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.”

This Nicaraguan puro, made by Nestor Plasencia for Quesada Cigars, was named the top cigar in the world by Cigar Aficionado in 2008. Back then, the MSRP on the Robusto (5.5 x 52) was $5.25; today, you can find it for about $6 when bought by the box of 27. In addition to good combustion properties—including an effortless draw and a burn that’s well-behaved—it offers an airy, medium-bodied profile of cayenne spice, dry wood, cinnamon, apricot, and caramel. The texture is a tad papery. I seem to recall this cigar being more concentrated with a richer, silkier mouthfeel. It’s definitely not bad, and the cost is not an issue, but I can’t say I would smoke this Robusto on a regular basis.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post our sampling of cigar news and other items of interest from the week. Below is our latest, which is the 514th in the series.

1) The Obama Administration has executed a bevy of agreements with Cuba in its final month of power. “Since Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro announced in December 2014 that they would normalize relations, the two governments have established a number of task forces to resolve outstanding issues between them,” reports the Washington Post. “That process sped up considerably this month as President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration approached.” While these most recent agreements are not cigar-related—they concern maritime boundaries, joint responses on oil spills, law enforcement cooperation, and search and rescue operations—they underscore Obama’s desire to strengthen relations in a lasting way that would be more difficult to unwind. “Trump has said that Obama got a ‘bad deal’ from Cuba and that Castro should have made more concessions toward civic and political freedoms on the island,” says the Post. “Obama has repeatedly argued that more U.S.-Cuba contact will force the government’s hand.”

2) 60 Minutes recently aired an interesting feature on Havana Club rum and the legal battle between the Cuban government and the French beverage giant Pernod Ricard—a 50-50 joint venture that claims to be the one true Havana Club—and the Havana Club made by Bacardi in Puerto Rico. Bacardi claims legitimacy since it bought the original Havana Club name and recipe from the family that had been producing the rum prior to the company’s nationalization via Fidel Castro’s Cuban Revolution. If this story sounds familiar, it should. It’s very similar to the legal war being waged by Cuban cigar brands and non-Cuban brands that carry Cuban names (i.e., Cohiba). You can watch the feature in its entirety here.

3) Looking for something different to drink? Consider Allen’s Coffee Brandy, also known as the Champagne of Maine. “For more than 20 years, Allen’s Coffee Brandy has been the top-selling spirit in the state of Maine, besting the number two competitor by a margin of two to one. And that’s just the 1.75-liter size. Annual sales reports for the state routinely place all four sizes of Allen’s among the top ten best sellers… It is the stuff of legend. And why not? It’s inexpensive, it’s sweet, and it packs a buzz and a punch.”

4) Inside the Industry: Camacho announced new box-pressed extensions to its three core lines that feature Connecticut, Corojo, and Ecuador wrappers. Coming in three new box-pressed formats (Robusto, Toro, and Gordo), the tweaked blends of the box-pressed offerings are designed to be fuller-bodied due to the addition of Pennsylvanian Broadleaf tobaccos. Suggested retail on the three sizes are $8 to $9.25.

5) From the Archives: It’s chilly out, so warm up with one of our five warm drinks for cold days. This article lays out the recipes for such classic cocktails as the hot toddy, Stonewall Jackson, hot buttered Rum, and Mexican hot chocolate. Or, if you prefer, a good cup of coffee. Read it all here.

6) Deal of the Week: Here’s a sampler worth checking out. Just $45 gets you a Warped Maestro del Tiempo, Davidoff Yamasa Short Churchill, Caldwell Signature Dos Firmas, Bellas Artes by A.J. Fernandez, and The Tabernacle by Foundation Cigar Co. Pick up two (or add other products to get to $75) and use the code “StogieDeal” to land a free triple-flame butane lighter.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

This week saw the introduction of the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2017 in Congress. Sponsored by Congressman Bill Posey (R-FL), the bill would repeal FDA jurisdiction over premium handmade cigars.

The bill defines a premium cigar as meeting four characteristics: It must (1) be wrapped in 100 percent leaf tobacco and bunched in 100 percent tobacco filler; (2) not contain a filter, tip, or non-tobacco mouthpiece; (3) weigh at least 6 pounds per 1,000 count; and (4) have 100 percent tobacco binder and be hand-rolled, or at least made with human hands to lay the wrapper or binder onto one machine that bunches, wraps, and caps the individual cigars, or have a homogenized tobacco leaf binder and be made in the United States using human hands to lay a 100 percent leaf tobacco wrapper onto one machine that bunches, wraps, and caps each individual cigar.

Cigars meeting this definition would no longer be subject to FDA regulations under the bill and would therefore be exempt from the 499-page rule finalized last year by the FDA. That rule mandates any cigar introduced after 2007 to be approved by the FDA for sale by 2018, and for any new cigar after August 2016 to receive FDA approval before being sold in the United States.

This is the fourth consecutive Congress in which the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act has been introduced. When first introduced in 2011, the bill obtained 220 co-sponsors in the House, while a companion measure sponsored in the Senate by Senator Nelson of Florida gained 13 co-sponsors. More recently, the 2015-16 version garnered 170 sponsors in the House and 22 sponsors in the Senate.

Cigar Rights of America Executive Director Glynn Loope said the following about the introduction of the bill in the 2017 Congress: “Since 2011, this legislation has served as a platform to convey the threat such regulations could pose to the premium cigar industry. Now that threat is reality, and Congress, in concert with the new administration, needs to advance measures that not only mitigate the damage of the rules in front of us, but ensure protection from rules yet to come.”

Analysis

With a new occupant moving into the While House later this week, this is a big year for this legislation. In previous years, even if the bill could have passed both houses of Congress, it faced a likely veto from President Obama who signed the legislation into law authorizing the FDA to regulate cigars back in 2009.

Although incoming President Trump isn’t a cigar smoker (and even cut an anti-smoking PSA), his criticisms of over-regulation have some hopeful that he would sign a bill to protect handmade premium cigars from overbearing FDA rules. Additionally, incoming Vice President Mike Pence is largely viewed as friendly towards tobacco.

But long before this bill gets to the president’s desk, if it ever gets there, it faces significant hurdles. Probably the largest obstacle is opposition in the Senate, where the same anti-tobacco senators that pushed the FDA to accelerate its cigar rules could use the chamber’s filibuster to attempt to block passage, even if there are enough votes in favor.

Still, building support for the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act in the House and Senate sends an important message, even absent the bill becoming law. First, broad support makes it more likely that industry-backed reforms could make it into an appropriations bill. Further, significant support in Congress sends a message to the FDA as the cigar industry continues to lobby the agency to change the rule, or at least implement the regulation in a less-burdensome way.

–Patrick S

photo credits: Stogie Guys

Year of the Rooster is Davidoff’s fifth annual international release celebrating Chinese New Year with its sign of the zodiac. Like the earlier releases, it is a limited edition with special aged tobaccos and a high price tag.

The cigar itself is a 6.75-inch diadema with a ring gauge of 50. The white Davidoff band is offset with a secondary red and gold one highlighting the cigar’s name and a drawing of a rooster. Eight thousand of the striking 10-count red lacquered boxes were produced, with the per-stick price set at $40.

The wrapper is an Ecuadorian Habano-seed leaf, with a Dominican San Vicente binder and Dominican filler, which Davidoff identifies as Piloto Seco, San Vicente Visus, Piloto Visus, and Criollo Seco.

I smoked two for this review and was impressed. Admitting up front that I’m no expert on Cuban cigars, I found the Rooster to be reminiscent of some of the best Cubans I’ve smoked.

It started a little peppery with medium strength and shifted after about an inch to a nutty flavor with some fruit-like notes. About halfway through, I began to pick up some vanilla and cedar added to the mix as the strength increased. The last half or so was also marked by a rich tobacco sweetness.

Like so many Davidoff cigars, the Rooster is incredibly smooth, balanced, and easy to smoke. The draw and burn were near perfect throughout.

Of course, the price tag puts this cigar out of reach for many smokers, except possibly as a celebration candidate. Is it worth $40? Is a lousy cigar worth $3? Is a mediocre cigar worth $8? Those are questions that cigar smokers have to decide for themselves.

But, if you’re a Davidoff fan or like to sample small production cigars, I think you’ll want to try one. I found it exemplary and rate it four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Davidoff

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.”

Made at El Titan de Bronze in Miami for Warped Cigars, El Oso Ursus is a store-exclusive for Atlantic Cigars. The corona gorda (5.6 x 46) uses a reddish brown Ecuadorian wrapper around a binder from Ecuador and filler from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The cigar features medium-bodied roasted notes with coffee and light leather. This is a fine, well-made cigar, but it’s somewhat one-dimensional and nowhere near the best from the Warped brand, which features some fantastic smokes.

Verdict = Hold.

–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.”

Last April, my colleague awarded this complex, harmonious, well-balanced cigar a rare five-stogie rating. Out of the many, many cigars we reviewed in 2016, the 25th Anniversary Connoisseur from Paul Garmirian Cigars was one of only four to receive our highest score. Deservedly so. In a rare display of restraint, I’ve been slowly chipping away at a box of these over the past eight months, only firing up a Connoisseur (6 x 52, $19) when the moment seems befitting a cigar of this caliber. Aside from exquisite construction—which is to be expected from such a costly smoke—this masterpiece yields a mouth-watering, satisfying, bready profile with hints of cedar, mushroom, and salted caramel. This is one cigar experience you won’t soon forget.

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) General Cigar on Tuesday announced Punch Gran Puro Nicaragua, a “Nicaraguan-forward blend” that will debut in February. Four vitolas will be made at General Cigar’s HATSA factory in Danlí, Honduras, each with an MSRP ranging from $5.29 to $6.99. The blend recipe includes high priming Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos enveloped in a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. “Punch Gran Puro has been a true staple in humidors for over a decade, and the brand’s recently-received high ratings have cemented its legacy in the handmade cigar category,” said Ed McKenna, director of marketing strategy for General Cigar. “For the extension of the Gran Puro line, our artisans built a blend that balances Nicaraguan tobaccos with a Maduro wrapper to deliver a layered, dimensional flavor not traditionally found in Nicaraguan-based cigars. We are confident that Punch Gran Puro Nicaragua will be a fast favorite among tenured smokers.”

2) Yesterday, President Obama announced an end to “wet foot, dry foot,” a policy which allowed Cubans who make it to U.S. soil to stay and become legal residents. Obama characterized the policy as “designed for a different era.” The change is part of Obama’s move towards normalization of relations with Cuba. Florida news outlets reported mixed reactions from members of the Cuban community there.

3) Inside the Industry: Matt Booth is, for the time being at least, walking away from the cigar industry. Booth is owner of the Room 101 portfolio of brands—cigars that were made by Camacho prior to Davidoff’s acquisition of Camacho in 2008. Room 101 has since been distributed by Davidoff. Booth recently told Cigar Aficionado his agreement with Davidoff has come to an end, and he has decided not to renew. “For now, I am going to concentrate on the jewelry and accessories side of the business,” Booth said. “It’s a business that’s growing rapidly for me and not over-regulated by the government.”

4) From the Archives: Perhaps surprisingly, one of the most popular articles in the decade-plus history of StogieGuys.com is our tip on how to perform a salt calibration test. The test will help you ensure your hygrometer reading inside your humidor is accurate. Best of all, with the exception of maybe distilled water, the test can be done with a few household items you’ll almost certainly find in your kitchen.

5) Deal of the Week: We recommend Bespoke Post, a monthly collection of awesome items delivered to your door for just $45. Past boxes include fine bar accessories, shaving kits, coffee, and more. You can skip or purchase every month. Currently available is “Churchill,” a box featuring four E.P. Carrillo cigars (including one exclusive blend), a reclaimed wood ashtray that doubles as a candle-holder, a smoke-eating candle, cedar spills for lighting your cigar, and a cutter. Click here to sign up today.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: General Cigar Co.