I picked up a bundle of these from CigarInternational.com for just $29.95. To be sure, they are mediocre smokes, with average draw and poor burn quality. Taste is nutty and spicy, with a bittery aftertaste. Still, for the price–just $1.50 per stick–they are superb value-gars. I recommend having a few of these on hand for when your friends (who don’t normally smoke cigars) are around, or for when you’ve had too many brews to care what your gar tastes like.

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I picked up a bundle of these from cigar.com. They are supposedly from the very first batch of Greycliffs in 1997. They have aged very well and are fantastic smokes, despite the small ring size (32-26). With deep earthy tones, hints of licorice, perfect draw and decent burn, these are not to be missed. They do, however, burn a little hot and are expensive for such a small smoke.

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This is a solid cigar. Well made, and very strong. Flavor is spicy with a sweet aftertaste. Picked up a bundle of these on special from cigar.com. Not bad for a value cigar, but still nothing special, despite the “Miami” name–which is obviously supposed to mimic the Padilla Miami line. Recommended only on special.

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I recently got into “the Sopranos.” After dismissing it as dated and lame for five years, I caught one or two episodes on A&E this year. I decided to purchase the whole first season to avoid the extremely annoying (and long) commecial breaks. By the end of the fifth or six episode, I was hooked, and I bought all six seasons on DVD. During my mo-mega vacation this year, I watched every episode, cigar in hand. Every time Tony Soprano lit up his “macanudo” — which was quite frequently — I would smile, if only because the idea that a mob boss would smoke Macanudos, as opposed to illegally-smuggled Cubans, always seemed laughable to me.

There’s an obvious connection between cigars and the underworld that “the Sopranos” personifies beautifully. Cigar Aficianado recognized this earlier this year when they put the cast from the show on the cover of the June edition. And CAO, with its ever-savvy marketing department, recognized it too when they put out a “Sopranos”-themed cigar. To my knowledge, it’s the only TV-themed cigar ever made, which makes it a novelty, to say the least.

Being a novelty, I avoided it at first, much like the TV show. Then I tried one. It was good. Not just better than your average CAO–which is by all accounts a very good cigar–but arguably better than any other CAO out there. For me, this cigar rivals a Padron 1964. It’s just as flavorful, nutty, spicy, and it’s even more leathery. And, like the Padron 1964, it’s impeccably constructed–an area that has traditionally caused problems for CAO.

Alas, the TV show is over. Aside from waiting for the final eight episodes to come out on DVD, there’s little left of the Sopranos (hell, even the Emmys are over), save for the hope that HBO might put out a movie someday. Until that time, CAO has given the show a good legacy in this fantastic cigar. Yes, it’s expensive (still cheaper than a Vision), but its worth it, in my book. My only real complaint is that the band is difficult to remove–hardly something to “whack” someone over.

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I picked up two of these for my brother and me to smoke during our sister’s wedding extravaganza in San Diego last weekend. After a good Italian meal, and lots of alcohol, these were the perfect gars to have while we celebrated the occasion overlooking the water.

I’ve long been a fan of the Don Carlos line, and these definitely didn’t disappoint. While I overpaid for them due to poor planning ($14.99 at the local cigar shop, instead of $10.99 online), they were still worth it. Between these and the Padron 1964 Exclusivo Maduros we had the next day, my Brother and I agree that the Don Carloses were the better cigar– at least this time around.

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Avo Uvezian, a famed jazz musician and composer, is also a cigar lover. Hence the AVO Uvezian line. This ultra-smooth, silky smoke is made by Davidoff and is among the best cigars I’ve tried this year. Uber-nutty and woody in flavor, it’s long on the palate, with perfect draw and burn. This little guy lasted as long as a Toro or even Presidente for me. If you’ve overlooked this brand, I highly recommend picking up one of these cigars the next time you want something different. While they run for around 10-14 bucks at most cigar stores, you can sometimes find them for less, or just order them online. Cigar.com has then for just $7.80–well worth it for a cigar of this quality.

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