Ferio Tego Milestones | halfwheel

Any business, industry or pursuit has its names that you need to know. In the world of jazz, there are many, but one that rises to the top is Miles Davis.

Davis is one of the most well-known and highly acclaimed trumpeters in jazz, as well as being a composer, bandleader and painter. His career spanned more than 40 years and multiple styles of jazz, he won eight Grammy Awards, and was nominated for another 24 of them. Among his other honors, in 2006, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In 1958, Davis released an album called “Milestones” that was considered one of his seminal works and which shares its name with a cigar created by Ferio Tego in celebration of what would have been Davis’ 100th birthday, which would have been on May 26, 2026.

For Michael Herklots, co-founder of Herklots, the connection was obvious. He played in the Miles Davis Ensemble during his time at the Berklee College of Music, graduating in 2002 with a degree in drum set performance.

“Jazz and handmade premium cigars share a great deal,” said Herklots in a press release. “Both are often misunderstood and underappreciated. Both require tremendous discipline to create. And both instill joy, inspire passion, and foster community. I have played the music of Miles Davis countless times with musicians I had never met, who spoke languages I could not understand and came from places I had never been, yet we could all play the same tune. Premium cigars offer the same thing.”

The cigar is a 6 x 50 toro, with a blend that places an Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed wrapper atop a Honduran binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua. The line was made at Diadema Cigars de Honduras S.A., the Davidoff-owned factory in Honduras, best known for making Camacho.

The cigars come packaged in 10-count boxes, with 1,600 boxes produced and pricing set at $185 a box and $18.50 per cigar.

Beyond the cigars, what might be the coolest aspect of the release is that inside each box is one of four 5 x 7 reproductions of a sketch by Davis.

To help ensure an even distribution of the different pieces of art, Ferio Tego sold Milestones to retailers in four-box sets that include one of each of the sketches. Additionally, the outside of the boxes is labeled with which sketch is inside. Beyond that, the boxes include a link to a playlist curated by Herklots, Reservoir Media and the Miles Davis Estate.

• Cigar Reviewed: Ferio Tego Milestones
• Country of Origin: Honduras
• Factory: Diadema Cigars de Honduras S.A.,
• Wrapper: Ecuador (Connecticut-seed)
• Binder: Honduras
• Filler: Dominican Republic, Honduras & Nicaragua
• Length: 6 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 50
• Shape: Round
• MSRP: $18.50 (Box of 10, $185)
• Release Date: Aug. 3, 2026
• Number of Cigars Released: 1,600 Boxes of 10 Cigars (16,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

At first glance, the Ferio Tego Milestones looks like some of the company’s other lines that use a Connecticut seed-wrapper. It’s on the lighter side of the spectrum, with a couple of decent-sized veins, slightly visible seams, and not much oiliness. The leaves are all pretty smooth to the touch, which, in the case of the third cigar, feels attributable to some residual oiliness. The first cigar is quite firm, while the second and third are a touch softer but not deserving of the word soft. The first cigar’s aroma off the foot is mild and reminds me of Cheerios dust and a very light white bread. The second and third have creaminess that dominates those other sensations, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there. The cold draw is smooth with a touch of resistance, and while there’s some flavor, it is quite mild, reminding me of very plain popcorn. That said, the second cigar gives me a little bit of Cajun spice that reminds me of a certain snack mix I pick up once or twice a year, while the third adds creaminess without the spice.

Out of the gate, the Ferio Tego Milestones has a familiar profile, as it’s a mix of light toast, popcorn, some thin and dry wood, and a touch of light black pepper. The body of the smoke is fuller in the second cigar, while the profile is a bit muted, an interesting tradeoff that has me liking the fuller-bodied profile more than the thinner but more vibrant version. The third cigar is interesting in that it has a bit of a s’more flavor, though more along the lines I’d find in a Pop-Tart rather than if I had made the campfire snack myself. Around the one-inch mark, the profile gets a little richer and smokier, more in the third cigar than the other two, and I find myself liking that third cigar more than the others. Retrohales have a bit of requisite black pepper that serves as a crisp accent to the profile, but it’s mellow despite lingering for a bit. Because they’re mild, I find myself taking two or three in a row, and I like the combination of the flavor and retrohales. Flavor and body are in medium territory, with a bit of range on either side, while strength is more consistently mild. I’m a little surprised by how dark the ash is, with the second cigar particularly dark. The draw, burn line, and smoke production are all very good.

As the second third gets underway, I find a more pronounced creaminess from the Ferio Tego Milestones, and while there’s still a dryness thanks to the toast and wood, this new addition helps to smooth some of the profile’s edges. While the third cigar had some earlier, it’s the first encounter with it in the other two cigars. Once the section is underway, all three cigars tend to arrive at the same point, one marked by light lumber, a bit of popcorn, some pepper, touches of creaminess, and the occasional English muffin note. In the first two cigars, it’s a buildup to this combination, while in the third, it’s a bit of a reduction. While I have preferred the third cigar to this point, I wish it continued to build as opposed to backing off. This combination takes the second third to its conclusion. This section closes with the flavor getting just a touch sharper as the black pepper feels like it has picked up a bit more edge than it has had thus far. Until the final puffs, flavor is medium but it increases to medium-full when that change sets in. The body is medium, maybe medium-plus, while strength follows the flavor, starting mild but jumping up to medium. Construction remains very good.

With an edgier black pepper now holding the reins, the Ferio Tego Milestones begins its final third, shifting away from the creaminess that I was really liking in the second third. It’s not completely gone as I soon find out, but it gets dashed pretty quickly, especially once the finish of a puff kicks in. Some creaminess rejoins the profile towards the cigar’s conclusion, a very welcome return that adds to both the flavor and the body. The third cigar continues to be the standout of the review process, showing the most balance and complexity, as while the cigars are all playing the same notes, there’s just something about how the third cigar executes that puts it ahead of the other two. Beyond that, notes of toast, a light nuttiness, and popcorn continue to play the supporting roles. Flavor finishes around medium, body is medium-plus, and strength is still very mild. Construction remains very good as long as I give the cigars the requisite scheduled puff, and I have no issues with the draw, burn line or smoke production.

Final Notes

• The bands pop off with a satisfying snap and with no damage to the wrapper. I don’t know what all goes into delivering this result, but this should be the standard for the premium cigar industry.
• Miles Davis died in 1991 at the age of 65, and ranks pretty high on my list of musicians whom I wish I had seen perform.
• If you’re ever in Phoenix and looking to hear some jazz, be sure to check out The Nash, on the northern edge of downtown Phoenix.
• Nicotine strength was a complete non-factor for me.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.

• The company lists these as a 6 x 50 toro. The numbers above are the measurements we found for the three cigars used for this review.
• Final smoking time was right at two hours.
• Site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co., Cigars Daily and Small Batch Cigar carry the Ferio Tego Milestones.

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and the G-League’s Valley Suns. I was previously the PA announcer for the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League, and Goodyear Ballpark, spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I’m a voiceover artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.