all images © fernando guerra the generous terraces and tall ceiling heights offer varying unites from studio apartments to triplex with unique layouts the façades of the towers is wrapped in tiles this is a nod to the historical context of the neighborhood where the portuguese were among the first to occupy the region the blue and white azulejos tiles is an homage to the artist athos bulcão and they continue to cover all internal facades this envelope brightens up and gives presence to the residential blocks greenery plays a central role throughout the scheme to encourage the image of the building emerging from a jungle ‘we have designed the arapiraca building integrated to its context with a striking and innovative presence,’ comments the partners at triptyque architecture the green density creates an image of an urban forest under the building the blue and white tiles reference the neighborhood’s history a ninth block holds the metallic footbridges and circulation the configuration of the apartments allow privacy equal to independent houses the metallic footbridges are made from perforated panelling entrance into one of the eight residential blocks arapiraca is located in the vila madalena district in são paulo project name: arapiraca site: vila madalena brazil project start: 2010 end of project: 2016 ground-floor area: 1,633 sqm build area: 8,000 sqm architecture: triptyque architecture team: carol bueno olivier raffaelli (partners); luiz trindade (general manager); bianca coelho e beatriz hipólito (projects manager); felipe alves (visual comunication); marcella verardo vinicius capela (architects) photographer: fernando guerra property developer: idea!zarvos landscape: rodrigo oliveira structure: gama z installation: tesis air conditioning: willem sheepmaker & assoc light: estudio carlos fortes waterproofing: proassp topographic survey: topografia.com base: portella alarcon elevators: atlas AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style First there was Macanudo Inspirado Orange. Then came Black and White, followed by Red Macanudo Inspirado will be getting a vibrant new color and blend: Green Covered in a dark wrapper from Brazil, Macanudo Inspirado Green is the first Macanudo made with Brazilian tobacco. According to brand owner General Cigar Co., the Brazilian Arapiraca cover leaf serves as the foundation of the blend which is also composed of an Indonesian binder and filler from Colombia and the Dominican Republic “Macanudo Inspirado Green mirrors the ethos of the Inspirado line by departing from the tobaccos that are traditionally associated with Macanudo,” said Steve Abbot Rolled in the Dominican Republic at General Cigar Dominicana Macanudo Inspirado Green is made in three sizes: Robusto They come in 25-count boxes and have suggested retail prices ranging from $6.89 to $7.69 Macanudo Inspirado was first released for the international market in 2014. It wasn’t sold in the U.S. until 2016, where it was rebranded as Macanudo Inspirado Orange for its striking orange band The upcoming Macanudo Inspirado Green will ship to retailers this August. For a vertical brand tasting of the entire line, see a future issue of Cigar Insider The Padrón family is conservative with new releases is still several months away but Quesada Cigars … Tatuaje Cigars’ Pete Johnson continues his experimentation on how different wrappers can affect … High scoring cigars that won’t break the bank this black ceramic jar holds 10 Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua … The initial site has since expanded to four cigar shops and Alexander’s daughter Rosanne and son Auston are also now part of the business with the entity soon to rebrand as House of CKC To cater to growing interest in New World cigars and feedback from customers that there was a growing gap in what Asian palates preferred the business has launched its own line of cigars “We conducted a small survey involving a sample size of 150-200 core customers in early 2023 to gain insights into their preferences regarding cigars,” said Rosanne Wong intensity level and key factors in cigar selection.” Complementing this survey research from long term sales data analysis and observation over the past 10 years the family business accumulated data from 50,000+ active members “Combining our survey results with a decade of customer purchasing data provides valuable insights into the preferences of cigar lovers in Hong Kong and the broader APAC region,” said Rosanne the retailer has released four cigar lines to cater to local palates with Alexander Wong leading the development of each is a toro sized medium-to-full-bodied cigar featuring a Criollo San Andrés Triple Maduro Wrapper with Criollo San Andrés and Viso Habano Nicaragua binder and fillers available in robusto and petit corona vitolas is a medium to full-bodied cigar featuring a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper with Dominican and Pennsylvania Ligero filler and Dominican binders The milder Knight robusto features an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper The Rook showcases a bold character and includes Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper Dominican Olor and Brazilian Mata Fina fillers and is available in a robusto and petit corona size Rosanne notes The Knight and The Bishop have been very well received so far while the King’s larger format resonates with customers with more time on their hands to enjoy a larger cigar Samuel Spurr has been Cigar Journal’s Asia-Pacific contributor since his first feature on the Australian cigar scene in 2006 he’s recognized in Australia as a cigar authority and frequently hosts cigar master classes Enter your email and join the global Cigar Journal family By pressing the ‘I AM OF LEGAL AGE’ button I agree that I am of legal age for smoking and drinking in my country Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website. Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us to understand how our visitors use our website. Content from video platforms and social media platforms is blocked by default. If External Media cookies are accepted, access to those contents no longer requires manual consent. Brazilian media reported on Saturday.Prison guards were surprised when they saw a white cat crossing the main gate of the prison A closer look showed the feline also carried drills batteries and a phone charger.All 263 detainees in the prison of Arapiraca a city of 215,000 people in the state of Alagoas which is being investigated by local police."It's tough to find out who's responsible for the action as the cat doesn't speak," a prison spokesperson told local paper Estado de S.Paulo.The cat was taken to an animal disease center to receive medical care.The incident took place on New Year's day but was first reported by national media on Saturday.Reporting by Walter Brandimarte; Editing by Vicki Allen Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved At this year’s IPCPR trade show, there were new cigars that had retail prices of $20, $30 and even one as high as $90 Seeing how the typical premium cigar retails for around $10 where does that leave the smoker who wants a $5 Royal Agio seeks to service this segment of the market with its new line: San Pedro de Macorís It’s a premium brand that retails from $4.75 to $5.50 Royal Agio also produces handmade smokes at its Dominican Agio Caribbean Tobacco factory in the town of San Pedro de Macorís The new brand is named after this town and comes in two wrapper varieties: Ecuador Connecticut and Brazilian Arapiraca The binder is Dominican and the filler is a combination of Brazilian and Dominican tobacco San Pedro de Macorís is offered in three sizes: Perla at 4 1/8 inches by 40 ring gauge ($4.75); Corona both varieties are made with Dominican Piloto Cubano from a ligero priming to prop up the cigar’s complexity Both cigar types are characterized as medium bodied So how did Royal Agio maintain premium quality and still manage to keep prices down “It was a tremendous challenge,” said Jaime Florez-Estrada vice president of marketing for Royal Agio Cigars USA “requiring years of development with high-grade premium tobaccos to create these final blends.” Founded in Holland in 1904, Royal Agio Cigars was started by Jacques Wintermans and is currently headed up by fourth generation Boris Wintermans. Last year, Royal Agio took back U.S. distribution of its cigar brands from Drew Estate The Brazilian-wrapped Macanudo Inspirado Green line, which came out in 2020 will have a plump addition next month when retailers receive the new Gigante the hefty smoke is the thickest in the line Macanudo Inspirado Green is defined by its dark which envelops an Indonesian binder and filler blend of Dominican and Colombian tobaccos the line is produced in the Dominican Republic at the General Cigar Dominicana factory Distributor General Cigar Co. cites market demand for the creation of the Gigante and says it will come in 20-count boxes with a suggested retail price of $8.29 per cigar General Cigar Co. is a subsidiary of Scandinavian Tobacco Group, the corporate giant that also owns online and catalog retailers Cigars International and Thompson Cigar When J.C. Newman prepared to renovate its El Reloj factory in Tampa three years ago someone discovered a stash of Brick House cigars in the basement The company says that those cigars are 10 years old they’re earmarked for release to retail members of the Tobacconists’ Association of America this May Dubbed Brick House Beginnings, these aged, TAA exclusives are coming in three sizes: the natural version of the Churchill, measuring 7 1/4 inches by 50 ring gauge ($9.60); and the Mighty Mighty at 6 1/4 by 60 ($9.80) in both natural and maduro The maduro version of Brick House is rolled with a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper while the natural has a Cuban-seed wrapper grown in Ecuador All three cigars will be available in boxes of 10 While Brick House is now made at J.C. Newman’s Nicaraguan PENSA factory, these early-edition Brick House cigars were produced at Tabacos San Rafael in Nicaragua before going to El Reloj for aging This release of Brick House Beginnings is limited to 330 boxes of both versions of the Mighty Mighty and 440 boxes of the Churchill Royal Agio’s Balmoral Añejo XO Lancero is back Officially called the Lancero FT Edición Limitada the cigar made its first appearance in 2016 when Royal Agio released it at the IPCPR trade show but production is limited to 500 boxes of 10 The lancero measures 7 inches by 40 ring gauge and consists of a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper Dominican Olor binder and a filler combination of Nicaraguan Dominican and Brazilian Mata Norte tobacco retailers with “priority given to existing Balmoral retailers.” Shipping starts this month Like the rest of the regular-production Balmoral Añejo XO line the Lancero is made at the Royal Agio Cigar Factory in San Pedro de Macorís Royal Agio is a family-run company based in Holland It manufactures and distributes both handmade and machine-made cigars throughout the world Diesel cigars are going from Bourbon to Sherry. As an addition to last year’s Diesel Whiskey Row will be launching the Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask on June 3 a line of cigars that contain tobacco aged in Sherry barrels Diesel Whiskey Row is produced in conjunction with Rabbit Hole brand Bourbon The original Diesel Whiskey Row cigars are made with a binder aged in Rabbit Hole’s Bourbon barrels while these new Sherry Cask cigars contain Brazilian binders that spent time aging in Rabbit Hole’s barrels that once contained Pedro Ximénez Sherry from Spain The intent is for some of the Sherry’s sweet character to influence the tobacco but this is not an infused or flavored cigar No Sherry or Sherry flavoring was added to any of the tobacco components Made in Nicaragua by A.J. Fernandez Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask consists of a dark at 5 inches by 52 ring gauge ($8.49); Toro we selected our rich and aromatic Pedro Ximénez casks for A.J to use in the tobacco aging process,” said Kaveh Zamanian “We knew they would lend a complexity to the blend.” For a vertical brand tasting of the new cigars Espinosa Cigars’ Laranja series is getting a new addition and it will begin shipping next month it’s named after the bluish glaze found on Portuguese decorative tiles and also refers to the blue hues that accent the new Laranja bands The Laranja Reserva Azulejo is made in Nicaragua by A.J. Fernandez at his San Lotano factory in Ocotál and is composed of a dark Ecuador Sumatra wrapper Brazilian Arapiraca binder and Nicaraguan filler from various growing regions the new brand comes in four sizes: Corona Gorda measuring 6 inches by 46 ring gauge; Robusto Grande This will be the third line in the Laranja series, which started in 2014 with the Laranja Reserva and was followed by the much darker Laranja Reserva Escuro in 2019 the company says the upcoming Laranja Azulejo falls somewhere between the original Laranja and the Escuro The new cigars will retail from $11 to $12.70 when they arrive to retailers in late August Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask is now available in a plump new size with a two-toned wrapper—and it comes in a barrel The limited-edition Gordo measures 5 inches by 56 ring gauge and is rolled with two contrasting wrappers—one dark Connecticut broadleaf and the other a lighter Connecticut shade—to create a barber pole effect they’re packaged in miniature barrels that resemble casks of Sherry The line is made for General Cigar Co. by A.J. Fernandez in Nicaragua and gets its name from the Brazilian Arapiraca binder a tobacco that’s said to be aged in Rabbit Hole whiskey barrels that once contained Pedro Ximénez Sherry from Spain Each barrel contains ten cigars and retails for $124.99 as the new Gordos are not available for individual purchase Although the wrapper is different, the limited Gordo is the fourth size in the Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask line, a brand of smokes that tends to rate well in Cigar Aficionado and Cigar Insider blind tastings Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask is an offshoot of an offshoot brand. When Diesel Whiskey Row came out in 2018, it was a spinoff of the Diesel line, which started out as a catalog brand. Sherry Cask spun off Whiskey Row last year For the second straight year, Fratello Cigars is paying homage to the Washington D.C metro area and Delaware with a quartet of limited-edition smokes he opted to create a tribute line because the first retailer to carry his cigars was located in Maryland and his headquarters are in Virginia Similar to last year’s release Virginia and Delaware—will get their own unique size of Fratello DMV is going one step further this year by giving each area its own blend While the binder and filler tobaccos for each Fratello DMV are the same with an Ecuadoran binder and a filler mix of Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos each DMV will be wrapped in a different cover leaf Delaware will receive a 5 inch by 47 ring gauge cigar enrobed in Brazilian Arapiraca leaf that will retail for $9.95 release (5 by 50) will be covered in Habano leaf from Ecuador and costs $10.95 Virginia’s limited-edition smoke (5 by 54) will be covered in Corojo from Ecuador and retail for $11.95 while the Maryland DMV (5 by 58) will be covered in Mexican San Andrés wrapper and cost $11.95 Each region’s cigar will come packed in 20-count boxes, and only 150 boxes of each will be released. The cigars, which were made at the La Aurora factory in the Dominican Republic First it was Spanish tobacco, now it’s French. When General Cigar Co. introduced the Macanudo Emissary España last year, it had the very unusual distinction of being made with Spanish tobacco The newest Macanudo Emissary continues General’s global pursuit for international tobaccos with French leaf grown south of Bordeaux we knew we had high expectations to meet,” says Matt Wilson with its incredible flavors and deep-rooted tradition of sophistication We were inspired by the richness and refinement that define French craftsmanship and set out to create a cigar that embodies those same qualities.” Like the España line, Emissary France’s blend is framed around the uncommon tobacco—this time some filler leaf cultivated in southwestern France from the Mugron River Valley. According to General, the varietal is based on a hybrid tobacco developed years ago in Paraguay. The remaining fillers are a combination of Dominican Piloto Brazilian Arapiraca and Connecticut broadleaf Holding them together are a Connecticut broadleaf binder and Ecuador Habano wrapper both of which (General says) have been aged for 10 years the cigars are medium-bodied in terms of strength The line is available in four sizes: Robusto measuring 5 inches by 52 ring gauge ($14.99); Toro For a vertical brand tasting of Macanudo Emissary France, see a future issue of Cigar Insider Read Next: Behike Breaks Record: Humidor Sells For Nearly $5 Million In Cuba the university has teamed up with Bocock Brothers for an … Trinidad Espiritu is preparing to launch its second series, this time with a focus on Brazilian tobacco. The Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 2 consists of a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and filler from Nicaragua and Brazil. It’s a follow-up to last year’s Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 1 which was made entirely from Nicaraguan leaf suggested retail prices will range from $9.90 to $10.90 per cigar All come in colorful, festive boxes of 20, much like the previous Trinidad Espiritu release Both will be produced and circulated throughout the market simultaneously Made in Nicaragua by A.J. Fernandez, this brand is a collaboration between Fernandez and Rafael Nodal head of product capability for Tabacalera USA 2 (just like all non-Cuban Trinidads) are owned and distributed by Altadis U.S.A. Warped Cigars is certainly keeping Tabacalera La Isla in the Dominican Republic busy. Its newest brand, Isla del Cocodrilo, (which translates to “island of the crocodile”) is being produced at the small factory in Santiago The term Isla del Cocodrilo is a nickname for the island of Cuba The reference is purely a sentimental homage Rather than sneak any Cuban tobacco into the cigar has created a three-country blend consisting of Nicaraguan filler two binders—one Ecuador Habano 2000 and the other Brazilian Arapiraca—and an Ecuador Habano wrapper According to Gellis, the wrapper was culled in the desflorado method, meaning that the flower of the tobacco plant was removed in the field. The method is also called “topping” and this results in the plant redirecting its energy back to the leaf rather than to the creation of a flower Isla del Cocodrilo comes in two sizes: Corona Gorda at 5 5/8 inches by 46 ring gauge While they’re not shipping until at least three months the cigars will be on display at this weekend’s PCA trade show in Las Vegas Read Next: Fuente And Padrón Begin Shipping Legends Humidor released a limited-edition belicoso called The Last Tsar in celebration of the company's one-year anniversary the cigar returns as a Churchill for a second run in celebration of a different occasion "It will be released on November 7, which is my birthday," Robert Caldwell told Cigar Insider "We are shipping about half to our retailers this week and we should be finished fulfilling shipments within two weeks of that We have two shipments of the product coming in." The cigar is draped in a wrapper that Caldwell calls a hybrid Connecticut Arapiraca maduro from the United States Binders and fillers are from the Dominican Republic "We are not disclosing the entire blend but the binder and fillers are 100 percent Dominican," Caldwell said The Last Tsar Churchill measures 7 inches by 47 ring gauge and will retail for $20 While the first release of The Last Tsar was made at Tabacalera William Ventura in Tamboril the latest addition to the line is made at the company's new factory Band and box art is emblazoned with an image of Nicholas II This article first appeared in the November 3, 2015 issue of Cigar Insider as General Cigar will be releasing a new CAO line with a wrapper three-size line should be reaching retailers during the first week of July Though Brazilian-heavy, this cigar is not a Brazilian puro as it contains tobacco from other countries as well “The easy thing to do would have been to make a Brazilian puro,” said CAO’s senior brand manager Ed Lahmann and it felt like we were just dialing it in Honduran and Mexican tobaccos in just the right proportions to add character The Mata Fina wrapper covers an Arapiraca binder And while there is Brazilian tobacco in the filler as well General has not disclosed proportions or seed types but did say that this cigar was blended to be medium bodied Made in Nicaragua at the STG Estelí factory measuring 5 inches by 52 ring gauge; Toro at 6 by 54; and a 6-by-60 Gordo Longtime fans of CAO cigars might remember the CAO MX2, a cigar that’s made with a maduro wrapper and binder, or “maduro times two.” The CAO CX2 followed the same concept For a vertical brand tasting of the CAO BX3 General Cigar's motorcycle-themed brand, CAO Steel Horse (an offshoot of its popular CAO Flathead line) is getting two smaller sizes this month at 4 1/2 inches by 50 ring gauge ($6.99) and Roadkill the cigars feature the same four-country blend as the previous two sizes of Steel Horse The cigars showcase a wrapper that General refers to as Connecticut Habano Grueso—a U.S.-grown varietal proprietary to the company The wrapper is complemented by a Brazilian Arapiraca binder blender and ambassador for General Cigar Co. designed the original CAO Flathead line to pique the interests of auto enthusiasts as car parts and pin-up girls are dominant themes in the branding of these cigars Rodriguez then developed Steel Horse as an answer to cigar smokers who were also motorcycle fans CAO Steel Horse cigars are not box-pressed but retain the original brand's hallmark flattened cap and head The motorcycle inspired smokes first debuted at the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers trade show last year and launched in two sizes As with the previous two sizes of Steel Horse both Handbrake and Roadkill will come packaged in individual cardboard coffins and ship in boxes of 18 cigars CAO Steel Horse is made in Nicaragua at the Scandinavian Tobacco Estelí factory General says the new sizes of Steel Horse should hit retailers later this month This article first appeared in the March 8, 2016 issue of Cigar Insider. The Padrón family is conservative with new releases, so a new Padrón is typically a big deal. The world’s most popular beer festival, Oktoberfest, is still several months away but Quesada Cigars … High scoring cigars that won’t break the bank, even after new tariffs go into effect. Part decoration, part humidor, this black ceramic jar holds 10 Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua … Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A cat carrying a saw and a mobile phone was “detained” as it entered a prison gate in northeast Brazil, Brazilian media reported today. Prison guards were surprised when they saw a white cat crossing the main gate of the prison, its body wrapped with tape. A closer look showed the feline also carried drills, an earphone, a memory card, batteries and a phone charger. All 263 detainees in the prison of Arapiraca, a city of 215,000 people in the state of Alagoas, are considered suspect in the plot, which is being investigated by local police. "It's tough to find out who's responsible for the action as the cat doesn't speak," a prison spokesperson told local paper Estado de S.Paulo. The cat was taken to an animal disease center to receive medical care. The incident took place on New Year's day but was first reported by national media on today. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies If you're headed to the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers trade show in New Orleans this weekend will be giving a preview of its newest CAO cigar brands—CAO Pilón and CAO Steel Horse Although each line is thematically distinct both blends were developed by CAO blender and brand ambassador Rick Rodriguez "Rick Rodriguez and Agustin Garcia [tobacco operations manager at General Cigar] developed Pilón together Rick developed Steel Horse on his own," Victoria McKee of General Cigar told Cigar Aficionado The CAO Pilón honors Cuban cigar tradition by featuring wrapper leaf that was fermented in a round pilón—a circular stack of carefully arranged tobacco leaf The company says this particular technique dates back to the 19th century "We have experimented with pilón fermentation for several years." Rodriguez said in a press release "It's a very labor intensive process and we took our time perfecting it We thought it was the right time to create a line around this classic technique because it does such incredible things to the tobacco." CAO Pilón is composed of a Cuban-seed Ecuadoran wrapper with filler and binder tobaccos from Nicaragua The cigar will launch in three sizes: Churchill at 7 inches by 48 ring gauge ($7.25); Robusto The second new cigar line is called CAO Steel Horse and it's a tribute to motorcycle fans in the same way that CAO Flathead was created with car enthusiasts in mind "We came out with Flathead in 2013 because the people I met at CAO events were always talking about cars when they weren't talking about cigars," Rodriguez said So we decided to come up with a cigar that would appeal to the guys and gals that are into motorcycles." Steel Horse is draped in a proprietary wrapper leaf that General calls Connecticut Habano Grueso and contains a Brazilian Arapiraca binder although it does carry the signature Flathead cap like the original line The cigar will ship in two sizes: Bullneck at 6 1/2 inches by 66 ($9.99); and Apehanger CAO Pilón and CAO Steel Horse are made in Nicaragua at the Scandinavian Tobacco Estelí factory Both brands should begin reaching retailers in August SAO PAULO (AP) — Guards thought there was something suspicious about a little white cat slipping through a prison gate in northeastern Brazil A prison official said that when they caught the animal small saws and other contraband taped to its body Alagoas state prisons spokeswoman Cinthya Moreno said that the cat was caught on New Year’s Eve at the medium-security prison in the city of Arapiraca The O Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper reported yesterday that all 263 inmates in the prison are suspects in the smuggling attempt “It will be hard to discover who is responsible since the cat does not speak.” released one of its most expensive cigars and limited cigars to date: The Last Tsar The 5 1/2 x 52 short torpedo was limited to 500 boxes of 10 distributed to the first 49 retailers who carried Caldwell’s new product It was made to honor the company’s first anniversary and used a “hybrid Connecticut Arapiraca maduro wrapper” with undisclosed fillers I did not particularly enjoy the cigar the first time around: the word “full” came up a few times—and there’s no question The Last Tsar lives up to that standard this is the fullest new cigar I’ve smoked this year particularly given the bang it starts out with flavor is what generally guides are reviews and for that This is a cigar for after a big meal and with a big spirit I’ve enjoyed my fair share of fuller cigars this needs a bit better harmony for me to designate as part of my after dinner cigar rotation I was going through one of my humidors and found a handful of the original The Last Tsar releases and decided it would make for an ideal redux According to Patrick Lagreid’s notes from the IPCPR Convention & Trade Show the new Anastasia is a follow-up The Last Tsar which seems interesting given the wrapper on The Last Tsar is noticeably darker than the Anastasias I’ve seen Aroma from the wrapper of the short torpedo is a mixture of dried sunflower seeds lots of cedar and some spicy meat mixture I cannot really identify It starts quite mild with a smooth cedar and some wet earth the draw is a bit too open for my liking at the start it develops into a mixture of smooth cedar some grass on the finish and a touch of pepper on the finish It continues quite similarly in the second third though there’s more creaminess and pepper There’s also more cedar and some bright lemon and pepper through the nose something I don’t particularly understand given the shape Smoke production is above average and The Last Tsar doesn’t seem to mind being pushed in terms of puff rate though I do make a quick touch-up within the first few minutes Strength is medium-plus for the first two thirds but right before the final third it begins ramping up to full much more reminiscent to the original The Last Tsars I smoked the cigar burned ridiculously slow taking me over two and a half hours I remembered three parts of my original review of The Last Tsar: it burned very slowly it was very strong and I didn’t particularly care for it Looking back at a more detailed assessment after I finished smoking the redux makes me wonder if I smoked the same cigar What I found after over a year in the humidor is a cigar that has a very nice progression and a bit of a surprise strength kick towards the end I’m glad I unexpectedly have a few more in my humidor I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros This article was published more than 12 years ago In this photo taken with a cell phone early Monday and released by Brazil's General Superintendency of Prisons of Alagoas (SGAP) guards hold a cat that has items taped to its body at a medium-security prison in Arapiraca A prison official says they caught the cat slipping through a prison gate with a cell phone small saws and other contraband taped to its body.General Superintendency of Prisons of Alagoas SGAP/The Associated Press A cat carrying a saw and a mobile phone was "detained" as it entered a prison gate in northeast Brazil Prison guards were surprised when they saw a white cat crossing the main gate of the prison All 263 detainees in the prison of Arapiraca which is being investigated by local police "It's tough to find out who's responsible for the action as the cat doesn't speak," a prison spokesperson told local paper Estado de S.Paulo The cat was taken to an animal disease centre to receive medical care The cat had often been seen coming in and out of the jail Prison officer Luiz de Oliveira Souza told the G1 news website that prisoners had raised the cat and that relatives would often take it home after a prison visit The incident took place on New Year's day but was first reported by national media on Saturday Report an editorial error Report a technical issue Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community. This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff. Non-subscribers can read and sort comments but will not be able to engage with them in any way. Click here to subscribe If you would like to write a letter to the editor, please forward it to letters@globeandmail.com. Readers can also interact with The Globe on Facebook and Twitter Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff We aim to create a safe and valuable space for discussion and debate If you do not see your comment posted immediately it is being reviewed by the moderation team and may appear shortly We aim to have all comments reviewed in a timely manner Comments that violate our community guidelines will not be posted UPDATED: Read our community guidelines here We have closed comments on this story for legal reasons or for abuse. For more information on our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines and our Terms and Conditions Two Guys Smoke Shop just received their order of the El Catador de las Petite Coronas The limited edition 10 count sampler of cigars features 5 blends measuring 4 x 46 Inside each sampler is 2 each of the following: For those curious the word Intemperance means lack of moderation or restraint The Look: The Intemperance EC XVIII Charity features and oily looking Ecuador Connecticut wrapper that is seamlessly rolled The wrapper is a little short revealing the binder at the foot which is by design on this line The white bands denotes Intemperance and in the back has the RoMa Craft logo The cigar features a well packed foot and has no soft spots It also has a very hefty weight for the size The Notes: The cold draw is smooth and buttery which a touch of earth While the foot also mimics the earthy aromas of wheat and grass there is also a hint of manure which many consider to be the ultimate compliment one can pay to a cigar On the start of the Intemperance there is a nice spice present that is especially noticeable on the lips Once you look past the spice there is a touch of wheat and an abundance of cedar present The retrohale of the cigar increases the complexity of the cigar In addition to the ramped up spice some honey notes evolve on the finish As we move into the second half of this Petite Corona the spice appears to tone down a notch and is no longer evident on the lips The earthy notes move front and center as the cedar slides into the background There is still a subtle sweetness on the retrohale that is dominated by continued pepper through the nose The Burn: You can’t ask for more out of a cigar I tend to make my cigars last a very long time and this cigar I was able to get over 90 minutes and had a nice thin combustion line that revealed a dark ash that turned light as it cooled The draw of the smoke was perfect and the cigar remained lit from first light to last puff The Finish: I was torn which cigar to review out of the box when I first opened it The Connecticut or the Arapiraca version of the Intemperance Obviously I went with the Connecticut and I wasn’t disappointed This wasn’t your grandfathers Connecticut nor was it David Garofalo’s Connecticut A full-bodied cigar that had enough subtleties going on to keep one interested I’ll be interested to try the Arapiraca later this week or early next week I bought one which this review came out of It’s a great little sampler and the price is right The Cigar Authority has a combined 75+ years in the cigar industry Our podcast is the #1 listened to cigar podcast in the world Join us every Saturday live on Facebook or YouTube at 12 Noon Eastern or download it anytime on your favorite podcast catcher.