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) The $410 billion spending bill Obama signed on Wednesday includes provisions that could ease U.S.-Cuban relations. While the new law won’t change the 47-year-old embargo, it may make it easier for Americans to travel to Cuba and it may improve diplomatic relations between Washington and Havana—a move that some say is a small step in the direction of decriminalizing Cuban cigars.

2) As New Jersey politicians ponder expanding the Garden State’s smoking ban to cover casinos, Iowa business owners are pushing lawmakers to ease the regulations that violate their rights. Meanwhile, rumors are circulating that Minnesota officials plan to ban smoking in cars where children are present, and concerned citizens in Viriginia are sounding off against the commonwealth’s looming ban.

3) Inside the Industry: Rocky Patel added a thick (6 x 60) cigar to his highly-rated Decade line. Production of the non-limited edition Davidoff puro has been delayed until Spring 2010 while the Davidoff “Puro d’Oro” is re-blended.  Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson was on hand to cut the ribbon at the opening of the new Club La Gloria Cubana in Albuquerque. Altadis is releasing a new “Siglo Limited Reserve” line with packaging similar to that of the famous Cuban Cohiba.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Fresh smokes the Fonseca Sungrown Cedar No. 2. Stogie Review lights up a Tatuaje Noellas Reserva. Matt puffs on the Edge Corojo Toro. Keepers of the Flame reviews the Fuente Don Carlos line.

5) Deal of the Week: Here’s a ten-pack of high-priced sticks at a serious discount. Fifty bucks (including free shipping on your entire order) gets you two cigars each from Montecristo Media Noche, Gurkha, Cocinero, Princesa de Cuba, and Graycliff 1666. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: San Francisco Sentinel

When I think of Kentucky I think of the Derby, bourbon, and the once formidable Wildcat basketball program. The image of wild buffalo charging through untamed wilderness simply doesn’t resonate. But this aptly named spirit was born of a frontier settlement that grew from trails (or “traces”) carved by buffalo herds.

Built on the banks of the Kentucky River near Frankfort, the distillery, according to its website, “embraces the heritage created by brave pioneers, hopeful settlers, and Kentucky’s native sons who left their marks as legends, heroes, and leaders.” The fertile land, uniquely situated amid abundant limestone and spring water, has been home to a working distillery since 1787, and today the sprawling operation includes 119 acres and 114 buildings.

Whether or not you buy into the magic of the location, you can’t dispute Buffalo Trace’s results. The distillery—which also produces Blanton’s, W.L. Weller, Old Charter, and Eagle Rare—has won more international awards since 1990 than any other North American operation, not to mention Whiskey Magazine’s “Distiller of the Year” award in 2005.

Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is their flagship line, launched in August 1999 shortly after the distillery was renamed from George T. Stagg. It is made from Kentucky and Indiana corn, rye, and superior malted barley. Double distilled and aged in select barrels (Buffalo Trace sports the highest rejection rate of barrels in the industry), a 750 ml. bottle sells for a reasonable $18-25.

Turning copper red to a golden brown when poured from the bottle to a glass, this bourbon boasts notes of mint, oak, molasses, and pepper on the nose. A slight burning tinge is apparent but mostly in the background of the aroma’s character.

While all of these scents are noticeable in the taste, the predominant flavors are vanilla and honey. And where many bourbons overstay their welcome, Buffalo Trace fades away quietly like the end of a catchy tune on an old album.

Still, this is a hearty bourbon that need not be treated as a fragile delicacy. Drink it on the rocks or in your favorite bourbon-based cocktail (it makes a great mint julep) and feel free to pair it with fuller-bodied cigars. Of those that I’ve smoked lately, the Cupido Tuxedo, Serie JJ Maduro, and Double Ligero Chisel pair nicely.

Even though Buffalo Trace may not be the best, most complex bourbon on the market, it’s a damn good value for the money—and, for both sipping and mixing, it has carved a trail to my liquor cabinet.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This pricey corona was a gift I smoked after several months in the humidor because it was a pretty day that seemed to call for a lovely cigar. With an Ecuadorian sungrown Connecticut wrapper and a great prelight aroma, this Davidoff-produced stick launched by no less than Sir Winston’s grandson seemed to fill the bill.

As is so often the (annoying) case, getting straight information on the cigar’s composition isn’t easy. The Davidoff site says the four sizes “incorporate four different specially composed tobacco blends,” while the cigar’s site is a little more informative. It refers, without specifics, to all the tobaccos as Dominican, Peruvian, Nicaraguan, and Ecuadorian.

At any rate, the Chequers, a 5.5 inch cigar with a 46 ring gauge, proved to be an interesting smoke. I have seen some criticism calling it a one-dimensional cigar, but I didn’t find it that way. At the light, there was a mixture of roasted nuts and leather. Later, I got some citrus notes, hay, and a little cedar as the strength remained medium. It had a slow burn though the ash was not tight.

Each of the four sizes in the line is named after a place that was significant in Churchill’s life, with a thin secondary identifying band. Chequers is the prime minister’s country home (think of a much older, much grander version of Camp David) that Churchill often visited during World War II and was the site for some of his famous broadcast speeches.

As you would expect from Davidoff, who is in this venture with global giant Swedish Match, the Winston Churchill is expensive. A box of 25 Chequers will run you in the neighborhood of $320 and a single from $12 to $15.

Is it worth the money? Well, you’ll have to make up your own mind about that. After all, one man’s “affordable” is another man’s “outrageous.” I found it to be a good cigar, worthy of four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Absolute Cigars

After the introduction of the Jameson Cigar Co. last March, and bolstered by a generous web offer of two sticks and a T-shirt for the cost of postage, it seemed like the entire online cigar community was writing about the new cigar outfit. So Jameson’s strategy had worked. The only problem, however, were the mixed reviews of the company’s original blend.

As Jameson President Brad Mayo told me, that Sumatra-wrapped line, now called the Red Label, was re-blended “due to several factors, including changes at the factory and problems with the wrapper. It now consists of an all-Dominican filler, Honduran binder, and Ecuadorian wrapper.”

After a positive experience with the relatively new Black Label, I decided to sit down with a couple five inch by 54 ring gauge Perfectos—the most intriguing vitola in the Red Label lineup. The shape and size features a classic yet unique character that I wish more manufacturers made available.

Handmade in Santiago, Dominican Republic, the cigar includes a dry, almost flawless Connecticut shade Ecuadorian leaf with a light yellow hue. It emanates a pleasant aroma sweet sawdust and clips cleanly to reveal a well-packed interior.

The draw, initially on the tighter side, gives way to a taste of cream, cedar, and a few floral notes. Each mild-tasting puff produces a good amount of smoke as the thick mascara widens.

At its widest point, the Perfecto’s draw loosens and notes of spice, grass, and cereals become more apparent. This is the cigar’s sweet spot. The finely layered, dark gray ash builds sturdily off the foot and holds strong in a cone-like shape for two inches or more. The burn isn’t razor-sharp, but it doesn’t require any touch-ups or re-lights.

For me, this 60-minute smoke strikes a nice balance for mid-afternoon relaxation—a good combination of high notes with a touch of bass. And the price ($30 per five-pack, $120 per box of 20) isn’t intimidating.

For its pleasurable mild- to medium-bodied profile, suitable construction, and the versatility to pair with a tasty brew or a well-mixed cocktail, the Jameson Red Label Perfecto earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

What with rising cigar prices, rising cigar taxes and rising economic anxiety, most of us are looking for ways to save money. With that in mind, here are a few tips and thoughts you may not have considered, and at least one I’m sure you have.

1. If you are the sort of occasional smoker who chooses a good cigar when you have the time and place to enjoy it, it can be difficult to save money without sacrificing some pleasure. (Unless, of course, you’re routinely toasting $20-$30 cigars, in which case you probably don‘t need my advice.) I think your best bet is to try to identify what it is you like most about your current sticks and see if there is a lower-priced line that’s close. Some of the smaller brands, such as Oliva, Alec Bradley, Camacho, and Toraño, have good, cheaper offerings.

2. For those who smoke regularly, take a good look at when and how you’re smoking. Do you barely notice a stick or two a day smoked while working? Or on the golf course? Or during a poker game? If this is the case, you could look at lower-priced sticks for those occasions. My advice on where to find them is different from what you frequently hear. I recommend the cheaper lines made by giants Altadis or General rather than searching out no-name bundles. The reasons? Consistency, quality, and availability. If you can find one you like, you can be pretty sure that the next one will taste like the previous one. And the likelihood of plugs, split wrappers, or bad rolls is smaller. Finally, it’s easy to find a couple of singles to try before you commit.

3. Similarly, don’t overlook the house brands at your local B&Ms. Again, the advantage is that you can smoke a couple before committing to a box or bundle. Many house brands are moderate- to low-priced and often they’re good (or even great) smokes.

4. This one’s been said a thousand times, but it bears repeating—and remembering. Don’t go nuts on cigar auction sites. If you engage, set limits and stick to them.

In the end, don’t forget what cigar smoking is all about: individual pleasure and enjoyment. Only you can decide how much that’s worth.

–George E

photo credit: Flickr

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

This 6 inch by 56 ring gauge cigar, an all Nicaraguan puro, is the result of a joint effort by Manuel Quesada and Nestor Plascencia. It is wrapped in an appealing dark red Criollo ’98 viso wrapper that Quesada calls Colorado. Construction is almost perfect with only a small bump in the wrapper visible just below the band, and the taste offers up a creamy earth flavor at first that is slowly replaced with cedar and a hint of caramel sweetness. The finish lingers on the palate. With the Robusto in this line garnering “Cigar of the Year” for 2008 from Cigar Aficionado this blend has a lot to live up to. The Gran Toro has great flavors and construction with only the one burn problem, and at less than $6 per stick it’s a great value.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick M

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.

La Flor’s comparative advantage seems to be producing premium sticks with lots of flavor, and this pigtailed Churchill (6.9 x 49) undoubtedly reaffirms that specialty. It consists of a full-bodied taste of leather, spice, and earth—a standard profile among today’s stronger cigars—and decent physical properties. Light one of these $7.50 stogies up next time you need to kill 120 minutes after a good meal.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys