The Stogie Guys

At first glance, it may seem like P. Benitez Cigars only has one blend. But there are two distinct recipes among the five sizes crafted by the Managua-based boutique manufacturer.

The P. Benitez Lancero, for example, features an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper with an Indonesian binder and a filler blend of Nicaraguan tobaccos. While the Churchill and Robusto share these same ingredients, the Torpedo and Maduro3 are made entirely from Cuban-seed Nicaraguan sun-grown tobaccos.

Each of these blends is the result of patient searching by Pedro Benitez, who spent two and a half years sampling blends from different parts of Nicaragua with hopes of creating a new cigar brand. After 18 months of searching, he hand-selected his favorite leaves from Estelí and Jalapa. Then, in January of this year, he officially established P. Benitez Cigars with a factory in Estelí (it has since relocated to Managua, Nicaragua).

Until recently, my only experience with P. Benitez was the Lancero, a fine smoke that combines traditional Connecticut flavors with Nicaraguan zing. I expected something entirely different from the Torpedo, a 6-inch, 52-ring gauge cigar that has a dark, reddish wrapper, a firm feel, and a pre-light aroma of cocoa powder.

Despite the Torpedo’s solid build, you don’t have to clip much tobacco off the cap to obtain an easy draw. Establishing an even light—a delightful process that yields toasty notes akin to s’mores—is simple with a few wooden matches. From there, a profile of dry wood, dark chocolate, and red pepper emerges. The aftertaste is chewy with cherry and some of the sweetness that’s often found with sun-grown tobacco.

This is a complex, balanced profile that lasts the duration of the Torpedo with little variation from light to nub. All the while the physical properties are outstanding. I noticed straight burn lines and solid white ashes across each of the three samples I smoked for this review.

In the end, while comparing the sun-grown Torpedo to the Connecticut-wrapped Lancero may be like comparing apples to oranges, I can’t help but size these two cigars (and these two different blends) up against each other. I’d have to give a slight edge to the Torpedo, which carries a bit more depth and, in my opinion, a more unique flavor. Look for this smoke at retailers in Florida, Pennsylvania, and—hopefully soon—online. It’s worthy of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Those who remember their Spanish Conquistador history (I don’t) know that El Dorado is a mythical city of gold. Despite it’s fictional appearance in the 1998 movie The Mask of Zorro and in the latest (and embarrassingly bad) Indiana Jones flick, centuries of searching could not locate El Dorado.

Yet apparently these seekers were looking in the wrong place, because I struck gold with this rum from Guyana, the small South American country wedged between Venezuela, Brazil, Suriname, and the Caribbean Sea. It’s a 15-year-old blend, which makes it the second youngest of El Dorado siblings. (Patrick A sampled the 12 Year here, and there are also 21 and 25 Year versions.) The 15 Year expression can be found for around $35.

Like blended scotch whiskey, El Dorado’s age actually refers to the youngest rum in the blend, which includes rum that is actually quite a bit older than that, having rested in used bourbon barrels for up to 25 years. The rums that make up the El Dorado blends come from a variety of different style stills, some that have been making rum for hundreds of years. Not exactly golden, 15-plus years has imparted a deep mahogany color on El Dorado. The nose has vanilla, coffee, smoke, and sharp citrus.

My first sip overwhelmingly reminds me of pure black strap molasses, that crude oil-like stuff that would sit for years unused in the back of my mother’s kitchen cabinet. But that’s just the first layer to this rum. Below lurks a complex combination of toasted almonds, calvados brandy, oak, and vanilla. It’s a lot of power up front, that quickly fades into a complex, balanced spirit. The finish is woody with some lingering grapefruit flavors that remind me of the rum’s tropical origins.

This is an excellent rum, with all the characteristics—sweetness, balance, and a hint of tropical citrus—that make fine aged rum my spirit of choice in the summer (as opposed to the winter, when bourbon and scotch is preferred).

El Dorado 15 Year Old is a worthy addition to any rum lover’s liquor cabinet. It goes very well with a medium-bodied Cameroon-wrapped cigar, like the Fuente Hemingway or re-blended La Aurora Cameroon.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

About six years ago, the Bolivar Gold Medal was brought back to life by a cigar shop in Cologne, Germany. Prior to that tobacconist commissioning several thousand boxes, this special release had been long discontinued.

Today the Gold Medal is back in regular production. And, while I can only confirm my hunch via anecdotal evidence, it seems to be experiencing a revival among cigar smokers who are paying more attention to the Cuban Bolivar brand due to the success of the Royal Corona—an excellent smoke that earned a five-stogie rating in September 2008. (more…)

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.”

Introduced at the 2010 industry trade show, this is a Connecticut-wrapped version of the popular Maxx line. It features filler from Nicaragua, Colombia, Honduras, and Mexico, surrounded by a Costa Rican binder and an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. It’s a solid cigar that is constructed well, with a perfectly straight burn and a sturdy ash. The flavor is straightforward Connecticut: dry, woody, and a little grassy. Not bad, but nothing special. I expected more complexity from a blend that contains tobacco from six different countries.

Verdict = Hold.

–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.”

Cleverly named with the Spanish word for spicy, this cigar is a full-strength smoke that lives up to its name, especially in the first third. The manufacturer was new to me, though it has been around since 2008. Unfortunately, the company’s website is a prime example of style over substance and provided virtually no useful information about its cigars. Apparently, this is a Honduran puro. It’s not the most refined smoke, but reasonably priced and well worth a try if you like spicy cigars.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

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) Officials in Alexandria, a central Louisiana city with a smoking ban that predates the statewide ban that went into effect in 2007, are hoping to make it even tougher to light up. Their aim is to adopt a stricter ban that also criminalizes smoking in bars and gaming establishments. “Statewide, the only places you cannot smoke are restaurants. For several years now, a small group of prohibitionists have consistently failed in their efforts to expand the state’s smoking ban to include bars,” said Chris McCalla, legislative director of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association. “Extending the smoking ban in this Central Louisiana city could have a negative economic impact throughout the state…”

2) Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was caught with a cigar in his mouth at Salzburg Airport in his native Austria. Smoking at airports in Austria is illegal, but a spokesperson for the facility suggested no charges would be filed. Meanwhile, an anti-tobacco group vowed to file a lawsuit against Schwarzenegger.

3) Inside the Industry: Two new cigars from Prometheus (in addition to the what we reported on in our IPCPR preview) include the Angelenos JM and the Sencillo Black. Angelenos JM is a new 5.5-inch, 54 ring cigar created in conjunction with actor Joe Mantegna with a portion of sales going to charity. Sencillo Black is made by Plasencia in Nicaragua. Black comes in five sizes and features a Nicaraguan wrapper and binder with filler from Nicaragua, Honduras, and Mexico. (more…)

If you’ve been smoking awhile, your humidor likely resembles the way mine looked until a few weeks ago: lots of cigars you enjoy regularly, some special sticks you’re saving for a special occasion, and a fair number that—let’s face it—you’ll probably never smoke. Recognition that my “never gonna smoke” category was stacking up coincided with the realization that I hadn’t donated a bunch of cigars to U.S. overseas troops for awhile.

For this shipment, I settled on the Kandahar Koughers, a group that has gotten much well-deserved publicity for its efforts. The group’s motto pretty much sums it up: smoking sub adversarius valatudo (Smoking Under Adverse Conditions). You can find out more on Facebook or by Googling the name. Here’s the Koughers’ mailing address:

MAJ Nathan Winn/Randy Sauers
C/O Kandahar Koughers
KAF RCC, BLDG 232
APO AE 09355

Mailing cigars really couldn’t be simpler. Just use a free USPS flat rate Priority Mail box and fill out a brief customs form. Even the postage is a bargain; it‘s the same to an APO box as it is for domestic shipping. Delivery will take a bit longer, though, so be sure you provide adequate humidification to keep the sticks from drying out. (more…)