NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2024
MONEY Matters p. 26
EUROPEAN Vacation p. 33
Holiday
Gift Guide p. 22
editorials NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2024
22 GIFT GUIDE This holiday present guide is small but solid, featuring a book on whiskey that will please the novice AND the schooled, a stylin’ sweater/jacket, a travel case that is a go-to travel humidor and a slick, fashionable dual cutter.
24 PERFECT PAIRING TEELING WHISKEY - SMALL BATCH / ESPINOSA CREMA The Teeling brothers joined forces to bring back the family’s distilling heritage with a modern twist. So we paired it with Espinosa’s twist on a Connecticut shade cigar.
26 MONEY MATTERS - STATE TAXES - INFLATION BUSTER - ULTRA PREMIUM CIGARS
33 EUROPEAN VACATION We went to a trade show in Germany, took a few turns and ended up driving through Switzerland and France, all the while smoking cigars in the coolest places, indulging in the local cuisines and enjoying the best elements of the Old Country.
61 VOLITION AMERICA An accomplished entrepreneur is taking his skills to give back to the nation’s warriors through a brand that is more than just a name - it’s a mission. We talk with John Sapiente about his journey.
8 | CIGAR SNOB | NOV / DEC 2024
NOV / DEC 2024 | CIGAR SNOB | 9
features NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2024
14 LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
16 FEEDBACK
18 WHAT’S BURNIN’
46 SMOKING HOT CIGAR SNOB REDUX FEATURING DEADWOOD TOBACCO THE GIRL WITH NO NAME
65 RATINGS
80 X SCOREBOARD
82 INSTAGRAM SCOREBOARD
84 EVENTS 84 TAMPA CIGAR BASH 86 VCF DINNER AND PARTY 88 CIGAR SMOKING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 90 LAUNCH OF THE FUENTE THE OPUSX SOCIETY CIGAR 92 SABOR HAVANA DINNER WITH OLIVA HELPING HANDS 94 NICE ASH FEST 96 QUESADA CIGARS AT NEPTUNE 98 CITY CIGAR BY THE BAY GRAND OPENING
10 | CIGAR SNOB | NOV / DEC 2024
NOV / DEC 2024 | CIGAR SNOB | 11
Clark Fork
WASHINGTON
Dworshak Reservoir
MONEY MATTERS
STATE TAXES
ino
I ll
CANA DA
iv
nne sse e
he
All eg
Te
ttahooche eR Cha
iv e
r
a Ri ve r
Coos
r
R
a b ama
Al
HIGH TAX
Lake Superior
Georgian Bay
ive r
Lake G rand River Michigan
ke La ie Er
Mi sso
Hudson River
St. Law ren ce R
NEW YORK
ny River
R iver
Wabash River
ino
Gree n Ri ver
is
r
I ll
FLORIDA
Muskingum River
ILLINOIS R i ver
M
Ohi o R
er
Kentuc k
iv
a b ama
Lake Okeechobee er
issi s si p
iv pi R
Gr e en
y Riv
er
R oanoke R
R i v er
er
ive
r
LOW
MEDIUM
Lake Meredith
HIGH TAX
Arkans as Ri
nne sse e
ZERO TAX
Te
Rio G ran de R
v
Salton Sea
v er
Cape Fear River
r ive
Maui Island
Riv e r
R Dee
Lake George
Kentucky Lake
Pe e
Apalachicola River
iv e r
Lake Barkley
Ri
Toledo Bend Reservoir
Coos
r iv e
ttahooche eR Cha
a Ri ve r
i ne R iv e r
ve r Ri
River
r ive
sR
Colora do
R ed
Sa b
TEXAS Pe co
iv e
r
nde
Lake Okeechobee
R
ra
CO
iver M i s s i s sippi R
FLORIDA XI
ME
lo Hi ay B
r Ri v e
v
Kilauea
Mauna Loa
G
Mauna Kea
Lake Texoma
a b ama
Re
Kahoolawe Island
er
Al
Ri
Al
Arkansas R iv
i
Lake Powell
s ou r
Lake Mead
d Ri v
Kahoolawe Island
VT.
