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.”

This stubby little stick packs quite a bit of flavor into four and a half inches. A Nicaraguan puro, it’s a little less powerful than you might expect. And a bit more complex, laying spice, coffee, and roasted nuts on the tongue. A great choice when you feel pressed for time.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Joya de Nicaragua

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) One week after politicians in New York voted to criminalize smoking in the city’s parks, beaches, and other outdoor areas, two Boston city councilors are proposing a similar law for their city. “Mayor Thomas M. Menino [pictured], a strong supporter of smoking bans in bars and restaurants and of the elimination of cigarette sales in pharmacies, has not taken a public position on the councilors’ proposal,” reports the Boston Globe. “In an interview, the mayor’s top health aide, Barbara Ferrer, was noncommittal about the possible restriction but said she and the mayor are ‘excited to hear more.’”

2) Whoopie Goldberg’s one celebrity who isn’t pleased with New York City’s new outdoor smoking ban. “I’m tired of being treated like some damn criminal,” the actress said on The View, where she’s a regular. According to an article in the Toronto Sun, Goldberg noted that smokers deserve some respect: “You can’t keep treating people like they don’t matter.”

3) The fourth annual ProCigar Festival took place this week in Santiago. The event is the Dominican Republic’s version of Cuba’s Festival del Habano (which kicks off later this month) with factory tours, golf, educational seminars, cuisine, and plenty of cigars. This year’s sponsors included Davidoff, Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, La Aurora, El Credito, and many others.

4) Inside the Industry: Fonseca announced it’s 120th Anniversary cigar, a one-size line made with Dominican wrapper and binder tobaccos with a mix of Dominican and Nicaraguan filler. Habanos S.A. has announced the appointment of Jorge Luis Fernandez Maique to the position of co-president.

5) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor. Smoking Stogie smokes the Graycliff Espresso Elegante. Your Cigar Ratings features the 601 Blue Robusto. Cigar Inspector inspects a Monte Pascoal. A Cigar Smoker checks out La Aurora Gran 107.

6) Deal of the Week: This Hurricane Sampler includes 12 cigars for just $40. Included are sought-after cigars from Diesel, Man O’ War, Gurkha, and Padilla.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

In an effort to help New York retailers who have been saddled with a 75% tobacco tax, several manufacturers have created blends that are intended to be sold exclusively at tobacconists in the Empire State. One such blend is the Broadway Series by La Aurora, which is currently offered in only one size: “Sumo Toro” (5.75 x 54). The MSRP, including the tax, is $12.25.

The Broadway Series has an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, dual binders from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, and a filler blend with Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Peruvian tobaccos. The construction is excellent with no noticeable imperfections. It is moderately toothy with some rather large veins. Pre-light, the only smell I am able to detect is that of tobacco with maybe a slight hint of sweetness.

The first thing that strikes me is how much stronger this cigar is than the last few offerings I’ve smoked from La Aurora. The Sumo Toro definitely starts off in the full-bodied range with initial flavors of cracked white pepper, earth, and candied almonds. It burns well through the first third with a solid ash and an almost perfect draw.

As the cigar progress, the white pepper spice fades and a slight hint of dark chocolate enters the mix. There’s also a flavor of fresh ground coffee, but the taste is dissimilar to brewed coffee. Throughout the last third, the aforementioned flavors come and go in varying quantities.

As my friend Barry mentioned when he reviewed this cigar, I’m not sure how a $12 exclusive cigar is going to help boost New York retailers’ overall sales. Maybe La Aurora intends to attract out-of-state buyers to New York retailers. Still, wouldn’t New York retailers and cigar enthusiasts alike be better served with a solid smoke in the $5-7 range?

All this aside, I really enjoyed my samples of the Broadway Series. The Sumo Toro reminds me of a much stronger Guillermo León, which isn’t a surprise given the similarities of the blends. While the added strength of the Broadway Series makes it more upfront and slightly less nuanced, I am awarding this extremely enjoyable smoke four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick M

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Write a review about an expensive cigar and one question will be inevitably asked, almost without fail: Is it worth the price?

That’s a fair question, and one that I often ask myself. After all, cigars cost money, and buying one stick usually means less left over to spend on others. And yet, in my reviews, you won’t find the answer to that question. It’s not that it doesn’t occur to me; it’s just that I don’t think my personal answer would (or should) be helpful to readers.

First, each person’s financial situation unique. A college student is going to be far less likely to buy an $20 cigar than a millionaire. Meanwhile, some collectors are perfectly willing to shell out thousands of dollars for a box of vintage Cubans. Personally, when I first started smoking cigars in college, $5 seemed like an awful lot to spend. Now I consider that to be a pretty inexpensive sum to pay for a smoke. (And if I won the lottery tomorrow, I may suddenly think that $30 or $40 isn’t all that much for a cigar.)

But the means to pay for a cigar isn’t the only aspect that impacts whether a cigar is “worth the price.” One’s palate and preferences can have just as large an impact.

Many but not all cigar smokers find that their palates become more refined over time, and what they value in a cigar’s flavor changes. I appreciate complexity and subtlety much more now than back when I first started smoking. Practically speaking, that means I’m more willing to shell out a few extra bucks now for a more complex smoke than I would have been a few years ago.

In other words, what people value in cigars is as varied as their financial situations. This isn’t to say that some cigars aren’t worth the price. Sure, there are still some cigars that I wouldn’t recommend for anyone; but these days, with higher quality the norm, such cigars are fewer and farther between.

Which brings us back to cigar reviews: If you read a cigar review thinking it will tell you whether or not a cigar is worth buying, I think you’ll be disappointed. The truth is, only you can know if a cigar is “worth the price.” But by reading a detailed review written by a reviewer you trust, you’ll have a better chance of finding those cigar that are best for you.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Flickr

When I reviewed this bargain smoke shortly after its introduction in 2008, I wondered whether Don Pepin Garcia’s operation would be able to maintain consistency and quality in a mixed-filler cigar. Based on several recent examples, I needn’t have worried.

The latest Benchmade is every bit the cigar its predecessors were and still manages to come in with a price tag under $3. Frankly, I found no more difference in this line over time than in most long-filler cigars that cost two or three times more. Mind-boggling.

For those who haven’t tried this cigar, here are the basics: It’s a Nicaraguan puro made in five sizes by Pepin for Ashton. The Cazadore is 6.5 inches with a ring gauge of 46. All have pigtail caps and are said to utilize some long-filler at the head to minimize tobacco bits on the tongue common to short-filler cigars.

As you’d expect, the burn is fairly quick, the draw is loose, and the ash doesn’t hold particularly well. You’ll need to smoke slower than with a long-filler cigar or you’ll almost certainly overheat the tobacco and spoil the taste. The Benchmade has some of the taste and pepper found in many of Pepin’s sticks, but lacks the complexity, smoothness, and depth of his top lines.

This isn’t the cigar you’ll reach for when you want to sit quietly and luxuriate in a great smoke or celebrate a milestone in your life. But if you’re looking for one to enjoy on the golf course or to get you through watching the fourth quarter, you could hardly do better.

As I did before, I continue to recommend you give it a try, and give the Benchmade Cazadore three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

And there, at the bottom of one of my humidors, were three Palma Real Connecticut Lonsdales, each of which, by my best estimation, had been resting in my possession for at least two years.

I had no idea how they got there. And I knew very little about the brand. To make matters worse, when I started researching for this review, I couldn’t find much information about Palma Real, except for the brief promotional paragraphs published by the likes of Cigars International and other online retailers.

Here’s what I’ve been able to gather after a lot of (mostly fruitless) research: Palma Real is a value line that’s available in six sizes—Lonsdale (6 x 44), Porky (6 x 60), Presidente (7.5 x 50), Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 x 50), and Torpedo (6.5 x 52). Each comes in either a Connecticut or Maduro wrapper.

The Connecticut Lonsdale features a dry, lumpy exterior leaf, a binder from the Dominican Republic, and Dominican long-filler tobaccos of the Olor variety. It can be purchased for less than $2 apiece when bought by the bundle of 50 online.

This cigar isn’t much to look at, and several of its aesthetic imperfections give me cause for concern. For one, the firmness of the Lonsdale varies depending on where you grip it, foretelling potential construction problems. Second, the lack of oils or pre-light fragrances leads me to believe that the flavor, once lit, will be hot, harsh, and papery.

While it isn’t hot or harsh, the initial taste is definitely papery. The profile, which verges on bland, encompasses notes of cardboard with a cayenne spice on the aftertaste. At best the Lonsdale is uninteresting. At worst it’s downright offensive to the palate. After the first inch, a few of the usual suspects—cedar, nuts, cream—waft in and out. But they never hang around long enough to make the thick, chalky smoke appealing.

Sure, the Palma Real Connecticut Lonsdale has pretty decent construction for a budget cigar. If you decide to purchase this smoke, expect the burn to be fairly even, the draw to be smooth, and the ash to hold well off the foot.

But don’t expect to be wowed by the flavor. I certainly wasn’t. While I never expect much from cigars that cost so little, I also don’t expect them to have a flat, insipid flavor that prompts me to immediately grab a different cigar just to get the taste out of my mouth. Unfortunately, that’s what I found with this stick, which is why I’m rating it one stogie 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.”

Someone generously gave me this value-oriented Holt’s house blend, which sells by the box for under $2 per stick. With a dark Nicaraguan wrapper, a Nicaraguan binder, and filler from four countries (Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Brazil), the Boardwalk Pyramid has the potential to punch above its weight. Ultimately, it features mostly earthy flavors with an unpleasant sour taste that goes in and out. And the medium-bodied smoke has nothing in the way of balance or finesse.  For the price I didn’t expect much (and it does have solid construction) but this cigar’s flavors just don’t deliver.

Verdict = Sell.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys