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) Not content with their state’s already egregious policies towards tobacco, California State Senators are toying with a new bill that would criminalize smoking in state parks and beaches. The law would hit violators with a $250 fine for lighting up outside. But some politicians fear the State Parks Department doesn’t have the resources to enforce such a ban.

2) A measure to exempt cigar bars from Nebraska’s smoking ban, which already passed an will go into effect in June, is working its way through the state legislature. Anti-tobacco lawmakers are mounting a defense, though, one of whom claimed that if “we open the door to cigar bars…pretty soon we don’t have a smoking ban.”

3) Inside the Industry: Don Pepin Garcia and Nestor Miranda have teamed up to make a Twentieth Anniversary cigar to be released under the Nestor Miranda Special Selection label. The cigar, available in one size (7 x 56) with either a Habano Rosado or Habano Oscuro wrapper, is packed in boxes of 20. Shipments will hit select stores on April 1 (click here for photos).

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review smokes a Rocky Patel Cuban Blend Maduro. Keepers of the Flame lights up a Blue Label. Her Humidor smokes an Ambos Mundos. Cigar Command fires up an LFD Double Ligero Chisel. Cigar Inspector checks out a Tesa Havanitas Lancero.

5) Deal of the Week: There’s less than one week until the SCHIP cigar tax hike goes into effect on April 1, so take advantage of this deal before the prices jump. Here are over a dozen themed five-packs, at least a few of which are sure to please any cigar connoisseur. Included are fivers featuring smokes from Don Pepin, Rocky Patel, Gurkha, Padilla, Oliva, CAO, and others. Grab them today before it’s too late.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

While I’d argue smoking cigars is more of an art than a science, over the years we’ve tried to provide you with dozens of tips to enhance your enjoyment. I hope you’ll take a moment to peruse our archives for everything from fixing an uneven burn and cigar auctions to winning the war on mold and establishing a good light.

My quick observations today, however, are far more subjective. I don’t claim to have the answer because, more than likely, there is no one good solution. If anything, I’m hoping to open a dialogue in which I would encourage you all to participate.

The topic, simply stated, is as follows: At what point do you stop smoking a cigar?

I realize this may sound like a silly question. But I ask because I’ve heard and witnessed a variety of different answers. For example, a number of enthusiasts, including at least one well-known cigar blogger, usually set down a cigar before it reaches the band. Here’s what our friend Jerry Cruz of Stogie Review told me via email yesterday:

“I normally (70% of the time) only smoke to the band. It has to do with my style of smoking…It’s not so much that I smoke too fast, but more that I keep the cigar in my mouth the whole time. I don’t put it down in an ashtray to rest. So you can imagine how saturated the end can get from my saliva. When I approach the band I know I’m coming close to the part that is just soured/harsh by my saliva and it isn’t really fair to judge a cigar at that point, due to my style of smoking. Its odd…I know.”

To each his own. Jerry employs a unique style that seems to work for him.

Still others practice the polar opposite, resolutely smoking each stick down to the nub. Smokers from this school know the best time to quit is a few minutes after your fingers start burning because they’re too close to the encroaching flame.

I, like most cigar enthusiasts, fall somewhere between these two camps, allowing the cigar and the situation to dictate when it’s best for me to set down my stogie. Some cigars, namely those that perform poorly or develop an unpleasant taste in the final third, deserve a premature death. Others merit a long, drawn-out goodbye, especially those that improve as they progress.

While the “play it by year” approach works well for me, only you can determine what’s best for you. So, before you leave today, please share your strategy with Stogie Guys readers: How low do you go?

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr

Released a couple of years ago as Drew Estate moved to expand its identification beyond its trademark infused, non-traditional cigars, the Chateâu Real natural line offers a pleasant, mild experience.

Patrick A reviewed this same cigar a year and a half ago, and I’ve recently smoked a few of the various vitolas—though none of the maduros—and found them consistent in taste and construction.

The prelight aroma is grassy, the initial taste a little tangy. After that, it settles into a comfortable mild cigar with thick smoke that’s steady from beginning to the end, where it turned a bit bitter.

There’s something of an odd room aroma I can’t quite put my finger on, but it’s not as strange as the burn. I don’t know if it’s the rolling, tobacco selection, or insufficient filler, but the center of the coal doesn’t appear to combust fully. It’s most apparent in the tapped off ash, where the center is a different shade. On the other hand, it doesn’t seem to affect the overall burn line down the cigar, which is straight and reasonable.

When it comes to information about the cigar, Drew Estate’s website isn’t particularly informative. It refers to the wrapper as simply “Connecticut.” Other sources say it’s grown in Ecuador. The rest of the stick is just called a “balanced blend of well-aged Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos… ” Again, other sources call those two the filler and cite the binder as San Andreas Negro Oscuro from Mexico.

Prices on singles run from roughly $6 to $7. I paid about $6.50 for the Belicoso Favorita, a six inch by 50 ring gauge stick. Not a bargain, but not overpriced either—if you enjoy mild cigars.

For me, the Chateâu Real Belicoso Favorita is an OK cigar for a change. As such, I rate it three and a half out of five stogies.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

While there are no doubt exceptions, seasoned cigar smokers mostly tend to steer clear of Macanudo. America’s top-selling brand is often viewed as a gateway cigar that should be dismissed for heartier, more complex creations as one graduates from occasional smoker status to a full-blown brother of the leaf.

I have to admit my own cigar consumption has been affected by this stigma. So I recently challenged myself to reexamine Macanudo’s Robust line—something I hadn’t done for almost three years before I embarked upon this review.

Advertised as “more flavorful and complex” than the Café blend, Robust was launched in 1998 to “immediate success.” (Then again, what stogie introduction wasn’t successful at the height of the cigar boom?) Today’s eight-vitola version of the Daniel Nuñez-crafted line hit shelves in 2003 with a Connecticut shade wrapper, a Connecticut broadleaf binder, and filler tobaccos from Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.

The five and a half inch by 42 ring gauge Duke of Devon is a small, slender stick with a dry, coarse appearance. You’ll find plenty of wrinkles, veins, and bumps on the rustic wrapper. Fortunately, while this rugged cigar looks like a value smoke, it also sells like one (under $3.50 apiece when bought by the box of 25).

As the foot lights evenly and easily, the faint pre-light aroma of cedar turns into a taste of birch and paper that’s mild but not without a spicy aftertaste. The tobacco struggles to produce much flavor well into the first inch.

Dry cedar, salt, and cereals are dominant at the midway point, all of which are underscored by a molasses-like taste in the final third. This is where the 50-minute smoke is at its spiciest and best.

The Duke of Devon’s physical properties are excellent, especially for the low price range. I experienced a razor-sharp burn, a sturdy white ash, and a moderate draw across two samples.

All things considered, this cigar has its place. It’s well-constructed companion smoke that won’t get in the way of some other activity (golf, poker, reading, yard work, etc.). You shouldn’t pay much and you shouldn’t expect much either. That’s why the Macanudo Robust Duke of Devon earns two and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Despite missing out on the Hall of Fame this past year, legendary baseball player Luis “El Tiante” Tiant continues his quest to make hall of fame cigars. The former pitcher initially launched his El Tiante Cigars line with two variations, Natural and Maduro, and since has added a corojo-wrapped blend.

The El Tiante Corojo line was introduced at last year’s IPCPR trade show and was described as their most full-flavored release yet. While the company’s website does not yet include the Corojo (I’m told the update is in progress), I got the details of the cigar’s origins directly from Kevin Anderson of El Tiante Cigars.

Via email, he told me “the cigar is made with a Corojo seed fifth priming wrapper leaf, the country of origin is our little secret. The binder is a Sumatra seed grown in Ecuador. The fillers are all Nicaruagan. Half of the filler is all Ligero. Just like our Natural and Maduro, all the cigars are draw tested and aged about 90 days (usually more ) before they leave the factory.”

The “secret” corojo wrapper is medium brown, dry, and relatively vein-free. Pre-light, the Belicoso (6 x 54) has a sweet grass and herbal aroma.

Construction is impressive. The cigar is extremely firm to the touch and the cap is seamlessly applied. An easy snip with my Xikar cutter revealed tightly packed filler with a firm but manageable draw.

After lighting, I find a core of intense dry, woody cedar. The cigar also has the classic corojo flavor of sweet spice, as well as a rare, smooth herbal taste.

The profile is medium-bodied, with a short, slightly salty finish that undoes an otherwise balanced smoke. As it progresses, an earthier flavor settles in with some roasted cashew notes.

Like its Maduro and Natural companions, the El Tiante Corojo sells for the fair price of around $7 per stick—not a must-buy value stick but worth picking up. It’s a tasty cigar with great construction.

Most impressive is that the flavor is a unique combination of woodiness, herbal notes, and spice. It won’t be for everyone, but those who appreciate complexity and subtlety will find this cigar rewarding. For that, the El Tiante Corojo Torpedo 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

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

This little cigar (4 x44) features a rustic Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper around Nicaraguan and “proprietary” filler. It starts mild-bodied with cocoa and grass flavors and had a noticeably dry finish throughout. As the smoke progressed it settled into a mild-medium profile with a nutty flavor overtaking the grassiness. While the draw was a touch firm, the rest of the construction was flawless. All around, this is a solid smoke worth picking up.

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.

This five inch by 52 ring gauge Robusto, which had been aging in my humidor since I reviewed it last May, was every bit as good as I had remembered. In that time the rich espresso flavor maintained its black pepper spice, cashew cream, and maduro sweetness, and the combustion qualities were likewise impressive. This Connecticut broadleaf-wrapped beauty, which sells for about $146 per box of 25, reaffirmed my belief that Darryl Lieser’s Isla de Cuba is one of the best boutiques.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys