The Stogie Guys

If bourbon must be made with a mashbill that’s over 50% corn, and rye must be made with a mashbill that’s over 50% rye, what do you call a spirit that’s a mixture of the two? Wild Turkey calls it a mistake, but a tasty one.

According to Wild Turkey, distillery staff “unwittingly mingled very rare, high-proof rye with perfectly-aged bourbon” (78% 6-year-old bourbon and 22% 4-year-old rye, to be more specific). Given that they named the result “Forgiven,” I guess we can assume the staff that made such a horrible error hasn’t been fired.

Described on the bottle as a “blend of and rye straight whiskies” this unique spirit is bottled at 91-proof, notably lower than the traditional 101-proof for which Wild Turkey is known. It sells for $50 per bottle, which has the same shape as Wild Turkey’s Rare Breed offering.

The result is a light, orange/gold-colored spirit with a largely straightforward nose that features caramel with some melon and oak. The real fun starts on the palate, where the interplay between bourbon and rye emerges.

It’s a tasty combination dominated by resin, caramel, and wood spice, but also with notes of berries, apple, and cinnamon. The finish is long and oily with plenty of wood and dry spice.

It’s not what I look for in a rye or or a bourbon, but still I really enjoyed Forgiven. It’s a lively American whiskey that demands your attention: more rye than bourbon (despite the percentages), Forgiven pulls in a complex combination of sweetness, spice, wood, and fruit.

Even though the proof isn’t all that high, it demands a full-bodied cigar. I’d particularly lean towards a full-bodied Broadleaf Maduro-wrapped cigar like the Liga Privada No. 9, La Riqueza, or RoMa Craft Cromagnon.

If you consider yourself an amateur in the world of bourbon and rye, wait before you pick up a bottle of Forgiven. Instead, try these fine bourbons, or one of these ryes. But if you’re moving into bourbon connoisseur stage, you should definitely seek out Wild Turkey Forgiven.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The Surrogates line is an effort by brand owner Pete Johnson to release “consumer price conscious” cigars with premium quality.

To increase the appeal, each of the five Surrogates vitolas, rolled at Don Pepin Garcia’s My Father Cigars factory in Nicaragua, has a different blend and flavor profile. The idea is to create cigars with something of a limited edition feel in a regular production run.

For the Skull Breaker, a belicoso (5.25 x 52), that means a splotchy Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper with few veins and Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. It’s listed at $8 per stick.

I’ve smoked five and generally enjoyed each one. I did encounter some inconsistency between sticks. A few, for example, were rolled a bit tight. And while smoke production was generally good, it was notably thin in one Skull Breaker. Across all samples the burn was excellent, and the ash held on tightly.

Pre-light, the wrapper had a nice, spicy, barnyard aroma while the filler gave off a sweet and chocolatey air. Smoking through it, I was surprised at the relatively mild level of pepper considering where it was rolled and the Nicaraguan filler.

But it did have the strength and body typical of many Nicaraguans, as well as flavors of leather and espresso.

The Skull Breaker isn’t particularly complex, though it did develop a bit, and I generally liked the second half more than the first.

I’d like to try others in the Surrogates line. It’s an interesting concept. Patrick A reviewed the original Skull Breaker when it was introduced at New Havana Cigars and gave it three and a half stogies. A year and a half later, I’d agree.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Here’s a perfect example of the politicization of anti-tobacco “science.” A study comes out, a press release announces it, and news reports on it. And each step seems to mislead readers more than the next.

An article about a government-funded study by the National Institute of Health (which, as you might expect, doesn’t go out of its way to fund studies that show that the risks of smoking are overestimated) is titled “Cigarette Smoke Toxins Deposited on Surfaces: Implications for Human Health.”

The authors wanted to get publicity for their study so they put out a statement titled “Third-hand Smoke Shown to Cause Health Problems.” The press release included references to the sponsoring university’s policy of a tobacco-free, campus including e-cigarettes, even though it was not related to the study at all.

Next, a reporter summarized the study with an article that ran with this fear-inducing headline: “Study: Third-Hand Smoke Exposure as Deadly as Smoking.”

Note the escalating sensationalism?

Analysis

If you’re an unsuspecting person who clicks on the article from the Drudge Report (where the link appeared), then you’d assume you might as well smoke if you’re going to be in places where people have smoked before. The study says it’s just “as deadly as smoking.” That’s the claim the headline makes at least.

But you don’t have to be a scientist to understand the basic concepts of dosage and concentrations make it ridiculous to claim that smoking cigarettes (that’s what is studied, not cigars, even though the headline doesn’t make it clear) poses the same danger as spending that time in a  room where people have smoked in the past.

Not to mention the actual study involved shaving mouses’ backs so that exposure would be maximized to the strips of carpeting that had been placed in tiny, unventilated containers that were filled with smoke by a special smoking machine. Needless to say, it’s not particularly analogous to any normal human activity.

Plus, so far as I can tell, the human equivalent would be rolling up a 16 foot by 16 foot carpet, and placing it in a small closet for weeks on end while continually smoking but keeping the closet closed air-tight. Then never cleaning the carpet and laying naked on it for most of your life. Still, somehow that gets reported to the public as if it’s “as deadly as smoking,” and then politicians and activists repeat it to justify complete smoking bans. (Take a look at the bills on this page if you have your doubts.)

After all, if you can be seriously harmed not only by contemporaneous exposure to other people smoking but by exposure to a place where someone in the past may have smoked, then the only way to protect people fully is a complete ban on smoking. Which, unfortunately, is exactly what they want.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Flickr

Azan Cigars continues to grow. It’s now in 60 shops (no online sales), has just run its first national advertisement (in Cigar Snob), and is readying a new line (maduro).

Not bad for a company that, while tracing its cigar roots to 1928 Cuba, only got started in 2012 and entered the U.S. market a year later at the IPCPR Trade Show.

The small operation is anchored by Roberto Pelayo Duran, who worked in the industry in his native Cuba. Azan cigars are produced at a 20-person factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. Each pair of rollers and buncheros is dedicated to producing a single size in an effort to achieve maximum quality.

I’ve received samples from Azan and reviewed the more expensive White line last year. This time I smoked the budget-friendly Burgundy, which had been in my humidor for several months.

The Short Robusto (4.4 x 50) has a suggested retail price under $4. It’s wrapped in a light brown Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper that has little pre-light aroma, while the Nicaraguan binder (Jalapa) and filler (Jalapa and Estelí) give off a sweet air.

That sweetness shows up in the lit cigar as well, though I tended to get more straw and wheat. Construction and performance were top flight. My only complaint was with the amount of smoke. I’d prefer more.

The Burgundy line is aptly described by Azan as one for “daily enjoyment” and “perfect to share with friends.”

It would also be a fine introductory smoke for newcomers, particularly with its emphasis on smaller vitolas: the longest is just over 5 inches, and the fattest ring gauge is a 50. With the low price, Burgundy could also fit nicely into a regular rotation, particularly if you’re seeking to get in a shorter smoke on these cold winter days.

Keep an eye out for Azan. Their cigars are well worth a try. I give the Burgundy three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–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.”

When this cigar emerges from its simple two-piece white tubo, you might be gazing at perfection. The Connecticut wrapper is flawless, the aroma enticing, and the smoker’s level of expectation at its peak. The toro (6 x 50)—aptly described by Davidoff as “stronger and fuller-bodied” with an “elegant, harmonious blend”—is an absolute pleasure to smoke. Tasty, complex, lots of smoke, excellent performance. (Patrick S. reviewed this stogie back in 2008.) Mine was a gift. I have to confess I don’t buy a whole lot of $20 cigars, but I had no doubt this one was worth every penny.

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.”

Since its inception, I have been a member of Saints & Sinners, a Tatuaje club that annually sends participants exclusive cigars (as well as other Tatuaje-branded merchandise like wine openers, poker chips, and apparel). Part of the 2013 smoke kit was an Exclusive Series “Hassell”—Pete Johnson’s middle name. It’s a large perfecto (6.9 x 52) based on the Tatuaje Avion, with a twist. Like Avion, it has an Ecuadorian Habano maduro wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. But this time, the filler also includes tobaccos from another undisclosed country. The result is a medium- to full-bodied profile of dry oak, roasted nuts, black pepper, coffee, and ample earthy sweetness on the aftertaste. Construction is excellent. If you aren’t a Saints & Sinners member, finding this cigar will be exceedingly difficult. So, if anything, I hope this Quick Smoke encourages you to sign up.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys