— Author —
Eric Schleien
Eric Schleien is the founder of SmokeDaddy Cigar Company. A Texas-based investor and host of The Intelligent Investing Podcast, he commissions every cigar from a master Cuban torcedor with decades of experience, now rolling in Texas.
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Complete archive
The Quiet Discipline of the Perfect Light
A great cigar is made or ruined in the first sixty seconds. Here is how I light mine.
Why I Stopped Rushing the Padron 1964
A short note on patience, tobacco, and the kind of cigar that punishes hurry.
A Brief History of the Cuban-Trained Roller
How an island's craft survived embargoes, exile, and four generations of practitioners.
An Honest Pairing Guide: Bourbon and Leaf
Forget the marketing. Here is what actually works with what.
What a Humidor Is Actually For
Most humidors are decorative. Yours does not have to be.
The Cigar I Smoke When No One Is Watching
It is not the most expensive one in the humidor.
On the First Draw
Why the opening pull tells you more about a cigar than the next twenty.
A Letter to Someone Buying Their First Box
Five things I wish someone had told me before I spent $300 at a tobacconist.
The Quiet Return of the Cameroon Wrapper
A nearly-extinct leaf is making a comeback. Here is why it matters.
What Makes a Cigar Worth $7,500?
A frank explanation, written by the person who priced it.
The Case for the Corona
Bigger is not better. The corona is the format every great blend was designed for.
On Running a Cigar Company That Sells Nothing
A reflection on scarcity, waitlists, and the strange economics of "sold out."