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.”

Viaje limited releases usually sell out quickly, so when these went on sale in May I snapped up a five-pack for just under $9 per cigar. Even though I’ve mostly had positive experiences with Viaje, the box of 35 was too many cigars to buy without trying any first. This Nicaraguan puro (6 x 48) features a pigtail cap and an oily, reddish-brown wrapper. The profile has lots of leather and wood, but also a more subtle cafe-au-lait sweetness. It starts out full-bodied but settles into a nice medium-full smoke after the first third. With tasty flavors and excellent construction, it’s a cigar I’m glad I bought.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

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) S. 1461, the U.S. Senate bill that would protect premium cigars from disastrous FDA regulations, is now up to 12 cosponsors as Kelly Ayotte (R-NH, pictured) signed on this week. Meanwhile, H.R. 1639, the sister bill to S. 1461 in the House of Representatives, now has 203 cosponsors, according to the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR). Fifteen more cosponsors would result in a majority in the House. It bears repeating that FDA regulation of premium cigars would be devastating, particularly to boutique brands and new blends. If your Representative or Senators have not yet cosponsored their respective bills, please contact them and urge them to do so. And thank you for your continued vigilance.

2) The Michigan Senate recently approved a bill that would install a 50-cent tax cap on cigars. Currently, Michigan taxes cigars at 32% of the wholesale price. The IPCPR expects the State House to consider this bill when lawmakers return from their summer recess.

3) Inside the Industry: The IPCPR Trade Show is less than two months away, and the show floor plan is online (pdf). Notable is that Cigar Rights of America’s (CRA) booth is right in the front by the IPCPR’s own booth for its political action committee. This is a big difference from last year when, either intentionally or unintentionally, the CRA booth was way in the back, and it’s a good sign of cooperation between two important groups that work to safeguard the rights of cigar smokers.

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Fan fires up a La Tradicion Cubana Chulo. Cigar Explorer explores the EloGio Serie Habano. Stogie Review reviews an Ortega Serie D Natural. Cigar Brief smokes the Chateau Real. Cigar Inspector inspects a Hoyo de Monterrey Short Hoyo Pyramides LE 2011.

5) Deal of the Week: Having trouble finding the new Tatuaje Little Monsters sampler? Corona Cigar has them available for pre-order with the cigars due to be shipped out later this month. While you’re there, check out the new CRA Sampler featuring ten exclusive cigars from some of the most sought-after lines (and you also get a one-year membership in CRA).

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Wikipedia

No, the title of this article isn’t a reference to some Freudian concept. After all, Freud also said that “sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.” Instead, I want to explore the way ring gauge size (in other words, a cigar’s thickness) impacts a cigar’s flavors.

The size of a cigar affects many things for sure, and not just the time it takes a cigar to burn. There are two main reasons why, as a general rule of thumb, smaller sized cigars (of the same blend) are more flavorful than their larger counterparts, even though many people seem to believe that a larger cigar will produce more and stronger flavors.

Wrapper/Filler Ratio

The most obvious difference between a smaller ring gauge cigar and a larger one is the amount of filler. Even though the smaller cigar will also use slightly less wrapper, as a little math shows, when the cigar gets fatter, the amount of filler gets (literally) exponentially larger.

Take a 60 ring gauge cigar versus a 40 ring gauge smoke. Using some basic middle school geometry, you can see that while about 50% more wrapper is required to go around the 60 ring gauge cigar, it will also use roughly 125% more filler. (I’ve posted the full table of wrapper and filler for common ring gauges in the comments of this article.)

Because wrapper tobacco is generally the most flavorful (and always the most expensive) component, the smaller cigar will impart more wrapper flavor.

Higher Burn Temperature

The second, possibly more important, and certainly more often overlooked reason that smaller ring gauge cigars are fuller flavored is that they tend to burn hotter and more quickly. If you think about a cigar as a straw through which air is pulled, this makes plenty of sense.

Cigar smokers generally take similarly sized draws no matter the thickness of the cigar. This means that air is drawn through the foot of a smaller cigar at a faster rate than through a larger cigar, creating more air flow, more oxygen, and a higher combustion temperature.

Drew Estate President, and encyclopedia of cigar knowledge, Steve Saka estimates the difference in temperature can be 10 degrees or possibly more between a smaller (40 or 42 ring gauge) cigar and a larger one. That’s a significant difference that effects the flavor and creates a stronger and fuller smoke.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Dona Flor, a top brand in Brazil for years, was once a darling of StogieGuys.com. The company’s blends earned high praise from my colleagues and I back in 2006 and 2007.

And then a funny thing happened. Dona Flor seemingly dropped off the face of the earth. I stopped seeing Dona Flor cigars in shops. I stopped hearing others talk about Dona Flor. And when my own stash ran out, I stopped smoking Dona Flor altogether. I never investigated why. I guess I just moved on and forgot about the company that introduced me to the notion of a Brazilian puro.

So imagine my surprise when I received a press release on June 5 proclaiming Dona Flor’s re-introduction to the American market. Evidently, shortly after the brand was first introduced to the U.S. in 2005, legal issues arose that blocked domestic distribution. But now, Chris Edge—a Denver-based cigar enthusiast and businessman—is bringing Dona Flor back to North America.

Several new blends have already been announced and are available for your perusal on Dona Flor’s website, along with a description of each of the three main tobaccos used in the company’s creations: Mata Fina, Mata Norte, and Brazilian-grown Cuban-seed. Today I’m taking a look at the Seleção Robusto (5 x 52), which uses a Mata Fina wrapper, a Mata Norte binder, and a filler blend of Mata Fina and Mata Norte tobaccos. This Brazilian puro achieved a 92 rating in Cigar Aficionado. It has a suggested retail price of $8.50.

Now while I’m somewhat of a sucker for Mata Fina, I’ll be the first to admit that the leaf doesn’t make the most attractive wrapper. Like me, most people appreciate this tobacco for its taste and aroma, not its aesthetics. The Seleção Robusto, as expected, is a rugged-looking specimen with a multitude of lumps and several large veins.

One of those veins runs the length of the cigar and contributes to an uneven burn. Veins are more combustible than leaves, and this is evident as the side of the Robusto with the vein burns significantly quicker than the rest of the cigar. But the vein doesn’t produce a canoe and the burn doesn’t require any touch-ups. After an inch, this issue completely resolves itself, and the physical properties are perfect from then on, including a solid, finely layered white ash.

The profile and aroma are the highlights of the Seleção Robusto. The taste is nicely balanced and includes a unique core of sour cream and some tangy notes that remind me of barbeque sauce. Dry wood, sweetness, and a touch of black pepper spice round out the flavor. And, not to be outdone, the resting smoke boasts loads of sweet coffee.

This is the 35th year Dona Flor has been in business and its second foray into the American market. Based on my experience with the Seleção Robusto, I hope Dona Flor will stay in my homeland for good this time. Expect to hear more from this Brazilian company at this summer’s industry trade show. Until then, I’m awarding this cigar four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

My approach to aging cigars has gone from haphazard to chaotic. I frequently forget to use stick-on labels to date my purchases or give much thought to what might benefit from serious time in the humidor.

It’s not that I don’t believe some cigars benefit from aging. I’m just not organized enough to do it well. How I envy those of you who meticulously record your stash in a database.

But, as they say, even a blind hog finds an acorn once in a while. And when I pulled this 6.25-inch, lightly pressed maduro out the other day, I noted on the sticker attached to the yellowing cellophane that it had spent a bit over two years in the humidor. While I’ve long been a fan of all the 601 colors, the Serie Blue isn’t my top choice, and I suppose that’s why it had gone unsmoked.

But now I wish I had more. The aroma of the Habano wrapper and the Nicaraguan filler was deep, rich tobacco with a hint of chocolate. It clearly lived up to Cigar Aficionado’s description as “both gorgeous and delicious” when CA ranked it sixth among the top cigars of 2009.

The flavors were a rich blend of coffee, cocoa, and that appealing maduro sweetness. It burned perfectly, produced lots of smoke, and had a buttery smooth finish. It wasn’t dramatically different than one from the shelf, but aging had created a subtlety and depth that pushed it to another level.

This was Don Pepin Garcia’s first maduro and he clearly knew how to make it shine. It is brilliant with two years of age..

At around $7 a stick, I’m awfully tempted to buy more and see if I can duplicate this experience in 2014. That is, if I can remember to mark them when I buy them and then refrain from smoking them along the way.

With a full two years of age on it, I rate this EO 601 Serie “Blue” Toro a full five stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. A list of other five stogie-rated cigars can be found here.]

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Smoke-filled rooms are a thing of the past. With advanced air-filtration systems, comfortable elbowroom, and high definition televisions on every wall, today’s cigar bars have become havens for aficionados to come together and enjoy their pastime in a friendly, upscale environment. A good cigar bar resembles the world’s greatest playroom: free WiFi, Nintendo Wii, pool tables, live music, quality food and drink, a friendly and knowledgeable staff, a full calendar of events, and, of course, a walk-in humidor with a bountiful selection.

It’s a world of great company. A specialized club with unspoken rules. A place where one can sit in peace with a cigar to watch the local sports game, enjoy a good read, or catch up with a friend. For some folks, cigar bars have become a regular hangout. Here are some of the best in the country:

Velvet Cigar Lounge, New York City

You can bring your own beverage to this classic club in Manhattan’s East Side Village. Its brick walls and warm environment provide city slickers with a perfect place to relax. And there’s more. This lounge sells their own private boutique brand of cigars in their store, and those cigars get pretty good reviews. (80 E. Seventh St.; 212-533-5582; velvetcigars.com)

Burn by Rocky Patel, Naples

This exotic Asian/Mediterranean/Caribbean influenced lounge is owned by Rocky Patel and features his complete line plus a selection of pre-embargo Cuban cigars. A vintage H. Upmann goes for $200 per stick or the big spenders can pick up a box of old Montecristos for $12,500. (9110 Strada Pl; 239 653-9013; burnbyrockypatel.com)

Grand Havana Room, Beverly Hills

It’s members only at this private club, a home to many of Hollywood’s elite. The centerpiece is a glassed-in humidor with 350 private lockers, each fixed with a brass nameplate etched with their owner’s name. With a private elevator and a calendar filled with special events, this secret cigar lair is one of the nation’s most high-end cigar clubs. (301 N. Canon Dr.; 310-385-7700; grandhavana.com)

Shelly’s Back Room, Washington, D.C.

You might run into one of our beloved leaders at the most popular cigar spot in the nation’s capital. Shelly’s has a full bar and a menu with everything from wings to bacon-wrapped shrimp. This casual yet elegant cigar lounge features eight large screen televisions and a special selection of rare cigars, including 10 of Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25. (1331 F St. NW; 202-737-3003; shellysbackroom.com)

–Mark M

photo credit: Various

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.”

Quorum is a bundle smoke made by J.C. Newman in Nicaragua that sells for under $2 and for as little as $1 when bought by the bundle. According the J.C. Newman’s website, Quorum is “the world’s most popular handmade cigar sold in bundles.” It features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and mixed Nicaraguan filler. The Habano wrapper imparts a clean, woody flavor that I’ve come to recognize and enjoy from that Ecuadorian wrapper. Overall, it’s not particularly complex but it does feature unoffensive wood and earth flavors, with an occasional burst of sourness. Construction was good on the one Quorum I smoked, just don’t expect the ash to hold very long. While I’m not really a bundle cigar smoker and it’s far from my favorite cigar, I can see what makes this cigar so popular. It’s solidly-made, medium-bodied, and, best of all, very cheap.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys