The Art of the Fine Smoke & the Perfect Pour
The premier quarterly publication for the discerning aficionado. Every issue available in full — free on this website and on Amazon Kindle. Blind KCS ratings, the Kaufmann Pairing Index™, 273 countries, and the world's finest cocktail pairings.
Four issues a year. Blind tastings. Expert pairings. Read every issue in full — free online. Also available on Amazon Kindle.
The most comprehensive cigar reference ever published — every tobacco-producing country on Earth, fully documented.
Two exclusive rating systems developed by editor Radim Kaufmann — for cigars and for pairings.
All cigars tasted blind. Five criteria: Construction · Aroma · Flavor · Balance · Regional Expression.
| Score | Classification | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 96–100 | Transcendent | Benchmark-defining. Seek these out. |
| 93–95 | Outstanding | World-class. Highly recommended. |
| 90–92 | Excellent | Strong regional character & craft. |
| 87–89 | Very Good | Well-made. Confidently recommended. |
| 84–86 | Good | Solid everyday cigar. Good value. |
| Below 84 | Not Recommended | Significant flaws or limited merit. |
Measuring the harmony between cigar and spirit. Body Match · Sweetness Contrast · Finish Harmony.
"A great cigar should be judged not only against Cohiba or Padrón, but against the finest expression of its own tobacco heritage." — Radim Kaufmann
Every nation on Earth has a story worth telling — through tobacco, through spirits, or through the culture of the table. Where cigars grow, we rate and review. Where cocktails reign, we shake and stir. Everywhere else, we travel.
Showing 12 of 273 countries · Full index coming with the Encyclopedia
Editor in Chief & Publisher · Miami / Prague
"There is a moment — you know it if you've experienced it — when a perfectly lit cigar and a well-crafted cocktail align in a way that stops time. That moment is what this magazine is about."
Author of The Kaufmann World Wine Guide and The Kaufmann World Encyclopedia of Premium Cigars. Former publisher of the Miami print edition. Available on radimkaufmann.com and Amazon.