The Stogie Guys

A major deal between Stockholm-based Swedish Match, parent company of General Cigar (Macanudo, Punch, La Gloria Cubana, Hoyo de Monterrey, Partagas, Cohiba), and the Denmark-based Scandinavian Tobacco Group (CAO, Toraño, Henri Wintermans) will merge their many well-known brands under one entity.

The two companies have signed a letter of intent to create a joint venture combining their handmade cigar operations with STG’s entire tobacco operations. Swedish Match’s machine-made cigars (which include White Owl and Garcia y Vega) are not part of the deal, but the companys’s online and mail-order retailer Cigars International reportedly is. The joint venture will be controlled by STG, with Swedish Match owning 49 percent. The deal could be finalized as early as this summer.

What the Merger Means for the Industry

As we’ve written before, consolidation is an ongoing theme in the industry and this deal continues the trend. Among other things, consolidation helps cigar companies overcome the increasingly challenging tax and regulatory burdens through economies of scale.

The key part of this mega-merger is that it sets up the newly created joint venture to challenge Altadis. The deal means Altadis finally has a rival in the premium cigar category that can  match it for size, volume, and marketing budget.

The new combined operations may also lead to some cost savings, as the sales representatives and distribution channels will likely be dovetailed. Since the companies were already major tobacco buyers, their access to the best tobacco is unlikely to change significantly.

Fans of cigars made by both groups will be pleased to know that the blends and brands are also unlikely to change anytime soon. General Cigar recently closed its Villazon factory in Honduras (shifting production to Danlí) so it’s doubtful that STG will be shifting any of its production to those facilities. But the fact that CAO and Toraño now will have access to General Cigar’s Dominican factories could be important going forward.

–Patrick S

photo credit: General Cigar

Last May, at an event at one of my local tobacconists, I met Rene Castañeda, sales director of Miami Cigar & Company. His outfit distributes such brands as La Aurora, Nestor Miranda Special Selection, Don Lino, León Jimenes, 601, Cubao, and Mi Barrio, among others.

This occasion gave me a rare opportunity to buy and taste a very exclusive La Aurora blend called Escogidos (Spanish for “the chosen ones”). So I naturally bought a handful. Since then, I have been intending to write a review but, finding limited or inaccurate information on the web, I finally decided to contact Castañeda with a few questions.

He told me via email that this select Dominican puro blend was created by La Aurora Sales Director José Blanco in 2005 for those who tour the La Aurora Cigar Factory in Santiago. The factory is the oldest in the Dominican Republic, founded in 1903 by Don Eduardo León Jimenes. So, originally, Escogidos could not be purchased in the U.S.

But in 2007 La Aurora decided to broaden the availability of Escogidos by bringing these cigars to special in-store events like the one where we met, says Castañeda. The blend is only offered in two traditional sizes: Robusto and Belicoso.

I sampled five Belicosos for this review, each of which cost me $10. They feature an oily, reddish corojo wrapper with some tooth and a rugged terrain. Fairly firm to the touch, the pre-light aroma is of molasses and spice and the cold taste reveals a stiff draw.

After toasting the foot and taking a few puffs, a mild- to medium-bodied profile of molasses, peat, and cinnamon emerges. The combination is both complex and balanced. Then, after an inch, the draw opens up and the smoke becomes richer and more voluminous.

Still, I think most cigar enthusiasts will find the Escogidos Belicoso to be a little more subdued than expected. Rather than being disappointed, though, I’m impressed by how well this La Aurora keeps my attention. Maybe it’s the subtlety of the many flavors. Maybe it’s how the resting smoke smells of sweet cedar. Maybe it’s the spice and caramel on the finish.

Whatever the case, this cigar’s superb construction doesn’t hurt. My samples—all of which were smoked at least a month after some time in my humidor—exhibited superior burns and solid, stable ashes. My only complaint is that it can self-extinguish prematurely.

Too bad the Escogidos Belicoso is so difficult to come across. With an outstanding flavor on the mild side of the spectrum and exemplary combustion qualities, this José Blanco creation would otherwise always have a home in my humidor. For now, it’s a great excuse to attend La Aurora events, earning four 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.”

Friend of StogieGuys.com (and occasional guest contributor) Chris Verhoeven was fortunate enough to visit Rocky Patel’s factory in Danlí, Honduras, where he worked with the expert cigarmakers to create his own blend. For an amateur blender, I must say I’m quite impressed with the result. This toro has roasted nut flavors and mouth-watering dry chocolate notes. It’s remarkably well-balanced, medium-bodied, and lacking in any construction issues. Even though you’ll unfortunately never be able to purchase one, it gets my highest recommendation.

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.”

The Exhibición No. 4 (5 x 48) is a fine example of how many Cubans require extra age to reach smokability. When I reviewed this cigar back in 2007, I found troublesome construction and flashes of harshness and salt that overshadowed an otherwise enjoyable flavor. But almost two and a half years in my humidor have done a lot of good, leaving behind a good-burning, wonderfully balanced profile of molasses, cinnamon, and light pepper. This was a solid investment.

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) Shaking was felt throughout the Caribbean on Tuesday after a powerful earthquake struck Haiti. The tremor, measuring 7.0 on the Richter Scale, ravaged the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, leaving an estimated 50,000 dead, the capital of Port-au-Price in ruins, and survivors with severely limited access to medical attention. Much less significantly, while the quake could be felt in cigar-producing countries like Cuba and the Dominican Republic, no damage was reported and any impact on the cigar industry is expected to be trivial.

2) For those looking to make a charitable contribution to help the people of Haiti, the Montecristo Relief Organization and Altadis will match your contribution dollar for dollar and have pledged up to an additional $125,000. To have your donation matched, send a contribution to: Montecristo Relief Organization, Haiti Earthquake Relief c/o Altadis USA, PO Box 407179, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33340-7166.

3) Our StogieGuys.com Best of 2009 lists will be released soon. They are exclusive to subscribers to our  Free Email Newsletter,  so make sure you sign up—a smart move that will automatically enter you to win spectacular prizes like boxes of top brands and cigar accessories.

4) Inside the Industry: Two new private cigar clubs opened this week to cater to those otherwise ostracized by smoking bans. The Montecristo Lounge in Alexandria, Virginia, is a joint venture of Altadis and The Cigar Palace. Meanwhile, the first Cohiba Lounge opened as a partnership between General Cigar and Nice Ash Cigars near Buffalo, New York.

5) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review checks out the La Flor Dominicana Air Bender. Nice Tight Ash fires up an H. Upmann Magnum 50. Keepers of the Flame reviews a Casa Royale Crown. Stogie Fresh smokes the Padrón 1964 Diplomaticos. Cigar Inspector inspects the Montecristo Open Regatta.

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 $40. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

For years, the Gold blend has been the mild mainstay of CAO’s lineup of otherwise stronger cigars. Tim Ozgener, president of the Nashville-based company, told me in a 2008 interview that he reaches for a CAO Gold Lonsdale in the morning when he wants “a nice, smooth, buttery cigar to accompany my morning coffee.”

But this summer he and his team decided to change things up. At the IPCPR Trade Show, CAO unveiled the new Gold Vintage line—a re-blend that was sparked by a “banner harvest” for what would become the inaugural wrapper.

Each Gold Vintage includes a delicate exterior leaf grown in Ecuador in 2004. This was a year that, according to CAO’s website, “offered the perfect combination of climate, rainfall, and soil” in the South American country. The binder is Nicaraguan and the habano-seed filler is a combination of tobaccos from Jamastran and Estelí. This new blend, manufactured at the CAO Fabrica de Tabacos in Estelí, is offered in two formats: a stubby figurado called “Bouchon” (4.9 x 60) and the Crémant (6 x 52).

I sampled two Crémants for this review. This size features a smooth and seamless golden wrapper, a spongy feel, and soft pre-light notes of dry grass and honey. It’s one of those cigars that gives the impression it’s going to burn well.

And it does. From light to nub, the Crémant is a set-it-and-forget-it stick with excellent construction. The burn is straight with a clean and shiny mascara, the draw is easy, and the ash layers well for a firm hold. No problems there.

I wish, however, the flavor were a bit more exciting, especially for a cigar that sells for roughly $8 apiece or $75 for a box of 10. The profile is light and airy with traces of almond, cream, and oak. Tasty, but lacking in complexity or development. That’s why the Crémant has trouble holding my attention only halfway into the 90-minute smoke.

This criticism, mind you, comes from a cigar enthusiast who regularly fires up mild cigars. While some smokers often confuse quality with strength, mild cigars have always had a special place in my rotation. These include Ybor City Handmades, Davidoff, Don Kiki’s White Label, and Paul Garmirian, among others.

Besides being mild, all of these cigars have one thing in common: that special something that keeps me immersed and coming back for more. It’s my own fault that I can’t really put this feeling into words. What I can say, though, is that the CAO Gold Vintage Crémant, while well-built and smooth, isn’t in the same class. It earns three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Known in Nicaragua as “the kids of Estelí,” Andy Wood and Rafael Guillen are committed to making their mark in the rough and tumble cigar world. As with many cigar makers, there’s a family history in tobacco, but that’s about the only conventional aspect to the story of GDW Cigars.

The pair met in Oregon when Rafael was attending college on a scholarship. They later worked to put together a farm and factory in Nicaragua, only to be crippled by Hurricane Felix in 2007. They persevered, and their Reserva Miraflor has lately received several positive online reviews and comments.

Intrigued by their story, I exchanged several emails with Andy and Rafael to get some details about their company.

“It’s definitely a family operation,“ Rafael says, listing off the brothers and sister involved, as well as Andy, the sales manager who is “like my brother.” They all took a risk, sinking their money as well as their economic futures into the project. They recognize the difficulties, but refuse to be cowed.

“We still have the same determination in our work because we know that even if the economy goes down, if the product is really good, as the Reserva Miraflor, people will buy,” Rafael says. “Because we are small, and we are not producing a lot of cigars, we have 11 people making cigars: five of then rolling, five bunching, and one selecting the wrapper and binder. But we hope to grow and give more people jobs in the near future.”

For Andy, the significance of marketing and how difficult it can be to get their cigars in people’s hands has been an eye-opener: “Our products are great, but unless people pick them up…no one will know.” Right now, he’s focused on getting their website up and running. The cigars are also at some shops, which you can find by searching for Reserva Miraflor. (You’ll also likely find the firm referred to as Guillen Cigars.)

The name Reserva Miraflor, incidentally, came from a nearby park known for its beauty and diversity. The cigar is a Nicaraguan puro blended to be a medium- to full-bodied, flavorful smoke. They’re also producing a line known as Goviado and have done a few private labels.

I chanced across the Reserva Miraflor at a local shop and wrote about it in a Quick Smoke this summer. You’d have to be pretty hard-hearted not to pull for a small operation like this. They may lack some of the experience and big-money backing of others, but I can’t imagine any operation could best GDW on enthusiasm.

I, for one, hope they find great success.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys