Staff Picks

• Appearance★★★★★★★★★★5.00
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• Aroma★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Taste★★★★★★★★★★5.00

I've always enjoyed the original E.P. Carrillo Pledge, so I was interested to see how the Pledge Purple would compare. What makes this release special is its wrapper, a Connecticut-grown Havana-seed leaf from the same crop used for the original Pledge, but aged for nearly a decade. It's paired with a Mexican San Andrés binder and Nicaraguan fillers from Estelí, Condega, and Ometepe, creating a different blend from the original. The flavor profile brings together notes of dark chocolate, earth, coffee, and pepper, with a subtle sweetness that helps balance everything out. What I appreciate most about the Purple is how it builds on the original Pledge while offering something different, particularly with the additional aging of the wrapper. It's a full-strength cigar with plenty of character, but the flavors remain balanced rather than overwhelming. Considering the original Pledge Prequel earned Cigar Aficionado's No. 1 Cigar of 2020, this is an interesting follow-up from Ernesto Perez-Carrillo. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the original Pledge or appreciates richer, fuller-bodied cigars. For a pairing, I'd go with a dark roast coffee or a bourbon to complement the chocolate, earth, and spice notes.

• Appearance★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Draw★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Burn★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Aroma★★★★★★★★★★4.00
• Taste★★★★★★★★★★5.00

The Salvador Dali kicked things off with coffee, earth, and cherry cordial, coming out smooth like it had a reservation at a five-star restaurant. As the cigar opened up, dark chocolate, wood, and mixed pepper joined the lineup, turning this smoke into a full-blown flavor exhibition. The retrohale brought a little extra pepper to the table, just to let you know this masterpiece wasn't here to sit quietly in a museum.Moving into the second third, coffee took over like it was the manager on duty. Earth hung around in the background, making a few guest appearances, while dark chocolate and mixed pepper kept the supporting cast busy. The wood notes transitioned into cedar, adding a touch of class, while the cherry cordial made its exit like a celebrity sneaking out the back door. By the second half, cedar and pepper stepped up their game, proving this cigar still had plenty of tricks hidden in its tuxedo. Entering the final third, earth, cedar, and pepper took center stage like they were headlining the show. Coffee relaxed in the background, while the cigar continued delivering its bold personality. The flavors kept evolving, and the bitterness added another layer to the experience. The Salvador Dali eventually wrapped things up with a soft, cool nub, taking its final bow like an artist who knows the audience came to see a masterpiece.

• Appearance★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Draw★★★★★★★★★★4.00
• Burn★★★★★★★★★★4.00
• Aroma★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Taste★★★★★★★★★★5.00

This special edition Joya de Nicaragua Green Room Clasico has the perfect combination of flavor, punch and style. Celebrating the history of the Joya de Nicaragua brand, here you have a well-balanced nutty and creamy stick, with notes of toasted bread, wood, and a little peppery touch. At one point I also detected notes of hard pretzel among a soft and earthy profile. Solid construction and an excellent draw gives this diadema extra points, and its Ecuadorian Shade wrapper might have you thinking it will be super mild, but everything else in this cigar is Nicaraguan so its gonna have a little Nicaraguan punch. This is probably why Richard Nixon in the 70s named Joya de Nicaragua the official White House cigar, as they gifted the Clasico to guests in the White House's Green Room during that decade. If you like a complex cigar with an elegant touch, this is the one you have to try. Because finally, you don't have to be invited to the White House to find this amazing piece of history.

• Appearance★★★★★★★★★★4.00
• Draw★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Burn★★★★★★★★★★4.00
• Aroma★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Taste★★★★★★★★★★5.00

The El Septimo Rioja Robusto is a smooth, lighter-bodied cigar with a subtle aroma, easy draw, and balanced strength. Its gentle spice and refined notes paired beautifully with a red wine. A great choice for an easygoing wine-and-cigar pairing.

• Appearance★★★★★★★★★★4.00
• Draw★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Burn★★★★★★★★★★4.00
• Aroma★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Taste★★★★★★★★★★5.00

The Romeo y Julieta Vintage V is the kind of cigar that makes slowing down easy. It opens with a smooth, creamy profile accented by cedar, toasted nuts, and gentle sweetness. A light touch of spice keeps it interesting and, more importantly, prevents it from getting too mellow. The Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper, Mexican binder, and Dominican fillers come together nicely, delivering a mild to medium-bodied smoke that stays balanced and approachable throughout. Moving into the second third, the profile becomes a little richer, with toasted nuts and wood joining the core. The sweetness hangs around in the background and gives the smoke a nice balance. What I enjoyed most was the consistency. The Vintage V never tries to overwhelm your palate or force dramatic transitions. Instead, the flavors settle into a comfortable rhythm, with cream, wood, nuts, and subtle spice carrying the experience from start to finish. The construction was equally dependable, producing an easy draw and plenty of smooth smoke. This is a great choice for a morning smoke with coffee or a relaxed afternoon when you want something flavorful without much strength. The Romeo y Julieta Vintage V is polished, easygoing, and exactly the kind of cigar I'd keep around for those moments when I just want to sit back and enjoy the smoke.

• Appearance★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Draw★★★★★★★★★★4.00
• Burn★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Aroma★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Taste★★★★★★★★★★5.00

The Mi Querida Triqui Traca No. 448 is one of those little cigars that brings a lot more to the table than its size suggests. It kicks things off with rich notes of dark chocolate, espresso, earth, and cedar, with a healthy dose of pepper adding some heat along the way. As it develops, a subtle sweetness emerges, helping balance the darker flavors. What I really like about the Triqui Traca is that it doesn't sacrifice flavor just because it's a smaller cigar. The Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper has plenty of richness, while the Nicaraguan core and Dominican ligero bring some extra strength and spice. It produces a ton of smoke and has that bold, dark profile I look for in my cigars. If you're a fan of full-flavored cigars, this is an easy one to keep around. Small cigar, big personality.

• Appearance★★★★★★★★★★4.00
• Draw★★★★★★★★★★3.00
• Burn★★★★★★★★★★4.00
• Aroma★★★★★★★★★★4.00
• Taste★★★★★★★★★★4.00

Great daily smoke with fantastic woody and earthy flavor notes. A slight bit of pepper thrown in there to get your day started the right way!

• Appearance★★★★★★★★★★5.00
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• Burn★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Aroma★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Taste★★★★★★★★★★4.00

Before lighting this cigar, I noticed a very pleasant aroma. The first thing that stood out was a sweet note that reminded me of honey, along with hints of wood and a light touch of leather. Once I lit it up, the smoke was quite smooth. From the first few puffs, I picked up a creamy flavor with a touch of sweetness, and as the cigar developed, I started noticing notes of coffee, cocoa, and some mixed nuts. There was also a light peppery note, but it stayed very subtle and never overpowered the other flavors. One thing I really enjoyed was the amount of smoke it produced and how easy the draw was from start to finish. It made for a very relaxing and enjoyable smoking experience. The cigar lasted about 80 minutes, smoking it at a slow, relaxed pace. I thought the smoking time was just right because it never felt too long or became boring. Overall, I found it to be a very enjoyable cigar. It offers good flavors, develops enough throughout the smoke to keep things interesting, and never feels harsh. It's definitely one I would smoke again on a relaxing afternoon or while catching up with friends. Notes I picked up: honey, wood, cream, coffee, cocoa, mixed nuts, leather, and a subtle touch of pepper.

• Appearance★★★★★★★★★★4.00
• Draw★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Burn★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Aroma★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Taste★★★★★★★★★★5.00

I am shocked and appalled that nobody on our roster has reviewed any of the Micallef 'Color' series yet! After becoming a bit of an ambassador for the brand over the last couple of years in-store, I think it's time I let my online friends in on the secret: the Micallef Purple (as well as the White, and Green, and Black, etc...) are all absolute winners in every category. First thing's first - this cigar punches above its weight class. I personally think this cigar could be double the price and it would still make sense. When I read that the wrapper on the Micallef Purple was Mexican San Andres, I was a bit surprised since it appeared much paler than the Mexican wrappers I've always been used to. Regardless, once lit, the Purple instantly sent me to flavor town. Right at the start, I noticed flavors of toasted bread along with sweet tobacco and a subtle milk chocolate. As it progressed, the natural sweetness remained and I encountered a delicious note of cedar that complimented the breadiness very well. The entire time I smoked the Micallef Purple, I enjoyed a wide open draw and generous smoke output that filled the room with chewy aromatic goodness. Perfectly medium-bodied from first puff to last, I still can't believe the price point of this stogie, along with all the rest of the 'Colors' line. Do yourself a favor and try them ALL, none are better than the rest, but everyone I speak to eventually finds their favorite. Trust me - Micallef will find itself to be a mainstay in your humidor before you know it. Thank me later ;)

• Appearance★★★★★★★★★★5.00
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• Burn★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Aroma★★★★★★★★★★4.00
• Taste★★★★★★★★★★4.00

The AVO Syncro Nicaragua Special Toro 6x60 was a really enjoyable smoke. Smooth from start to finish with a nice mix of pepper, wood, cream, and a little natural sweetness. The bigger ring gauge made it burn cool and slow, perfect for just relaxing outside. Had a solid draw and plenty of flavor without being too strong. Definitely a cigar I’d smoke again if you like something smooth but still flavorful.

• Appearance★★★★★★★★★★4.00
• Draw★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Burn★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Aroma★★★★★★★★★★4.00
• Taste★★★★★★★★★★5.00

Matilde’s Limited Exposure series gives the company room to experiment with small-batch blends while staying true to its smooth Dominican character. The Limited Exposure No. 3 Robusto delivers natural sweetness alongside notes of cedar, nuts, earth, and light spice in an easy-smoking medium-bodied profile packed with flavor. The tobacco tastes clean and healthy throughout, finishing smooth without lingering harshness. For smokers looking to branch out from the usual big brands, Matilde is a boutique worth exploring. With just 350 boxes of each vitola made this experience unfortuanitely has a time limit, but theres always the No. 4!

• Appearance★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Draw★★★★★★★★★★4.00
• Burn★★★★★★★★★★5.00
• Aroma★★★★★★★★★★4.00
• Taste★★★★★★★★★★4.00

The aroma de cuba has always delivered some great cigars. That tradition continues with the Noblesse Coronation. This cigar is packed with some great flavors. This medium body cigar has a great earthy, nutty flavor at the beginning. Some hints of chocolate is introduced also at the beginning. Thge draw is phenominal. It has an easy draw. Can not say that about alot of cigars. The aroma is welcoming too. At the half way point, those flavors at the beginning are still found. Some cigars would of changed a bit at this point. Not this one. The draw is still great. Toward the end of the cigar, I was not surprised that the cigar was still consistent. It did pick up a bit in strength to a medium full. Some hints of spice was also introduced. Not overwhelming. But enough to make the cigar enjoyable. Every flavor was still there. The earthiness, the nutty. The hint of chocolate was not too overwhelming. This is one cigar that you have to try. What I liked about it also, no aftertaste was left in my mouth. Like some cigars tend to do. And if you need to pair it with a nice drink, I would recomend a nice Glenlevit. The oak of the drink compliments it. Enjoy everyone