The Stogie Guys

[Editors’ Note: The following is written by Martin, a friend of StogieGuys.com who lives in Scotland and writes at WhiskyCritic.com.]

Oh dearest, dearest pocket. I sincerely hope you can forgive me once more for digging too deep, collecting the very last you had to offer, for no reason other than my own decadence. Forgive, and recover. I’m sure most, or at least many, fellow whisky lovers of less than unlimited means will have been in a similar situation at least once: You know you shouldn’t buy something, but equally you know that there is absolutely no chance of you not buying it.

Well that’s the situation in which I now find myself. I was in the shop the other day to pick up a couple nice beers and, as I approached the till, my eye immediately went to the lovely selection of whiskies stashed behind it—the sneaky buggers always know how to get you, don’t they? Put yummiest stuff by the till and any flesh and bone human is instantly rendered unable to do anything but make an unplanned purchase.

That is basically the unnecessarily long story of how I ended up buying a bottle of Aberfeldy 21 Year Old, at just over £90 ($140) for the bottle.

I had been wanting to try it for quite some time and my local pub hasn’t had it in stock, so my basic line of reasoning (ever so refined, as always) was, “Why the heck not?” With my quite considerable expense in mind, expectations were high. The nose on the toffee-colored spirit didn’t disappoint, presenting a bouquet of flowers, oak, and an exotic sweetness which I can only describe as somewhere between Brazil nut and coconut. So far so very good. The palate is light and has a bit more kick to it, starting off with a pinch of spice, followed by heathery honey, oak, and sweet citrus—which I suppose might make it orange, though I’m not sure I actually want to be that precise about it. Oh well, too late now! As for the finish, it’s basically long, dry, and carries a mild spiciness all the way through, and it’s delicious.

The question which will undoubtedly be on everyone’s mind at this point (assuming you all share my exact thought pattern) is: Was it worth the ninety-odd pound? The answer is yes, and no, and maybe, and oh I don’t know! I don’t have any regrets because it is a delicious whisky—very nicely balanced, very drinkable, all in all very pleasant. But then again, it is a quite expensive whisky, and I can’t say that I wouldn’t be able to get an equally nice bottle for half the price. It’s a tough call, but if you like a light, well-balanced, slightly sweet and spicy whisky, and it’s within your price range, then I’d say go for it.

-Read more from Martin at WhiskyCritic.com.

photo credit: The Whisky Exchange

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 Torpedo (6.1 x 52) is more my size than the large Gordo-sized version I reviewed last summer. The Nicaraguan and Honduran cigar has plenty of talent behind it, as La Palina worked with Alec Bradley to develop the cigar, which is made in the Raices Cubana factory in Honduras. The result is an earthy, full-bodied smoke with a bit of spice, black coffee, and bittersweet chocolate. Even at around $11 each, it’s an cigar that’s not hard to appreciate.

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.”

Like the Riserva di Famiglia that I reviewed in December, this blend is made for Tennessee’s Bellaterra Ranch by the Toraño family. It features Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos wrapped in a golden Ecuadorian wrapper. Italian for “the sweet life,” the blend has a light, sugary profile of honey, oak, and toffee, and the physical properties—despite a somewhat stiff draw—are excellent. This is a good selection if you’re looking for a mild lancero that’s off the beaten path.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

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) Alabama is a rare refuge of relative smoking freedom, but State Sen. Vivian Davis Figures (D-Mobile, pictured) aims to change that. She plans to introduce a bill that would criminalize smoking in “public” places like bars and restaurants. And in addition to her bill, she is also proposing an amendment to the state constitution that would produce the same regulations, since an amendment would require a statewide vote. “If legislators don’t want to throw this on the people, let the people decide,” she told the Tuscaloosa News. While Figures is not targeting private clubs, the Tobacco Free Alabama coalition wants to ban smoking everywhere in the state. “Senator Figures is…more willing to compromise than we are,” said a spokesperson for the group.

2) Good news for travelers. London hotels are opening outdoor cigar rooms, reports the Evening Standard. They’re called “cosas,” which the paper describes as a “cosy outdoor smoking area.” To meet legal requirements, smoking areas must be at least 50% open. The hoteliers also noted increasing interest in cigars among women, with the May Fair’s general manager telling the paper its new cosa would have “a more female approach to the whole environment to appeal to women as well as male aficionados.”

3) Inside the Industry: Washington’s W. Curtis Draper tobacconist is celebrating 125 years in the industry with four exclusive blends, one each by Tatuaje, Fuente, La Aurora, and Padrón. The first 125th Anniversary cigar, a special edition Cabaiguan made by Tatuaje’s Pete Johnson, will be released during special events on February 3rd and 4th.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the Humo Jaguar. Nice Tights Ash checks out the Hammer & Sickle Berlin Wall. Cigar Brief smokes a Villiger 1888. Cigar Explorer explores a Liga Privada Ferel Pig. Cigar Fan looks at Lignin, a key component of tobacco.

5) Deal of the Week: Looking for big bang for your buck? Here’s a sampler with some very large cigars. For just $35 (or double up for $25 more) you get five Romeo y Julieta Vintage Maduros (7 x 60) and five Gran Habano #5 Corojos (7.5 x 58).

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Wikipedia

StogieGuys.com has confirmed that General Cigar, Altadis, Oliva, and Davidoff have told retailers that prices will be going up on many (though not necessarily all) of their cigars.

Altadis price increases ranged from 2.5% to 5%. Altadis USA  makes Montecristo, H. Upmann, Romeo y Julieta, Trinidad, Siglo, Te-Amo, and many other well-known brands. Retailers also have been notified that Davidoff—maker of Davidoff, Winston Churchill, Camacho, Avo, and other lines—is also increasing prices.

General Cigar/STG, the largest producer of premium handmade cigars for import into the United States, raised prices around 3% earlier this week. However, the company’s CAO lines—only recently integrated into the company (details here)—were not included in the price hike. The CAO Cameroon and CAO Maduro cigar prices are decreasing, while the prices of other large cigars sold under the CAO name remain unchanged. According to the company, the increases were implemented “to offset the rising cost of tobacco, manufacturing, and logistics.”

Tobacconists we spoke with didn’t think the price hikes were unexpected. One shop owner felt that many companies had paused normal price increases immediately after the SCHIP tax went into effect to ease the burden on retailers, making the new hike understandable.

Another cigar shop owner was supportive of the increased prices “as long as these companies start committing the necessary financial resources to protect the premium cigar industry from being regulated and taxed out of business by the government.”  General Cigar, Davidoff, Altadis, and Oliva are all listed as “friends of CRA” on the Cigar Rights of America website. [Disclosure: StogieGuys.com is listed as a “CRA Partner” on the same page.]

The practical impact of a 5% increase is that a cigar previously sold to the shop wholesale for $3 would now be $3.15, generally resulting in an increase of the retail price from $6 to $6.30. Time will tell whether consumers are willing to absorb the increase without changing their purchasing habits, or if they respond by purchasing less expensive cigars and/or decreasing the frequency of their cigar purchases.

[UPDATE: Originally this article noted a report on another site that Alec Bradley VP of Sales George Sosa said the company was planning a future price increase of an undetermined amount.  That story has since been pulled on the basis that Alec Bradley withdrew confirmation.]

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I’m often on the lookout for a bourbon to try, bourbon being my go-to spirit in the winter.

Johnny Drum Private Stock caught my eye the last time I was at my liquor store. I decided to pick up a 750 ml. bottle since the price was right. At about $30, the cost places this 101-proof spirit comfortably between the lower-end bourbons and the most expensive bourbons. For me, this middle ground is the most fruitful to explore.

Most of the information I wanted to learn about Johnny Drum Private Stock could be gleaned from the label or the tiny pamphlet that comes affixed to the bottle’s neck. Without even browsing the web, true or not, I discovered that the spirit is named for a young lad who served in the Civil War as a drummer boy. “At the end of the war, legend has it that Johnny returned home to settle amongst the rolling bluegrass knobs of his native Kentucky, where he staked his claim among a beautiful spring,” reads the pamphlet. “Johnny soon learned the importance of finding a way to convert his excess corn crop into a profitable item…and it wasn’t long before Johnny’s determination produced an exceptional bourbon whiskey.”

Today, Johnny Drum Private Stock is produced by the Johnny Drum Distilling Company of Bardstown, Kentucky. It is charcoal-filtered and aged for 15 years before it is packaged in wax-topped bottles. (That wax, by the way, is pretty darn hard to get off, and underneath is a disappointing plastic screw top.) The spirit is a dark reddish color in the bottle and amber when poured in a glass. It has a very faint honey aroma with a buttery creaminess. I found very little spice on the nose and virtually no alcohol bite—all of which makes this bourbon seem very approachable based on first impressions.

Sipping the Private Stock neat, the first thing you notice is the tingly spice on your lips and the front of your tongue. As this spice lingers, a smooth sweetness moves in that’s reminiscent of toffee and nougat. There are also some charry burnt notes present that add balance. But the overall affect is fairly light and vanilla-like for a bourbon.

This lightness makes Johnny Drum Private Stock quite versatile as a cigar companion. In my experience, it works well with both fuller-bodied maduros and milder Connecticut-wrapped smokes. I think the Illusione cg4, for instance, pairs really well. But I encourage you to pick up a bottle and do some experimenting of your own.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

One of a small number of Miami-rolled cigars, the Canimao is not easy to find. I’ve seen it in only a couple of shops and a few online retailers. But it’s well worth seeking out.

My first came several weeks ago at The Cigar Loft, a warm, welcoming shop in the Grand Central District of St. Petersburg, Florida. It was my good fortune that shop owner Tom Gabriele pointed the Canimao box out to me in the humidor or I might have missed it altogether.

That would have been a shame. I’ve enjoyed this cigar about as much as any I smoked in 2011. It’s distinctive without being odd, different enough to stand out but not so much that you wouldn’t want to smoke it frequently.

Upon lighting up, the immediate and most lasting impression comes from a mix of subtle spices that make the Canimao stand out. Throughout the length of the cigar, other flavors come and go, making for an engaging smoke with a great aroma.

At about $6.75, the cigar is amazingly priced for a U.S.-made product. With an elegant wrapper, the Canimao is a excellently constructed cigar with a fine draw and straight burn. The double corona is a generous 7.5 inches with a nice 50 ring gauge. The name comes from a legendary Indian warrior in Cuba.

According to Canimao’s website the cigar has an Ecuadorian wrapper, Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, and filler from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. In reviews and listings, you’ll see a variety of labels for the Canimao’s strength. To me, it’s in the medium range.

I’d recommend this cigar to just about any smoker, from beginner to grizzled vet. It’s hard to imagine not finding something to enjoy. I rate this four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Canimao Cigars