The Stogie Guys

While there are no doubt exceptions, seasoned cigar smokers mostly tend to steer clear of Macanudo. America’s top-selling brand is often viewed as a gateway cigar that should be dismissed for heartier, more complex creations as one graduates from occasional smoker status to a full-blown brother of the leaf.

I have to admit my own cigar consumption has been affected by this stigma. So I recently challenged myself to reexamine Macanudo’s Robust line—something I hadn’t done for almost three years before I embarked upon this review.

Advertised as “more flavorful and complex” than the Café blend, Robust was launched in 1998 to “immediate success.” (Then again, what stogie introduction wasn’t successful at the height of the cigar boom?) Today’s eight-vitola version of the Daniel Nuñez-crafted line hit shelves in 2003 with a Connecticut shade wrapper, a Connecticut broadleaf binder, and filler tobaccos from Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.

The five and a half inch by 42 ring gauge Duke of Devon is a small, slender stick with a dry, coarse appearance. You’ll find plenty of wrinkles, veins, and bumps on the rustic wrapper. Fortunately, while this rugged cigar looks like a value smoke, it also sells like one (under $3.50 apiece when bought by the box of 25).

As the foot lights evenly and easily, the faint pre-light aroma of cedar turns into a taste of birch and paper that’s mild but not without a spicy aftertaste. The tobacco struggles to produce much flavor well into the first inch.

Dry cedar, salt, and cereals are dominant at the midway point, all of which are underscored by a molasses-like taste in the final third. This is where the 50-minute smoke is at its spiciest and best.

The Duke of Devon’s physical properties are excellent, especially for the low price range. I experienced a razor-sharp burn, a sturdy white ash, and a moderate draw across two samples.

All things considered, this cigar has its place. It’s well-constructed companion smoke that won’t get in the way of some other activity (golf, poker, reading, yard work, etc.). You shouldn’t pay much and you shouldn’t expect much either. That’s why the Macanudo Robust Duke of Devon earns two and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Despite missing out on the Hall of Fame this past year, legendary baseball player Luis “El Tiante” Tiant continues his quest to make hall of fame cigars. The former pitcher initially launched his El Tiante Cigars line with two variations, Natural and Maduro, and since has added a corojo-wrapped blend.

The El Tiante Corojo line was introduced at last year’s IPCPR trade show and was described as their most full-flavored release yet. While the company’s website does not yet include the Corojo (I’m told the update is in progress), I got the details of the cigar’s origins directly from Kevin Anderson of El Tiante Cigars.

Via email, he told me “the cigar is made with a Corojo seed fifth priming wrapper leaf, the country of origin is our little secret. The binder is a Sumatra seed grown in Ecuador. The fillers are all Nicaruagan. Half of the filler is all Ligero. Just like our Natural and Maduro, all the cigars are draw tested and aged about 90 days (usually more ) before they leave the factory.”

The “secret” corojo wrapper is medium brown, dry, and relatively vein-free. Pre-light, the Belicoso (6 x 54) has a sweet grass and herbal aroma.

Construction is impressive. The cigar is extremely firm to the touch and the cap is seamlessly applied. An easy snip with my Xikar cutter revealed tightly packed filler with a firm but manageable draw.

After lighting, I find a core of intense dry, woody cedar. The cigar also has the classic corojo flavor of sweet spice, as well as a rare, smooth herbal taste.

The profile is medium-bodied, with a short, slightly salty finish that undoes an otherwise balanced smoke. As it progresses, an earthier flavor settles in with some roasted cashew notes.

Like its Maduro and Natural companions, the El Tiante Corojo sells for the fair price of around $7 per stick—not a must-buy value stick but worth picking up. It’s a tasty cigar with great construction.

Most impressive is that the flavor is a unique combination of woodiness, herbal notes, and spice. It won’t be for everyone, but those who appreciate complexity and subtlety will find this cigar rewarding. For that, the El Tiante Corojo Torpedo earns a rating of four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: 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.

This little cigar (4 x44) features a rustic Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper around Nicaraguan and “proprietary” filler. It starts mild-bodied with cocoa and grass flavors and had a noticeably dry finish throughout. As the smoke progressed it settled into a mild-medium profile with a nutty flavor overtaking the grassiness. While the draw was a touch firm, the rest of the construction was flawless. All around, this is a solid smoke worth picking up.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: 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.

This five inch by 52 ring gauge Robusto, which had been aging in my humidor since I reviewed it last May, was every bit as good as I had remembered. In that time the rich espresso flavor maintained its black pepper spice, cashew cream, and maduro sweetness, and the combustion qualities were likewise impressive. This Connecticut broadleaf-wrapped beauty, which sells for about $146 per box of 25, reaffirmed my belief that Darryl Lieser’s Isla de Cuba is one of the best boutiques.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: 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 items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) According to an IPCPR press release, Michigan politicians are mulling a doubling of the state’s tax rate on tobacco products to 64 percent of the manufacturer’s wholesale price. The move would be disastrous for the B&Ms, producers, and distributors who already must struggle to survive the looming federal SCHIP tax hikes. All this comes as the anti-tobacco campaign to impose a statewide smoking ban is revived. “It should be left up to individual business owners to decide whether or not they allow smoking on their premises,” said Chris McCalla, legislative director of IPCPR. “Their employees and customers can then decide whether to work there or patronize them.”

2) In more positive news, a move to prohibit tobacco at all North Dakota college campuses failed to muster the support it needed from the state Board of Higher Education. And Kansas lawmakers balked on a statewide bill, likely deferring discussions of a smoking ban until 2010.

3) Inside the Industry: Toraño is releasing a new version of its Exodus line, the Liga-H blend, that will come in a five-cigar sampler with special versions of the original two Exodus lines. Former employees of high-end cigar accessory maker Colibri protested as  the bankrupt company’s assets were auctioned off. Rocky Patel’s Sumatra-wrapped Spring Collection hits the shelves of limited cigar stores soon.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the Camacho Candela. Keepers of the Flame lights up a Tobacco Baez. Cigar Inspector inspects the Illusione 68. Stogie Fresh smokes a Los Blancos Sumatra.

5) Deal of the Week: Need (another) humidor filled with great cigars? Let us suggest this deal which includes a 50-count humidor and 25 big name smokes. Included are 5 cigars each by Don Pepin, Graycliff, Gurkha, and Rocky Patel. Compared to what you might pay for everything alone, you’re getting over 50% off plus free shipping. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

If you go looking for cigar bargains in these tough economic times, you will undoubtedly come across some sticks labeled “short filler,” “mixed filler,” “sandwich,” or “Cuban sandwich.” You may have to hunt for the description, though. While manufacturers love to tout “long filler,” they often aren’t nearly as eager to proclaim any of the other terms.

Here‘s what the terms generally mean:

Long filler involves leaves that are folded or rolled to create the inner part of the cigar, which comprises the majority of the stick. This is where specific leaf sections and different leaves are combined to create the blender’s desired taste. I’ve never heard of a premium, hand-rolled cigar that is anything other than long filler.

Short filler is the opposite. Small pieces of tobacco, and occasionally chopped stems, are secured inside the binder leaf. These pieces may be leftovers trimmed from leaves used in long filler cigars, or simply poorer grade tobacco chopped specifically for short filler.

Mixed filler is a combination of the two, though the longer part of the mix is often not true long filler but simply larger pieces that haven’t been fully chopped. And to make it more confusing, the term “sandwich” is sometimes used interchangeably with mixed filler.

Cuban sandwich, or sandwich cigars, are a mixture, often said to have the short filler rolled inside the longer filler leaves. Another variation is to use the longer leaves at the head so there’s less likelihood bits of tobacco will come off on the smoker’s tongue or lips.

Obviously, the poorer quality and inconsistency of the tobacco as well as the simplicity of construction means cheaper prices for any of these styles. However, that doesn’t automatically make them bad. I enjoy Pepin Garcia’s Benchmade, others swear by Arturo Fuente Curly Heads, Drew Estate’s La Vieja Habana, or the Tatauje Series P. Still others tell of finding bargains among the no-names.

Here are a few of my suggestions to help explore these lower-cost cigars:

1) Don’t buy bundles or boxes of anything without smoking it first. Period. Some of these cigars aren’t just bad, they’re horrible. Unless the seller is going to pay you to take them, there’s no bargain in an unsmokeable smoke.

2) Increase your odds of success by purchasing at a B&M. When you smoke one you like, buy more then and there. It’s likely they were rolled at the same time, using most, if not all, the same tobacco. Order online or wait to purchase and you could get a radically different taste.

3) Remember that short and mixed filler cigars from well-known manufacturers usually cost a little more because they’re much more likely to be well-constructed and consistent.

4)  Smoke these cigars even slower than usual. The draw is often loose, and the tobacco can burn ruinously hot. And don’t expect to nub many of them.

–George E

photo credit: CigarPass.com

Por Larrañaga is a famous Cuban brand that holds the title of oldest continuously produced cigar in the world, having first been created in 1834. And as detailed in this review, there are no shortage of non-Cuban imitations to this famous frontmark, with at least three different lines being produced.

The Cuban Grade is a recent addition to the Por Larrañaga universe. In early 2007, Cuban Imports began distributing the line, which is made in the Flor de Copán factory in Honduras.

The 5.5 inch by 44 ring gauge corona gorda is made with a deep brown maduro wrapper from the San Andres Valley of Mexico. Inside is a Mexican binder and a mixture of Dominican and Honduran long-fillers. The cigars I sampled tended to be a bit spongy, and a few had one particularly soft side that would go on to create burn problems.

With a dark toothy appearance, this maduro tasted a lot like it looked: rich and earthy but with a bit of dry bitterness. The flavor reminds me of dark bitersweet chocolate. It’s not a particularly complex smoke, but it has a nice medium-bodied profile that goes well with a cup of espresso.

The construction, however, wasn’t very impressive. The ash is flaky and tends to fall off unexpectedly, often after only a half inch. And while most of the samples I tried burned evenly, one in four sticks required a touch-up. Fortunately, the firm draw was not problematic.

One of the most interesting aspects of the Por Larrañaga Cuban Grade line is the price. The suggested retail price for abox of 20 is $120. On some websites, though, they can be found for the most reasonable price of $40 a box. At that price I suspect a smoker would be willing to deal with some of the construction issues that I found.

All in all, this relatively new Por Larrañaga won’t blow anyone away and the persistent construction issues were disappointing. But that doesn’t mean it won’t make a pleasant accompaniment to a cup of coffee or a round of golf—at least for 45 minutes of it. For that, the Por Larrañaga Cuban Grade Corona Gorda Maduro earns a rating of three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys