The Stogie Guys

[Editors’ Note: The following is a guest review authored by Chris Verhoeven, a friend of StogieGuys.com who is a cigar enthusiast extraordinaire.]

When I think of candela cigars, I usually think of sweet grass and caramel flavors with a dry bitterness. But that’s not what you get with the Illusione 88 Candela.

Apparently, when Dion Giolito was making his limited release Illusione Maduro cigars, he decided to make an even smaller batch of candelas to prove that it’s possible to make a good one. The Illusione Candela 88 and hl are the result. I was intrigued by the idea and picked up a 5-pack of the 88 (reputedly the better of the two) to see if he had succeeded. Being exceedingly rare, I went to my go-to rare cigar hookup at Uptown Cigar and purchased them for $8.50 per stick.

Visually, this is a stunning cigar. This robusto-sized smoke (5 x 52) features the standard white Illusione band which plays nicely off its deep olive wrapper. The veins, compared to the delicate wrapper, are rugged and give an otherwise smooth cigar some character. The head is finished in a beautifully executed triple cap.

The cigar bolts out of the gate with a strong spice—not a typical black pepper spice, but something new and difficult to explain. This quickly takes a backseat and becomes a tingle on the palette. The rest of the first third is dominated by a creamy taste with undertones of peanut.

As it progresses into the second third, the creamy profile remains but the distinct peanut flavor regresses into a less recognizable, but still enjoyable, general nuttiness. The tingling on the palette almost disappears at this point.

The final third brings hay flavors with a mild sweetness that seems familiar from the early parts of the 88 Candela, as if they had always been there, hiding in the background. Although the cigar has some of the dryness I’ve come to expect from other candelas, this dryness is in no way overpowering or unpleasant.

Despite its composition, the cigar has a respectable medium body and produces bountiful smoke, which holds my interest for the full hour it takes to smoke the stick. All the while the burn doesn’t waver much and the ash holds firm.

It seems Dion Giolito has proved it’s possible to make a whole-heartedly enjoyable candela cigar, and I hope he considers releasing more of them in the future. My only complaint comes in the form of the final third of the cigar, where the profile loses some of its complexity. Despite that fault, I’m confidently awarding the Illusione 88 Candela four stogies out of five and announcing that this cigar is well worth the effort to track it down.

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

–Chris Verhoeven

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 enjoyed this robusto when it came out early last summer, enough to go pick up a box before they were gone. Eight months of age hasn’t made this cigar markedly better, but it certainly hasn’t made it any worse. I still found the same sweet honey and graham cracker flavors. And it still has excellent balance, a long toasty finish, and flawless construction. These cigars have been sold out for some time now, but if you’re offered one I wouldn’t recommend passing on the opportunity.

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.”

It’s tough to judge a cigar’s qualities when you can’t smoke it. That was my recent experience with two of these six-inch sticks. I tried every trick I could with the first Gurkha Vintage Shaggy—clipping farther down the head, massaging the length of the stick, using a poker. Nothing helped, and after I encountered even greater difficulty with a replacement provided by the shop, I didn’t have the energy to keep trying this $6-8 Dominican puro.

Verdict = Sell.

–George E

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) Politicians in Utah are seeking to curtail underage smoking by outlawing flavored tobacco statewide. The original version of their proposed bill criminalized flavored tobacco of any kind, but a newer version exempts cigars, targeting pipe tobacco instead. “We have always been against the sale of any tobacco products to anyone under the age of 19, and there are plenty of laws that already prevent that,” said Fred Cvar, owner of The Tinder Box in Salt Lake City, in an IPCPR press release. “HB0170, unfortunately, also would prevent the sale of virtually all pipe tobaccos to our mature adult customers. Such tobaccos, cut and blended especially for use in briar and meerschaum pipes, have been enjoyed…since the 1600s.”

2) State lawmakers in Washington are mulling a bill that would decriminalize smoking in select cigar shops and lounges. Only 100 exemptions would be granted statewide, each paying $15,000 to the government annually. Smoking inside bars, restaurants, lounges,  tobacco shops, and other places of employment has been illegal in the Evergreen State since 2005.

3) Inside the Industry: Tatuaje is releasing a petit lancero version of the Black Label that will be exclusive to  the Minneapolis Tobacco Grove shop. Jim Colucci, an executive vice president at Altadis, has announced his retirement after a 34-year career with the company. Casa Magna is releasing a new Lancero size. Drew Estate is launching Ratzilla, a version of the Dirty Rat that measures 6 inches with a ring gauge of 46 (we reported the possibility of this new vitola at the 2010 IPCPR Trade Show in New Orleans).

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the Regusto Churchill. Tiki Bar examines the Casa Fernandez Arsenio Maduro. Smoking Stogie smokes a pre-release Drew Estate Liga Privada L40. Cigar Fan fires up a Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros. Stogie Fresh smokes the Tatuaje Verocu Tubo. The Padrón 1964 Principe Maduro is now the top cigar at YourCigarRatings.com.

5) Deal of the Week: Altadis continues promotions for its Romeo y Julieta Habana Reserve, offering four sticks for just $7.95 (including shipping). An ad in the March Men’s Journal advises readers to log on here and order the quartet.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

This Sunday is International Pipe Smoking Day, a day for celebrating the tradition of pipe smoking. If you haven’t tried a pipe, it’s a good time to see if you like it.

Unlike the love-hate relationship between cigar and cigarette smokers, pipe smokers are natural friends of cigar smokers, and not just because we frequent the same shops. Remember that the IPCPR, after all, represents both cigar and pipe retailers.

Like cigar smokers, and unlike cigarette smokers, pipes are a hobby, not a habit or an addiction. A pipe, like a cigar, is a great way to slow down the hectic pace of life and reflect on the past, present, and future.

Pipe smokers are often also similarly discriminated against, even among smokers. I’ve seen signs that read “No Cigars or Pipes” too many times to remember.

Personally, I’ve tried a pipe on a few occasions, and while I enjoyed it, ultimately it wasn’t for me. I can see the appeal, but the idea of constantly cleaning a pipe seems like a bit too much for me. I’ve also never smoked a pipe that has the complexity of a fine cigar. (But then, I’m an amateur when it comes to pipes.)

So don’t take my word for it. Many cigar smokers regularly enjoy pipes too. And with International Pipe Smoking Day on Sunday, what better time to give it a try?

–Patrick S

photo credit: Flickr

As noted by my colleague when he reviewed a pre-release Trident, La Sirena is a new, full-bodied addition to the Miami Cigar & Co. portfolio. The blend consists of Nicaraguan criollo and corojo filler tobaccos, dual Nicaraguan habano and corojo binders, and a Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper.

Since the samples I smoked were not pre-release, they each came with a band—and what a band it is, taking up almost two-thirds of the cigar. When removed and flattened, the band has a compass look that adds to the nautical theme of the blend.

“The Prince” is a standard Robutso size at five inches long with a ring gauge of 50 (and an MSRP of $8). Pre-light, it smells strongly of hay, almost overpoweringly so, with just a hint of chocolate. The wrapper is toothy with a dark, dull espresso color and surprisingly few oils.

Without any construction issues, the cigar takes to fire well, revealing an initial core of spice and cane syrup sweetness. The smoke is dense and mouth feel definitely puts this cigar in the full-bodied range.

Despite its fullness, as noted by my colleague, the cigar is surprisingly lacking in strength. The ash holds for about an inch before being removed with a light tap.

As the cigar progresses, the spice fades a little allowing chocolate and earth flavors to emerge. There’s also a long, sweet finish that’s quite intriguing. The remainder of The Prince displays variations on the same theme.

Notably, I found that the cigar smoked better when stored at a higher humidity. I smoked one sample that had been in my travel humidor for a few days and that sample was much flatter than the rest.

Still, La Sirena performs admirably, and fans of full-bodied maduros will certainly find this to be an enjoyable smoke. The Prince earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick M

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The 107 blend has been one of La Aurora’s most popular releases. It’s no surprise, then, that the Dominican’s oldest cigar maker has opted to add several vitolas.

When it was introduced in 2010 to mark La Aurora’s 107th birthday, 107 came in three sizes: Belicoso, Robusto, and Toro. Later, a Corona and a Lancero were introduced, the latter thanks to demands from fans via social networking websites.

The newest addition to the 107 lineup is the aptly-named “Gran 107,” an intimidating smoke that measures seven inches long with a ring gauge of 58. Here’s how the cigar is being marketed in promotional materials: “After our recent visit to La Aurora, we noticed that many of the rollers/blenders were smoking a 107 in a large format. We asked ‘The Big Cat’ what this was and with his blessing the Gran 107 was born.”

Like the other sizes in the blend, the Gran 107 features an Ecuadorian wrapper, a Dominican binder, and a two-country filler blend from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. It retails for $9 and makes a great first impression with an oily sheen and pre-light notes of sweet hay.

The initial flavor is slightly different than the other 107 cigars I’ve tried. While it also encompasses toasty, bready notes and a spicy aftertaste, the Gran 107 more prominently displays an element of sweet graham cracker. Roasted nuts and cream add depth as the white ash progresses. Slightly bitter notes akin to dark chocolate come and go throughout the 150-minute smoke. All the while the construction is top-notch. The burn line tends to meander but never necessitates a touch-up, which is impressive given the wide ring gauge. The draw is smooth and the ash holds firm.

I have to admit that I was skeptical of this size when I received three samples of the Gran 107 in the mail from Miami Cigar & Co., La Aurora’s distributor. I tend to appreciate the 107 most in its narrower ring gauges. My hypothesis is that the blend tastes better when the wrapper-to-filler ratio is highest.

As expected, I’ve concluded that the Gran 107 is not my favorite vitola in the blend. Aside from my preference for the Corona and Lancero in the line, I’m usually not a fan of cigars with ring gauges in excess of 52. That said, the Gran 107 is still a 107, and that means it has a well-balanced, satisfying profile with all the quality I’ve come to expect from La Aurora. So I’m awarding the Gran 107 three and a half stogies out of five and recommending that 107 fans who enjoy large cigars put this beast on their must-try lists.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys