Mark Wahlberg Q&A • September/October 2023
Mark Wahlberg has just about done it all. He started his career in music, and then became one of the biggest movie stars in the world before expanding his reach and becoming a producer and businessman. The multi-talented man joined Cigar Aficionado editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken for an exclusive interview to talk about his biggest roles, making a name for himself in show business and his many entrepreneurial endeavors. Plus, we dive into Hobe Sound, the home of Michael Jordan's Grove XXIII, to learn about this hidden golf mecca. We also explore the new craze with Formula 1, preview the 2023 NFL season and experiment with a selection of classy rums and an Arturo Fuente smoke. Nick Melillo of Foundation Cigar Co. also gave Cigar Aficionado a one-on-one interview, and we find out Ken Griffrey's smoke of choice, highlight two lucky Big Smoke guests and review a classic smoke from 1986 in our newest edition of Connoisseur's Corner. Plus, we offer 76 expert cigar ratings and much more.
Features
Mark Wahlberg—The Interview
Mark Wahlberg is one of the biggest names in movies, with a diverse series of roles that range from slapstick comedy to riveting drama. Whether fighting against the raging …
Hobe Sound—Florida’s New Golf Mecca
Michael Jordan sure seems like a visionary now. It was in 2018 when the basketball legend selected Bobby Weed Golf Design to build his own private golf playground, the invitation-…
The Winning Formula
It’s standing room only. From the sweaty middle of the room, a glance around confirms precisely what you’d expect to see in a hip New York City bar at the height of summer: A …
Cigar Aficionado's NFL Preview
AFC EAST Division Winner // Buffalo Bills Every year is supposed to be the Bills’ year now, and the club will lose cap flexibility when it re-signs stud quarterback …
Rum’s Free Spirit
Most fine, brown spirits are sticklers for regulations. Single malts flow only from pot stills. Straight whiskeys need to be aged in new casks. Irish, Scotch, and Canadian …
Cigars
A Conversation With Nicholas Melillo
Managing editor Greg Mottola went to see Foundation Cigar Co.'s Nick Melillo at his colorful office in Connecticut during harvest season to talk about his operation and what it …
The Battle At The Bridge
When Marvin R. Shanken hosted two lucky Big Smoke guests for a round of golf.
My Favorite Cigar
The legendary slugger finds it hard to name a favorite smoke, but he has a particular fondness for a popular Dominican brand.
Connoisseur’s Corner: Davidoff 80 Aniversario (1986)
Not only is our headliner from the 1980s, this classic cigar received a major score in a recent tasting.
Ratings from this Issue
Up Front
Victory Against Regulation
Remember the date: August 9, 2023. It’s the day the handmade cigar industry finally won its long, painful and expensive fight against regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug …
The Good Life
Les Fines Lames Cigar Jewelry
You’re mingling at a party when suddenly cigars appear. Not expecting a smoke session, no one brought a cutter. But luckily you’re wearing your Punch Bracelet from Les Fines …
The Paolo Martorano Jacket
"All those stitches are there for a reason,” says Paolo Martorano, looking over a client during a fitting for a bespoke jacket that is about halfway to completion. The jacket has …
2024 Ford Mustang
It’s never easy making over an icon. Just ask Chris Walter, the lead stylist for the 2024 Ford Mustang. The “pony car” will soon celebrate its 60th anniversary, a makeover the …
Martini Garnishes
The word garnish was first a verb meaning “to decorate.” But to cocktailians it became a noun for a drink adornment. Mainly it acts as trimming—a piece of lime, say, that signals …
Tomahawk Steak
Beef goes by a lot of fancy names. Coulotte is sirloin from a cow’s thigh. Filet mignon is a small piece of tenderloin. Chateaubriand is its larger neighbor, butchered for two …
Sea Kayaking
With more than two thirds of the planet covered in water, many beloved vacation spots are near the ocean. And sea kayaking lets you explore them with no special training, while …