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.”

With a flawless Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and a partially covered foot, this cigar makes a great first impression. This entry also features something of an unusual combination for A.J. Fernandez: a Cameroon binder covers his Nicaraguan filler. It’s a medium-strength cigar with lots of flavor, including cedar and nuts. The Robusto (5 x 52) retails for around $7. I would have liked greater smoke production and a little better burn, but, overall, this is an enjoyable cigar and worthy of a recommendation.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

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 563rd in the series.

1) Boveda, the Minnesota-based “global leader in two-way humidity control,” has introduced what it is calling “the best innovation for premium cigars since the invention of Boveda.” The new Boveda Smart Sensor will sync up your humidor’s humidity and temperature levels with an app on your phone or tablet. After a two-point calibration is completed, the device will be accurate within +/- 1.5% relative humidity, and the app can be customized to alert you to humidity or temperature changes exceeding a user-defined threshold of acceptability. The Smart Sensor is currently available at Boveda.com and retails for about $40, or $50 if you also want four large humidification packets and a calibration kit. Check back at StogieGuys.com in the coming weeks as we are currently testing the device for a full product review.

2) One of the sticking points in the current last-minute budget negotiations in Washington is the extent to which any deal will include funding of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The program is funded largely by tobacco taxes, including a 40-cent-per-cigar tax on handmade cigars. Although the program’s “funding” would expire if a deal isn’t struck, the tax on tobacco remains whether or not a deal is struck and signed by the president.

3) Inside the Industry: On Monday, Alec Bradley Cigar Co. announced a new partnership with Rabbit Air to distribute “customized Alec Bradley/Rabbit Air co-branded air purifiers.” The SPA-700A model, for example, covers 700 square feet and will retail for about $520; the SPA-780A covers 815 square feet and will retail for about $620. The California-based Rabbit Air is “a leader in the air purifying industry, and its MinusA2 Ultra Quiet Air Purifier is the cigar industry standard for wall-mounted smoke-eating units,” according to a press release. “Our mutually beneficial relationship with Rabbit Air is a no-brainer,” said Jonathan Lipson, Alec Bradley’s director of sales and marketing. “Together, we have the opportunity to positively affect brick and mortar tobacconists. Not only will they have the opportunity to use and display the units, tobacconists will also have the ability to sell the units to the end consumer.”

4) From the Archives: Winter is tough on cigar humidity, but if you think your humidity may be off, the first thing to check is the accuracy of your hygrometer (especially if you are using the spring-loaded hygrometers that come in most humidors). For that, you’ll need to perform the simple but extremely useful salt calibration test.

5) Deal of the Week: StogieGuys.com recommends Bespoke Post, a monthly collection of awesome items (think fine bar accessories, hot sauce kits, wine, workout gear, exclusive cigar packages, and more) delivered for just $45. Once you are signed up, there is no obligation; you can skip or purchase each month. Sign up here to be eligible for the February box; the “Churchill” box features four cigars, an ashtray made of reclaimed wood, an odor-eating candle, cedar spills, and a cutter.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Boveda

In 2012, Dion Giolito introduced La Grand Classe as a small-batch exclusive for his Fumare store in Reno, Nevada. The project appeared short-lived, with only one follow up, La Grand Classe Rex, which appeared in 2013.

Then, at last year’s IPCPR Trade Show, Giolito, who also owns the Illusione brand, announced La Grand Classe Rex was returning as part of an Illusione-branded La Grand Classe line.

The cigars feature a reddish-brown Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. It measures 4.9 inches long with a ring gauge of 40 and sells for $5.50 per cigar. It comes un-banded in gold foil bundles of 25.

Flavors include roasted cashews, dry earth, and light leather in a medium- to full-bodied blend. The profile also features cinnamon and nutmeg spice, which starts out light and builds after the midway point.

It’s a balanced cigar that provides surprising nuance in such a small vitola. The draw and burn are excellent, although keep in mind that the ash produced by small ring gauge cigars has a tendency to fall off unexpectedly.

If you’re looking for a smaller cigar to enjoy this winter (because you don’t have the time or warmth for something longer) this is one to try. For providing pleasing flavors and excellent value, Illusione La Gran Classe Rex earns a rating of four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

“La Aurora was founded on October 3rd, 1903 by Eduardo León Jimenes, a hard worker who was son and grandson of tobacco growers [who]… decided to go a step further with the creation of a cigar brand,” reads the La Aurora website. “The founder was then 18 years old, inherited some ‘tareas’ of land and, with a reduced roster of six employees, a great enthusiasm, and much effort, began to build his dream.”

La Aurora honored Eduardo León Jimenes and his brother, Herminio León Jimenes (the man who “kept alive the family legacy and tradition when Eduardo died in 1937”) with a cigar brand called León Jimenes. While the line has been around for decades, you could be forgiven if it’s unfamiliar to you. The Connecticut-wrapped blend has enjoyed much better sales in the international market, where smokers, generally speaking, tend to prefer milder smokes.

León Jimenes Prestige was introduced as an offshoot in 2011 with intentions of revitalizing the León Jimenes brand in the U.S. It includes a recipe that’s supposed to be spicier and fuller-bodied than its predecessor (though is by no means built to be a powerhouse): an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper surrounds a Dominican binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

Three sizes available in the U.S.: Robusto (5 x 50, $7.20), Corona (5 x 38, $6.20), and Churchill (7 x 47, $8). There are other sizes listed on La Aurora’s website, but these are only for outside the U.S. All are made at the E. León Jimenes Tabacalera factory in the Dominican Republic.

This cigar’s modern-looking band of black, gold, and red makes no mention of the name “Prestige,” though it is easily distinguishable from the original León Jimenes and the Doble Maduro, both of which have red bands.

I smoked several Churchills for this review. This size has a pale, moderately oily wrapper. Thin veins are fairly common at the surface, and don’t be surprised if there’s a thicker vein protruding from the binder. The feel is moderately firm and the cold draw is smooth. At the foot, there are sweet, delicate pre-light notes of hay and grass.

After setting an even light with two wooden matches, a toasty, bready profile emerges with notes of oak, roasted nuts, coffee bean, and vanilla. There’s a fair amount of spice on the finish courtesy of white pepper and cinnamon. Towards the midway point, flavors of cashew, butter, and cream become more prominent. Things ramp up a bit in the final third, but the strength never crosses the mild- to medium-bodied end of the spectrum.

The physical properties are in line with what I’ve come to expect from La Aurora. The burn line is straight with no need for any touch-ups along the way. The draw is clear. The ash holds firm off the foot. And the smoke production is above average.

Put plainly, the León Jimenes Prestige Churchill is an enjoyable, well-made, laid-back cigar with some spice, good balance, and smooth, enjoyable flavors of cream and roasted nuts. For that, it earns 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.”

Shortly before Christmas, my colleague rated this 6-inch, 48-ring gauge parejo a five out of five stogies, which earned it a spot in our best of 2017 list. I fully endorse that lofty score. Nacatamale features a Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and filler entirely from one farm in the Jalapa region of Nicaragua. The profile is characterized by medium- to full-bodied flavors with cream, wood spice, and leather, all of which come together in a  supremely balanced total package. It burns flawlessly, which you’d expect from a cigar the retails for over $15.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

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.”

United Cigar’s La Gianna brand sports Honduran binder and filler tobaccos. There are two different wrapper varieties: Maduro and Natural. The latter has a pale Connecticut Shade wrapper that’s dry and smooth. Once lit, the Robusto’s (5 x 50) faint pre-light notes of hay and molasses transition to a mild, somewhat papery profile of dry oak, butter, and almond. As it progresses, the cigar picks up a little body and adds flavors of cedar spice, toast, and cream. Construction is outstanding. While the Robusto isn’t a bad buy at around $6, it’s a bit too mild, flat, and dry for my liking, which is why I cannot give it a full recommendation. But feel free to give it a try if you’re looking for an inexpensive mild smoke to pair with morning coffee.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys