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.”

I stumbled across this limited, sun-grown-wrapped release at a shop I visit infrequently. Though priced about 50% above list, I couldn’t resist what was likely to be my only chance to smoke one. From first impression to final puff, there’s no doubt this cigar (5.75 x 48) is a Fuente. Rich, smooth, medium in strength, beautiful wrapper, superb construction, and the overall impression of fine, aged tobacco. On the other hand, it didn’t strike me as greatly different from some other excellent Fuentes, such as the Don Carlos (which has the same filler as the Unnamed Reserve). If you can find the Unnamed Reserve at the regular retail price of around $10, it’s well worth lighting up.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

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) John W. Walker, a Democratic representative in the Arkansas House, has introduced a bill (HB 2119) that would strip away the exemptions from his state’s smoking ban. If approved, his measure would criminalize smoking in cigar shops and cigar bars, as well as outdoor restaurants that currently choose to welcome cigar smokers. Cigar Rights of America issued an Action Alert yesterday, urging cigar enthusiasts in Arkansas to contact their representatives and voice their disapproval of the measure, which would erode the freedoms of cigar smokers and business owners.

2) The International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) yesterday announced Mike Ditka will be the special guest speaker at the opening breakfast of this year’s annual convention. Ditka is the former head coach of the Chicago Bears, current NFL analyst for ESPN, and an avid cigar fan. The 81st IPCPR Trade Show will be held July 13-17 at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas.

3) Inside the Industry: Brazilian cigar brand Dona Flor, which was reintroduced in the U.S. last year after lengthy litigation, announced it has signed on with RK Distributors (also known as Cigar Cartel) to be the company’s California distributor. Avo’s annual release for 2013, called the Dominant 13th after the jazz chord, will ship next month and feature mostly Dominican filler (with some Peruvian), a Dominican binder, and an Ecuadorian wrapper.

4) Deal of the Week: Move quickly on this special deal on a sampler of Pinar del Rio cigars. Just $20 gets you six sticks, including one each of the Small Batch Habano and Maduro.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Arkansas House

Dante is a brand new cigar created by two guys I know pretty well. Mike Huff and Mo Fakhro formed M Tabacos Inc. to create and distribute Dante, but I’ve known them far longer as the general manager and owner, respectively, of Cigar Connection, the shop I frequent the most here in Northern Virginia.

Over the years we’ve talked quite a bit about cigars, but more recently they started talking about a project they were very excited about. I feel obliged to point out that it would be fair to say I hope they succeed. The industry, however, is full of friendly people I wish nothing but success for, and like any other new cigar this one will have to stand on its own in field already full of good smokes. I’m convinced it does.

Like many new cigars, Dante is a collaboration with a well-known cigar maker. For Dante, the M Tabacos pair teamed up with Tabacalera Tropical/Casa Fernandez, which makes Dante at its Miami factory using the Aganorsa leaf they are known for.

The cigar is made with a deep brown San Andreas wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler. It comes in five sizes ranging from the Imp (4 x 44) to a large Toro (6.5 x 52). For this review I smoked four of of the corona gorda-sized Asmodeus (5.5 x 46), named after the demon king.

Pre-light the cigar, which features a small flattened pigtail cap, is full of woody oak flavors. The first few puffs show that to be a telling preview of what is to come, though once lit the woody notes are more charred and hickory flavored. In addition to wood, which also manifests as a light spice, the Dante features cocoa and a bread-like flavor that coats the palate in thick, powdery smoke. It took me a while to pick it out, but that powdery, bread-like component reminded me of the Tatuaje Anarchy.

The result is a cigar that starts out just north of medium-bodied and slowly ramps up until it’s just shy of completely full-bodied. It’s full of flavor yet also restrained. And considering my samples were rolled only a month earlier, I’m impressed by the balance. Each of the four Dantes I smoked burned wonderfully, with no touch-ups needed, and each had draw with just the right amount resistance.

The Dante range sells for $8.90-12 with the suggested retail price of the Asmodeus being $11.85. While Dante puts itself in some pretty exclusive company with that price, it’s not out of its league. Flavorful, but with subtleties and excellent balance, the Dante Asmodeus earns four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

By now, everyone’s had a chance to read and consider the seemingly endless list of top cigars of 2012. I know I have. And they’ve led me to a few new smokes I’m eager to try.

I have to say, though, I’m not really a fan of annual cigar rankings. Sure, tell me what cigars you really like and why, tell me the ones that blew you away. Heck, I’m also interested in the cigars that disappointed you. But I see no reason to try to turn smoking into a contest.

I understand it from a manufacturer’s point of view, particularly when it comes to the annual list by the industry giant, Cigar Aficionado. Whether you like it or loathe it, you cannot deny the magazine’s impact on cigar sales.

Inclusion can boost sales like nothing else. On the other hand, making the grade is no guarantee of success. Anyone smoke a Warlock lately? (No. 9 last year.)

I know there’s a general obsession with lists and ranking, but trying to reduce something as subjective as individual taste to a scoresheet seems to me a doomed practice. It’s also highly unlikely anyone could have smoked all the vitolas of all the cigars that could be ranked.

For instance, as I type this, I have Cigar Journal’s “Finest 25 Cigars of 2012” on my desk. At the bottom of the list is the Ashton VSG Robusto. I can’t help but wonder, did the same person sample each of the other 12 sizes in that blend to determine the Robusto is the best? Or who’s the lucky smoker who tried all 10 of the Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series to award honors to the Exclusivo Natural?

Frankly, I wish the compilers would provide more information. I’m still sorry Cigar Aficionado dropped the annual production figures from the standard data a few years back, though it’s included in some descriptions.

All that said, I do find the listings useful. One of my current favorites, the Aging Room Small Batch M356, came to my attention solely from last year’s CA listing. And this year I have at least three want-to-try smokes heading my list:

Kristoff Corojo Limitada Torpedo, CA’s No. 11. I not sure I’ve ever smoked a Kristoff, being baffled by the many variations on display in the humidor. But I’ll keep my eye out for this small-production stick.

CyB, the Joya de Nicaragua release that was No. 8 on Jerry Cruz’s list at Stogie Review.

Rodrigo La Fortaleza, the top pick at retailer PipesandCigars.com, which raved about it. Luckily, a Tampa shop I visit once in a great while carries this line.

Anything from all the lists make your must-try list?

–George E

photo credit: N/A

Green candela wrappers were once very popular with American cigar smokers. So much so that candela wrapper leafs—which go through a special quick and hot fermentation process that locks in the green color—were known as “American Market Selection,” as opposed to more traditional brown “English Market Selection” wrappers.

These days candelas are less popular and more of a novelty. Which is why cigar makers who bring American Market Selection cigars to the U.S. market often attach their release to St. Patrick’s Day, where consumers sometimes pair them with green beer (pictured).

If you’re thinking about trying a candela, this weekend (St. Patrick’s Day) is as good a time as any. To that end, here’s a quick rundown of some of the green cigars available:

Black Market Filthy Hooligan by Alec Bradley — This is 2013’s new addition to the candela ranks. It features the same blend as the regular Black Market (Panamanian and Honduran filler with a Sumatra binder) coupled with a candela wrapper. If you like the regular Black Market cigar, this is your best bet.

Illusione Candela — Illusione makes it’s original blend (Nicaraguan binder and filler) with candela in a few sizes. Back in 2011 when it first came out, we found the 88 size to be a pleasant smoke with tea and plenty of sweet flavors, and lacking the bitterness that sometimes defines candela cigars.

Viaje WLP St. Patrick’s Day — Now in it’s third annual release, this Viaje is part of the limited release “White Label Project” series. I’ve smoked a few of the 2012 edition, which features the brightest candela wrapper I’ve ever seen, and found that it equaled the Illusione as my favorite candela.

Camacho Candela Monarca — Many years ago I reviewed this candela by Honduran producer Camacho. One of the first candelas I ever smoked, it features the classic banana peel and grassy notes that I strongly associate with green wrappers.

Don Tomás Candela — My colleague reviewed this candela with some skepticism when the company claimed it was the result of three bales of candela wrappers that had been “lost” for 18 years. Ultimately, though, he found it to be a “respectable” smoke with enjoyable flavors, even if it wasn’t destined to be a regular in his rotation.

Fuente 8-5-8 Candela — Fuente’s regular line is known for smooth, mild flavors produced by Dominican binder and filler tobaccos. I smoked one of these a few years back and recall just that: a mild, balanced smoke with just a hint of classic grassy candela flavors.

Those are the candela cigars we can personally speak to, but there are a few others. La Flor Dominicana recently released their “double claro” (another name for candela). Rocky Patel makes the Edge blend with a candela for St. Patrick’s Day. And for while La Gloria Cubana also made one in a few sizes, it isn’t clear if it’s still produced.

If you’ve considered trying one before, I’d encourage you to use St. Patrick’s Day as a reason to take the plunge. Pick a brand with non-candela smokes that you like, and see what a world of difference a green wrapper can make. Finally, remember that for better or worse, with enough Jameson and Guinness, any cigar is bound to taste good.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

There are seven different H. Upmann blends listed on the Altadis website, including Reserve Maduro, Vintage Cameroon, Cabinet Selección, Sun Grown, and 1844 Reserve. The newest is a three-vitola line called “Legacy” that’s just hitting the market.

Legacy is handmade in Honduras with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper around “a savory binder from the cloud-cooled rain forests of Nicaragua and an intense mix of prized Nicaraguan and Dominican filler tobaccos.” It features “vintage 2008 tobaccos grown from heirloom seeds treasured for generations.”

This recipe is notable because it marks the first H. Upmann with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. In addition, Altadis is not accustomed to tobacco vintage dates, so Legacy is somewhat of a departure in that regard. And the packaging is unlike any other H. Upmann.

The Legacy Toro (6 x 52) retails for $6.85. It has a rustic, rough-around-the-edges exterior, including a hastily applied cap and several thick veins that run the length of the mottled, moderately oily wrapper. The foot yields an earthy pre-light fragrance, and the head clips cleanly to reveal a smooth draw with some sourness on the lips.

Altadis is calling this an “exquisite blend” with a “vibrant, fuller-bodied smoke complemented by a myriad of subtle and complex flavors unlike any H. Upmann before it.” The three Toros I sampled—each provided to me by Altadis—started with a dry, woodsy profile of salted cashew, cedar, and dried apricot. The sensation is medium-bodied.

As the Toro progresses, it mellows into a smoother smoke with less spice and more earth and mustiness. I find the aroma to be more intriguing than the actual taste, which is pleasant though straightforward. The final third is slightly more intense but otherwise very similar to the flavor at the midway point.

Construction is top-notch. The gray ash holds firm off the foot, the burn is straight enough to not require touch-ups, the draw is clear, and each puff produces ample smoke.

This is a solid smoke at a fair price, though probably not one I’d pair with an after-dinner cocktail. Rather, for me, the Legacy Toro is better suited for the golf course. Or it would be a great choice to share with friends who aren’t regular cigar enthusiasts, as its smooth demeanor makes it very approachable. These conclusions result in a rating of three stogies 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.”

Given that it’s the St. Patrick’s Day season (apparently it’s a whole season now since I attended a St. Patrick’s Day parade last weekend), I fired up this limited release from last year. More so than any other Candela I’ve smoked, the wrapper isn’t just green, but a bright, shiny, almost kelly green hue. The cigar features roasted flavors with coffee, toast, and black pepper spice. It’s a pleasant cigar even if the balance is hurt somewhat by the grassy notes of the green wrapper. Still, you could do far worse if you want to smoke a candela-wrapped cigar for the St. Patty’s season, or for any other reason.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys