Cigar Journal Magazine - Winter Edition 2025

The current issue of Cigar Journal can be found at many newsagents, at bookshops in railway stations and airports, and at specialist tobacco retailers – or digitally via our website.

The following is an overview of the contents of the current issue:

COVER STORY – Hendrik “Henke” Kelner: Chosen By Tobacco
At 80 years of age, Hendrik Kelner is an undisputed icon in the international tobacco industry and a character of unquestionable reputation. He could also have done something quite different with his life, but fortunately, the world of cigars didn’t let him go that easily.

CIGAR KNOWLEDGE: Pricing

CIGAR INDUSTRY: Who earns how much from a premium cigar? We delved into this, from tobacco seed to the shelves in the US, and explain how the prices in 2025 are actually put together.

PAIRING – Japanese Whiskies & Cigars: Smoky Sayonara
Do Japanese whiskies go with cigars? Our seven-person pairing team comprehensively tested how fruity and mild it can get with a cigar.

CIGAR DESTINATIONS: Greece
Athens is astonishing with its mixture of neon lights and antiquity as well as a vibrant cigar scene. Here, passionados will find this the perfect place to celebrate indulgence.

ONE DAY IN THE LIFE OF: Geneli Quiroz
Our author Simon Lundh spent a day accompanying Geneli Quiroz. For the principal of a school in Estelí, working with children is a labor of love. Getting there, however, her path was characterized by crises and her remarkable resilience.

TASTED CIGARS
An international team of 96 cigar experts blind-tasted 60 cigars. Read the test results, including a description of the cigars, here. In this issue, three cigars were awarded an outstanding 93 points: the A. FUENTE HEMINGWAY SUNGROWN OSCURO SIGNATURE I, the PLASENCIA ALMA DEL CIELO CELESTE, and the ROCKY PATEL EMERALD ROBUSTO. If you’re interested in cigars with a particularly good price-performance ratio, look out for our Best Buy seal: 14 cigars received the award in this tasting.