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.

You won’t find much information online about the five inch by 50 ring gauge offering from Kentucky Gentlemen Cigars called Blanton’s. All I could unearth is that it’s “hand-rolled in Kentucky using Blanton Bourbon barrel-aged, premium tobaccos from around the world.” With heavy notes of spice and bourbon, this is a stick all whiskey lovers should try at least once – even though singles go for $14.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

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.

Early this year, when Patrick S. reviewed the Rocky Patel Edge Missile Corojo, the line was among the leaders in the strong cigar sweepstakes. Now, it seems Rocky’s cigar “for professional smokers only” has been passed by a number of others, such as Oliva’s Serie V and numerous Pepin blends. But that doesn’t mean the Edge isn’t worth considering.

I’ve smoked them off and on since they were introduced, both Corojo and Maduro. Recently, I picked up a Maduro Torpedo, a six inch by 52 ring gauge cigar, for about $6 and found it quite enjoyable. As before, the “warning” on the box struck me as a joke, and I wasn’t left “weak in the knees.” But it was a satisfying cigar, with enjoyable spices, thick smoke, and touches of nice maduro sweetness.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

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) When it comes to snuffing out cigars, senseless smoking bans and ridiculous tax hikes aren’t the only methods available to the government. Eminent domain – the power of bureaucrats to seize citizens’ private property – is another nasty tool, and it’s being abused in San Diego. This week an appellate court ruled the city was justified in condemning the Gran Havana cigar lounge to make way for a Marriott hotel, and the judge even threw out a $9 million compensation for owner Ahmad Mesdaq (pictured at right with Governator Schwarzenegger).

2) As Hurricane Felix pounded Nicaragua on Tuesday we were keeping our fingers crossed. After all, Estelí is one of the most important cigar-producing cities in the world, and lord knows what effect a Category 5 storm would have on its inhabitants or the industry. Luckily, according to Cigar Aficionado, the hurricane’s impact was minimal in that area of the country.

3) Think tobacco taxes are a bad idea? (Well, duh.) This editorial in the Wall Street Journal does too. Read it so the next time some anti-tobacco busybody tries to convince you otherwise you’ll have all the facts to set them straight.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the Rocky Patel Fusion. Cigar Jack tries the Arganese Ambassador. Keepers of the Flame lights up a Vega Fina. Stogie Fresh smokes a Tatuaje La Maravilla. Cigar Beat torches up a Montesino. Cigar Monkey smokes a Oliva Serie V.

5) Deal of the Week: This ten cigar “Black and Tan” Sampler from Tinderbox includes some fantastic cigars like the Tatuaje Conoju 2003, a CAO Sopranos Edition Associate and the Camacho Triple Maduro Torpedo. Those three smokes can easily run you over $30, but you get them plus seven other quality sticks for just under $50. Pick yours up here.

–The Stogie Guys

One of the joys of cigar smoking is discovering something new and enjoyable. I’ve mentioned the Costa Rican manufacturer Vegas de Santiago before, but now I’d like to focus on one of the company’s cigars that truly impressed me.

The Don Luis line was created to honor the Cuban cigar maker who had a tremendous influence on the company. I’d urge you to check out the website to learn more about Don Luis and their interesting approach to all aspects of the industry.

The beautiful honey colored Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper (which I’m afraid my photo does not adequately reproduce) sets the tone for a warm, smooth, and complex cigar. Don’t confuse mildness with boring. The blend of Nicaraguan filler and Indonesian binder tobaccos in this Churchill frequently shifts tastes, from pepper, nuts, and warm tobacco to a somewhat fruity sweetness. It is a cigar that repays careful attention.

Vegas de Santiago told me it has some dealers in the U.S. I’ve never come across one and have ordered cigars only online. Several very reasonable samplers are available. It also offers each line in a number of packaging options. Don Luis Churchills, for example, can be purchased in a cedar box of 10 for $42 or in a package for $38, as well as other ways.

The confidence of Vegas de Santiago is refreshing. They state flatly that they “do not try to imitate Cuban cigars,” preferring, instead, to set their own standards. I think you’ll find they are well on their way. I did, and I give the Don Luis Churchill a rating of four out of five stogies.

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

–George E

Chances are you’ve seen one at your local B&M. Maybe you did a double take as you were examining the many cigars in the humidor. “What on earth is that?” you ask yourself while noting a dual-colored wrapper.

That is a barber pole, and chances are you’ve seen more of them lately. With two wrappers, usually contrasting natural and maduro leaves, “dos capas” are difficult to make and usually only attempted by highly skilled rollers. Yet more cigar companies are making barber poles now than ever before.

Camacho’s limited edition 2007 Liberty release features a barber pole wrapper. So does the highly anticipated CAO America, though technically that’s a “pinstripe” (and the limited CAO Bratalia line also features one). Arganese (pictured at right) and Gurkha have introduced barber poles. Felipe Gregorio makes two different barber poles, one with two wrappers and the other with three (natural, maduro, and candela). And others, including big names like Fuente and Don Pepin, have also created limited edition barber pole sticks.

So what to make of these cigars? Are they novelties, masterpieces, or both?

Like most things, the answer isn’t that simple. While barber poles are likely created more for aesthetics than flavor, the dual wrappers allow for an additional layer of complexity.

Because the wrapper is usually the part of the cigar that most contributes to a stogie’s flavor profile, a barber pole might offer taste possibilities impossible to create with just one wrapper. Of course, more complexity isn’t always better, as evidenced by the Rocky Patel Fusion. While the Fusion is a fine cigar, it’s generally not considered as good as either the Vintage 1990 or 1992 (despite the fact it uses both cigars’ wrappers).

But flavor isn’t the only reason you might want to try a barber pole. Every smoker has their own definition of a good-looking cigar, and a spiraling wrapper is clearly an attention-grabber.

When it comes to construction, the barber poles also offer both both pros and cons. Because of the skill necessary to create them, they are more likely to be the work of master torcedors. On the other hand, because different types of wrappers burn at different speeds, these cigars may be likely to burn unevenly.

Ultimately, like cigars in general, barber poles are going to be a matter of personal taste. And in the end there is only one way to decide if these curious-looking sticks are for you: Go out and smoke some.

–Patrick S

Tags: cigars

A three-day weekend calls for a special cigar. So last night I decided to wind down Labor Day with Rocky’s Vintage 1990 Toro.

Regular StogieGuys.com readers may recall my deep affinity for the Vintage ’92 line. I happen to count the Torpedo among my all-time favorite smokes, and have even said its full-bodied flavors “hands-down outmatch the Vintage 1990 line.”

That claim was based on my countless experiences with various vitolas of the two blends. It may not have been a fair statement at the time because, until now, I had never given a ’90 the attention required of a full review.

To start things off, it’s worth noting the main difference between the two highly successful blends is that the ’92 line has an Ecuador Sumatra maduro wrapper and the ’90 line has a Honduran Broadleaf maduro wrapper. I can’t tell the two blends apart on sight alone without looking at the bottom half of their double maroon and gold bands.

The Toro is a six and ½ inch by 52 ring gauge beauty that retails for $6.50 to $8 apiece. I rather like its slender and sleek box-pressed look. With Dominican and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos, Rocky advertises the ’90 blend as a good “balance of flavor, complexity, and richness” with “notes of cedar and espresso.” The line was dubbed the Best of the Best in the 2004 Robb Report.

From the get-go it’s easy to see why, as delicious notes of cocoa and spicy wood dominate. After two inches, the flavor isn’t terribly different from the ’92 Toro – an attribute that’s a-ok with me.

At the midway point, the spice seems to slowly fade as floral tastes come and go. This is really where the flavors of the two blends diverge. What the ’92 line has in chocolate and almond the ’90 line has in cocoa beans and jasmine.

The final third of this medium-bodied smoke is really outstanding, as the many flavors seem to come into their own. Very balanced on the palate and certainly not harsh.

The one complaint I have concerns construction. Each time I have a ’90 Toro I find a number of touch-ups necessary to keep an even burn. This stogie was no exception but, to its credit, it did have a clear draw and a dense ash that held firm for up to two inches.

On the whole I’m impressed with Rocky’s Vintage 1990 Toro, but don’t think it quite lives up to the standard set by the ’92 blend. Still, this is a terrific stick that’s well worth the price and worthy of a four and ½ out of five stogies rating.

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

–Patrick A

From all of us here at StogieGuys.com, we want to wish you a very happy Labor Day. Aside from honoring the hard-working men and women who make this country great, we’re taking the day off to barbecue, relax, and smoke a few cigars. We suggest you do the same.

–The Stogie Guys