s Mi
h Ka
A
N.H. Lake Ontario
Lake George
r
Galveston Bay
Lake CALIFORNIA Seminole
ay iB ulu
Kahului
Halifax NOVA SCOTIA
Ottawa
Lake Simco
TORONTO
Winnebago Lake
Mi ss
Moosehead Lake
MAINE
River
Lake Nipissing
Lake Huron
CANAD
nne sse e Te
r iv e
ttahooche eR Cha
Apalachicola River
Montréal Connecticut
ce
Fredericton
he
iv
a Ri ve r Coos r
R
a b ama Al
nne sse e
Te
r
iv e
ttahooche eR Cha
St. Law ren ce R
R iver
ino I ll
iv
a Ri ve r
MEDIUM
NEW BRUNSWICK
All eg
R iver
iv e r
Coo s
LOW Wisconsin River
aR
QUEBEC Québec
Mille Lacs Lake
ot
Lac St.- Jean
Lac Abitibi
ren
Riv e
Gouin
ONTARIO
r ippi Rive iss
t te
Lake Nipigon
r ive
St L a w
Upper and Lower Red Lake
Mi nn
Lake Seminole
NP la
Lake Okeechobee Reservoir
r Rive uri
R
Lake George
G u lf o f
Rio G ran de R
he
All eg
v
Gr
St. Law ren ce R
DA
iv e r
Rio G ran de R
All eg
he
CANA
Gree n Ri ver
Ri
R iveeern River
r ive
ino
R Dee
I ll
Pe e
m
er
k
ren
Yuk on
St L a w
er
iver M i s s i s sippi R
K
G u lf o f
iv pi R
Cape Fear River
Lake Seminole
es
Walker Lake
Cape Fear River
r ive
Lake
r
iv e
Rainy Lake
Des Moines River
Flaming Gorge Reservoir
Great Salt LakeGrand White
C A Nr A D A
Lake of the Woods R Dee
Molokai Island
Lanai Island
Riv e r
Leech Lake
iv e
Pathfinder Reservoir Seminoe Reservoir
Pyramid Lake
Lake
iver eR
Boysen Reservoir
Green River
iv e
y Ba
Kawaihae Bay
PACIFIC EAN
Kilauea
Mauna Loa
ve
ver Ri
Juneau
Mauna Kea
ve
Rio
Lake Seminole
Apalachicola River Grand White Lake Lake
Lake George
Galveston Bay
ALASKA
ZERO TAX
LOW
MEDIUM
Source: Cigar Snob Research
HIGH TAX
C o lville
Noatak
cu Por
Niihau Island
e pin
Lake Okeechobee
Kauai Island Oahu Island
Poipu Beach
Molokai Island
ko Yu
Ta n
m
wi
lulu
no
Ho
am
ay
eB
oh
ne
Ka
n
St. Lawrence Island
FLORIDA
HAWAII
Beaufort Sea
Chukchi Sea
Yuk on
Lanai Island
THE EDGE BY ROCKY PATEL / VITOLA: TORO / MSRP: 8.55 o usk
k
of Alaska
MANITOBA
Riv e r
Ri
ZERO TAX
Yellowstone Lake
lo Hi ay B
R oanoke
Lake Winnipeg
Winnipeg
bi n e Sa
a
Galveston Bay
er
KahoolaweToledo Bend Island Reservoir
er
no
Ho
n e Riv
o rad
ko Yu
Grand White Lake Lake lu lu
n
am
Lake Manitoba
Pe e
n Ka
Cape Fear River
Sa Kawaihae Bay bi
ws t o n llo
Ri
FLORIDA y Riv
Riv er James
e
e oh
Texoma
Malheur Lake
Colora do
Clear Lake Lake Lake Tahoe Berryessa
Ye
R oanoke
Halifax NOVA SCOTIA
MAINE
Grand White Lake Lake
Sheyenne River
Island
Kahului
Kahoolawe Island Lake Albert
TEXAS
sR
Kentuc k
Regina
R i v er
Kentucky Lake
R oanoke Arkaayns as Ri Dworshak Ri v er Reservoir ve iB r ulu ah Maui KSalmon River
ve r Ri
Poipu Beach
Lanai Island Lake
C olo
Niihau Island
Oahu Island
Molokai Island
River
River
Toledo Kauai Island Bend Reservoir
ine cup Por
Ta n
iver M i s s i s sippi R
olora Sea C eaufort do
HAWAII
ve r Ri
XAS
i ne R iv e r
R ed
Sa b
nds
Pe co
Goose Lake
r ive
Re
Lake Texoma
NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN
er
Gr e en
Flathead Lake
St Joe River
r ive
ive r
A l e u t i a n I sl a
no HdoRiv e r
Summer Lake
Klamath River
e oh
R ed
r Ri v e
C Arkans as R O
Riv e r
Ohi o R
issi s si p
iver M i s s i s sippi R
G
Juneau
y Riv
R i v er
Apalachicola River
Lake Barkley
Clark Fork
R Dee
ra
nd Gulf oe f Alaska
M
Pe e
Kentucky Lake
Rio
XI
u lul
Re
a
ME
St. Matthew Island
Deschutes River
Lake Barkley
Kentuc k
Moosehead Lake
Galveston Bay
R i ver
Sjpokane River
ne
Ka
ver Ri
er am
ve r Ri
ko
Ta n
wi
R i v er
ce
Fredericton
VT.
Hudson River
R ed
Gr e en
Muskingum River
NEW BRUNSWICK
N.H.
v er
ny River
Muskingum River
er
er
Yuiv pi R
e pin n
o usk
Wabash River
r ive
er
Gr e en
Toledo Bend Reservoir
er
Ohi o R
Oahu y Island Ba WASHINGTON
Kentuc k yR Poipu iv Niihau Lake Beach Island Meredith
bi n e Sa
cu Por
St. Lawrence Island
r ive
issi s si p
er
er
o rad
Noatak
sR
ny River
ke La ie Er
Kentucky Lake
Lake Ontario
TORONTO Lake Texoma
Colora do
iv pi R
Kauai Island
i
M
C o lville
s ou r
BRITISH COLUMBIA HAWAII Columbia River
Beaufort Sea
R i ver
C olo
Salton Sea
Muskingum River er
Ohi o R
Ottawa
S keab i La ie n e River Er
ILLINOIS Arkansas R iv
Québec
issi s si p
N.H.
VT.
Hudson River
Lake Ontario
i
s ou r
Chukchi Sea
Lake Huron
er
s Mi
s Mi
Lake Mead
er
Halifax NOVA SCOTIA
MAINE
Barkley
ans as R ArkSimco Lake i
River
Pe co
is
Lake Powell
QUEBEC
R i ver
i
Re
r
Wabash River
ALASKA ILLINOIS
CALIFORNIA
d Ri v
Lake G rand River Michigan
Walker Lake
is
Georgian Bay
Mi sso
r Rive uri
Riv e
n
r Ri v e
t te
s ou r
RiverLake
Winnebago Lake
r ippi Rive iss
G
Great Salt Lake
Rio
r Rive uri
Flaming Gorge Reservoir
Riv er
DesdyeMoines iver n RRiver
ke La ie Er
Lac St.- Jean
Montréal Connecticut
Wisconsin River
Mi ss
ra
NP la
Lac Abitibi
M
ver Ri
es
Riv er James
r ippi Rive iss
Lake G rand River Michigan
Pathfinder Reservoir Seminoe Reservoir
Reservoir Gouin
Moosehead Lake ONTARIO
Lake Meredith
Hudson River
Lake ario o t Ont a
Wabash River
is
Lake Nipissing
bi n e Sa
er
Yellowstone
Green River
Lake G rand River Michigan
ce
Connecticut Arkansas R River iv e r
Mille Lacs Lake
o rad
Mi nn
Boysen Reservoir
Des Moines River
Lake Superior
Leech Lake
Lake Simco
Winnebago Lake Lake
Mi ss
Pyramid Lake
Rainy Lake
Upper and Lower Red Lake
Lake Huron
Salton Sea
a RMalheur ive Lake r
Des Moines River
d Ri v
ce
Ottawa
Lake Simco
TORONTO
Winnebago Lake
Mi ss
r ippi Rive iss
Georgian Bay
ive r
s Mi
n ows t o ell
iver eR
es
Riv er James
Lake Albert
Goose Lake
Y
Wisconsin River
ot
Lake Sheyenne Nipissing River
Lake Mead
aR
Mi sso
r
Lake Nipigon
Lake of the Woods
Lake Powell
Dworshak Reservoir
ot
Lake Huron
ren
St Joe River
r ive
G u lf o f L a w St
Lake Superior
Flathead Lake
eR ive
Lake Winnipeg
MANITOBA
C olo
Mi nn
Lake Manitoba
Winnipeg
Lac St.- Jean tt
NP la
Flaming Gorge Reservoir
Lac Abitibi
Regina
Clark Fork
Pathfinder
Reservoir Reservoir Seminoe Gouin Reservoir
Great Salt Lake
Walker Lake
River
Summer Lake
Green River
Georgian Bay
Wisconsin River
Mi nn
r Rive uri
Lake Lake Lake Tahoe Berryessa
Mille Lacs Lake Salmon
Clear Lake Mi ss Lake Lake Tahoe o Berryessa
Moosehead Lake
River
Lake Nipissing
NEW BRUNSWICK
Fredericton
Montréal Connecticut
Mille Lacs Lake
Boysen Reservoir
Sjpokane River
Leech Lake
Klamath River
QUEBEC Québec
Leech Lake
Yellowstone Lake
Pyramid Lake
Columbia River
Upper and Lower Red Lake
Deschutes River
Lac St.- Jean
Lac Abitibi
Lake Superior
es
Lake Nipigon Clear
Lake of Rainy the Woods BRITISH COLUMBIA Lake
Sheyenne River
Rainy Lake
iver eR
Riv er James
Lake Winnipeg
Malheur Lake
Lake Albert
Goose Lake
Klamath River
Winnipeg
ws t o n llo
ONTARIO
proval. Washington’s 95% tax is fierce, but they cap it at $0.65, so… thanks? In what should be considered normal and expected behavior, people in high-tax states get NEW YORK creative when procuring their smokes. What do these high-tax policymakers expect? Are they NEW CANADA aware that we can freely cross state lines, order online or by catalog? The ones hurt most by BRUNSWICK ONTARIO QUEBEC these taxesFredericton are the brick-and-mortar retailers who struggle to keep their businesses afloat in Québec C A N West A D A of tax policy, axes on premium cigars in the U.S. are all over the place. It’s the Wild an unfair environment. ILLINOIS Halifax NOVA SCOTIA but without any cowboys or tumbleweeds—just a jumble of conflictingMontréal motivations and MAINEOrganizations like the Premium Cigar Association, Cigar Rights of America, and Cigar AssociaWASHINGTON CALIFORNIA double speak. Some states tack on a 75% excise tax on cigars,Ottawa begging you to quit enjoytion of America work with local and state governments to remove or at least lower the impact N.H. ing them altogether. New York and Utah, we're looking at you. Meanwhile Florida, Pennsylvathese tax policies have on the cigar business. It’s an onerous and never-ending battle. VT. nia, and New Hampshire do not apply any additional cigar-specific tax. How does your state’s cigar tax rank with the rest of the country? TORONTO Vermont is up there with a 92% cigar tax, though they cap it at $2 for cheaper cigars and at $4 NOTE: We used theNEW EdgeYORK by Rocky Patel and the Oliva Serie V Melanio as our benchmarks NEW YORK ME for any cigar with a wholesale price over $10. InX Ithe great state of Texas, it’s a straightforward for calculating the level of taxation. Many states differentiate their tax policy by the wholesale CO TEXAS penny per stick, letting folks enjoy a cigar without feeling like they need a loan officer’s apprice of the cigar, these two widely available cigars covered both ends of the spectrum. Summer Lake
MANITOBA
Ye
Reservoir Gouin
Lake Nipigon
Upper and Lower Red Lake
Sheyenne River
Salmon River
Deschutes River
Lake Manitoba
Flathead Lake
St Joe River
CANADA
Lake of the Woods
r ive
ren
Winnipeg
St. Law ren ce R
MANITOBA
Sjpokane River
CANA DA
Columbia River
Lake Winnipeg
St L a w
Lake Manitoba
Regina
G u lf o f
BRITISH COLUMBIA
K
a
St. Matthew Island
Gulf of Alaska
y Ba lui hu Maui Ka
Kahului
Kahoolawe Island
Juneau
Kawaihae Bay Mauna Kea
Kilauea
A l e u t i a n I sl a
nds
ZERO TAX
Island
NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN
Kahoolawe Island
Mauna Loa
lo Hi ay B
LOW
MEDIUM
HIGH TAX
OLIVA SERIE V MELANIO / VITOLA: CHURCHILL / MSRP: $17.80
PRICES AFTER TAX IN EACH STATE CIGAR
FLORIDA
NEW YORK
ILLINOIS
TEXAS
CALIFORNIA
WASHINGTON
ANCHORAGE, AK
HAWAII
The Edge By Rocky Patel
$8.55
$11.75
$9.05
$8.56
$10.81
$9.20
$10.89
$10.68
Oliva Serie V Melanio
$17.80
$24.48
$18.30
$17.81
$22.51
$18.45
$22.69
$22.25
26 | CIGAR SNOB | NOV / DEC 2024
NOV / DEC 2024 | CIGAR SNOB | 27
European Vacation
SCHNITZELS, CIGARS, AND ALPINE PEAKS WHAT BEGAN AS A BUSINESS TRIP TO INTERTABAC TURNED INTO AN UNFORGETTABLE 700+ MILE LOOP THROUGH GERMANY, SWITZERLAND, AND FRANCE
VIEW OF WENGEN FROM THE GONDOLA RIDE UP TO MÄNNLICHEN
BY ERIK CALVIÑO / PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAMON ADATO
FEATURING
DEADWOOD TOBACCO CO.
THE GIRL WITH NO NAME
VOLITION [voh-lish-uhn] noun:
the act of willing, choosing, or resolving
John Sapiente's "patriotic awakening" was an unexpected epiphany. It led the Chicago businessman on a new path, as he launched a brand devoted to helping our country's service members and their families.
BY STEVE MILLER
`
48 CIGARS
EVENTS VCF DINNER AND PARTY Dortmund, Germany
The Vandermarliere Cigar Family hosted its annual party for colleagues and friends. The year's event was held at Mercure Hotel Dortmund Messe and Kongress. The party began with the VCF team doing a dance before guests were seated for dinner. After dinner, guests enjoyed dessert and cigars while French pianist Paul Montag performed on stage. After dessert and Montag's classical treatments, the party moved to the dance floor for a different kind of music and Oliva Cigars.
Fred Vandermarliere, Tony Gómez, Ernesto Pérez-Carrillo, Jochy Blanco, Maya Selva, Omar Frías, Justo Eiroa and Oscar Valladares
Anabelle, Aglyn and David Pérez Jr.
Fred Vandermarliere, Justo Eiroa, Brian Shapiro and Erik Calviño
Dorin Chitiba and Marko Bilic
Jandy and Janny García
Diana Dimbueni, Marie Klaphake, Maaike Van der Sluis, Thomas Klaphake and Samed Okutua
86 | CIGAR SNOB | NOV / DEC 2024
Photos by: Diana Dimbueni
NOV / DEC 2024 | CIGAR SNOB | 87