The Stogie Guys

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) Smoke Inn has announced the ninth installment in its Microblend Series: Pactum, which is crafted by Illusione specifically for the Florida-based cigar retailer. Pactum will be offered in a single, lightly box-pressed size (5.5 x 56) and feature a Mexican Maduro wrapper around Nicaraguan tobaccos. Starting on December 6, it will be sold for $8.95 for a single, or $134.25 for a box of 15. Previous participants in Smoke Inn’s Microblend Series include 601, Room 101, Arturo Fuente, Tatuaje, My Father, and Padrón.

2) Drew Estate recently announced an exclusive manufacturing agreement with Pappy & Company, maker of the impossibly hard-to-find Pappy Van Winkle bourbon. Drew Estate—which is in the process of being acquired by Swisher International—will craft the so-called “Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve” cigar in Estelí. “It’s a well-rounded, sophisticated cigar, with body and a hearty expression,” says Jonathan Drew. “Drew Estate is known for passion and innovation, and making premium cigars is our ‘raison d’être’ [reason to be]. The ‘Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve’ premium cigar is truly a showcase of our passion for cigar-making.”

3) Smoking Freedoms Update: In Vermont, Burlington’s Church Street Marketplace will now prohibit smoking. The Nebraska Supreme Court has decided not to reconsider a statewide ban on smoking inside cigar shops and cigar bars. In New Jersey, legislation has been signed to ban smoking in Newark’s parks and recreational facilities. The North Dakota town of Fargo has criminalized smoking at city parks.

4) Deal of the Week: Famous Smoke Shop has a variety of coupons available ranging from free shipping or humidification solution to samplers or even free boxes. The coupons can be combined with sale items, or even constantly updating Cigar Monster deals.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Smoke Inn

The 5th Year Anniversary Limitada wasn’t the only new cigar from E.P. Carrillo (EPC) recently. The company also released La Historia, its first box-pressed cigar.

While details are murky so far, and while these things have a way of changing, it has been suggested this line will be the first in a new series of EPC of releases called “The Generations” series. The names of La Historia also pay tribute to multiple generations, with the sizes being named after Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s father, wife, and son, respectively: El Senador, Doña Elena, and E-III.

I sampled the Doña Elena (6.1 x 50), smoking four cigars from the ornate box pictured above. La Historia uses a Mexican Maduro wrapper around an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder. According to the EPC website it has only Nicaraguan fillers. However, nearly every retail website (such sites generally get their info directly from the company) lists fillers as coming from both Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

The cigar comes in a very elegant, ornate presentation. It’s a far cry from the original EPC packaging and it looks very sharp, although the large box isn’t exactly an efficient use of your humidor space for just 10 cigars.

Pre-draw, there’s a very unique plastic-like flavor. I thought at first it was from the plastic tray at the bottom of the box, but even the two cigars I set aside for a month had the same element. It’s not something that bothers me, or is even unpleasant, but it’s definitely different.

Once lit, you can clearly taste the Mexican wrapper. The cigar produces thick, dense smoke that’s packed with a mix of chalk, milk chocolate, almond, and roasted flavors. The medium- to full-bodied smoke really coats the palate. Construction is flawless.

La Historia Doña Elena is a complete 180 from the EPC 5th Anniversary cigar, but good in its own way. All things being equal, I’ve never been a big fan of Mexican wrappers, and this cigar is dominated by it’s wrapper. Yet it’s still easy to appreciate the roasty flavors, voluminous smoke production, and excellent construction. That earns the E.P. Carrillo La Historia Doña Elena a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Winter is coming. For those who don’t relish braving the harsh outdoor elements, the season is a stark reminder of the scarcity of indoor locales in which to enjoy a fine cigar.

Government-imposed smoking bans have outlawed many bars, restaurants, and other establishments from offering cigar-friendly accommodations. In certain municipalities, private residences in multi-unit buildings have even been targeted. The result? In the winter, a multitude of cigar smokers must either curtail their cigar consumption until the weather improves; smoke out in the cold; build some kind of cigar sanctuary at their home, if possible; or find a welcoming cigar lounge, however far away.

The latter can be surprisingly challenging. Depending on your region, your options may be extremely limited. My work-related travels regularly take me far away from my cozy den. When they do—especially in the winter—I’m confronted with the same challenge: How do I find a convenient, well-appointed lounge where I can fire up a good smoke?

I’ve written before about some of my criteria for optimal cigar enjoyment, as well as how to spot a good lounge/tobacconist. Generally, I’m looking for a welcoming environment with plenty of space, a good selection of cigars at fair prices, and the ability to enjoy an adult beverage with my cigar (either purchased at the lounge, or BYOB).

Sometimes, depending on where I am, I’ll need to drive 30 to 60 minutes or more just to find a suitable spot. A good example: Last week I was in Hartford, Connecticut—the sort of city that has plenty of business travelers (think insurance and finance) for whom a cigar lounge would be a wonderful refuge after a day full of meetings. Sadly, the only cigar shop in town closes early and doesn’t have much space. So I find myself having to drive to New Haven to visit The Owl Shop (which is a lot of fun, by the way).

In other instances, I’ll find myself near an upscale, members-only cigar lounge where my only option would be to pay a $50 entrance fee. I’ve never actually done this, mind you, since I can’t reconcile having to pay $50 for the right to buy a smoke and sit in a chair.

True, some places have great cigar lounges (I’m looking at you, Cigar Masters in Providence, Rhode Island). But with premium cigar consumption—and bourbon consumption—on the upswing, I’m still amazed at how hard it can be to locate a suitable lounge in some areas. And it seems like every good lounge I visit is always packed with people paying good money for premium cocktails and higher-priced cigars.

The good news? Thanks to mobile technology, social media, etc. it’s easier than ever to find the nearest smoke-friendly option. It’s just unfortunate the “nearest” often isn’t all that near.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Cigar Masters

Once called the “Whiskey Capital of the World,” the number of whiskey distilleries in Campbeltown has dwindled from its peak of over 30. Today there are only three: Springbank, Glen Scotia, and Glengyle, the latter of which is where Kilkerran is distilled.

In fact, it has been suggested that Campbeltown (one of four major scotch whiskey regions along with Highlands, Lowland, and Islay) will be folded into the larger Highland region because of the small number of remaining Campbeltown distilleries. That dearth of Campbeltown distilleries is probably why I’m drinking Kilkerran today.

Glengyle, which calls its whiskey Kilkerran to distinguish it from Glengyle vatted whiskey (which is owned by another distillery), hadn’t produced whiskey since the 1920s until it resumed production in 2004 with the assistance of Springbank Distillery staff (whose owners are associated with Glengyle). Springbank is almost certainly motivated by the threat to the Campbeltown designation for its support of the relaunch of the Glengyle Distillery.

A regular-production Kilkerran Single Malt is due in 2016, but a few “Work in Progress” single malts have been released starting in 2009. That makes the Work in Progress 6, released earlier this year, a 10-year scotch aged exclusively, as the name suggests, in sherry casks. (A bourbon cask Work in Progress is also available.)

On the nose, Kilkerran is forward with its creamy sherry-ness, which is joined by a hint of pear. The palate features more rich sherry that hits the front and middle of the palate. Oak is apparent, too, as are dried fruits. The finish is more of the same with dates and sherry coating the roof of the mouth.

The 94-proof Kilkerran may be a “Work in Progress” in name, but it’s every bit a finished, well-rounded whiskey. It pairs perfectly with a fine Ecuadorian Habano-wrapped cigar like a My Father or CAO Concert, or if you want to go the Cuban route try a Romeo y Julieta Wide Churchill.

Fans of sherry-forward single malt shouldn’t hesitate to pick up the Kilkerran Work In Progress 6 Sherry Matured, which retails for around $65. But even if you decide to pass on this limited offering (or you can’t find one of the limited bottles) definitely be on the lookout for the regular release when it comes out in 2016. I know that if they say this is only the work in progress, I can’t wait to pick up the finished product.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

About a month ago, I reviewed the Premium Line, the most expensive brand to date from Roberto P. Duran Premium Cigars. Impressed, I set out to round off our coverage of the company’s Azan line by trying the Azan Maduro Natural for the first time.

Azan is an old Cuban cigar brand that was revived by Roberto Pelayo Duran and reintroduced at the 2013 industry trade show. Azan was originally started by a Chinese immigrant who produced handmade cigars in the Manicaragua area of Cuba prior to Castro taking control. He eventually won a lottery and invested the money in his tobacco operation, only to have the Cuban government nationalize his business.

Today, Roberto P. Duran offers three variations on Azan: White, Burgundy, and Maduro Natural. Maduro Natural includes filler tobaccos from Estelí and Jalapa, a Nicaraguan binder, and a dark Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper that reportedly takes over 22 months to process. “This Maduro wrapper is very oily and naturally dark [hence, “Maduro Natural”] while maintaining the sweetness of the Corojo,” according to the manufacturer. “The beauty of the wrapper comes absolutely natural without any additive.”

Azan Maduro Natural comes in two sizes: Robusto Extra (5.5 x 52) and a belicoso called Campana (5.5 x 52). The latter retails for about $10 and comes complete with a well-executed cap, a firm packing of tobaccos, and pre-light notes of espresso, leather, and earth. The cold draw is moderately tight.

After setting an even light, a spicy, full-bodied profile abruptly announces itself. There’s no easing into this smoke. Right at the outset, bold, rich flavors of coffee bean, roasted nut, and black pepper hit the palate with a thick, leathery texture.

Background tastes include sweet cream and cinnamon. Aside from the additions of cocoa and warm tobacco in the final third, I don’t find many changes from light to nub.

While the complex flavor leaves little to be desired, the two samples I smoked for this review did not perform as well in the construction department. For one, the draw is stiffer than I would like (even though the smoke production is solid). Second, the burn line is often ill-behaved, requiring touch-ups along the way to stay even. That said, flavor is king. And the Azan Maduro Natural Campana has flavor in spades. As an after-dinner smoke and a complement to bourbon, this belicoso is an excellent choice and worthy of four 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.”

I’ll admit it: I don’t get why the CAO Concert didn’t catch on. Launched two years ago, we hardly hear about the line anymore, and CAO seems to have largely stopped promoting it. Maybe it’s the non-traditional packaging (guitar pick band, speaker amp box) that caused people to miss the well-made, traditional cigar that Concert is.  The corona-sized Amp (5.5 x 46) demonstrates classic Ecuadorian Habano flavors. Think medium- to full-bodied cedar, coffee, bread, and a hint of pepper spice. If you like Ecuadorian Habano-wrapped cigars like the Emilio AF2 or My Father, check out the Concert Amp. It offers similar flavors at a price that might be below $4 if you pick it up by the box.

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 little smoke, weighing in at 4 inches long with a ring gauge of 42, has a Criollo wrapper, Honduran binder, and Nicaraguan and Honduran filler. It opens with spice and then features the hints of vanilla and the leather often associated with Honduran tobacco. The spice drops off in the second half and the cigar becomes deeper and warmer. At $8, Papi Chulo is expensive for a small smoke, but this limited edition is interesting and well worth a try.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: N/A