The Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

This line, rolled in Honduras, is often cited as good bargain cigar. Cigar Aficionado included Gisperts in a sidebar of bargain smokes that was part of its Best Cigar of the Year package. I’ve smoked several sizes, the most recent being a 6 ½ inch by 44 ring gauge Lonsdale. You can find these for less than $3 each by the box, and only a bit more in a five-pack or individually. I wanted to like them, but my experience has been fairly poor with both the natural and the maduro. They burn poorly, produce little in the way of flavor, and leave a bitter aftertaste. Even at the cut-rate price, I don’t plan to add more to my humidor.

Verdict = Sell.

–George E

Tags: cigars

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

Way back in May this corona gordas was the first cigar we reviewed when it earned a three stogie rating. Now, with almost a year of aging, the JR Alternative of the Cohiba Sublime – a cigar that shares very little with the Cuban Cohiba except its name – is quite an impressive smoke. This 6.62 inch x 54 stogie’s deep earth and coffee flavors only got better with age. Plus, at just 30 bucks for a bundle of tewnty, these smokes are a real bargain. If you have the patience to age them for a year, you’ll be in for a real treat.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

Tags: cigars

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and reader-friendly as possible, each Friday we’ll post a selection of quick cigar news and stogie-related snippets. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Since September, we’ve published a number of stories in the wake of Colorado’s deplorable statewide smoking ban. We told you about Orios – a bar in Durango, Colorado – and how it became the first establishment to be charged with violating the regulation. And we reported how just eight weeks into the ban, many bars had been devastated, losing up to 80 percent of their income. Now, many Colorado bar owners are taking a stand by paying government fines to allow their customers to smoke. The justification? The fines – which range from $200 to $500 and up – are much easier to take for a small business than a significant drop in revenue caused by government-enforced prohibition on smoking.

2) Good news for Stogie Guys in the UK: There could be a permanent 50 percent off sale on premium Cuban smokes in the country as a result of a court ruling in favor of Mastercigars Direct. That company can continue importing Fidel’s hand-rolled sticks, even though it’s not an official importer. Experts say the ruling, if upheld, will open the floodgates for other cigar importers, and cigar prices could drop to half of their current value.

3) Capitalizing on the success of our last event, we’re proud to announce the second DC-area Stogie Guys Smoke Out will be held on Thursday, March 22 at Carpool in Arlington, Virginia. Just like our first, we’ll be playing pool, throwing darts, drinking, and smoking cigars from 6:30 p.m. until whenever. Come on out and get in on the fun.

4) Finally, here’s a great deal we just had to share: 16 premium cigars for just $29.95! And that includes just about every big name in the business: Macanudo, Gurkha, CAO, Partagas, Padron, Punch, Rocky Patel, Arturo Fuente, and more. Just click on the photo to snag yours today.

–The Stogie Guys

Once upon a time, candelas were the favored cigars of American smokers. In fact, these green wrappers were so popular they became known as “American Market Selection” (as opposed to the darker “English Market Selection” that dominates today). Now you’re lucky if you can even find one candela cigar in your local store.

Still, there are a few companies that make candelas, including Arturo Fuente, Don Thomas, Indian Tabac, and Camacho. A small but dedicated group of candela smokers enjoy them. So when I got my hands on a few of Camacho’s robusto-sized Comacho Corojo Candela Monarcas, I had to see what all the fuss was about.

Obviously the first thing that stands out about the five inch by 50 ring gauge stogie is the moss green wrapper that seemed to have more veins than it actually did because of the color. The cigar was firm to the touch and pre-light it gave off some sweet honey notes.

After clipping and lighting my uniquely-colored Robusto, I noticed some bitter banana peel notes that overwhelmed the traditional tobacco flavors. Fortunately, as the cigar progressed, these unpleasant artificial flavors faded and gave way to grassy notes, leaving the cigar extremely mild. On the plus side, the construction on these sticks is flawless and the draw is just right.

Overall, while I don’t think the candela is going to be anything more than a rare change of pace due to its combination of mild strength and disagreeable chemical flavors, I still would recommend that all serious cigar smokers try at least one.

And with St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, what better time to give a green cigar a try? The Camacho Candela Monarca receives a rating of two and 1/2 out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick S

Tags: cigars

First of all, no, I’ve never been. As a U.S. citizen, trekking to Cuba is about as difficult these days as finding a cigar-friendly bar.

But as a stogie enthusiast, there aren’t many other places on God’s green Earth that I’d rather visit than Fidel’s crippled island nation. So I figured that you, like me, might be willing to go the extra mile – and perhaps bend a rule or two – to vacation in cigar paradise.

Now before we get into specifics, let’s get on the same page. Contrary to a common misconception, it is entirely legal for American citizens to travel to Cuba. Yep, that’s right. While the Kennedy Administration banned travel to Cuba in 1962, the Supreme Court found that law unconstitutional shortly thereafter.

It is, however, illegal for U.S. citizens to spend any money on the island (which is why most Americans fly to Cuba via Canada or Mexico). As the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control states on their website, “The basic goal of the sanctions is to isolate the Cuban government economically and deprive it of U.S. dollars. Criminal penalties for violating the sanctions range up to 10 years in prison, $1,000,000 in corporate fines, and $250,000 in individual fines.”

Considering all the other craptacular countries it’s entirely legal for Americans to trade with, this has got to be one of the most hypocritical policies in the federal government – and that’s saying a lot.

That said, there’s a ton of other convoluted ins and outs of Cuban-American relations related to travel, and – if you’re seriously considering a trip – I’d recommend reading up as much as possible.

But in the interest of space and time, here are five helpful hints to get you started, courtesy of CubaTravelUSA.com:

1) Use your passport only for entering and departing from Cuba. Ask the Cubans not to stamp your passport. Cuba has guaranteed they will not stamp any more American passports. It is now the law.

2) Use your birth certificate and drivers license or picture ID to enter Mexico, Nassau, Canada, or for re-entering the United States. Sometimes in Mexico you might have to offer a “tip” ($10 usually works) in order to not have your passport stamped.

3) Upon re-entry to the United States, there are a number of questions you are required to answer such as: What is your name, what is your address, what is your occupation, which countries have you been to, etc.? If you are asked more than these normal questions, the Center for Constitutional Rights advises you to state: “I have been advised by my counsel to not answer any further questions and to refrain from any additional comment. Any further inquiries should be directed to my counsel.”

4) Many Americans try to bring home items such as Havana cigars, Havana Club rum, T-shirts, and other Cuban-made items. Most get away with it, but if U.S. Customs finds them in your luggage, they will take them away from you. Remove all airline luggage tags from your suitcase and get rid of all tickets and claims checks before entering immigration.

5) Remember: There is no law restricting travel to or from Cuba, only a ban on spending money there. Try to avoid a paper trail by using cash instead of credit cards.

–Patrick A

Tags: cigars

If you take a look through our archives, you’ll find dozens of tips from stogie basics (like cutting and lighting a cigar) to tips on choosing a drink and advanced smoking techniques.

But there’s still probably something about cigars that you want to know…and we’re here to help! Soon we’re launching a regular series where we’ll answer all of your cigar-related questions.

And while we know a good deal about cigars, we certainly don’t know everything. So, when necessary, we’ll be getting experts from the cigar industry to chime in as well.

Here’s your chance: What do you really want to know about cigars? What have you always wanted to ask a cigar industry insider about cigars?

Let us know today (either in the comments or by emailing us) so we can have your question answered in a future “Ask a Cigar Insider” article.

–The Stogie Guys

Tags: cigars

The Partagas Spanish Rosado is a beautiful cigar. The oily cinnamon-tinged color of the Honduran wrapper from the San Agustin Valley and the slightly floral notes from the unlit foot promise an enjoyable smoke. And they deliver.

I got the Rosado – a 5.5 inch by 52 ring gauge stick called the San Agustin – in a buy-two-get-one-free sampler package from Partagas. It also contained a Black Label Clasico and a Partagas Naturales. I don’t recall exactly what I paid, but I believe it was a mere $9 or $10.

I’ve enjoyed a number of Partagas Blacks, but this was my first Rosado. It most definitely will not be my last.

The filler is a mix of Dominican, Honduran, and Mexican tobaccos, while the binder is Connecticut Broadleaf. Mine was packed tightly with some heft. The prelight draw felt a little tight, but once the cigar was burning the draw was excellent. The smoke was rich and full.

At the first puff, there was sweetness, followed quickly by a spicy finish. Both came and went throughout the smoke, as did some citrus notes and an underlying warm tobacco taste. I believe it was the slowest burning cigar I’ve ever had. In fact, I would be inclined to try one of the smaller ring gauges to see if they moved a little quicker.

The burn was the only problem I had with the Agustin. Several times, in the last half, the wrapper burned unevenly, requiring a touch-up.

General lists the price for a single San Agustin at $5.55 (before taxes). On the Internet, you can find a box of 25 for less than $100. All in all, this is a top-quality cigar at a price lower than might be expected.

For impressive performance, I give this medium-bodied beauty a rating of four out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–George E