The Stogie Guys

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) This week, Great Neck, a suburb of New York City, became the first municipality in the Empire State to ban outdoor smoking on sidewalks. “Mayor Ralph J. Kreitzman says the ban was enacted after officials got complaints about smokers standing outside stores in the village,” reports the Wall Street Journal. “Kreitzman says violators found smoking on sidewalks in the 1.4-square-mile village could face fines of up to $1,000.” The law went into effect immediately.

2) A politician in Kentucky has proposed a bill that, in the unlikely event it is passed, would impose a no-exemption smoking ban on all indoor workplaces and public places in the state, including bars and restaurants. “Kentucky unemployment is nearly 11%, yet some legislators seem to be more interested in creating job-killing bills like smoking bans,” said Chris McCalla, legislative director of the IPCPR.

3) Upcoming Event: The Midwest Smoke Out has been scheduled for April 7 at the Horseshoe Casino outside Chicago. The event will feature spirits, cigars, food, and such guests as Carlito Fuente and Rocky Patel. The price of admission ($150) also includes a one-year membership renewal in Cigar Rights of America.

4) Around the Blogs:  Stogie Review reviews a La Caridad del Cobre. Tiki Bar kicks back with a Paul Garmirian Symphony 20. Cigar Fan fires up a Padilla Dominus. Nice Tight Ash checks out La Sirena. Smoking Stogie smokes a Puro Express Bespoke. Two Tatuaje Reservas, the Gran Cojonu and Petite Cazadores, top YourCigarReviews.com.

5) Deal of the Week: OneOff Cigars were once high-end smokes that cost plenty. This week’s deal features a clearance special with boxes of 20 OneOff cigars available in five sizes for under $2 per stick. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Google Maps

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) A federal court has struck down a New York City ordinance that required tobacco retailers to display graphic anti-tobacco posters. Judge Jed S. Rakoff (pictured) of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan found the ordinance to be “well-intentioned” but ultimately in violation of the law, which places regulations on tobacco warnings and advertisements under the purview of the federal government. Back in November, in his first CRA TV webcast, Cigar Rights of America Executive Director Glynn Loope said that the legal challenge to the ordinance was important not only for New Yorkers, but because a favorable ruling would limit other cities that are considering similar measures.

2) The Cohiba Behike BHK 52, a fat robusto that retails for $75 apiece, was named Cigar Aficionado’s top smoke of 2010. “Cohiba has long been a marquee name in Cuban cigars,” says the magazine. “This new smoke has done what no special release Cohiba has done before: win critical acclaim as well as commercial success.” Although technically a limited production blend, Cuban officials say they plan to make new Behike cigars annually.

3) Inside the Industry: Cubatabaco, Cuba’s government-controlled tobacco monopoly, is suing a U.S. cigar retailer because the retailer’s Michigan shop, Casa de La Habana, is said to be too similar in name to La Casa del Habano. Gurkha plans to release a box of 50 cigars (encased in a pure silver) that will cost $250,000 for a box of 50. To promote its new Single Region cigar, Toraño will be hosting a series of events at stores across the country featuring coffee from PT’s Coffee.

4) Around the Blogs: Smoking Stogie smokes the Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill. The Tiki Bar smokes the Zino Classic Embassy Selection 2010. Stogie Review picks their Top 10 of 2010. Nice Tight Ash checks out the San Cristobal Classico. Cigar Fan fires up a Padilla Dominus. Tatuaje Reserva, EO 601, and AVO Heritage are the top cigars at YourCigarRatings.com.

5) Deal of the Week: Check out this Don Pepin Elite Selection sampler. It includes two each from the Tatuaje Havana, 5 Vegas Miami, Cuban Classic, and San Cristobal, all for under $40. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: New York Times

In 2010, StogieGuys.com published over 350 original articles. Each was viewed hundreds, if not thousands of times. Below you’ll find a list of the five most-viewed StogieGuys.com articles of 2010 followed by a brief quote:

5. Stogie Reviews: Arturo Fuente Rosado Sungrown Magnum R 52

“All in all, while the Sungrown Magnum R is not the most interesting smoke from Fuente, it does provide a pleasant flavor profile—albeit not as lively as some of my favorite Fuente smokes. And it does so at the very reasonable price of under $7. That combination earns the Arturo Fuente Rosado Sungrown Magnum R 52 a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.”

4. Stogie Reviews: La Aurora 107 Robusto

“I maintain that La Aurora is an underrated cigar maker. Headed by Guillermo León and José Blanco, La Aurora doesn’t chase trends, but seems to produce solid, tasty smokes year after year, with Preferidos and Cien Años as classic examples…La Aurora 107 has a lot to offer. Given some aging time I think it might turn out even better. Even so, right now the La Aurora 107 Robusto earns a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.”

3. Stogie News: Premier Cigar Lounge to Open in Alexandria

“CXIII Rex will have all the amenities of traditional cigar lounges, including a well-stocked walk-in humidor, a selection of top libations and small-batch wines, ample seating, wireless internet, private humidor lockers, and the like. But this club, slated to open in late March, will also feature more luxurious accommodations…While all these amenities are fantastic, the club’s finest asset will be the 19th century building in which it resides…Currently under construction in a building adjacent to Landini Brothers, it is an impressive space with ample character and charm. It was only on a behind-the-scenes tour that I got a sense of the size and scope of the future multi-level club, which is complete with a dramatic staircase and a layout built for privacy, comfort, and flow.”

2. Stogie Reviews: Drew Estate Liga Privada Flying Pig

“The unique shape was chosen by Steve Saka from a picture of an 1895 cigar salesman’s size selection case. The Flying Pig features more ligero than the [Liga Privada] No. 9 but the same Connecticut broadleaf wrapper. The changes in the blend give the Flying Pig more strength than the No. 9, and a slightly sweeter flavor profile…The cigar yields plenty of creamy smoke with initial flavors of leather, earth, and some sweetness…Overall, I am very impressed with the Flying Pig. The flavors are interesting and blended well…All of these factors combine to earn the Liga Privada Flying Pig four stogies out of five.”

1. Stogie Tips: Build a Temperature Controlled Humidor

“Living in Florida, I was looking for a storage option that would help me control the temperature during the summer months without breaking the bank…After all that work, my cigars now have a nice, custom-looking, temperature-controlled home for a fraction of the cost of the Avallo unit. The temperature stays between 66 and 68 degrees all the time and the humidity is right at 65%. About once every two months I have to put a dish with a little distilled water in the unit to recharge the beads. Other than that, it’s maintenance-free.”

So there you have them, the five most trafficked articles of 2010, as chosen by our readers. All five posts come from the first four months of the year, at least partially a reflection of the fact that they’ve been around the longest for visitors to read. Also, only articles written in 2010 are on the list, even though a few posts (such as our review of the CAO La Traviata or tip on the salt calibration test) from previous years would have made the list if all previous years were included.

Got a favorite post of your own from the last year, or a topic you want covered in 2011? Let us know in the comments.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Through seven years of writing his second novel, a historical tale woven through Cuba, Tampa, and revolution, Mark Carlos McGinty had a faithful companion.

“I’d take a cigar and go outside and…ponder where the story was going to go. Maybe bring a notepad with me and just jot down some ideas,” said McGinty, 35. “Yeah, it did get me through a lot of, I guess, moments of writers block, if you want to call it that.”

That’s only appropriate. His book is, after all, titled The Cigar Maker. It’s filled with the sights and sounds of turn-of-the-20th-century Tampa when it was truly Cigar City. Drawing from his own family’s past as well as historical events, McGinty artfully spins a story that is both exciting and educational.

Perhaps the biggest revelation for many is the book’s focus on the Cuban community in Tampa. “Everyone thinks of Miami when they think of Cuban-Americans,” McGinty said, adding that Tampa’s cigar industry in Ybor City attracted waves of immigrants for decades before the 1959 revolution. “In fact, sometimes I have to make it a point when I’m talking about the book to tell people that these events all happened before the Cuban Revolution, before Castro.”

His mother’s family was among those in Tampa, and McGinty spent quite a bit of time there with relatives when he was growing up. Her books about the area and Cuba inspired him. The main characters in The Cigar Maker, Salvador and Olympia Ortiz, are modeled on McGinty’s maternal grandparents. McGinty’s parents are now retired in Tampa, and he visited frequently researching the book.

The book has another family connection, too. McGinty’s wife did the striking cover illustration, a cigar-smoking rooster wearing a derby and striding across a tobacco plantation. The rooster made such an impression that it’s now available on mugs, T-shirts, and other items.

For those who want to experience the feel of early 1900s Ybor City, McGinty said quite a bit remains. “The streets are still paved with bricks,” he said. “And a lot of the old buildings are still there. They’ve just been restored and converted into modern-day buildings.”

He particularly recommends stopping by the buildings that housed five old social clubs: “They look like cathedrals.”

Tampa is the site of a new promotional push for The Cigar Maker, with efforts to get it featured in Ybor City shops. McGinty’s also targeting cigar smokers as a natural audience at B&M events like his recent appearance at Perfect Ash, just outside Minneapolis-St. Paul.

He’s most excited about an upcoming trip to Havana. He and his wife are part of a sanctioned delegation of artists and writers slated to visit in February.

“There’s all kinds of red tape, so we’re still working through the red tape,” McGinty said. “But the person who’s organizing the trip sounds pretty confident that it’s going to happen.”

While I think just about anyone will enjoy The Cigar Maker, cigar smokers in particular should find it fascinating. You can order it from McGinty’s website, Amazon, or just about any bookstore. Numerous e-reader versions are available at Smashwords.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Xikar entered the cigar-making business in 2009 when it partnered with Jesus Fuego to launch the HC Series. Before then, the Kansas City-based company was solely a purveyor of cigar accessories like cutters, lighters, and cases.

So far the HC Series has been met with positive reviews. Named for Xikar’s Havana Collection, the line boasts three blends: Connecticut Shade, Criollo, and Habano Colorado. Each is handmade at one of Nestor Plasencia’s factories.

The six-vitola Habano Colorado line features a filler blend of tobaccos from Honduras, Jalapa, and Costa Rica along with a binder leaf from Estelí and a dark, Jalapa-grown wrapper. The Robusto (5 x 50) is a rustic, sweet-smelling cigar with a firm feel and a clear pre-light draw. It sells for $8.50.

Touching fire to the foot, the Robusto’s fragrance of chocolate and peanut butter turns into espresso. The flavor is even heartier than the resting smoke smells. It tastes of spicy pepper, damp earth, and black licorice. Each puff is voluminous, making the smoke oily and dense.

Molasses comes to the forefront as the cigar progresses. Here, around the midway point, the spice recedes significantly and a creamy sweetness develops. All this is a nice setup for the final third, which features hints of graham cracker and nuts.

The Habano Colorado Robusto also displays terrific combustion qualities. Look for a straight burn, a smooth draw, and an ash that holds well for at least one inch—characteristics that are consistent with my previous two experiences with the HC Series.

True, I’m not surprised by how much I enjoy this cigar. And I’m certainly not surprised that the partnership between Fuego and Plasencia has resulted is such a fine specimen. While not the most exciting cigar on the market, this one has an interesting interplay between spice and sweetness that renders it worthy of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In the latest issue of our “Random Thoughts from the Humidor” series, we ponder humidor maintenance, cleanliness, advertising, and blind reviews:

When I say OCD, I mean it in a good way. Lots of cigar smokers worry about summertime temperatures increasing the chances of a beetle attack. But you’re more likely to see your sticks ruined in the winter from extremely low humidity drying them out beyond repair. Even if you have mild winters, humidity levels will be low and the heat will drive them down even further. Check the hygrometer in your humidor frequently—every couple of days isn’t too often—and add distilled water when necessary.

Brush, brush, brush. I’m no dentist, but I’ve been told by more than one that smoking can lead to an increase of tartar and its associated problems. So, it’s always a good idea to brush as soon as practical after smoking. I don’t know how much it will lessen the buildup, but, hey, it couldn’t hurt. Any dental professionals out there feel free to weigh in.

Cleanliness is at least next to freshness. Whether you smoke inside or out, get rid of the ashes and butts when you’re done. Huge ashtrays are great, but no excuse for collecting tobacco detritus. It creates that unpleasant barroom-at-4 a.m. odor far more than the smoke.

Just wondering. Why are there cigar ads these days in nearly every magazine that aims at an upscale audience except Wine Spectator, the larger sibling of Cigar Aficionado? Aren’t fine wine and premium cigars considered one of the ultimate pairings?

I’m not sure I see the point. I’m always intrigued by cigar reviewing that’s done blind. But does anyone ever smoke that way? Knowing at least a little about the cigar you’re smoking is part of the experience—whether picking up a stick you’ve never heard of or laying out big bucks for a highly regarded limited edition.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

This 6.5-inch Lonsdale is an excellent coffee accompaniment and a great value at under $5. Its golden Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, combined with Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, produces a light flavor of oak, almond, and cream. And it has combustion qualities characteristic of the Oliva pedigree, including a straight burn and a smooth draw. This is an easy recommendation for cigar enthusiasts who appreciate mild, well-balanced smokes.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys