Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2019!

I have heard your positive and negative feedback on my reviews. So this year I’m going to make some changes to my reviews and what I post on here.

Firstly I’m going to add some short information about each cigar, I’ve done so on some cigars before when I’ve been given info from the producers or if there is very little info out there about the brand like some boutique brands.

Secondly I’m going to add some information about the sizes, I know this has been asked for by many.

Third and lastly I’m going to do at least once a month a video review or something along those lines.

I am very happy that more brands have put there trust in me to do my honest reviews of there cigars, but for 2019 I want to expand and do more stuff around cigars with the brands.

Lastly I want to thank all of you who have tuned in to my cigar blog here, on Instagram and on Facebook. I couldn’t have gotten to this point with out you all.

Here’s some fun information about this past year.

We have readers in 80 different countries, 2781 different readers and 8500 views. This year I’ve posted 143 reviews.

Top 10 countries/views:

1: Sweden (2842)

2: USA (2474)

3: Germany (389)

4: Norway (334)

5: Switzerland (221)

6: United Kingdom (205)

7: Vietnam (190)

8: France (173)

9: Dominican Rep. (130)

10: Belgium (118)

Top 10 most viewed reviews 2018:

1: 105. Bespoke Cigars Basilica C No. 1 (124)

2: 170. Rafael González Edicion Regional Nórdico-Baltico North Star 2017 (123)

3: 75. Bespoke Cigars Club Mareva Spalato Limited Edition 2017 (121)

4: 50. Bespoke Cigars Traditional Line Grand Café Maduro Limited Edition (101)

5: 115. H.Upmann Connoisseur B LCDH (94)

6: 57. Bespoke Cigars Cabinet Selection Rosetta (87)

7: 83. Bespoke Cigars Traditional Line Super Belicoso (75)

8: 61. Bespoke Cigars Cabinet Selection Ristretto (75)

9: 161. Bespoke Cigars Daughter’s of the Wind “Caramelito” Testblend (71)

10: 91. Principle Cigars Aviator Series Patrie (68)

I want to end on a fun note!

This is how I got presented to people at Cigar Smoking Championship Grand Final 2018 in Split, Croatia

“This is the toughest review in the business, if he doesn’t like something he tells you it straight to your face.” – Jeremy Casdagli, owner of Bespoke Cigars/Casdagli Cigars.

During the Cigar Journal tasting seminar at Cigar Smoking World Championship Grand Final 2018, Reinhold Widmayer, owner of Cigar Journal asked the crowd to tell him ‘How do you tell the difference between the body and boldness/power?’ suddenly out of nowhere I hear this:

“So let’s hear from the youngest Cigar Journal panelists and world famous cigar reviewer what he thinks about this cigar?” – Marko Bilić, founder of the Cigar Smoking World Championship.

As I was in shock from the sudden attention and I’m actually kinda shy from talking in public (oddly enough), I started to shutter and couldn’t find my word’s so I said ” well the body can show a strength in taste and the boldness/power in how heavy it feels” of course what I ment was nicotine power but I just couldn’t find my words.

These two interactions who happened to happen at the same event really made my year. Since these two persons have had such an positive influence on me these past years since I started enjoying cigars truly in 2014.

I also need to thank Cigar Journal team who have been helping me out and giving me this great opportunity to be a part of the 70 people who decided the scores through the blind tastings we do. I’ve probably done around a 100 blind reviews these past 2 year’s for them and thanks to all of you who read the Cigar Journal Magazine.

Happy Holidays!

– André Dias