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.

The six and 1/8 inch by 52 ring gauge Gispert Maduro Belicoso has a slightly rough Colorado brown San Andres wrapper and a slight box press. The pyramid-shaped smoke features simple but pleasant chocolate and earth flavors. Construction was just average with an easy draw and solid ash, but uneven burn. Still, at well under $4 a stick by the box, it’s a cigar I can easily recommend.

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) The entire region of New England is now smoke-free. On June 19, New Hampshire Governor John Lynch signed a bill that will force a smoking ban upon all businesses, bars, and restaurants in the “Live Free or Die” state starting September 17.

2) Maduro fans will be delighted to hear that a maduro version of the Perdomo Lot 23 is now available. Ranging in four sizes from Robusto to Churchill, they run from $4.25 to $5 apiece.

3) Wayne Burkholder has experienced the same problem most golfers have: no place to leave a cigar while swinging. To solve this age-old quandary, Burkholder came up with what seems to be the best solution yet. He invented a cigar holder that attaches to those normally unused snaps near the top of your golf bag.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review fires up a Henry Clay. Cigar Jack tries a Bolivar Coronas Gigantes. Keepers of the Flame reviews the Partagas Black. The Smoking Lounge has a Monte No. 4. Velvet Cigar smokes an Oliva Series S. Matt reviews a Tatuaje RC184.

5) Deal of the Week: Tinderbox.com has come through and is once again home to the week’s best cigar deal. This time it’s their Premium Sampler which features 9 “high end” cigars for $49.95. If bought in a B&M, the price would be almost double. The sticks include Cohiba, Ashton, Don Pepin Garcia Black, 601, Montecristo Classic, and four other top notch smokes. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

The Arturo Fuente Flor Fina 8-5-8 is one of Fuente’s most reasonably priced smokes, and often cited as a bargain that gets you a lot of bang for your buck.

While Fuente’s Hemmingway, Anejo, Don Carlos, and Opus X lines all regularly sell in the double figures, this six inch by 47 ring gauge smoke can be had for around $3 in many local cigar shops – far closer to the price of Fuente’s mixed-filler cigars like Brevas Royal and Curly Head. Yet the Flor Fina features a Cameroon wrapper around a binder and long filler from the Dominican Republic.

One thing I’ve often heard about this cigar is that it really benefits from some aging. So, due to that suggestion – and the fact that these 8-5-8’s remained at the bottom of my humidor where they were less able to tempt me – the two cigars that are the basis of this review had nearly a year of age in my humidor before they were smoked.

When I did finally retrieve these cigars, I found a rough and rustic Cameroon wrapper with a lot of veins. The classic Fuente band is reassuring around an otherwise unimpressive looking cigar.

After clipping the head and lighting up, I noticed a loose, easy draw. The toro-sized cigar started out with some nice nut, pine, and herbal flavors, but the finish was harsh and bitter. As the cigar progressed, the spice from the Cameroon wrapper came to the forefront as most of the nut and pine flavors faded, but unfortunately, the bitter finish remained.

This is one of the most aromatic cigars I’ve ever had; a spicy, toasty aroma radiates from the warm and bountiful smoke. And despite the persistent loose draw and dark gray ash that was a little flaky, this grand corona kept a razor-sharp burn.

Overall, the Fuente Flor Fina 8-5-8 is a solid medium-bodied cigar that yields delicious smoke and has a complex blend of flavors. Unfortunately, due to its underwhelming looks and bitter finish, I can only give it a rating of three out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick S

Tags: Cigars

Affiliate link: Purchase a box of 25 from Tinderbox.com for $89.95

I was amazed, and even a little embarrassed, to realize the other day that the 5 Vegas Series ‘A’ (pronounced Cinco Vegas) had not yet been the subject of a full Stogie Guys review. (It was the subject of a February Quick Smoke.) After all, the six inch by 52 ring gauge Alpha vitola is one of my favorite everyday go-to smokes – not to ruin the ending or anything.

As you can see by the picture, this is a beautiful cigar with a dark and smooth Costa Rican maduro wrapper. Neatly adorned by a large black and gold band and a cedar strip across the foot, I always make sure to keep at least a few of these near the ceiling of my glass top humidor.

Series ‘A’ is billed as the stronger, fuller side of 5 Vegas Classic – a line that boasts the highest rated non-Cuban stogie in the Cigar Aficionado blind taste test. For only $3.50-4, the torpedo-shaped Alpha has an excellent reputation as a stick that’s low on price and big on flavor.

And that’s pretty damn accurate. After the foot catches quickly and evenly with just a few wooden matches, the rich wrapper combines with a three-country blend of four-year-old long filler to create an aromatic flavor of leather and spicy clove. A soft touch of sweet molasses evens out the flavor profile.

Like many maduros, a certain saltiness kicks in at the midway point, followed by an increase in spice. This is one of those progressive stogies that eases the smoker into the taste instead of sprinting right out of the gate.

But as full as the flavor becomes, the cigar is never harsh or overbearing. I think this has a lot to do with the exceptionally clear draw that allows ample air to mix with the smoke, giving the taste a light and fluffy appeal.

All of the other physical properties are fine, including an even burn and a solid white ash.

When it’s all said and done, the bottom line is I would be happy to pay just about double for this cigar. The Series ‘A’ is a major player in my regular rotation because it’s one of the few non-harsh sticks that yields excellent flavor and consistent construction for under $5.

Therefore, I give the 5 Vegas Series ‘A’ Alpha four out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick A

Michael Siegel isn’t your typical warrior for freedom of choice – especially when it comes to smoking. He’s a “public health” expert and a doctor who once pushed smoking bans in workplaces and still supports bans in restaurants and bars.

But Siegel says there has been a change in the anti-tobacco lobby and now calls the anti-smoking movement “a crusade.” On his well-read blog, Tobacco Analysis, he routinely calls out anti-tobacco groups when they make unsubstantiated claims to push their anti-smoking agenda.

To give you an idea, here is a selection of his exposés from just the past month. He…

• »Caught Tobacco-Free Kids lying about Philip Morris’ opposition to a FDA regulation of tobacco.

• »Uncovered the American Cancer Association’s false claims that tobacco companies lie about the ingredients of cigarettes.

• »Noted that the U.S. anti-smoking group ASH is advocating denying medical treatment to smokers.

• »Exposed Tobacco-Free Kids’ efforts to raise money for “brainwashing” kids.

• »Got a Minnesota anti-smoking group to backtrack on a misleading claim that 30 minutes of exposure to environmental smoke can lead to a heart attack.

• »Debunked a claim that 20 minutes of exposure to smoke could make a healthy adult’s risk of stroke the same as a pack-a-day smoker.

• »Got the American Lung Association to pull a TV advertisement equating smoking around children with the physical abuse of children.

As you can see, the anti-tobacco nuts keep Siegel busy with a never ending supply of bad science. And for his efforts to stop these rabid activists from playing fast and loose with the facts, Siegel has been called “a traitor” and a “tobacco stooge.”

Here at StogieGuys.com, we disagree with Siegel about the need for any smoking bans. Smoking is a personal freedom and responsibility issue, where owners of private property, like restaurants and bars, should be free – but never compelled by the government – to enforce bans.

Still, we’re glad Siegel’s there, exposing the lies of those who won’t be happy until there is global tobacco prohibition.

–Patrick S

Tags: cigars

Cigars contain a heretofore unknown element that can have a dramatic effect on smokers, according to a new report released by the Hav-A-Tampa Institute of Leaf Research.

Scientists said the element apparently is a byproduct of the cigar rolling process and does not appear naturally in tobacco. Its impact can be felt when the cigars are resting in the humidor or upon lighting.

“We’ve named this element Gottabuymore,” said chief researcher N. Joy Puros. “It seems to exist in all cigars, but we found the greatest amounts in those frequently featured in special deals.”

Previously, scientists had believed that cigar smokers who bought more and more cigars without any regard to how many they could actually smoke were just plain nuts. Now, though, there appears to be a legitimate reason for the behavior.

Researchers did not limit themselves to new cigars. They reported that their tests confirmed the existence of considerably higher levels of Gottabuymore in current Cuban cigars than was present in those readily available in the U.S. before the embargo.

The report is the first to detail the findings of what has become an ongoing project. The next step, according to researchers, is to determine whether cigar manufacturers and retailers have already secretly isolated Gottabuymore and employ it.

“We’d like to know, for instance, whether catalogs are being impregnated with this odorless, colorless substance,” Ms. Puros said. “Or do cigar shops inject it into their humidors, disguising it as air emitted from a humidifier?”

The research is being funded by credit card companies around the world.

“We need to understand how this works,” said spokesman Moe Fees, “so we can take even more advantage of it.”

–George E

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

Words that commonly describe the Coyolar Puro line from Camacho are “bold,” “full-bodied,” and “heavyweight.” While it certainly isn’t mild, I have to agree with my colleague, George E, when I say that this cigar doesn’t exactly live up to its notorious reputation. What the Honduran does offer is solid notes of pepper and leather with excellent construction. Clocking in at four and ½ inches with a 50 ring gauge and a price under $4.50, the Rothschild is just the right size and price for a quick tobacco fix.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

Tags: cigars