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) While the battle over SCHIP may be over and lost, the anti-tobacco crusade to punish cigar smokers isn’t over—especially at the state level. Maryland and Pennsylvania politicians, among others, are eyeing drastic cigar tax increases to boost government revenue. According to Luxist, the owner of Davidus Cigars, the largest B&M chain in Maryland, said the proposed “90 percent tax rate would put him out of business.”

2) Approved by the House and up for debate in the Senate, the $410 billion spending bill is spurring debate on Capitol Hill over America’s antiquated policies towards Cuba. The would-be law includes provisions that ease U.S. travel restrictions to the forbidden island nation. Proponents, as reported by the New York Times, “hailed the measures as a small but significant first step in changing the relationship between Washington and Havana.”

3) Inside the Industry: Habanos, S.A. is releasing a limited edition Gran Reserva Cohiba Siglo VI that will be sold for at least twice the price of the already expensive regular Cohiba Siglo VI. Avo will be holding a special cigar dinner in New York celebrating his birthday and the release of a new limited edition cigar. When asked about his new Winter Collection Blend, Rocky Patel says its “the most full-bodied smoke I’ve ever made.”

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review smokes an Ambos Mundos Sumatra.  Stogie Info reviews the Tex Cigars house brand. Velvet Cigar tries the Marco V. Cigar Inspector inspects the Fuente Epicure.

5) Deal of the Week: These deals from Cuban Crafters are just a few of the many cigar stimulus specials we expect to see. We particularly recommend the 4.5 stogie-rated La Carolina or the 4 stogie-rated J.L. Salazar, both selling around an amazingly low $50 per box of 25. Get yours here while these bargains last.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

Over the years I’ve learned that you can judge a cigar by its appearance about as accurately as you can a book by its cover. This powerful-looking Ernesto Padilla creation, though, delivers exactly what its commanding presence promises.

One of a lineup of Edición Especial cigars released by Padilla in 2006, the Obsidian features a blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos, a Honduran-grown corojo binder, and a jet-black Nicaraguan ligero wrapper leaf.

While production was supposed to stop after 50,000 Obsidians, Cigars International is still selling “an encore performance” in “limited quantities” ($100 per bundle or $30 per five-pack). It’s worth noting, due to the continuation, that the “2006” refers not to the age of the tobacco but only to the year the original batch was released. Sneaky, sneaky.

The six inch by 54 ring gauge belicoso-shaped vitola is the only size still available from this burly blend. It is dark, formidable, and thick with few veins and barely noticeable seams. Intense prelight notes of dark chocolate and nuts abound.

The cold taste yielded some spice on the lips and a relatively tight draw—undoubtedly the product of the cigar’s ultra-tight packing. Once lit, I encountered a strong, mouth-coating taste of black pepper, leather, and hints of tea. The flavor settles after the first inch to include a cocoa sweetness, only to amp up again down the home stretch.

Regrettably, the meandering and finicky burn requires constant monitoring and occasional corrections. The ash is also on the flakey side.

When it’s all said and done, this heavy-handed beast of a cigar finishes just about par for the course. It’s certainly not inspiring or extraordinary, but it’s definitely satisfying, full-bodied, and appropriately priced. For that, I give the Padilla Edición Especial 2006 Obsidian three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

President Obama this week named Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius as his choice to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She was picked after the president’s original nominee, former Senator Tom Daschle, withdrew his nomination after it was revealed that he failed to pay over $120,00 in taxes.

Sebelius has a record for pushing both smoking bans and tobacco tax hikes and, while neither has gone into effect yet in Kansas, her attempts to impose a draconian statewide smoking ban are ongoing. The proposed smoking ban would include all bars and restaurants, and also restrict smoking outside near doors, windows, or “air intakes.”

In an editorial interview with the Wichita Eagle, Sebelius praised smoking bans and tobacco taxes, saying they “absolutely cost nothing.” She clearly fails to recognize the heavy burden of tobacco taxes, especially on lower income citizens, and she also ignores the infringements on personal choice and property rights that result from smoking bans. She called tobacco taxes “win-win” in the same interview and criticized efforts to add exemptions to the proposed smoking ban.

Statements like those have drawn fire from cigar choice advocates like Chris McCalla, legislative director of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association. “Based on impartial data generated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Reserve Bank has found that significant employment declines result from forced smoking bans, especially in bars and restaurants,” he said. “That means businesses die, workers lose their jobs, and the state and nation lose federal, state, and local tax revenues.”

McCalla went on to say that the constitutional rights of business owners are at stake when governments impose smoking bans on private property. “The marketplace has been very effective deciding which businesses elect to allow smoking or not. That’s as it should be: up to the individual business owner. For government to control private businesses is depriving citizens of the rights given to them by the U.S. Constitution.”

If confirmed as secretary of Health and Human Services, Sebelius would be in a position to oversee national health policy and impose her anti-tobacco positions on the entire country.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Spanish for “Free Cuba,” the Cuba Libre brand signifies Nestor Plasencia’s hope of one day returning to a homeland that embraces liberty. Like so many of today’s best cigar makers, he fled Cuba after the Castro regime took over his family’s thriving tobacco operation and confiscated their factories and fields.

With five generations of Cuban tobacco cultivation as a compass, Nestor reestablished the family business in Nicaragua to make use of the fertile Eselí and Jalapa Valley regions. Today his successful factories turn out many Rocky Patel blends, some Gurkha lines, and the Alec Bradley Maxx.

Cuba Libre, Nestor’s take on a value brand, is appropriately made from 100 percent Cuban-seed tobacco. The filler and Nicaraguan binder are covered by a smooth yet veiny wrapper with a reddish hue and a wrinkled complexion.

This cigar is by no means unattractive—the sharp box-press adds character and the red, gold, and blue band is appealing—but something about the appearance compels me to mentally liken it to a typical house brand. Maybe it’s the haphazardly applied cap. Or maybe it’s the prevalence of soft spots from head to foot.

Notwithstanding the Unico’s torpedo-like frame, and despite the fact that I only clipped a bit of tobacco off the top, the pre- and post-light draw is easy. Too easy, if you ask me. The flavors from this six and ¼ inch by 54 ring gauge cigar seemed to be watered down by each airy puff.

When I could sort through the taste in the voluminous tufts of smoke, I found mild- to medium-bodied flavors of earth, leather, and traces of pepper. Some acidic or sweet notes would have helped balance out the predominantly dry profile.

Aside from the hollowed-out draw, the physical properties were excellent—especially considering the price range. Boxes of 20 Unicos go for $75-90, and you can find singles for less than $3 apiece in various online samplers.

That’s ultimately why this cigar makes a decent golf course or barbeque companion: It offers good construction and consistent flavors for little cost. It just doesn’t have enough complexity or personality to be the main event.

Cuba Libre has a compelling story but, in the end, I am neither disappointed nor impressed with the Unico. It earns three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Passing along pointers to novice cigar smokers is one of our major goals at StogieGuys.com. So, with that in mind, here are a few more tips to help you enjoy this beloved hobby even more.

No stubbing! Absolutely, positively, do not put your premium cigar out as you would a cigarette. It will release a mass of foul odors and unpleasant smoke. Always, repeat, always, let cigars die peacefully on their own. Premium cigars are pure tobacco and, unlike cigarettes or most machine-made cigars, will not burn on their own.

Carrying a torch. Some torch lighters are incredibly hot, particularly multi-jet and tabletop models. Occasionally, I’ll fire one up and think I should be wearing a welder’s helmet. Ponder for a moment what all that heat is doing to the cigar. It’s burning it nearly like the surface of the sun. Now, there’s nothing wrong with torch lighters. Just be careful and use the farthest reaches of the flame to ignite your cigar. You just want to light it, not charbroil it.

White ash. You’ll undoubtedly hear it said that a white ash is the sign of a good cigar. Well, tobacco people tell me that isn’t true. The color of the ash, they say, is mainly just a reflection of the minerals, salts, and chemical compounds absorbed by the tobacco from its soil. Some Cuban cigars, though by no means all, have very white ashes and that may be the origin of this belief.

–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. 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 is a well-constructed Robusto with a blemish-free “café au lait”-colored wrapper. Easy draw and light with a consistent burn. Ash is flaky but holds for about an inch. While the first inch of this mild- to medium-bodied stick had a hay flavor, the taste evolved to stronger notes of wood and cream. The second half had a few harsh puffs that quickly faded into a smooth, creamy smoke which was abundant with a pleasant aroma. One drawback is price; I paid $11.50 for a single at my local cigar shop, and I’m not quite sure I’d want to pay that amount again for this stick. I paired this with a hot milk chai and I recommend that combo. This stick will be best enjoyed by lovers of mild smokes who want something a bit stronger but still creamy.

Verdict = Buy.

-Submitted by Marc from Pasadena, CA

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

As Darryl Lieser told us, the name for this Isla de Cuba blend “was conceived as something that was fun, edgy, and reminiscent of the good times.” And that’s pretty much the way this five and a half inch by 50 ring gauge perfecto smokes. Expect top-notch construction and flavors of leather, nut, and cocoa. With a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper and binder, as well as a four-country filler blend, this slow-burning $6 smoke is a great way to spend 90 minutes.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys