Wrapper: Costa Rican
Binder: Peruvian
Filler: Undisclosed (Aged 3 Years)
Size: Varies
Strength: Medium
I’ve had these cigars for 6 months. They are solid smokes. I’m going to give away my small stash in three packs. IGM produced these samples for me. They make Daughters of the Wind for Jeremy Casdagli. I asked for something similar but with the addition of a special filler…which shall remain nameless.
These are big cigars. Not a corona gorda in the bunch. 1-1/2 to 2 hour smokes.
The deal is that you pay for shipping. I am asking a flat fee of $10. If it’s more, I’ll take care of it. I will give you my Venmo I.D.
To snag your very own one-of-a-kind cigars, leave a comment below. It’s not first come, first serve. I will pick recipients based on quality of content. Write what you want. Impress the shit out of me. Take your time…there’s no rush.
You must include your full name, which will be posted, so I know you’re on the level.
I have 30 cigars that I’m willing to give away. 10 readers will get three packs.
Winners must live in the continental United States. One entry per person.
Contest ends April 16, 2025.
I would love to have you provide feedback on your experience with Moon Steps.
Thanks for your support.
Phil
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Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS, CONTEST
Mark Istic here, long time reader of your blog. My experience with moon steps is limited to star gazing and amateur astronomy, which pairs nicely with deep contemplation and a good smoke. I started with a Planosphere and binoculars, and look forward to sharing the hobby with my sons once they get a bit older.
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i’ve smoked every cigar in the avowed line so far , and i must say the you were correct about them. have never doubted your palate for a second. New dawn might be the best of the bunch. “the future of connecticut’s “
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Katman (Phil):
I’m a poor retired corporate guy and professional keyboardist as a second job my whole life. Hunter Thompson aptly described the biz: “a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs.” I miss gigging, in an off hand way, kind of like I miss Howard Cosell. But there’s no need for truculence. Surely you would have pity on my soul and my outstanding account in arrears at the SF Free Clinic.
I abandoned suburban life for a few acres in the country with none of the trappings of your urban upper mid-west apartment life. At the end of my work career I concluded I don’t really enjoy the company of most people. I drink alone, with nobody else, etc. I enjoy milder winters, hot summers, long warm falls, gardens, chickens that admire me only when I have food, and non-stop maintenance education, as I smoke my way through various dog rockets of different shapes and origins throughout the property [when there is no danger of starting an out of control 2,000 acre forest fire in the dry hills]. I’m always in search of that spicy and balanced blend as I feign a busy schedule attending to transparent and seamless operations. I optimistically await your fawning acceptance.
Best regards from the lovely Applegate Valley of SW (People’s Republic of) Oregon,
Greg Aldridge
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As I enjoyed a stogie the other night it brought me back to a hot, humid Florida night in 2008. My new band and I were celebrating my 18th birthday and I had bought my first cigar to celebrate. I felt on top of the world smoking a big cigar with a tight group of friends, ears still ringing from our earlier musical flailings… the world was at my fingertips. A cigar, stitching memory to smoke.
I love your reviews because they always reawaken that wanderlust in me. Your reviews aren’t just about tobacco. They’re stories. Time machines and fever dreams with tasting notes.
Moon Steps? Sign me up. Maybe I’ll find a portal in the smoke rings to some memory of tripping with my band back in those days. I’m sure we made it to the moon a few times. Hell, maybe our steps are still there… I’d be honored to write about my experience for you if I’m selected.
Thank you for the opportunity.
Brian Curry
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What kind of quality content would not only grab your attention, but keep it well enough that the memory of me stays with you like the smell of a dive bar that should have closed in ’82 but kept the door open because Frank pays the bills from a bloated bank account he inherited from his supposed bank robber of an aunt?
I could talk about myself with facts, but those are boring, if not just lifeless data.
No, how about I tell you that the first cigar I smoked was while researching the last location of the Ark. The Nazis didn’t have it and never did (thanks for the goose chase, Dr. Jones). I will say this, the rumors are true about Ethiopia.
Ah, but that’s a long tale anyway, and one that many have told, though the characters keep changing.
There was a time, while I was meditating on some of the epistles St. James Jamerson that a bass riff so groovy, so funky, so soulful visited me and I played it for 10 weeks straight, only stopping to sip on a dram of Islay scotch that never ended and light another cigar with finger tips, red hot from friction.
Well, these stories are really better heard in person, not from a disembodied digitized avatar of a former red-headed step-child (oh the scars!).
I should probably add a brief mention of how my wife doesn’t care for you because of the money I’ve spent on sticks based on your reviews. It’s ok. She doesn’t have the drive to seek you out. Though, I wouldn’t make public any visits to the Pacific Northwest region for a while. She’s a tenacious gal.
Best regards,
Jacob Russell of the clan Rousel & Kennedy (not those Roosels that currently dwell near the great lakes of Ozark in Arkansas, but the Rousels that lived near the great lakes of Ozark on the Missouris side, mind you. and not THOSE Kennedy’s).
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I read and enjoy your reviews. The video heads are ridiculous. I get to see real-time exclusives with some age reviewed before I pull the trigger. Invaluable intel for a cigar junkie with a wallet that is not afraid to jump in. Missed y p ur time off, glad you are back. Happy Passover.
Joe Dayan.
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Joe Primavera
Count me in on your raffle! I really appreciate your reviews and anecdotes. At 73 years, I need reminders of my misspent youth!
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KatMan … Edward (Ed) Braun here. WI native, by birth. Now live in sunny (and warm) AZ. feel your pain every time you reference WI weather. Long time cigar smoker. Still enjoying the journey. Most afternoons around 4:00PM I grab whatever book I am reading, head out to our side patio … read and enjoy a cigar. The highlight of my day.
I have enjoyed many of your cigar selections over the years, and w/o sucking-up, learned a lot as a result. Even met Jeremy from Casdagli at an event a few years back at 21 Degrees, a Cigar Lounge in Scottsdale. Had my first Daughters of the Wind there. It has not been my last. Would love to sample some of the KatMan’s private stock, if I can get in the queue to do so,
All the best … keep up the good work (as long as you can).
Ed
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Love your reviews. You got me started on Casdagli. Terrific smoke! You remind me of colorful characters that hung out in Berkeley where I went to school. Being from near Napa, CA, and having learned a thing or two about wine, I enjoy understanding what the cigar maker was trying to achieve, extra points for artistry, how the flavors blend, and ultimately what story gets told. I have a very stressful profession, and getting lost in the transcendent aromas and flavors of a good cigar, even if only for an hour, provides a much-needed respite from the stress of day-to-day life.
Stay righteous and keep educating us while at the same time being entertaining. Appreciate the contest and happy to provide a review if I am chosen–stay smoky my friends.
Bryan Parker
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There once was a Katman in ‘Sconsin
For whom smoking cigars was his mission
When he proffered Moon Steps
For his fans on the web
Woody wrote hoping to win!
Rick Woods
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Hey what’s up Katman. I just got into smoking sticks and always reference your page for tasting notes. I’m also in a band and have been in bands all my life. We’re a heavy metal rock n roll band from Chicago, IL. We’re currently working on an acoustic EP. Hopefully you can check us out and follow one of our pages. I’ll attach some links. Also hopefully I get picked to win some of these sticks. https://www.instagram.com/_official_bloodrunner_?igsh=MTJoejQ0OWV3eGppNg==
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Thanks for destroying my upper limit on the price of a single cigar (also for the antidote/stulac).
Was attending university and Discipline was released. Stout competition for Rio but played loudly and often despite perplexity from coeds. Made the 100 mile trek to Boston to observe the mighty Crims at The Rat. They were set up on the floor so we were standing 20 ft away. They left the room in tatters. Robert walked out and stood still for 15 minutes, while the place went nuts. Genius? Dunno but after reading a few bios he doesn’t seem like much fun.
Fast forward about a year and they are returning to play U Mass. We are to meet the guy with our tix there but no one bothered to organize where exactly. We leave late and break all know laws of physics to arrive in college town which is bumper to bumper. We are late late late and stressing thru the haze. As we are driving we hear someone in a car at an intersection shouting the name of the guy sitting in the back seat of our car. How they saw him in the back of a tiny toyota in a car they did not even know to look for is beyond belief. Tickets and money are exchanged. We get in our seats and lights out 5 seconds later. Robert in the shadows in back the entire show. Genius or just miserable? Bruford/Levin were mesmerizing.
I recently paid over $250 to see Beat. New respect for Tool drummer. Steve Vai played like he was ringing a bell- wow. Wish there were more bands I’d be happy to fork out that much to go see.
Love your work and forward it to like minded dudes that don’t even smoke cigars. The Renaissance story is a favorite.
Thanks for the reviews.
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Katman….. you are to cigars what Anthony Bourdain was to food, taking one of life‘s little pleasures and elevating the experience with your humor, insight, and a bit of philosophy thrown in. Thanks for showing us how not to take ourselves so seriously and to have a laugh and a good cigar. Thanks to you, I fired my therapist!! Keep the reviews coming.
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So glad you’re feeling better and with us on this rock for some more revolutions around the sun. My days got darker when you went silent not long ago. You were the first reviewer I stumbled across, and still the best. Love your writing style!
Ryan Tracy
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Todd Becker here. Phil, we had a conversation years ago about booger sugar. Not sure what that has to do with anything, but it came to mind as something which “holds weight”. In more ways than one. Anyhow, just send me all 30 of them and I’ll smoke one every day for a month and return to tell you how the dark side of the moon was. In the Garden of Eden baby!
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art is long but life is short.
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Katman, my attempt to sing for my supper, or better yet a pack of those Moon Steps.
