The Stogie Guys

Philip Wynne, maker of Felipe Gregorio Cigars, has created many distinct blends, including some using Moroccan tobacco introduced at this year’s IPCPR Trade Show. But one blend we hadn’t seen from him until this year was a Dominican Puro.

“Pure” is a reference is to the Dominican-grown tobacco that makes up this new smoke. In fact, according to FG’s website, it all comes from a single finca (or farm) in the Cibao Valley.

Available in three sizes—Churchill (7 x 47), Corona (5 x 44), and Torpedo (5 x 54)—the blend is aged in cedar trunks for at least six months before being boxed. When it finally arrives in stores, Pure retails for around $10 each.

The Dominican wrapper is very oily with a few noticeable veins. The somewhat squared Torpedo is firm and well-constructed, and pre-light there are subtle fruit notes of dates.

Once lit, the cigar gives off a variety of intense flavors. Pure has lots of leather, cedar, and pepper with a background of cognac with a savory, charred meat. The finish is long and woody.

Despite the force of the flavors, Pure isn’t necessarily what I’d call a full-bodied smoke. Medium to full is a more apt description, especially since the final third mellows to more of a classic medium-bodied smoke.

As you’d expect from a cigar that costs $10, construction is notable with an even burn, a sturdy ash, and a draw with just the right amount of resistance. I was, however, disappointed that both of the samples I smoked for this review required re-lights in the final third because they extinguished. But Pure’s unique flavor profile compelled me to go on.

Pure has admirable construction, plenty of intensity, and remarkable complexity for a cigar built with tobacco all from one farm. That’s enough to earn the Felipe Gregorio Pure Torpedo a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

It’s no secret that it’s becoming harder and harder to find a place to smoke. Smoking bans have forced us out of offices, restaurants, and bars, and smoking bans now target outdoor areas, multi-unit apartment buildings, and even cars.

Smoking ban advocates claim their concern is protecting people from exposure to secondhand smoke. So they shouldn’t object to people smoking in a cigar shop, right?

After all, no one enters their local brick and mortar because they don’t want to be around smoke; they go there to enjoy cigars and hang out with fellow smokers. Those who work in cigar shops do so because they are passionate about cigars, and often the B&M is the only place they can smoke while at work.

But as you might guess, it isn’t that simple when it comes to the anti-smoking zealots. Instead, the last havens of cigar smokers are under siege, just like so many other places.

Indeed, in a handbook titled “Fundamentals of SmokefreeWorkplace Laws,” a group of anti-tobacco lobbying organizations lay out their strategy for spreading smoking bans, and include a passage on opposing any exemptions for tobacco retail shops, cigar bars, or hookah bars. (The “handbook” also opposes exemptions for private clubs, grandfather clauses, and any exemptions for financial hardships.)

But bans aren’t the only foes of cigar stores. Even where smoking is allowed, regulations are designed to do harm. In New York City, for example, the century-old Barclay Rex cigar store recently found itself in trouble with city inspectors who cited the shop for serving free coffee to its customers using a $9,000 automatic espresso maker. The violation was for serving “food” without a permit. Problem is, according to New York’s strict smoking ban, no place that allows smoking can have such a permit.

Other shops in New York have had similar problems.  When Nat Sherman launched it’s new flagship store in Midtown, it opened a downstairs members-only lounge, complete with a full bar. But during my last visit I was told that the bar was temporarily closed while they waited for the appropriate approval from city authorities. Free coffee and water were provided, so don’t tell the city officials.

These are just some of the ways cigar shops are being targeted. Unlike online retailers, who can pick their base of operations to minimize taxes, local shops can be instantly driven out of business by massive tobacco tax hikes or complete bans.

The shame of it is that cigar stores are the lifeblood of cigar culture.  They’re where we go to sample new cigars, get recommendations about what to try, and enjoy the camaraderie of our fellow smokers. That’s why it’s so critical that we support our local B&Ms and defend them against these attacks.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys