The Stogie Guys

This massive cigar with a silly name from Alec Bradley aptly fills the niche for those who want a large stick. Its 60 ring gauge is nearly an inch in diameter and it runs 6 and 3/8 inches from head to foot (even larger than The Fix I reviewed back in March).

I picked one up when I went to a shop recently to watch a little football. It wasn’t a particularly good choice. On the plus side, The Freak burned well, had a good draw, and produced a lot of smoke.

The $5.75 price tag also seemed most reasonable. But a single negative outweighed those points: The cigar is one-dimensional and lasts so long it became boring.

That was somewhat surprising because the filler is a four-country mix of tobacco from Colombia, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Honduras, with a Costa Rican binder and a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper. I’d rate it as medium in strength with a flavor mostly of tobacco with a hint of leather and earthiness—over and over and over.

This cigar is obviously for those who are into the current trend for big cigars. If that appeals to you and you’re just looking for something to puff for a couple of hours, then The Freak could be your stick. Personally, if I’m going to be so distracted that I assume I’ll barely notice the cigar I’m smoking, I’d rather not smoke.

I certainly wouldn’t call this a bad cigar; it’s just not a cigar I’m particularly interested in smoking again. Putting everything in perspective, I rate the Alec Bradley Maxx The Freak three out of five stogies.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Chances are, if you enjoy a drink from time to time, you’ve had one made by the Diageo. The largest spirits company in the world owns such varied brands as Guinness, Smirnoff, Ketel One, Gordon’s, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Bushmills, Cuervo, Goldshlager, and Baileys. And their Scotches include single malts and blends from every scotch-producing region of Scotland, including Johnnie Walker.

But being owned by a multi-national conglomerate doesn’t mean you can’t produce a fine single malt scotch. Case in point is the Dalwhinnie 15 year, a fine example from the Highland region. According to its website, geography (the distillery is the highest in Scotland) plays a central role in the scotch Dalwhinnie produces:

“The source, Lochan an Doire-Uaine, (Gaelic for ‘lake in the green grove’), lies at 2,000 feet in the Drumochter Hills. From it, all the pure spring water used in distilling Dalwhinnie flows over rich local peat through Allt an t’Sluic, the distillery burn. No other distillery may use the water from this source—therefore no other distillery is able to yield Dalwhinnie’s uniquely clean, accessible, malty-sweet taste, giving way to a smooth and smoky Highland mouthfeel.”

Marketing hype aside, I find this is indeed a sweet accessible single malt. The nose is sweet with some watermelon notes, and the color is a light and golden.

On the palate, the Dalwhinnie 15 has plenty of peat and smoke. There was also malty sweetness with some oak, almond, and spice. The finish is long and sweet with just a touch of heat to remind you that you’re drinking an 86-proof spirit.

Like most fine scotches, this will pair magnificently with cigars. The wood and sweetness of the Dalwhinnie would make a cedary cigar an excellent choice. I paired it with the Cuban Ramón Allones Specially Selected and it worked perfectly.

Other cigars that should go particularly well are the Partagas Spanish Rosado, the Montecristo Petit Edmundo, the EO Cubao, or the Don Pepin Garcia Blue Label. A riskier pairing, but potentially with a high upside, would be a maduro to match the Dalwhinnie’s sweetness.

Ultimately, no matter which cigar you go with, or even if you pass on the cigar all together, the Dalwhinnie 15 Year single malt scotch will be an excellent choice.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Over a year ago, one of my colleagues listed three boutique cigar manufacturers in an effort to “discover new sticks and to play at least a small, direct role in supporting the art of cigar making.” Today I’d like to continue that trend because, in my opinion, these smaller-scale operations turn out some terrific smokes for a fraction of name-brand prices.

Now you might be asking what qualifies a cigar producer to be “boutique.” According to a 1999 feature article in Smoke Magazine, boutique cigars are “brands with a production of less than 1.5 million sticks per year.” (That number would likely have to be upped today to adjust for increased overall cigar production.) Others say boutiques simply mean the firm’s stogies are cultivated in small batches with high attention to individual detail.

For our purposes—and because it’s a lot easier than researching production numbers—I’ll adopt a broad definition: Boutique cigar manufacturers are those with a relatively limited output, name recognition, and niche market. In other words, to borrow a metaphor from Smoke Magazine, they are the micro-breweries of the cigar industry. This definition is certainly subjective, so feel free to disagree with my belief that, despite José Oliva’s assertion, his operation is not boutique.

Either way, I don’t want to get all caught up in semantics. Instead, I’d like to share my three favorite boutiques and encourage you to explore their wonderful creations:

Bucanero Cigars. Founded during the mid-90’s cigar boom, this company uses fine tobaccos from 10 different nations to create 18 signature blends. I particularly appreciate the Don Douglas, Treasure, and Cañon lines. “[Bucanero] was, and continues today to be, built around honesty and friendship,” says President Robert Spoden. “We set out slowly to introduce unique blends.”

Cuban Crafters. This selection should come as no surprise. We write about this Maimi-based, Nicaraguan-growing operation so often, in fact, I worry that readers think we’re on their payroll. (We aren’t but, in the interest of full disclosure, we do participate in their affiliate program.) Cuban Crafters makes many of my everyday favorite brands, including Cupido, J.L. Salazar, Don Kiki (Brown and White), La Carolina, and Cameroon. The company’s latest, most premium creation, the Medina 1959 line (full release TBD), is also an up-and-coming winner. “While difficult to find in many cigar retailers,” says National Sales Director Alberto Noguera, “boutique premium brands are something different from the ordinary mass-produced cigars commonly available in most shops. Their flavor and aroma is unmatched.”

Isla de Cuba. I’ve loved everything I’ve tried from Darryl Lieser’s Tampa-based boutique. The two original blends that launched in February—Classic and Aged Maduro—have a simple beauty to them, and Isla’s new Wango Tango and Blend 376 lines are also impressive.

Feel free to use the comments below to share your favorite boutique cigar manufacturers with other StogieGuys.com readers.

–Patrick A

photo credits: 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.

Last year we gave El Tiante’s original lines—the Natural and the Maduro—high marks. Now I turn to the latest line, the Corojo which was released at the recent IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas. The oily corojo wrapper is similar in color to the Maduro, and I found much of the same fruit and cedar flavors that I’ve noticed from other El Tiante creations, only with some classic corojo spiciness. While it is the spiciest, most full-flavored El Tiante yet, it still slotted in as a medium- to full-flavored smoke. Construction was flawless with an easy draw, even burn, and sturdy ash.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

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

About a year and a half ago, my colleagues reviewed this Thompson house brand and said you could do worse choosing a “satisfactory, golf course-grade” smoke. I’ve smoked a couple Robustos (5 x 50) and agree. They aren’t going to win any beauty contests or raves for complexity, but they also aren’t harsh and don’t taste of poorly cured tobacco. They may even have a little bit of the distinctive Corojo taste. And there’s one incredible price tag: $24.95 for a bundle of 25 in any of five sizes. If you’re looking for a stick to pass around to friends who smoke only when they’re with you, this could be it. Just remove the foil bands first.

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) Baseball’s postseason is finally here, and Cigar Aficionado has once again compiled a list of the best places to smoke in MLB’s contending towns—Anaheim, Boston, Chicago (both sides), Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Tampa.

2) A Phoenix cigar shop called Magnum’s won a significant ruling on Tuesday against the Arizona Department of Health Services. The bureaucracy claimed the B&M did not qualify for an exemption from the state’s smoking ban because it serves alcohol. But appellate judges disagreed, possibly paving the way for more cigar shop/bar combos in the Grand Canyon State.

3) Inside the Industry: La Strada Ristorante in suburban Chicago is hosting a Stogies & Bogies “preview party and cigar-friendly awareness event” on October 7 with radio personality Geoff Pinkus. La Flor Dominicana is releasing its Factory Press III (6.25 x 58) with a sharp box press.

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Jack smokes the Isla de Cuba Aged Maduro. Keepers of the Flame lights up the Fundación Ancestral Vuelta Abajo 1940. Stogie Review reviews a Montecristo Vino. Cigar Spy investigates the Nub Connecticut.

5) Deal of the Week: We recently came across this offer while listening to the radio. For just $9.95 (including shipping) you get to three Montecristo Classics. Visit MontecristoRadio.com to take advantage of the offer.

– The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys/MLB

At the 2008 IPCPR cigar trade show, General Cigars released a host of new lines. Overshadowed by the higher profile releases of the Cohiba Puro Domincana, Macanudo 1968, and La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Miami, the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Legend was released to be a newer, bolder Hoyo.

The Excalibur Legend features the same Connecticut grown Havana wrapper that is featured on the Hoyo de Monterrey Dark Knight. The filler features Nicaraguan tobacco from both the mainland and the same volcanic island of Ometepe (the same as is used in the Macanudo 1968), blended with ligero tobacco from the Dominican Republic.

The wrapper is shiny and oily with some prominent veins and a lush Colorado brown color. Prelight earth and hints of pepper are apparent from the firm cigar. The band looks similar to the original Hoyo de Monterray Excalibur line, but with a regal red color below the gold band.

Once lit, I found a medium- to full-bodied cigar with cool smoke. It had a charred meaty flavor with black pepper initially, then evolved to earth and paper while the pepper still persisted. A slight bitter aftertaste comes and goes throughout.

The construction on this five and 1/4 inch by 50 ring gauge robusto was impressive. The draw was deliberate and firm, but not difficult. The burn was even, with a shiny black line leading the way for a sturdy ash.

For around $7 per stick, this cigar has impressive qualities, even if it’s a bit on the pricey side. While not overly complex, it fulfills its goal of recreating the Hoyo Excalibur with a slightly fuller flavor. The paper flavor is particularly reminiscent of the original Excalibur line.

In the end, the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Legend Challenger earns three and 1/2 out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys