The Stogie Guys

The economy may be moving toward improvement, but there are still plenty of us who need to watch our nickels and dimes.

Occasionally, when I read cigar reviews and rankings, I’m reminded of years ago when the New York Times food writer wrote lovingly about a $4,000 meal he enjoyed in Paris. The Daily News followed with a hilarious parody, sending a reporter to dine for a few dollars somewhere like the Bowery. I mean, if you’re paying $4,000 for food—or $20 for a cigar—you’d hope they‘re good, wouldn’t you?

But you don’t have to spend that much for an enjoyable cigar. Whether you’re a new smoker looking to experiment or a grizzled vet eager to save a buck, your selections don’t have to be a crap shoot. Many top blenders and manufacturers have lines that won’t break the bank.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started. I doubt you’ll like them all, but I’d be equally surprised if you don’t enjoy at least one. Prices vary depending on sizes and local taxes, but you should be able to find them for around $5 or less.

1) La Traviata: This CAO line takes its name from an old Cuban production. It’s a multinational blend, with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, a Cameroon binder, and filler from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. A medium-strength cigar with lots of leather.

2) Benchmade: A Don Pepin Garcia creation, these pigtailed Nicaraguans are “sandwich” style with short filler. They lack the consistency and burns of long-filler cigars. Nonetheless, I’ve found them remarkably enjoyable.

3) Brick House: A medium-strength line from J.C. Newman, these cigars sport an Ecuadorian sungrown wrapper and lots of flavor. Construction is first-rate. A must-try for any smoker.

4) Cuban Crafters Cameroon: A great example of the sweetness and spice found in the African wrapper. It’s blended nicely with Nicaraguan filler to create a tasty, well-crafted smoke. Well worth seeking out.

5) Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte: Made by General Cigar, this Honduran puro is full-bodied and easy to find. With spice, cedar, and a touch of sweetness, this blend comes in six sizes.

For more cigars that’ll impress without doing too much damage to your wallet, take a spin around our Cigar Reviews Archive.

–George E

photo credit: Flickr

A victim of the cigar boom that was later bought up and revived by Cigars International, 5 Vegas (pronounced “Cinco Vegas”) has a loyal following for its consistency and value. Several of the brand’s lines, including the maduro-wrapped Series ‘A’ and the Sumatra-wrapped Classic, are considered reliable everyday smokes for cigar enthusiasts far and wide.

A top seller among them is the Gold. This Honduran-made smoke is, according to Cigars International, evidence that “milder cigars still rule…despite the pomp and circumstance surrounding full-bodied, powerhouse cigars these days.”

Packaged in trapezoidal prism-shaped boxes of 20, Gold features a long filler of five-year-old Cuban-seed tobaccos from Nicaragua and Honduras and a Honduran binder. It is draped in a smooth Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper with an ochre hue and few veins

Seven sizes are available, including a box-pressed format called “Double Nickel” and a small smoke called “Nuggets.” Opting for a more traditional vitola, I chose the Torpedo (6 x 54) for this review. It is a predominantly handsome yet listless-looking cigar with a delicate aroma of hay and sharp cap that’s prone to minor tears.

After toasting the foot, the Torpedo shows promise with a flavor of creamy almond and a surprisingly peppery finish. The profile, although a tad salty, is nicely balanced and the resting smoke is subtle and appealing.

Another positive trait that quickly emerges is the Torpedo’s effortless draw. Each puff is noticeably clear, producing rich, voluminous billows of white smoke—likely contributing to the cigar’s relatively quick burn.

Approaching the midway point, the taste settles into one of less pepper and more cream. A caramel-like sweetness is also present, adding a bit of depth to the mild smoke. Then, as the straight burn progresses, the finale is marked by an even milder flavor that makes specific notes difficult to pick up.

On the whole, while I may not agree with the Gold blend’s more enthusiastic reviews, I concur that this an good value—especially for only $65 per box or $18 per five-pack.

The Torpedo works well in the morning, and its excellent construction makes it a prime candidate for the golf course. Impressed but not enthralled, I give the 5 Vegas Gold Torpedo three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–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.”

The Le Bijou 1922 was created to honor Don Pepin’s father. Featuring a smooth, dark brown Ecuadorian habano oscuro wrapper, the Petit Robusto (4.5 x 50) is a beautiful cigar. Construction is flawless with no soft spots and a perfectly applied triple cap. The cigar offers an easy draw that produces a good volume of smoke and flavors of earth, pepper, and a hint of mint with a sweet, creamy finish. But while nice, the taste isn’t very deep, leaving something missing. I also had to maintain the burn with my torch a couple times to keep the cigar from tunneling. At $7 per stick, this particular My Father Le Bijou Petit Robusto seemed promising but was ultimately disappointing.

Verdict = Sell.

–Patrick M

photo credits: 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.”

With a brand name that harkens the gift of fire to mortals and a price in excess of $20, this Cameroon-wrapped cigar has a lot of live up to. It delivers. The well-constructed blend, crafted by Carlito Fuente, sports a smooth and chalky flavor of roasted cashew, sweet cedar, and tangy leather. Its top-notch balance makes the God of Fire Carlito 2006 Double Robusto a treat for rare occasions.

Verdict = Buy.

–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) This week, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick announced plans to drastically increase tobacco taxes across the commonwealth. He aims to boost taxes on cigars from 30% to a whopping 110%. Patrick, a Democrat, is up for reelection this year, and Republican candidate Charles D. Baker criticized him “for relying on one-time revenues to help plug the [state budget] gap.” The tax hike still requires legislative approval, however, and the IPCPR said in a press release that it will deploy lobbyists in the State Capitol and “launch and disseminate a Legislative Action Alert.”

2) The Daily Caller, the new website of Fox News  commentator Tucker Carlson (formerly of MSNBC and CNN), now features weekly cigar reviews and occasional news commentaries written by the editors of StogieGuys.com. Click here for our first contribution: a review of the CAO La Traviata Divino.

3) Inside the Industry: Camacho is expanding its Room 101 line with a stronger four-vitola blend called the “Room 101 LTD.” New Ashton VSG and ESG tubos have begun arriving in cigar shops. The “New York Tobacconists Association” has been established to fight against the many anti-cigar laws of New York State and City.

4)Around the Blogs: Nice Tight Ash lights up an Ashton VSG. Keepers of the Flame reviews a Declaration by Jameson. Cigar Inspector smokes the Diplomaticos No. 2. Stogie Review checks out the My Father Le Bijou 1922. A Cigar Smoker fires up the Joya de Nicaragua Dark Corojo.

5) Deal of the Week: Cuban Crafters is having a Super Bowl Sale on some of our favorite smokes. Included are bargains on Cuban Crafters Cameroon, Cubano Claro, and Medina Miami 1959. But the best buy is box of 25 Cupido Criollos for just $47. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

Last night, during his State of the Union address, President Obama spent a fair amount of time speaking about how to restore American jobs. He even touted various “targeted” tax cuts that he signed into law.

Obama said in his speech that he would visit Tampa, Florida, to have a townhall on the issue today. I can think of no better place for such an event. Tampa, after all, has been ground zero for the devastation caused by the SCHIP tobacco tax increase.

In a decision that Altadis USA directly attributed to the SCHIP tobacco tax hike, the Hav-A-Tampa factory, which began producing cigars in 1902, made its last cigar and closed its doors in July of last year. The move left around 500 employees without jobs.

One of Obama’s first acts in office was to sign the SCHIP tax hike into law. That bill increased the tax on small cigars to $50 per 1,000 (up from $1.80) and increased the tax on “large” handmade cigars a whopping 750%—from 5 cents to 40 cents per cigar.

Such a massive new tax burden has a real impact, and the 500 jobs lost at the Hav-A-Tampa factory near the site of Obama’s appearance tomorrow are just the most visible example of the many thousands of jobs eliminated by the tax on tobacco users, a group that already pays more than their fair share of taxes.

So today, instead of heading to a sports arena to hold a meeting with politicians and well-connected activists, Obama might want to visit the now-empty Hav-A-Tampa cigar factory and talk to the 500 workers who lost their jobs because of the tax increase on tobacco the president so proudly signed into law.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Telegraph

Since I reviewed it in May, the Cubano Claro Toro has been a staple in my humidor for its affordable price, unique flavor, and solid construction. Now it seems appropriate to examine another size in this blend: the seven inch by 48 ring gauge Churchill.

It, too, is made by Cuban Crafters from desflorado tobacco, a difficult and finicky leaf that’s often reserved for rare and expensive cigars. The desflorado process requires the buds on tobacco plants to be cut off before they flower to give the leaves a rich, smooth taste. Then, in the case of Cubano Claro, the best leaves are hand selected from the tops of each plant to create the Connecticut desflorado wrapper for this line, a project that was four years in the making.

But don’t let the phrase “Connecticut wrapper” fool you. With a relatively dark complexion and a reddish-yellow hue, this cigar doesn’t look, smell, or feel like a traditional Connecticut leaf. It is highlighted by a clean cap, few noticeable veins or seams, and a pre-light aroma of salty hay.

Like the Toro, which also has a slender physique, the Churchill’s dimensions allow for more of the wrapper—the highlight of the blend—and a little less of the Cuban-seed long-filler from the Cupido tobacco fields to shine through in each puff. This must have been a conscious strategy when the nine Cubano Claro sizes were chosen; the widest vitola is the 50 ring gauge Torpedo.

I sampled five Churchills for this review. This size, which retails for $6.50 apiece when bought by the cedar humidor box of 20, starts with a flourish of onion, olive, and bread after an easy light. Each medium-bodied puff produces ample tufts of cool smoke.

Then, as was the case with the Toro, the midway point is characterized by a creamier taste of nuts and milk chocolate. While the overall profile is slightly subdued here, the Churchill is still flavorful with a well-balanced, somewhat dry profile. Truly a pleasure to smoke.

The cigar’s combustion, all the while, remains outstanding. My samples all included a razor-sharp burn with a shiny mascara, a firm white ash, and an easy draw. These set-it-and-forget-it physical properties enable you to focus on the development of the taste without interruption.

Overall, like many other Cuban Crafters creations, the Cubano Claro Churchill is an excellent value that won’t disappoint. It demonstrates superb aging potential and, for now, earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys