The Stogie Guys

In 2011, My Father Cigars released a Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial in a box-pressed torpedo size exclusive to members of the Tobacconists’ Association of America (TAA). In 2017, the same size is back again for TAA, a small association of 80 or so cigar retailers that includes many of the most prominent U.S. tobacconists. (In case you come across the 2011 version, you can differentiate the two by noting only the 2017 edition has “TAA” printed in gold on the blue foot band.)

I don’t think it’s unfair to say the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial line is overshadowed by the eponymous My Father lines, much like tobacco patriarch Don José “Pepin” Garcia overshadows the talents his son, Jaime. But my experience smoking four of the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial TAA 2017 cigars serves as a reminder that Jaime Garcia’s talents aren’t to be overlooked.

Like the entire Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial line, the $9.50 TAA edition (6.125 x 52) features a dark, oily Broadleaf wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. The exact differences between the TAA edition and the regular sizes aren’t disclosed, but reports are the TAA blend is tweaked and the 2017 version uses tobaccos that are extra aged (compared to the 2011 TAA).

A savory oak flavor dominates the cigar, which also features an abundance of unsweetened chocolate and black coffee. Other flavors include a subtle syrupy sweetness and pepper that particularly comes through on the retrohale.

Construction on each of the cigars was flawless. The box-pressed torpedo shape concentrates the flavors nicely on the palate. The taste is largely consistent from start to finish, but the chocolate and pepper both build towards the final third as the profile ramps up from medium-bodied to medium- to full-bodied.

The Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial TAA 2017 is a classic Broadleaf maduro smoke. It is rich and balanced with equal parts subtle sweetness and spice. This cigar makes me want to revisit the regular offerings in the Jamie Garcia Reserva Especial line. It earns a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Founded by Nick Syris and Omar Nasir, LH Premium Cigars arose from a line of custom-made Cuban cigars exclusive to Lavida Habana, a chain of high-end retail shops in the Middle East. The idea was to expand distribution to the U.S. market with non-Cuban blends.

LH Premium Cigars launched in the U.S. in 2014 with Claro and Maduro lines, and in 2015 debuted the Colorado. Each is crafted at the Tabacos de Costa Rica factory in Costa Rica and was originally offered in three vitolas: Robusto, Toro, and Gordo. Since, Lancero, Petit Gordo, Corona, and Churchill formats have been added to each of the three lines.

The Colorado sports an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, a Nicaraguan binder, and filler tobaccos from Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Peru. It is billed as medium- to full-bodied, and the advertised flavors include oak, fig, maple syrup, vanilla, citrus, cloves, pine, melon, cinnamon.

I smoked several LH Colorado Lanceros for this review. This cigar retails for $9.50 and measures 7.5 inches long with a ring gauge of 42. Beneath a band of black, red, and gold is a velvety, clean, reddish wrapper with thin veins. The soft pre-light notes at the closed foot remind me of sweet hay, honey, and graham cracker. Despite the thin ring gauge, the cold draw is clear.

At the outset, I’m greeted by a spicy cedar core that’s dry, salty, and fairly aggressive on the palate. Background notes include cayenne heat, cereals, dried fruit, and sunflower seeds. After half an inch, the salt fades a bit as cream, peanut, and honey become more apparent. Still, the driving force is cedar, the effect of which—for least to me—is very frequent sips of water (and, yes, bourbon). The texture is bready.

Towards the midway point, the Lancero gains complexity with the addition of some faint floral notes and melon. A bitterness is also present, though it is not a focal point of the profile. The body is squarely medium, and the resting smoke boasts a nice aromatic sweetness. There are no major changes in the final third, save for a slight increase in intensity and heat.

Throughout, the combustion qualities leave little to be desired. This is a well-made Lancero with above average smoke production, a fairly stable ash, a smooth draw, and a burn line that—while not perfect—doesn’t really require any touch-ups along the way to stay even.

In many respects, I think the Lavida Habana Colorado Lancero delivers an experience that’s classic and Cuban-esque (perhaps not surprising, given the company’s origins) layered with a little more strength and some Nicaraguan zing. On its own, it falls short of exceptional and, to my taste, could benefit from less salty bite; paired with the right libation, though, it can be quite satisfying. All of this adds up to a score 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 verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

Today I smoked a cigar you could consider a bit of a unicorn. Only 50 boxes of 30 cigars were ever made of the Robusto edition of the debut 2010 Summerfest cigar, which, according to Viaje brand owner Andre Farkas, was a factory mistake. (Other Viaje Summerfest vitolas, including the 2010 Torpedo, which was the non-mistake version of the 2010 release, are known for having a shaggy unfinished foot.) The Nicaraguan puro features sourdough bread notes along with cinnamon, light spice, and buttery notes. It’s well-balanced and medium-bodied, though there is a peppery spice that builds in the final third. Well-constructed, this is an example of a well-made, well-executed smoke that was good when it debuted and has improved with age.

Verdict = Buy.

–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.”

In September 2013, I reviewed this Ecuadorian Habano-wrapped, Miami-made cigar and found it to be full-bodied with bold, salty spice and flavors of espresso, black pepper, and charred steak. Back then, I thought it was decent but lacking in balance. Almost four years of humidor time has done wonders for the Crémo Capa Caliente. Now, instead of raw power and a heavy-handed profile without much depth, the Toro (6 x 52, $12) is more medium-bodied with ample sweet cream and roasted nuts to balance out the spicy, savory core. My recommendation? Take this El Titan de Bronze-made cigar for a test drive; if at first you don’t succeed, let the cigars rest and reap the rewards later.

Verdict = Buy.

–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 526th in the series.

1) This week saw two announcements from Black Label Trading Co. (BLTC). The first, issued on Monday, concerned the shipment of the 2017 vintage of Bishops Blend. “It’s great to get Bishops Blend back in the market,” said BLTC creator James Brown. “This is a very special cigar. It is a representation of how I have grown as a cigar maker… The 2017 Bishops Blend has an extremely rich and sophisticated profile.” Bishops Blend is made at BLTC’s Fabrica Oveja Negra factory in Nicaragua and sports an Ecuador Habano Maduro wrapper, an Ecuador Habano binder, and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Two sizes will be offered: Corona Larga (6.25 x 46, $10.50) and Robusto (5 x 48, $10.00). In addition to Bishops Blend, yesterday BLTC introduced the return of the Ecuador Habano Maduro-wrapped Last Rites Box Press Robusto (5 x 54, $10), which will debut on April 28 and be exclusive to R. Field Wine Co. in Honolulu.

2) NPR published a feature yesterday about how “cigar specialists” are working on unconventional cigar pairings as part of tobacco programs at luxury hotels and restaurants. It includes the tidbit that Tobacconist University is “currently developing a ‘certified cigar sommelier’ degree.” There’s also this: “Because a high pH level makes cigars fairly alkaline, [Mason] Foster [who works as a certified tobacconist at Bourbon Steak, a restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C.] relies on acidity to help balance the flavors, starting with consuming a tart candy, like Skittles, to neutralize the palate. Having only begun smoking cigars less than two years ago, the 25-year-old cigar sommelier has gone full-bore into his new passion, smoking a few cigars each day and going through some two pounds of Skittles or Starburst candies a week.”

3) In case you’ve missed it, bourbon has been experiencing a boom in recent years, with consumers (including quite a few cigar smokers) drinking it up in record amounts. High demand for your product is obviously what every company hopes for. That said, the problem for the bourbon industry is the product requires years to make, and ten or more years for many of the most sought-after brands. So what’s a bourbon producer to do? The anonymous BourbonTruth lays out the many imperfect options.

4) Inside the Industry: Crowned Heads’ Headley Grange Drumstick, their limited annual release, has begun arriving at retailers. One thousand boxes of ten in a lancero format (7.5 x 38, $9.90) are being released this year.

5) From the Archives: Hot, sweltering summer days can take a toll on your stogies if you aren’t prepared. Get your humidor in order with these tips.

6) Deal of the Week: For today only, here are 100 deals including cigars from Fuente, L’Atelier, E.P. Carrillo, Davidoff, Drew Estate, Tatuaje, and more. Free shipping is included on any purchase. If you really want to stock up, add promo code “GBP20D” at checkout to knock $20 off an order of $150 or more.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: BLTC

All Out Kings has been an extraordinarily anticipated cigar since the initial announcement last year. A collaboration between Caldwell Cigar Co. and Drew Estate, the line began shipping only recently.

Here’s how the blend is described on the website set up for the line: “All Out Kings debuts with tobaccos from La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate in Estelí, Nicaragua, including Connecticut stalk-cut and sun-cured Habano wrapper with an Indonesian Sumatra binder and filler comprised of Jalapa Viso, Estelí Viso, Dominican C-98 Seco, and Connecticut Broadleaf Ligero.” Originally, production was planned to take place at the Joya de Nicaragua factory, but ultimately the blend was rolled at La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate.

Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it?

I thought so before I tried one. But the flavors from this smoke just didn’t line up with what I enjoy in a cigar.

First, there was what I can describe only as a dirty taste that I’m guessing comes from the stalk-cut wrapper, a procedure which can produce heavily earthy notes. Then there was the sharp, back-of-the-throat bite that was particularly intense in the first inch or so and came back in the final third.

Much of the cigar—I smoked three of the robusto-sized Smash (5 x 52), for which I paid $69 for a five-pack—exhibited what I’ve come to think of as a campfire taste with some astringency along the way.

On the other hand, the cigar is an extraordinary performer. The draw and smoke production in all those I smoked were excellent, while the burn was razor sharp. The white ash held on tightly throughout.

I can’t imagine this cigar will engender many middle-of-the-road reactions. If it suits your palate, you’ll likely be a big fan; if not, your reaction will probably be similar to mine. And the only way to find out where you fall on the scale is to try one.

All Out Kings comes in four vitolas. The other three are Gimme Your Lunch Money (5.75 x 46), Foreverlast (6.5 x 54), and The Fourth Pose (6 x 54). All are available in 20-count boxes.

For me, this is a tough cigar to rate. All Out Kings is obviously not a bad cigar. It just doesn’t appeal to me. which is why I give it three stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Caldwell/Stogie Guys

In October, Meier & Dutch, announced Lucious Lyon. If the Meier & Dutch name doesn’t ring a bell, it is the distribution arm affiliated with Cigars International, which is owned by the Scandinavian Tobacco Group, which is also the parent company of General Cigar.

Lucious Lyon is inspired by the FOX television program Empire. I’ve never seen the show, so, employing my crack research skills, I will rely on the following Wikipedia summary of the premise: “Although filmed in Chicago, the show is set in New York and centers on a fictional hip hop music and entertainment company, Empire Entertainment, and the drama among the members of the founders’ family as they fight for control of the company.”

The Lucious Lyon cigar line—certainly not the first cigar venture aiming to capitalize on a TV series (e.g., The Sopranos, Breaking Bad)—is named after Empire’s lead character, portrayed by Terrence Howard. Along with the cigar, Meier & Dutch also released a line of complementary Empire-themed accessories, including a crystal ashtray, a high-gloss humidor, and a cutter and lighter by Xikar.

The cigar is made in Honduras at the STG Danlí factory and features a Connecticut wrapper, dual Connecticut Broadleaf and Mexican binders, and filler from four countries: the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Mexico. Three sizes are available: No. 1 (5.5 x 50, robusto), No. 2 (6 x 54, torpedo), and No. 3 (6 x 52, toro).

I smoked several Lucious Lyon No. 1s for this review. This vitola retails for $12.50 and comes with a large black band that easily slides off the oily Connecticut wrapper. Underneath is a well-rolled cigar with tight seams and soft pre-light notes of hay and molasses. The cap clips easily to reveal a moderate cold draw. Overall, the robusto makes a good first impression and sets the expectation that it is a high-quality mild cigar worth of your attention.

After an even light is established, the initial profile is dry, spicy, and surprisingly potent. The most prominent flavors include oak, cedar, salt, bread, and more black pepper spice than I was anticipating. After about half of an inch, however, the spice subsides a bit, and notes of cream and roasted nuts start to displace the dry bite. Thereafter, the robusto settles considerably into a mild- to medium-bodied experience with a focus on cream, hay, oak, and occasional hints of peanut.

Throughout, the draw is slightly tighter than I would prefer, and the smoke production is a little below average. That said, the burn line is straight and true from light to nub, and the ash holds very well off the foot.

I can’t help the fact that I’ve always been weary of any cigar bearing a celebrity name, an endorsement from a popular athlete, or a tie-in to a TV show. My sense is you often pay dearly for the name and licensing, while more important aspects like tobacco, blending, construction, etc. can be somewhat of an afterthought. In the case of Lucious Lyon No. 1—while I’m sure a portion of the $12.50 price tag represents a licensing fee to FOX—I’m happy to report the cigar is pretty good. Overpriced, but good.

In my book, this robusto would score better if the price more closely matched the quality of the experience. It would be a much better value in the $6-8 range. As it is, though, the Lucious Lyon No. 1 is a good mild- to medium-bodied smoke that gets off to a fast start and quickly settles into a creamy, nutty profile that’s familiar yet enjoyable. That earns it a mark of three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys