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) AVO this week announced a new era for the brand, which will include “contemporary packaging, new communication, and a streamlined range that focuses on core lines,” according to a press release from Davidoff. “The AVO portfolio has been streamlined to focus on its four celebrated core lines—AVO Classic, AVO XO, AVO Domaine, and AVO Heritage.” In addition, the brand presentation will more overtly associate itself with music, a nod to brand founder Avo Uvezian’s background as a jazz composer. “The elegantly modern wooden box design displays the AVO logo on the lid, flanked with music bars featuring authentic debossed notes from Avo Uvezian’s songs… It is finished with an intensity meter, developed from scaling musical notes, that allows consumers to easily select the perfect cigar for that moment.” The new AVO products will begin shipping to U.S. retailers later this month.

2) The International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) is in the process of buying property in Washington to serve as the organization’s headquarters. A three-story commercial townhouse in the Capitol Hill neighborhood has been selected. “Currently, the association has employees in five different states with headquarters in Columbus, Georgia,” according to a recent press release. “Mark Pursell, IPCPR’s CEO noted that, ‘The new headquarters will enable IPCPR to house its staff in one location creating a greater focus on all of the services we provide members and the larger industry.’” The move is expected to result in greater access to policymakers and the ability to host congressional events.

3) Inside the Industry: The delayed, but much awaited, limited edition La Flor Dominicana Beer Stein has finally shipped to retailers; it comes complete with 20 1994 anniversary cigars. Altadis is launching a new Romeo cigar called Romeo Añejo, which will sport a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Dominican binder, and Nicaraguan and Honduran filler.

4) Deal of the Week: Nub fans should be all over this sampler. Just $25 gets you 8 cigars ($3.12 per stick). Included are two each of the four first Nub blends: Connecticut, Cameroon, Habano, and Maduro.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Davidoff

Dion Giolito, the man behind the Illusione brand, has fastidiously resisted the cigar industry trend to add new cigar lines annually. Many years at the industry trade show his booth seems purposely quiet, as if he intends to let his Illusione cigars do the talking.

One result of his resisting the temptation to always come out with something new is that when a new Illusione cigar is finally released, it’s worth an extra good look. Which is why I eagerly awaited Illusione’s new Fume d’Amour line.

Fume d’Amour  comes in four sizes—at least for now—ranging from petit corona to large toro: Lagunas (4.5 x 42), Clementes (6.5 x 48), Viejos (5 x 50), and Capristanos (6 x 56). For this review I smoked four of the robusto-sized Viejo vitola.

Fume d’Amour is a Nicaraguan puro made at the TABSA Factory in Jalapa, Nicaragua, with Aganorsa tobaccos. While the blend is based on the original Illusione line, it also shares something in common with the Epernay blend: a lack of any ligero leaf.

The result is a cigar that tastes like a hybrid. It’s more powerful than the Epernay, but not as spicy as the original Illusione core blend. Still excellent. The flavors are a whirlwind combination of dry woodiness, hay, roast nuts, light honey, and maybe a hint of muted black pepper. The cigar starts off medium-bodied but slowly ramps up to a more medium-full profile.

It doesn’t have the elegance of the Illusione Epernay, which is still my favorite Illusione line, but that’s a matter of personal preference and not any criticism of the composition of Fume d’Amore, which is as complex and well-rounded, just punched in body and strength.

The Fume d’Amour line can certainly be considered one of the best cigars introduced at the 2014 industry convention. The Fume d’Amour Viejos 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

“Where fertile land is abundant.” That’s the meaning behind the Cubanacan name. According to the company’s website, Cubanacan “is derived from tobacco traditions that predate Cuba itself. The story of Cubanacan is not just one of our past, but one that is still being written… Our goal is not just to be the storyteller, but to have each person that enjoys our cigar help write the next part of our tale.”

Cubanacan began growing its own tobacco in Nicaragua in 2006, and shortly thereafter established the Tabacalera Cubanacan factory in Estelí. There, six distinct blends are handmade under the supervision of master blender Omar González Alemán: Cubanacan Connecticut, Cubanacan Habano, Cubanacan Maduro, HR Habano 2000, Soneros Maduro, and Soneros Habano Claro.

The latter comes in five vitolas: Campana, Corona Gorda, Gran Robusto, Petit Sublime, and Toro. I smoked two Soneros Habano Claro Corona Gordas for this review, both of which were provided by Cubanacan. While the company website lists the cigar as 5.1 inches long with a ring gauge of 46—and while a recent email press release lists the length as 6.5 inches—I was able to confirm this size actually measures 5.625 inches with a 46 ring gauge.

The Habano Claro features a Habano Ecuador binder, Nicaraguan filler tobaccos, and an Ecuadorian wrapper classified as “claro.” When I think claro, I think of a shade-grown wrapper so light it’s almost green. When asked, Nate McIntyre of Cubanacan said, “Cigar shades are always relative… It’s always according to a multitude of factors including varietal, weather that year, fermentation practices, etc.”

After lighting the foot, pre-light notes of coffee and leather transition to a taste of cream, roasted nut, dry oak, and hints of pepper. Milk chocolate and some caramel become apparent towards the midway point. The final third is characterized by more creaminess and sweetness, which is somewhat offset by a natural tobacco flavor. Throughout, the strength remains consistently medium-bodied and the texture is silky.

Construction is top-notch. My two samples both exhibited straight burn lines that required no touch-ups, solid ashes that held well off the foot, and above average smoke production.

With a reasonable price tag of $7.25, the Soneros Habano Claro Corona Gorda is a well-balanced treat that provides considerable bang for the buck. In addition, I really dig the size (5.625 x 46) since it delivers solid flavor, doesn’t overstay its welcome, and avoids the pitfall of the current “thicker is better” trend. I’m pleased to award this cigar four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I have three cigar wishes for the new year. I’m not normally the optimistic type. More the way Billy Crystal described his grandfather: the kind of guy who always thought the glass was half full… of something that would kill you.

So, I can’t say I’m likely to see my wishes granted, but there’s always hope.

An exemption from FDA regulation. This, I think, would top every cigar smokers’ list. (Or it at least should.) If the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t accept—or have forced upon it—an exemption for premium, hand-rolled cigars, it might not be a death blow to the industry. But it will most certainly inflict a crippling injury and likely render it unrecognizable within a few years. Expectations are for the regulations to come no sooner than this summer, but the uncertainty could easily stretch further into the future.

Good weather for tobacco crops. As cigar blenders continue to experiment with tobacco from more and more countries, the global climate becomes increasingly significant. Though the quality of 2015 crops won’t be apparent until years in the future, a top harvest would be a boon for manufacturers and ensure more great smokes to come.

Clean up the catalogs. Why do major catalog retailers devote more and more pages to machine-made cigars and electronic cigarettes and cigars? Money, of course. But I think it’s penny-wise and pound-foolish. I’ve got nothing against machine-mades or e-cigs, but I hate to see them closely associated and pitched with premium cigars. As the industry struggles to separate itself from nicotine delivery devices, this type of advertising hurts. Why not print separate catalogs for those who want them?

What’s on your list as we head into 2015?

–George E

photo credit: Flickr

Unless you’re a complete stranger to the online cigar community, you probably know of Barry Stein. Barry is highly active on social media, the founder (and former proprietor of) A Cigar Smoker, a former employee of Miami Cigar & Co., and a current employee of the New Hampshire-based Two Guys Smoke Shop, a chain of cigar retailers.

These days Barry is also doing some marketing for United Cigar, an outfit with smokes manufactured and blended by Nelson Alfonso’s Selected Tobacco (Alfonso is known for his work with the Cohiba Behike). United Cigar’s website is under construction.

Barry was kind enough to send me a three-pack of United creations—one cigar each of the Atabey, Byron, and Bandolero blends (complete with travel humidifier tubes and a gorgeous presentation, no less). To be clear, while the three-pack is greatly appreciated, I did not petition Barry for any samples, and his generosity and thoughtfulness in no way impacts this review.

Atabey is handmade in Costa Rica using an undisclosed blend of “Caribbean and Central American” tobaccos. It bears a striking resemblance to the ultra-exclusive Cohiba Behike in several ways, including the band (dots with black and gold) and the light, clean wrapper. In addition, the Atabey name itself is a nod to the goddess the Taíno Indians would pray to through the leader of their group, known as the “Behike.”

Six vitolas comprise the Atabey portfolio: Ritos (6.1 x 55), Delirios (5.75 x 55), Sabios (5.25 x 52), Brujos (4.9 x 52), Divinos (4.25 x 50), and Idolos (4.5 x 55). All retail north of $20 for a single.

The Atabey Ritos is a large, beautiful cigar with an impeccably smooth wrapper, a well-executed triple-cap, and soft pre-light notes of sweet hay off the foot. After setting an even light, I find a balanced, medium to mild-medium profile with notes of cream, oak, white pepper and a little syrup. The texture is bready and the aftertaste leaves a gentle spice on the tongue. Towards the midway point and beyond, there’s a slight increase in intensity with flavors of walnut and black pepper joining in. Construction is perfect.

Atabey has actually been around since 2011, but never available at more than 30 retailers nationwide and always operating with a fairly low visibility. Given Barry Stein’s connections to the online cigar media, I think you’ll be seeing a lot more about this brand in 2015.

Yes, the Atabey Ritos is expensive. No, it doesn’t taste terribly similar to the Cuban Behike (I’m not sure the comparison is fair but, after all, the manufacturer is inviting it). That said, it’s a complex, balanced, wonderfully nuanced cigar, and it won’t leave you disappointed (unless you were hoping for a full-bodied powerbomb). I award it 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 don’t buy a lot of cigars by the box, but the Curivari Buenaventura is one I’ve been keeping on hand lately. The Nicaraguan puro is medium-bodied and especially well-balanced. It has subtle wood spice, cocoa, and earth. I’ve never had any issues with the construction. The quality to price ($5-6) ratio on this cigar makes it perfect for smoking yourself or handing out to either seasoned cigar smokers or novices.

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.”

In August 2013, I reviewed a pre-release sample of Abbadon (6.25 x 52), a single vitola made by Skip Martin’s RoMa Craft Tobac exclusively for Blue Havana, a tobacconist in Chicago. I immediately loved the full-bodied smoke, which later appeared on our list of the best cigars of 2013. Jump forward to December 2014, when I found myself near Blue Havana and unable to withstand the temptation to go in and buy an Abaddon bundle. I’m glad I did. This dark, oily smoke—which features a Nicaraguan hybrid (Criollo/Corojo) wrapper around a Mata Fina binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic—is a triumph. It boasts a huge, powerful profile of black pepper, coffee, leather, and creamy nut with superb construction. And I think there’s some solid aging potential here, too.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys