The Stogie Guys

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and informative as possible, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other snippets of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Baseball’s postseason is finally here, and Cigar Aficionado has once again compiled a list of the best places to smoke in MLB’s contending towns—Anaheim, Boston, Chicago (both sides), Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Tampa.

2) A Phoenix cigar shop called Magnum’s won a significant ruling on Tuesday against the Arizona Department of Health Services. The bureaucracy claimed the B&M did not qualify for an exemption from the state’s smoking ban because it serves alcohol. But appellate judges disagreed, possibly paving the way for more cigar shop/bar combos in the Grand Canyon State.

3) Inside the Industry: La Strada Ristorante in suburban Chicago is hosting a Stogies & Bogies “preview party and cigar-friendly awareness event” on October 7 with radio personality Geoff Pinkus. La Flor Dominicana is releasing its Factory Press III (6.25 x 58) with a sharp box press.

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Jack smokes the Isla de Cuba Aged Maduro. Keepers of the Flame lights up the Fundación Ancestral Vuelta Abajo 1940. Stogie Review reviews a Montecristo Vino. Cigar Spy investigates the Nub Connecticut.

5) Deal of the Week: We recently came across this offer while listening to the radio. For just $9.95 (including shipping) you get to three Montecristo Classics. Visit MontecristoRadio.com to take advantage of the offer.

– The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys/MLB

At the 2008 IPCPR cigar trade show, General Cigars released a host of new lines. Overshadowed by the higher profile releases of the Cohiba Puro Domincana, Macanudo 1968, and La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Miami, the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Legend was released to be a newer, bolder Hoyo.

The Excalibur Legend features the same Connecticut grown Havana wrapper that is featured on the Hoyo de Monterrey Dark Knight. The filler features Nicaraguan tobacco from both the mainland and the same volcanic island of Ometepe (the same as is used in the Macanudo 1968), blended with ligero tobacco from the Dominican Republic.

The wrapper is shiny and oily with some prominent veins and a lush Colorado brown color. Prelight earth and hints of pepper are apparent from the firm cigar. The band looks similar to the original Hoyo de Monterray Excalibur line, but with a regal red color below the gold band.

Once lit, I found a medium- to full-bodied cigar with cool smoke. It had a charred meaty flavor with black pepper initially, then evolved to earth and paper while the pepper still persisted. A slight bitter aftertaste comes and goes throughout.

The construction on this five and 1/4 inch by 50 ring gauge robusto was impressive. The draw was deliberate and firm, but not difficult. The burn was even, with a shiny black line leading the way for a sturdy ash.

For around $7 per stick, this cigar has impressive qualities, even if it’s a bit on the pricey side. While not overly complex, it fulfills its goal of recreating the Hoyo Excalibur with a slightly fuller flavor. The paper flavor is particularly reminiscent of the original Excalibur line.

In the end, the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Legend Challenger earns three and 1/2 out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Ever since I moved to Chicago, certain things in my life have been quite unpredictable. Take the weather, for instance. One week it’s hot and muggy; the next it’s pouring rain and…still hot and muggy. Now things are starting to cool down, which is nice—but it’s like the calm before the storm. I know the worst is ahead of me, and I’m bracing for winter’s impact in the naïve, foolishly self-assured way that only a spoiled California boy can.

In these times of peril, I turn to the few things I know will always be constant. One of those things is beer. I don’t care if it’s hot, cold, wet, or dry outside, beer is always seasonally appropriate. And so, I figure, what better way to greet my first fall and winter in the Midwest than to sample some of the local brew?

Goose Island Harvest Ale is an autumn-appropriate microbrew from Chicago-based craft brewery Goose Island. I’ll admit to never having heard of Goose Island before my arrival here. But that’s changed very quickly. This brand comes highly recommended from friends in the area, and it’s easy to see why: Goose Island Harvest Ale is a complex, but unpretentious beer that’s an obvious cut above the usual suspects on tap at your local bar.

This deep copper ale poured cleanly and smoothly into my ceremonial Guinness pint glass, leaving a creamy, inch-and-a-half-thick head with lots of lacing around the rim. The nose is mostly floral, with pronounced but pleasant notes of grapefruit and hops. There’s lots of citrus—particularly grapefruit, but some orange peel is also detectable—in the flavor profile, rounded out with hoppy bitterness and a sweet, malty finish.

Admittedly, I haven’t had the occasion to pair this beer with a decent smoke just yet. But when I do, I think it’ll go nicely with a mild to medium-bodied cigar—nothing too bold, but something that will stand up to the big flavors the drink brings to the table. I look forward to experimenting with pairings in the cold, bitter weeks to come.

–Jon N

photo credit: Stogie Guys