Staff Reviews

CigarFest 2019 was a great weekend for me. I had just moved to Pennsylvania from Arizona to start at Cigars International a month or so before, and it was the perfect way to get to know a lot of my coworkers. Sure, maybe I got to know a few of them a little too well, but it was mostly a fantastic time for us, the vendors, the customers, and I suspect even some of the resort staff witnessing the …

There are a lot of torch lighters on the market. I probably have a different model torch in every drawer in my house, but yet, it seems like every day there’s a new design hitting the market. I can probably name a few dozen different models of lighters off the top of my head, but they all do exactly the same thing - light a cigar. Now I’m a guy who likes the next new thing, but I also try to stay …

A few months back, I did a quick review on all of the Oliva 2nds blends that we carried and told you my favorite. It’s one of my shortest reviews ever, but has a ton of views. Since then, the review has become a little dated (we get new sizes and versions of their 2nds all the time), but it remains one of the most useful pieces I’ve penned. Two lessons from that write-up: 1.) I write too …

The CAO brand holds a special place in my heart. In the early 2000s, as an amateur looking for his first cigar, the bright green and yellow of the CAO Brazilia caught my eye. I mean, how could it not? And fortunately, my choice paid off. I picked up a few sticks and never looked back. Now, nearly decades later, I’m picking up CAO Nicaragua with the same youthful excitement I had in the past. How …

Ramon Allones is the best cigar AJ has made to date. That’s right boys and girls, I’m skipping all the mumbo-jumbo and history I normally stuff into the beginning of my reviews and jumping right to the good stuff: this cigar is the best. Seriously. My favorite cigar I’ve tried this year. And when you’re going through 10-12 cigars a week that says something. Call me a sucker, but I love everything …