Our cigars price comparison tool, CigarStash.com, has been updated to include even more retailers, such as Stogie Boys (check out the contest we're currently running sponsored by them!), Neptune Cigar, BNB Tobacco or South Smoke Shop. With this tool, you can easily find the lowest price on most cigars. With just a few days before Christmas and the New Year, this may come in handy.

>> Check out CigarStash.com <<

Recently, I read an article about Jonathan Drew that really got my gears turning. There are several stories out there about his rags to riches success story, but this particular one really hit home. It made me wonder what the next big thing in the cigar industry would be. Being as ambitious as I am, this sent me into an obsessive search for that hidden gem.

Over the next several weeks, I will be rating and reviewing several cigars and companies that you most likely have never heard of. The most important thing here is that they all have an obtainable product. Not only will I be evaluating each company’s line of smokes, but I will also be looking into the quality, obtainability on line, marketing materials, potential for growth, company vision, history, cool factor, and the ability to get this into your local smoke shop.

Here is a list of the companies that we will be looking at:

In advance, I would like to thank all of the Owners, Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Chairmen, and Sales Representatives that have helped me make this piece come together. It has absolutely been amazing how accommodating everyone has been. I certainly hope this piece will open some eyes and expand some horizons. It’s certainly affected my outlook on the industry. Stay tuned, and happy reading fellow Inspectors.

Those of you who are subscribed to our updates by e-mail might start noticing that their newsletter now looks a bit differently. Do not worry, this is normal - we are slowly switching our newsletter to another, better service. You do not need to do anything, we'll take care of moving all subscribers from the old provider to the new one. Why are we doing this? The updated newsletter will be more flexible, more reliable and, more importantly, will allow us to offer exclusive content (like contests!) to our subscribers. Hint: if you're not a subscriber yet, it's really time to get started!

Over 3 years ago, we launched our online cigar shops directory which was designed to rate different retailers based on customer reviews. Since then, it has considerably grown and has become the second most visited page on CigarInspector.com. We even had to implement a few security measures in order to counter abuse attempts. Our of curiosity, I counted the total number of user reviews currently available and was quite surprised to see that there are almost 1,000 comments! This is pretty impressive and I would like to thank you for your contributions. I hope that it has become a valuable tool in choosing a reliable cigar retailer.

This year has seen more smoking bans, more weird laws and more groundless statements about second-hand smoke. But, more importantly, this year has seen a lot of great cigar releases, cigar-related events and meetups. In my humble opinion, the balance is positive and it shows that brothers of the leaf are a strong community able to overcome all difficulties. I would like to wish a very happy New Year to all of you who supported the site by contributing, commenting and simply visiting. May the year 2011 bring you success and happiness.

After our first dual review of the Garo Aniversario, we thought it might be a good idea to post some more. After long discussions, we finally decided on what cigars will be reviewed. We are also very happy to have a sponsor for this venture, who provided the cigars. Three Cigar Dogs is a new company, established in March 2009 in Orlando, Florida. Three Cigar Dogs is dedicated to the average guys (and gals) who enjoy fine smokes, friendly establishments, good company, and great times. Feel free to check out their inventory and prices. Here are the cigar reviews that you can expect very soon:

• Graycliff Chateau Grand Cru (purple)
• Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story
• Ashton Aged Maduro #10
• Alec Bradley SCR
• Cubao Maduro
• Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur 1066

Stay tuned and happy Easter!

I've been receiving a lot of e-mails asking for an index that would allow visitors to easily search through reviews and, more importantly, sort the reviews by rating and by name. It has been on the to-do list for a while and I finally managed to dedicate some time to build one. The new index includes the cigar name, the origin, the reviewer's name, the approximate cost of the cigar and the rating. I think it's pretty slick. Please report any bugs & issues you might find and enjoy!

Check out the new index here!

Last year, we started posting short reviews of budget smokes, those that we keep for yard works and other not-so-special occasions. It turned out to be quite a good idea as we received a lot of encouraging comments and e-mails. Of course, we are going to continue the series in 2010. Here is the list of cheap cigars that we reviewed in 2009:

• Cigar.com Blue Label
• Corona Nicaraguan Selection
• Cu-Avana Maduro
• Don Tomas Clasico
• El Cobre by Oliva
• La Vieja Habana Maduro Bombero
• Oliva Serie G Maduro
• Padron 2000 Maduro
• Romeo y Julieta Mille Fleurs (Cuban)
• Quintero Londres Extra (Cuban)