The Stogie Guys

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) Camacho Cigars announced yesterday the release of a new line: the Camacho Corojo 10th Anniversary, a celebration of a decade of growing “the world’s only authentic corojo tobacco.” The blend will be offered in four sizes, sell in the $10.50 to $12.75 range, and hit retailers on March 28.

2) Don’t forget to RSVP for our upcoming DC Stogie Guys Smoke Out on Sunday, March 9 at 4pm. The event will feature free cigars plus giveaways all provided by Cuban Crafters. RSVP here.

3) Havana’s tenth annual Habanos Festival – a showcase of Cuban distributors, specialists, and enthusiasts – kicks off on Monday and runs through the rest of the week. New cigars are expected to be introduced, including the Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial and the H. Upmann Magnum 50.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews a Nub 460. Velvet Cigar smokes a King Conch Maduro. Cigar Inspector inspects a Fuente Cuban Classic. Stogie Fresh smokes a Tatuaje Reserva J21. Cigar Jack lights up a Bobalu Wedge.

5) Deal of the Week: Presidents Day may have come and gone, but at least for the moment this “Presidents Day Sampler” is still available. The sampler features 20 cigars including five of the 4 1/2 stogie-rated 601 Green by Don Pepin Garcia and five of the Rocky Patel Edge, all for just $59.99. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Camacho

If my six years of Español serve me correctly, la prueba translates into English as “the quiz.” Well, boys and girls, this is one quiz you don’t want to take.

La Prueba is produced in the lush San Andreas Valley of Mexico by the Turrnet family, makers of Te-Amo and suppliers to such well-known outfits as Macanudo. Like so many cigars, it is said that the 178-year-old brand was once the favorite of Winston Churchill. The current incarnation of La Prueba must be much different than the sticks he enjoyed.

Today’s Robusto measures five and ¼ inches with a 50 ring gauge and is sold exclusively through Thompson for $49.00 for a box of 20 ($2.45 apiece). Its building blocks include a Mexican binder, second priming filler tobaccos, and a three-year-old Connecticut Shade wrapper with a few large veins. The whole thing is a little too soft and doughy to the touch.

Establishing an even burn is vexing, particularly since some parts of the foot want to burn quickly and others slowly. But once you even things out with your matches or torch it takes care of itself.

The flavor starts surprisingly rough with a salty bitterness that’s akin to burnt popcorn. Not terribly appetizing. After an inch or so, it settles down to a super mild level and stays that way for the remainder of the disappointing smoke. Barely discernable, what little flavor I can pick up resembles paper with a biting spice aftertaste.

Contributing to the mild taste is a very loose draw that produces tons of airy smoke with each tiny puff. The ash will hold firm at times and drop off unexpectedly and prematurely at others.

Unless you’re merely looking for something to chew on while you mow the grass or clean out the garage, I would stay away from this cigar. I understand it’s a value stick at a low cost, but there are many far superior smokes in this price range. That’s why I’m giving the La Prueba Natural Robusto only two out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Yesterday Fidel Castro announced that he would be stepping down after five decades as president of Cuba. This significant event gives us a rare moment to soberly re-examine the Cuban embargo that has kept Americans from legally obtaining Cuban cigars for so many years.

Soon after Castro came into power, it became clear that he was a brutal thug who had no intention of respecting the rights of Cubans. In response to his embrace of communism and his government cozying up to the Soviet Union, JFK imposed a complete trade embargo and travel ban. (Just before signing the ban, he hypocritically stocked up on the very Cuban cigars he was about to criminalize – in this case, the Petit Upmann.)

At the time, it was thought that the embargo would prevent Americans from supporting Castro’s regime, but 45 years of evidence suggests we should rethink that logic. Certainly, Fidel was a dictator who headed up an oppressive government. Providing Castro an excuse for scapegoating the U.S. for the problems of Cuba, however, likely allowed him to hold onto power longer than otherwise would have been possible.

There are many brutal dictatorships around the world, but for some reason the U.S. government only imposes an embargo and travel ban on Cuba. In fact, other communist countries like China and Vietnam have become increasingly capitalist and liberal as we have traded with them.

With Fidel Castro stepping down, a new chapter begins in the long and complicated history between the U.S. and our island neighbor. Raúl Castro, Fidel’s brother and successor, will not instantly end the despotic regime, but there are indications that he is more open to market reforms and is considered more pragmatic.

While it may be wishful thinking, we should hope that Fidel’s exit will lead to serious discussion about, and the eventual ending of, the sanctions and travel ban against Cuba. And maybe in the near future we can all smoke some fine Cuban cigars to celebrate the end of the embargo.

–Patrick S

photo credit: AFP

Perhaps the most striking aspect of this cigar is the prelight aroma. It is sweet, thick, and alluring. The first impression is of a cigar worthy of commemorating a tenth anniversary. However, as looks can be deceiving, so can olfaction.

This five inch by 50 ring gauge, double-banded cigar was released to celebrate Rocky Patel’s decade run with Indian Tabac, his first brand. I smoked quite a few Indian Tabacs in years past, and the ITC didn’t fit at all with what I remember of them. Not that that really matters. Purely on its own, I thought the ITC was just an average cigar.

The draw was too easy and, as you might expect from that, the ash was flaky.

The smoke was wonderfully thick. The burn was somewhat erratic but never required a touch-up.

Where it suffered most, though, was taste. Not bad, just not particularly interesting or memorable. A medium strength cigar, it had a white wood taste at times and a fairly flat tobacco taste at other times. About halfway, it got very dry and added harshness in the final third.

This stick was a gift, but I think I’ve seen them for around $6. I believe it is a Nicaraguan puro, but I couldn’t find any information about it on the Rocky Patel web pages and there doesn’t seem to be an Indian Tabac site.

I’ll give this stick three out of five stogies on the StogieGuys.com scale.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Despite the fact that StogieGuys.com is about cigars, not politics, we’ve spent considerable time and text communicating the evils of government-imposed smoking bans. And rightly so. When the state violates the private property rights of bar and restaurant owners in this unjustifiable fashion, it eliminates many occasions that would otherwise be perfect cigar opportunities.

It also eliminates liberty. I’ve written before that smoking bans, like many government regulations, present a slippery slope. These invasive laws – once relegated to restaurants, workplaces, and bars – have moved closer to our homes, cars, and other private places. Many anti-smoking zealots will not rest until tobacco is outlawed completely.

A recent BBC article signals the next trend in their indefensible crusade for more regulation and less personal freedom. A senior government advisor in England is publicly proposing that smokers be required by law to purchase a £10 ($19.61) permit to purchase tobacco.

Professor Julian Le Grand, a former adviser to ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair, says that such a law would encourage smokers to quit. “You’ve got to get a form, a complex form – the government’s good at complex forms; you have got to get a photograph,” he said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Professor Le Grand goes on to say that “it’s a little bit of a problem to actually do it, so you have got to make a conscious decision every year to opt in to being a smoker…So if you just make it that little bit more difficult for them to actually re-start or even to start in the first place, yes I think it will make a big difference.”

These outrageous statements help demonstrate that the anti-smoking movement isn’t about secondhand smoke or public health; it’s about using the government to violate the rights of the minority. Politicians and bureaucrats think they know what’s best for smokers, and they will use their power to criminalize activities that they deem worthy of eradicating.

Thirty years ago, the concept of government-imposed smoking bans on a grand scale was almost incomprehensible. So is it all that insane to think that we’ll have to get permits to purchase cigars in the future?

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar. The following is a Guest Quick Smoke, submitted by a StogieGuys.com reader. If you’d like to submit your own for publication, please contact us.

This is a strong and intense cigar, but the nicotine certainly doesn’t overpower. The draw is very easy and the burns is good and even, although a little too rapid. A smaller than normal opening cut is recommended. The main flavor is not very definitive, but I definitely detect a woody taste. Overall, not the best that Romeo y Juliet offers, but I would still recommend trying this cigar.

Verdict = Buy.

-Submitted by Chris from St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

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

This 30-40 minute smoke is a wonderful choice when you’re short on time or it’s a bit too cold to stand outside for two hours. At just over four inches with a 40 ring gauge, you’ll get spice and floral flavors similar to the Petit Edmundo, a straight burn, and a nicely layered ash. The $4.40 price tag is fairly accessible, especially compared to other similarly sized Cubans.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys