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Cigar culture, stories, and useful lessons for every kind of smoker.
BRAND SPOTLIGHT: MY FATHER CIGARS
From a family garage in Nicaragua to the global stage, the story behind one of the most respected names in premium cigars.
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SACRED SMOKE: THE UNTOLD HISTORY OF THE CIGAR — PART 1
Before Columbus. Before Cuba. Before Havana. The 12,000-year origin story of the cigar, from Mayan ceremony to the Taino word that gave the world "cigar."
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SACRED SMOKE: THE UNTOLD HISTORY OF THE CIGAR — PART 2
From Columbus to Cuba’s first cigar factories. Three centuries of kings, tax collectors, cigarreras, and the eleven months of British occupation that introduced Havana tobacco to the world.
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SACRED SMOKE: THE UNTOLD HISTORY OF THE CIGAR — PART 3
The golden age of Havana. The cigar that started a war. Ybor City’s rise and fall. Castro’s revolution and the great exile that rebuilt the premium cigar world from scratch.
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SACRED SMOKE: THE UNTOLD HISTORY OF THE CIGAR — PART 4
From Kennedy’s last order to the $827M global boom. Cohiba goes commercial, Davidoff burns 130,000 cigars, Cigar Aficionado changes everything, and Nicaragua rewrites the map.
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BIG SMOKE FLORIDA 2026: GREAT CIGARS, NEW FRIENDS, AND ONE UNEXPECTED HIGHLIGHT
Premium brands, a floor strategy that beat the lines, a friendship made outside before the doors even opened, and one surprise nobody had on their bingo card.
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BOUTIQUE SPOTLIGHT: TABERNACLE 142
A small-batch cigar with a big story, meet the blend that earned a permanent spot in our rotation.
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LOUNGE SPOTLIGHT: THE SINGLE MALT
Some lounges are rooms. This one is an experience. We spent an afternoon at The Single Malt and didn't want to leave.
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LOUNGE SPOTLIGHT: CIGAR REPUBLIC USA
We didn't plan to end up here. The first lounge closed at 10 p.m. Then someone mentioned a hidden gem up in Fort Lauderdale. We jumped in an Uber — and stayed until close.
READ MORE →BRAND SPOTLIGHT: MY FATHER CIGARS
From a family garage in Nicaragua to the global stage, the story behind one of the most respected names in premium cigars.
READ MORE →
THE SLOWEST RACE ON EARTH: INSIDE THE WORLD OF COMPETITIVE CIGAR SMOKING
Yes, competitive cigar smoking is a real sport. 57 countries. A world record of 3 hours and 53 minutes. And you can actually enter. Here is everything you need to know about the CSWC.
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THE FORGOTTEN STORY OF THE CIGAR FACTORY LECTOR
Before podcasts and audiobooks, someone stood on a platform inside every cigar factory and read to the rollers all day long. This is their story.
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A CIGAR ENTHUSIAST'S GUIDE TO WRAPPERS
From pale Candela green to nearly-black Oscuro, the wrapper tells you more about a cigar than any number on a rating scale ever could.
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COHIBA, CHINA, AND THE NEW LUXURY CIGAR MARKET
Why does a box of Behikes cost more than a mortgage payment? The story goes much deeper than most people realise.
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SMOKE WITHOUT BORDERS: WHY THE BEST CIGAR IN THE WORLD MIGHT NOT BE CUBAN
Cuban cigars carry one of the most powerful myths in the luxury goods world. The data, however, keeps pointing somewhere else. We go full investigative.
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NEW CIGARS, CRAFT SODA, AND A FEW SURPRISES FROM PCA NEW ORLEANS 2026
262 exhibitors, nearly 6,000 attendees, and a show floor full of launches worth talking about. Here is what stood out.
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