Stogie Commentary: We Smoke ’Em So You Don’t Have To (Part IV)

If you’re looking for a truly cheap smoke — something to absently puff on while you’re mowing the lawn or to hand out to acquaintances who wouldn’t know Rocky Patel from Rocky Colavito — you could do worse than picking up a pocketful of Cuban Rejects.

Now don’t get me wrong. No one’s going to mistake a Cuban Reject for a Cuban puro, unless they’ve been smoking something mind-altering beforehand. But you aren’t going to get sick either. OK, I realize that’s not exactly a ringing endorsement, but don’t forget we’re talking about a stogie that you can get for just a shade over a buck.

The biggest problem I had with the six inch by 50-ring gauge Toro maduro I tested was the smoke. It was extremely light and thin. The cigar wasn’t plugged. The draw, while a bit tight, wasn’t bad, and the burn was straight. The Reject just didn’t make much smoke.

It also didn’t generate a lot of taste. I’d put it among the mildest of cigars, with the taste almost exclusively of light tobacco. On the other hand, one of the few consistencies among really cheap cigars is that they aren’t at all consistent. Who knows what your Cuban Reject might be like?

I was curious about the cigar, since there’s not a lot of information on the web about it — and what little there is often conflicts. So, I called Phillips & King International, the tobacco distributor that imports and sells Cuban Rejects.

The cigar was introduced in 2005 and, in addition to the Toro, comes in a Churchill (7×48) and a Robusto (5×50), all in natural or maduro. The cigar, as you can see from the photo of its innards on display, is a mixed filler made with all Nicaraguan tobaccos, according to Phillips. Though I wondered if it was machine bunched with the wrapper applied by hand, a Phillips spokeswoman told me the Rejects are all handmade. She also said they can barely keep up with demand, moving them out of the warehouse as quickly as they arrive from the factory in Nicaragua.

I paid $1.35 for my Toro. If you check online, you’ll find them available in bulk — up to 200 at one site! — for as little as $1.05. Or visit some shops in your area that carry a wide range of tobacco products, not just premium cigars. I bet you’ll see a batch of the bandless Cuban Rejects.

Now, whether you want to buy one or not, I leave up to you.

Next up is the final installment on our Cook’s tour through the world of ultra-cheap cigars. Or, as I like to think of them, penny premiums.

[Please click the following links to read Part I, Part II, or Part III of this series.]

-George E

Tags: cigars