CIGAR AFICIONADO'S 2023 YEAR IN REVIEW

AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT A YEAR'S WORTH OF CIGAR RATINGS

A Soprano No More

Michael Imperioli is standing just inside the door of Scarlet, he and his wife's new bar and restaurant on Manhattan's Upper West Side.

Like Father Like Son

Charlie Woods is growing up. Will he follow Tiger's famous footsteps?

THE SPHERE LIGHTS UP LAS VEGAS

IN A CITY FILLED WITH BRIGHT SHINY OBJECTS, NOTHING CATCHES THE EYE MORE THAN THIS $2.3 BILLION DOME

Secretariat's Ride to Derby Glory

Even the most hallowed of sports records get eclipsed. Roger Bannister was the first to run a four-minute mile, but that feat has been vanquished again and again.

Smoking In (And Around) Louisville

Louisville, Kentucky, has all the charm and character of a city with deep connections to a pair of American sporting pastimes: horse racing and baseball.

The Drink of the Derby

More than 120,000 icy cold Mint Juleps will be served on May 4 at Churchill Downs

The Brown-Forman Way

For more than a century and a half, the Kentucky whiskey giant behind Woodford Reserve, Old Forester and many other spirits brands has prospered by matching tradition with foresight

The Gambler

Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Farm has gone from a hobby to the top Thoroughbred horse breeding operation in America

Living for the Track

FanDuel host Michael Joyce has been in love with horse racing since he was a boy

A Guide to Churchill Downs

If you’re going to watch the Derby in person, it pays to know the finest spots

150 Years of the Kentucky Derby

CIGAR AFICIONADO'S GUIDE TO THE MOST EXCITING TWO MINUTES IN SPORTS

Glammed-Up Golf Gloves

In the dream scenario, you return to your regular weekend foursome on opening day with a brand-new swing, devoid of that accursed slice or nagging hook.

Armagnac Vs. Cognac

If you know Cognac, you’re among the many who know the global brandy phenomenon that has carved out a niche with cigar smokers. Those who know Armagnac are in much shorter supply, even while France’s other brandy has a longer heritage and rivals Cognac in connoisseurship. The uninitiated are forever asking, “Which is better?”

The Lodge at Sea Island, Georgia

Guests sip sundowners as a lone bagpiper plays off the day while strolling around the waterfront putting green at The Lodge at Sea Island.

The Year of the Chronographs

Second only to the ubiquitous date display, the chronograph, or stopwatch function, is the most common watch complication. This year was a particularly significant vintage for chronographs, including three that stand apart for technical milestones and sheer design audacity.

Pure Bred Lamb

Ingredients are either exceptional or they’re not. That’s the maxim of Michelin-starred chef Thomas Keller, and we happen to agree, especially when it comes to sourcing something as spiritually symbolic as lamb for spring consumption.

McIntosh 75th Anniversary Power Amplifier

Last year, in an interview with CIGAR AFICIONADO, the cigar-smoking president of McIntosh Labs, Charlie Randall, hinted that something immense was coming in 2024 for the audio company's 75th anniversary.

2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray

“There's no replacement for displacement,\" or so goes the classic sports car rule.

Sartorial Cigar Cases

For 131 years, London’s Alfred Dunhill has been a leading purveyor in masculine wares: bespoke clothing, fine leather goods and, of course, tobacco.

My Favorite Cigar

Cigar aficionados describe their smoke of choice

WELCOME TO THE NEW WORLD

WITH CHANGING CULTURAL ATTITUDES AND GLOBAL SHORTAGES OF CUBAN CIGARS, EUROPEAN SMOKERS ARE TURNING TO TOBACCO FROM OTHER COUNTRIES

For Peat's Sake

The smoky whiskies that arise from Scotland's island of Islay are fan favorites

GREAT From The Gate

Some of the world's most famous athletes were impressive from the start, excelling in their debuts on the big stage

The Side Action The other gambling empires strike back

Las Vegas and Atlantic City are not exactly sitting back on their comfy gaming-table chairs while potential competition brews in New York. After all, the Big Apple already attracts three times as many visitors as Vegas, even without full-service casinos, and the three-hour trip to Atlantic City is looking less attractive if all you want to do is place a wager. Both cities have moved quickly to hedge their bets with bolstered attractions.

BORN TO RIDE

Golf carts have changed the very game of golf

Betting on the Big Apple

Major gambling interests are jockeying to slice up the take when New York City issues three casino licenses

Winter Dude Ranches

It’s ranching’s secret season. Travelers fill the boutique guest ranches of the Rocky Mountains in the high season—spring, fall and especially summer, when they can live out their “Yellowstone” inspired fantasies in high style on horseback.

Navy-Inspired Dive Watches

While military personnel are no longer issued wristwatches as essential gear, a number of brands continue to celebrate their historic legacies in supplying armed forces with high-precision timekeepers.

The Smoking Jacket

Next time you bridle at stuffing yourself into a tuxedo to meet a formal dress code, remember that that monkey suit you're dreading is the spawn of the smoking jacket.