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.

I’d heard of El Titan de Bronze cigars, rolled for more than a decade on Calle Ocho in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood, long before having the chance to try one. The Gold line is particularly affordable for a high-quality U.S.-made smoke. I found a Robusto (5 x 50) for $5.50. Complex with medium strength, this Connecticut-wrapped stick moves from pepper to leather and earth. Well worth trying.

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) While flavored cigarettes have been illegal in the U.S. since September, Canadian politicians outdid their American counterparts this week by passing sweeping anti-tobacco legislation. The new law bans most flavored cigarettes and cigars, prohibits print ads for tobacco products, and criminalizes the sale of single cigars. These measures, coupled with a nationwide smoking ban, place Canada among the least cigar-friendly nations on the planet.

2) New York City officials are aiming to expand on  FDA regulations by banning all flavored tobacco that isn’t intended for hookahs or pipes. The bill, now on Mayor Bloomberg’s desk, would make illegal flavored and infused cigars like Acid by Drew Estate, Flavours by CAO, and Java by Rocky Patel.

3) Inside the Industry: Frank Herrera’s 1608 La Caridad del Cobre cigars are set to debut on October 24 in Orange Beach, Alabama. Angelenos, a new cigar by Funete and Prometheus (who already partner to make God of Fire), will debut this fall.

4) Around the Blogs:  Stogie Review lights up a Perdomo Patriarch Maduro. Keepers of the Flame fires up a Verdadero Organic. Cigar Reviews samples the Berger & Argenti Entubar. Nice Tight Ash reviews a DPG Cuban Classic.

5) Deal of the Week: Via email, we got wind of these special Halloween deals over at Cuban Crafters, which you won’t find from their regular homepage. Included are boxes of the Don Kiki Green Label ($30), La Carolina ($75), Cuban Crafters Cameroon ($75), Cupido Tuxedo ($110), and a sampler of the 1959 Miami Medina ($30). Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

It’s been almost ten months since the StogieGuys.com team published a new list of Gold Star Smokes. As you might recall, this special designation celebrates cigars that we feel are worthy of strong recommendations. They don’t necessarily have to be five stogie-rated—just commendable smokes we turn to time and again.

In our previous three Gold Star Smokes articles, we highlighted cigars like the Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 Torpedo, El Rey Del Mundo Robisto Larga, Punch Champion, EO 601 Serie “Green” La Fuerza, Montecristo Petit Edmundo, Cuban Crafters Cameroon Robusto, Blend 376 Robusto Extra, Arturo Fuente King B, and La Gloria Cubana’s Medaille d’Or No. 1 Maduro. Today we select four more.

Co-Founder & Editor in Chief Patrick A

The newly released 777 Corojo Robusto by J. Fuego strikes a great chord for me. It certainly wasn’t the most flashy or highly anticipated cigar at the IPCPR Trade Show in August. But, for about $5 apiece, it does offer an oily wrapper, good construction, and an interesting flavor of wood, pepper, citrus, and sour cream. I’ll always have a spot in my humidor for this silky smoke.

Co-Founder & Publisher Patrick S

As a reviewer of cigars, I enjoy regularly trying new and different smokes. But there are only a few that I find myself coming back to again and again. One such blend is Cubao by EO Brands. It’s a rare smoke that truly has balance,  intensity, and complexity—which is particularly impressive at the reasonable price of around $6 each by the box. Having sampled all the sizes, I’ve found the  Cubao No. 4 (4.9 x 50) best showcases all this blend has to offer.

Tampa Bureau Chief George E

The more I smoke the Camacho Connecticut Churchill, the more I like it. Great flavor, smooth, nicely constructed—and weighing in at only $6. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more satisfying medium- to full-strength cigar at such a reasonable price. Light one up, grab a drink, switch on the TV, and enjoy the game. (Here’s a review of the robusto-sized Monarca).

Contributing Reviewer Patrick M

I don’t always have two or more hours to dedicate to smoking. When I’m pressed for time, I often turn to Arturo Fuente’s Hemingway Short Story. It can be had for around $5 and offers all the wonderful balance, spice, and sweetness you’d expect from a Cameroon-wrapped cigar. Light one up when you’re short on time but looking for a quality experience.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Rarely does a month go by without some whisperings of an imminent major cigar industry deal. And to be fair, between manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, there are plenty of prime targets for consolidation in the cigar industry.

There are also plenty of reasons for such consolidation. Larger companies can better adjust to the new tax and regulatory burdens that cigars now face. Combining sales forces and distribution channels can lower costs, keeping prices down for consumers while keeping profit margins healthy. Increased buying power also ensures access to the best tobacco available, as well as bigger advertising budgets to get the word out about new products.

But besides the business reasons, there’s another reason why I think I hear these rumors with such regularity: It’s fun to speculate—some might call it gossip—about such things. After all, in the past year  I’ve heard rumors that Rocky Patel has fielded offers from both General Cigar and Davidoff. But that’s the old rumor, so let me get on to the newest.

A Deal Going Down in Miami?

One such rumor involves La Aurora, distributor Miami Cigar & Co., and Don Pepin Garcia. I first took notice of the speculation when Gary Korb of Famous Smoke Shop, and chief writer of CigarAdvisor.com, posted a highly suggestive article linking Rene Castañeda, vice president of Miami Cigar & Company, with Don José Pepin and Jamie Garcia and Guillermo León and José Blanco of La Aurora.

According to Korb, the group was spotted meeting in the Dominican Republic, leading Korb to speculate about “some sort of distribution pact or, even more significantly, the acquisition of Pepin’s company by La Aurora.” Then, in a follow-up post, Korb reported that Guillermo León (of León Jimenes cigars and La Aurora) was making his first trip to Nicaragua reportedly to visit the Garcias at their Tabacalera Cubana (TACUBA) factory.

Neither of those reports meant much to me, until a source told me that they had just spotted a similar group (including Nestor Miranda, Rene Castañeda, and José Blanco) at Garcia’s El Rey de los Habanos factory in Little Havana, Miami, accompanied by Pepin and his daughter, Janny Garcia. Could they be finalizing some deal started in the Dominican or Nicaragua?

Such a deal wouldn’t be shocking. The pieces already seem in place: Garcia already makes cigars for Nestor Miranda (pictured above with Pepin Garcia), head of Miami Cigar & Co., as well as 601 and Cubao for EO Cigars, which is distributed by the same outfit. Meanwhile, Miami is already the distributor for La Aurora.

Of course, it could all mean nothing. But then again it could be the makings of a major deal. Either way, the speculation is fun and we’ll be making some inquiries to see what else, if anything, we can find out. Naturally, if we learn anything juicy, we’ll report it exclusively here at StogieGuys.com.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Smoke Shop Magazine

Two months after the 77th annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show in New Orleans, the industry remains focused on the newest additions to the market. But many of us still have some catching up to do. The Mi Dominicana, introduced at last year’s IPCPR event in Las Vegas, is one blend that, until recently, never made it into my humidor.

Mi Dominicana is the first Dominican puro made by tobacco giant Altadis. It is crafted by José Seijas, general manager of Tabacalera de Garcia, Ltd.—one of the biggest cigar factories in the world—and the man behind the Dominican versions of Montecristo, H. Upmann, and Romeo y Julieta.

Born in Santo Domingo, Seijas created this eight-vitola blend to honor his Dominican heritage. “Everything that is beautiful about the Dominican Republic has gone into this cigar,” he says on Altadis’ website. “Mi Dominicana is my personal tribute to our nation and our people…[It] truly captures the pride of my country.”

That pride is evident in the Corona’s promising appearance. This five and a half inch by 44 ring gauge cigar includes a carefully applied cap, a firm feel, and a toothy, oily wrapper. The sole aesthetic drawback is the network of thick veins that crisscross the cigar’s surface.

Pre-light, sweet floral notes shine though. A cold taste reveals honey on the lips and a slightly stiff draw, then the first lighted puff produces notes of sage, coconut, almond, and toast. The profile is fairly balanced and medium-bodied, and the aftertaste reminds me of yellow cake.

These flavors remain largely unaltered at the midway point. The only change, unfortunately, is a bitterness on the finish. That, and I find myself growing a bit bored of the once interesting taste—a boredom that carries through to the end of this 90-minute smoke.

While the flavor is neither completely dull nor utterly inspiring, Mi Dominicana’s physical properties are above average. The draw opens nicely, the white ash behaves well, and the burn only requires minimal touch-ups to stay even. These characteristics were apparent in both Corona’s that I smoked for this review.

Still, for a cigar that commands a price tag of about $7-8 apiece, José Seijas’ Mi Dominicana falls a bit short. I was left hoping for more from a highly anticipated blend that is intended to espouse the attributes of a great tobacco-growing nation. Ultimately, the Corona earns three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

If you’re a regular smoker fortunate enough to have several cigar shops near your home or workplace, you undoubtedly have opinions about each of them. Sometimes choices are simple—when, for example, only one is open on Sundays and you want to smoke and watch football. But others can be trickier.

For new smokers still deciding which shop to patronize most, here are four keys to look for. While they’re all important, lets keep in mind that there are undoubtedly great shops that would fail on several accounts.

A good owner. I feel better when the owner is present and involved. It indicates the shop is in the hands of someone who has invested himself as well as his money. Practically, this isn’t always possible. But when it is, I think it says something positive.

A well-kept stock. The humidor should be consistently close to 70 degrees and 70 percent relative humidity. Many smokers keep their personal humidors at different settings, particularly less humidity. With the frequent air exchanges and extremes, though, it’s better to keep the levels up in tobacconists. I also like to see a high-quality thermometer and hygrometer.

Neatness. It counts, just like your mother told you. Seeing dust collecting on cigars, jumbled boxes on display shelves, or overflowing ashtrays creates doubts about how well the stock is treated.

Variety in selection. This one is a bit tricky because smokers reading this article are much more likely to want to try new cigars than the average customer. The store owner has to stock what sells or he can’t stay in business. So I don’t hold it against a shop if it doesn’t have rows and rows and rows of boutique brands. I will be disappointed, however, if there’s little more than the likes of Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, Punch, and Macanudo to choose from.

That’s what I look for in a great tobacconist. What would you add to this list?

–George E

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.

This 7 inch by 38 ring gauge Lancero features an attractive, light brown wrapper, a precise pigtail cap, and bready flavors with a subtle graham cracker spice. It’s a pretty mild smoke, which is a stark contrast to the Nestor Miranda Ruky and Danno. As the cigar progresses, it becomes more medium-bodied with a woody core. Construction is excellent—an impressive attribute for a tricky vitola.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys