Articles by Shane Ireland | Smokingpipes Daily Reader

Mystery Tobacco Review: February 2023

February 16, 2023 by Shane Ireland

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Welcome back, everyone, to the Mystery Tobacco Review. For our second episode of 2023, we were honored to host a very special guest: Mr. Erik Stokkebye. Building on three generations of tobacco experience, Erik continues his family's tradition with the 4th Generation brand, whose portfolio ranges from beautifully made briar pipes ... Read More

Smoke Rings: An Interview with James Brown, Owner of Oveja Negra

February 2, 2023 by Shane Ireland

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Welcome back to another episode of Smoke Rings, everyone. Today, I'm joined by a very special guest: owner of Fábrica Oveja Negra and founder of Black Label Trading Company and BLK WKS Studio cigars, Mr. James Brown. Tune in as James and I discuss Black Label Trading Company's beginnings, dive deep into the creative process of cigar blending, and take a quick look at some exciting projects on the horizon. ... Read More

Mystery Cigar Review: January 2023

January 26, 2023 by Shane Ireland

For this inaugural episode of 2023, we invited a very special guest to serve as our Mystery Inquisitor: He's a visual artist, Sommelier, adventure traveler, Range Rover enthusiast, and the founder of Black Label Trading Company — Mr. James Brown. Tune in to find out how Truett, Tyler, and I fared against James' palate! ... Read More

Mystery Tobacco Review: January 2023

January 12, 2023 by Shane Ireland

4 Comments

Welcome back to the Mystery Tobacco Review! For this first episode of 2023, we asked our good friend, and head blender of Cornell & Diehl, Mr. Jeremy Reeves to return as our Guest Inquisitor for this month's review. Tune in as Truett, David, Alan, and I smoke through Jeremy's chosen mixture and attempt to guess its components ... Read More

Mystery Cigar Review: December 2022

December 29, 2022 by Shane Ireland

Welcome back to the Mystery Cigar Review, our final episode of 2022. And to ensure we end things with a bang, we asked John McElheny — one of our talented Copywriters here at Smokingpipes (whose voice was, indeed, made for radio) — to serve as our Inquisitor for this month's review. Tune in as Tyler, Alan, and I smoke ... Read More

Mystery Tobacco Review: December 2022

December 22, 2022 by Shane Ireland

5 Comments

Welcome back to the Mystery Tobacco Review! For this last installment of 2022, we decided to do something a little different and bring back an old Inquisitor from the series' early history. That's right, for the first time in many years, our Inquisitor this month is our own Andy Wike. Tune in to see how we fared against Andy's Mystery Blend! ... Read More

Sixty Second Cigar Review: Warped's Upper Realm

December 8, 2022 by Shane Ireland

1 Comment

Welcome back, everyone, to another 60 Second Cigar Review. If this is your first time joining us, in this series Truett and I challenge ourselves by reviewing a new cigar each episode in under 60 seconds. For this installment, we've taken on Warped's highly anticipated Upper Realm cigar, which just shipped to retailers at the end of November. ... Read More

Mystery Cigar Review: November 2022

November 30, 2022 by Shane Ireland

6 Comments

Welcome back to the Mystery Cigar Review! This month, we're pleased to introduce Mr. Samuel Bowden, one of our intrepid Customer Service Representatives to the Inquisitor position. Fans of the Mystery Tobacco Review will recognize Sam from his trickery and guile with pipe tobacco, but this month, we're enlisting his wit regarding cigars. ... Read More

Mystery Tobacco Review: November 2022

November 23, 2022 by Shane Ireland

4 Comments

Welcome back to the Mystery Tobacco Review, and Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. We certainly have a number of things to be grateful for this year, including a new member joining our review panel: Mr. Alan Britt. Tune in as Truett, David, Alan, and I attempt to guess this month's mystery tobacco. ... Read More

Tasting Notes Review: Wintertime Reserve 2022 - The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future

November 17, 2022 by Shane Ireland