestic Partagás cigar factory as a proud symbol of his brand, which later was run by Ramón …

April 17, 2017

tobacco

Hail Destroys Acres Of Fuente Fuente OpusX Wrapper Leaf

Hail Destroys Acres Of Fuente Fuente OpusX Wrapper Leaf

An intense and long-lived hailstorm destroyed several acres of cigar tobacco at Chateau de la Fuente in El Caribe, Dominican Republic on May 6.

May 11, 2022
The Mystique of Medio Tempo

The Mystique of Medio Tempo

The newest buzzword in the cigar-blending world is medio tiempo: a high-primed leaf that packs a big punch. Despite being a darling to some makers, its enigmatic qualities (even …

November 16, 2021
Tobacco Seeds Discovered Among Stone Age Ruins

Tobacco Seeds Discovered Among Stone Age Ruins

The use of tobacco by humans goes back much farther in history than previously thought.

October 12, 2021
Crop Report: Nicaragua’s Tobacco Season Extends into June

Crop Report: Nicaragua’s Tobacco Season Extends into June

The season is extending an extra month, to mid-June.

May 11, 2021
Black Gold

Black Gold

The San Andrés Valley on Mexico’s Gulf Coast produces some of the most sought-after tobaccos in the world.

May 12, 2020
Shade in the Dusk

Shade in the Dusk

The once-dominant wrapper leaf grown under cloth in the Connecticut River Valley now needs protection from encroaching development.

October 25, 2019