For our July 2026 contest, we are once again offering a Montecristo Prize Pack courtesy of our friends at Altadis U.S.A. The prize pack includes: Montecristo Cap Montecristo Lapel Pin Montecristo Ashtray It’s straightforward to enter; simply tell us, on the correct page, tell us a color of a Montecristo Band you would like to see. It’s OK if the color is already in use. This contest will be open
Apostate Cigars’ The Lost Pages, the company’s first cigarillo offering, is heading to retailers. While the company is known for premium, hand-made cigars, this is Apostate’s first foray into machine-made cigars. The Lost Pages is built from premium leftover fillers from across Apostate’s various lines. Production comes through Jochy Blanco’s Tabacalera Palma in the Dominican Republic. The company says The Lost Pages carries the same pedigree as the rest of
As the 2026 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show approached, word came that Christian Eiroa would be working with Altadis U.S.A. to produce the Saint Luis Rey Eiroa 30th Anniversary. On the surface, this was quite a surprising announcement to many, but when you peel the onion, there is history between Christian and this brand. It’s history that is now coming back to life with this project, and the tobaccos
On Prime Time Episode 382, Aaron Paoletta of LaVega Cigar Company makes his debut on the Prime Time Show. Aaron is a brand owner, a lounge owner, and also has ties to both the culinary arts and music. Tonight we will dive into Aaron’s world and learn about his journey and his brand. Plus, we will have our FSG Beef Question of the Night, Tabacalera USA Ties That Bind, Alec
Casa Carrillo is adding two new cigars to its Encore lineup with the release of Encore Noir II and Encore Edición Única II. Both cigars are limited editions produced exclusively for the company’s international distribution partners and are now shipping. Although both releases carry the Encore name, they take different approaches. Encore Noir II follows the original Noir release but uses a new blend rather than recreating its predecessor. The
Today we review the Fuente Fuente OpusX Forbidden X El Trece Magistral 13. This was a release by Arturo Fuente that was first seen at the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show. As with many OpusX cigars, there is some mystery surrounding the El Trece Magistral 13. We do know this is an extension of the OpusX Forbidden X line in a Belicoso size using aged tobaccos (the secondary
Manny Iriarte has announced that the second OpusX Society Cigar, Gold & Bullet, is now heading to retailers. Gold & Bullet has been a long-awaited follow-up to the La Edición De La Sociedad, the first cigar released from the OpusX Society. The cigar was produced in the Dominican Republic at Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia. The cigar comes in one size – a 6 3/4 x 50 parejo. A total
Cavalier Genève has announced the launch of its Project 10th Anniversary release, celebrating ten years in business. Founded by Sébastien Decoppet in Switzerland, Cavalier Genève Cigars initially partnered with third-party factories for production. Over the past decade, the company has expanded its operations by opening its own factory, Fabrica Centroamericana de Tabaco S.A. (FCT), establishing two warehouses, and now distributing its products in 60 countries. The 10th Anniversary cigar measures
Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust 10th Jubilee Today we review the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust 10th Jubilee. This is a cigar that was created to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, the venture founded by Steve Saka. Leave it to Saka to decide to call his cigar “Jubilee” instead of Anniversary. However, regarding this cigar, Saka has made it very clear that his approach to this project goes
On Prime Time Special Edition 193, we talk about the Fantasy Titans of Tobacco. Back in June, Coop attended the Tobacconist of Greenwich The Titans of Tobacco event. This brought together six leading factions/families in the cigar industry to raise money for Cigar Rights of America. These families were: Padrón, Fuente, Gomez, Melillo, Kelner, and Diaz. However there are many other families out there. Tonight, Bear and Coop assemble their