Ray Lewis • September/October 2016
Ray Lewis, known as one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, opens up to Cigar Aficionado editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken about the complicated upbringing that drove his on-field tenacity. Lewis speaks about his impoverished beginnings (he was born when his mom was 15 years old and didn't really know his father until age 33), his record-setting Baltimore Ravens football career, his arrest and subsequent acquittal for double murder, his commitment to improving race relations, police brutality in America and much more.
Watch video clips of the interview.
Also, we head to the Emerald Isle to see the storied links of southwest Ireland, have a smoke with actor Michael Cudlitz from the hit TV series "The Walking Dead", and our pigskin prognosticator Danny Sheridan makes his predictions on the upcoming NFL season. Plus, our tasting panel rates 81 cigars across six categories: Churchill, corona gorda, double corona, figurado, panetela and robusto.
Features
An Interview With Ray Lewis
Do you think you know Ray Lewis? You may know the player who ruled the NFL for 17 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, a linebacker of immense strength and desire who learned the …
Ireland's Stunning Coast
Golf by the sea, links golf, is an especially moving experience for the traveling player, and Americans by the charter bus full have sought out the great links of Southwest …
Walking Red
When we last saw Abraham Ford, the zombie-hunting, red-haired tough guy from the hit series "The Walking Dead," he and his companions were kneeling in the dark, surrounded by a …
Cheater Catcher
It's a Saturday afternoon in an American gambling city. Over hamburgers and french fries, one of casino-gaming's most imposing security men—an enforcer who specializes in catching …
NFL Preview
AFC East 1. New England Patriots The us-against-the-world mentality that carried the 12-4 Patriots to their seventh straight division title returns with ageless QB Tom Brady …
The Head Turners In Time
The outlook at this year's Swiss watch fairs was decidedly gloomy. Even before summer's historic Brexit decision that threw markets into turmoil, global economic conditions had …
Cigars
A Rumbunctious Pairing
Aged rums are a natural partner for handmade cigars.
Moving Mountains
A.J. Fernandez has quickly built one of Nicaragua’s biggest premium cigar operations.
The New Partagás Factory
The cigar-making facility may have moved to a new location in Havana, but the spirit of the famous Cuban cigar brand lives on.
Ratings from this Issue
Up Front
Editors' Note: The Real Ray Lewis
Watching Ray Lewis play football is simply unforgettable. The man is a powerhouse, with a seemingly infinite amount of athleticism, the ability to know where to be on defense at …
Out Of The Humidor
Dear Marvin, Many who feel morally superior have a need to impose their personal beliefs through regulatory prohibition. The most famous example is the Volstead Act of 1919, …
The Good Life
Fine Crystal Ashtrays
It seems as though many makers of traditional luxury goods have lost faith in the casual smoker and discontinued any items even remotely pertaining to cigars. Thankfully, the …
Wide World of Cognac
On the nose you get a nuanced meeting of delicate fruits with oak, nuts and vanilla. On the palate come pears, ripe berries, cocoa and toffee. It's the hallmark elegance and …
Visit a Distillery
For the whiskey lover—and there are a lot of us out there now—a visit to the distillery of a favorite brand is a bucket-list no-brainer, ranking right up there with playing St …
Focal Utopia Headphones
Just placing them on your head, it's obvious that no expense was spared in the making of Focal's new Utopia headphones. Weighing a little more than a pound, the unit has an …
Mercedes-Benz E300
The stuff of science fiction is rapidly becoming everyday reality, especially when it comes to automobiles. By the end of the decade, we may see the first fully self-driving cars. …
Skull Tourbillons
They may seem like a recent punk fashion, but objects decorated with skull and crossbones have been with us for thousands of years as reminders that life is short and should be …
Cal-a-Vie Health Spa, Vista California
Life is a wake-up call at the Cal-a-Vie Health Spa. If you think the spa culture is entirely too sedate, too precious, maybe even too feminine, Cal-a-Vie could change your mind. …
Pocket Watches
My pocket watch collection began, quite by accident, on a train journey across Russia in the 1990s. I found myself in the station at Yekaterinburg with nothing to do, nothing to …
Tern Verge S8i Folding Bicycle
Snaking gently through the gridlock amid a cacophony of car horns while riding my trusty Tern Verge S8i, I pull up on the sidewalk near a subway entrance in Brooklyn. With one …
Aged Beef
With many foods, fresh is considered best as we buy produce that's been raced to market and carefully check sell-by dates on dairy products. Yet the true royalty of the meat world …
Made For You
In a world of fast food and one-size-fits-all sensibilities, how often does something feel made especially for you? The "Made for You" section celebrates those items that are …