The Stogie Guys

Cohiba. Montecristo. Romeo y Julieta. Hoyo de Monterrey. These and a few others are the brands most think of as quintessential Cuban cigars. Beyond the familiar names and recognizable logos, however, Castro’s communist isle still has plenty of other cigars to explore.

For instance, it would be a great disservice to your taste buds—and indeed your wallet—to ignore Juan Lopez. This brand continues to fly under the radar despite a loyal following of cigar enthusiasts who appreciate its consistency, quality, and relatively affordable price tag.

Juan Lopez was born when a Spanish businessman named Juan Lopez Diaz established the Flor de Juan Lopez factory in 1876. He was intent to make his fortune in the Cuban tobacco trade. It wasn’t long until he died, however, and his cigar operation passed on to his kin before it was eventually swallowed up by the Cuban government.

Today, Juan Lopez cigars are handmade in the west-central Cuban town of Guira de Melena with Vuelta Abajo tobacco and long-filler leaves. Production is limited. Juan Lopez fans point out that the brand occasionally disappears from the market, supposedly due to high quality control standards.

Those standards were apparent in the physical attributes of the six Juan Lopez cigars I smoked for this review. Sampled in the Selección No. 1 (5.6 x 42) format, they featured well-applied triple caps, a firm feel, and a pre-light scent of graham cracker. Each demonstrated a clear cold draw.

I was pleased to find that the graham cracker aroma carries over to the flavor. Remember eating Golden Grahams for breakfast as a kid? Well, if that General Mills product were a cigar instead of a square-shaped cereal, it would be a Juan Lopez. The rich, fluffy smoke tastes a lot like brown sugar, honey, and maple syrup. Light and delicious.

But there’s more to the Selección No. 1’s profile. Its sweetness is offset by an earthy, woodsy core, and there’s also some creaminess to tie the whole thing together. Sure, while the Juan Lopez isn’t as masterfully balanced as some cigars on the market, I find it to have more than enough nuance and equilibrium to keep me interested without distractions.

That’s why, despite some minor burn issues, I am impressed by this lesser-known Cuban. The Juan Lopez Selección No. 1 is well worth its asking price of $8-10 apiece and definitely worthy of a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Oliva has been making good cigars for years, but only recently has the company gotten the credit  it deserves among connoisseurs of fine smokes. Part of that newfound recognition comes from Oliva’s popular (and highly-rated) Serie V.

But the Serie V isn’t the most limited cigar that Oliva makes. That honor belongs to the Master Blends 3, or “Liga Maestra.” This offering is described by Oliva as “specifically blended to deliver the richest characteristics of Nicaraguan ligero fillers and broadleaf sun-grown wrappers.”

The Robusto (5 x 50) is a Nicaraguan puro with a Nicaraguan habano binder. The dark, oily wrapper is nearly vein-free. Box-pressed, the smoke is firm to the touch and, while the wrapper on one (pictured) seemed a bit hastily applied, it certainly didn’t affect the way the cigar smoked.

Once lit, the Master Blends 3 reveals rich coffee, chocolate, and cedary undertones. It features that classic Nicaraguan “zing” that leaves a distinctive flavor on the roof of the mouth.

The Robusto yields thick, lush smoke.  It starts medium- to full-bodied but grows to full strength by the midway point, with a bit of earth joining the complex group of flavors.

It certainly is not hard to see why Oliva touts this as their most luxurious blend. With excellent balance and rich flavors, Master Blends 3 is reminiscent of that other highly touted box-pressed Nicaraguan puro: the Padrón Anniversary.

As for exclusivity, unlike the earlier Master Blends, the third version seems to be widely available, including on a host of internet retailers where it sells for around $12 each, although you can often find it discounted for less.

But even if it isn’t as limited as its predecessors, it’s still a fine smoke. That’s why the Oliva Master Blends 3 Robusto earns a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

You may have heard about the re-launch of La Palina, “a storied cigar brand famously linked to the early and fortuitous beginnings of CBS Broadcasting.” In recent weeks its revival has been covered by the likes of Cigar Aficionado, the Wall Street Journal, and others (including an ad on this web magazine).

La Palina is being brought back to life by Bill Paley, grandson of the founder of the Congress Cigar Company. The outfit dates back to 1896. La Palina was its flagship brand, marketed over radio waves—hence the connection to CBS.

Now Paley hopes he has a new flagship cigar with the aptly titled “1896.” According to a La Palina press release, it is a “blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobacco with an Ecuadorian wrapper and a Costa Rican binder. This signature cigar (4.75 x 52) will retail for $19 per cigar or $190 for a box of 10.”

I am told that W. Curtis Draper in Washington and Davidoff of Geneva in New York are the first two La Palina retailers. The brand is expected to be available nationwide soon.

Taste the New Cigar for Yourself

StogieGuys.com is pleased to announce that we have secured two pairs of tickets to the exclusive La Palina re-launch on Thursday. The event, held at Morton’s in Washington, DC, will feature cocktails, canapés, and La Palina cigars. It will run from 6:30-8:30pm.

To be entered for your chance to win a pair of tickets, simply leave a comment on this article that reads: “Get me to La Palina.” All eligible comments received before midnight will be entered into a random drawing. Two winners will be selected, each receiving two tickets.

As a courtesy to your fellow StogieGuys.com readers, please enter only once and only if you can make the event. You’re all on the honor system. Also, please be sure to include a valid email address so we can contact you if you win. Good luck!

–Patrick A

photo credit: La Palina Cigars

When it comes to cigar news, the highlight of each year is the annual International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) Association Trade Show. Nearly every cigar maker introduces new cigars at the annual event as retailers and media get to try new products for the first time.

Manufacturers set up intricate displays (like the one right) that may cost tens of thousands of dollars in hopes of getting hundreds of retailers to commit to carry their products in the upcoming year. Here’s just one example of the high costs of the show: One cigar maker told me that just to hang a display from the ceiling cost many thousands of dollars due to bureaucratic convention work rules.

In addition to the already significant costs, at last year’s show in New Orleans, cigar makers were required to pay Louisiana taxes on the thousands of samples they distributed. The 20% (on wholesale) tax that we reported on last year from the trade show was costing makers as much as $1 per sample. Numerous manufacturers complained about the added financial burden of the tax and a few even said they limited the number of highly sought-after samples they brought.

In light of that burden, the IPCPR announced this week that the 20% tobacco tax, as well as the 4% sales tax ,would not apply to cigar samples handed out during the show. The state taxes on cigarettes remain.

IPCPR Legislative Director Chris McCalla announced, “Understanding the financial stress exhibitors faced last year in dealing with the tax issue, the IPCPR’s Legislative Office and our Louisiana state lobbyist have been working on this exemption since last fall, finally securing this critical tax legislation.”

The legislative exemption comes in the context of the trade show moving back to Las Vegas next year. IPCPR left Las Vegas after a smoking ban there would have banned smoking on the trade show floor. But a special exemption for tobacco-related conventions cleared the way to bring the show—and the millions of dollars of revenue that come with it—back to Sin City.

After two years in New Orleans, the show has committed to a two-year run in Las Vegas for 2011 an 2012, leaving New Orleans without the substantial tourism revenue that the show brings. That move was praised by many of the people I spoke with at last year’s show, in part because of the tax on samples in Louisiana. Now, with their own trade show exemption in place, it seems New Orleans has placed itself back in contention for the IPCPR trade show in 2013.

UPDATE: By email I asked Chris McCalla about the impact of the tax exemption of on the future location of IPCPR Trade Shows. While he reminded me that ultimately it is up to the IPCPR Board where the show is, he did say that the exemption “provides an incentive for cities who are convention-business focused to assist us in deciding what cities may make that short list.” McCalla concluded by noting: “Other factors are considered, but this one is an important one.”

–Patrick S

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.”

The Oliva Connecticut has received many positive reviews, but it recently occurred to me that I had yet to smoking one myself. The Robusto I lit up featured a classic veinless golden Connecticut wrapper. The smoke revealed pleasant flavors of cream, wood, and roast nuts. Construction was flawless, with a sharp black line leading an even burn and sturdy ash. With it’s balanced mild flavors and  lack of the acidic bitterness that holds back so many Connecticut-wrapped cigars, it’s no wonder the Oliva Connecticut has been so well-received.

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 verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

Crafted by Rocky Patel exclusively for Famous Smoke Shop, Cruz Real is comprised of a Mexican binder and long-filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The Sumatra Robusto (5 x 50) has a salty, peppery introduction that transitions into a creamer profile of peanut and leather. Bold and aromatic yet lacking in balance or complexity. Still, with impressive construction, this cigar’s current asking price of $73 for a box of 20 makes it a decent purchase.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

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) Anti-smoking zealotry isn’t confined to the present and future. Some do-gooders are actually trying to change the past. Such is the case at a museum in London, where curators have airbrushed a cigar right out of Churchill’s mouth in a famous photo.

2) Massachusetts is gearing up to post pictures of human organs, purportedly damaged by smoking, in 9,000 locations where tobacco is sold. The effort is financed by a federal stimulus grant of $316,000. “That hardly contributes to job creation and economic recovery in the state,” reads an IPCPR press release. “First the federal government expands the State Children’s Health Insurance Program and expects increased tobacco taxes to pay for it. Then it gives hundreds of thousands of dollars to support efforts to reduce smoking,” said Chris McCalla, IPCPR legislative director. “Talk about mixed messages!”

3) According to reports, the Treasury Department office responsible for enforcing the ban on Cuban cigars may have been busy, but not with infractions of the Cuban Embargo. So far this year, only one penalty has been imposed for violating the ban on Cuban cigars: a $525 fine announced in early March.

4) Inside the Industry: The next Montecristo Cup, a pro-am golf tournament which benefits the Montecristo Relief Organization, will be held at the Atlantis resort in December. With inspiration from a famous song, Newman Family Cigars is expanding its Brick House line with a new size called the Mighty Mighty (6 x 60).

5) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews a D’Crossier Golden Blend. Tiki Bar kicks back with a 13th Floor Foundation Series. Smoking Stogie smokes a Fuente Flor Fina 858 Rosado. Cigar Inspector inspects a Punch Small Club RE. Nice Tight Ash checks out the La Escepción 2009.

6) Deal of the Week: With full-bodied spice and Cuban-like depth, people are turning to Nicaraguan smokes more and more, and this Nicaraguan Blends Sampler shows why. Included are two each from Padilla Habano, Man O’ War, Rocky Patel Fusion, and Gurkha Park Avenue, all for under $30. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys