The Perdomo family has a rich history in the cigar and tobacco industry that can be traced back to San Jose de las Lajas, Cuba.  Silvio Perdomo, the patriarch of the family, apprenticed with Cuesta y Cia. in the early 1930’s before leaving to practice his art at the H. Upmann factory from 1937 to 1945; and at the famed Partagas factory until 1959.  Things took a harsh turn for the family during the Cuban Revolution, and I highly suggest you read about it when you can since those events …

Padron… well, what more can I say after my last review on their 1964 Anniversary line?  They’re famous for their delicious flavor, outstanding quality, and unparalleled consistency.  They’ve regularly rated as good as or better than any Cuban made cigar, and many prefer them over Cubans.  Blasphemy, I know, but it’s the truth.  I’ve had a handful of Montecristo #2s and Romeo y Julietas that were Cuban made, and they were indeed excellent.  However, they varied in consistency depending on the year that crop of tobacco was grown, and I …

This is a continuation of The Last Smoke — Part 3
Marek steadied himself on the support bar in the elevator.  Where am I going now, thought Marek? He felt a detachment that he had never experienced before and couldn’t understand it. His rational mind knew that it could not have been Castro he was speaking with, but who was it? And how did get here? Was he hallucinating again?
A sudden bump brought him back to reality – or at least the one he was currently experiencing.  Marek turned around and found himself …

This is a continuation of The Last Smoke — Part 2
Marek leaned over the side of the bed where the voice had come and saw a polished black boot, like something a soldier would wear. He trailed his eyes up, crisp green army fatigues, an ammo belt, a beard – only one person looked that good in a beard. Fidel? Fidel Castro?
“Si, si,” Castro said. “ Now come my compadre. We don’t have much time.”  He reached for Marek, his fingers wrapping around the needle in Marek’s right arm. Marek stared with …

Macanudo, self-proclaimed as the top-selling cigar in America, is often maligned by the cigar blogosphere.  So when Macanudo released the Cru Royale this year, it was a bit shocking to see positive reviews spattered all about.  I received a dozen of these last month, and having gotten to my last two, figured it was time to write up a review.  Along the way, the impression of these cigars was quite variable, from the two over-humidified examples which only burned half-way, to the robusto which was so oily as to leak …

The film, Blue in the Face, is a strange sort of sequel. It’s a companion piece to the previously reviewed film Smoke, with both titles being released within months of  each other in 1995.
From every frame the film exudes this feeling that the project was a true labor of love for everyone involved, and it has a very collaborative feel to it. Which sounds redundant given that film is a medium that depends on a great many people to bring it to fruition. But in this particular case it’s very …