CigarCraig's Blog

September 6, 2026 · 10:20 am

Tradecraft Azorian, Asylum 13 and Lars Tetens Cigars

It’s Labor Day weekend here in the US, the last official weekend of summer. It’s been a weird summer (again) and has gone by too quickly. Today is looking like it will be a beautiful day as I sit on my porch writing this enjoying a La Sirena LT, one of my favorite shade cigars. It won’t be long before it won’t be comfortable enough to do this! Summer still has a few more weeks left, I am going to try to make the best of it! Anyway, I smoked a few cigars this week, as usual! First up is the Tradecraft Azorian toro, which is 6″x 52. This cigar is blended by Rob Blumenthal and Wiber Ventura and manufactured at Ventura’s factory in the DR. It has a high priming Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, a Sumatra binder and the filler blend is PA Ligero, Ecuadorian Habano 2000 Ligero, Corojo Ligero and Criollo 98′ seco. On paper it seems like it would be a strong cigar, but I didn’t find it to be anywhere near as strong as the Room 101 17th, for example. It did have a lot of flavor, which I characterized as a warm spiced bread with some sourness. I admit that many cigars from the Ventura family don’t fit my preferences, and this, sadly, was one of them. So far, after a very limited sampling, the Gladius is up my alley. Next week I’ll get to the Vitruvian. Because it wasn’t my thing, doesn’t mean it’s not a really good cigar, burn and draw were perfect, and I enjoyed it for what it was.

I found a lonely Asylum 13 robusto in the humidor, and I couldn’t find anything on my own site about it, so I figured I’d throw it in here. I had a crazy day on Friday, having to do a couple of emergency deliveries at work (I’m not typically a delivery guy, but Veterans needed their medical equipment, and it fell to me to handle things, so I handled things. Anyway, what better cigar to wrap up the day with than an Asylum 13. Honestly, of the cigars that Christian Eiroa has put out after selling Camacho, the Asylum line is the only one I really like. They are priced OK, and suit my preferences, in reasonable sizes, that is. This one was a 5″ x 50, and its a Nicaraguan puro. It’s sweet and earthy with some cocoa and espresso. Right up my alley. This line comes in a lot of sizes, from a Lancero up to a 8″ x 80. I probably would try the 70 ring, but I can’t see smoking an 80. I really enjoyed that cigar, a little time in the Asylum took the crazy out of my day!

Lars Tetens passed away this week. He was a wild dude, I only met him once about 11 years ago, even though he (I believe) lived an hour or so north of me. My earliest memories of visiting a local cigar shop in the mid-90s is of Lars Tetons (Phat) cigars being displayed by themselves in the humidor. They had an odd aroma, and it turns out that Lars pioneered the process of infusing botanicals in cigars, which I believe were originally made at the Martinez factory in NYC. I’ve heard him interviewed and to hear him tell it, he started in the cigar business when he was six or seven years old, not long after losing his virginity. (look up his KMA interview, nevermind, I did it for you!) He was a wild story teller, and I’ m not even sure any of that was possible. He was certainly an entrepreneur. He may have been overlooked if Alan Ruben of Alec Bradley cigars hadn’t partnered with him briefly in 2019 and put him back on the map if briefly. He was very nice to me when we met, and gave me a handful of cigars, the last of which I smoked yesterday. The fact that he was around my age (a little younger) disturbs me greatly. The cigar was a Limited Edition 1980, for which I can find no information. I think he told me when he gave it to me that he had rolled it himself in 1980, which I dismissed as marketing hype at the time, but it’s completely plausible given it was Lars Tetens! All I really know is that the cigar had been in my humidor for the last 11 years, and it had a rustic look. If the cigar had any of Lars’ “conditioning”, as he called his infusion process, it had long since faded, as it had a nice sweet tobacco flavor. It was a Churchill, but burned fairly fast, I think it lasted around 75 minutes. It was actually very good, but I imagine it is a unicorn that I will never see again (I searched, can’t find any mention of it). I have smoked very well aged cigars before, and this was definitely one of them! RIP Lars, you’re contributions to the cigar industry, while nontraditional, are significant.

That’s all for today, until the next time,

CiagrCraig

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San Cristobal Golden Hour, Room 101 17th and Crowned Heads Moonflower Cigars

I’m a sucker for a Churchill size cigar, so whenever I see one, it’s sure to come home with me. This was the case when I was out looking for some new subject matter, and I saw the San Cristobal Golden Hour in that size. Honestly, I would have bought a toro, as I was interested in trying it, but the Churchill is a bonus. This one is 7″ x 49, a little fatter than a traditional Churchill, and has an Ecuador Habano Rosado wrapper, with Binder and Filler made up of Nicaraguan tobaccos grown on García family estates in Estelí, Jalapa, Condega, and Namanji. This is the first I’m hearing of Namanji, it turns out it’s a high altitude growing region 18 miles east of Esteli. This is a beautiful cigar, and the burn and draw were perfect. It started with a lot of spice, which continued throughout the smoke. I liked it.

Because Room 101 Cigars started the same year as CigarCraig,com, 2009, I generally pick up the yearly anniversary cigar, this time it’s the Room 101 17th Anniversary. This has a Nicaraguan wrapper, binder and filler made at the AJ Fernandez factory in Esteli. The size is 6″ x 52. This cigar challenged me. I feel like lately either I’ve been smoking strong cigars, or cigars seem to be affecting me differently lately. This might be the strongest cigar I’ve smoked in recent memory. It was heavy, with espresso and pepper. Perhaps I need to adjust my methods, I will generally smoke to the nub, but maybe, like with this one, I need to put them down around the band. It wasn’t Cornelius and Anthony Mistress, hugging porcelain strong, but I definitely felt it. The 15th might be my favorite, this is good if you like a strong cigar!

Yesterday not only marked the 17th anniversary of CigarCraig.com, but it was also my birthday, so after a fun morning of Rhythmic Mindfulness at Longwood Gardens, I sat down with a very old Opus X Belicoso. You plume deniers can say what you want, but this one had a dusting of plume. It did, not arguing that it’s all mold, crystallization of oils on a well aged cigar just makes good sense. It was really good, although I prefer the Fuente Añejo over the Opus. Later on I smoke the Crowned Heads Moonflower. Like the San Cristobal, this is also a My Father produced cigar, and uses a dark Corojo wrapper grown in Numanji! It also has a double binder from Estelí and Jalapa and fillers from Estelí, Jalapa, and Condega. This one was also spicy, but had a hint of sourdough that I enjoy getting in a cigar. The blue bands are really nice looking. It capped off a really nice day.

I’m off to get some grass cut. That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as 17th Anniversary, cigar, cigars, Crowned Heads, Golden Hour, Moonflower, Plume, Room 101, San Cristobal

August 23, 2026 · 9:29 am

Black Label Trading Co., Avo and Tradecraft Cigars

In addition to actually getting to an event this week, I went out and procured some new-to-me cigars, which happen to be pretty new cigars to the market. First up was the Black Label Trading Co. Bishops Blend. This is a barber pole style cigar with wrappers of Ecuador Maduro and Connecticut Broadleaf, with an Ecuador Habano binder and Nicaraguan, Connecticut and PA Broadleaf fillers. The PA Broadleaf in the filler strikes me as funny, as I just saw a video on Facebook where a small, boutique cigar brand owner states that in 26 years in the business he hasn’t seen any cigars with PA broadleaf in the filler. I smoked at least three, maybe four this week from three different factories in two countries. He should take that video down, it’s just embarrassing. Anyway, I smoked the Corona Larga, which is 6¼” x 46 with kind of a pointy head, like a bishops mitre, maybe? This was a stellar cigar, very rich with a sweet cocoa, as well as some of the earthiness of the PA Broadleaf. The two broadleafs were definitely evident in the blend, and complement one another.

Next up was the new Avo Expresivo in the 7″ x 48 Churchill size. I think Churchill is my second favorite size after the toro. This is the first Avo cigar made in Honduras in the same factory that makes Camacho cigars. The blend is a wrapper from Ecuador, binder from Honduras, and fillers from Honduras and Nicaragua (Jalapa and Condega). I think this is the strongest Avo I’ve ever smoked, but, for some reason, lately I’ve been more sensitive to nicotine for some reason. I’ve been smoking cigars for 30 years, and consuming tobacco for longer than that, but everything seems strong to me as of late. Maybe it’s the warm weather? I never noticed it in years past. Weird, right? Anyway, This Avo comes out in what would have been Avo Uvazian’s 100 birthday year, yet somehow the folks at Davidoff didn’t make a celebratory cigar for the occasion, and this one is a core line. It’s good, very good. Lot’s of pepper to start, and it had a rather loose draw, so I smoked it slowly like I would a lancero, so as not to overheat it. It has some cocoa and nuts after the spicy start. I liked it, although I stretched outside of my normal price range to pick this one up.

Yesterday I went to the Wooden Indian in Havertown, PA to their event celebrating Great Cigar Reviews tenth anniversary. Jim. was there recording a podcast for the couple of hours I was there, and the event featured brand owners from Tradecraft and All Saints cigars, as well as Rami from Espinosa. I spoke with Micky from All Saints quite a bit, he called me “huge” several times, as is his way. He shared a prototype of his new cigar which I can’t remember if I’m allowed to talk about, but it’s named for Jesus’ Abuela ;-). Anyway, I picked up a few of the Tradecraft cigars, and smoked the box pressed Gladius belicoso while I was there, and the toro later that evening. Wiber Ventura blended the cigar, and he was there too, and I got to speak with him for a bit. The Gladius has a San Andres Maduro (Turrent) wrapper, Sumatra binder and the fillers are PA Broadleaf Viso, PA Ligero, Criollo 98′ Ligero (not sure where this is from), and Ecuadorian Habano 2000 Viso. These are also potent cigars. The strength of flavor (and nicotine) is on the high side. Here is another cigar that has PA Broadleaf in the filler blend (I had a CroMagnon earlier in the week that also has PA Broadleaf, although I think it’s just the wrapper, but there might be some in the filler as well). There’s a lot going on in this cigar, cocoa, earth, espresso…all the stuff I like. If you want the box press, which is more potent than the toro, I believe Wiber said there’s more PA tobacco in the blend), it’s only available at the Wooden Indian for now. I wasn’t aware that Rob Blumenthal was local, operating the Tinderbox in Haverford, PA. I was aware that his father at one time owned Villazon that produced Punch and Hoyo de Monterrey cigars, before it was purchased by Consolidated Cigars, which is now General Cigars. I have to go visit the Haverford Tinderbox, I haven’t been there since shorty after they opened 30 years ago!

It was a really good cigar week, which I need because I’m getting bummed about summer coming to an end and I haven’t been able to take as much time off as I’d like. Anyway, that’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Avo, Bishop's Blend, Black Label Trading Co., cigar, cigars, Expresivo, Gladius, Great Cigar Reviews, Tradecraft, wooden indian

August 16, 2026 · 9:28 am

Blackbird Glitch, Artista Colorado and Ferio Tego Metropolitan Cigars

I found a few more cigars in the pack from Smoke-Onos that I hadn’t smoked before and gave them a go this week. First up was the Blackbird Cigars Glitch Habano. This was a 5″ x 50 robusto with a Habano wrapper, Mexican binder and American and Dominican fillers, not that their website was any help with that info! Originally, the Glitch cigars came about because of a mix up at the factory. The fact that there are Glitch line extensions makes me wonder about that, but I guess they just made tweeks on the original “mistake”. These are very attractively priced, around $7 in PA, and I was quite pleasantly surprised with the experience. The flavors were interesting, what I would call exotic spices, and the burn and draw were perfect. This was a really good cigar.

I ended up with a few cigars from Artista, this one was the Colorado. The barcode label on this was wrong, it was for a Cimarron Maduro, but the band clearly said Colorado. I want to try the Cimarron one of these days. I spent a couple really nice weeks backpacking near Cimarron, New Mexico back in 1981, good memories. Not that I haven’t a good time in Colorado, but in this case it refers to a color, not the state. This 5″ x 54 robusto has a very interesting blend. It has an Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper, Ecuadorian Sumatra binder and Central American, African & Caribbean Proprietary Tobaccos in the filler. It’s a good looking cigar, like it’s name implies, it’s a ruddy, reddish brown, very appealing. This was another cigar with interesting flavors. I think there was a hint cayenne, along with some chocolate. I found it quite entertaining. This is another sub-$8 cigar that’s definitely worth a try. Now to hunt down a Cimarron.

Last up is the Ferio Tego Metropolitan Connecticut, in a 6½” x 52 torpedo vitola. This is a classic Dominican shade cigar, it has a Connecticut wrapper with Dominican binder and fillers. I believe it’s made by the Quesada family. The Metropolitan brand was acquired from Altria when the shut down the Nat Sherman cigar operations, so it’s possible that you could run across Metropolitan by Nat Sherman somewhere, but its been a few years, so that’s becoming less and less likely. I’ve smoked some Metropolitan cigars in the past, but not a great many, this is the first Connecticut I’ve had. I just checked, and I have a Connecticut toro in the humidor with a Nat Sherman band (along with a VIP selection that I picked up at the townhouse many years ago). Anyway, I enjoyed the cigar, it had the bready, woody, creamy flavors one would expect. I want to say these can be obtained for around $10, so this whole blog post has featured what are now considered value cigars.

I wanted to fly someplace interesting this weekend to smoke some cigars, but Frontier wasn’t cooperating. I used to be able to find morning flights, with evening return flights, but now it’s not so easy. Suggestions are welcome. That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Oz Family Maracana, Illusione Original Documents and La Sirena Original Cigars

I stopped in a local shop Tuesday evening to meet up with someone who never showed! I guess I’ll catch up with him the next time he’s in town. Anyway, I picked up a couple cigars, the first of which is is the Oz Family Cigars Maracana in the gordo size. This is the newest cigar from Oz, so new it’s not even on their website! Of course, Oz Family Cigars is Tim Ozgener’s brand, and this Maracana is his return to Brazilian tobacco. You may remember hi from such hits as the CAO Brazilia! Ozgener is the O in CAO for those who didn’t know. Anyway this cigar is made at the My Father Factory with a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper, Honduran and Nicaraguan double binder and fillers from the Talanga Valley (Honduras) and Garcia-managed farms (Nicaragua). The gordo is 6″ x 60, and I chose it for the reason most people probably choose this size, it seemed like the best value, and I am not anti-60 ring. I admit, I rather like them. This was a delicious cigar, not anything like the aforementioned Brazilia, which is heavy and dark. This is a bright, citrusy cigar which was very refreshing on a warm evening. The ash on this cigar was stunning, if I posted a picture I’d be accused of using AI. Burn and draw were great, flavor was delightful, and I may have to go grab a toro to try. This cigar was another cigar that pays homage to the 2026 World Cup, so I was late to the game, as usual. Good cigar, not stupidly priced and recommended.

Another cigar I picked up was one I am sure I have smoked, but it’s been a long time and packaging has changed, so I figure I’d include it here. The cigar is the Illusione Original Documents Maduro in a toro size, which they call a gordo, it being 6″ x 56. I call that a toro, but everyone is free to call cigar sizes whatever they want. The Original Documents line comes with paper sleeves, the Maduro is black, and has no markings on it, save for the barcode. When one finally peels this paper sleeve off, and it caused me some aggravation doing so, I found a beautiful cigar with a new, rather ornate and well done, band. This had me scratching my head. Why design new bands, and hide them? On the store shelves, the only way one knows the cigar is by the box, which I think would look much better with a clear cello sleeve, showing the beautiful cigars. I would have thought a brand owner with a retail background would get this right. Obviously, my opinion. The cigar has a San Andrés wrapper with Nicaraguan binder and fillers and is made at the San Lotano factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua. This is a delicious chocolaty cigar! I spent about two hours smoking this and enjoying the cocoa goodness. I’ve been fortunate to smoke some great cigars lately!

I had another cigar slotted for this spot originally, but after I smoked this cigar last night, I decided that it needed to be addressed. It’s no secret that one of my favorite brands over the last 14 or so years has been La Sirena, a small, boutique brand that started out as a Miami Cigar and Co. brand. Eventually Arielle Ditkowich took the brand private and made it a family brand, with her father, Danny, handling a lot of it now. Originally what’s now known as the La Sirena Original was made at the My Father factory, then production moved to La Zona, and now it’s made at Tabacalera La Isla. I absolutely loved the La Zona blend, it’s amongst my most smoked blends over the years, and I was nervous when Danny told me he was making the change. I made sure I had a box of the Tridents put away before the change. I wasn’t concerned about the quality of cigars out of La Isla, the Mexican Mermaid which is. made there, is another favorite, I was concerned it would be different. I smoked a 6″ x 52 Toro last night and I see a box in my future, it’s better than the previous iterations! Holy crap was it good. There’s the undertone of sourdough that I love in the previous blend, it’s subtle, but there’s a rich, creamy sweetness that was delicious, and I considered lighting a second one when I finished! Sorry the other cigar got bumped, but I couldn’t not share the new blend La Sirena experience that I had. The three core lines continue to be in my top cigars, and I still have some unicorns in the humidor, including some of the My Father Tridents (Churchill). Smoke this brand with confidence!

Funny enough, I pasted this into CoPilot to proofread, and it came back with this: “Your write‑up already reads like a fully formed CigarCraig installment — lively, detailed, and anchored in the kind of factory‑level nuance you’re known for.” I’ll take that as a compliment from the AI. That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig