The Brown Leaf

The Arturo Fuente Opus X is unlike any cigar you will ever have. My first taste of this glorious creation was on my honeymoon my new bride had given it to me as a gift. She had been in Vegas and stopped by the Fuente store. Upon leaving the store she had this cigar and a wonderful knowledge of the tradition, history, and love that was put into this gift of heaven. The look: mine was a robusto and it looked like a supermodel in a magazine. Perfect curves, wonderful wrapper, and had this...

A very rich and strong blend of Virginia, Latakia, Turkish and Perique tobacco. A great 'baccy to relax the body and mind before settling down for the night.

A blend of Virginian and Latakia tobaccos from MCClelland Tobacco Co.

This review is concerning the new version of Bell's Three Nuns recently released again in the US. The original blend was Virginian and Perique tobaccos, this is purported to be a "...curly cut blend of dark fired Kentucky and sun cured Virginia tobaccos mixed with the finest Brazilian Lights..." I cannot compare to the original, as I have not tasted it. This blend, however, is enjoyable on it's own merits. Has a nuttiness, not as heavily bodied as an English blend, but...

Manufacturer: Lotus Product: Vertigo Briar Pipe Lighter Fuel: butane Ignition: flint Flame type: Soft, Angled This lighter is a "Corona Old Boy" knock off. So instead of $100 it's about $20-25. So far, it has worked well. Filled mine with Zippo brand butane fuel, and I haven't had any issues with the fuel. The flame adjustment isn't as smooth as it could be, but that doesn't bother me. It comes with a tamper/pick that slides out of the foot of the lighter, and...

Brand: Mario Grandi Available only on ebay from seller: Futurepipes these are all one of kind, supposedly handmade by one maker, and shipped directly from Italy. Bent egg shape, briar pipe, high glass finish, with a couple small blemishes (nothing that bothers me). The stem fits together tightly, and the bowl is large. Definitely able to pack 1 hour smokes if desired. Smokes well, slightly difficult to get a pipe cleaner all the way through, due to the bends and angles.

This is a straight stem bulldog shape from Savinelli. Unfiltered line of unfinished pipes, another affordable, yet quality offering from Savinelli. Acrylic stem (this one has a rubber bit on the end). This line will take the oils from your hands and darken over time, or can be finished and stained by the user if desired. Smokes well (a little hot), and a generous bowl size.

A very affordable tobacco pipe, from one of the very prolific pipe makers of today. A smooth, matte finish on the Duca Carlo line, in a variety of shapes. This is a 6mm line (can use the balsa system filters, or the included 6mm to 3mm tube to do without filters all together). These look nice, smoke well, consistent and great classic shapes. (image courtesy of smokingpipes)

Royal Yacht is a mellow blend of Virginian tobaccos in a ribbon cut. A very nice smoke with some nuttiness, some sweetness, a pleasant room note (not as sweet or fruity/cased as an aromatic), but a very unimposing room note. An 8/10 in my book. (image courtesy of cigarsinternational)

Size: Huge 7 x 70 Country: Nicaragua Wrapper: Candela/Habano Maduro Baber pole Strength: medium Construction: A little bit oily but had some pretty large veins in it. Flavor: I thought it was ok in the flavor department. There was the flavors that you would expect from a candela wrapper, earthy and hay/grass flavor. These seemed to get overpowered by peppery and chocolatey notes. Other thoughts: I had a rough time keeping the burn straight. I had to touch up a few times to...

Size: 4.9 x 46 Country: Nicaragua Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Strength: Medium/Full Construction: Smooth oily wrapper, with thin veins Flavor: Very light pepper. The pepper is pushed to the background as you start noticing a creamy sweet taste. It also has a bit of woodsy cedar to it. Near the end of the cigar I started getting more of a coffee flavor as the cedary, vanilla melted more into the background. Other thoughts: Cigar burned very evenly and did not need to be touched up...

A very fine English blend topped with French cognac. Esoterica has simply taken their premium Margate english blend and married it with cognac, but that simple process has produced one fantastic 'baccy. The backbone of the English blend (Orientals and Cyprian latakia) will appeal to even the most hardcore of English blend smokers, while the Cognac takes nothing away and adds to the experience, which will appeal to aromatic smokers. This blend is a great crossover for those who smoke mostly...

If you have $7 and want a full bodies cigar this is a good bet. The Oliva company produces some fine cigars and they did not let us down with this one. Vindicator by Oliva cigars are an all-Nicaraguan blend of triple-fermented Ligero and Viso longfillers in Habano-seed binders and wrappers. The stick is a full strength smack you in the face cigar at first with a mild pepper throughout. It brought out a bit of sweetness in the bold coffee I was drinking with it. It burned a little irregularly...

These cutters have blades hardened to a Rockwell C rating of 57, the result is the hardest, sharpest blade you can buy. The body retains the classic XIKAR shape and features a lightweight nylon fiberglass composite in an assortment of metallic colors and now, carbon fiber look and mesh patterns on black. Xi cutter blades are made of high quality 440 stainless steel with an HRC of 57. All Xi cutters are the same ring gauge: they will cut a 54 ring gauge cigar in half. Depending on how...

The Original Stinky Cigar Ashtray is made of highly polished solid stainless steel. The bowl is 8" diameter with 4-stirrups and 4" tall.

The Missouri Meerschaum Original Corn Cob Pipe is the ultimate all around pipe. It is the choice of the working man, outdoorsman, and avid adventurer. It is a pipe that smokes incredibly well and you don't have to worry about ruining the flavor of your pipe. For me I use this pipe anytime I am about to try an blend of tobacco for the first time. If it turns out to taste like gym socks I don't have to worry about ruining my good briars. It is a great way to get into pipe smoking since it is...

GL Pease Navigator Flake is a pipe tobacco made from red virginia and dark fired kentucky tobaccos. The virginia gives body to the smoke with a mellow sweetness, while the kentucky provides an earthy boldness to the flavor.

"A pure Virginian tobacco of a most unusual share of strength". This is a strong, sharp aged red Virginia blend that will perk you up quickly. Contents: Kentucky Virginia Perique

My first pipe was a Peterson system 314. I knew nothing about pipe smoking other than I wanted to give it a try. So I went to my local tobacconist, they primarily dealt with cigars but they had maybe a dozen bulk tobaccos, an approximately equal number of nice pipes in a glass case, and a smattering of tins. I spent some time handling the pipes and the 314 felt the best in my hand so that is what I got. I picked out some tobacco that smelled pretty and hit the road. I did ask for some...

Construction: This cigar has no imperfections, quite a smooth rich, reddish brown wrapper with an oily sheen with no hard or soft spots. In a ‘nut shell’…a very well rolled cigar and a ‘work of art’. Pre-Smoke: Very nice aroma and like with most other Cohiba cigars, you will be greeted with beautiful aromas each time you open your humidor. The aroma is soft and woody with a hint of roasted coffee bean. This cigar was a easy task to clip (which can be problematic with smaller cigars)...