Cigar Culture
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Cigars at Turmeaus & Puffin Rooms Liverpool with the Irish Guard Veterans Cigar Club
I love herfing with different cigar communities across the UK. This week I was invited to the Irish Guards Veterans Cigar Club — “Bearskins & Burners” — for their second cigar event (the first being in 2024) at Puffin Rooms in Liverpool, hosted by Mitchell Orchant of CGars Ltd. I’d heard a lot about this…
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The UK Aficionadas: Empowering the UK female cigar community
On Friday night, I had the pleasure of attending a cigar sampling event at London’s JJ Fox cigar merchant to celebrate the first year anniversary of the UK Aficionadas — a growing community of women passionate about cigars. The timing felt especially fitting as the celebration coincided with International Women’s Day, a moment dedicated to…
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ProCigar Festival 2026: Live Reporting
The ProCigar Festival 2026 takes place 17–20 February in the Dominican Republic, bringing cigar lovers together in Santiago for factory tours, tobacco field visits, exclusive releases and gala dinners. Hosted by ProCigar the Association of Dominican Cigar Manufacturers, it’s a full-on celebration of Dominican craftsmanship at the height of harvest season. I arrived on Saturday 14 February.…
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Attending my first international cigar festival: ProCigar Festival 2026 🇩🇴
This is mad — I’ve just arrived in the Dominican Republic after the long haul from London (via Madrid!) and I’m here for my very first international cigar festival: ProCigar Festival 2026 (17–20 February). Even writing that feels surreal. What started as simply reviewing cigars and visiting shops because I love the hobby has somehow led me…
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Exploring La Casa del Habano in Switzerland: A mini tour of Mendrisio & Lugano
Over the past year, I’ve visited more La Casa del Habano locations than ever before. You might remember my La Casa UK Tour, which included visiting newly opened locations in Sheffield and Long Eaton (Nottingham), followed by overseas visits to La Casa del Habano in Gran Canaria and Cyprus. So, when Massimo de Munari—whom I…
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Where to smoke cigars in Milan, Italy
As someone who regularly writes about cigar shops, sampling lounges, and cigar-friendly spaces, I get a steady stream of messages across email, social media, and WhatsApp. They usually follow the same pattern: “I’m in [this city] — where can I enjoy a good cigar? Any recommendations?”. That question came up recently in relation to Milan.…
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DeART Italy: Inside the factory where the world’s finest cigar humidors are made
Over the past few years, I’ve set myself a personal mission: to visit every single cigar shop, sampling lounge, and cigar-dedicated terrace in London. So far, I’ve explored and reviewed around 44 establishments across the capital – most people are surprised at how many there are in one city. Along the way, one pattern has…
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Celebrating 5 Years of London Cigar Smoker — Plus a Review of 2025’s Best Cigar Events!
Can you believe it’s been five years to the day since I started this blog? I honestly can’t believe it myself! 🤯 It all started on the 27th December, 2020, during the COVID lockdown. I was bored and wanted a new challenge, so I set myself a cigar challenge: to smoke one of each brand from the…
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Corita Cigars ‘Expairing’: Experience Meets Pairing
The more time I spend traveling and dipping my toe into the global cigar scene, the clearer it becomes how different the UK market is from what’s available elsewhere. Ultimately, what fills our humidors is largely influenced by importers and distributors, and with limited shelf space dominated by long-established legacy brands, it must be super…
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Cigar & Rum night at the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in London
Last week, I had the unexpected pleasure of attending a Cigar and Rum Night at the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in London, held as part of Dominican Week in the UK 2025. It was a genuinely memorable cultural event and an opportunity to learn more about the country’s traditions and craftsmanship. Walking into the Embassy I had never…
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An afternoon sampling cigars with Ash Hole Cigar Club UK
The UK cigar community honestly never fails to amaze me. The deeper I get involved, the more I discover these fantastic groups of cigar folk at all different stages of their cigar journeys — and it’s always a genuine pleasure to share a herf with them. I’ve had the chance to hang out with Cigar…
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The Rise of Kirby Allison
If you’re a cigar enthusiast who spends time online, chances are you’ve come across Kirby Allison. If you’re at the very beginning of your cigar journey, maybe not. An American entrepreneur and style influencer, he has built a reputation through documentaries and online content focused on men’s fashion, lifestyle, and craftsmanship. With over 844,000 YouTube…