January is a great time to look back & reflect on what has happened in the year that just passed. To that end, we at Stogie Press, wanted to review what were the most read cigar reviews for 2015. Looking at this list gives us an idea of what has sparked people’s interests. So without further ado, here’s the list:
- Island Jim #2 – 1185 views.
- Villiger Cigars Caberete Maduro – 653 views
- AJ Fernandez New World – 498 views
- Bill Bromley Butter – 436 views
- E.P. Carrillo La Historia – 427 views
- Leaf by Oscar Connecticut – 370 views
- Lucky Leaf Cigars Duo – 370 views
- Royal Danish Sangre Azul Grand Cru Box Press – 343 views
- Rocky Patel Royal – 323 views
- Room 101 Big Payback Hueso – 318 views
The interesting thing about this list is the spread between first place, Island Jim’s #2 and second place Villiger – over 500 more views of the Island Jim review! The Island Jim review was originally published on March 13, so it’s had close to a full year to garner viewership. The 2nd place Villiger was published six months later in August.
But still, what made the Island Jim review so compelling? It is also worth noting that the sixth place review – Leaf by Oscar Connecticut – is also an Island Jim creation. Island Jim is a caricature of himself. He is a larger than life personality, with larger than life looks. If you were to think of the typical beach bum, hanging around a surf shop for 30 years, your mind would conjure Island Jim. He is his brand & promotes himself as such. He’s also a pretty cool dude, good hearted, and easy going, as well as much deserving of the success he is having with his brand.
The other cigar reviews on this list are comprised of larger boutique brands like the Rocky Patel or the AJ Fernandez or the Room 101, but there are also some of the smaller boutique guys here: Bill Bromley’s Butter, Lucky Leaf Duo or the Royal Danish Sangre Azul. It’s a pretty diverse list of the industry, so I guess that speaks to the variety of cigar smokers out there. There are those who are content to stay with the brands they have always known, and there are those who want to find the next “It” brand/blend. These early adopters of new flavors or brands are looking to be able to say “I smoked it before it was well known” – kind of like Boston Jimmie!
So, it’s been a great year here at Stogie Press. We’ve covered a lot of things, smoked a literal ton of tobacco & we are looking forward to doing much of the same in the coming years ahead. This publication has been a joy to bring together for you each month. We hope that you, our readers, have enjoyed it too.