Brooks Whittington

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About the author

I have been smoking cigars for over eight years. A documentary wedding photographer by trade, I spent seven years as a photojournalist for the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star Telegram. I started the cigar blog SmokingStogie in 2008 after realizing that there was a need for a cigar blog with better photographs and more in-depth information about each release. SmokingStogie quickly became one of the more influential cigar blogs on the internet, known for reviewing preproduction, prerelease, rare, extremely hard-to-find and expensive cigars. I am a co-founder of halfwheel and now serve as an editor for halfwheel.

Weekly News (Feb. 27, 2023)

Cigar News AGANORSA Leaf Plans Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro Alec & Bradley Gatekeeper Diamond Press Debuting at TPE 2023 Altadis U.S.A. Schedules New H. Upmann…

Four Kicks Capa Especial Lancero LE 2022

The second limited edition in Crowned Heads Four Kicks Capa Especial line is the longest and thinnest vitola so far, a 7 1/2 x 38 lancero that is limited to 2,500 boxes of 12 cigars.

El Septimo The Emperor Collection Alexander III

The Alexander III is one of 10 different cigars in El Septimo’s The Emperor Collection, a series of cigars that are named after various emperors who have ruled throughout history.

Visol Releasing Nearly 20 New Products at TPE 2023

Almost 20 new products will be on hand for attendees to test out during the TPE 2023 trade show that takes place this week in Las Vegas.

Maritza Carrillo González Named Co-President of Habanos S.A.

This is the first time that Habanos S.A. has named a woman to the top leadership position. Sources tell halfwheel that Maritza Carrillo González will replace Inocente Núñez Blanco as one of the company’s two co-presidents.

HVC Black Friday 2022

The latest addition to HVC’s Black Friday Series also happens to be the first release in that series to be made at the company’s own factory, Fábrica de Tabacos HVC S.A. de Reinier Lorenzo in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Kristoff PCA 2022 Signature Series

Available exclusively to retailers who attended the 2022 PCA Convention & Trade Show last July, the Kristoff PCA 2022 Signature Series is blended with tobacco from three different countries: a broadleaf wrapper grown in Connecticut, a Dominican binder and filler tobaccos sourced from both the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

Weekly News (Feb. 13, 2023)

Cigar News AGANORSA Leaf Adding Two New Lunatic Maduro Sizes at TPE 2023 AGANORSA Leaf La Validación Corojo Gran Corona Celebrates Twins Smoke Shop’s 25th…

K by Karen Berger 25th Anniversary by AJ Fernandez

The K by Karen Berger 25th Anniversary by AJ Fernandez was released to celebrate the more than 25 years that Karen Berger and her late husband, Henry “Kiki” Berger, have worked in the cigar business.

Weekly News (Feb. 6, 2023)

Cigar News CAA Names Brian Fojtik as SVP of Government Relations Cohiba Spectre 2022 Shipping in March (Update) CRA Spring 2023 Freedom Sampler Shipping to…