Cigar smokers are a highly intelligent group, but so are cigar rollers, especially in Cuba. To help the rollers make it through their monotonous workdays, many Cuban cigar companies employ Cigar Readers, who read out loud from newspapers and books for all workers in the factory to hear, and learn. According to a story reported by the BBC, Cuban cigar workers are among the most educated and politically active groups in their country. Read more and even watch a video from the BBC.

Michael Coates, 48, of Hawthorne, NJ is the grand prize winner in the Macanudo Millionaire contest, but will he actually win $1 million? To get his shot, Michael beat out more than 2,000 contestants by submitting the winning essay about why he deserves to win the ultimate Macanudo cigar smoking buddy trip to Las Vegas. Coates and two guests will now fly to Las Vegas for a three-day, two-night trip at the Palms Hotel and Casino, where they will be accompanied by three Playboy Playmates. On Saturday December 12, Coates will have the chance to spin a roulette wheel in the Playboy Club to win $1,000,000, courtesy of General Cigar's Macanudo brand.

Video footage and photos chronicling Coates' trip to Vegas and his VIP evening at the Playboy Club will be featured on macanudomillionaire.com during the weekend of December 12. On Saturday, the company will also provide frequent updates on their Facebook and Twitter pages. Video footage and photos of the Big Spin, as well as the winner's VIP trip to Vegas, will be available beginning late Sunday evening. Check it out!

In addition to their Operation Hope, which will now continue into January 2010, Altadis U.S.A. is sponsoring many local in-store cigar events this month in various cities across the United States. To see which event(s) may be coming to a cigar shop near you, visit altadisusa.com.

Cuban Crafters Medina 1959 cigars are made in Miami by Manual Medina, a notable cigar maker from Havana. These cigars are mild-to-medium bodied, and have a naturally sweet, smooth and creamy flavor - just right for newer cigar smokers. The Torpedo that I smoked was very well constructed, had an even burn and a great draw, and lasted for just over an hour. I rate it 4 stars. Read more...

Champagne is not the first libation that I usually select to accompany a fine cigar, except during the holiday season, and especially on New Year's Eve, when both cigars and champagne will be enjoyed to the max. That brings us to the question, which cigars and champagnes should be paired for maximum enjoyment? The answers to that question are provided courtesy of the Beverly Hills Cigar Club: Read more...

The Punch Uppercut cigar is a relatively new release from the General Cigar Company. Although the cigar contains filler tobacco from the Ometepe region of Nicaragua, the Uppercut just doesn't cut it, at least according to Dr. Mitch Fadem. For more, read Doc Fadem's full review of the Punch Uppercut cigar.

The Friday after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday for most shoppers, but to cigar shoppers looking for bargains, it is better known as "Brown Friday". The best deals on cigars can be found in our Cigar Bargain Hunter forum, including a new one we just posted from Thompson Cigar. In addition, great everyday bargains are identified on our list of Top 10 Inexpensive Cigars. Go ahead, shop and puff until you drop!

Here is a bit of cigar news so wonderful that it is quite literally out of this world. Watch cigars floating in zero gravity on the space shuttle Atlantis, to celebrate the birth of an astronaut's new baby girl, in this short edited video on the BBC's website. If you want more, the full story as well as the original video are available on NASA's website.

Congratulations to Wally Reyes of the Gonzalez Habano Cigar Company, in his successful attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for the longest cigar. On November 21, 2009, at Tampa's annual Cigar Heritage Festival in Ybor City, Wally and his crew completed a cigar that measured an amazing 196 feet and 3 inches long. This breaks his old record of 101 feet that was set back in 2006, which was subsequently broken by Jose Castelar of Cuba, who rolled a nearly 149-foot cigar in 2008.

One of our main priorities is to help cigar smokers select and buy the best cigars and accessories, usually for themselves. However, if you are not a cigar smoker, but would like to buy a gift for someone who enjoys cigars, then you are also on the right web page. Find out what gifts cigar smokers want the most, and where to find them, by checking out our list of Top Gifts for Cigar Smokers.