I went through about half a box of spills as part of this review and each one had a consistent burn. I used both lighting methods I outlined above and never found that the spill overpowered the cigar flavors. Something to keep an eye out for is the ash from the spill. It is very thin and light, so the slightest breeze could get pieces floating around, so just be conscious of this when using them.
The basic design of the cigar cutter hasn't changed much in the last 100 years. Sure, you have different shapes, different number of blades, and of course there are many levels of quality, but the basic design has remained the same. Until now.
This year, Xikar debuted two brand new products, the Volta, and the Forte, both of which we covered in depth in our exclusive pre-IPCPR info and reviews. They also showed off a couple new designs, and some changes to older products that you can watch Scott Almsberger - Chief Design Officer & Co- Founder talk about in this video.
When the humidor arrived, I was pleasantly surprised by its appearance, it looked even better in person than the pictures on the website. The quality of the product is very good. The design is actually fused with the coating, not just a layer underneath, in a seamless layer giving it a very quality look. The main body and lid are solid metal, giving you plenty of protection from jarring and crushing.
In Late 2014 Xikar announced the Turrim Double Flame lighter coming in at a hefty 5 x 64. Designed to fit into your favorite Xikar Travel Humidor. At this year's IPCPR Trade Show, Xikar revealed the Turrim Single Flame version. The Single flame version comes in at a very reasonable 4.5 x 50. If you have seen or read up on the Original Turrim you would find this version has all the same features you would expect.
Just prior to the 2017 IPCPR trade show, Xikar announced a few new products they would be showing off, one of those being a new kind of butane for cigar lighters, called PUROFINE High Performance. This new mixture of butane was originally designed for use in high-altitude location over 6,000 ft where oxygen is less abundant, but as they were testing the product, they found that it could also be used to increase current flame height and performance of any lighter.
Michael asked us to review this new product and I decided to tackle this one. To sum it up in two words: it works! Honest to God, it really does what it says, I know it sounds too good to be true. Now, it does have it's limitations, it's not a miracle worker, but it's close.
At this year’s IPCPR in New Orleans I ran into Michael of Whiff Out on the show floor and then at one of the cigar after parties. Michael talked about how amazing Whiff Out worked and said I should try it. A few weeks after the show I got in contact with him and he was kind enough to send me some samples to review and try out.
A while back I received a sample of a new kind of ashtray called the Ash Stay. It's claim was to prevent wind from blowing ashes out of the tray and make for a less-messy experience.
Something that every cigar smoker has to deal with is keeping your cigars at the right humidity. An essential tool...




