The Stogie Guys

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and informative as possible, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) In the useless contest to see who can make the world’s longest cigar, Cuba’s José Castelar is second to none. He recently doubled his previous record by rolling a 149-foot cigar during the annual International Tourism Fair in Havana. In his sixties, Castelar says he only smokes one cigar a day. But when your cigars are measures in yards and not inches, that’s still a lot of tobacco. He plans one day to roll a 10-kilometer cigar.

2) If you smoke inside, here’s some advice on what to use—and what to avoid—to clean the air. An environmental health professor told the New York Times this week that using incense and candles is “just combustion, and the smoke has the same health effects as cigarette smoke.” Another indoor-air expert suggested a HEPA filter for your air conditioner so it can function as an air cleaner on occasion. Less carpet also means fewer molecules trapped and re-released.

3) Inside the Industry:  General Cigar Co. is sending retailers wine, beer, and spirit pairing suggestions on Punch and Hoyo de Monterrey cigars (the manufacturer suggests, for example, pairing a Hoyo de Tradición with a single barrel bourbon, an English nut brown ale, or a Cabernet Sauvignon). Famous Smoke Shop continues it’s exclusive releases in celebration of it’s 70th anniversary with a cigar by La Aurora featuring a Connecticut wrapper around a blend of Dominican, Brazilian, and Nicaraguan tobaccos. In a push for more members, Cigar Rights of America has announced that it will select one member each month to go on an a trip to visit a well-known cigar maker in either Nicaragua, Honduras, or the Dominican Republic.

4) Around the Blogs: Cohiba Club smokes a Fuente Hemingway Classic Maduro. Stogie Review checks out the Esencia. Keepers of the Flame reviews the Casa Magna. Matt lights up a Gran Habano 3 Siglos.

5) Deal of the Week: We haven’t tried the newest release from Cuban Crafters yet but, if it’s anything like their other creations, you’re in for a treat. And, since it’s on sale, now is a great time to try the Cubano Claro. Get yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Caribbean Net News

The Diplomáticos No. 2 is a classic Cuban cigar with classic proportions. In fact, the smoke has the same proportions (6.125 x 52) as the iconic Montecristo No. 2. (All five Diplomáticos currently in production have the same proportions as the Montecristo of the same name.)

Diplomáticos was the first new line of Cuban cigars to be publicly launched after the beginning of the Castro regime but, ironically, given its name, it wasn’t the Diplomáticos but the Cohiba line (which was not for sale to the general public at the time) that was given exclusively to visiting dignitaries and diplomats. Instead, Diplomáticos ended up mainly as a brand to be exported to France, where its milder profile was  preferred.

In 1966, Diplomáticos was originally created as a less expensive and milder version of the Montecristo, and that reputation remains today. All of which makes it a prime candidate for a “value” Cuban cigar, particularly in the  popular and often expensive Pyramide shape.

While not necessarily a value by non-Cuban standards, the Diplomáticos No. 2 sells for around $11 individually and around $9 per cigar by the box. That’s nearly $5 less than the Montecristo No. 2. (I payed around 10 Euros each, including 3 Euros each in French taxes for the two sticks I sampled for this review. Both were purchased  at a shop in Paris’  Odeon area that was recommended to me by Denis of the Cigar Inspector website.)

The Diplomáticos No. 2 features an attractive wrapper with small veins, and my samples even had the beginnings of some plume, showing that the cigars had some age. While it had a sweet, creamy aroma pre-light, it was noticeably soft to the touch, often a precursor to draw and ash problems.

Once lit, I found a combination of creamy peanut butter and grass. There was some significant bitterness that went in and out, and the pyramide had a long grassy finish.

The construction was similarly a mixed bag. While the burn was relatively even, the draw was at times extremely difficult. The ash held for at least a half an inch, after which it would sometimes unexpectedly fall off.

For a similar Cuban smoke at a true value price ($3 or less per stick) I’d prefer the Por Larrañaga Panatella. It has a similar flavor, costs less, than a third of the price, and sports better construction. On the other hand, for significantly better construction and more complexity in the pyramide size, I’d say you’re better off spending a few dollars more and smoking the Montecristo No. 2.

This is a mild- to medium-bodied cigar with lots of potential  and some pleasant flavors, but it ultimately disappoints due to the bitterness and construction issues. Because there are better options at both higher and lower prices, the Diplomáticos No. 2 earns a rating of two and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

My colleague recently wrote about Buffalo Trace bourbon, made at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. Before it was renamed in 1999, it was called the George T. Stagg Distillery, which is now the name of a limited production bourbon that Buffalo Trace releases annually.

Stagg is a beast of a bourbon, bottled at full cask strength and unfiltered from barrel to bottle. While the exact strength varies with each annual release, the bourbon is noted for its high proof, with some people even referring to it as “Hazmat” because it is illegal to transport on airplanes due to its high alcohol content (and thus flammability).

In order to create Stagg, Buffalo Trace ages the bourbon in traditional charred oak  barrels for 15 to 16 years. Then, without filtering, they mix all the barrels from each vintage (89, according to one account) and sell bottles for around $60 each.

The bottle I sampled was from the 2008 release, which was bottled at  141.8 proof (70.9% ABV). As you might imagine, the high proof is a defining characteristic. Think of it this way: Since this bourbon isn’t cut with water like most, it’s twice as much bourbon flavor as nearly the same amount of more traditional 80 proof Kentucky bourbon.

That strength gives off a seriously strong spicy oak aroma with caramel notes. The color is a deep brown mahogany with a slightly cloudy hue due to its unfiltered nature.

The dominant taste corresponds with the nose, with an intense cedar spice. Underneath you’ll find a syrupy combination of blackcurrant, unsweetened chocolate, and a hint of apple. The finish is spicy, long, and wheaty.

I’d suggest preparing the Stagg neat, then adding water (use spring or distilled water as opposed to low-grade tap water) to dilute it to taste. I’ve found that just a few drops of water opens up this bourbon perfectly without diluting its powerful nature.

With that intensity, you’ll need a full-bodied cigar. Chocolaty and cedary cigars particularly come to mind with some examples being the Alonso Menendez, Fuente Sun Grown, Bolivar Royal Corona, Tatuaje Black, and Davidoff Maduro R. But really any favorite full-flavored cigar will go well.

Ultimately, not everyone will enjoy the unadulterated intensity of George T. Stagg, especially those who like their bourbon sweet and smooth. Still, this is a special bourbon that every true bourbon lover should try at least once.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I’ve never explicitly put it this way before but, for me, a good cigar is definitely a panacea: a virtual cure-all. I’m guessing many of you would share that sentiment. And there’s no denying that Paul Bush, owner of the Flatbed Cigar Co., would agree that premium tobacco can be a remedy for ills or difficulties.

That passion inspired Paul to found Flatbed, which released its first cigar—the Panacea Black—to mid-Atlantic retailers in October 2007. “Selling from the trunk of my car, I enjoyed the company of hundreds of cigar enthusiasts, shop owners, and patrons alike, as I made my way from DC to Boston,” he wrote in Stogie Fresh’s Cigar Journal. “Panacea is now in 42 stores and growing steadily.”

Although Flatbed distributes out of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, the company’s operations center on its factory in the Dominican Republic. There, experienced rollers turn out two different Panacea blends, both of which include Dominican binders and filler composed of Cuban-seed seco, ligero, olor Dominicano, and Nicaraguan tobaccos.

The Natural line is finished with a clean, nearly flawless Connecticut Ecuadorian wrapper that features a bumpy terrain and a soft touch from head to foot. I smoked two Toros (6 x 50) for this review. Both took a clean cut and produced a pre-light nose of sweet hay and dry foliage.

The initial taste, which shines through in the voluminous smoke, exhibits traits similar to other Connecticut-wrapped smokes—cream, butter, nuts, and paper. But there’s more going on here. A tiny hint of what I’d call nutmeg spice, for example, keeps the flavor plenty interesting.

Not much changes in the well-balanced profile from beginning to end, save for a slight increase in spice down the home stretch. That isn’t necessarily a criticism, though; I enjoyed the Toro for its crisp consistency.

Adding to this cigar’s value are superb combustion qualities, including a razor-sharp burn, a clear draw, and a sturdy gray ash.

That’s why, when it’s all said and done, I can heartily recommend the Panacea Black Natural Toro as a great morning to mid-afternoon selection for everyday smoking. Keep your eyes open for this vitola in B&Ms in the eastern half of the country, or buy a four-pack from Flatbed’s online shop for $24. While this cigar may not cure all of life’s problems, its smooth taste and great construction earns it three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

When I think of things that are barrel aged I think of wine, bourbon, beer, and rum. But, thanks to José Blanco and the oldest cigar company in the Dominican Republic, now I think of stogies too. And for that I am grateful.

This blend, which debuted in August 2007 at the IPCPR Trade Show, features tobacco aged in oak barrels that were once home to Dominican rum. The process doesn’t necessarily infuse the leaves with a rum taste; rather, it speeds up the fermentation process. And while this idea isn’t new to the people over at La Aurora, the Barrel Aged blend is the first cigar they’ve made with 100 percent barrel aged tobacco.

They seem to have found a winning concept. The Belicoso (6.25 x 52), one of four vitolas in the line, was named the 14th best cigar of 2008 by Cigar Aficionado. The magazine imparted a rating of 92, writing the stick is “one of the company’s top cigars since its landmark 100 Años.”

With a dark, russet-colored corojo wrapper and a pre-light aroma of sweet chocolate and nuts, this cigar is downright appealing right out of the cellophane. The oily texture and hardened veins impart a feeling of age, even though the tobacco is likely only a few years old at this point.

The initial flavor is spicy with dominant hints of coffee beans, clove, and that straightforward tobacco taste that’s typical of corojo tobacco. The Dominican and Nicaraguan binder and filler leaves produce plenty of complexity yet zero harshness.

Sweet, woody, earthy…there’s a lot going on here. A touch of bite on the finish joins in the fray down the home stretch, and there it remains until you’re forced to set the nub down for good.

Fortunately, the physical properties mostly live up to this cigar’s $6.50-9 price tag. The draw is easy and smooth and the white, finely layered ash holds strong until tapped. I only wish the burn didn’t require as many touch-ups to stay even.

That aside, this is an outstanding choice for someone who enjoys the raw taste of a well-balanced, nicely constructed cigar. I applaud José Blanco and his colleagues for experimenting with the barrel aged concept. And I give the La Aurora Barrel Aged Belicoso a solid rating of four 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.

While I originaly reviewed this little fireplug of flavor last November, I recently found myself smoking another with a good cup of coffee on a warm, sunny day. The wrapper seems to have gotten even more oily in those six months. The smoke was a pleasing mix of chocolate, earth, nut, and some cedary spice—similar but not exactly as I had remembered it. With that flavor and no construction issues, I can continue to heartily recommend this cigar for an abundance of flavors when you’re short on time.

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 take on a single cigar. The following is a Guest Quick Smoke, submitted by a StogieGuys.com reader. If you’d like to submit your own for publication, please contact us.

This long stick (6.1 x 42) is quite the trickster. I was tempted to give this a “sell” rating despite its $5 price tag—something I expected out of a cigar from 2000 when Cuba experienced quality control issues. The first half included notes of hay and nothingness. The second half, however, was well worth the wait with lush buttery tones and a period of intense floral flavors. The final quarter brought forward some typical Cuban spice and the very end features an intense salty taste. Although this vitola was discontinued in 2002, many dealers have backlogs from this period, on which they still charge standard prices because of the inherent construction risks. If you’re lucky enough to avoid plugs and uneven burns, the cigar is well worth the $5.

Verdict = Buy.

–Submitted by Chris Verhoeven of Hilton Head, SC

photo credit: Stogie Guys