Cigars/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| TV Crooks Cigars | 11/26/2011 | Bill Finck Jr. |
| Q: Could you please tell me if the cigars called TV Crooks are still being made. I can not seem to ... A: Gene, I've never heard of TV Crooks. There was a brand called Wolf Bros. Crooks, and a brand called ... | ||
| Cohiba glass top box | 11/26/2011 | M J Robbins |
| Q: Ok so I know I have fakes I got them on a cruise to progresso. But I've decided I'd like to start ... A: Some of the worst cigars I have ever smoked are the real Cohiba cigars. The fakes have to be better. ... | ||
| Cohiba Pyramide EL 2009 | 11/25/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: My cigar retailer showed me a box of Cohiba Pyramide Edicion Limitada 2009 today. I was not aware of ... A: Unfortunately, there are no Cohiba Edicion Limitada cigars released in 2009. In 2009, these were ... | ||
| Storing Cohiba Esplendido | 11/24/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: During a visit to Cuba I bought a Cohiba Esplendido to bring back home. Also bought a cedar wood ... A: On average, cigars stored in an un-humidified container such as a cigar box, plastic bag or cigar ... | ||
| Are my cigars ruined? | 11/24/2011 | Bill Finck Jr. |
| Q: The other day I bought 4 very nice cigars: Padron - Family Reserve - No. 45 - Maduro Padron - 1926 ... A: Richard, Sorry for the delayed response - just back from a Thanksgiving vacation. My favorite ... | ||
| Are my cigars in trouble? | 11/22/2011 | M J Robbins |
| Q: The other day I bought 4 very nice cigars: Padron - Family Reserve - No. 45 - Maduro Padron - 1926 ... A: 4 cigars in what size humidor? To keep cigars fresh in a 50 cigar humidor you need 20 cigars or ... | ||
| Are my cigars ruined? | 11/22/2011 | Bill Finck Jr. |
| Q: The other day I bought 4 very nice cigars: Padron - Family Reserve - No. 45 - Maduro Padron - 1926 ... A: Richard, I agree, those are some fantastic smokes. Padron is one of my favorite brands, and those ... | ||
| Did I ruin my cigars? | 11/22/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: The other day I bought 4 very nice cigars: Padron - Family Reserve - No. 45 - Maduro Padron - 1926 ... A: Don't worry, your cigars are not ruined. Even though your cigars were subjected to 36% for several ... | ||
| 1 x Box of Reas Belvedere Cigars | 11/17/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: I have in my hand a sealed pack of 25 Reas Belvedere Cigars. The package is in near mint condition ... A: EDIT 15/2/12: Hi Oliver, I recently received a message from a member of the Rea family. He has ... | ||
| Propylene Glycol | 11/1/2011 | M J Robbins |
| Q: I have been using propylene glycol in my humidor and it works quite well to keep my cigars fresh. It ... A: Odd What type of devices? How much Propylene Glycol to water proportions? How often do you fill it? ... | ||
| Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Cuban? | 11/1/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: Yee, I was given a gift from a friend who I believe is very knowledgable about cigars and works at ... A: No, the Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real is not made in Cuba. The cigar is part of the non-Cuban Romeo ... | ||
| Partagas Coronas Senior | 10/31/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: I smoked a Partagas about a week ago, and was warned that these are strong and spicy, yet the ... A: Glad to hear you liked the Serie D4. It's one of my favourites too. If you liked the D4, you ... | ||
| question | 10/29/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: I would like to know how much is the nicotine content in a cuban habanos cigar and after what period ... A: Depending on the size of the cigar, the nicotine content in a single cigar can be anywhere between ... | ||
| How to store 2 Cohiba Behike cigars | 10/26/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: I live in Costa Rica and received a genrous gift of 2 Cohiba Behike cigars. I was unaware of how ... A: When storing cigars, it's best to keep them in a container that is capable of holding a temperature ... | ||
| brass bound bowl with cigar labels under glass and with fabric base | 10/18/2011 | Tony Hyman |
| Q: I have had no success in searching for information regarding a brass bound bowl with cigar labels ... A: I'm not certain what a "brass bound bowl" is. Without pictures, I can't be certain whether this bowl ... | ||
| Blaskower & Co 1901 box | 10/17/2011 | Tony Hyman |
| Q: Can you give me any info about the availability or value of a Lords of England Habano, Blaskower & ... A: Those are called "cabinets' and have been around since the first big bunch of cigars was sent to ... | ||
| Temp. & rh. | 10/15/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: I live in San Francisco Ca. on the 6th floor and get direct southern sun light all day. Not directly ... A: Your temperature is too high and prolonged exposure to this temperature range will incubate any ... | ||
| Blaskower & Co 1901 box | 10/14/2011 | Tony Hyman |
| Q: Can you give me any info about the availability or value of a Lords of England Habano, Blaskower & ... A: availability: very hard to find ANY Cuban 250. I've never seen one. Different story if made in US. ... | ||
| storing cigars in wine celler | 10/13/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: I am from South Africa, and I love cigars and have a reasonable variety which I keep in their boxes ... A: Cigar boxes are not 100% air-tight so it's perfectly fine to leave all the lids closed. (I actually ... | ||
| storing cigars in wine celler | 10/12/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: I am from South Africa, and I love cigars and have a reasonable variety which I keep in their boxes ... A: Because your wine cellar has about 75-85% humidity, it is not a good place to store your cigars. ... | ||
| Cigar Humidity | 10/8/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: James thanks for your answer. Also, now my humidity level in my wine cooler is too high, the oasis ... A: It sounds like your Oasis is being obstructed which is causing the humidity to be too high. You ... | ||
| Wine Cooler Humidor | 10/3/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: I was wondering if you can help, I bought a Kadeka wine cooler that uses a 134A Refrigerant Sealed ... A: If your Cigar Oasis' water reservoir is depleting too quickly, it may mean that your wine cooler has ... | ||
| Partagas Coronas Senior | 9/29/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: I smoked a Partagas about a week ago, and was warned that these are strong and spicy, yet the ... A: Partagas is commonly known for having medium-to-full bodied cigars but many of Partagas' smaller ... | ||
| one hole.... | 9/28/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: OK, so I am lucky enough to own a few Partagas 150 Robustos. The other day i noticed 1 small hole ... A: Yes, considering the rarity and value of the cigar, I would smoke it. Any holes in your cigars will ... | ||
| Borrow Bros. cigar box | 9/24/2011 | Tony Hyman |
| Q: I have a very old box in good shape . on the inside lid in white and black with gold embossing it ... A: You didn't ask a question...but what most people want to know is if their item has any collectible ... | ||
| Cohiba black | 9/23/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: I have only been smoking cigars for a few years but have really grown an appreciation for Maduro ... A: Unfortunately, not many Canadian cigar stores carry Cohiba Black due to licensing rights. Because ... | ||
| Cohiba Siglo I | 9/22/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: I recently got my hands on a Cohiba Siglo l that I really enjoyed. Can you recommend a similar ... A: For non-Cuban brands, try the following: Padron Padron 1964 Anniversario Avo Domaine ... | ||
| Cuban cigars that I would like | 9/21/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: I would appreciate your recommendations for Cuban cigars that might match my tastes. Negatively, I ... A: Based on your flavour preference, I would recommend the following: Vegas Robaina Famosos Romeo y ... | ||
| White Owl Brand cigar box/inside adv. | 9/18/2011 | Tony Hyman |
| Q: This White Owl box, empty, has two round "ads" on the inside top cover. Overall condition of box ... A: The NRA bug dates the box to 1934 to early 1935. White Owl was one of the nation's three biggest ... | ||
| Humidor, I live where the temperature and humidity are high | 9/17/2011 | Bill Finck Jr. |
| Q: I live in St. Thomas, U. S. Virgin Islands where the lowest temperature has been 68F, the median ... A: Roger, Sorry about the delay in answering your question. I have a short document on cigar storage ... | ||
| Humidor | 9/9/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: What options do I have to repair the outside of my humidor. See attached photo. A: I would recommend taking your humidor to a furniture restorer or cigar store that can repair or ... | ||
| conditioning | 9/9/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: They are mainly Cuban Cohiba Siglos ii Monte Cristo 2 & 5 Upman corona Major and some Davidoff ... A: No, you don't need to do anything differently for your new cigars. Simply add them to your humidor ... | ||
| Humidor Wood | 9/8/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: I am getting ready to line the inside of my humidor(roughly 4FT X 3FT verticle). I have a product ... A: Yes, White Cedar is perfectly fine to use. It's commonly used as a substitute for Spanish cedar in ... | ||
| Fake Montecristo No. 2's? | 9/1/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: I just received a box of 25 Montecristo No. 2's that does not have the Habanos red and yellow ... A: A lot of the things that you mentioned is enough to cause suspicion. No chevron sticker, serial ... | ||
| Safe to smoke cigar gone bad? | 8/29/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: I started smoking a cigar but I had to stop almost right after I started. I put it back in the ... A: Yes, it's perfectly safe to smoke a cigar that you previously smoked and let go out. Though the ... | ||
| Travis Club Cigar box | 8/25/2011 | Bill Finck Jr. |
| Q: I have this old cigar box I am trying to find out more about. It's all wood. the cover has Travis ... A: Sabrina, That is an old box from our factory, probably from the 1960's. If you're looking to sell ... | ||
| fellow citizens box | 8/25/2011 | Tony Hyman |
| Q: Can't find info on fellow citizens cardboard box. Initials HK all around borders. factory 1, 18th ... A: Scarce, not rare. I have it. Yes, there's some value. From 25 to 150 depending on age and condition. ... | ||
| Cuban Cigars | 8/24/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: I am going to cuba this week, what are the best cigars to buy? Also if I was to get cigars for ... A: Generally, the premium brands and premium sizes are always popular and in demand. Cigars that are ... | ||
| SCDLH | 8/24/2011 | James Yee |
| Q: What is a good drink to go with SCDLH El Principe? A: San Cristobal de La Habana goes well with a nicely aged scotch (I prefer Johnnie Walker Black or a ... | ||
| im moving and have a wine cooler/humidor set up | 8/21/2011 | M J Robbins |
| Q: I will be moving next week. I have a humidor sitting inside of a wine cooler. I am using four 75 ... A: With the Boveda you could leave them in the trunk for a month and they would be fine although not ... | ||
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James Yee
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
My main area of expertise is Cuban cigars but I can also assist you with cigar etiquette, humidor maintenance and troubleshooting. Unsure of a certain cigar brand? Wondering what a certain cigar tastes like? Have any questions about Cuban cigars? Just let me know! I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigars and most reputable non-Cuban cigar brands on a regular basis so I know a fair bit about taste profiles, cigar etiquette and other fine nuances to cigar smoking. (NOTE: My main focus is on premium, hand-rolled cigars and not cheap, machine made, convenience store cigars.) IMPORTANT: PLEASE NOTE THAT I DO NOT PROVIDE CIGAR OR CIGAR-RELATED APPRAISALS. If you have a vintage cigar item and you want to know if it's worth something, please contact an antique dealer that specializes in "TOBACCIANA".
Experience
I currently have 19 dedicated years of cigar smoking and counting. I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigars and most reputable non-Cuban cigar brands on a regular basis so I know a fair bit about taste profiles, cigar etiquette and other fine nuances to cigar smoking. For 5 years, I studied with Cuban torcedores (rollers), catadores (taste testers) and revisadores (inspectors) on every aspect involving the production of the Cuban cigar and I am currently writing a book that will help beginners understand everything they need to know about cigars and cigar smoking.
Publications
Maple Leaf Gardens: Memories & Dreams 1931-1999 (1999; ISBN: 0920445616)
50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do (2006; ISBN: 0452286654)
The [London] Times (October 8, 2009)
Education/Credentials
B.A. University of Toronto
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