Rating: 8.2/10

Enjoyed: June 22, 2026

From Utah-based Apostate Cigars: an Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed Desflorado wrapper over a Connecticut broadleaf binder with Dominican, Mexican and Pennsylvania fillers. A mild-to-medium-bodied but full-flavored smoke that reviewers praise for razor-sharp construction and an excellent draw — roasted peanut and toasted bread with a touch of white pepper and an oatmeal-cookie sweetness on the retrohale. Offered in a Petite Corona (4½ x 44) and larger formats including a 6 x 52 Toro.

Excellent cigar. Even construction and coffee notes abound.

Rating: 8.4/10

Enjoyed: June 16, 2026

Crowned Heads' first new regular-production My Father collaboration in over a decade, debuted at the 2026 PCA show. An all-Nicaraguan puro with a corojo-seed wrapper over a double binder from Estelí and Jalapa and fillers from Condega, Estelí and Jalapa, rolled at the García family's My Father factory. Medium-plus bodied: the profile opens with pepper and spice before moving into cream, cedar and nuts, finishing with a clean, mint-like quality. Offered in Corona Gorda (6 x 46), Robusto (5 x 52) and Toro (6 x 54).

Fantastic new offering from Crowned Heads in conjunction with My Father. Creamy and woodsy (light wood, not oak but cedar and spruce). Fantastic spice (baking spice notes, not pepper) as well. Great draw throughout.

Rating: 7.3/10

Enjoyed: June 15, 2026

An oily Maduro-wrapped 5 x 54 robusto from El Septimo, the luxury house that grows and rolls its tobacco in Costa Rica; the binder and filler are undisclosed and said to undergo a lengthy fermentation. Marketed at medium-to-full strength with a smooth, consistent draw, the line trades on a rich, dark profile — leather, wood and spice with deep cocoa and chocolate sweetness. As a low-production luxury release with secret components, independent reviews are scarce, so detailed palate notes are limited.

Construction needed some work but draw improved throughout the stick. Flavors were deep and chocolatey. Not my favorite profile personally but those who enjoy it will really enjoy it.

Rating: 5.4/10

Enjoyed: June 7, 2026

A pale, smooth Honduran-grown Connecticut shade wrapper (Talanga Valley) over Honduran binder and filler — and, like every El Rey del Mundo, wrapped in tissue paper with the band applied over it. Sweet tobacco, bread, wood and raisin on the nose; a mellow-to-medium palate of cream, bread, chocolate, roasted nuts, cedar and light spice with vanilla and green-tea accents, turning more wood-forward in the final third. A woody finish with mild tannins and a touch of cinnamon.

Average flavor, subpar construction. Decent value though.

Rating: 7.6/10

Enjoyed: June 6, 2026

An Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper — medium-brown with darker mottling and a slight oily sheen — over a Brazilian binder and Dominican, Nicaraguan and Brazilian fillers, rolled at La Aurora in the Dominican Republic. Hay, earth, leather and sweet cedar on the nose; the palate opens with cedar, earth, grass, cinnamon and citrus, moving through caramel-cream sweetness, lemon zest and roasted nuts before leaning into leather, oak and sweet spice in the final third. A lingering finish of black-pepper heat with persistent cinnamon and wood.

Rating: 8.2/10

Enjoyed: June 5, 2026

A small closed-foot perfecto (4 x 49) in a thin, slightly toothy Cameroon wrapper over Dominican binder and filler. Sweet on the cold draw and early puffs — reviewers cite sugar-cookie and maple alongside cedar, earth and a touch of dried fruit. Through the body, cedar and wood, baking spice, nuttiness, light coffee and a little black pepper, the sweet-and-spicy interplay building toward the final third, into a medium, smooth finish of wood, nut and mild sweetness.

Great smoke for a short session. Exactly what you need when you don't have much time.

Rating: 8.1/10

Enjoyed: June 5, 2026

A smooth, lightly oily Ecuadorian Habano wrapper in a pale reddish-brown Colorado shade over Nicaraguan tobacco, made at Tabacalera Pichardo. Light hay, cedar and sweet tobacco on the nose; the palate opens with black pepper before settling into a lighter habano profile — tea-like and lightly floral with sweet-and-sour fruit, roasted nuts, coffee bean, caramel and cream over a baking-spice warmth. A medium, dry-woody finish with lingering pepper and toasted nuttiness.

Great daily smoke from Crowned Heads.

Rating: 8.0/10

Enjoyed: June 5, 2026

Ozgener Family Cigars' 2026 release, made at My Father's Honduras factory: a reddish-brown Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper over a Nicaraguan-and-Honduran double binder with Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers, in soft box-pressed sizes. A CAO Brazilia–inspired blend the maker bills as full-bodied and rich, with the Arapiraca leaf leaning toward espresso, cocoa, earth and pepper. As a fresh 2026 release, independent reviews are still scarce, so detailed palate notes are limited.

Still prefer Mil Días and the Las Calaveras line, but another excellent smoke from Ozgener.

Rating: 7.9/10

Enjoyed: June 4, 2026

A dark, oily Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler. Pre-light nose of musty barnyard, sweet cherry and birch beer with a touch of pepper; lighting brings out strong cedar and pepper. A rich, peppery maduro of black coffee, dark chocolate and cocoa, charred oak, earth and leather — creamy early and growing nuttier through the middle — into a dry, oak-and-pepper finish with an intense peppery retrohale.

Not as good as the natural.

Rating: 8.4/10

Enjoyed: June 3, 2026

A pale, natural Mexican San Andrés claro wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and Estelí/Jalapa fillers. Nose of roasted peanut, raw chocolate and tangy cedar; the palate opens with candied cinnamon and walnut, moving through sweet cedar, savory spice, cocoa, pine and black pepper, finishing earthy with lingering pepper and cinnamon at medium to medium-full.

Rating: 6.9/10

Enjoyed: June 2, 2026

Box-pressed, with a dark Mexican San Andrés wrapper over all-Nicaraguan tobacco (made by Altadis at AJ Fernandez's Estelí factory). A brief white-pepper opening quickly turns creamy, with dark chocolate and espresso over an earthy Nicaraguan core accented by cinnamon, black cherry and cedar.

Rating: 7.9/10

Enjoyed: June 1, 2026

Dark, oily Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper over Nicaraguan tobacco, made by the García family for Ashton. Cocoa, espresso and a notable black-cherry sweetness with mild paprika spice; through the cigar, dark and baker's chocolate, almond, espresso bean, cracked pepper and leather lead to a sweet, zesty finish.

Rating: 7.8/10

Enjoyed: May 31, 2026

Milky-brown, nearly flawless wrapper, often pigtail-capped. Toasts up with sweet tobacco and cinnamon; early flavors are creamy and nutty with cedar, leather, light white pepper, vanilla and cane sweetness, building toward full in the final third with ligero spice, oak, dark chocolate and black pepper into a tangy, lingering finish.

Rating: 7.8/10

Enjoyed: May 25, 2026

Smooth Ecuadorian Rosado Oscuro wrapper over Nicaraguan García-family tobacco. Nose of earth, cedar and faint cocoa with restrained pepper; the palate runs cedar, espresso, cocoa, leather, nutmeg and red pepper with a hint of raisin sweetness, building from medium toward medium-full into a long, spice-tinged finish.

Rating: 7.9/10

Enjoyed: May 23, 2026

The classic red-shield Dominican line: well-aged, medium-bodied, smooth and balanced. Natural and Cameroon versions lean toasty and nutty with cocoa, coffee, baking spice and buttery pie-crust, while the Broadleaf Maduro is richer with dark chocolate, licorice, almond and wood. Creamy texture and a velvety, lingering finish across wrappers.

Rating: 8.1/10

Enjoyed: November 25, 2025

Volume 02, a Michigan blend of roughly 12-year MGP bourbon and 12-year MGP rye at 54% ABV. Independent reviews are sparse; producer and retail notes describe the long-aged bourbon contributing vanilla, maple and oak with the well-aged rye adding spice and structure, for a sweet-and-spice balance at higher proof. Profile is provisional and producer-derived.

Rating: 8.0/10

Enjoyed: September 5, 2025

A bottled-in-bond Kentucky straight bourbon (100 proof, non-chill-filtered) using heirloom Turkey Red wheat as the secondary grain. Soft, floral nose of vanilla, sweet cream, cinnamon, oatmeal and brown sugar; a medium palate of buttery caramel, orchard fruit and cinnamon-white-pepper spice over medium oak, finishing soft yet peppery with grain, vanilla and burnt sugar.

Rating: 2.5/10

Enjoyed: July 31, 2025

An experimental single batch (~84 proof) macerated with around 42 botanicals, blurring bourbon and gin. Nose of lemon-lime citrus, juniper, coriander, marshmallow root and ginger; a syrupy palate oozing lemon over malted-grain sweetness with ginger cake, Red Hots, nutmeg and lime peel, into a shorter finish of black tea, floral botanicals and grapefruit.

Rating: 6.7/10

Enjoyed: July 19, 2025

A limited Seattle-made American single malt finished in a roughly 200-year-old oloroso "color cask," 100 proof. Nose of fermented dark fruit, aged molasses, charred oak and a savory soy edge; a palate heavy with stewed plum, raisin, black cherry and fig jam, browned butter and dark chocolate, into a long finish of prune, dates and cola syrup with a dry, nutty aftertaste. Distinctly fermented and polarizing.

Rating: 4.4/10

Enjoyed: June 27, 2025

A Privada Cigar Club exclusive (best matched to the aged CREAM "Chocolate" release) in a light, silky Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler. A dessert-leaning profile of chocolate ganache and vanilla cream up front, supported by cedar, sweet spice, roasted coffee, oak and nutty undertones. A club exclusive, so independent reviews are limited.

Rating: 8.0/10

Enjoyed: May 5, 2025

A single-barrel limited bottling with a soft, sweet, traditional bourbon character. Caramel and vanilla on the nose with a light herbal note and stone fruit; an easy-sipping palate of plum, caramel, vanilla and cinnamon bark, finishing medium with sweet caramel and cinnamon-candy. Barrel picks vary bottle to bottle.

Rating: 7.9/10

Enjoyed: April 29, 2025

Dixon Dedman's "Two Times Oak" Kentucky straight bourbon, ~104 proof. Fruity-then-spicy nose of strawberry, orange, vanilla, banana bread and charred oak; a viscous palate of caramel, cherry, toasted oak, cinnamon, allspice, cedar and white pepper, with a long, peppery orange-chocolate and barrel-char finish.

Rating: 7.6/10

Enjoyed: April 25, 2025

A batched blend of sourced straight bourbons, so the profile shifts by volume. Nose of vanilla, cinnamon and rye spice with red fruit, buttercream and oak; a palate of vanilla, brown sugar, rye spice, oak and a stewed strawberry-rhubarb note, into a medium-to-long finish of sweet, dry oak and lingering spice.

Rating: 7.1/10

Enjoyed: April 1, 2024

Buffalo Trace's bottled-in-bond Kentucky straight bourbon at 100 proof from a higher-rye mashbill. Nose of oak into caramel-apple, brown sugar, light cinnamon, molasses and vanilla; a syrupy, sweet palate of caramel and butterscotch with candied red and orchard fruit and measured rye spice, finishing on raspberry, slightly burnt caramel, gingersnap and peppercorn.

Rating: 7.8/10

Enjoyed: January 9, 2024

Wild Turkey's non-chill-filtered single barrel at 110 proof (a private pick). Nose of big oak, rich caramel and graham cracker with light smoke and leather; the palate balances vigorous rye spice and charred oak against caramel, toffee, vanilla, tobacco and assorted fruit, finishing on rye spice, dark fruit, tobacco and leather. Individual barrels vary.

Rating: 8.4/10

Enjoyed: December 22, 2023

Cask-strength blend of three ryes with a triple-cask finish (Madeira, rum and orange casks), ~60% ABV. Dessert-forward nose of dried fruit, caramel, citrus and chocolate-covered cherry; a rich, viscous palate of dark chocolate, cherry-cola, rum-soaked raisins and orange peel with little traditional rye spice, finishing long on cocoa and fruit-candy sweetness.

Rating: 8.4/10

Enjoyed: July 22, 2023

Heaven Hill's limited small-batch Kentucky straight bourbon at 15 years, ~109 proof. Rich nose of caramel, dark brown sugar, toasted oak, pecans, cigar box and leather; a mellow, viscous palate of maple, baking spice, seasoned oak, dark honey and plum/cherry, with a long, warm finish of baking spice and Luxardo-cherry fruit.

Rating: 8.3/10

Enjoyed: March 3, 2023

A high-rye MGP bourbon bottled at barrel proof (~120 proof) as a private "I-69" pick by Cardinal Spirits. Nutty nose with toffee and peanut brittle; a palate balancing orange-blossom honey, green apple, citrus and dried apricot with butter cookies and tea, into a long finish of honeyed cornbread, candied ginger, cinnamon and oak spice. Barrel picks vary.

Rating: 8.1/10

Enjoyed: March 3, 2023

A barrel-strength Tennessee whiskey single barrel (~125–135 proof). Heavy, sweet nose of candied banana, toasted marshmallow, deep caramel and toasted almond; a full, viscous, hot palate of banana-nut bread, maple sugar, vanilla, barrel char and cinnamon, into a long, drying finish of charred oak, wood spice and maple. Proof and intensity vary by barrel.

Rating: 7.5/10

Enjoyed: January 13, 2023

High-rye Kentucky straight bourbon (distilled by Jim Rutledge at Castle & Key), released as limited blended micro-batches. Nose of praline, orange peel, cherry, brown sugar and sweet oak; the palate moves from buttery brown sugar and toasted oak into rye pepper, cinnamon and stone fruit, with a long, evolving finish of caramel, toffee, clove and light tobacco.

Rating: 7.3/10

Enjoyed: August 23, 2019

Oily Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over Brazilian Mata Fina and Cubra leaf. Opens with chili-chocolate spice, leather, mineral and citrus, then a bright stretch of lime and pineapple often likened to key lime pie, settling into Brazilian coffee, caramel, cream and toasted nuts. Medium-to-full, with a warm, creamy, pepper-and-oak finish.