The 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—about a month before this RoMa Craft creation was launched as an exclusive for Blue Havana, a Chicago tobacconist—I published a glowing review of Abbadon. In December 2014, I found myself buying a 12-pack. I’m glad I did. Six months of age haven’t changed the cigar much, and that’s OK with me. Abbadon (6.25 x 52, $8.15) still packs a good punch, and it brings a lot of complexity to the table. The Nicaraguan Habano wrapper, coupled with a Brazilian Mata Fina binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, yields a supremely enjoyable taste of coffee, roasted nuts, leather, and a touch of sweetness. There’s probably good aging potential here, but I’m probably not patient enough to find out for sure.

Verdict = Buy.

–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) Pre-orders begin on Monday for Drew Estate’s new “Pope of Greenwich Village” cigar. Named for the 1984 black comedy film of the same title, the cigar features a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, Connecticut stalk-cut Habano binder, and Brazilian Mata Fina and Nicaraguan fillers. The single vitola (6 x 40) will sell in 10-count soft packs for $85. The first 300 pre-orders receive a limited edition T-shirt. Pope of Greenwich Village will be exclusive to Smoke Inn, and part of the Florida-based retailer’s Microblend Series, which commissions custom, limited edition blends from top manufacturers. The series, which is sold online, also includes Arturo Fuente’s Solaris, Tatuaje’s Anarchy and Apocalypse, My Father’s El Hijo, Padrón’s 1964 Anniversary SI-15, Quesada’s Oktoberfest Dunkel, Room 101’s Big Delicious, 601’s La Bomba Bunker Buster, and Illusione’s Pactum.

2) On Monday, America’s oldest vet marked his 109th birthday with a cigar. But Richard Overton of Texas doesn’t need a special occasion to light up a smoke. “Overton lights up a dozen cigars a day, but he’s stopped taking a shot of whiskey in his morning coffee,” reports Fox News. “Overton served from 1942-45, with stops in Hawaii, Guam, Palau, and Iwo Jima while attaining the rank of sergeant.”

3) For Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) the FDA’s impending regulations on cigars and other tobacco products can’t come soon enough. The notoriously anti-tobacco legislator is upset the FDA has taken as long as it has to consider public comments and issue a final rule. Blumenthal says he will introduce legislation to intervene in the FDA rulemaking process if the regulations don’t come before the end of summer, although it seems unlikely that such legislation would have much of a chance of passing through Congress.

4) Inside the Industry: Next Friday will be the fifth anniversary of the annual legal outdoor smoke in New York City’s Samuel Paley Park. In response to New York’s ban on smoking in city parks five years ago, La Palina (which is owned by Samuel Paley’s grandson, William C. Paley) and Cigar Rights of America organized the annual event in the private park space. Anyone over the age of 21 is welcome to attend provided they bring a receipt from a New York City tobacconist. The event runs 5-7 PM on May 22nd.

5) Deal of the Week: Who doesn’t want five bold cigars? This deal lands you one each of the Alec Bradley Prensado Churchill, Liga Privada Undercrown Gran Toro, Romeo y Julieta RyJ Toro, Punch DLX Royal Coronation Maduro, and Rocky Patel Valedor Robusto for just $27, with free shipping.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Drew Estate

The Orphan Barrel Series is an easy target for some bourbon aficionados to turn their nose up at. First there was the claim, or at least the implication, that these whiskeys were lost and found (Here’s a hint: No company big or small just loses hundreds or even thousands of barrels, especially since they are responsible for taxes on them). Then there are some strange or even goofy names: Lost Prophet, Rhetoric, Old Blowhard.

And yet, despite those fair criticisms, I think Diageo (who owns the Orphan Barrel line, along with George Dickel, Bulleit, and I.W. Harper) is doing the bourbon world a great service with these old bourbons. In a time when extra-aged bourbon is in very high demand, they’ve released 15- to 26-year-old bourbons that, with a little work, can actually be found at retail prices.

For example, Rhetoric and Barterhouse are 20-year-old straight bourbons selling for under $100, notable at a time when most similarly aged whiskey costs at least twice that (more like $800+ or some drop-everything-and-head-to-Vegas luck for Pappy Van Winkle 20). The newest and youngest of the 5-bourbon line (at least for now) is Forged Oak, a 15-year-old straight bourbon which sells for $65-75 a bottle.

Diageo doesn’t currently own and operate a full-scale Kentucky distillery (though that’s changing), but we know Forged Oak was distilled at the New Bernheim Distillery, which Diageo’s corporate predecessor sold to Heaven Hill (maker of Evan Williams and Elijah Craig) later. At some point, the aging bourbon was then transferred to the aging houses at the famed Stitzel-Weller distillery, where the rickhouses remain the site of lots of aging bourbon, although the facility is no longer running new whiskey off its famed stills.

The 90.5-proof Forged Oak has a deep copper color. The nose is classic with caramel, dry spice, and a hint of orange. On the palate, it’s light clove, wood (not in overwhelming amounts), roast nuts, and light caramel. The finish is long with winter spices.

In many ways Forge Oak is a very classic bourbon. It features the oak you’d expect from an older bourbon but it’s tempered and balanced. I’d particularly recommend it to Elijah Craig 12 fans who want to see what a bit of extra age can do to a bourbon’s flavors (no coincidence as they come from the same distillery).

Pair it with a spicy cigar like the Arturo Fuente Opus X Perfecxion No.2, Litto Gomez Diez Small Batch No. 2, Ramón Allones Specially Selected (Cuban), or My Father El Hijo.

Once you’ve hit the highlights of the sub-$30 bourbons, this is the next step in age (and price). I’ve tasted all the Orphan Barrel bourbons and, despite being the least expensive, Forged Oak is, in my opinion, second only to the limited release 22-year-old Lost Prophet.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In this edition of Random Thoughts from the Humidor, I ponder the proper way to let a cigar die, a method to repair wrapper damage, and beetle season.

Die an Honorable Death

We’ve all read—and probably also heard it said—that you should never stub out your finished cigar. Rather, you should simply let the cigar rest in an ashtray until it has extinguished itself from a lack of puffing. The reasoning behind this, it is said, is that mashing the cigar like a cigarette will produce a stale odor, and the practice is therefore impolite. Perhaps there’s a chemical justification for this policy. I’m not sure. But I decided to do my own personal experiment (albeit with a small sample size) and found that, yes, on the margin, cigars that are stubbed tend to produce a slightly foul odor, whereas cigars that breath their last breaths on their own tend to smell much as they did when they were fully lit. The difference, however, is usually negligible. That said, I never like to stub out my cigars regardless. I just don’t like to see a hand-crafted work of art get crushed into oblivion. I like to think each well-made cigar deserves an honorable death.

Wrapper Damage

As much as we try to avoid it, sometimes a cigar’s wrapper will tear or crack, or the seam will start to unravel a bit. Sometimes this is the result of shipping damage. Sometimes (frustratingly) it occurs when you remove the band while smoking. Sometimes it’s the result of poor storage. Whatever the reason, wrapper damage is going to happen from time to time. If you’re lucky—and if the tear is small—a little saliva could do the trick. If not, you may want to try more drastic measures. For these situations, keep a little pectin or vegetable glue on hand. This is the same non-toxic stuff cigar makers use to glue the bands on their cigars. Having some may mean the difference between smokable and non-smokable.

Meet the Beetles

Temperatures are warming up across most of the country. For cigar smokers, that means it should be a little easier to maintain humidor humidity. But it also means temperature needs to be monitored in order to prevent an outbreak of the dreaded tobacco beetle. Remember: High temperatures, particularly those above 75 degrees Fahrenheit, are conducive to eggs hatching, so keeping your humidors below 70 degrees. The best way to deal with tobacco beetles is to prevent them in the first place. If you’re unfortunate enough to experience an outbreak, you can read our materials on how to battle the beetles here and here.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr

With the cold of winter and heat of summer, sometimes the ideal cigar is one that doesn’t last much more than 30 minutes. Because of this, I find I’m always in search of a good, reasonably priced little cigar.

In that search, the relatively new L’Atelier Travailleurs seemed like a promising new addition to the little cigar category. In particular because the full-size L’Atelier blend, on which the Travailleurs is based, is a cigar I enjoy. (The blend uses an Ecuadorian Sancti Spiritus wrapper over Nicaraguan filler and binder tobaccos.)

The challenge, however, seems to be taking a full-sized blend and miniaturizing it without losing complexity and nuance. It sounds simple enough, but experience suggests it isn’t, at least not while keeping the cigar affordable enough to peak consumers’ interest.

Introduced at last summer’s trade show, the Travailleurs, along with mini (4.5 x 38) versions of the Surrogates (Animal Cracker), El Suelo, and Trocadéro, started shipping earlier this year. All the L’Atelier brand minis come in five soft-packs and have a recommended price of $14.50 per pack ($2.90 per cigar).

No cutting of the cap is needed as it comes pre-cut. Once lit, I find medium-bodied smoke. There are doughy bread and hay flavors, hints of graham cracker, cream, and leather notes, and a persistent dry sawdust finish. There’s little variation beyond that profile, but the result is a consistent, tasty smoke for 30-40 minutes. The cigar is a little soft to the touch, but that isn’t to the detriment of construction. The burn is even and the draw isn’t too tight (a common problem for small cigars).

While my quest for the perfect mini cigar may not be over, this new offering is a welcome addition. The L’Atelier Travailleurs is a straight-forward but tasty, well-constructed, medium-bodied little smoke offered at a very reasonable price, and that earns it a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Perdomo is one of those brands that takes a straightforward, traditional approach to cigar making, marketing, and branding. While there’s nothing wrong with the company’s classic style, Perdomo never quite seems to grab the limelight—at least to me, anyways.

So perhaps it’s no surprise that I’m just now getting around to smoking the 20th Anniversary Sun Grown, which debuted back in the summer of 2012 (there’s also a 20th Anniversary Maduro). This Nicaraguan puro includes high-priming tobaccos from Perdomo’s farms in Estelí, Condega, and Jalapa. The Cuban-seed wrapper is aged 6 years, then an additional 14 months in bourbon barrels.

Six vitolas are available: Robusto (5 x 56), Epicure (6 x 56), Gordo (6 x 60), Torpedo (6.5 x 54), Corona Grande (6.5 x 48), and Churchill (7 x 56). The latter retails for about $9 and comes complete with a soft box-press, only thin veins, moderate oils, and faint pre-light notes of hay and cream. The cold draw has just the right level of resistance.

Once lit, you’re immediately hit with a rich sun-grown sweetness and some notes of wood and dried fruit, particularly apricot. The undertones are straight natural tobacco, and the texture is bready. In the background, you’ll find hints of coffee, sweet cream, and peanut. The resting smoke is incredibly sweet. Spice is present—as you’d expect from a Nicaraguan puro—but the black pepper is definitely not as dominant as you’d think.

I’ve plowed through a five-pack of Churchills over the past couple weeks. This is one of those flavor profiles that really grows on you. While all of my samples were consistent in terms of flavor, I found the last to be much more enjoyable than the first. In other words, the 20th Anniversary Sun Grown blend is like an album you need to listen to a few times before you really start to appreciate.

Construction-wise, I have no complaints. The burn line may require a touch-up along the way but, for the most part, the Churchill smokes evenly and slowly. The ash holds firm off the foot. The smoke production is above average.

I haven’t yet tried any of the other Sun Grown vitolas. You can bet I will, especially since my only real complaint is the large Churchill format tends to overstay its welcome a bit—particularly since there are few flavor changes along the way. I’d wager the Robusto or Corona Grande would be more up my alley.

That said, this is an interesting, satisfying, sweet specimen, and a good value at about $9. It earns three and a half 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.”

As Don Pepin was bursting onto the cigar scene nearly a decade ago, I remember smoking quite a few Cuban Classics known  simply as the Black Line. Billed as Pepin’s most full-flavored cigar at the time, it was also the Pepin cigar most likely to be had for sale and frequently available for around $4. Though I haven’t smoked many lately, I did recently light up this toro. Hardly the full-bodied cigar I remembered, (makes you wonder: Has the cigar changed, or something else?) it’s more medium-bodied with hay, salted butter, mild earth, and wood spice. Still, it’s a enjoyable cigar and if you find one on sale it’s unlikely to disappoint.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys