The Stogie Guys

The hammer and sickle flew on the flag of the Soviet Union from 1923 until the disintegration of the USSR in 1991. In that period and since it has served as an emblem for communism, intending to represent “proletariat” industrial and agricultural workers.

This controversial symbol strikes me as a curious logo to brand a product destined for sale in the U.S.—a country where communism is widely despised. But that’s exactly what the people at Hammer + Sickle Vodka did when they launched their spirit in 2005.

Hammer + Sickle is more than just a luxury vodka, according to company chairman Eric Hanson. The brand is a “lifestyle offering” that crossed over to cigars at the 2009 IPCPR Trade Show. “Like Hammer + Sickle Vodka,” says the company website, “these cigars are an authentic experience for the creative aficionado.”

While the vodka is made in Klin, Russia, the cigars are handmade in the Dominican Republic with five-year-old Connecticut wrappers and three-year-old Dominican binder and filler tobaccos. They are distributed by Victor Vitale’s The Cigar Agency. This New Hampshire outfit is also responsible for Ortsac 1962, a blend named for the Kennedy Administration’s plan for a military strike against Cuba.

Hammer + Sickle is available in four traditional sizes: Churchill, Toro, Torpedo, and a five inch by 50 ring gauge Robusto. Retailing for about $7-9 apiece, the latter features a smooth, caramel-colored wrapper with few veins, a well-applied cap, and pre-light notes of honey. The feel is slightly spongy.

Once lit, the Robusto kicks things off with a medium-bodied flavor that’s very salty and somewhat peppery. The nutty resting smoke smells far more interesting than the cigar tastes. After only half an inch, though, notes more commonly associated with Connecticut tobacco come to the fore: cream and almond. They are complemented by the original salt and pepper profile, making for a lively, mild-mannered cigar.

This well-balanced interplay continues for the remainder of the 60-minute smoke. All the while, the physical properties are near perfect with a straight burn, an effortless draw, and a gray ash that holds firm for over an inch.

I’m always on the lookout for mild cigars that strike a harmonious balance, don’t break the bank, and exhibit consistently good construction. Based on the two samples I smoked for this review (both provided by The Cigar Agency), I’ve found a winner. That’s why the Hammer + Sickle Robusto, notwithstanding its insignia, is worthy of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Campari might seem like an unusual suspect for a cigar spirit pairing, but it’s such a classic cocktail ingredient I’m determined to give it a try.

Between Steve Zissou (played by Bill Murray) ordering up rounds on the rocks in the movie Life Aquatic, and Nick Naylor, the lead character in Thank You for Smoking, ordering up one vodka negroni after another in Christopher Buckley’s classic book on the nanny state, the drink is as cool as they come.

Campari, for those who don’t know, is an Italian aperitif made with a secret blend with plenty of bitters and a distinctive bright red color. It’s the main ingredient for Campari and soda, the Americano (Campari, sweet vermouth, and soda water), and the negroni (both of the gin and vodka variety).

I decided to make a few negronis and see what cigars, if any, they pair well with. The ingredients for a negroni are simple enough: one part Campari, one part gin or vodka, and one part sweet vermouth served over ice with an orange twist.

The result is surprisingly good. The bitter/sweet combination of the negroni (in both traditional and vodka varieties) goes surprisingly well with a variety of mild- and medium-bodied smokes.

My extensive testing proved that mild smokes with creamy flavors, like the Cuban Crafters Medina 1959 and the Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne, proved an excellent pairing. Meanwhile, more medium-bodied smokes like the Tatuaje Reserva SW, Tatuaje P2, and the Don Pepin Blue Label also worked well.

Ultimately, Campari cocktails are a surprisingly good complement for cigars. If you like Campari-based drinks (certainly not everyone does) you should go out of the box and make yourself a proper negroni and light up a fine cigar.

No, it won’t replace traditional pairing staples like bourbon, scotch, or rum, but for something different, particularly as a pre-dinner smoke, order up a Campari cocktail. You just may find yourself pleasantly surprised.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

La Caridad del Cobre is a fairly new cigar company having debuted at the 2009 IPCPR Trade Show. The man behind La Caridad is Frank Herrera, a South Florida intellectual property attorney and author of cigarlaw.com. Production of the La Caridad del Cobre 1608 Maduro Natural is handled by Luis Sanchez of La Tradicion Cubana.

Sanchez will also be producing a line extension, La Fiera, that La Caridad del Cobre will debut at the 2010 IPCPR. The company’s website is fairly basic but does include the information the consumer would be looking for, which is more than can be said for some others in the industry.

The Maduro Natural Robusto is five inches by 46 ring gauge and covered with a semi-toothy medium brown Brazilian arapiraca wrapper. The binder and filler are both from the Domincan.

The cigar appears to be constructed well with no soft spots and an expertly applied cap. It starts off with a very slight hint of spice and some sweetness typical of many maduros.

As the cigar progresses, the spice vanishes and the cigar settles into a flavor profile of chocolate and espresso. There is also a hint of gingerbread that comes and goes in the final third of the cigar. The burn is straight and gray ash holds firmly.

Overall, the La Caridad del Cobre Maduro 1608 Natural Robusto is an interesting and enjoyable cigar. In the end I would have liked a little more spice to balance out the overall sweetness.

The construction and burn properties are excellent and, with an MSRP of $7 per cigar, the Maduro Natural competes well with other cigars in its price range. It earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick M

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.”

Before Tatuaje creator Pete Johnson released his new El Triunfador line, he was already making a cigar by very same name. Unlike the newer version, the original Triunfador (and Pete says he’ll continue to make it) features a dark, oily broadleaf wrapper and comes in only one size: a classic lancero (7.5 x 38). The cigar starts out with earth and meaty flavors with char. As it evolves, the well-constructed lancero reveals coffee and leather notes along with sweet honey undertones.

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.”

I always seem to have several Brazilias on hand and, by and large, I’m always impressed with their performance. CAO’s mixture of Nicaraguan tobaccos wrapped in a dark Brazilian leaf usually results in a full-bodied smoke of pepper, earth, and dark chocolate with good construction. But my latest experience with a Gol (5 x 56) suffered from a stale, meaty aftertaste and poor combustion qualities—curious, especially since it had been stored in the same humidor with my other Brazilias for at least a year. I’m hoping it proves to be a mere anomaly.

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) Tobacco giant Alejandro Robaina, a “roving ambassador for Cuban cigars” for the last two decades, passed away at the age of 91. His long battle with cancer ended at his home in San Luis on Saturday. Robaina will be remembered as Cuba’s foremost producer of top wrapper leaves and for being the voice of small tobacco growers in Pinar del Río. He refused Castro’s request to join a government cooperative and, choosing to remain family-owned and independent, he consistently outperformed state-owned tobacco plantations. Castro apparently didn’t take Robaina’s refusal personally, awarding him the honor of top Cuban tobacco grower in the mid-90s and launching a brand in his name. “Vegas Robaina,” as it is called, likely doesn’t include any tobacco from Robaina’s farm.

2) Inside the Industry: The highly-anticipated Nosotros cigar – a joint project of Illusione’ Cigars and Drew Estate’ is finally being released. Cuba’s annual limited edition smokes are beginning to ship, including a Montecristo Grand Edmundo, Partagas Serie D Especial and a Trinidad Short Robusto. Punch Cigars is teaming up with grill company Char-Broil to promote cigars and grilling, including recipes to pair with Punch’s many cigar blends. La Aurora is promoting its new La Aurora 107 blend by giving away free cigars (while supplies last) at certified retailers on Friday, April 30th.

3) Around the Blogs: A Cigar Smoker smokes the Diesel Unholy Cocktail. Stogie Review reviews a Fuente Opus X Pussy Cat. Tiki Bar fires up a CAO Gold Vintage. Keepers of the Flame lights up a Cuba Aliados Miami Edition. The Aspiring Gentleman investigates the Bucanero El Capitaine and Full Sail.

4) Deal of the Week: This “Gold Rush Sampler” includes some very fine smokes at a most reasonable price. For just $40 you get ten sticks including two each of the Padilla Habano, Oliva Series G, Gurkha Master Select, La Princessa de Cuba and Cocinero Liga Especial – the latter two made by Victor de la Cruz, formerly a blender for Davidoff. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Habanos SA

I don’t consider myself a big horse racing fan, but who can resist the pageantry and excitement of the Run for the Roses? Besides, if nothing else, the Kentucky Derby always provides a great opportunity to smoke a cigar and sip some bourbon.

So with “The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports” coming up on May 1, now is an appropriate time to examine the official bourbon of the Derby: Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select. This widely available product, according to its website, is recognized as “one of the finest, most complex small batch bourbons on the market today.”

Distiller’s Select is made at the Woodford Reserve Distillery, a National Historic Landmark that dates back to 1812 when it was called the Labrot & Graham Distillery. The operation is credited with improving such vital bourbon processes as sour-mash fermentation, pot still distillation, and barrel maturation in the mid-1800s. Today, the refurbished distillery in Versailles, Kentucky, is surrounded by fields of bluegrass and scenic thoroughbred farms.

The current incarnation of Woodford Reserve was introduced in 1996 as a super-premium spirit. Its grain recipe is composed of 72% corn, 10% malted barley, and 18% rye. “That 18% figure for the rye is pretty high for a bourbon, and that’s an investment in the flavor of Woodford Reserve,” says Chris Morris, Woodford’s master distiller. “Rye is an expensive grain, but it allows Woodford to have a spicy, feisty character.”

Another unique aspect of Woodford Reserve is that every batch contains less sour than any other bourbon to enable the mash to remain crisp. Then, following a five-day fermentation process, Distiller’s Select is distilled and matured in new, charred, white oak barrels.

The care and craftsmanship that goes into making Woodford Reserve (about $30 per 750 ml. bottle) is evident before the first sip. Right from the nose, as you appreciate the bourbon’s copper color and legs, you get a bold aroma of dry wood, charcoal, and cherry. This is a fitting introduction for the flavor that’s to follow.

The taste, bold and powerful yet approachable for bourbon fans, features an interesting interplay between butterscotch, peppercorn, and vanilla. The pepper seems to win out, especially during the bourbon’s long and spicy finish.

That means Distiller’s Select, when sipped neat, has no trouble standing up to full-bodied cigars. Of those I’ve been smoking lately, the LFD Air Bender, Oliva Serie V Maduro, and the Illusione 2 have proven to be the best complements. But the pairing possibilities are endless and you only have nine days to make your selection before the Derby—so get busy experimenting.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys