Most cigar lovers picture Havana or Santiago when they think of the cigar capital of the world. But for about forty incredible years, the true champion wasn’t an island at all — it was a humid Florida swamp that had no business becoming anything important. And yet… it became Ybor City, the most unlikely cigar empire in history.

In the 1880s, Cuban entrepreneur Vicente Martínez-Ybor needed a new home for his cigar factory.
Cuba was unstable. Key West was cramped. And he wanted his workers to have a real community — not just a place to sleep between shifts.

So he picked Tampa.
Not modern Tampa. Not beaches-and-palms Tampa.
No — mosquito-infested, swamp-heavy, “are you sure about this?” Tampa.

But somehow… he absolutely nailed it.

Within a decade:

Walk into a factory in 1900, and you’d hear a hum — part machinery, part human rhythm, part… literature.

That’s because of the lector:
A professional reader perched on a platform, reading:

The lector wasn’t entertainment — he was education, community, and culture all rolled into one. Joe Rogan wishes.

At its peak, Ybor City produced over 500 million cigars a year.
Half. A. Billion.
All by hand.

Like all great eras, this one had an ending.

And yet… the soul remains.

Walk the streets, and you’ll still find:

It feels like a living museum, where the past hasn’t vanished — it’s just resting, like a cigar waiting to be lit again.

Ybor City reminds us that cigars weren’t built by corporations — they were built by:

👉 Read the full story here https://cigarandwhiskeyguide.com/latest-posts/ybor-city-cigar-history

Here’s a simple experiment that can change the way you judge cigars: always buy two.
Smoke the first one right away — not for perfection, just for a baseline. Then let the second rest in your humidor for a week or two. Same cigar, same blend… completely different experience.

Fresh cigars can taste sharp or tight, especially if they’ve been travelling. But a rested cigar? The flavors relax, the burn steadies, and suddenly that “pretty good” stick becomes a sleeper hit.

Try it once, and you’ll see: time isn’t just a factor — it’s an ingredient.

Old Forester just celebrated Repeal Day the way any self-respecting distillery should — by releasing something loud enough to wake the neighbours. Their newest limited edition, the 117 Series Prohibition Era Still Proof, clocks in at a feisty 130 proof. Yes… 130. As in: “sip carefully or time-travel unintentionally.”

What makes it cool?

If you’re into bourbons that bring history, heat, and the possibility of growing a temporary chest hair or two, this one’s worth keeping an eye out for.

This week’s pairing is a can’t-miss classic: a rich Maduro cigar matched with a smooth, aged dark rum. It’s one of those combinations that feels effortless — deep, sweet, and warm, like the flavor equivalent of dimming the lights and exhaling after a long day.

If you’ve never tried a cigar-and-rum pairing, this is the one to start with — low effort, big payoff, instantly relaxing.

Crowned Heads is back with a new limited-run release for 2025, and this year’s TAA Exclusive is shaping up to be a standout. Rolled at the D’Hatuey factory in Estelí under Eradio Pichardo, the cigar comes in a 5⅝″ × 54 robusto extra, dressed in a dark and oily Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. Underneath, it features an Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed binder and all-Nicaraguan fillers, giving it a profile the company describes as medium-plus with richness and balance.

Only 750 boxes of 10 were produced, with flavors expected to lean toward cream, dark chocolate, toasted nuts, subtle sweetness, and warming spice. If you enjoy Crowned Heads releases that combine tradition with a little attitude, this one’s worth hunting for before it disappears.