Staff Reviews for November 2017

After writing up my thoughts on Ave Maria, I got an email from a guy who was part of a customer trip to Nicaragua in September. I read his, then scrapped mine. He says it all:"....the surprise highlight (by far): Ave Maria. Arriving in Esteli late I was jet-lagged and dragging the next morning. Come noon I was seven cigars deep and hadn't had lunch yet. So when his factory manager approached us …

Sometimes in life, you have to roll up your sleeves and do the hard job that no one else is willing to do. Today, however, is not that day. Could I have picked an underrated gem, or an obscure boutique to review this fine Monday morning? Almost certainly. Instead, I’m going to review one of the highest-rated and most beloved cigars in the industry: Padrón 1964 Anniversary. You see, the holiday …