Archive | May, 2012

Cigar Spirits: Woodford Reserve Double Oaked

21 May 2012

Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select bourbon has been on the market for 15 years. It is known for having a relatively high percentage of rye in its recipe, as well as for having very little sour in each batch to enable the mash to remain crisp.

This spring, Woodford Reserve released its Double Oaked expression. Like Distiller’s Select, it is made at the Woodford Reserve Distillery, a National Historic Landmark that dates back to 1812 when it was called the Labrot & Graham Distillery. The operation is credited with improving such vital bourbon processes as sour-mash fermentation, pot still distillation, and barrel maturation.

Double Oaked is essentially the same bourbon as Distiller’s Select. But after Distiller’s Select is fermented, distilled, and aged in new, charred, white oak barrels, the bourbon that’s designated for Double Oaked bottles is re-barreled in heavily toasted oak barrels at 110-proof for another 6-12 moths—essentially doubling the spirit’s exposure to oak. The final product is 90.4-proof.

“The re-barreling of mature Woodford Reserve…allows the spirit to extract an additional amount of soft, sweet oak character without the aggressive charred notes obtained from typical bourbon barrels,” says Chris Morris, Woodford Reserve’s master distiller. “This unique practice has created bourbon that is rich in honey, chocolate, marzipan, and spiced apple character.”

Double Oaked is a dark amber in the bottle and slightly lighter in the glass. Its aroma is oaky and buttery with faint cinnamon and brown sugar. Once sipped, the flavor reminds me of dry wood, vanilla, apple, candied walnuts, and honey. The complexity is more pronounced than Distiller’s Select, and the smoothness and drinkability of the spirit makes it easy to appreciate the nuances of the taste.

Double Oaked would no doubt be a treat for any cigar/bourbon enthusiast, especially since the flavor pairs so well with a balanced yet full-bodied cigar like the Tesa 312. For me, though, it will have to be an occasional indulgence because the price is often $50 or more per bottle. In fact, the bottle I purchased for this review cost me $66 here in Chicago.

If you’re looking for an everyday bourbon, I’d recommend Distiller’s Select or one of the many other fine bourbons that are available for around $30. If you’re looking for something special, though, Double Oaked is a fine choice that won’t disappoint.

Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Quick Smoke: Flor de las Antillas Toro Gordo

20 May 2012

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.”

Flor de las Antillas, the latest highly anticipated release from My Father Cigars, has made it to cigar shop shelves. I grabbed the large 6.5-inch Toro—one of four vitolas—as soon as I could and was not disappointed. The wrapper was darker and oilier than most photos I’ve seen of pre-release sticks. It is not as strong as the stereotypical Pepin Nicaraguan puro, but it is every bit as flavorful, with a little pepper, bread, cedar, and graham cracker smoothly mixed. I was every bit as pleased as I hoped I would be, and I can’t wait to smoke more.

Verdict = Buy.

George E

photo credit: N/A

Quick Smoke: Tatuaje Exclusive Series Proto 4 (Saints & Sinners 2011)

19 May 2012

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 is one of 15 exclusive cigars I received from Tatuaje when I signed up for Pete Johnson’s Saints & Sinners club for $150. Said to be similar to the Verocu, it combines Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos with a Habano Ecuador wrapper. The result is a smooth, medium-bodied smoke with spice, cream, and black licorice. The Proto 4 is a memorable cigar and my favorite among the other Protos I’ve smoked to date.

Verdict = Buy.

Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Stogie Guys Friday Sampler No. 290

18 May 2012

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) Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) are trying to ban flavored cigars at the national level, but officials in Miami-Dade County aren’t content to wait on that bill to move through the legislative process. This week commissioners voted 12-1 to preliminarily approve a measure that would criminalize flavored cigars completely in the south Florida county, which is home to 2.5 million residents. The supposed intent of the restriction would be to cut back on underage smoking, but it is already illegal for minors to purchase tobacco. While this law would not impact the legality of handmade premium cigars, defenders of cigar rights should keep an eye on the movement to restrict the sale of flavored cigars.

2) To mark the launch of the new Hoyo de Monterrey website, General Cigar is hosting a “Box a Day Giveaway.” From now through July 31, you can visit the website to enter to win a box of Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros cigars. Winners will be announced every Monday on the website, as well as on Hoyo’s Facebook page and Twitter feed.

3) Inside the Industry: Davidoff’s Puro d’Oro line is getting a makeover, dropping the simple gold foot band for a band that more closely resembles other Davidoff cigars. Nestor Miranda and Miami Cigar & Co. have announced that a 2012 edition of their Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve will debut at the IPCPR Trade Show in August, featuring a stronger blend with Nicaraguan fillers and a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper.

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Brief smokes a Swag Lavish Robusto. Cigar Explorer explores an E Doble by Erik Espinoza. Cigar Fan fires up a La Casita Criolla. Stogie Review reviews a Padilla Studio Tobac Special Edition Figuardo. Cigar Inspector inspects a Fuente Opus X Fuente Fuente 2001. Tiki Bar kicks back with a My Father Flor de Las Antillas.

5) Deal of the Week: Smoke Inn is taking pre-orders on the new Arturo Fuente Polaris. The cigar is a first from Fuente, a micro-blend, with only 550 boxes made. Boxes of 10 are just $89 and if you order now you get a free Fuente T-shirt.

The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Wikipedia

Commentary: OCD Over H.R. 1639

17 May 2012

Yes, I admit it. I’m a little obsessed over HR 1639, the bill to bar the Food & Drug Administration from regulating premium, hand-rolled cigars. Frankly, though, I cannot understand why every cigar smoker isn’t.

I believe enactment of this legislation would offer extraordinary protection for cigars smokers and the cigar industry. By recognizing a specific category for premium cigars, it would make it easy to exclude them from future tobacco taxes and restrictions.

The good news is the bill is tantalizingly close to the support it needs for passage in the House of Representatives. But now is not the time to let up. Soon, the solons will be off for the summer and for campaigning. Little will transpire on Capitol Hill.

The bill has just over 180 supporters, but, alas, Guam’s representative has no vote, and David Wu resigned after signing on. I’ve recently spent time analyzing the list of cosponsors and discovered some interesting data. What’s most interesting is I think it can help push the bill to enactment. And maybe it’ll inspire more readers to get in touch with their representatives and urge them to get on board.

  • As you’d expect, Florida has the most supporters. Still, only 18 of its 25 representatives are signed up. Next up, Pennsylvania, undoubtedly second only to Florida for cigar shops and retail sales, and Texas, are tied with 13. Again, that leaves quite a few who aren’t on board in both states.
  • Surprisingly, the state most identified with tobacco, Virginia, has under 50% signed up, with 5 of its 11 representatives sponsoring the bill. Granted, most of the state’s tobacco connection involves cigarettes, but General Cigar Co.’s headquarters are in Richmond. And Connecticut, home of the eponymous high-quality wrapper, has but 2 of 5 representatives as cosponsors.
  • Five states, admittedly all small, have seen all their representatives endorse HR1639: Arkansas (4), West Virginia (3), Kansas (4), Hawaii (2), and New Hampshire (2).
  • Three times that many states have no representatives on the list. They’re generally concentrated in New England and the West: Massachusetts (10), Rhode Island (2), Vermont (1), Maine (2), New Mexico (3), Montana (1), Idaho (2), Utah (3), Oregon (5), Washington (9), Wyoming (1), Alaska (1), North Dakota (1), South Dakota (1), and Delaware (1).
  • While Republicans outnumber Democrats among supporters by about 3 to 1, the bill has strong bipartisan support. Just consider those states that are fully signed up: Arkansas has 3 Republicans and 1 Democrat; West Virginia, a Democrat and 2 Republicans; Kansas, 4 Republicans; Hawaii, 2 Democrats; and New Hampshire, 2 Republicans. And it isn’t just the parties. Supporters include every point along the ideological spectrum, something well worth pointing out to anyone who isn’t a supporter.

So, how can all this help? First, I hope you’re inspired by how close to passage this legislation is. Then, you can see how just a little more pressure applied at the proper points could push HR1639 across the finish line.

If you’re a cigar smoker who hasn’t taken action, be sure to write, email, or telephone your representative if he or she isn’t a supporter.

If you own a smoke shop and there are representatives in your area who haven’t signed on (I counted more than two dozen Massachusetts shops that are IPCPR members and 15 in Oregon, for example) invite them to your shop for an event where they can meet constituents, enjoy a cigar, and learn firsthand why this bill is so vital.

You can find all the information you need about the bill’s cosponsors here and how to make contact here. Let’s get this bill passed. Then I can go back to obsessing over other important things, like humidity levels in the humidor.

George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Cigar Review: Romeo Toro

16 May 2012

The Dominican-made Romeo y Julieta brand has been a longtime staple in the portfolio of industry giant Altadis. But over the years, even as the brand grew to ten blends of varying strength, Romeo y Julieta always seemed to be associated with the milder spectrum.

The newest Romeo y Julieta blend, called simply Romeo, aims to change that. “A manly cigar, bold and robust, Romeo is an awesome smoke, rich in complex flavor sensations,” reads a marketing pamphlet from Altadis. “It is, quite likely, the finest Romeo y Julieta ever.”

Romeo is certainly the most modern-looking, sporting a unique band that breaks from the traditional motifs of its predecessors. The line’s sleek, curved boxes are definitely not traditional. And Romeo also adopts the contemporary mantra of “big and bold” with large ring gauges and a recipe of tobaccos that’s evidently built for power.

That recipe includes a dark Ecuadorian Habano-seed wrapper, a Dominican olor binder, and Dominican filler tobaccos of the piloto and olor varieties. The line is comprised of four vitolas that are crafted at the Tabacalera de Garcia in the Dominican Republic: Churchill (7 x 56), Toro (6 x 54), Robusto (5 x 54), and Piramide (6.1 x 52). I sampled three Toros for this review, each—in the interest of full disclosure—provided to me free of charge by Altadis.

The Toro is a clean-looking smoke with a hearty weight and a firm feel from head to toe. The foot confirms a tight cross-section of tobaccos. The pre-light aroma is musty and earthy and the draw is moderate.

After setting an even light, the introductory taste is bold yet stale. By this I mean there’s tons of strength from the smoke but very little in terms of identifiable flavor beyond pure heat. My strategy on cigars like this is to let them rest un-puffed for a few minutes to see if they settle into a more enjoyable profile as the foot cools.

Fortunately, the Romeo Toro does. Before crossing the half-inch mark, tastes of leather, dry wood, and espresso become dominant with a bit of nougat on the finish to add sweetness and balance. The resting smoke is quite sweet. Later, at the midway point, I find the body settles back toward the medium spectrum and some nutty notes take precedence over the leather. The final third features a reprise of power. All the while the construction is near perfect.

Altadis has made a considerable effort to get samples of Romeo in the hands of many internet reviewers, so I expect you’ll see much written about this cigar in the weeks to come. It will be interesting to read all the reviews. From my perspective, this is a fine smoke that will do well on the golf course. I would recommend picking up a Romeo as the blend hits the shelves of a tobacconist near you. I think cigar enthusiasts who typically stray away from Altadis smokes will be pleasantly surprised by the Toro, which is worthy of three and a half stogies out of five.

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

Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Cigar Review: Room 101 San Andrés 213

15 May 2012

I didn’t know what to think when Camacho announced a partnership with jewelery maker Matt Booth in 2009. Camacho would be making cigars to be sold under Booth’s Room 101 brand, named after the torture room in George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Four years later, I’ve enjoyed quite a few of the Camacho-made Room 101 cigars, particularly the Conjura and Namakubi. I found this latest Room 101 San Andrés the way I find many cigars, by simply walking into my local cigar shop and asking, “What’s new?” The answer on this particular day was the Room 101 San Andrés, which was released last month.

By my count, San Andrés is the fifth Room 101 blend, created by Room 101-creator Matt Booth and Camacho Cigars. It’s the third regular release joining the original Room 101 and the Connecticut-wrapped Namakubi, while the OSOK (One Shot One Kill) and the Conjura are limited releases. The result is a more affordable cigar that comes in five sizes selling in the wallet-friendly $5-7 range.

For this review I lit up three of the corona-sized 213s (5.5 x 44) which cost me just under $6 each. The cigar features a San Andrés wrapper grown by the Turrent family in Mexico. The largely vein-free, milk-chocolate wrapper surrounds a Honduran Corojo binder and Corojo and Criollo filler from Honduras and the Dominican Republic.

It’s a serious departure from Room 101’s previous releases, but very pleasant with chewy peanut butter, cocoa, and a slightly spicy cedar core. As the cigar evolves, coffee becomes apparent and more spice comes forward towards the second half of this hour-long smoke.

With perfect construction and a reasonable price tag, the 213 is a very enjoyable medium- to full-bodied cigar. That combination earns this Room 101 San Andrés vitola an impressive rating of four stogies out of five.

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

Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys