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.

This little smoke (4.62 x 49) is a handsomely constructed figuardo featuring an oily, rich maduro wrapper. It’s only one of two maduros in the Reserva Figuardos LGC line. The smoke opens with some raisin flavors before settling into a complex medium-bodied profile with oak, toast, leather, and some piney sweetness. Equally impressive is the construction which, in addition to a straight burn and managable draw, requires only one ashing the entire smoke.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

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

What’s most obvious about this cigar is what it isn’t. It isn’t like the typical J.C. Newman. The typical Newman stick is rolled by Arturo Fuente, fairly mild, refined, and has a price tag on the higher end. Introduced late last year, El Baton is peppery, a little rough, rolled in Nicaragua with all Nicaraguan tobaccos, and retails for $5.50. The Robusto (5 x 54) packs a hefty, balanced punch. While it isn’t particularly complex, you’ll likely pick up several different flavors, espeically from the corojo wrapper. This is a good bet if you enjoy medium- to full-strength cigars.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Anti-tobacco zealots have made their presence known both domestically—about 17,000 American cities have a smoking ban in “public” places—and internationally. Now the war-torn nation of Iraq is no exception. As Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki (right) pushes for a nationwide smoking ban, the Washington Post reports the obvious: Iraqis, heavy consumers of cigarettes, are less concerned about secondhand smoke and more concerned about safety, jobs, and a lack of infrastructure.

2) You may want to stray away from Cuban cigars rolled between now and the end of the year. According to reports, the communist nation is running seriously low on toilet paper, and officials at government companies say it may be until 2010 before supply catches up.

3) Inside the Industry: The annual IPCPR Trade Show may have ended Wednesday,  but here are a few tidbits we haven’t shared yet. Newman Cigars has finally released the Diamond Crown Julius Caeser, which we first reported on over a year ago. Newman also launched  Brick House and Diamond Crown Gridiron Greats (of which a portion of sales go to former NFL players who need healthcare). Alec Bradley has released Prensado, a new line featuring a Honduran-grown corojo 2006 wrapper. In addition to La Traviata, CAO re-blended (and slightly re-named) its Gold blend, which is now the Gold Vintage line.

4) Around the Blogs: Keepers of the Flame lights up a Bering Puro Nicaragua. Lots of IPCPR videos at Stogie Review. Cigar Inspector looks at Cain. Cigar Command checks out the Nub Maduro.

5) Deal of the Week: It’s good to be king, and it’s good to smoke the 12 cigars in the King Sampler. For just $40, you get two each from 5 Vegas Cask-Strength II, Bahia Blu B500, Gran Habano 3 Siglos, Graycliff 1666 Presidente, La Herencia Cubana, and Man O’ War. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

I haven’t been a regular Perdomo smoker through the years. Not that I have anything against the brand or recall any particularly bad experiences. It’s just not one of the smokes I frequently reach for in my routine.

The other day, though, I noticed a six-inch Grand Cru Toro and was impressed by the deep, oily Cuban-seed Corojo wrapper. The price point, $6.50 for a single, was compelling as well.

The cigar exceeded my expectations. The burn and the draw were nearly perfect, and the taste was complex and balanced. It’s billed as big on taste—“a bold, full-flavored smoking experience,” according to Perdomo marketing materials—and I found it to live up to that hype.

Kicking off with pepper that leveled off about a third of the way in, the Nicaraguan puro also presented tastes of coffee, chocolate, and leather. There are changes and variations in strength throughout.

I’ve smoked a few of the cigars in this line, which are available in three sizes in addition to the 50-ring gauge Toro: Robusto (5 x 50), Churchill (7 x 50), and Torpedo (6 x 54). So far I’ve liked the Toro best, with the Robusto a close second. Perdomo also offers a Grand Cru Maduro line that I have yet to sample.

One complaint is Perdomo’s lack of information on its website. The Grand Cru isn’t even listed among its brands. You’ve got to check past press releases to find the May 5 introduction announcement, which notes that the tobaccos are from the 2004 crop on Perdomo’s Nicaraguan farms.

Notwithstanding that minor setback, this cigar is definitely worth checking out, especially given its reasonable price. I rate the Perdomo Grand Cru Corojo Toro four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Tabacalera Perdomo

[Editors’ Note: Even though co-founders Patrick A and Patrick S are back from the 77th annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show, they still have plenty more to share. Below are some updates that we didn’t  get a chance to include from our first three days of coverage in New Orleans.]

CAO’s La Traviata: One of the most interesting new releases is CAO’s La Traviata. Named after an old Cuban brand with a recently-expired trademark, the brand is CAO’s attempt to create a classic Cuban flavor profile. It utilizes an Ecuadorian habano wrapper combined with a Cameroon binder and Nicaraguan and Dominican filler tobaccos. La Traviata comes in three sizes—robusto, toro, and Churchill—and carries an extremely approachable price tag of $4.95-5.75.

Rocky Patel Updates His Classics: Rocky Patel unveiled three new smokes as we detailed in tour IPCPR preview, but also of note was that he updated the packaging of some of the smokes that brought him to fame. Such staples as the Vintage 1992 and Nording look completely different. The 1992, for example, now carries dual black bands to differentiate it from the Vintage 1990 line. In addition, the Rocky Patel Decade, Vintage 1990, and Vintage 1999 are all getting newly designed tubos.

New Davidoff Maduro Coming: While Davidoff had many new and beautiful (and pricey) humidors and accessories on display, we were most excited to hear about the second size for the Davidoff Maduro, which was announced last year. Due to hit stores October, the corona size joins the robusto in Davidoff’s maduro line. Also of note from Davidoff was the new 2009 Limited Edition Toro Especial, featuring a Colorado claro wrapper.

Toraño Unveils Exodus 50: Charlie Toraño told us about his new cigar, the Exodus 50 Years, created in honor of  the 50th Anniversary of his family’s departure from Cuba in 1959. The blend comes in three sizes:  robusto (5 x 50), torpedo (5.5 x 52), and toro (6 x 48).

[View all of our shots from the IPCPR Trade Show at the official StogieGuys.com Flickr album.]

–Patrick A & Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Information on the Diez Small Batch No. 2 (6.25 x 54) is almost as tough to come by as the cigar itself. La Flor Dominicana’s website doesn’t appear to have been updated recently as it lists only the Small Batch No. 1.

 This cigar is flawlessly constructed with a perfect triple cap and minimal veins. The wrapper has a slight tooth that gives the cigar a rough feel. Pre-light, the aroma is predominantly of leather with a hint of sweet tobacco. The triple cap clips off effortlessly and the draw confirms the leather smell and sweetness.

The foot lights easily and the draw, as expected in such a wide cigar, is easy with just the right amount of resistance. On the first puff a large volume of creamy smoke coats my palate and tastes predominately of cedar with leather notes in the background.

About an inch in, the cedar fades slightly and the taste of red pepper emerges along with some roasted nut flavors. The overall effect is more balanced than spicy.

As the cigar progress, the burn is razor-sharp and the nice ash is solid, light, and gray. I start to notice some cinnamon and caramel notes at about the halfway mark.

All of these flavors—from red pepper and cinnamon to caramel and roasted nuts—fade in and out for the remainder of the cigar. A hint of spice enters the equation in the final third but never becomes dominant. The burn is excellent and requires no maintenance during the two-hour smoke.

The one constant flavor element in this cigar is that there is always some sort of sweetness present, either from the cedar, caramel, or red pepper. And while the core flavor is of cedar, fortunately no single flavor overpowers the others.

That makes the Litto Gomez Diez Small Batch No. 2, which retails for about $16 apiece, an exceptionally complex and well-balanced cigar. For its wonderful construction, complexity, and poise, it earns five out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. A list of other five stogie-rated cigars can be found here.]

–Patrick M

photo credit: Stogie Guys

[Editors’ Note: NEW ORLEANS — StogieGuys.com co-founders Patrick A and Patrick S are reporting live today from the 77th annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show. This convention is where cigar makers from around the world come to showcase their products and debut their new creations. Check back throughout the day for live updates.]

11:00am CDT: First stop this morning was General Cigar, where they are debuting two new brands as well as some interesting line extensions. La Escepción (the name is a Cuban brand that was discontinued 20 years ago) features General’s exclusive Nicaraguan Ometepe tobacco as a binder around Nicaraguan filler surrounded by a Honduran habano Talanga wrapper. It will sell in the $6-7 range and comes in three sizes, including a figuardo (5 x 54). We also heard that General Cigar is  hoping to use the Ometepe tobacco, which comes from a Volcanic island with uniquely rich soil, as a wrapper in a future cigar.

11:15am CDT: Another new General brand is Brioso, which retails at the value price of $3-4. It features a Honduran Jamastran wrapper, a  Connecticut  habano binder, and a blend of Dominican, Nicaraguan,  and four types of Mexican filler. Also of particular interest is “Upper Cut,” an extension of the Punch line based on one of the Punch Election cigars released last year, and new sizes in the La Gloria Cubana Serie R and Macanudo 1968 lines.

11:45am CDT: Sam Leccia, creator of Nub Cigars, told us how he embraces the need to come out with new smokes every year. He showed us the new Nub Maduro, featuring a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper. He also showed us his new Cain “straight ligero” cigars, which come with either a Nicaraguan habano or maduro wrapper. While Cain does feature three different types of Ligero tobacco, it isn’t 100% ligero because, according to Sam, a small amount of other tobacco is necessary to create a proper burn.

[View all of our shots from the IPCPR Trade Show at the official StogieGuys.com Flickr album.]

–Patrick A & Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys