The Stogie Guys

No self-respecting rum devotee would admit he’s never tried—or worse, never heard of—Rhum Barbancourt, one of the world’s most decorated brands. As the back of each bottle reads, this is “a true sipping rum of unsurpassed quality.”

Barbancourt has amassed an impressive array of 22 medals since the family business was established in Haiti in the 1860s, most recently a Santé Gold Star Award in 2006. Here’s a bit of history from the label’s website:

“In 1862, Dupre Barbancourt, a native of Charente in France, put the finishing touches to a recipe for rum that still bears his name today. Using his homeland’s double distillation method usually reserved for cognacs, he distils a unique product which will regularly be recognized and receive the highest international distinctions.”

That last line is a recurring theme you’ll find again and again when researching the company. Barbancourt repeatedly and proudly boasts that it is not made from molasses like industrial rums, but rather “pot-stilled from fresh sugar cane juice and aged in oak casks in a method similar to the finest cognacs.”

You can appreciate the cognac-like qualities when you pour the Réserve Spéciale Five Star selection into your glass, either neat or on the rocks of course. Aged eight years, the clean, bright golden rum bursts with orange peel, vanilla, and honey. I am told more refined palates can also find notes of green apple, ginger, and caramel.

I find the taste to have a sharp, biting spice followed by a smooth, warm flavor of syrup and hazelnut. The consensus among connoisseurs seems to be this rum is soft and silky with a complexity that ranges from apricot, barley, nougat, and nut.

So, as far as rums go, Barbancourt is pretty delicate. I tried a myriad of cigars with Réserve Spéciale—including a new Arganese ML3 Robusto (review forthcoming)—and predictably found that it pairs best with milder sticks. My recommendations include Ybor City Handmades, an Oliva Serie G Cameroon, a Montecristo Classic, an Isla de Cuba Classic, and a Cuban Crafters Cameroon.

Prices range from $22-35 per 750 ml. bottle (43% alcohol). No matter what you pay for Rhum Barbancourt Réserve Spéciale Five Star in that range, I think you’ll be pleased.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This brand could lay claim to the title of bargain cigar royalty, combining, as it does, the Don Pepin Garcia/Ashton duo with a price tag under $3 per stick. And the Nicaraguan puro isn’t even a bundle cigar. It’s packaged in cedar boxes of 25.

Sure, it’s mixed filler. Sure, the pigtail cap isn’t particularly attractive. Sure, physical characteristics and construction vary some from cigar to cigar. And did I mention it’s less than $3 a stick?

I’ve smoked a few and sampled all four sizes. The Benchmade begins with a little spice and soon settles down to being a tasty, straightforward, medium-strength cigar. You won’t confuse it with one of Pepin’s top-flight creations, but you also won’t mistake it for some bargain-bin castoff either.

I enjoyed the Cazadore most, but that’s primarily because I feel the 46 ring gauge and the 6.5 inch length make for a comfortable smoke. I paid $2.60 for it.

I have been impressed and, frankly, a little surprised at the relative consistency between smokes. One key to making low-priced cigars is looser quality standards for the tobacco. That inevitably leads to greater inconsistency. My guess would be that quite a few sticks were rolled at the same time for Benchmade’s recent introduction. Consequently, I wouldn’t be surprised to see that consistency varies more in the future.

I’ve been told the filler is from cuttings from the San Cristobal made at Pepin’s Nicaraguan factory. I don’t know if that’s true; my guess would be it’s made from leftovers of numerous cigars made at the Tabacalera Cubana S.A.

The cigar is made with a mixture of long- and cut-filler at the foot to limit tobacco falling out and at the head to keep bits of tobacco out of the smoker’s mouth, according to a June Cigar Insider web posting. Again, that’s the kind of effort that makes it difficult to keep prices this low, so I won’t be shocked if I find tobacco on my tongue in the future.

Still, it would be hard to complain too much at these prices. If you’re looking for a value smoke, give the Benchmade a try. Taking everything into consideration, I give it three and 1/2 out of five stogies.

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

–George E

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.

My neighbor introduced me to these 5.5 inch by 42 ring gauge Connecticut shade cigars, and I now have a whole spot in my humidor just for them. They are great smokes with a smooth, creamy, mild, flavor and a very even burn from start to finish—one of the few that I smoke down to an inch. With Dominican, Mexican, and Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos, these are an easy recommendation at around $3 apiece.

Verdict = Buy.

-Submitted by Brian Keele of Fairborn, Ohio

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

This pricey ($14 per cigar…but is there any other kind of Davidoff?) stick features a somewhat rustic Connecticut shade wrapper, at least by Davidoff’s rigorous standards. Once lit I was welcomed by a cool, smooth, well-balanced smoke. The classically-sized robusto (5 x 50) is medium- to full-flavored with toasty notes and a long buttery finish. Except for requiring one unexpected relighting, the construction was superb. It paired fantastically with Johnnie Walker Gold Label.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

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) Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks this week proposed an ordinance banning smoking in almost all public places, including outdoor patios and outside office buildings. “If the City Council approves the ordinance, L.A. would become the largest city in the U.S. to adopt a comprehensive smoking ban for all public places, joining the cities of Beverly Hills, Burbank, Calabasas, and Santa Monica.”

2) Readers are encouraged to check out this online auction of rare and exclusive cigars, including original 1984 Arturo Fuente 8-5-8s and Opus X “troll” cigars. Proceeds benefit the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation, which serves the impoverished children of the Dominican Republic by providing schools, health care, clean water, nutrition, and recreation.

3) Notwithstanding this shameless act of self-promotion, we would like to thank The Cigar Alliance for naming StogieGuys.com winner of the “Best Cigar Blog” category in the 2008 Cigar Alliance Media Awards. We would also like to congratulate the winners of the other categories, including Cigar Live, Stogie Review, DogWatch Social Club, European Cigar Cult Journal, and Stogie Fresh.

4) Inside the Industry: StogieGuys.com has received a tip that Carnival Cruise Lines is testing a new no cigar policy on some of its ships, including vessels with cigar bars. Alec Bradley is adding a new size to the Tempus line, a perfecto called the Magistri (6.5 x 53). Isla de Cuba’s two new lines, the Blend 376 and the Wango Tango, are set to hit stores in mid-September.

5) Around the Blogs: Keepers of the Flame continues its vertical tasting of the Padrón line with the 4000. Stogie Review reviews the La Riqueza. Cigar Jack lights up a Gurkha G5. Cigar Command checks out the Live Green Label.

6) Deal of the Week: Here’s a great way to enjoy two of our favorite smokes. This Padrón Maduro vs. Rocky Patel ’92 sampler includes five cigars of each, all for just $45 (shipping included for the sampler and anything else purchased with it). Grab yours here.

– The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

In March I gave the Cupido Criollo Corto a well-deserved, glowing review as “one of the best sub-$3 cigar experiences I’ve ever had.” I’ve gone through plenty more since then because of the Corto’s delicious taste, excellent construction, bargain price, and short format.

The Commemorative vitola boasts the same blend of tobaccos—a criollo wrapper and Cuban-seed habano long leaf binders and fillers—in a larger, 5 inch by 54 ring gauge layout. Also a Nicaraguan puro from the Cupido Vegas field of Estelí, Cuban Crafters produces only 9,000 individually numbered boxes of 25 annually for under $70 each.

These smooth, oily, relatively dark criollos are box-pressed and sold as heady, deep cigars that are naturally sweet, spicy, and creamy. Take a few moments to enjoy the dark cocoa notes before striking the first match.

I’m convinced, by the way, that wooden matches are the ideal way to light cigars like the Corto and the Commemorative. The tiny foot makes it easy to establish an even light, and torch-brandishers will have a tendency to ignite more tobacco than necessary, a mistake that’s prone to ruining burns.

One drawback of this cigar’s unique shape is the tight draw you’ll experience on the first few puffs. Don’t worry; everything opens up nicely after a few patient minutes with lots of spice and a dry, woody taste. After the first inch or so the flavor begins to resemble black coffee and roasted nuts. I think seasoned cigar veterans will really enjoy this full-bodied (albeit one-sided) phase and noting how it smoothly transitions into a more balanced, floral taste in the last two inches.

I found few physical imperfections across the seven Commemoratives I smoked for this review. Expect a fairly stable ash and a burn that requires a few touch-ups here and there.

The Commemorative may not rate as exceptionally well as the Corto viotla in my book—namely due to the Corto’s virtually perfect combustion qualities—but it’s still another fine, under-priced smoke from the makers of Stogie Guys favorites like J.L. Salazar, Don Kiki (Brown and White), La Carolina, Cabinet Selection, and Cameroon. I give the Cupido Criollo Commemorative four stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. To purchase this cigar from a StogieGuys.com affiliate, click here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Nearly a year ago to the day I took a look at the exclusive Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Today I’ll evaluate the Blue Label’s slightly younger brother: Johnnie Walker Gold Label, also known as “The Century Blend.”

Like the Blue Label, the Gold is a blended scotch made with some of the most exclusive single malts Scotland has to offer. Originally created by Sir Alexander Walker in 1920 to celebrate 100 years of the Johnnie Walker brand, the Gold Label is comprised of at least 15 different single malts, all at least 18 years old and some many years older (although reportedly the Gold blend is sometimes bottled with the youngest scotches being 15 years in age).

While not nearly as expensive as the Blue Label, which can cost as much as $200 per bottle, a 750 ml. bottle of Johnnie Walker Gold Label will normally run $70-80. Like the Blue Label, the Gold challenges the commonly held notion that single malts represent the pinnacle of scotches.

As soon as you open the bottle you are struck by two things: the deep golden color and the incredible aroma which I enjoyed for a full 20 minutes before I even indulged my taste buds. I found the aroma to be an inviting mix of apricot, orange peel, and honey.

When I finally got around to sipping this golden whiskey, I found some rich fruit and vanilla with a lingering honey and subtle smoke and spice. The finish is delicate but long.

According to the Johnnie Walker website, the Gold Label blend is best enjoyed out of the freezer allowing for the flavors to come to life on the palate as it warms in your mouth. I tried it both at room temperature and frozen, and found their description accurate. However, the downside of the chilled whiskey was that it somewhat muted the fantastic aromas that were produced when I enjoyed the Gold Label at room temperature.

With such a glowing review, you won’t be surprised to find that this scotch is best enjoyed with a fine cigar, and most fine cigars will go very well with a Johnnie Walker Gold Label. My recommendation would be to avoid the extremes when pairing the Gold Label with a cigar, so avoid the most mild and most full-flavored smokes.

I enjoyed this with a Davidoff Special R, which I would classify as medium- to full-bodied, and the pairing was excellent. An Ashton VSG or Arturo Fuente Sun Grown are two others that come to mind as excellent pairings, though I would be weary of trying to match a maduro with the subtle honey flavors of the Gold Label.

Overall, the Gold Label is an excellent, complex scotch that will pair well with a variety of cigars. While not as exquisite as the Blue Label, it punches above its weight at nearly a third of the price and is a must try for anyone who enjoys whiskey with their cigars.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys