Contributor
Bylined articles
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.
Read article →
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.
Read article →
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.
Read article →
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.
Read article →
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.
Read article →
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.
Read article →
Six Whisky and Cigar Pairings From a Decade in Southern Lounges
Culture: Six whisky and cigar pairings a working culture writer would actually make again, from fourteen Southern lounges and one stubborn notebook.
Read article →
Ybor City's Cigar Factories Outlived the Industry That Built Them
Culture: Ybor City cigar history on foot. The brick factories still stand, but the hand-rolled trade that filled them was killed in just fifteen years.
Read article →