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.”

The Belicoso (6 x 52) from Drew Estate’s T52 line never disappoints. A hallmark of consistency, this cigar delivers superb construction with a rich, ultra-oily profile of leather, coffee, black pepper, cocoa, and that trademark Liga Privada sweet creamy grassiness (many of you know what I’m talking about; the ability to accurately describe the sensation escapes me). While it may not be inexpensive—keep in mind the stalk-cut “American Habano” Connecticut wrapper is costly to produce—I think you’ll agree you need to treat yourself to a T52 every now and then.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This is the crazy season of bourbon. Super-hard-to-find, rare, limited editions are being released in very small quantities, and buyers are going to ridiculous lengths to get them. Some want to drink them, others are looking to profit off a secondary market where a rare bottle purchased one day can sell for many times the retail price a few days later.

Here’s an example: Two days ago a bottle of Old Forester Birthday Bourbon I had ordered arrived at my local liquor store. But because it was listed in their online inventory, by the time I had picked it up the store manager said he had received dozens of calls for the bottle. Just two years ago I bought three bottles for the same price with no fuss at all and I could have (and probably should have) bought many more.

Wild Turkey Master’s Keep bourbon is certainly a product of that craziness. The 17 year Wild Turkey is the oldest ever released by Wild Turkey, and Wild Turkey knows that such a rare bourbon can command a price; in this case, $150 for a 750 ml. bottle. Albeit rare, that high price (even in this overheated bourbon market) has meant that a month after the release you can still find Master’s Keep on some shelves if you want one.

The story of how this bourbon came to be is a complicated one. Long story short, after being distilled in 1996, the barrels spent only a short period of time in Wild Turkey’s warehouses before they were moved to brick warehouses nearby. In 2003, they were moved again to different brick warehouse before finally being moved back into traditional wood and metal Wild Turkey rickhouses in 2010.

The time in brick warehouses, where bourbon tends to age more slowly, has had a considerable impact on the bourbon. For one thing, rather that increasing in proof over time, Master’s Keep decreased in proof over time, to 43.4% ABV (86.8-proof).

The result is a bourbon with a truly fantastic nose. It’s a rich combination of mulling spices, apple, pear, tree sap, and pie crust. On the plate there is caramel, clove spice, burnt sugar, and oak. The finish features lots of dry oak.

It’s a unique and delicate bourbon that deserves an equally subtle cigar. A few recommendations: Illusione Singulare LE 2014 Anunnaki, Paul Garmirian Gourmet, and the Tatuaje Black Corona Gorda.

Ultimately, however, when it comes to price I have trouble spending $150 on Master’s Keep. It’s not that it isn’t good. It is. And it’s surely unique and tasty. But anticlimactically, the nose is the aspect of the bourbon that stands out the most. I would highly recommend trying to find some in a bar before shelling out for a full bottle.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Believe it or not, the partnership between jewelry maker Matt Booth and Camacho is about six years old. Seems like only a few years since it was announced Camacho would be making cigars sold under Booth’s Room 101 brand, which is named after the torture room in George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four.

This summer, Booth was showing off a new line at the Davidoff display at the IPCPR Trade Show in New Orleans (Camacho was acquired by Davidoff in 2008). Called Johnny Tobacconaut, the blend humorously implies the tobacco was harvested from outer space, as the black and copper boxes depict a space cadet with a backpack full of tobacco and a shovel.

“One small puff for man, one giant cascade of flavor for mankind is what our dear friend and comrade in arms Johnny Tobacconaut seeks to deliver unto you,” reads the marketing copy. “Unsheathe this smoke wagon of funkadelic flavor and afford yourself a micro escape from your day. The mini vacation you are about to embark upon, should you choose to accept it, will bring you one step closer to becoming that gentleman or gentle-lady of leisure we all know is within you.”

In reality, the leaves are from Nicaragua and the cigars are manufactured by Davidoff in Danlí, Honduras. Three sizes are available in the pricy $12 to $15 range: Fileroid (4.5 x 52), Ranflatic, (6.5 x 50), and Chingonova (8 x 60). (Ranflatic is incorrectly listed as 5.5 inches long just about everywhere.) All are perfectos. Total production is limited to 3,500 boxes of 20, or 70,000 individual cigars—though Booth says he’d make this a permanent line if it sells well.

Ranflatic is a handsome, oily specimen with thin veins and pre-light notes of dark chocolate and dried apricot. Only the slightest snip of the narrowed cap is necessary to open an easy cold draw. Once lit, a simple, familiar, medium-bodied profile emerges with flavors reminiscent of black coffee, black pepper, leather, warm tobacco, and back-of-the-throat spice.

As it progresses, Ranflatic adds a little cream, some cinnamon, and hints of salted nuts. There are few changes otherwise, aside from a dose of bitterness here and there. Throughout, the combustion qualities perform very well, including a trouble-free burn line, sturdy gray ash, and impressive smoke production.

After smoking two Ranflatics, I’ve come to the conclusion the blend—while enjoyable—is somewhat lacking in pop, complexity, or any distinguishing uniqueness that would help justify the considerable price. Maybe the blend just doesn’t strike the right chord with my palate. That’s ultimately why I’m settling on a score of two and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The VegaFina brand made by tobacco giant Altadis usually takes a backseat to the more prominent names in the Altadis portfolio, including Montecristo, H. Upmann, and Romeo y Julieta. It’s positioned as more of a value play and marketed with the tagline, “Every day is the perfect time to enjoy a masterpiece.”

In January, VegaFina joined the growing list of brands that have launched line extensions with “Nicaragua” in the name, all of which are clearly aiming to cash in on the popularity of the Central American country that’s known for its strong, rich tobaccos.

Called simply VegaFina Nicaragua, the new series is an “impeccably blended and hand-rolled” cigar with “100% Nicaraguan” tobaccos from “the unique regions of Estelí and Jalapa.” The recipe includes a Habana 2000 wrapper, a Seco binder from Jalapa, and a mixture of Seco, Ligero, and Viso tobaccos.

Three sizes are available: Corona (5.75 x 42), Robusto (5 x 50), and Gran Toro (6 x 52). Each retails for $5.50-6.25 and is made at Altadis’ Tabacalera de García in the Dominican Republic.

The first time I took a Gran Toro out of its cellophane and held the cigar in person, I was taken aback by the color of the wrapper. Perhaps more dramatically than any other cigar I can recall, VegaFina Nicaragua is severely mottled (my picture doesn’t do this justice). There are dark streaks all over the dry surface, giving the Gran Toro an almost zebra-like appearance. I’m not saying this is an indictment of the cigar’s quality, mind you; but I also wouldn’t expect Altadis to include this wrapper on one of its flagship brands.

Once the Gran Toro is lit, delicate pre-light notes of sweet hay and grass give way to a medium-bodied profile of cream, cedar spice, paper, and café au lait. Given the blend’s name and makeup, I was expecting something bolder, spicier, and stronger. That said, the flavor is well-rounded and nuanced, and the texture strikes a surprisingly sophisticated tone.

As the Gran Toro progresses, it becomes clear the central theme is the interplay between the sweet creaminess and the spicy cedar—just the sort of cigar that pairs well with a light sipping rum. Throughout, as is to be expected from Altadis, construction is top-notch with a smooth draw, straight burn line, abundant smoke production, and solid white ash.

Seasoned cigar veterans who stray away from the likes of Altadis and General Cigar will be missing a value-priced smoke that sports great texture, balance, and complexity. Put simply, VegaFina Nicaragua is a good cigar for the money. The Gran Toro is worthy of an admirable rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

[Editor’s Note: For Columbus Day we’re republishing an article first published five years ago about Columbus’ historical impact on tobacco and cigars.]

Today is Columbus Day, which means government employees and a few lucky others get a day off. The holiday celebrates Christopher Columbus’ “discovery” of the Americas, which happens to be an important date for cigar fans.

That’s because Columbus is widely credited with introducing the tobacco plant to Europe, which set in motion a series of events that culminated in the cigar industry we see today. It was during Columbus’ voyages to the new world that Europeans first encountered the tobacco plant.

According to history, it was two of Columbus’ crew members who were most responsible for bringing tobacco to Europe. Both, Rodrigo de Jerez and Luis de Torres, took a liking to tobacco after seeing native Americans smoking the leaf.

After arriving in Cuba in November 1492, which Columbus thought was the Asian coast, Columbus sent Torres and de Jerez inland to explore the country and to contact its ruler. The two men were received in an Indian village where they saw the native custom of drying leaves, inserting them in cane pipes, burning them, and inhaling the smoke.

Upon his return to Spain, Jerez continued smoking and introduced his habit to his home town of Ayamonte. The smoke reportedly frightened some of his neighbors, resulting in the Spanish Inquisition imprisoning him for his use of the “devil’s weed”—making Jerez the first victim of anti-tobacco laws. He spent seven years in prison for his “sin,” only to be released as smoking was becoming an accepted activity in Spain.

One legend has Torres being threatened with prison in Spain for smoking tobacco, but in all likelihood such stories are confusing him with his fellow sailor. The more accepted history says that Torres was killed while settling Hispaniola (now the Dominican Republic and Haiti). Internal conflict wiped out the settlement party when Torres, a Jew who became Catholic under threat from the same Spanish Inquisition that later imprisoned Jerez, took issue with attempts to convert the native people to Catholicism.

Whatever the exact truth, there’s no denying that Columbus and his crew were pivotal in the history of cigars. And that is reason enough to light up a fine cigar this Columbus Day.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Wikipedia