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.”

I visited the Portsmouth location of Federal Cigar earlier this week. Federal, which has four locations in New Hampshire, is known for exclusive offerings from a variety of cigar makers. The Headley Grange Snaredrum, for example, is an exclusive size of the Crowned Heads blend. It’s a “corona especiales” (6 x 38) with the original Headley Grange recipe: Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper around Nicaraguan tobaccos. Only 3,000 Snaredrums were made, and they can be bought online for $9.25 (or, for some reason, $11 at the Portsmouth cigar bar). I found the Snaredrum to be a nice combination of honey, graham, spice, and oak with excellent construction. The fast-burning cigar has a short finish, though, and the profile leaves my palate a little dry. So I’m not fully convinced it’s worth the cost.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Few cigars were as anticipated at this past summer’s IPCPR Trade Show as the Padrón Dámaso. The reason is simple: In an era where many cigar companies compulsively create new cigar lines to debut each year, Padrón rarely expands its portfolio.

Founded in 1964, Padrón only added its first new line (1964 Anniversary) beyond its core line in 1994. A second 1926 line was added in 2002, and the annual Family Reserve line release was the next added in 2008. All are proudly billed as 100% Nicaraguan, with either a maduro or natural wrapper.

That makes a full new line featuring a non-Nicaraguan wrapper a very newsworthy event. That new cigar line is named for Jose Padrón’s grandfather Dámaso who was the first Padrón to arrive in Cuba sometime in the late 1800s from the Canary Islands.

Dámaso comes in four sizes, each of which comes in boxes of 20 cigars and features dual white bands, plus a security band underneath with an individual serial number (a feature Padrón introduced to counter counterfeits). I smoked four of the robusto-sized (5 x 50) No. 12 vitola (one of four sizes) for this review.

Although not prominently identified, the Connecticut-seed wrapper used for the newest Padrón is grown in Ecuador (as opposed to Connecticut). It’s a nice-looking wrapper, with an even khaki color. Pre-light there’s a nice combination of grass, earth, and pepper.

The cigar is slightly salty and bitter immediately after being lit, but very quickly settles into a combination of hay, earth, white pepper, and cedar. Towards the second half there are cashew and cream notes.

While billed as a milder Padrón, especially towards the beginning it has sneaky strength. Even after it smooths out after the initial burst, it maintains more strength than many Connecticut-wrapped cigars, which is pretty much what you’d expect from a Connecticut Padrón. The choice of an Ecuador-grown Connecticut wrapper makes sense here since it tends to stand up to the Nicaraguan binder and filler better than a Connecticut-grown leaf.

Construction is flawless, especially the burn, which features a narrow black line, and was perfectly straight for each of the samples I smoked. I was surprised how quickly the robusto burns, as I finished each sample in well under an hour despite setting a very deliberate pace with the final two.

There’s no question in my mind that this new offering from Padrón is a good cigar. Although the $12.50 price isn’t the most wallet-friendly (this cigar would be be a segment-killer at $8), it is a perfectly constructed, well-executed Connecticut cigar with enough flavor not to let you forget that it’s a Padrón. That earns the Padrón Dámaso No. 12 four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Yesterday both Cigar Rights of America (CRA) and the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) issued email alerts announcing that the pending FDA cigar regulations took another step towards final implementation. As we’ve covered previously, such regulations could be devastating to the thriving handmade premium cigar industry, even though there is no indication that such regulations would have any impact on youth smoking or public health.

According to the reports, the FDA has officially sent the latest version of the deeming rule on cigars to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) at the White House for economic review. The controversial rules not only would subject cigars and pipes to FDA regulation, but also the growing line up of e-cigarette and vaping products.

OMB has 90 days from receiving the proposed rule to conduct its review before it goes to final implementation. According to CRA, the OMB may have received the rule from FDA up to a month ago, meaning that the 90-day maximum time period could end before 2016.

CRA and IPCPR will both now direct lobbying efforts to OMB, which is charged with examining the economic impact of proposed FDA rules. The groups and their lobbyists will attempt to show the potentially devastating economic impact that the proposed regulations would have on cigars, including costing jobs both in the U.S. and abroad.

In its initial proposed rule, the FDA offered two options for regulating cigars: option 1 (which covers all cigars) and option 2 (which exempts handmade cigars over $10). Although the proposed rules transmitted to the OMB presumably include the agency’s decision on that important issue, it is unlikely the OMB will make public the agency’s intentions on the issue of a possible exemption.

While the OMB review may seem like a formality, those familiar with the creation of the initial proposed rule say the OMB was critical in advancing the option of an exemption for some cigars. If the OMB feels the FDA’s final version insufficiently addressed its previous concerns, it could request further revisions.

Also, although unlikely, with such a hot-button topic, if the modifications requested by OMB are significant enough, they may not go to final review, but could instead be sent back to the FDA. Experts familiar with the federal rule-making process indicate that if the revisions are large enough, it could even trigger a second round of public commenting before returning to the OMB for another final review, which could delay the process significantly.

–Patrick S

photo credits: Stogie Guys

When you think about cigars, the first state that probably comes to mind is Florida. The Sunshine State was—and to a much lesser extent, still is—a place where cigars are made. Cigar culture is inextricably linked to Miami (especially Calle Ocho) and Tampa (especially Ybor City). Many cigar makers live and base their operations there. The absence of a state cigar tax means larger online retailers, and a plethora of brick-and-mortar shops and lounges, call Florida home. And now, for the first time since 1977, a small amount of long-filler cigar tobacco is actually being grown on Florida soil.

Another state that might come to mind is Connecticut. According to a recent article, “tobacco is Connecticut’s fifth largest agriculture product by market value, at $35.7 million… The crop is grown on 49 farms and accounts for 6.5 percent of total agricultural product sales in the state.” Connecticut broadleaf is highly prized and expensive.

Finally, you’d probably also consider Pennsylvania. Again, thanks to zero state cigar tax, the Keystone State is home to some of the country’s largest online retailers, including Famous Smoke Shop, Holts, and Cigars International. In addition, Pennsylvania is also a premium cigar producer. Decades ago, the Amish of Lancaster County supplied a significant amount of premium filler tobacco to the industry. These days, Pennsylvania cigar tobacco is less abundantly used but still important (see yesterday’s review, for example).

The more I travel to New Hampshire, though, the more I think the Granite State is too often overlooked as an important contributor to the premium cigar industry (I fly into Manchester from Chicago about a half-dozen times a year for work). Consider, for instance, the plethora of great cigar shops and lounges in southern New Hampshire alone. David Garofalo’s Two Guys Smoke Shop has three locations and calls itself New England’s largest retailer by volume (did I mention New Hampshire also has no state cigar tax?). The shop is affiliated with the Nashua-based United Cigar Group, as well as cigar media extraordinaire Barry Stein and his new (and excellent) Kilo cigar brand.

Not to be outdone is Twins Smoke Shop with its two locations (one recently remodeled and fantastic). Twins is owned by Kurt A. Kendall, perhaps best known as the purveyor of the 7-20-4 brand. That fine brand, by the way, pays homage to New Hampshire’s cigar history. 7-20-4 was originally produced in Manchester between 1874 and 1963. At one time, over 50 million cigars were made in the state annually.

Last but not least is Steve Saka’s new Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, which is named for, and based in, Dunbarton, New Hampshire. Saka’s first Dunbarton line, Sobremesa, will be appearing at select retailers shortly. To say Sobremesa is highly anticipated would be a gross understatement. Of course, before launching his own company, Saka, a New Hampshire resident, played a critical role in growing Drew Estate from an operation known mostly for its unorthodox infused cigars to a Nicaraguan juggernaut that makes some of the most sought-after non-infused cigars, including Liga Privada.

If all goes according to plan, I should be landing in Manchester today around 4:50 PM. I’ll have no shortage of choice when it comes to selecting what, and where, to smoke. For that I’m grateful.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Wikipedia

In 2014, Skip Martin’s RoMa Craft Tobac—the small, Estelí-based operation that has deservedly developed a cult following for its CroMagnon, Aquitaine, and Intemperance boutique lines—came out with its first new blend since 2012: Neanderthal.

Neanderthal was billed as the strongest RoMa Craft to date, which says a lot since CroMagnon is anything but mild. Martin said the recipe fulfills his intent to make a cigar with characteristics similar to La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero or Joya de Nicaragua Antaño.

When it was introduced, Neanderthal was available in a single size called HN: a 5-inch figuardo that has a ring gauge of 56 near the foot and narrows to 52 at the cap. Interestingly, the head of the cigar is completely flat across, and not just from a press; think a bowling pin with the top few inches sawed off.

This summer, a second size was added that’s exclusive to two tobacconists: Riverside Cigar Shop in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and Serious Cigars in Houston, Texas (the former takes orders over the phone, the latter online). Called SGP, it measures 4.25 inches long with a ring gauge of 52 and retails for $10 per single, $48.75 per 5-pack, or $134.95 per box of 15.

Like HN, SGP sports a rustic, oily, dark Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper, a Connecticut broadleaf binder, and filler tobaccos that include four types of Nicaraguan tobacco. There’s also an aromatic Dominican olor component, and a Pennsylvanian double ligero leaf known as “Green River Sucker One.” The stout cigar is firm to the touch with an attractively understated band of rust orange and white. The flattened cap clips easily to reveal an airy cold draw.

Once lit, rich pre-light notes of leather and dark chocolate transition to a full-bodied profile of espresso, black pepper spice, and dry oak. Yes, you could call this a blunt force instrument given the hearty nicotine kick. Doing so, however, fails to afford the SGP credit for its subtler background notes of nougat and salty nut—background notes that persistently fight through the leathery texture of the smoke. In the same vein, I think many will be surprised by how smoothly the cigar’s flavor and strength is delivered.

Constriction is exquisite, as RoMa Craft fans surely expect. The burn line is sharp and straight, the smoke production voluminous, and the stable ash holds well off the foot.

The Neanderthal SGP is clearly not for everyone. But if you’re a seasoned cigar veteran looking for loads of flavor and strength in a compact (I really like this size, by the way), well-constructed package, this little bomb is for you. Sure, the price point is high—especially considering the dimensions of the cigar—but the quality and craftsmanship is evident. I’m awarding this RoMa Craft creation a very commendable 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 take on a single cigar.

Over the summer I renewed my Cigar Rights of America membership by buying a ten-cigar sampler that included this special Tatuaje Black Toro. Since the size can only be purchased as part of the CRA sampler, I hadn’t smoked one since I reviewed one six years ago. The cigar features the same flavors I’ve come to expect from the Black Label  line, including leather, bread, and subtle spice. But it’s a good bit stronger than the recent Petit Lancero and Corona Gorda sizes I’ve smoked. Although not my favorite size for this blend, it’s still an excellent, well-made cigar and, especially since you have to join Cigar Rights of America to get one, it is easy to recommend.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys