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Crowned Heads is a small, boutique cigar manufacturer based in Nashville, TN that has attracted enormous attention since 2010, when Jon Huber and several colleagues left CAO to launch their own adventure. Fueled by a rebellious spirit and a desire to make their own rules, they soon introduced a line of hand-crafted cigars ... Read More

For more than 150 years, Peterson of Dublin has enjoyed an enviable reputation for serving pipesmokers worldwide by manufacturing fine smoking instruments in a multitude of shapes to suit the most particular and exacting of enthusiasts. It's perhaps most famous for its System pipes, which provide a reservoir to catch moisture ... Read More

In this episode of Tasting Notes, Shane tackles Cornell & Diehl's Small Batch: Carolina Red Flake. Comprised entirely of top-tiered, 2015 North Carolina red Virginias, CRF is quite possibly the best Virginia flake ever produced by the blending house. Watch the video above for Shane's full review. ... Read More

A few months ago, an old pipe came across my desk. A weathered French estate, it was carved with the names of French cities in a loose, awkward hand, as if done with a pocket knife. It was a trench pipe — a piece carried by a soldier in WWI, when the war took young men to fight in places they had only ever heard of before. ... Read More

Tobacco was first used by humans about 18,000 years ago, according to the accepted scientific canon. The Mayan civilization was the most likely to have first cultivated the plants, however, beginning about 5,000 years ago. ... Read More

In this episode of All Pipes Considered, Truett and I sit down to discuss Sabina Santos, a very talented pipemaker from Portugal. We cover everything from her pipemaking origins and influences to an in-depth look at some of the recent pieces she's sent us. ... Read More

In this episode of All Pipes Considered, Shane and Kaz sit down to discuss Russian master Vladimir Grechukhin, covering topics such as his pipemaking origins and evolution, his influence on other carvers, various collaboration pieces, and his novel use of alternative mediums. ... Read More

In this episode of Tasting Notes, Shane takes a closer look at the trio of excellent blends in Sutliff's Crumble Kake series: Red Virginia, Virginia Perique, and English #1. ... Read More

Halloween's right around the corner, and Shane's back in the Inquisitor's Chair for this month's Mystery Review. Did we guess our treat in the blind test? Or did he stump us all with a bag of tricks? Watch the video above to find out. ... Read More

The title of this essay may be somewhat misleading, as it is not about flat-bottomed burls, but about tamping for flat-bottomed tobacco chambers. The pun on the Queen song was just too irresistible. ... Read More