The Stogie Guys

As we’ve done since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Tampa, known as “Cigar City,” will lose another stogie factory this summer, albeit one that produces machine-made sticks. Tobacco giant Altadis recently announced plans to close the plant, which employs nearly 500 workers and makes Hav-A-Tampa cigars. An Altadis official told the St. Petersburg Times that the SCHIP tax hike had been particularly hard on the business. The cigars will continue to be produced at a company plant in Puerto Rico. Late last year, Altadis closed a smaller facility in Selma, Alabama.

2) As some Golden Staters dread local laws that criminalize outdoor smoking in parks, dining areas, and other “public” spaces, Solona Beach this week joined the list of cities in San Diego County that ban “patio smoking.” The move, according to one politician, “is part of a city-wide ‘Go Green’ effort.” In related news, California was recently ranked an abysmal 47th in a Mercatus Center at George Mason University study that ranks the 50 states by personal and economic freedom.

3) Inside the Industry: CAO Cigars is giving away a custom-made motorcycle made by Sucker Punch Sally’s here. Only nine months after its purcase of Camacho Cigars, Davidoff has agreed to purchase Cusano, maker of the Cusano and Cuvée lines. Oliva is introducing the new White Label Connecticut Reserve.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the HC Series by Xikar. Cigar Inspector inspects the Ramón Allones Specially Selected. Stogie Fresh checks out the Los Blancos Criollo. Keepers of the Flame lights up a Zino Platinum Scepter. Matt torches a Cohiba Siglo I. Velvet Cigar tries a Hemingway Short Story Maduro.

5) Deal of the Week: Like Rocky Patel Cigars? Then you’ll love this “Limited Edition Rocky Patel Sampler.” It includes ten of the best smokes that made Rocky into an industry superstar, including the Decade, Vintage 1992 and 1990, Olde World Reserve, and more—all for under $50. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

The art of smoking cigars is all about enjoyment, relaxation, and taking a much-needed break from an otherwise hectic day. That and tasting delicious, delicious tobacco. At least that’s why I consider myself a cigar enthusiast.

Maybe you ride the stogie train for completely different reasons. But pretty much nobody smokes cigars in order to get pissed off. Despite that, and as my colleague pointed out in April, there are a number of industry nuisances (aside from smoking bans and tobacco taxes) that need to be addressed. So I begrudgingly submit to you my top five cigar pet peeves:

1. So-called “super-premiums” with poor construction. When I spend $10 or more on a single, I expect top-notch physical properties. Anything less than a sturdy ash, a clear draw, and a sharp burn is disappointing—no matter how fantastic the flavors might be. An expensive stick that smokes poorly is like a Porsche with bad steering alignment.

2. Polarization towards industry superstars and popular brands. Cigar consumers and publications alike tend to gravitate towards towering figures like Don Pepin Garcia and Rocky Patel. Perhaps deservedly so. But it irks me when enthusiasts use this fascination as an excuse to ignore B&M house blends and boutique creations—especially since uncovering an underappreciated gem can be so rewarding (and not to mention easier on your wallet).

3. Expensive cigar gadgets that under-perform. We all need cutters, lighters, and other accessories to keep puffing away. And even though we’ve written about well-made options that won’t break the bank, sometimes—depending on income, preference, or occasion—it may be appropriate to shell out good money for top-of-the-line wares. Nothing’s worse, though, than when a $100+ lighter stops working well before your sub-$5 Ronson.

4. Insufficient information on cigar websites and boxes. Since each manufacturer has various lines, shapes, sizes, and wrappers, and since the name of each individual stogie is rarely printed on its label, knowing exactly what you’re smoking can be difficult. Is it too much to ask to have the complete cigar name printed on boxes? Is it too difficult for producers to keep comprehensive and updated catalogs of their blends on their websites? I’d rather not have to bring a pen and paper with me every time I visit my local tobacconist.

5. Inconsistency. In a perfect world, where all cigars are stored in ideal conditions, each stick of the same blend and vitola would taste and perform similarly. It’s frustrating when you try a stick, like it, and buy a whole box only to have your new purchases smoke completely differently. While I realize there are many variables (some of which—like the weather—are out of cigar manufacturers’ control), inconsistencies make finding and maintaining a supply of what you like all the more difficult.

Don’t get me wrong, though. Despite these pet peeves, smoking cigars is still one of the most enjoyable activities around. Perhaps it’s telling that my biggest complaint is often that I don’t have enough time to engage in this hobby as I’d like. So I guess I could keep listing off gripes but, with all the great cigars out there, who’d listen?

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr

With summer officially here, I find myself skipping the straight scotch and bourbon on the rocks for more refreshing mixed drinks to pair with a cigar.  One such libation is the Firefly Spiked Palmer, made with Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka.

Firefly is a unique drink that is taking the Southeast by storm.  Made on Wadmalaw Island, 30 miles south of Charleston in South Carolina, it is distilled four times and infused with tea from a plantation only a few miles from the distillery. Then, to get that distinctive sweet tea taste, they blend it with Louisiana sugar cane.

The result is a vodka that tastes like a stiff sweet tea and packs a serious punch at 70 proof.  That combination of flavor and strength makes it a great candidate for a mixed drink.

Perhaps the simplest and most popular Firefly mixed drink is the Firefly Spiked Palmer, an alcoholic take on the classic Arnold Palmer. To make one, simply mix one part Firefly with one part lemonade over ice. I found that Newman’s Own Lemonade works well because it has just enough sweetness, but really any lemonade would probably get the job done.

The result is a drink that tastes dangerously like just sweet tea with a spash of lemonade, meaning you could easily drink a few too many of these.

As for cigars, you’ll need something to stand up to all that sweetness. I’ve found bold maduros, like the CAO Brazilia, Arganese ML3, or EO 601 “Blue”, do the trick.

No matter what cigar you choose, I think you’ll enjoy changing things up a bit with the Firefly Spiked Palmer. While it’s a far cry from more traditional cigar pairings like scotch, bourbon, or cognac, it’s a refreshing change of pace during these warm summer months.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

When I checked out the Series Gran Cru No. 2 back in April, I said I was ready to add Tesa to my short list of favorite boutiques. Today’s review reaffirms that decision in a big way.

Located in a shop on the Near North Side of the Windy City, Tesa cigars are “meticulously blended by Chicago area resident Chris Kelly and crafted in the Tesa Cigar factory in Estelí.” Their flagship house blend, Vintage Especial, features a Connecticut shade wrapper with Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. Only 80,000 sticks of each vitola are made annually.

The Rothchild vitola (no, that’s not a typo; Tesa omits the “s”) is a classically sized robusto with five inch by 50 ring gauge dimensions. Like the eight other blends in the Tabacalera Tesa lineup, it comes dressed in nothing but its birthday suit—a move that some enthusiasts find annoying but one that I’ve always admired.

Why? Because naked cigars suggest two things about their manufacturers: (1) they likely care more about tobacco than marketing and (2) they have confidence in the reputation and appearance of their creations to move their products.

With a gorgeous, seamless, and nearly vein-free wrapper, I think Tesa made a smart move by not dressing up the Vintage Especial. The four samples in my humidor were attractive enough on their own merits to grab my attention and prompt this review.

The first few puffs are salty with little else going on. But as soon as the thick, shiny mascara starts to wind its way down the cigar, I am immediately reminded of two fantastic stogies: the Davidoff Grand Cru and the PG Gourmet. The thick, superbly balanced smoke yields a delicious flavor of oak, cream, buttery nuts, and sweet hay. Mild and harmonious.

With phenomenal physical properties that include a straight-edge burn, a sturdy ash, and the slightest resistance in draw, the Tesa Vintage Especial Rothchild is an absolute treasure. It encompasses everything I love about great Connecticut shade smokes—balance and intricate subtleties that reward attentive smokers.

As with the Series Gran Cru, however, this cigar’s singular drawback is its limited availability and relatively high cost. As far as I can tell, the only way to get your hands on one of these is to either visit the shop in person or purchase it from Tesa’s online store for $13.95 per single.

I hope you don’t let those barriers discourage you from seeking one out, particularly if you’re the kind of smoker who can appreciate milder creations. I certainly am. And for all the reasons listed above, I’m pleased to award the Tesa Vintage Especial Rothchild our highest rating of five stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. A list of other five stogie-rated cigars can be found here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

When I started smoking cigars, the biggest factor in deciding what to buy usually was the size of the stick compared to the price. As you can probably guess, I smoked a lot of poor and mediocre Churchills.

I don’t think my “more tobacco means more for the money” approach is all that uncommon for new smokers. I’m also not so sure it’s a bad idea in the beginning. It helps provide exposure to a lot of brands, not to mention a lot of tobacco.

These days, when I’m making a purchase, I still take size into consideration. But now I’m much more apt to focus on how much time I want to devote to the cigar. And even with a lot of time, I’ve found through the years that I usually enjoy a relatively smaller size.

Consequently, I probably smoke more robustos than any other, though I’d have to say I enjoy petit coronas and the occasional lancero a lot, too.

Sometimes I’ll smoke my way through all the vitolas of a cigar brand, especially if it’s one I really like. Generally, though, I tend to concentrate on a couple of sizes at most.

Of course, there are also occasions that call for a large cigar. I’ve noted before, for instance, my affection for the Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte Madrid. This large stick (6.1 x 54) is bigger than any other cigar I regularly smoke. But I’ve tried other sizes in the line and, for my taste, none of them has that little lagniappe that makes the cigar special.

One thing I’ve wondered for a long time is what sizes are the top sellers. It would be tough to determine, since there’s no standardization for dimensions or designations. But wouldn’t it be interesting to know?

–George E

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 recently released line from Camacho, promoted as “milder mannered” than the company’s other sticks, makes a great first impression. It sports a beautiful Ecuadorian-grown wrapper offset by a classy white band, a nice pre-light aroma, and a little kick at the start. From beginning to end, it remains smooth while moving through numerous flavors, including nuts, honey, grass, and pepper. I would classify this as a medium strength cigar with a reasonable price. If you’re looking for something in that range, it’s well worth a try.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

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

This Ecuadorian Connecticut-wrapped cigar is the sibling to some of my all-time favorites (the EO Green, Red, and Blue lines). The well-constructed Robusto yields an abundance of smoke and excellent burn qualities. The flavor is a pleasant combination cream and toast flavors with a subtle peppery paper taste that comes and goes. All around, it may not be my favorite cigar in the 601 line, but the EO 601 “Black” is no slouch.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S