The 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.

This Don Pepin production got a cosmetic makeover last year, apparently an effort to boost the line’s profile. I’m not sure that helped but – judged on its own merits – Vegas Cubanas is a good cigar. The Invictos is a five inch by 50 ring gauge robusto with a lovely Habano Rosado Claro wrapper and a blend that includes Cuban seed Corojo 99 and other Nicaraguan tobaccos. It is lighter than most of Pepin blends, though it begins with his typical pepper. That fades at the halfway point, replaced by a woody flavor. Unlike many of Pepin’s sticks, this one burned just fine. At $6, it’s worth a try.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and reader-friendly as possible, each Friday we’ll post a selection of quick cigar news and stogie-related snippets. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) With the Iraq War entering its sixth year this week, now is another great time for cigar enthusiasts to think about sending a few spare sticks to the soldiers in the Middle East. One law enforcement official is doing his part: Instead of destroying seized counterfeit Cubans, as is protocol, a Michigan sheriff has decided to send them to overseas troops. A local shipping company has graciously offered its services to safely deliver the goods.

2) Jameson Cigar Co., a new operation, is introducing itself with a sweet deal: two cigars and a T-shirt for just the cost of shipping ($6). You can sign up for the offer here.

3) Around the Blogs: Cigar Jack reminds us to accept no ashtray substitutes. Cigar Inspector lights up an Opus X Robusto. Keepers of the Flame provides an aging report on the Camacho Havana Monarca. Cigar Monkey tries the Emilio Reyes Gold.

4) Deal of the Week: Spring is here and that means one thing: golf season. This Golf Sampler includes two cigars each from Padrón, Hoyo de Monterrey, H. Upmann, and three other brands. You also get a lighter, cutter, and some golf tees. Get yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

As the weather warms and that winter chill gives way to a cool evening breeze, many cigar enthusiasts start opting for longer, bigger cigars in lieu shorter sticks. So when better to review the six and ¾ inch by 50 ring gauge Arturo Fuente Double Chateau Sun Grown than the first day of spring?

This large, silky smoke comes wrapped in a cedar sleeve from foot to band. The sleeve slides off easily to reveal a neat Ecuadorian wrapper and a dark, sweet aroma that is characteristic of sungrown tobacco – no surprise thanks to Fuente’s signature black ribbon. You can buy a box of 20 Double Chateaus from CigarsDirect.com for $103.40 ($5.17 apiece).

After clipping the uniquely large cap and toasting the foot, the initial flavor is a tad salty, but evens out with some toffee undertones. Sweetened coffee rounds out the finish into the second third and, if you’re really paying attention, you might pick up on some citrus.

Spicy peppercorn, syrupy tobacco, and cedar tastes dominate down the stretch with a little bitterness coming into play at the very end. All in all, this cigar’s Dominican binder and filler tobaccos nicely complement the sungrown wrapper – a pleasant pairing that produces volumes of thin, flavorful smoke.

The burn performs well during the 90-120 minute smoke, but a few Double Chateaus required touch-ups in breezy conditions. The draw is just about right, if not slightly firm.
And the ash holds as well as you would expect from a Fuente.

Overall, this is an impressive mild- to medium-bodied cigar with a lot of interesting flavor to offer at a reasonable price. It is well-balanced, smooth, relaxing, and satisfying.

Sungrown enthusiasts who require long breaks would do well to work this into their regular rotation. We give the Arturo Fuente Double Chateau Sun Grown four out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. Cigars for this review were provided by CigarsDirect.com, and can be purchased here.]

–Patrick A & George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I was smoking a cigar the other day with a cup of coffee. About a third of the way into the stick, it dawned on me that I wasn’t enjoying this one as much as I normally do. I drained the coffee cup and picked up a soft drink and, almost at once, the cigar began to taste better.

Naturally, it made me think about drinks and smokes and writing for StogieGuys.com. I know there are smokers who think, for instance, that it’s a mistake to drink anything other than water when evaluating a cigar. Some think a review shouldn’t be attempted before smoking at least three of the cigar or that a review needs to contain data such as the time of day the cigar was smoked and what other cigars were smoked previously. I find that kind of information interesting sometimes, too, but you won’t always see it in what I write here.

For starters, I don’t think of myself as a “cigar reviewer.” All I’ve got to do is read and listen to some of the real experts out there to know I’m not qualified for such an appellation. Instead, I consider myself a fellow smoker who goes out of his way to keep up with what’s happening in the cigar industry, to try many different sticks, and to let you know what I think of them – much like someone in the neighboring leather chair at your local B&M might recommend a cigar or offer words of warning as you venture into the humidor.

Sometimes that involves giving you my impressions after smoking a single stick; at other times my thoughts are formed after smoking a dozen or more. Among the things I really like about our format is the flexibility it provides. I can write a full review when it seems appropriate or just give you a short Quick Smoke if that works best. And when readers write in with their thoughts, reactions, questions, etc., it makes it all even better.

For me, smoking cigars and writing about them is a pleasure. I don’t want to be locked in to procedures that would dictate how I do it. The last thing I want to do is turn cigar smoking into work.

–George E

photo credit: Flickr

The French word “nonpareil” literally means “unparalleled,” or “without equal.” I didn’t find the Indian Tabac Nonpareil to be that, exactly. But at $3 per stick, this well-crafted six inch by 52 ring gauge Toro certainly offers a decent value for a modest price.

The Nonpareil is a Nicaraguan puro sold in either a Connecticut shade or a Natural wrapper. I opted for the darker Natural. With a rich brown color, tight roll, and nearly veinless body, this was certainly a good-looking cigar. Pre-light aromas from the foot and the freshly cut head revealed hints of cocoa, butter, and leather. I lit up the stogie and was immediately greeted by a soft air of wood and tobacco.

The initial flavor of the cigar was of leather and faintly burnt cedar – not an altogether complex combination, but certainly acceptable for a $3 smoke. Unfortunately, this combination persisted, more or less unchanged, throughout my two-hour smoke. Toward the middle third, a grassy tone and peppery aftertaste made an appearance. But these new flavors did little to offset the boredom of having experienced the same taste, over and over, for as long as I had.

Perhaps I’m asking too much of this bargain-priced cigar. But I’ve come to expect a great deal from any stick bearing a Rocky Patel brand, much less a “nonpareil” boast.

Still, I don’t want to shortchange the Nonpareil. It is a serviceable, enjoyable, economical cigar that neither asks for, nor requires, your undivided attention. It will make a fine companion on the golf course or at the poker table, so I give the Indian Tabac Nonpareil Toro three out of five stogies.

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

–Jon N

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Now that the 2008 NCAA Tournament is set, we are teaming up with our friends at CigarsDirect.com to offer the best cigar prizes ever for a March Madness bracket challenge. The fantastic prizes, courtesy of CigarsDirect.com, are as follows:

Grand Prize: Padilla 1932 Signature Humidor filled with 45 Padilla cigars ($1,500.00 retail value)

2nd Place: Box of Fuente Fuente Opus X Robusto ($799.95 retail value)

3rd Place: Box of Arturo Fuente Anejo #77 “Shark” ($579.95 retail value)

4th Place: Box of Fuente God of Fire Churchill ($239.95 retail value)

5th Place: Box of Fuente Hemingway Short Story ($139.99 retail value)

As always at StogieGuys.com, entry is 100 percent free. Please fill out your bracket here. You must register with CBS Sportsline, then after you log in with your username and password you will be asked to enter our league password (which is “cigars”).

Rules: Please make sure to enter a valid email address when signing up. CigarsDirect.com will notify all winners via email at the end of the tournament. If you do not respond within two weeks, the prize will go to the player with the next highest point total. All brackets must be filled in by March 20.

Fine Print: The contest is in no way affiliated with CBS Sportsline, and no one will have access to your personal information (except for your email and name). There must be at least 50 entries or else the prizes may change.

Good luck!

[Additionally, CigarsDirect.com is including free shipping on all other orders placed during the NCAA tournament. For free shipping simply enter the code “stogieguys” at checkout.]

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: NCAA

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

This pudgy little smoke (4″ x 50) has an attractive vein-free Ecuadorian wrapper. The flavor is of wood and paper with a tiny hint of black pepper spice. The draw on this mild smoke is good, but this is a hard purchase to justify at over $7 apiece.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys