The Stogie Guys

Considering its wide availability, bold barrel-proof flavors, and consistent quality, I’ve always felt Booker’s Bourbon was a bit underrated. Now, for better or worse, I think the marketing department at Jim Beam has finally caught on. (Beam makes Booker’s along with the rest of the Small Batch Collection: Knob Creek, Baker’s, and Basil Hayden.)

Last month Beam announced a “new collection” of limited edition Booker’s releases, the first of which would be called “Big Man, Small Batch,” which pays homage to the late Booker Noe, one of the biggest personalities in the bourbon business. For those looking for this or future limited edition releases, the packaging features a different, larger batch label with an illustration, and the box is stained a darker brown, whereas regular releases (including Roundtable releases) will continue in the lighter, natural wood boxes.

Unlike last year’s 25th Anniversary, the age statement of this first limited edition is within the normal 6-8 years for Booker’s. Specifically, “Big Man, Small Batch” (Batch No. 2015-01) is 7 years, 2 months, and 16 days old. It’s bottled at 128.7-proof (64.35% ABV). At least in Virginia state liquor stores, it sells for the same price as regular release Booker’s: $59.

As you’d expect, it’s a full-bodied bourbon in the Booker’s tradition with a bold nose of caramel and vanilla. On the palate there’s more vanilla, peanut butter, and salted caramel. Only on the finish does the high-proof heat come through, along with vanilla and oak.

To test out Big Man Small Batch, I tasted it side by side with two other Booker’s bottles: a 6-year-old batch No. C06-K-8 bottled at 130.4-proof, and batch No. 2014-6, a Roundtable Batch aged 7 years, 2 months, and 14 days, and bottled at 127.7-proof. (Roundtable Batches, selected with the input of various bourbon writers, don’t have any special packaging and can only be identified by the batch number.)

The six-year-old has a bit more sharpness and resinous wood. The Roundtable Batch is more refined and closer to the Big Man, Small Batch in profile, which makes sense given the very similar age statement and proof, but it doesn’t have the toffee-like richness of this first limited release.

So as long as Booker’s sells this and future limited edition Booker’s at the same price as the regular batches, it’s easy to recommend to those who enjoy full-bodied, high-proof bourbons. I, for one, am looking forward to future Booker’s releases from this line, and filings last year for label approvals suggest there may be many coming.

As for cigars, all Booker’s releases call for the same thing: a full-bodied smoke. The RoMaCraft Cromagnon, Arturo Fuente Opus X, EO 601 Serie “Blue”, and La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero all fit the bill.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Who doesn’t love lighting up a new cigar about which you know virtually nothing and ending up a fan?

That’s exactly what happened to me with this Dominican puro. It hooked me from the beginning with jalapeño pepper, a bit reminiscent of the old Pepín-blended 601 Reds. After that, the flavors shifted to include some gentler spice, earth, and leather, even a bit of sweetness as the pepper reemerged more in the final third.

Exactus comes from Tabacalera El Artista, which was introduced to me by marketing manager Jonás Santana, who also sent me samples of the Puro Ambar line and its sibling, Puro Ambar Legacy. The company was founded in 1956 and now produces over 7 million cigars annually worldwide, including its own brands.

Blending work on Puro Ambar began in early 2013 and it was released at last year’s IPCPR Trade Show, Santana told me. It comes in two sizes: the Short Robusto (4.75 x 54) that I smoked, and a Short Coloso (5.5 x 60). Retail prices are about $7 and $8.

The Puro Ambar blend is an interesting one. The wrapper is called T13 and listed as an exclusive to Tabacalera El Arista. The binder is a wine-fermented Criollo ’98, with the filler comprising Criollo ’98 and Tabacalera El Arista’s Criollo 1900.

Santana sent me three samples. I smoked two and plan to pass the third along at my local B&M with the suggestion that they consider carrying the line. (The Exactus site has an interactive display of retailers who carry its cigars.)

Construction generally was fine, especially the draw. I did have to do a couple of relights on each stick, primarily, I think, because the thick wrapper was prone to going out when sitting, even briefly. The burn was, nonetheless, even and slow, producing lots of smoke.

If you like bold, spicy cigars, this is one to try. I rate this a strong four 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.”

My recent five-stogie rating of the 2014 Illusione Singulare prompted me to see how the 2013 Illusione Singulare was smoking. Much as I like the Anunnaki, the Rose Croix is a size (7 x 46) that, in general, I prefer. Age hasn’t hurt the Rose Croix, although I’m not sure it has improved much either, which is sort of a surprise given how much the 2010 Illusione Singulare improved with time. Still, it’s a tasty medium- to full-bodied cigar with woodiness, coffee, leather, and a slight metallic note. It’s still a fine cigar, but age hasn’t, at least yet, improved this elegant smoke.

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.”

After recently reviewing—and sincerely enjoying—the Sabor de Estelí Habano Robusto from Guayacan, I decided to take another Noel Rojas creation for a test drive: the Guayacan Maduro Toro (6 x 52). Made at Rojas’ Tabacalera Aromas de Jalapa factory in Nicaragua, the Maduro line features a Criollo-seed San Andrés wrapper around Corojo tobaccos. It starts with notes of pepper and campfire, then adds hints of cream, peanut, and just a little cocoa along the way. Construction is excellent. This Toro runs about $9.50. I enjoyed it, but I think it’s a little overpriced and not nearly as enjoyable as the Sabor de Estelí Habano blend.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

photo credit: 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) A recent article from the Associated Press sheds some light on how the Cuban cigar industry is anticipating an end to the embargo. “Habanos, which reported global sales of $439 million last year, estimates it could sell roughly 70 million to 90 million cigars [in the U.S.], nearly doubling Cuba’s current production, if the embargo were lifted.” But despite the recent thaw in diplomatic relations, an outright end to the embargo is not expected anytime soon. And even if it were, questions remain about Cuba’s ability to drastically increase production. “The country suffers from major infrastructure deficiencies, and tobacco farmers sometimes complain of transportation delays following the harvest that can cause the leaves to go bad.” Still, under the new rules that allow Americans who travel to Cuba to bring back $100 of Cuban cigars, “officials said that this year alone they expect to double on-island sales of hand-rolled cigars… from 3 million to 6 million.”

2) Viva Republica is releasing a Culebra, limited to 1,000 coffins of three intertwined cigars (5.75 x 39 apiece). Three different blends will be represented in each Culebra: Rapture, Rapture Maduro, and Guerrilla Warfare. Viva Republica retailers will sell the Culebras for $18. The official launch will be held tomorrow at Tobaccology in Manassas, Virginia.

3) Inside the Industry: Room 101 is adding a second cigar to its retailer exclusive series called the Ichiban Roxxo, which will be headed to the Cigar Realm shop in Ashland, Virginia. Tatuaje announced on its Instagram that it is introducing a new event-only sampler featuring five Tatuaje blends (all 5.5 x 52) with a melamine ashtray.

4) Deal of the Week: Fans of My Father Cigars will want to check out this store-exclusive lancero release of the highly-ranked Flor de las Antillas made for Stogies World Class Cigars in Houston. Lancero fans should also see their store-exclusive Room 101 H-Town Namakubi Lancero. Use the discount code “SG10” for 10% off your first order, plus land free shipping on all five-pack or box purchases.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Habanos

There are very few new cigars that I would feel comfortable about buying a box of without trying. A high price doesn’t guarantee quality, and good inexpensive cigars are hard to find. That makes a box of cigars that I’ve never tried before a real gamble, no matter the cost.

One of the few boxes I will buy blind is the annual Singulare release from Illusione. I’ve bought at least one box of the Singulare release every year since it was first introduced 2010, which also happens to be my favorite. (Though if you read the reviews of the 2011, 2012, and 2013, you’ll see I’ve been impressed with them all).

The latest Singulare is called Anunnaki after the Sumerian God. (Who said you’d never use that semester of Ancient World History?) Every year the size and blend changes. The 2014 format is a “double robusto”(5.5 x 54).

Anunnaki started shipping last November, but apparently all 2,000 boxes of the production weren’t ready to ship just then; mine has a box date from mid-January. Each box has 15 cigars and the price is $13 per cigar. Like many recent Illusione offerings, it’s made at the Nicaraguan TABSA factory, as opposed to the Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras where earlier lines were rolled.

The Nicaraguan puro has a Corojo ’99 wrapper (the same wrapper as the Illusione Epernay) over dual binders of Jalapa Criollo ’98 and Estelí Corojo ’99. The cigar, which was blended to feature low priming tobaccos from the Chilamate farm in the Jalapa region, contains only a small percentage of Ligero.

Once lit, I found a tasty combination of sourdough bread, cream, and light cedar that’s very similar to the Epernay, but with more sweetness and a velvety texture. It starts out mild, though it does build to a more medium-bodied profile. Past the halfway point, it adds coffee notes and more wood spice, though it maintains excellent balance throughout.

With solid construction and complex, balanced, and interesting flavors, I have no second thoughts about buying this box blind. Fans of Illusione’s Epernay, of which I’m one, will particularly enjoy this classic, mild- to medium-bodied cigar. The Illusione Singulare LE 2014 Anunnaki earns a rare rating of five stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. A list of other five-stogie rated cigars can be found here.]

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The Nicaragua line was a stark departure for Davidoff when it was launched in 2013, and not just because the black band is different from the white ones that adorn other Davidoffs.

This is Davidoff’s first Nicaraguan line—a Nicaraguan puro, to be exact. “This is a major step for Davidoff to expand to a new territory,” said CEO Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard in a press release. “Davidoff’s mission is to bring aficionados delightful experiences regardless of territory.”

A new direction? Yes. But a predictable one. In recent years Nicaragua has grown to become (arguably) the epicenter of the cigar world. And that means even classic brands with strong identities to other countries of origin—like Davidoff and the Dominican Republic—have to consider cashing in on Nicaragua’s rise in popularity.

Davidoff Nicaragua is offered in four formats: Diadema (6.5 x 50), Short Corona (3.75 x 46), Toro (5.5 x 54), and Robusto (5 x 50). A limited production Belicoso (5.25 x 52) was also made. I sampled three Robustos for this review; each had been resting in my humidor for about a year and a half before being smoked.

For starters, this is a handsome specimen with solid curb appeal. The oily wrapper is smooth and clean with a reddish hue, finished with a neatly executed cap. The pre-light notes remind me of honey, cinnamon, and sawdust. The feel is a tad spongy.

Once lit, the ten-year-old Habano Rosado wrapper, Jalapa binder, and filler tobaccos from Estelí, Condega, and Ometepe combine to yield a medium-bodied profile of oak, cream, and baking spices. There’s some spice on the finish, but it’s more like white pepper than the bold black pepper for which Nicaraguan tobacco is often known. I also find a decent dose of sugary sweetness, particularly on the aftertaste and in the aroma of the resting smoke.

The texture is bready with notes of peanut and mushroom drifting in and out along the way. Throughout, the draw is easy, the smoke production average, and the gray ash holds firmly off the foot. As with the Toro, though, the Robusto does require a few torch touch-ups to keep things burning evenly.

Davidoff is likely never going to be a destination for full-bodied cigars. Nicotine and strength are just not in the brand DNA. But if you’re willing to pay Davidoff prices (the Nicaragua Robusto retails about $13) this creation will bring you a complex, interesting take on Nicaraguan tobacco that won’t leave you disappointed. It earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys