The Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

The original Cubao from United Tobacco (also called “EO Brands” after founders Erik Espinoza and Eddie Ortega) is an absolute gem. But I’m a little disappointed by the new Maduro version. Unveiled this summer and crafted by Don Pepin Garcia, it forgoes balance and complexity for sheer power. With a strong flavor of espresso and good construction, this is by no means a bad cigar. I’m unconvinced, however, that the Cubao Maduro No. 6 lives up to the prestigious EO pedigree.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

This immense double robusto (6.5 x 54) is a special edition Cuban released exclusively in France in 2006 and 2007. It had been aging in my humidor for almost a full year since I purchased it at the nearly 300-year old A La Civette cigar shop in Paris. Surrounded by a shiny but rustic wrapper, this Bolivar is surprisingly mild with nut and earth flavors. Then, at the midway point, cinnamon and pepper notes reveal a more medium-bodied  profile. While the construction is excellent, I’m somewhat disappointed by this expensive Cuban’s lack of depth.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

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) A disproportionate number of online cigar wholesalers call Pennsylvania home, including Famous Smoke Shop, Cigars International, and Holt’s. This isn’t a coincidence. Along with Florida, the Keystone State is the only one without a cigar tax. But Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (pictured) recently proposed a budget that includes new excise taxes on cigars and smokeless tobacco. When a similar tax was proposed last year, Keith Meier, CEO of Cigars International, said his $90 million company with 150 employees might “swim to sunnier shores, such as Florida” if adopted.

2) Inside the Industry: In partnership with Nestor Miranda of Miami Cigars & Co. and Guillermo León of La Aurora, Don Pepin Garcia is making his first Dominican-wrapped cigar. Called “Dominicano,” it will include Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos and be made at Garcia’s My Father Cigars factory. The blend’s four sizes will retail for $6-8 apiece.

3) Around the Blogs: The Stogie Guys, via The Daily Caller, feature the EO 601 “Green” La Fuerza. Stogie Review lights up a Man O’ War Special Edition. Keepers of the Flame smokes a CAO La Traviata. Nice Tight Ash tries the Chateau Real Maduro. Cigar Inspector reviews the Tatuaje J21.

4) Deal of the Week: This unpublicized email sale has deep discounts on some top smokes. Our favorite pick is the Don Kiki Brown label for just two dollars per stick. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

In our December interview, when we asked Pete Johnson to tell us what would surprise even his biggest fan, he said something we weren’t expecting: “I know my way around a sewing machine.”

He seems to know quite a bit about making cigars, too. A former buyer for the Grand Havana Room in Beverly Hills, Johnson launched his own cigar brand in 2003 called Tatuaje (Spanish for “tattoo”). The rest, as you probably know, is history. Tatuaje is now a sought-after fixture in the industry with too many rave reviews to mention.

Many of Johnson’s creations—from the Black and the Havana VI Verocu to the L’esprit de La Verite and the Reserva—command prices in excess of $10 apiece. Hoards of cigar enthusiasts are more than willing to fork over the requisite cash. But, recognizing the economic downturn, Johnson launched a cheaper-priced Tatuaje offshoot called Ambos Mundos in early 2009. This long-filler blend of Nicaraguan tobacco makes use of grade B and C leaves—whereas Tatuaje uses grade A. Its two sizes are offered in two different wrappers: an Ecuadorian Sumatra (red label) or a Nicaraguan Habano (white label.)

I smoked two Sumatra Robustos for this review. Measuring five inches long with a ring gauge of 50, this cigar doesn’t make a particularly good first impression. The wrinkled wrapper has numerous splotches of discoloration, the pre-light notes are extremely faint, and the feel is inconsistent with several soft spots.

While I hope for more from a cigar that retails for about $5, the true test is in taste. And the Ambos Mundos gets off to a fair start with a subdued flavor of leather and dry wood with hints of sweetness. There may be some peppery spice on the finish, but the intensity is half of what you’d find in the average Tatuaje. Maybe that’s an unfair comparison.

Still, it’s appropriate to note how the Sumatra Robusto leaves a sour taste in the mouth, especially down the stretch. The sensation isn’t necessarily unpleasant; some may even find it a welcome uniqueness.

All, however, should be impressed with the Ambos Mundos’ construction. Both of my Robustos exhibited superb burns, effortless draws, and quality ashes.

So I’m torn on a final verdict. On the one hand, this cigar offers decent flavor and excellent combustion qualities for a fair price. On the other, I can think of many sticks that I’d rather purchase in this price range. That ultimately leaves the Sumatra Robusto with a rating of three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

For smokers who enjoy full-flavored smokes, the Oliva Serie V needs no introduction. The highly-rated smoke has appeared on Cigar Aficionado‘s Top 25 list every year since its release, including two top 5 showings.

Building on that success, Oliva released a maduro version of the Serie V in 2008 and 2009. Produced in only one size—a Torpedo (6.5 x 52)—only 5,000 boxes of 10 were made each year.

The Nicaraguan Habano wrapper is flawless and mouthwatering, reminiscent of a bar of dark chocolate. Inside, the Nicaraguan puro is made of “specially fermented Jalapa Valley ligero” filler tobacco. The torpedo has an extremely firm construction.

Once lit, I find a full-bodied combination of earth, chocolate, and espresso. There’s also a hint of pepper, particularly in the first third of the smoke. The finish is long with dry cocoa notes.

As it evolves, a rich and chewy roasted nut flavor evolves that reminds me of cashew. In the final third more leather emerges, occasionally showing some rare bitterness.

Construction is impressive with a solid gray ash and an even burn. Despite the tight feel, there is no resistance on the draw.

I realize this may put me in the minority, but I happen to think the Maduro is even better than the highly acclaimed original Oliva Serie V. While smoking samples for this review, I found myself comparing the Maduro Especial to another favorite maduro of mine, the Padrón Serie 1964 Maduro.

That makes the price of $10 per cigar or $90 for a box of 10 eminently fair. It also earns the Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial 2009 an impressive 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

Here are a few more random thoughts about cigars and the cigar industry:

Time to Stop Being Rational

Cigar smokers are an accommodating bunch, sometimes to a fault when it comes to fighting the anti-tobacco lobby. The anti-cigar forces have learned to never ever be happy with the status quo no matter how anti-tobacco that status quo already is. Case-in-point is Santa Cruz, California, where anti-smoking zealots have passed one of the most oppressive smoking bans in the country. The law covers all “public” indoor and outdoor spaces including parks, beaches, restaurant patios, and sidewalks.

Despite that, when smoking ban lobbyist group ALAC (American Lung Association in California) was handing out grades for cities, it gave Santa Cruz a “D” for not sufficiently being against so-called second-hand smoke.

Czech Cigars?

When I visit websites with foreign languages Google asks me if I’d like to translate them into English, which is helpful enough. At times, however, it wants to translate pages that are already in English. For example, Google wants to translate our Stogie Reviews Archive from Spanish to English, which is understandable given the hundreds of cigars listed there with Spanish in their names. More mysterious is why Google has repeatedly tried to translate pages on a certain online auction site (known to some as the “devil site”) to French or even Czech.

Hot Cigars

Be careful when relighting the nub of your cigar; even the best smoke is ruined by singed nose hair. Along the same lines, if you can’t hold a cigar anymore without burning your fingers, it’s time to put it out. (And, sorry, but roach clips don’t have any business being near fine tobacco.)

Magnificent Mild Smokes

While there has certainly been a trend towards bolder cigars in recent years, I’m also seeing a counter trend among some cigar enthusiasts. An excellent mild cigar, with all the subtleties it can have, is one of the most challenging cigars to blend. That makes such a superb mild smoke all the more impressive.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Flickr

Every cigar has a story. This one is no exception, and it starts way back in 1935.

That was the year Alonso Menéndez founded Montecristo at the Particulares Factory in Havana. A quarter century later, like so many outstanding cigar makers who resented his government’s takeover of the industry, he fled the island to take his popular brand beyond the reach of the Cuban Revolution.

His first stop was the Canary Islands. But Habanos SA, Cuba’s state-owned tobacco monopoly, slammed him with copyright litigation. Cuba had, of course, confiscated Menéndez’s trademark and continued production under the Montecristo name to capitalize on its reputation. So he moved again in the mid-1970s, this time to La Romana in the Dominican Republic. This new location would enable him to sell directly to the U.S. market—where Cuba’s rights to the brand aren’t recognized.

Now owned by Altadis, Montecristo is celebrating 75 years since it was established in Cuba. This occasion, of course, calls for a special Aniversario blend, which was introduced at the IPCPR Trade Show in New Orleans last summer.

The new Montecristo 75th Aniversario line is handmade at the Tabacalera de García factory under the watchful eye of master blender José Seijas. Available in five vitolas with suggested retail prices ranging from $10 to $18.50 apiece, this “super-premium” features a dark Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, a Nicaraguan binder, and a filler blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos.

The Lancero (7.5 x 40) starts with a heavy, chalky flavor that’s both spicy and abrasive. Quickly, however, it transitions into a smoother, earthier profile of cocoa and dark chocolate. This is a nice, albeit familiar, taste that’s satisfying on the palate.

Moving past the first inch, the biggest surprise from the 75th Aniversario is that there aren’t any surprises. This 100-minute smoke is amazingly straightforward and consistent in flavor all the way to the nub. If you’re really into the way it tastes, you’ll love it; if you aren’t enthralled, you’ll likely find the Lancero a bit monotonous—even towards the end when it becomes meatier and the finish takes on a peppery spice.

What you won’t find are any problems in construction. The slow burn is perfectly straight, the gray ash holds well, and the draw has just a bit of resistance. This is exactly the way you’d expect a cigar that sells for $15 apiece to smoke.

I remain unconvinced, however, that the flavor profile is worth the cost. At $7, yeah, I could make an easy recommendation. But this price level requires more complexity and development. So, while I enjoyed the two Lanceros I smoked for this review, I can’t give them a rating higher than three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys