Independent Est. MMXXVI
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The Cigar Latest

Cigar news, reviews and culture

An independent cigar magazine in three sections — News, Reviews and Culture: sourced reporting, honest tasting notes, and writing on the culture of the leaf.

News Reviews Culture
How the Cigar Trophy 2026 Reader Vote Works, and Why It Rewards Reach Over Quality
12 min read

How the Cigar Trophy 2026 Reader Vote Works, and Why It Rewards Reach Over Quality

Reviews: How the Cigar Trophy 2026 reader vote works, why a popularity contest crowns the wrong cigar, and the finalists I would back with my own money.

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Fuente OpusX Review: Is the Unicorn Worth the Hunt?
12 min read

Fuente OpusX Review: Is the Unicorn Worth the Hunt?

Reviews: A Fuente OpusX review that skips the worship. Four myths about the unicorn cigar, what the hunt really costs, and when it's worth your money.

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My Father La Lealtad Review: A Torpedo That Trades Power for Polish, Made in Honduras
12 min read

My Father La Lealtad Review: A Torpedo That Trades Power for Polish, Made in Honduras

Reviews: My Father La Lealtad review of the box-pressed torpedo, a Garcia blend that trades Nicaraguan power for polish and ships from Honduras, not Esteli.

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Espinosa's Warhead Independence Day 250 Years Has No American Tobacco In It
11 min read

Espinosa's Warhead Independence Day 250 Years Has No American Tobacco In It

News: Espinosa's 601 La Bomba Warhead Independence Day 250 Years ships in June for America's 250th. What the PCA preview confirms, and what it doesn't.

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Does the Davidoff Late Hour Robusto Earn Its Whisky-Barrel Reputation?
9 min read

Does the Davidoff Late Hour Robusto Earn Its Whisky-Barrel Reputation?

Reviews: I smoked four Davidoff Late Hour Robustos from a single box, third by third, to see whether the Scotch-cask aging earns its $20-plus price.

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65 Seats: What Casa Fuente in Las Vegas Got Right, and the Patio Decision That Ended It
8 min read

65 Seats: What Casa Fuente in Las Vegas Got Right, and the Patio Decision That Ended It

Culture: Casa Fuente in Las Vegas closed after twenty years. It wasn't the cigars - a landlord cut 65 patio seats from the best-known cigar lounge on the Strip.

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A Four-Inch Perfecto That Keeps Selling Out: An Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story Review
8 min read

A Four-Inch Perfecto That Keeps Selling Out: An Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story Review

Reviews: why the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story, a four-inch Cameroon perfecto, keeps selling out, how it smokes, and whether it earns the hype.

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AVO Expresivo 2026 Is the First AVO Made in Honduras, and the Price Is the Story
9 min read

AVO Expresivo 2026 Is the First AVO Made in Honduras, and the Price Is the Story

Reviews: AVO Expresivo 2026 is the first AVO made in Honduras. A critic on what the Burn Brighter rebrand changes, and why the price matters most.

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Cigar of the Year 2026: Which Contenders Survive Three From the Box?
9 min read

Cigar of the Year 2026: Which Contenders Survive Three From the Box?

Reviews: My take on the cigar of the year 2026 race, the 90-point inflation that rigs it, and the contenders I'm actually tracking before I score one.

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La Flor Dominicana's Carbon Flower Sells the Case, Not the Cigars
9 min read

La Flor Dominicana's Carbon Flower Sells the Case, Not the Cigars

Culture: La Flor Dominicana's $200 Carbon Flower puts five San Andrés toros in a carbon-fiber case. What you're really paying for, and what survives.

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Sixty-Four Years of the Cuban Embargo: How a 1962 Ban Built Nicaragua's Cigar Industry
12 min read

Sixty-Four Years of the Cuban Embargo: How a 1962 Ban Built Nicaragua's Cigar Industry

News: The Cuban cigar embargo turns 64 this February. How a 1962 import ban pushed Cuba's tobacco families into Nicaragua and Honduras and remade your humidor.

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Only 4.8% of Cigar Makers Say They're 'Very Concerned' About the Leaf. So Why Are Prices Climbing?
12 min read

Only 4.8% of Cigar Makers Say They're 'Very Concerned' About the Leaf. So Why Are Prices Climbing?

Culture: Brands blame an aged-tobacco shortage for premium cigar prices rising. The PCA's own 2026 survey tells a quieter, less flattering story.

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Four Decades In, the Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Still Outsells Fuente's New Releases
11 min read

Four Decades In, the Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Still Outsells Fuente's New Releases

News: The Arturo Fuente Don Carlos review nobody writes - why a 40-year-old Cameroon blend outsells Fuente's new releases, and what the FDA ruling changed.

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