Bert Shapiro, of Pheasant’s Eye Productions, is a very talented independent filmaker. He makes short films about real people, doing real things.

And he concentrates on ways of life that are vanishing.

Ways of life like rolling cigars by hand in New York City.

Here, courtesy of Pheasant’s Eye, is a look at how a torcedor — a cigar roller — turns a pile of leaves into a work of art in the award winning short film Hand Rolled on 29th Street.

The film takes less than three minutes to view. If you have never had a chance to see how a cigar is rolled, you should find this especially fascinating.

More on Bert Shapiro, the filmaker, below the fold.

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The fifth and final installment of this series brings us some cigars that you may not be familiar with.

If you have never tried today’s selections — or perhaps never even heard of them before — then you have been missing out on some true smoking pleasure. Both are quite worthy of being listed not only among the best USA-made cigars, but among the best cigars in the world.

In contrast to the heady prices of some of the earlier cigars in this series, the final two today are also rather modestly priced. Both brands would have to be considered “best buys” and true bargains.

For those coming late to this series, please take note of the fine print: The order in which cigars are presented in this series does not indicate relative quality or rating. It is not a top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top list. All cigars in this list are quite good, all are quite different, and each one is a #1 cigar in its own way.

Another thing that needs to be said in this look at some of the best cigars made in the United States currently is that it was not easy coming up with only ten. There are a lot of very fine cigars still being rolled in the U.S. of all strengths and bodies in some intriguing blends.

That was a pleasant surprise, since more and more brands are moving their manufacturing exclusively to Latin America. Old Powder Keg cigars, for example, from Connecticut Valley Tobacconist would have certainly been in this list…but they are now made in the Dominican Republic instead of in Connecticut.

In order to help me trim the list, I also arbitrarily eliminated a number of cigars that are made in the U.S.A., but in extremely limited numbers and/or do not have national distribution. I’m going to be highlighting some of these “micro-boutique” cigar lines in features over the next few weeks.

As I prepared the articles and ratings, I’ve had the pleasure of becoming reacquainted with some old favorites I haven’t sampled in a number of years, as well as finding some new favorites. None of the manufacturers listed here have paid or compensated me in any way in order to be included in this list — in fact, none of them even knew that their cigars were going to appear before they showed up in this Cigar Envy feature.

Now, on to today’s cigars. The reviews and ratings begin below the fold.

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The fourth installment in this series on the best cigars made in the USA showcases two more cigars made in Florida.

One is a cigar that has been around for a long time and is a trusted name.

The other cigar is a newcomer, but has built a solid reputation in a surprisingly short time.

Both of these cigars have very loyal followings — for very good reasons.

Again, take note of the fine print: The order in which cigars are presented in this series does not indicate relative quality or rating. It is not a top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top list. All cigars in this list are quite good, all are quite different, and each one is a #1 cigar in its own way.

The cigar reviews and ratings begin below the fold.

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The third installment in this series on the best cigars made in the USA brings us back to Florida. It also showcases two very different cigar lines.

One is very close to Cuba and has recently been called one of the best cigars made in the United States.

The second is closer to Cuba than the first, and it too has a claim on the title of best U.S.-made cigar.

If that makes sense to you, then you will have a good idea of where we are headed. If it doesn’t, just sit back and relax. It will all be explained in the cigar reviews below the fold.

The order in which cigars are presented in this series does not indicate relative quality or rating. It is not a top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top list. All cigars in this list are quite good, all are quite different, and each one is a #1 cigar in its own way.

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Today is Independence Day in the United States, and as part of a commemoration of that holiday I am doing a week-long series of the top ten “Made in the USA” cigars. The series continues today as we look at two cigars made outside of Florida.

One line is made in a city that in symbolizes in many way an America of times gone past. It has a unique culture produced by a unique coming-together of people from many countries and many different ethnic groups. It has produced a unique cigar.

The other is made in a city that has no past. Or at least, not a past that stretches back very far. Calling the culture of this second U.S. city “unique” really would not do justice to it.

But enough preamble. Today’s entries in these reviews of the best premium cigars made in the United States start below the fold.

The order in which cigars are presented in this series does not indicate relative quality or rating. It is not a top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top list. All cigars in this list are quite good, all are quite different, and each one is a #1 cigar in its own way.

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Let’s be honest. When most people think of premium cigars, they do not think of “made in the USA.”

Everyone knows that the best cigars in the world come from Cuba.

…or from the Dominican Republic.

…or from Nicaragua, or from Honduras, or from the Bahamas, or…

Well, you get the idea. Best is always a matter of taste and opinion, and it varies from person to person even though we can usually agree on some general guidelines. What is best for one person may be last on the list for another. The best cigars in the world, however, are usually not thought of as being made in the United States.

In fact, a lot of people assume that the only cigars made in the USA are ones that you buy at gas stations and convenience stores.

If that is what you believe, then prepare to be enlightened. You might have been missing out on some world-class smokes.

Tomorrow, we celebrate Independence Day in the United States. I couldn’t think of a better time to highlight some of these special cigars made in America cigars than during this U.S. holiday season. So, I have come up with a list of ten top cigars that are home-made even if they are not completely home-grown and will focus on two each day over the next week.

Some of the cigars chosen for the top ten list will be familiar to you. Some of them you may not know about. All of them are worthy of your consideration for a place in your humidor.

The order in which they are presented is not a top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top list. These cigars are all quite good, all quite different, and each one is a #1 cigar in its own way.

Also, since this site is international in scope, with readers on every continent except Antarctica, some of you may find these American gems hard to get. Now you know how we in the States feel when we hear you wax eloquent about Cuban cigars.

And on that somewhat ironic note, let me share some U.S. treasures with you.

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