The 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 Excalibur Dark Knight No. 1 (5.75 x 54) features a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper around Dominican filler tobaccos, several prominent veins, and a rough texture. It displays a nice balance between sweet and salty notes with predominant flavors of chocolate, espresso, cedar, and cashew. The Dark Knight kept my interest for a full two hours. At $6.50 apiece, it’s a solid buy.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick M

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) Lawmakers in Macon are gearing up to tighten smoking regulations in the Georgia city. Despite a state law that limits smoking in most workplaces, the proposed ordinance—which faces a vote on April 19—would criminalize smoking in “bars and nightclubs, any hotel rooms, health care facilities, and almost every other indoor location except private houses,” according to the Macon Telegraph. “No less authority than the Federal Reserve Bank…is on record showing that smoking bans cost jobs and hurt businesses while putting them at a disadvantage to other competing businesses,” said Chris McCalla, legislative director of the IPCPR, in a press release.

2) In commemoration of Smoke Inn’s 15th anniversary, Padrón has created the new 1964 Anniversary SI-15 (6 x 60), which is made exclusively for the Florida-based retailer. Today marks the cigar’s national debut. If you can’t make it to the West Palm Beach location of Smoke Inn to try the cigar and meet the Padrón family, you can pre-order the SI-15 online.

3) Inside the Industry: May 6 has been declared the second annual National Nestor Miranda Cigar Day, an occasion when all authorized Nestor Miranda Collection retailers will be giving away cigars to visitors at no charge. Ted’s Handmade cigars is introducing “Hopz,” the first handmade cigar aromatically seasoned with beer hops and designed to be paired with a flavorful ale.

4) Around the Blogs: Smoking Stogie lights up a vintage Davidoff Dom Pérignon. Stogie Review reviews an Illusione 4/2g Slam. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Monte Pascoal. Cigar Fan fires up a Padilla Miami Maduro Edición Limitada. Velvet Cigar questions the marketing practices behind some online exclusive cigars.

5) Deal of the Week: Taxes may be due Monday, but Cuban Crafters is trying to give you a break with some Tax Day Specials. Pick up a box of 25 Cupido Criollo Dobles for just $55, or a box of 25 Cabinet Selections for $60.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: IPCPR

It’s so predictable it’s almost inevitable: After a few years of sustained success, cigar makers begin introducing limited edition cigars, usually annual releases. Dion Giolito’s Illusione brand is no exception.

But I’m not complaining. As I’ve written before, limited edition smokes can be the great because cigar makers need not worry about a long-term tobacco supply. Instead, small batches of top quality tobacco can be turned into a limited run.

Singulare will be an annual release from Illusione and the toro-sized (6 x 50) 2010 “Phantom” was the first such annual edition.  At the 2010 IPCPR Trade Show last August, Dion Giolito told us his plan was a different blend and size every year.

The Nicaraguan puro comes in boxes of 15 and sells for around $12 a stick. Being a limited run cigar, only 1,000 boxes were made. Before writing up this review, I smoked my way through most of a box that I was able to pick up for $150.

The Phantom features a velvety brown wrapper with a nice bit of sheen. Pre-light, the it imparts a tannic flavor on the lips.

Despite being a Nicaraguan puro, there’s much of that Nicaraguan zing. Instead, I got plenty of honey and graham cracker. A complex flavor profile, there’s also a touch of cedary spice, an earthy sweetness, and a certain chewiness that’s hard to pinpoint.

As the cigar evolves it becomes more medium- to full-bodied, yet the finish becomes shorter. Dion told us the Phantom was “the mildest cigar that he makes,” but I didn’t find that to be the case.

While the Singulare 2010 has many similarities to the Epernay (a medium-bodied smoke that I would classify as Illusione’s “mildest” smoke), I found a tanic edge to the Phantom that the Epernay lacked. More Burgundy subtlety than Bordeaux boldness, the excellence in this limited smoke comes out only when you focus on the complexities.

Those complexities have made the Phantom a staple in my humidor, at least until the 1,000-box run is exhausted. And it doesn’t hurt that at $12 each, it’s reasonably priced compared to many other limited smokes. That combination earns the Illusione Singulare 2010 Phantom LE a rating of four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The summer is quickly approaching, and that means warmer temperatures and higher levels of humidity. For cigar smokers, these conditions present several challenges, each of which is best addressed through prevention.

The first challenge, and arguably the most sinister foe of premium tobacco, is common mold. This white, black, green, and/or blue substance is a fuzzy, smelly cigar-killer. If left untreated, mold can spread through direct contact—or even airborne spores—to ruin your treasured smokes and damage the lining of your humidor. Once you’ve got mold, there are a few measures you can take to minimize the damage. But you’re much better off preventing a mold outbreak from occurring in the first place. To keep your guard up, maintain 65% relative humidity in your humidor and allow your smokes to breathe every so often.

Another menacing tobacco enemy that’s more prevalent in the summer is the tobacco beetle. Most cigar enthusiasts shudder at the mere thought of these nasty little critters. If activated by warmth, these loathsome creatures undergo the larva, pupa, and beetle stages over the course of 10 to 12 weeks. After that, they’re beetles for about 14 days, and your humidor becomes their all-you-can-eat buffet. Trust me when I say that prevention is the best policy.

Beetle prevention can take a number of forms. The simplest method is to keep the temperature inside your humidor to 65 degrees. This strategy is effective because beetle eggs—which are harmless and (sadly) present on most tobacco leaves when they’re harvested—won’t hatch without temperatures of around 75 degrees.

Another way to prevent beetle outbreaks is to freeze your stash of cigars (thereby killing the eggs before they have a chance to hatch). Some cigar enthusiasts freeze every single new cigar they get before adding it to their humidor. For those of us who consider this practice overkill, try freezing only high-risk cigars (such as ones that were shipped during the hot summer months).

In either case, follow these steps: Put the cigars in Ziploc freezer bags, seal the bags tightly with as little air as possible inside, place them in a refrigerator for one day, move them to a freezer for three days, place them back in the refrigerator for one day, and then leave them at room temperature for one day. This process of slowly freezing cigars will minimize the stress imposed on the tobacco leaves.

Whether you’re working to prevent mold or beetles, please know that your efforts are only as effective as your equipment. The onset of summer—and all the heat and humidity that comes with the season—is a good time to upgrade your thermometer and hygrometer if need be.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr

It’s hard to imagine a part of the country where the Fuentes are held in higher regard than they are around Tampa. You’ll find a wide array of their cigars in just about every shop on both sides of the bay.

Cigar enthusiasts speak of meeting the father or son at their Tampa Sweethearts shop in Ybor City with a tone you might expect from a golfer who went to play at a Jack Nicklaus course and found himself in a foursome with the Golden Bear. From the little contact I’ve been lucky to have with the Fuente family and employees, they well deserve the adulation.

Of course, they make some great cigars. Here at StogieGuys.com, it’s obvious that we’re quite taken with them. By my count, we have done full reviews on 18 Fuente cigars to date, from Curly Heads to Opus, as well as quite a few Quick Smokes and other mentions. I’ve personally written more than once about how much I enjoy the Double Chateau Sun Grown.

Recently, I have been smoking its sibling, the natural Double Chateau with the distinctive green band at the foot. Like all of the sticks in this line, they are encased in a thin cedar sleeve, which can do double duty as a spill in lighting your cigar. At 6.75 inches long with a ring gauge of 50, natural Double Chateaus are generally available for around $6-7 apiece.

What you get for your money is an hour or more of pure pleasure. From the first view of the lovely blonde Connecticut wrapper to the final deposit in the ashtray, the Double Fuente is a medium-strength marvel. It also has the common characteristics of Fuente’s premium cigars: smooth, creamy smoke; blending that leaves no trace of harshness; attention to detail in presentation and construction; and an excellent burn. It’s the sort of smoke you can linger over, picking out flavors as you go along, or simply sit back and enjoy.

It is, I suppose, a testament to how our tastes change. While I’ve smoked these off and on for years, it’s only lately that I feel I have come to really appreciate how good they are.

Not all of us are able to afford some of Fuente’s high-dollar specials and rarities. But that doesn’t meanwe’re precluded from enjoying great Fuente cigars. Just light up any stick in this line. I rate the natural Double Chateau four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

[Editors’ Note: In celebration of the five-year anniversary of StogieGuys.com, we’re updating and re-publishing some of our oldest articles, many of which focused on cigar basics. Our hope is to encourage a discussion among readers and reacquaint the community with important cigar fundamentals.]

While enjoying a fine cigar is certainly more of an art than a science, there a few essential skills you should master in order to get the most out of the experience. What better place to start than with a good, clean cut?

It’s worth pointing out that, when it comes to cigar cutting, there are many different tools. Some people use specially-crafted cigar scissors, some use a sharp knife, a cigar punch, a V-cutter—some even use their teeth. But the most common tool is the guillotine-style cigar cutter.

We recommend the guillotine cutter for most cigar smokers because knives and teeth usually don’t yield clean cuts. Cigar scissors are nice tools if you know how to use them (they require precision, practice, and a keen eye). And cigar punches and V-cutters, while perfect for some cigars (use punches on stogies with tightly-packed fillers to ease the draw and V-cutters on cigars with small ring gauges to increase surface area), are not always the best choice.

In order to use the guillotine cutter, take the head of the cigar and position it so the blade will enter the stogie just above the shoulder (where parejo cigars stop being round). If you’re planning to smoke a torpedo or a pyramid, a good rule of thumb is to slice off about a quarter inch.

No matter what the cigar size, though, keep in mind that it’s better to error on the side of cutting too little. You can always go back and carefully re-cut if the cold draw is too tight. But if you cut too much, there’s no going back.

With the guillotine in place, press down firmly until the blade completely passes through the cigar. If the blade is sharp and the stogie is in good condition, you will get a nice clean cut. You may want to invest in a double-guillotine cutter (that’s a guillotine with two blades instead of one) to ensure even cleaner cuts.

Finally, for a cigar that typically exhibits a tight draw, try cutting the head at a slight angle instead of straight up and down. Angled cuts will increase the surface area of the exposed filler and thereby make it a little easier to pull through.

–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.”

A few years ago, these Serie B cigars were easily found online for around $4. That’s not much to pay considering the blend supposedly contains pre-embargo Cuban tobacco that was “found” in excellent condition in a warehouse. That story isn’t east to believe, but if the cigar is good who really cares, right? The attractive smoke is surrounded by a notably dark wrapper and it has excellent combustion qualities, including a solid white ash. The flavors are relatively simplistic with charred oak  and earth dominating the medium-bodied profile. A few  bursts of bitter notes also surface. It’s not going to blow you away, but between the good story and the reasonable price, I can’t really complain.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys