The Stogie Guys

Revelation is the latest Don Pepin Garcia creation in Ashton’s San Cristobal line. Like the others, it sports a gorgeous, intricate band in addition to an identifying secondary one. (We’ve reviewed the original line here and here, the Selección del Sol, and done a Quick Smoke of the Elegancia line here.)

But what stands out is a box press that, with the 48-ring gauge Mystic, makes it resemble a wafer along the lines of the coffee-flavored Java.

Light it up, though, and you’ll quickly discover that shape is all the two have in common. Revelation—befitting its Nicaraguan binder and filler—produces quite a pepper punch in the opening, followed by a nice spice on the back of the throat. It’s not the smoothest cigar, and the sharpness becomes exacerbated if you don’t smoke very slowly.

That can require a little effort because Revelation burns effortlessly, producing smoke like a house fire. The draw in those I’ve had was excellent, as was construction throughout.

In appearance, though, the 5.6-inch stick isn’t particularly pretty. Though there are no prominent veins, the brown Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper tends to be splotchy.

Overall, I’d say Revelation is a medium-strength cigar that develops throughout with some flavor shifts. I wondered, though, if it might not be a better smoke in a larger ring gauge, featured in each of the four other vitolas. There’s even a Leviathan (6.5 x 64).

Overall, I’d recommend giving the Revelation line a try. I rate the San Cristobal Revelation Mystic three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

About a year ago, when I reviewed a pre-release version of the Recluse Draconian Robusto from Iconic Leaf, I mentioned that the sizes of the blend would not be disclosed until the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) Trade Show in Las Vegas.

Typically, the announcement of vitolas is a non-event. But, last winter, well before the IPCPR convention, Iconic Leaf assured us three of the sizes would be in a never-before-seen format called “Sidewinder,” and this created some intrigue. (Iconic Leaf fans will recall Recluse was likewise rolled out in an inventive format called “Kanu,” which has a head-turning kayak-like shape).

As best as I can describe it, the Sidewinder shape is reminiscent to a flattened oval that has a slight box press and a bit of a taper at the cap. Three Sidewinders appear in the Recluse Draconian portfolio: No. 1 (5 x 57, $8); No. 2 (6 x 57, $9); and No. 3 (7 x 57, $10). They join three other standard vitolas, all of which are box-pressed: Robusto (5 x 54, $7.50); Toro (6.25 x 50, $8.50); and 6 x 60 ($9.50).

All of these cigars are rolled in the entubado style at the Tabacalera Leyendas Cubanas factory in the Dominican Republic. They share an Ecuadorian maduro wrapper around a proprietary binder. The filler includes a Ligero leaf that’s unique to Iconic Leaf, as well as Dominican Ligero, Piloto Cubano, and Braziago.

The Recluse Draconian Sidewinder No. 2 is a sleek-looking smoke with a smooth surface, minimal veins, and barely visible seams. Notes of caramel, leather, and red pepper are apparent off the foot. A small V-cut is all that’s needed to open up a clear draw, thanks to the entubado rolling technique. In a nod to its unique shape, the cigar fits comfortably in the mouth despite its large ring gauge.

Ample spice, dry wood, espresso, pepper, and bread characterize the flavor profile. The smoke is heavy, toasty, and abundant with a thick texture. Traces of cream and peanut come and go. Throughout, the construction is very good—the ash is firm and stable, the burn line straight, and the draw smooth.

I thoroughly enjoyed both Sidewinder No. 2s I smoked for this review, though I can’t say I liked either considerably more or less than the pre-release Robusto. Still, I’d imagine some will prefer the Sidewinder format over the traditional Recluse Draconian sizes because of the ability to comfortably smoke a large ring gauge, and the ability to effectively control the concentration of the smoke by choosing between a V-cut and a standard guillotine cut. In the end, this vitola is worthy of a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Last week CVS (NYSE: CVS) made big news when it announced they would no longer be selling tobacco products in their drug stores. The decision itself doesn’t have direct implications on premium handmade cigars, but it does raise some issues that should be of interest to all smokers.

First off, let’s recognize that this is a very significant decision for a corporation to make. The company sells $1.5 billion worth of tobacco every year (presumably with a healthy profit margin), which probably is why the stock dropped the day of the announcement. Any time a company eliminates over 1% of their total revenue (more when you look at total estimated revenue losses) with nothing to replace it, it’s a big deal.

This isn’t the first time a business has made a decision to go anti-tobacco, but I can’t think of another decision that cuts into the bottom line so obviously. Local bars and restaurants go smoke-free all the time before laws dictate they have to, so have national hotel chains and Starbucks, which now forbids smoking even in outdoor areas.

But none of those decisions so obviously impact the bottom line. Sure, I go to Caribou Coffee now instead of Starbucks when I want to sit outside and smoke a cigar with some coffee, but it’s not nearly as apparent to shareholders that my revenue is lost in the way that cigarette sales at CVS are now gone because, as the CVS CEO puts it, “We came to the decision that cigarettes and providing health care just don’t go together in the same setting.”

First off, let’s recognize that businesses are free to make their own decisions, though a public company does have to answer to shareholders. There’s nothing inherently wrong about CVS deciding not to provide cigarettes in the same way that a government prohibition in allowing smoking smoking does infringe on the rights of a business owner to choose to provide a customer something he or she wants (in this case a place to smoke).

But let’s not glance over the hypocrisy either. CVS still sells plenty of products that contribute to the overall bad health of our society (even before you dig into the overuse of over-the-counter and prescription drugs). Potato chips, candy bars, and soda, not to mention beer and wine, all will presumably keep being sold at CVS.

Take a look at the obesity, diabetes, etc. that this country faces, and it’s clear that CVS has singled out one product among many unhealthy things. People are already noticing this hypocrisy, even if they don’t realize that it’s likely because anti-smoker discrimination is far more acceptable than other types of judgmental discrimination.

Still, perversely, if CVS’s move catches on, it could end up helping the independent cigar shops that often carry, though hardly emphasize, cigarettes. Until CVS’s competitors like other drug stores, grocery stores, and 7-11-style convenience stores take the same approach, it will just hurt CVS’s bottom line to the benefit of those who don’t go along. If it ever does catch on more widely, specialty tobacconists will be there to sell cigarettes to smokers, along with the premium tobacco products they currently focus on selling.

And that’s the beauty of the free market. Paternalistic types can bully businesses around, but as long as some businesses are free to cater to adults who choose to enjoy tobacco products, they only open up more opportunities for those who celebrate, or at least don’t moralize about, the freedom to choose to smoke.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Flickr

One might argue this review is unnecessary. For starters, I reviewed this same cigar (and same vitola) a little more than two years ago. In addition, the My Father line has become ubiquitous among cigar fans, earning it a solid reputation and diminishing the usefulness of yet another review stacked upon longstanding heaps of praise.

However, we should not forget cigars share many similarities with wine. Each growing season in each part of the cigar-producing world brings with it different soil conditions, different rainfall, different sunlight exposure, and different levels of humidity. When you add in the variables associated with cultivation, fermentation, and rolling, it’s a wonder cigar makers have any consistency at all within the same blend across years. So I would argue there’s a fair amount of value in revisiting old reviews. Particularly when—as in this case—several years separate the two creations.

Whereas the robusto-sized My Father No. 1 cigars I acquired for my previous review were purchased in 2011, the five-pack I bought for this review was ordered and received in late 2013. Both have Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos and a Habano/Criollo hybrid wrapper from Ecuador. And both measure 5.5 inches long with a ring gauge of 52 and a price tag of about $10.

In appearance, the recently acquired My Father No. 1 cigars look exactly like all the others I have smoked in this format. They have smooth, oily wrappers, soft pre-light notes with tons of sweetness, and the trademark My Father band of pink, green, red, and gold. The cap clips easily to reveal a smooth cold draw.

Perhaps these newer robustos are somewhat different—or perhaps my tastes have just changed (that’s another variable to consider)—but today My Father No. 1 has a meaty, almost mesquite-like character that I don’t remember. Sure, the core flavors of cedar, coffee, chocolate, dry tannins, and pepper remain. I don’t recall, though, the cigar having such a pronounced char component. I’m not complaining, especially since these bold, smoky tastes are offset by a frequent creaminess that reminds me of nougat.

Throughout, the medium- to full-bodied robusto is a model of construction perfection. The ash holds firm for an above-average length, the burn line is wonderfully straight, and each puff yields ample smoke.

Based on my own recollection, which is admittedly flawed, the My Father No. 1 tastes a little different today than it did a few years ago. Interestingly, however, I don’t find myself liking this cigar any more or any less. I maintain it’s still worthy of a stellar rating of four and a half 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.”

La Aroma de Cuba Edición Especial was the first La Aroma made by the Pepins, who currently make all four La Aroma blends at the My Father factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. (The previous version featured a Plasencia wrapper and was made in Honduras, although later production of that was also switched to Pepin’s factory and reblended.) The blend features an Ecuadorian sun-grown wrapper surrounding Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. The No. 55 size is the newest addition to the line and the largest ring gauge (55), with a length of 5.75 inches. It’s a classic, if simplistic, version of Pepin’s signature flavor profile: pepper, wood, and warm tobacco. It’s a pleasant cigar, but far from Pepin’s or La Aroma de Cuba’s best.

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 is the latest in Toraño’s series of smokes based on blends created in the past. They twisted the 2004 blend, using an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The filler is from Jalapa and Estelí, along with what Toraño calls “a rare Pennsylvania leaf” they discovered in 1998. It’s a full-bodied, smooth cigar with some spice and sweetness. The Toro (6 x 52), which runs about $7.50, is an excellent size for the experience.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: N/A