The Stogie Guys

I thought I’d tried almost everything made under the extensive Romeo y Julieta label, not excluding some fantastic Cubans. It turns out, however, that one of the standard Altadis-made RyJ blends has, until now, managed to stay off my radar.

Introduced in 2003 to celebrate 130 years of Romeo y Julieta cigars, the Aniversario series features a light and oily Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, a Connecticut broadleaf binder, and a three-nation filler blend of Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Peruvian tobaccos. It comes in five typical vitolas ranging from Churchill to Robusto and is packaged in lacquered boxes of 25.

The two six inch by 54 ring gauge Toros I smoked last weekend seemed firm enough and big enough to use as weapons. But a closer inspection revealed more nuance. Wrought with veins, wrinkles, and crannies, the light brown wrappers had the look of age and frailty, almost akin to an antique map.

That’s why I was worried when the delicate head exploded when I clipped it with my double guillotine. Fortunately, when the shards cleared, what remained was a clean cut, a smooth draw, and a tight cross-section of tobacco that smelled of mixed nuts.

Like the other sizes in this blend, the Toro ($6-7 apiece) is supposed to be a “hearty and memorable smoke.” I found it neither hearty nor memorable. Medium in flavor and light in strength, the simple and straightforward taste is of roasted almonds, straw, and damp firewood. Don’t be surprised if you lose interest after the midway point; the flavor is consistent to a fault, even for those of us who appreciate milder cigars.

The Toro’s set-it-and-forget-it physical properties, though, are excellent. The burn is straight and slow and the ash holds up to stiff winds throughout the 80-minute smoke.

In the end, this agreeable yet less-than-sensational cigar doesn’t deserve your full attention—and, depending on your taste, it may not be worth the money. But if you’re looking for a well-built companion to guide you through your morning coffee and newspaper, the Romeo y Julieta Aniversario Toro isn’t a poor choice. I give it three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In this week of giving thanks, StogieGuys.com is pleased to announce our “What Do Cigar Rights Mean to You?” contest. Simply leave a comment answering that simple question, and you may be selected to receive the Ultimate Rocky Patel Cigar Rights Sampler. Pictured below, it features a dozen of Rocky’s finest cigars, three punch cutters, and Rocky’s new five-torch Diplomat table lighter.

Included are two of the difficult to find and highly-rated Rocky Patel Decade Torpedoes, plus two ITC 10th Anniversary Torpedoes, two Olde World Reserve Corojo Robustos, two Nording Robustos, two Java Maduro Wafes, and two of the brand new Rocky Patel Cameroon Especial Toros, all generously provided by the Duque Cigar Company.

Duque Cigar Company owner Thomas Hunter was kind enough to sponsor this contest to highlight the importance of protecting cigar rights and of the important work being done by groups like Cigar Rights of America. Describing what Cigar Rights mean to him, Hunter says:

“As the owner of a very small retail, mail order, and online cigar shop, cigar rights mean life or death for my livelihood. But as an aficionado of the hobby of cigars, they mean much more than that. For me, the hobby is a lifestyle going all the way back to watching my grandfather light a cigar on the back porch or remembering that every time my dad would bend over, a cigar would fall out of his shirt pocket. To think that we as Americans claim we are a county of rights, liberty, and freedom, it makes me sick to my stomach to think that there may be a day when I can’t smoke a cigar with my son to celebrate the birth of a grandchild.”

For your chance at the fantastic prize, leave a comment giving us your answer to the question, “What do cigar rights mean to you?” (We aren’t looking for an essay on the subject; one to three sentences will do nicely.)

In December, our esteemed panel of judges will select one top response to receive the grand prize. Just follow these rules for a chance at winning: You must be 21 or older to win. One entry per person. You must live in the continental U.S. Use a valid email so we can contact you if you win. Many thanks to the Duque Cigar Company for sponsoring the contest, and good luck!

–The Stogie Guys

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.

After smoking the Upmann Magnum 46, I found that I was looking for a similar flavor profile in a shorter format that would be more suitable for winter smoking. Luckily I found it rather quickly with the Coronas Minor, a coronitas size that comes in tubos. Expect to discover a pre-light draw of beans and cocoa that develops into sweet herbal notes of tea and rich earth. The classic Upmann mustiness and twang becomes more pronounced after the midpoint. The burn is very good, especially for the cigar’s rather diminutive size (4.6 x 40). These wonderful little sticks can be found for around $5 each.

Verdict = Buy.

-Submitted by John Fury of Severna Park, MD

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

I’d been eager to smoke this cigar ever since 5 Vegas Gold was recently chosen the best stick with coffee by Stogie Fresh readers. The light brown Connecticut shade wrapper was a nice contrast to the black coffee I poured for my test. Smoking several, I found a consistently loose draw and a rapid burn with lots of smoke. It’s a pleasant cigar, more mild than medium, and I didn’t detect any of the pepper others have noted. I’d agree it goes well with coffee and is certainly worth a try at the low price at which any of the sticks in the Gold line are usually available.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: 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 snippets of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) The Prince George’s County government in Maryland banned the sale of “unpackaged cigars” on Wednesday. Intended to “curb a growing trend among urban youths of using hollowed-out cigars to smoke marijuana,” the new law makes buying stogies illegal unless they come in packages of at least five. Thankfully, establishments like cigar shops with tobacco sales in excess of 25 percent of their revenue will be exempt.

2) In its coverage of Tampa’s Cigar Heritage Festival, the St. Petersburg Times did cigar smokers a favor by describing some, though by no means all, of the area’s top shops. It’s a good starting point if you’re new to this rich cigar region or planning a visit to Tampa Bay.

3) Inside the Industry: Tatuaje is preparing a January release of the Ambos Mundo, a new blend that will retail for around $5 in either Toro or Robusto. Tempus by Alec Bradley is now available in a five-pack sampler for $39.95. Nub is giving away a custom BMW 2008 Mini Cooper S convertible.

4) Around the Blogs: Cohiba Club examines the God of Fire Piramide 2006. Keepers of the Flame reviews a Saint Luis Rey. Stogie Review lights up a Camacho 10th Anniversary. Cigar Jack smokes a J. Fuego Gran Reserva Corojo.

5) Deal of the Week: This “Ten Most Wanted” sampler features ten cigars from the biggest names for under $30. Included are sticks by Rocky Patel, CAO, Alec Bradley, Cohiba, Toraño, and Gurkha. Get yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

Here at StogieGuys.com, we highlight the most egregious smoking bans when we can. Telling you about every single one would be impossible given that there are smoking bans in literally thousands of jurisdictions.

We’ve seen government-imposed bans in restaurants, bars, casinos, cars, outdoors, golf courses, cigar shops, and even houses. Each is more ridiculous than the next. And who knows what’s around the corner?

As the following video points out, it wasn’t always this way. In fact, it was only ten years ago that California banned smoking in bars. Most people probably just figured that was California thing. Today, though, smoking bans have become a nationwide thing—something you’ll find in red and blue states, east and west states, north and south states, on the coasts and in middle America.

With smoking bans so clearly on the march, I suggest watching this timely eight-minute video, which discuses how we got here and where we might end up:

–Patrick S

video credit: Reason.tv

On the surface, while it appears as though much of the cigar industry’s innovation centers around unnecessary gadgets and tricky marketing schemes, a closer look will reveal more functional improvements. Case in point: the Double Ligero Chisel from La Flor Dominicana.

This figurado’s unique shape was a first when it was introduced in 2003. Designed by Litto Gomez, the head almost looks as if a fat lady sat on the end of what might otherwise be a torpedo. The point—pardon the expression—is to focus the smoke in a way that fits naturally in the mouth.

After recently sitting down with a couple Chisels, we can safely say that Litto’s strategy works. The head clips cleanly to reveal a neat oval-shaped plateau with a clear and concentrated draw. And in addition to the functional aspects, the improved head also brings some unique aesthetic qualities to this Ecuadorian sungrown-wrapped beauty.

Of course, all this would be moot if the 6 inch by 54 ring gauge cigar tasted like dirt. Fortunately, though, it has a satisfying woodsy flavor that includes the same salty spice you’ll find in many other La Flor Dominicana sticks. The taste is as consistent as it is complex, with subtle and unwavering notes of pepper, coffee bean, and cereals.

We were anticipating lots of flavor, and the Chisel delivers. It doesn’t, however, bring that powerful, knock-you-on-your-ass feeling that its reputation would lead you to expect. The Double Ligero line—so named for its Dominican ligero binder and filler—is supposed to be dark, full-bodied, and spicy. The other vitolas in the blend that we’ve tried certainly live up to that reputation, but the Chisel is far more laid back.

That said, despite the disconnect between its reputation and the actual flavor, this cigar has a lot to offer. The Chisel’s excellent physical characteristics and approachable yet intricate flavors can be enjoyed by attentive smokers and noobs alike, and Litto Gomez’s dedication to functional innovation should be applauded.

Don’t think twice about spending $6-7 apiece on this fine specimen, La Flor’s third best-selling stick in 2007. We give it a solid rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A & Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys