The Stogie Guys

For better or worse, Gifted Horse is one of the most interesting new American whiskey releases this year. The least expensive edition of the Orphan Barrel series to date cannot be called a bourbon because it is a mix of 38.5% 17-year-old Kentucky bourbon, 51% four-year-old Indiana bourbon, and 10.5% four-year-old corn whiskey also distilled in Indiana.

The eyebrow-raising story behind that odd blend is that the components were mixed together by mistake, which turned out so good they decided to release it as a one-time limited offering. For what its worth, this is hardly the first time a cigar or whiskey company has turned a supposed error into a marketing opportunity. (Wild Turkey Forgiven started with an accidental blending of rye and bourbon, and cigar makers regularly find long-forgotten, extra-aged tobaccos.)

In any event, the “accident” resulted in at least over 8,000 bottles (my bottle number was 8,328) which were released at a barrel-strength 118-proof. It sells for $50, although prices have been all over the place relative to suggested retail for the Orphan Barrel releases.

The reddish gold whiskey features an astringent nose with red berries, roast corn, and vanilla. On the palate are strong woody flavors, cereal grains, burnt sugar, and tea notes. The finish is relatively short with charred wood.

There’s a tannic sharpness to Gifted Horse that isn’t due to the proof but from the combination of old, quite possibly over-oaked, bourbon with younger whiskey. It’s disappointing because I had high hopes for Gifted Horse. Unlike previous Orphan Barrel releases, which could be fairly criticized for being underproofed, I was hoping this blend would offer fine flavors without being watered down.

Despite Gifted Horse’s shortcomings, the full proof does offer some tasty cigar pairing options. It certainly can stand up to a full-bodied cigar like the PG 25th Anniversary Connoisseur (pictured, review coming soon), Coronado by La Flor, My Father El Hijo, and Arturo Fuente Opus X.

Plenty of people have criticized the Orphan Barrel series as more marketing hype than good bourbon, but I’ve praised the previous offerings (some more than others) as an actual opportunity to buy ultra-aged bourbon at a reasonable price. Gifted Horse, however, is much tougher to recommend despite its friendlier price. Unless you’re more interested in trying an experiment than a fine whiskey, you’re better off spending more to find different Orphan Barrel offerings or any number of less expensive bourbons.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This year marks the tenth anniversary of Old Henry, a house blend made for Holt’s Cigar Company by none other than José “Pepín” García. Holt’s, as you may know, is the Philadelphia tobacconist that launched the Ashton brand in 1985 and today maintains a strong catalog and online presence. That means you don’t have to traipse to 1522 Walnut Street in downtown Philadelphia to get your hands on some Old Henry smokes.

Over the past decade, Old Henry has built a reputation as a cost-conscious way to get a Pepín-made cigar. The seven vitolas range in price from $3 for the Runt (4.5 x 42) to $4.60 for the Champion (6.25 x 56), when purchased by the box of 25. Holt’s describes Old Henry as “a best-selling cigar with an avid cult following.”

It’s probably no surprise, then, that the Old Henry portfolio has grown over the years. Additions have included Gold Label (Connecticut-seed Ecuadorian wrapper), Maduro (Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper), and the subject of today’s review: Pure Breed.

The Pure Breed recipe consists of an oscuro-grade Ecuador Sumatra wrapper around “well-aged, vintage Nicaraguan filler components” with a Nicaraguan binder. It comes in four vitolas—Churchill (7 x 49), Grandshire (5.5 x 60), Robusto (5 x 54), and Toro (6 x 52)—and is marketed as “a unique medium- to full-bodied smoking experience.”

I sampled two Pure Breed Toros for this review, both of which were provided to me by Holt’s. This format costs $6.50 for a single or $93.95 for a box of 25. It boasts a clean, attractive wrapper with tight seams and minimal veins. The pungent pre-light notes are sweet hay and cocoa powder, and the cold draw has a fair amount of resistance.

Once an even light is established, right off the bat you’ll find a hearty dose of red and black pepper with some creamy sweetness and roasted nuts in the background. Marshmallow, dry oak, and dried fruit are apparent through the retrohale. The abundant resting smoke is sweet and aromatic with a mouth-watering chocolaty appeal.

As the Toro progresses, there short spurts when the taste turns light and papery. Just when I think the flavor is fading, though, I’ll happily find a burst of creaminess and sweetness to pique my attention and enjoyment. The finale ushers in a reprise of Pepín’s signature blast of pepper.

Construction is pretty good throughout. Both samples exhibited fairly straight burns that only required a touch-up here and there. The ash holds well. And the draw, while a bit stiff at first, opens almost immediately to provide abundant smoke with easy puffs.

If you’re a Pepín fan, you can’t afford to not give the cigars in the Old Henry portfolio a try. I doubt any of them will knock your socks off with incredible complexity, but the bang-for-your-buck value is tough to beat. My advice is to pick up the Best in Show sampler, which features two Toros from each of the four Old Henry blends for just $29.95 ($3.74 per cigar).

The Pure Breed Toro might be the highlight of the assortment, with its abundant flavor and sweet creaminess. In my book it earns a solid 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

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

This line was one of Davidoff’s early entries in the category of strong cigars while keeping with its tradition of Dominican tobaccos. With its simple gold foot band and tight pigtail cap, the 43-ring gauge Deliciosos makes a statement that’s accented by the lumpy, somewhat bent figure of the 4.875-inch long parejo. At first light, there’s a nice spicy kick mixed with a familiar earthy, mushroom taste. Along the way, light chocolate, coffee, and a slight vegetal note join in. The $12 price tag is a bit steep, but you’ll get a rich, rewarding experience.

Verdict = Buy.

–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.”

The last two Halloween-themed Monster Series releases from Tatuaje were The Jekyll (2014) and The Hyde (2015). The former featured a lighter Ecuadorian Sancti Spíritus wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, whereas the latter sported a darker Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. I liked both, and was pleased to recently discover I still have The Hyde (7 x 49) in stock. So I decided to take one for a test drive to see if it had changed since I reviewed it in November. Granted, when it comes to cigar aging, four months isn’t a long time, and I therefore wasn’t expecting a wildly different experience. What I found was very similar to my review (and my memory). The Hyde is a veritable candy bar with medium-bodied notes of sweet cream, chocolate, mint, graham cracker, and a little background pepper. I liked it then, and I like it now.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This reblended and redone line from General Cigar now sports a dark, gritty Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper that’s unfinished at the foot, twisted into a pigtail at the cap, and an inviting target for bargain hunters.

Eager to breath new life into what had seemingly become almost a catalogue afterthought, General turned Ramon Allones over to its Foundry Tobacco Co., which functions as something of a cigar skunkworks under Michael Giannini, who serves as the company’s creative director and director of innovations.

While the cigar might not live up to the advance billing—“the world’s best tobaccos mixed with the forbidden fruit”—it more than holds its own among low-priced smokes.

Sure, no one’s going to mistake the Ramon Allones for a complex boutique blend or a high-end stick. But if you’re looking for a medium-strength smoke that can serve as a yard-gar, golf companion, or handout to your brother-in-law, this is one to consider. Even an occasional cigar smoker will appreciate the thick volume of smoke.

Remember, this robusto (5 x 50, $6.49) can be found online for under $4 a stick in a box of 20. Considering that you get General’s consistency and construction quality, it’s almost certainly a better buy than many no-name bundle cigars, even if they’re half the price.

I wasn’t at last summer’s IPCPR where the Ramon Allones debuted, along with a redone Bolivar line. General sent me a five-pack that I smoked for this review. (Of note, General Cigar says the bands on these samples, which appeared at the IPCPR show, are not exactly what you will find at retailers.)

The Ramon Allones starts dark and meaty with a fairly strong finish, befitting its Nicaraguan filler. At several points, a bitterness emerged and walked up to the edge of overpowering but didn’t cross the line.

A StogieGuys.com three-stogie rating signifies that a cigar is “pretty respectable,” and I think that’s an apt label for the new Ramon Allones. It’s well worth considering if you’re looking for a smoke that can fill a few different roles in your humidor. The Ramon Allones 550 earns three stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys / General Cigar