The Stogie Guys

If there’s a certainty about periodically released limited edition cigars, it’s that after the first there will be someone who contends that whatever one you’re smoking, it isn’t as good as one that came before.

Since few of us have smoked them all, that’s a difficult judgment to refute. Is this fifth Small Batch up to the standard of the previous four? I can’t say.

But judged on its own, this is an excellent smoke, created by Litto Gomez as part of his ongoing project to use dark, rough Pelo de Oro wrapper tobacco grown on his Dominican farm. The fifth in the series fits firmly in the La Flor Dominicana tradition of bold smokes that explode the stereotype of Dominican puros.

I got one big surprise in the 6.75-inch, 52 ring gauge stick: sweetness. You find it in the pre-light aroma and woven through the other flavors from beginning to the end. It creates a pleasant contrast.

Other flavors include cocoa, cedar, and coffee, though they’re all artfully blended so none is dominant. I found the burn to be fine on the sticks I’ve smoked, though the white ash is a bit flaky and I wouldn’t mind a bit more smoke production.

While the predominantly red band is typical in appearance to other Litto Gomez cigars, there’s at least one distinguishing feature. In tiny letters on one side is the designation “Puro SB-V,” as was done on the No. 4 earlier.

Released late last year and limited to about 25,000 cigars packed in boxes of 105 and retailing individually for about $20, the No. 5 is no longer easy to find. But it’s well worth seeking out if you’re a fan of strong smokes.

I also think there’s good potential for aging. So even though I only bought a five-pack, I plan to hold on to a couple and check them out in a year or two. For the present, though, I rate this cigar four stogies.

[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.”

One of the most anticipated releases of the year, Don Pepín Garcia’s riff on an Ecuadorian Connecticut shade wrapper does not disappoint. With Nicaraguan Habano-Criollo filler and a Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 binder—both grown on the Garcias’ farms—this caramel-colored stick is a tasty treat. Considerably milder in strength than the typical Pepín creation, the Connecticut is, nonetheless, a complex cigar with a bit of the familiar pepper as well as plenty of sweetness, spice, and wood. This should please any cigar smoker, from beginners to those who chase the boldest blends.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: My Father Cigars

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) Nebraska’s highest court has ruled that smoking in cigar bars and tobacco shops is unconstitutional. The Nebraska Clean Indoor Air Act renders it “unlawful for any person to smoke in a place of employment or a public place,” but exemptions were granted to tobacco retail outlets and the state’s 11 cigar bars. However, according to the Lincoln Journal Star, “Judge Kenneth Stephan, writing for the majority, said there is no substantial difference in circumstances between cigar bars and other public places or workplaces that justifies treating them differently.” Cigar bar owners have reportedly met in Omaha to discuss their response, which is likely to entail allowing patrons to smoke until their licenses expire on October 31, and asking lawmakers to address the issue in the next legislative session.

2) In partnership with the Tobacconist of Greenwich—a cigar shop in Connecticut that’s lacking in lounge space—Davidoff has opened its fifth upscale lounge in the U.S. “The store is a landmark in Greenwich. This [lounge] is an additional location,” Michael Cafagno, co-owner of the Tobacconist of Greenwich, told the Greenwich Time. “Of the 229 stores, we’re the largest Davidoff retailer in the U.S. We have a very good relationship with them. The majority of products will be Davidoff, but we’ll be selling the other high-end brands.” Annual lounge memberships cost $3,000, and single-day passes are also available for $50. Greenwich is an affluent suburb of New York.

3) Inside the Industry: Antillian Cigars, manufacturer of Sosa, announced that it will be the exclusive U.S. distributor for Arandoza Cigars, Headlines Cigars, and Doña Nieves Cigars. Meanwhile, Davidoff is beginning an “aggressive” expansion of Camacho to Canada.

4) Deal of the Week: Using these coupon codes you can score some good deals from site sponsor Cigar Place. Our favorites include 20% off Undercrown and Oliva. You can also use the promo to score 5% off the limited Tatuaje Reserva Noella.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Nebraska Judicial Branch

If you’re involved in a fight over smoking restrictions or simply want to be well-armed when the topic comes up, Unlucky Strike is a book for you.

Written by Professor John Staddon (above right), a Duke University professor of psychology and biology, his aim is “a re-think and a redress” of society’s current views on smoking. He marshals a lot of argument, replete with footnotes and citations, in just over 100 pages.

That’s fitting for a scholar whose work has ranged from simulated detection of landmines to lectures on traffic control.

But the book is anything but a dry, academic tome. Whether exploring the limitations of epidemiology or dissecting the ins and outs of the tobacco Master Settlement Agreement of 1998, Staddon maintains a sharp focus, a sense of humor, and a conversational tone.

Here, for example, is his take on the effectiveness of banning cigarette advertising: “Dogs like to chase cats. Keeping them away from cats doesn’t help. The first time they see a cat, off they go. The only way to prevent chasing is to expose them to cats and train them not to chase. So it may be with tobacco.”

You’re as apt to run across a reference to comedians Laurel and Hardy as to epidemiologist Sir Richard Doll.

Nonetheless, this is a book that is unlikely to enjoy wide readership. And that might be OK if those who do read it include policy makers, legislators, scientists, and other researchers. Because whether one agrees with Staddon’s views on smoking, there’s no disputing his thoroughness and depth in presenting his case. It would help anyone keep the sort of open mind necessary to reach valid conclusions.

You can order Unlucky Strike online at Amazon.

–George E

photo credit: University of Buckingham Press

It was back in early 2010 when we first reported on the major deal that united Stockholm-based Swedish Match, parent company of General Cigar (Macanudo, Punch, La Gloria Cubana, Hoyo de Monterrey, Partagas, Cohiba), and the Denmark-based Scandinavian Tobacco Group (CAO, Toraño, Henri Wintermans). In the ensuing months, many CAO executives left, and the company moved from its home of Nashville to Richmond.

In 2011, details began to emerge about Crowned Heads, a new cigar company formed by Jon Huber and other former CAO employees. The same cigar fans who bemoaned the loss of CAO (as they once knew it) were able to cheer for a new boutique startup. “Crowned Heads is influenced by a time when quality, pride, and integrity mattered,” reads the Nashville company’s website. “We strive to bring our vision to reality and invite you to live in our world.”

The Crowned Heads world revolves around a handful of distinct blends, with Four Kicks, Headley Grange, and J.D. Howard Reserve comprising the core. The latter was introduced at the 2013 industry convention in five vitolas: HR46 (6 x 46), HR48 (5 x 48), HR50 (5.6 x 50, figurado) HR52 (6 x 52), and HR54 (5 x 54).

Named for the alias outlaw Jesse James used when he lived in Nashville, J.D. Howard Reserve employs a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper, Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, and Nicaraguan filler. It is intended to be medium- to full-bodied and made by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo at his Tabacalera La Alianza S.A. factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

I purchased a five-pack of J.D. Howard Reserve HR52s for $48.50 ($9.70 per cigar). This toro-shaped vitola comes complete with an old-school band; a thick, moderately oily wrapper with a few prominent veins; and a well-crafted cap. A simple V-cut is all that’s needed to open up a smooth cold draw. The wrapper leaves a slight red pepper spice on the lips.

Once an even light is established, a savory taste of wood, meat, black pepper, and leather emerges. At times, a subtle sourness is present. And while I don’t typically think of sour flavors as particularly pleasing in cigars, in this case they’re subdued enough to not be a distraction. Throughout, the resting smoke boasts a pleasant nutty creaminess.

A sensation I can only describe as “mesquite” best exemplifies my overall impression of the rustic flavor. Not much changes from beginning to end, at least in my experience, save for an intensification of heat and spice in the final third. All the while the construction is outstanding, including a straight burn line and an ash that holds incredibly well.

To be frank, I am neither enamored nor disappointed with the J.D. Howard Reserve HR52. Though I will say the price point is a little high for my liking; I’d prefer to pay about $6-7 for a smoke of this caliber rather than the asking price, which is approaching the $10 mark. For me, it clocks in at three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Tatuaje has long had a close relationship with the Washington-based W. Curtis Draper cigar shop, which now includes two locations and the affiliated Civil Cigar Lounge. The shop was an early supporter of Tatuaje and its owner Pete Johnson, and the relationship has resulted in many collaborations. (At times the loyalty has even prevented other DC-area shops from getting certain Tatuaje products.)

One result of the special bond between Draper and Tatuaje was the “Cabaiguan WCD 120,” a limited edition petit corona Cabaiguan blend released in 2007 to celebrate the shop’s 120th anniversary. Five years later, the “120 Redux” would bring that blend back to celebrate year 125.

Another collaboration was a special size of the Tatuaje Brown Label (also known as the “Selección de Cazador”) made for Civil Cigar Lounge. That cigar was a essentially just a slightly thicker version of the 7.6-inch Taino size: 52 ring gauge versus the 49 for the regular release Taino.

Which gets us to the WCD 127. Made to celebrate Draper’s 127th year, it uses the same large size as the Civil Cigar Lounge Tatuaje cigar. The differences are the blend (although the basics are still an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler) and the packaging, which uses the red, white, and green band that pops up for one-off Tatuaje projects.

Tatuaje Selección de Cazador wrappers can vary in color, so it’s hard to say the 127’s wrapper is darker or lighter, but certainly the medium brown wrapper has, when you look closely, more dark splotches that I normally see in Tatuaje Brown Label cigars. The large cigar is well-constructed, and once lit it produced loads of thick smoke.

The Tatuaje WCD 127’s flavors are a farily traditional combination of earth and coffee, but there’s also some roasted peanut, nutmeg, burnt wood, leather, and plenty of pepper spice. It’s a medium- to full-bodied smoke that ebbs and flows throughout the two-hour smoking time, with hints of bitterness popping up on few occasions.

Maybe my standards are too high when it comes to Tatuaje limited release cigars (as some have been my all-time favorites) but while this is a very good cigar, it didn’t knock it out of the park for me. I actually prefer the regular Tatuaje Brown Label Taino. Still, it’s a very nice way to spend two hours and $12. (Boxes of 12 sold for $140.)

All of which earns the Tatuaje WCD 127 a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys