The Stogie Guys

There are a few cigar makers whose products I rarely pick up. Sometimes it’s because they market so many different sticks I can’t remember which ones I like and which ones I don’t; sometimes it’s because I’ve smoked a number of their cigars and didn’t find any appealing, so I gave up.

Alec Bradley falls into the second category. My experience with The Freak was typical: “I certainly wouldn’t call this a bad cigar; it’s just not a cigar I’m particularly interested in smoking again.”

But after reading and hearing good things about the Family Blend, including a rank of 16 in Cigar Aficionado‘s best cigars of 2009, I thought I’d give it a try. According to Alec Bradley’s website, the cigars were created “expressly” for the fathers of the firm’s three top execs. I’ve read also that they were handed out, unbanded, at events. Initially, only a robusto (5.5 x 50) was produced. Now, there are four other sizes (though the website still says it’s only available as a robusto).

The blend combines Honduran and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos with an Indonesian binder and a Honduran wrapper. Purchased as a single, the robusto, known as the VR1, sells for about $6.50. I’ve smoked a couple of robustos, the MR23, and the six-inch BX2.

I found all similar in taste, appearance, and performance. Each experienced minor burn problems along the way, with none burning straight from beginning to end and at least two requiring relights. The sticks also produced fairly thin, light smoke.

Unfortunately, I find myself with thoughts similar to those I had for The Freak: an OK cigar, but not particularly interesting or compelling. I wanted to smoke a few Family Blends before reaching any conclusions, and I feel I have done that. My conclusion: I don’t plan to smoke any more.

Again, this isn’t a bad cigar. Just not one that appeals to me. Obviously, others feel differently and you might, too. For me, though, it fits squarely in the three stogies out of five rating range.

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

–George E

photo credit: Ning

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.”

Like the original Hammer + Sickle, this Connecticut broadleaf-wrapped maduro is crafted by Davidoff master blender Henke Kelner and features Dominican binder and filler tobaccos. Only 10,000 cigars were made, packaged in black crystal ten-count boxes. The thick toro (6 x 54) is perfectly constructed. The flavors are a classic full-bodied maduro, with coffee, wood, and earth. As such, the line is a radical departure from almost everything else blended by Kelner. Even if Moscow City is a bit pricey at over $10 each, it’s an interesting smoke worth a try, particularly for those who enjoy full-bodied maduro cigars.

Verdict = Buy.

–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. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) John Anderson and Matt Krimm, proprietors of W. Curtis Draper, this week announced the purchase of Bethesda Tobacco, a cigar shop located eight miles away from their Washington location. The move marks Draper’s first foray outside DC in its 123-year history. Paul Spence, formerly a sales manager with CAO, has been named managing partner and general manager of the Bethesda store, which will be renamed W. Curtis Draper Bethesda. “John and Matt are true tobacconists,” said Mike Copperman, former owner of Bethesda Tobacco. “I wouldn’t entrust Bethesda Tobacco, or its customers, to anyone else.”

2) On January 14, President Obama announced more relaxed rules for interactions with Cuba. While the new policies fall far short of ending the embargo, they ease restrictions on travel and allow for U.S. citizens to send money to Cubans more frequently. Unfettered travel still isn’t allowed, but the State Department will issue more visas for “purposeful travel” including journalism, education, religious, and humanitarian travel.

3) Inside the Industry: The Jameson Cigar Co. is introducing the SouthBound Series Latitude, a Pennsylvania broadleaf-wrapped blend that will be offered in bundles of 20 for $62-64. Miraculous Templar, a new Dominican manufacturer, has debuted its inaugural blend, with each of the line’s three sizes available in 50-count boxes with either a Sumatra or a Maduro wrapper.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the San Lotano Habano. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Gran Habano Gran Reserva. Cigar Fan smokes the Montecristo Cabinet Selección. Cigar Inspector inspects a Dona Flor Reserva Especial.  The Illusione cg4 and the Fuente Añejo No. 46 top the list at YourCigarRatings.com.

5) Deal of the Week: Citizen Cigar is featuring two awesome specials. Orders over $65 earn a free five-pack of Don Pepin cigars (Blue Label, Serie JJ, Serie JJ Maduro, Cuban Classic, and Vegas Cubana). And orders over $120 earn a free five-pack of Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Maduro Torpedos in addition to the Don Pepin sampler.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: W. Curtis Draper

With the election in the rear view mirror and many state legislatures not yet in session or not taking critical votes, one might think it would be a good time to rest easy. Minus a few exceptions, there seems to be less bad news than normal on the cigar rights front recently—fewer smoking bans and tobacco tax hikes.

But now is the most important time in the battle against anti-smoking legislation. Complacency now could be devastating later, while diligence and action now will pay dividends later when trying to stop the next smoking ban or tax hike from passing.

That’s because politicians are currently deciding which bills to introduce. Dozens of bills around the country have already been introduced that impact tobacco rights (the IPCPR tracks them here) and equally important are the bills that haven’t yet been filed. Because it is so early in the process, a call or letter to your state legislator now can have a big impact.

By informing them that you care deeply about these issues and oppose any effort to expand smoking bans or raise tobacco taxes, you let them know that you’re watching them carefully. After all, nearly all politicians at their core want to avoid making voters angry. Before they publicly take a position on a bill, you want them to know that doing so will anger people in their district.

Which is why being active and vocal early in the process is most effective. A perfect example was the report yesterday by the IPCPR that a bill in the Virginia House that would have increased the state’s OTP (other tobacco products) excise tax rate by 400% died in the State House’s Finance Committee.

With more vigilant action now, hopefully similar bills in other states will meet the same demise. If you’re unsure of who your state legislators are, click here and the IPCPR can tell you.

–Patrick S

photo credit: IPCPR

Abe Flores reinvented his company prior to last summer’s industry trade show. There, he introduced his re-blended standard lines, dropped his cigars’ prices by 10%, and debuted a new creation: the 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Maduro.

That cigar got off to a fast start. In August, when we reported live from the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) annual convention in New Orleans, Flores told us that he had sold 8,000 boxes of the Capa Maduro in two months. Priced around $5 each, his strategy was to lure more enthusiasts to Pinar del Rio and entice them to try his other lines.

Now Flores has a new line that he’s eager for us to try. Called the 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Natural, it features the same interior tobacco as its Maduro predecessor—a Dominican criollo ’98 binder and a two-country filler blend from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic—wrapped around a four-year-old Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper.

The Capa Natural Robusto (5 x 52) is an attractive, golden-colored smoke with an intricate pigtail cap and a pre-light aroma of sweet hay. The wrapper is clean and oily with minimal veins. In all, this cigar makes an aesthetic impression befitting a stogie twice its price.

Notes of leather, grass, dry oak, and vanilla characterize the introductory profile. While the flavor is more salty than it is creamy, there’s an underlying nuttiness present that adds a balance to the overall taste. Floral notes will also be found by attentive enthusiasts.

After the first inch, it becomes clear that the Capa Natural Robusto is built with care and precision. The white ash builds off the foot sturdily, the smoke pulls through with ease, and the burn is straight and true. These combustion qualities are consistent from light to nub and across all three samples I smoked for this review.

All three also developed flavors of cedar and black pepper at the midway point—welcome additions to the medium-bodied profile. Here, I conclude that the 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Natural Robusto is a homerun as far as I’m concerned. Between its MSRP of $4.55 and its complexity, this promises to be a welcome addition to my humidor for some time. I look forward to sampling the seven other vitolas in the Capa Natural line, and I have no reservations about awarding the Robusto four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Christmas may be over but, if you hurry, it’s still not too late to pick up some of the fantastic offerings that breweries create for the holidays. I recently selected three Christmas-inspired Belgian ales from my local beer store.

While the following brews can be hard to find, I wasn’t necessarily looking for these particular beers; rather, I was more interested in the broader Belgian ale style, which has the strength, flavor, and complexity to go well with cigars.

Delerium Noels

Over 20 years ago, before micro-breweries took off and Belgian ales could be found with regularity in the U.S., Huyghe Brewery released the well-known Delerium Tremens ale. In 2006, the brewery produced a Christmas Ale, which features a cola-like sweetness and fruitcake flavors. That light sweetness goes perfect with a Cameroon-wrapped cigar, like the Fuente Hemingway.

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale

This abbey ale from Watou in West Flanders has a remarkably strong, intense nose. The 10% alcohol-by-volume beer features fruit notes of cherry and dates, a syrupy intensity, and roasted nut flavors. It’s a full-flavored beer that can stand up to a maduro. I recommend pairing it with the EO 601 Blue.

Corsendonk Christmas Ale

Available November through February each year, the Corsendonk Christmas Ale  is an inviting mahogany color. It is well-balanced with chocolate notes and a touch of citrus, Christmas spices, and molasses. While each ale was enjoyable, of the three this was my favorite. My pairing of choice is the Davidoff Millenium Blend.

These three holiday ales demonstrate that while whiskeys and rum may be more classic pairings, a flavorful Belgian ale can be an excellent accompaniment to a fine cigar. And don’t worry if you can’t find these specific beers, as there are many great and unique others (and finding your favorite can be part of the fun).

If you have a favorite Belgian ale that you think pairs with a fine cigar, let us know in the comments.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The other day I lit up a cigar I was looking forward to: a Los Blancos Nine Torpedo with a dark wrapper that’s said to be used just before turning to a full maduro.

The pre-light aroma was enticing and, when lit, the Nine produced lots of smoke and the six-inch stick burned slowly. From what I’d heard and read, I anticipated a ligero-powered, Nicaraguan sizzler.

Nope. What I found was a bland, one-dimensional cigar about which the only noticeable element I could find was a spicy finish. And therein lies my dilemma, expressed in a simple question with a not-so-simple answer: Do I want to review the Nine? There are any number of issues to consider.

First, I’d have to smoke at least a couple more because it wouldn‘t be fair to judge the cigar by one stick. I might want to seek them out at different shops, since it’s possible the box from which my Nine came had experienced some problem. That means I’d spend about $8.50 each for at least two more Nines and, perhaps more importantly, spend time going through cigars I probably won’t enjoy—two times. Since I rarely smoke more than one cigar a day, that means something to me.

The upshot of all this is that, while I’m always on the lookout for new cigars and a pretty high percentage of those I light up are done so with the idea of a review, in many cases it goes no further than the initial experience.

Here at StogieGuys.com, we take our reviewing seriously, and we try to be transparent. On the site, you’ll find a clear explanation of our ratings system. And earlier this year, one of my colleagues wrote at length about the nature of reviews.

I hope this sheds a little more light on the process.

–George E

photo credit: Flickr