The Stogie Guys

This may be a golden age for cigar smokers, but it’s likely to be a tough time for your local tobacconist. If there’s a common refrain I’ve heard lately from shop owners in my area, it’s this: “Guys who used to buy boxes are now buying five or six.”

Data seems to support the anecdotal evidence. Imports of premium sticks appear to be down this year from pretty impressive levels in 2007, according to the always authoritative CigarCyclopedia.com.

Selling cigars, even in the best of times, isn’t really a road to riches. Most of those who do—though there certainly are exceptions—are strongly motivated by a love of cigars and the cigar culture. But, as they say, love don’t pay the bills.

Perhaps buoyed by Tampa’s cigar history and a general vacation atmosphere, the area where I live is blessed with an abundance of cigar shops. There are probably a dozen or so legitimate cigar shops of various stripes and sizes within a 30-minute drive of my home. I can’t help but wonder how many I’ll still be able to visit a year or two from now.

If you’re fortunate enough to have high-quality shops nearby, don’t forget what your patronage means to them and how much they mean to you. No one should need reminding that with ever-increasing smoking restrictions, cigar shops are among our only remaining refuges.

As times get tough, we all look for ways to save money. There’s no doubt that you can do that by shopping on the Internet. And I’m not suggesting you give it up. For some of you, it’s the only access you have to get many of the boutique and harder-to-find sticks. Truth be told, many of the major online cigar retailers also maintain shops, so it’s sometimes difficult to even draw a distinction.

What I am suggesting is that you bear in mind how much local cigar shops mean and remember that in an unsteady economy they need your patronage more than ever. Don’t be guilty of Oscar Wilde’s complaint about those who know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

–George E

photo credit: Flickr

For the past few years, online retailing behemoth Cigars International has been selling a premium house brand known as the “Legends” series. These cigars, each one made by a different boldfaced name in the business, represent what CI declares “the very best for the money” (a roughly $5-per-stick price tag). For a mere $5, you can enjoy the equivalent of a much pricier Don Pepin Garcia, or Graycliff, or Perdomo, etc.—or so the marketing goes.

Curious to see if these off-label premiums lived up to their brand-name equivalents, I lit up the Purple Label, a 5.7 inch by 54 ring gauge stick blended by Graycliff mastermind Avelino Lara. The Purple Label is a good-looking cigar whose smooth appearance, slightly spongy texture, and sweet aroma certainly bring the Graycliff Crystal PGX to mind.

Unfortunately, that’s about all this offering has in common with its Graycliff cousin. I can only surmise that the Purple Label is made with inferior tobacco to that found in the name-brand Crystal PGX, because the flavor is only superficially similar. Both are mild-bodied cigars, but the Crystal PGX offers a lot of complexity to belie its gentleness.

The Purple Lable, however, is a study in bland repetition. From start to finish, I tasted a single flavor note—basically what I’d describe as the essence of wet and slightly moldy hay. This is not a very enticing flavor to encounter in one puff of a cigar, much less a hundred or so. But that’s what I got from the Purple Label: Puff after boring puff, this cigar played a symphony in the key of blah. I was all too happy to toss the nub of my first stick, and when sampling my second, I was just as pleased to put it to rest.

I suppose it’s worth mentioning that the Purple Label is a mechanically decent cigar. The draw is a bit too tight, but forgivable. The burn is sharp and even. The ash holds true for inches at a time. But do these qualities really matter when you’ve got no interest in what you’re smoking? I’d almost get the same experience just pretending to puff on the Purple Label for an hour and change, never lighting the foot.

Bottom line: If you want to smoke a Graycliff, you’re unfortunately going to have to pay for the real thing. This cigar is no substitute. Still, for solid aesthetics, competent handling and ennui-inducing flavor, I give the CI Legends Purple Label a very generous two out of five stogies.

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

–Jon N

photo credit: Stogie Guys

It has long been a suspicion that the anti-smoking movement would not be content with dictatorial smoking bans and oppressive tobacco taxes. Last week that suspicion was reinforced in a big way.

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) issued a scathing press release citing that “57% of the people in Ireland support a ban on smoking in all homes and cars” and that “this could expand the latest front in the war to protect nonsmokers.” John F. Banzhaf, executive director and chief counsel for ASH and professor of law at George Washington University, went on to make this ominous statement:

“As politicians in many states continue to debate whether to ban smoking in restaurants, bars, casinos, and other public places, it looks like legislators are once again far behind the growing public sentiment for smoking bans, and also far behind how far judges and regulatory agencies are willing to go.”

Now it comes as no surprise to our regular readers that government-mandated smoking bans and the anti-tobacco zealots who advocate them get no sympathy here. We’ve made no secret of the fact that such invasive bans limit choice, violate private property, and are justified only by shoddy “science.” But this call for smoking bans in private homes and cars takes tyranny to a whole new level.

Ironically, as our friend Jacob Grier so eloquently describes, “Despite all the recent victories for the anti-smoking lobby, its increasingly untenable claims and restrictive proposals will open the door to blowback.” Such impending retaliation should have the anti-smoking community at least a little worried (that is, of course, if the cigar industry gets its act together). Physician Michael Siegel, a proponent of smoking bans in workplaces, recently penned this on the subject:

“I must also say that ASH is making the pronouncements of smoking ban opponents look good. Many years ago, when I was lobbying for smoke-free workplace laws, opponents of these laws argued that this was just the first step: Workplaces were the first step and eventually we [the antis] would be trying to get smoking banned in the home. I countered these arguments by stating no—you’re wrong—we are going to stop after getting smoking banned in the workplace. Unfortunately, it looks like I was wrong and the smoking ban opponents were correct. Thanks to ASH, all those smoking ban opponents can now say ‘I told you so.’ Why would ASH make a public statement like this? Wouldn’t ASH recognize that by doing this, it paints all anti-smoking advocates and groups as being complete fanatics whose ultimate goal is to ban smoking everywhere, even inside the home?”

Maybe it was naïve to think a complete tobacco ban wasn’t the goal of anti-smoking groups from the get-go. Is it any wonder that those who would organize and put great effort into restricting the rights of others are not to be trusted?

In any event, as a cigar enthusiast and an overall fan of individual rights, I hope the cigar industry—including all those well-intentioned groups that sprung up last month—can use ASH’s brazen lack of judgment to make some gains for smokers and liberty.

–Patrick A

photo credit: CNN

The “short Churchill” format strikes me as a very Cuban concept. After all, as far as the size goes, it’s really nothing more than a classic robusto size. By naming this robusto a Short Churchill, it calls to mind a longer, less rushed smoking experience that characterizes the 7 inch Chuchill size.

The Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill was introduced in 2006 at the 8th annual Habanos Festival in Havana, Cuba. It has dimensions similar to that of a robusto: 4 and 7/8 inches by 50 ring gauge. This is different from the classic Romeo y Julieta Exhibición No. 4 which, while also a robusto, is a slightly longer and slightly thinner 5 inches by 48.

The Cuban features double gold-embossed bands that give the cigar a regal appearance and frame a shiny, golden caramel-colored wrapper. The leaf is attractive despite some prominent veins, and the well-proportioned cigar is firm to the touch.

Once I lit, the Short Churchill greets me with a medley of flavors including coffee, cream, leather, honey, and graham cracker. It is medium-bodied and tremendously well-balanced. An easy draw makes it easy to enjoy.

As the cigar progressed, I found strong cedar notes moved in, but never so much as to overpower the rest of the flavors. The smoke lasted for close to an hour and never became bitter or harsh, even as I carefully removed both bands and smoked it down to the nub.

The construction was equally impressive. The ash was solid gray and firm, and the burn was even with a black shiny mascara leading the way.

I’ve read reports that production problems have plagued Romeo y Julieta, and I have even heard that later versions of the Short Churchill featured a box press. However, I found none of these problems in the four cigars I smoked for this review.

I did find that aging helped this cigar become even better. After six months of humidor time, the cream and coffee notes were even more pronounced, adding another layer of depth to this already complex smoke.

Like most Cuban cigars, this one isn’t inexpensive (especially with the inflated American dollar). But for just around $10 per cigar ($111 for a box of ten, or $221 for a box of 25) the price is more than fair for this exquisite smoke.

As much as I try, I can’t find anything wrong with this cigar. The format is fantastic, the blend sweet and complex, and the construction flawless. For all that and more, the Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill earns a rating of five out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick S

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.

There’s a tradoff with the 6 inch Oliva Figurado: The nifty, old-world shape closes in the foot so you don’t get the wonderful pre-light aroma that wafts from its more open siblings. But this stick is a slow-smoking, smooth, joy of a cigar. As with the others in this line, it is a bargain at less than $4.50. And there’s just something about a well-rolled figurado that makes it special.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Oliva

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

This attractive Toro features a flawless Connecticut shade wrapper and impressive construction qualities. The burn is razor-sharp and highlighted by a bright black mascara line. Fortunately, the cigar tastes as good as it looks. Though mild in strength, it has a pleasant sweet grass flavor with honey and a hint of spice, and it features the same marshmallow notes as the Robusto (pictured).

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) How could a leather cigar case prompt a major political scandal? Well, it certainly wouldn’t hurt if the former owner of the case was Tarik Aziz, Iraq’s former deputy prime minister under Saddam Hussein. And it would also be helpful if the current owner is the mayor of London (pictured).

2) The City Council in Thousand Oaks, California unanimously voted to ban smoking in “outdoor gathering places” yesterday. The law is intended to “reduce exposure to secondhand smoke in outdoor settings.” Can you imagine a more absurd assertion?

3) Inside the Industry: CAO is introducing a “Four for the Fourth” sampler of its America line, featuring two new sizes: a box-pressed Robusto and a “Reverse Torpedo.” Continuing the lancero trend, La Aurora is rolling out production of the long, slender cigars in its Preferidos line. The Griffin’s made by Davidoff has released its 2008 limited edition cigar, a Torpedo that will run $11 per stick.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews a CI Legends Purple (Graycliff). Cigar Jack lights up a Punch Grand Cru Maduro. Velvet Cigar smokes a La Riqueza. Cigar Spy tries the Gurkha Legend.

5) Deal of the Week: Once again we feel it necessary to draw your attention to some real bargains from our friends at Cuban Crafters. In honor of Independence Day, they’ve cut prices on some of our favorites, including the Cabinet Selection, Don Kiki White Label, and Cupido. Check out the deals here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: BBC