JULY / AUGUST 2024
Casino Royale p. 56
42
CIGARS RATED p. 41
Generational
TOBACCO
BAN p. 37
Surviving a
Cult p. 73
editorials JULY / AUGUST 2024
26 PERFECT PAIRING STAUNING RYE / JOYA DE NICARAGUA CLÁSICO ORIGINAL A group of whisky-loving friends in Denmark started from the ground up and built an award-winning distillery. We tasted their rye whisky along with the Joya de Nicaragua Clásico Original.
28 PERFECT PAIRING E. LÉON JIMENES 110 ANIVERSARIO RUM / LA AURORA 120 ANNIVERSARY After three years of research and development, at least that’s what they told their wives about the round the clock drinking and smoking, the team at La Aurora found the perfect rum to pair with their world-class cigars.
31 CASINO CIGAR LOUNGES Cigars and casinos, what’s not to love? We hit them at every chance, and while the field is narrowing as more casinos go smoke-free, here are some of our favorites.
37 GENERATIONAL BANS Not content to put in no-smoking areas in public places, anti-smoking crusaders have cooked up a new way to halt smoking. If they succeed, anyone born after a specified date of their choice will never be able to legally purchase tobacco, including cigars.
70 SEMINOLE HARD ROCK
73 MICHELLE DOWD Born into a religious cult founded by her grandfather and raised on a California mountain, Dowd has written an emotionally wrenching memoir of growing up in the wilds. She shares some outdoor survival tips, talks of her decision to leave as a young adult, and tells of her love of cigars.
8 | CIGAR SNOB | JUL / AUG 2024
JUL / AUG 2024 | CIGAR SNOB | 9
features JULY / AUGUST 2024
14 LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
16 FEEDBACK
18 WHAT’S BURNIN’
41 RATINGS
56 SMOKING HOT CIGAR SNOB HOUSE MONEY FEATURING CASA DE MONTECRISTO
78 X SCOREBOARD
80 INSTAGRAM SCOREBOARD
82 EVENTS 82 CARLITO FUENTE 70TH BIRTHDAY PRE-PARTY 84 CARLITO FUENTE 70TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION 86 AVO EXPRESSIONS VIP CELEBRATION AT RED ROOSTER ROOFTOP 88 LA FLOR DOMINICANA 30TH ANNIVERSARY CIGAR LAUNCH 90 CITY CIGAR LOUNGE 4TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY 92 SMOKE-ONOS CIGAR FESTIVAL 93 SKYBRIDGE EVENT WITH LA AURORA 94 GALIANO CIGAR ROOM 5TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY 96 COCKTAILS FOR A CAUSE AT RED PHONE BOOTH 98 DAVIDOFF TASTING EXPERIENCE AT SABOR HAVANA 10 | CIGAR SNOB | JUL / AUG 2024
JUL / AUG 2024 | CIGAR SNOB | 11
Casino
Cigar Lounges
Photo credit: Montecristo Cigar Bar
Montecristo Cigar Bar at Paris Las Vegas
THE WAR ON TOBACCO HAS CLAIMED BARS, RESTAURANTS, AND OUTDOOR SPACES AS SMOKEFREE ENVIRONMENTS. NOW THE FIGHT HAS REACHED THE DOORSTEP OF HISTORICALLY CIGAR
FRIENDLY CASINOS. SOME HAVE KNUCKLED UNDER WHILE OTHERS HAVE STEPPED UP TO OPEN UPSCALE HAVENS FOR CIGAR LOVERS.
BY ERIK CALVIÑO
ANTI-TOBACCO POLITICIANS TURN AUTHORITARIAN, PUSH GENERATIONAL BANS by Steve Miller AT HOME AND OVERSEAS.
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42 CIGARS
House
Money
FEATURING
MONTECRISTO 1935 ANNIVERSARY NICARAGUA
CASA DE MONTECRISTO EXCLUSIVE
Survival of the
fittest
Interview by By Steve Miller / Photography by Hemi Acharya Location: Pivat Cigar Lounge at Agua Caliente Resort Casino and Spa