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Felix Aubertin

Reviews Critic

Spent eleven years at a Montréal lounge running its cigar program and spirits pairing menu — certified Maître Tabac, with a sommelier's instinct turned to the leaf. Reviews cigars structurally and sensorially, the way a sommelier reviews wine: cold draw to nub, calibrated, with strong opinions earned across hundreds of sticks.

CAO Brazilia Review: One Brazilian Leaf, the Rest Is Nicaragua
8 min read

CAO Brazilia Review: One Brazilian Leaf, the Rest Is Nicaragua

Reviews: The CAO Brazilia wears a Brazilian wrapper over an all-Nicaraguan core. What it tastes like, whether it's worth buying, and why I won't score it.

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Nicaragua Supplies 64% of America's Premium Cigars. The Tatuaje Havana VI Is the Everyday One Worth Keeping.
9 min read

Nicaragua Supplies 64% of America's Premium Cigars. The Tatuaje Havana VI Is the Everyday One Worth Keeping.

Reviews: A Tatuaje Havana VI review across five sticks from one box, and whether Pete Johnson's everyday Nicaraguan blend still earns a rebuy at eleven bucks.

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Is the Oliveros Gran Retorno Worth $30 for Twenty? I Smoked a Dozen to Find Out
9 min read

Is the Oliveros Gran Retorno Worth $30 for Twenty? I Smoked a Dozen to Find Out

Reviews: An Oliveros Gran Retorno review at a buck and a half a stick. What twenty Nicaraguan bundle cigars really deliver, and where the bargain quits.

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My Father Le Bijou 1922 Review: From a Miami Shop to 20 Million Cigars a Year
12 min read

My Father Le Bijou 1922 Review: From a Miami Shop to 20 Million Cigars a Year

Reviews: My Father Le Bijou 1922 review of the Nicaraguan puro that took the Garcia family from a Miami shop to Esteli, and whether it still earns the box.

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The Aganorsa Supreme Leaf Robusto Earns Its Name. Here's How, Third by Third.
9 min read

The Aganorsa Supreme Leaf Robusto Earns Its Name. Here's How, Third by Third.

Reviews: Five Aganorsa Supreme Leaf Robustos from one box, walked cold draw to nub. Why this $9 Nicaraguan corojo out-smokes the premium shelf.

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Connecticut Broadleaf Grows on Just 3,056 Acres, and Maduro Prices Show It
8 min read

Connecticut Broadleaf Grows on Just 3,056 Acres, and Maduro Prices Show It

News: Connecticut broadleaf grows on 3,056 acres of one river valley, yet most maduros skip it. What the USDA data says about why maduro wrappers cost more.

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Why Does Guy Fieri's Mildest Knuckle Sandwich Cigar Cost $18?
13 min read

Why Does Guy Fieri's Mildest Knuckle Sandwich Cigar Cost $18?

News: Espinosa's new Guy Fieri Knuckle Sandwich cigars shipped June 16. The mild Avant-Garde runs $18 a stick, and the price tells you who it's really for.

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Four Gordos, One Box, One Honest Number: The Perdomo 30th Anniversary Maduro, Reviewed
11 min read

Four Gordos, One Box, One Honest Number: The Perdomo 30th Anniversary Maduro, Reviewed

Reviews: Four Perdomo 30th Anniversary Maduro Gordos from one box - the four-pass tasting, an honest rating, and where it lands against the Padrón 1964.

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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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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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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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What's in Arturo Fuente's Father & Son 2026 Collection - and the One Detail Fuente Hasn't Confirmed
12 min read

What's in Arturo Fuente's Father & Son 2026 Collection - and the One Detail Fuente Hasn't Confirmed

News: Arturo Fuente Father & Son 2026 ships for Father's Day. What is confirmed, what is not, and why the OpusX King Power is the only real story.

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Is the Rocky Patel Year of the Horse a Lunar New Year Gimmick, or a Real Smoke?
11 min read

Is the Rocky Patel Year of the Horse a Lunar New Year Gimmick, or a Real Smoke?

Reviews: Three Rocky Patel Year of the Horse cigars from one box, smoked over a week: the burn trouble, the espresso-and-caramel arc, and whether it earns its billing.

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A $9 Firecracker, a $50 Robusto, and a $240 Set: United Cigars and Selected Tobacco at PCA 2026
10 min read

A $9 Firecracker, a $50 Robusto, and a $240 Set: United Cigars and Selected Tobacco at PCA 2026

Reviews: United Cigars and Selected Tobacco at PCA 2026 - a $9 Firecracker, $50 Atabey Black Delirios, $240 Deluxe Set. Where the value sits.

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PCA 2026 In Five Notes: 262 Booths, A Narrower Floor, And The Boutique Squeeze
11 min read

PCA 2026 In Five Notes: 262 Booths, A Narrower Floor, And The Boutique Squeeze

News: Five things I noticed walking the 2026 PCA trade show floor in New Orleans - 262 booths, 5,945 attendees, a Gordo wave broken, and the boutique squeeze.

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Liga Privada No. 9 Review: Is the Broadleaf Bully Still Worth Chasing?
10 min read

Liga Privada No. 9 Review: Is the Broadleaf Bully Still Worth Chasing?

Reviews: A Liga Privada No. 9 review across five sticks from one box - cold draw to nub, one plugged draw, and an honest buy, age or skip verdict.

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25 Cigars, 14 Months, One Taste: A Padrón 1964 Anniversary Maduro Review
10 min read

25 Cigars, 14 Months, One Taste: A Padrón 1964 Anniversary Maduro Review

Reviews: A padron 1964 anniversary review built on one full box - 25 cigars over 14 months, what consistency is really worth, and the maduro verdict.

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