Reading Time: 4 minutes If you’ve ever wondered how some cigars become cigars in the first place, this article entitled, “Headley Grange: Inspiration, Experimentation, and Creation,” by Crowned Heads co-founder, Jon Huber is sure to shed some light on your speculation. As the title suggests, it starts with inspiration. In the case of the Headley Grange line, that inspiration all started with the first six seconds of the Led Zeppelin classic, “When The Levee Breaks.” To get the full story of how a 1970’s rock band and one of the world’s most revered tobacco blenders put it all together.

Reading Time: 4 minutes Cigars from seedlings to curing, to fermentation, to rolling, and box making have all been covered. This month’s chapter of Nick Perdomo’s Guide to Tobacco Farming sorting and packaging completes the series. Readers who’ve been following the series from the beginning should now have a very consummate understanding of the tobacco growing and cigar making process. In this final installation, Nick describes the process of color sorting and packaging. As you will see, it’s more than just selecting 20 cigars and sealing them in a box.

Reading Time: 5 minutes “Scottsdale is distinguished by the magnificent mountains that rise up over the desert,” writes Rocky. “It’s also a very hip and highly cultured city with some of the world’s finest dining, nightlife, resorts, and beautiful women.” Some of the highlights include resorts such as The Sanctuary at Camelback Mountain, the Canyon Suites at The Phoenician, restaurants like Mastro’s Steakhouse and The Capitol Grille, plus cigar lounges like The Fox and 21 Degrees. To learn more about this “enchanting and unforgettable” city.

Reading Time: 3 minutes The Cuban Embargo remains a hot button with many Americans, particularly Cuban-Americans who emigrated to the U.S. shortly after the 1959 Revolution. So the question remains: Should the United States’ embargo with Cuba finally be repealed? Many Cubans who have come to the U.S. in recent years have a more open-minded attitude. In our January issue, Boutique Brands founder, Rafael Nodal, shares his view on how he sees the future of the relationship between the two countries.

Reading Time: 5 minutes Cigar industry pioneer, José Blanco, talks with Cigar Advisor Executive Editor, Gary Korb, about his recent trip to Hong Kong and Shanghai. The reason for his visit was two-fold: Part vacation, and part serving as a consultant to some businessmen who sought his counsel on the viability of building a premium cigar business in these two major international cities. Blanco is one of many Central American cigar executives who have been trying to open new markets for their premium handmade cigars in Europe and Asia.

Reading Time: 2 minutes Cigar Smoking Pro-Tips straight from the horse’s…err, cigar maker’s mouth. In this case, the cigar maker is Ernesto Padilla, a man with a strong opinion on most things, tobacco included. Learn some common pitfalls of cigar smokers. Even the seasoned vet is sure to learn a thing or two.

Reading Time: 3 minutes We’ve all heard stories about Castro’s rise to power and the Cuban Revolution; how his regime violently seized power and property. We’ve heard how tobacco- and cigar families fled their homeland with only a pocketful of seeds and an unbreakable will.

Reading Time: 5 minutes The Art of Making a Cigar Boxes

Reading Time: 6 minutes CigarAdvisor interviews CAO’s Master Blender, Rick Rodriguez, who describes how he wound-up working in the cigar business. Starting in sales as the territory sales manager for North and Central Florida, Rick learned the tools of the trade from some of the most highly respected and innovative tobacco men including, the late Edward Cullman Jr., Daniel Nuñez, Edwin Guevera, and Benji Menendez, to name but a few.

Reading Time: 5 minutes Rocky Patel takes you on a virtual tour of London’s best places to enjoy cigars in a city with one of the strictest smoking bans in Europe. Rocky zeroes-in on several luxury hotels, all of which have smoking terraces, as well as great places to wine and dine. From cognac and cigars in The Garden at the Dukes Hotel, to Cuba Libre, a Cuban restaurant that’s so authentic you’ll think you’re in Havana, to J.J. Fox & Robert Lewis Tobacconists, serving London’s most exclusive clientele for over 200 years, click here to unlock the entire article.