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 Quick Smoke is part of our “Win a Big Box of Cigar Swag” contest. Leave a comment and be subscribed to our free email newsletter to enter. Full details here.

About the only negative comment I have about this cigar is that the double bands and emblazoned tissue paper packaging hide a gorgeous wrapper with a lovely aroma. An all-ligero Dominican puro, this slow burning stick is a great combination of spice and sweetness in a medium-strength package. Not always easy to find, it’s well worth tracking down for a great change of pace.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

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.” This Quick Smoke is part of our “Win a Big Box of Cigar Swag” contest. Leave a comment and be subscribed to our free email newsletter to enter. Full details here.

I’ve been smoking some fine cigars this holiday season, but perhaps none as complex or expertly balanced as the Belicoso Extra (6.75 x 52) from Paul Garmirian’s 15th Anniversary line. True, the smoke normally costs upwards of $14. And the one I smoked for this write-up had been resting in my humidor for over 18 months. You’d expect a lot from such an investment of money and time. What I found thankfully met my expectations: excellent construction and a wonderful, full-bodied profile of cedar, melon, cinnamon, and pepper. If you haven’t tried the 15th Anniversary yet, you’re missing out.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday (and on special occasions midweek) 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 Quick Smoke is part of our “Win a Big Box of Cigar Swag” contest. Leave a comment and be subscribed to our free email newsletter to enter. Full details here.

Released by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo (along with the Oliva I recently tried), this Toro is part of a series of cigars celebrating Atlantic Cigar’s 15th year of business. It features a maduro Brazilian Habano wrapper around Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos. The result is an extremely balanced cigar with medium-bodied flavors, particularly milk chocolate, coffee, and cedar. It’s another impressive creation by Carrillo with notable amounts of sweet, earthy flavors. Combine that with flawless construction and it’s easy to recommend.

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.” This Quick Smoke is part of our “Win a Big Box of Cigar Swag” contest. Leave a comment and be subscribed to our free email newsletter to enter. Full details here.

The No. 13 Lancero is the fifth size in Joya de Nicaragua’s Cabinetta, a line that boasts Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos along with dual wrappers (Ecuadorian shade and Nicaraguan criollo). It measures 7.5 inches long with a ring gauge of 38 and retails for just under $8. As un-traditional as it may look, the cigar has a classic profile of toast, cream, coffee, nut, and spice. Construction is top-notch, and the mild- to medium-bodied flavor pairs well with a morning cup of joe.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday (and on special occasions midweek) 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 Quick Smoke is part of our “Win a Big Box of Cigar Swag” contest. Leave a comment and be subscribed to our free email newsletter to enter. Full details here.

Relatively new from Miami Cigar & Co., Añoranza is made with 100% Nicaraguan tobacco, including an oscuro Habano wrapper. My robusto burned flawlessly and produced loads of full-bodied flavors and thick, powdery smoke. Earth and unsweetened cocoa were the primary flavors, but notes of black pepper spice, cinnamon, and cedar were also apparent. Not a cigar to be trifled with, Añoranza is a flavor bomb, making it a good candidate for the conclusion of a multi-cigar evening. It’s especially nice with bourbon.

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.” This Quick Smoke is part of our “Win a Big Box of Cigar Swag” contest. Leave a comment and be subscribed to our free email newsletter to enter. Full details here.

Though you wouldn’t know it from the band, which doesn’t mention Oliva, this cigar is made for Atlantic Cigar Company in celebration of their 15th Anniversary by the Oliva Cigar Company. It’s the fourth and final release in a series of exclusive blends for Atlantic’s 15th year. The $8.50 cigar features an attractive Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, and it comes in a Diadema (6 .75 x 48) size that looks sleek and refined. I found cocoa, earth, and leather flavors, as well as a slightly damp flavor. Medium-full in flavor, the cigar struck me as just alright and hardly as good as either of the other Atlantic 15th Anniversary releases, or other cigars made by Oliva.

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.” This Quick Smoke is part of our “Win a Big Box of Cigar Swag” contest. Leave a comment and be subscribed to our free email newsletter to enter. Full details here.

I wouldn’t say I moved back to Chicago just to be closer to Tesa, a boutique shop west of the Loop with a portfolio of fantastic house blends. But being within a short trek of the remodeled tobacconist sure is a nice perk. Every time I swing by I pick up a Vintage Especial or two, a mild blend comprised of Nicaraguan tobaccos around a Connecticut wrapper. For my money, you can’t go wrong with the Rothchild (5 x 50), a robusto-sized smoke with excellent construction and a harmonious profile of oak, sweet hay, cream, and roasted nuts. It’s one of my favorite high-end mild cigars.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys