Review

  • Today’s breakfast was a La Flor Dominicana DL 452 Maduro, a 4 x 52 (go figure) short Robusto with a firm draw and bold notes of earth, coffee, and dark cocoa, with a strong black pepper retro and a creamy lingering finish. Great with a cold brew coffee. Full in body and strength, this cigar…

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  • Erik Stokkebye is a friend of mine, and one of my favorite people in the business. His limited releases have become something I look forward to every year. One of the reasons I look forward to it is that Erik utilizes his contacts across the pipe and tobacco industry working with different blenders each year…

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  • In this video, I open up and show you the result of Erik Stokkebye’s latest collaboration with iM Corona. Erik has done several projects with them, and this one is especially good! A lot of thought has been put into these lighters, so I give a little iM Corona 101 to show you how to…

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  • In my review of this year’s release of From Beyond, I mused that it seemed different from my memory of previous releases, and that it would be interesting to see if that were true and if so how. Looking in my cellar, I found I indeed had a tin of the original release of From…

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  • Part of the Old Ones series, From Beyond is a ribbon blend featuring 21-year-old Cyprian Latakia alongside aged Red and Bright Virginias, Orientals, and Perique. Jeremy Reeves original intent was to evoke the flavor and experience he had from smoking a circa 1990 tin of Dunhill Night Cap. I cannot compare it to that, never…

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  • It’s Pipetoberfest!

    It’s Pipetoberfest!

    Today, October 11, 2025 is Pipetoberfest, an annual pipe event at Twins Smoke shop where we focus on beer pairings with tobacco alongside a trunk show. This year, for $20 you get a Pipetoberfest stein, a bag full of swag, and access to all five 7-20-4 Briary Blends tobaccos–Boston Tea Party, Queen City, Dexter’s Secret,…

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  • Lighting Up Cabbie’s Mixture

    Samuel Gawith’s Cabbie’s Mixture came back in stock, and I could not resist opening up a tin to try out as I had not had it in several years. This is one of those tobaccos that is highly sought out and sells out quick. Does it deserve the hype? I give my honest thoughts in…

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  • Unboxing Black Bogie Twist

    A few months back, the folks at Gawith Hoggarth reached out to us and asked if we would be interested in trying some twist tobacco that they wanted customer feedback on. That turned out to be Black Bogie Twist, a twist or rope tobacco that is the result of spinning Virginia leaves and then steaming…

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  • In this review, I look at this year’s release of Carolina Red Flake with Perique which features a blend of Mahogany, Red, and Orange Virginias along with genuine St. James Perique from 31 Farms. Carolina Red Flake with Perique launches at 6:00pm, September 23rd. How does this year’s iteration stack up with previous releases? Is…

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  • In this video I review the new release of Per G. Jensen Legacy Collection: King’s Watch, a Danish style Bright Virginia Flake. If you want to experience the difference between Red and Bright Virginia, you will want to give this a try.

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