Court of the Crimson King
Jester juggles comedies and tragedies
telling tales of famine, war, and disease
the truth lies in the vagaries
welcome to the court of the Crimson King
Ace in the hole, please save my soul
stumbling like a newborn foal
sanity is the only goal
desperate, in the court of the Crimson king
Queen of hearts breaks them apart
sowing seeds of envy like itrs an art
a jealous seconds part
broken in the court of the Crimson king
Deuces wild make me smile
stupefying my agony for awhile
Lou Cipher is dressed in style
Bachnalia in the Court of he Crimson King
One eyed Jack torments them on the rack
their families would take lives to get them back
their souls slipped down through the crack
tortured in the Court of the Crimson King
Suicide King welcomes his end
despite his sea of friends
knowing his mind will never mend
hopeless, in the Court of the Crimson King
Aces and Eights their curese is well known
pale horse’s rideron the throne
the wrongs are mine, and mine alone
Dead man walking in the Court of he Crimson King
Black Thirteen is never seen
soul can never be washed clean
be grateful that you have never been
Lost i the Court of the Crimson king
two and seven ruined his name
play that hand you’ll lose the game
if you win, you’ll earn your fame
Shoot the Moon in the Court of he Crimson King
Ashes to ashes dust to dust
Royal Flush isn’t enough
monuments waste away to rust
dawn of life fades away to dusk in the Court of he Crimson King.
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Forgot to add my name in the post, Duane Hough
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Phil, if I was small-brain-lazy and listened only to my Perfect Draw (apparently, yes, they ship from factory with attitude…and yes, one of us should get the $1.39 from the Doc), I’d love/hate you for opening my eyes to the never ending list of outstanding cigars you have “made” me purchase. But you so efficiently destroy the haze of cigar-ignorance, and I try to not be small-brianed, so I’ll do the right thing, and just say Thank You.
Your flavor wheel ruminations (it’s actually helpful) versus simple lizard brain verdict (great stick or move along, move along) so answer the burning questions. Yes, I have embraced all of your 2023 and 2024 Best Of lists (well, most of…there were some ungettables and a few “not sure I cares”) plus so many other reviewed sticks. And, only a couple times, I didn’t get the joy joy you did (e.g. Freud Sigmund The Disruptor great, but not worth the price; La Aurora Puro Vintage 2009 Edicion Limitada 2024 fell a bit flat for me, and I’m concerned about the E.P. Carrillo 15 Year Anniversary L.E. cause every “great” EPC I have devolves into ‘meh…it was good’- but my mind is open).
I thank you for the journey. I’d know so little without the work you do. And, I would have wasted far far more money, time, and opportunity, ignorantly wondering the bullshit of the interweb without your guidance.
I just want great cigars.
Yes, fine, MY lizard brain doesn’t want the big box store, everyone has it, stick – snob, informed, illuminated, whatever. I’m old enough to feel it’s ok to want better.
Each stolen 60 to 120 minute experience; I just want great cigars. For me, and for my friends.
Phil, my cigar Caddie (sorry, The Masters), are these great cigars?
Huge Thanks, Brad Primavera
{enjoyed while writing: La Palina Goldie Prominente}
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All of these long essays are ridiculous! You asked for a comment, not an essay! So here is my comment:
“The rest of us prefer spending money on beer and food for the kids.“
You spend money on beer for the kids???
Thanks for the contest!
Kevin Dennis
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Phil, I have to keep this short as I’m writing to you while locked inside a small silo, a wheat or corn crib, as it were.
I was lured here under a false pretense-that the “crib” was actually a Cigar Bar.
I should’ve seen this boondoggle for the ruse that it was when I saw the sign that said the property was managed by the Diaz Brothers. Don’t even get me started with the fact that it was Messenger IM with a picture of a beautiful young woman by the name of Jessie who said she would be my bartendress!
Well, anyway, it’s too late for self recrimination at this point-I realize that my one value to them lay in my chemistry skills. No, they don’t want me to break bad and cook up any of the blue stuff but they do want my skills at making moonshine!
The only thing that will possibly make it bearable for the next few months, when they swear they will turn me loose once I’ve taught them everything I know, would be the company of some fine and rare cigars (unlike the drek that Rocky is forever pedaling)I really am looking for some awesome smokes.
Sorry about the grammar and the run-on sentences, but I am pressed for time to write as I need to get back to the still and check the head to see if it’s ready yet.
Please, uncle Phil don’t let me down. I need some good cigars. It’s the only thing that will help me. Keep my sanity! Thank you in advance.
Kevin C.
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Hello! Thanks for hosting this give away, I love your reviews. My name is Wyndham Batchelor – a long time ago, I used to play bass for fun. I was terrible at it; I mostly did it to play with my friends. I was only a little better at playing the piano. These days I spend my time as a Scientist in New York City. I’m working on trying to build a brain tissue replacement graft made from stem cells as a treatment for stroke and traumatic brain injury. Anyway, I’ve always wanted to try IGM cigars, they look really good! Thanks for your reviews!
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CONTEST IS OVER.
THANK YOU.
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