Name: Diamond Crown Maximus Robusto

Country: Dominican Republic

Shape: Parejo

Size: Robusto (5 inches x 50)

Strength: Full

The end of the year is around the corner, and every day is becoming busier than the one preceding it. And colder, too. There’s a lot of work to do. But I’m trying to hang in there like I always do.

I’m not smoking cigars as much as I used to, but an occasional cigar is very much needed.

I smoked this Diamond Crown Maximus at an Italian restaurant. I paired it with Glenfiddich 12 and a good steak. Overall, it was a pretty decent cigar, and I wouldn’t mind burning another one soon.

Name: AJ Fernandez New World Virrey Toro Gordo

Country: Nicaragua

Shape: Box-Pressed

Size: (6 inches x 58)

Strength: Full

The New World cigar is not new to me. I was introduced to it a few months ago, and I’ve grown to love it. It’s a full-bodied cigar that is near perfect. It has no weaknesses. Great draw, great notes, even burn, and lots of beautiful smoke. There’s nothing to complain about. Sometimes, when I’m smoking, I ask myself, “What would make this cigar better?” But nothing can make the New World Virrey better simply because it’s already amazing. It’s something to fall in love with.

Name: Liga Privada 10 Aniversario

Country: Nicaragua

Shape: Parejo

Size: Toro (6 inches x 52)

Strength: Medium to Full

What can we pair cigars with? For starters, you can pair your cigar with all sorts of beverages: coffee, rum, champagne, and whisky are but a few examples. You can also pair your cigar with food. I know a lot of people who enjoy their cigars with desserts, chocolates, and even red meat. But have you ever met a man who paired his cigar with another cigar? Very likely, your answer will be no. But I’ve been down that path on many occasions, my friend. I promise you this: One can get drunk enough to smoke two cigars simultaneously. I even have pictures of it. However, that’s not the reason why I’m writing this down today. There’s another thing you can pair your cigar with. That thing is music.

I smoked the Liga Privada 10 Aniversario at a cigar lounge surrounded by friends. It’s an excellent cigar. With it, I had espresso and sparkling water. But all the time I was smoking it, I was thinking of only one thing. I wanted to be alone, listening to Arctic Monkeys’ “Sculpture of Anything Goes.” I wanted the smoke flowing from my lips to turn into… song. I longed for the solitude a song provides.