The Stogie Guys

Choosing a drink to accompany your cigar is about as individual a choice as selecting what you’re going to smoke in the first place. The drink choice can also be greatly influenced by where you happen to be smoking. A cigar bar that features only beer and wine obviously isn’t the spot to enjoy a single-malt Scotch, for example, while smoking at home offers nearly endless possibilities.

I’ve never been an alcohol drinker. Though I’ve tried almost everything, I’ve  failed to develop a taste for it. My choice of a drink to pair with a cigar is almost always coffee. Early, late, it doesn’t much matter to me. And while I prefer good coffee, I’ll usually settle for mediocre and, on occasion, choke down a cup of black swill. I drink it without cream or sweetener.

I’ve never truly gotten beyond simply preparing ground coffee at home, these days using a manual Melita drip system. While I think I’d enjoy trying lots of different roasts and regions, I have to admit I’m too lazy to go to the trouble, particularly of roasting my own beans. About as far as I’ve gone is buying beans from some of the country’s top coffee roasters, such as Intelligentsia, and grinding them myself. I do try to sample coffee anytime I see an interesting looking shop. But, nowadays, I usually settle for Starbucks (Charbucks to real coffee aficionados) that I have ground at the shop because it’s so much easier

My biggest coffee move recently has been the purchase of a two-cup Bialetti Brikka stovetop “espresso” pot. I haven’t actually gotten it broken in yet (they recommend at least three trial runs for seasoning and to make sure you’re doing it right), so I can’t comment on how the end product turns out. Hopefully, I’ll enjoy it. Even for me, it looks pretty simple.

I’m guessing that when you ask most cigar smokers what they would light up with a cup of coffee, they’d answer, “a maduro.” The dark richness of that tobacco appears as a natural complement to coffee. I wouldn’t disagree. However, I also find a mild to medium stick with a Connecticut shade wrapper can be an even better fit. Something about that fine, smooth zip in the wrapper sets off the coffee taste exquisitely. Spicy cigars, like many of Don Pepin’s creations, also suit me with coffee. The contrasting tastes and textures react pleasantly on my palate.

If you haven’t had coffee with a cigar, I’d suggest you give it a try. And if you’re already a regular coffee-drinking cigar smoker, please let the rest of us know what you recommend.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Last fall, fresh off my trip to New Orleans for the 2009 IPCPR Trade Show, I reviewed the 777 Corojo, a wonderful release from master blender Jesus Fuego. I was impressed and made a commitment to better acquaint myself with the other lines of the relatively young J. Fuego brand.

That brand, J. Fuego by the Miami-based Tabacos S.A. company, was launched in 2006 with the help of the Plasencia family. It now includes the Natural, Gran Reserva, Delirium, 777 Corojo, 777 Zero, Origen, and 777 Maduro. The latter is the subject of today’s review.

Called “triple siete,” 777 Maduro is a Nicaraguan puro complete with a four-year-old criollo maduro wrapper, a corojo binder, and filler tobaccos of the corojo and criollo varieties. It is marketed as a medium- to full-bodied blend that’s satisfying to cigar veterans and approachable to cigar rookies. Five affordable frontmarks are available: Belicoso (5.5 x 54), Corona (5.5 x 46), Grande (6 x 60), Robusto (5 x 50), and Toro (6 x 52).

I picked up a handful of Belicosos at my local tobacconist for $5.75 apiece. This vitola has a sharply pointed cap, a spongy feel, and potent pre-light notes of cocoa and peppermint. Its Jalapa-grown wrapper is dark, textured, and oily.

Upon lighting, the Belicoso displays a hearty profile of leather and espresso. The finish, a long, tingly sensation, has hints of black pepper and syrup. There’s also a smooth, chocolaty creaminess present.

That creaminess comes to the forefront towards the midway point. The spiciness mellows. Here, the Belicoso is at its finest, especially as more sweet notes enter the equation, giving the cigar a classic maduro composition. That’s about where it stays until the finish.

The construction is befitting a cigar twice the price. I noticed a straight burn, a moderate draw, and a solid gray ash.

Ultimately, while the 777 Maduro Belicoso may not have the nuances or complexities of the best maduros on the market, it is a damn fine smoke. It packs a whole lot of enjoyable flavor into a reasonably priced format. Another fine selection from Jesus Fuego, it earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

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.”

Before A.J. Fernandez created his first solo release, San Lotano, he blended cigars for a host of cigar makers. He also created Diesel and Man O’ War for online and mail-order giant Cigars International. Ruination was the full-bodied followup to the original Man O’ War, made with an Ecuadorian habano ligero wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and Nicaraguan and Honduran filler. The Belicoso (5.7 x 56) features an impressive depth of flavor, including chewy nut, coffee, cream, leather, earth, and vanilla. It’s a full-bodied smoke with just a hint of black pepper on the finish. Available for around $6-7, the well-constructed Man O’ War is highly recommended for fans of strong, flavorful cigars.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

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.”

From the thin, simple band to the wrapper’s rich tobacco aroma, this is a cigar that announces itself as a traditional smoke. And it follows through from name to nub. The blend is a skillful balance of sweetness and pepper, with a Nicaraguan corojo binder wrapping Nicaraguan filler tobaccos and covered in a Connecticut-seed wrapper grown in Ecuador. With a price under $8 for the Churchill (7 x 50), this stick from Berger & Argenti is well worth a try.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

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) Tim Ozgener, president of CAO, announced this week that he is leaving the premium cigar business and the company he inherited from his father. He plans to “pursue personal business interests in his hometown of Nashville,” according to a press release. The move comes a month after Swedish Match, parent company of General Cigar, and the Scandinavian Tobacco Group—parent company of CAO and, formerly, Toraño—merged their many well-known brands under one entity. “We remain committed to CAO and are grateful to Tim for his contributions, not only to the brand but also for sharing his knowledge with the people who will continue his legacy,” said Dan Carr, president of General Cigar.

2) Not content with California’s statewide smoking restrictions, politicians in Los Angeles are considering stricter tobacco controls for America’s second-largest city. A proposed ordinance would criminalize smoking at outdoor venues like beaches, parks, and apartment commons areas.

3) Around the Blogs: Cigar Fan lights up a La Traviata Maduro. Nice Tight Ash fires up an Origen. Smoking Stogie smokes the Oliva Edición Europa 2010. Stogie Review reviews a Warlock. The Perfect Draw draws on a Calibre. Cigar Inspector inspects a Partagas Salomones.

4) Deal of the Week:  CAO fans should jump all over this deal. It features seven of CAO’s finest blends with a special DVD about the development of CAO’s 4igars, all for just $35. Grab your “Conmemorativo Sampler” here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Yesterday, the FDA announced new graphic warning labels on cigarette packaging. The change is part of the so-called Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which was signed into law in 2009 by President Obama and gives the FDA wide-ranging powers to regulate tobacco products—including the authority to regulate cigars without any further Congressional action.

The new warning labels take up the top half of the front and back of each pack of cigarettes. Unlike previous text warnings, they include graphics and many cartoon images. All cigarette packaging will be required to use the new warnings by June 2011.

A number of the warning labels portray situations that seem to have no basis in reality. One such image portrays a smoker deliberately blowing smoke in the face of a nonsmoker. Another label shows a cigarette smoker injecting a cigarette into his arm like heroin. The new warning labels come as the FDA is moving to expand its oversight to include cigars. And they follow a trend in cities, like New York, that seek to require tobacconists to display posters of decaying lungs and other anti-smoking messages.

Analysis

Like the New York City law, these new graphic warning labels will surely be challenged on the grounds that they violate protected first amendment rights. They steal valuable space  from tobacco retailers and manufacturers (who, contrary to the wishes of anti-smoking zealots, are protected by the Bill of Rights) and force them to subsidize a message with which they may disagree.

Furthermore, some of the messages are misleading—if not outright wrong. For example, the image of smoke being breathed in by a nonsmoker implies that brief exposure to secondhand smoke can cause lung cancer, even though scientific studies cannot support such claims and only show that prolonged long-term exposure increases the risk of lung cancer.

Critics would also be right in questioning the effectiveness of such graphic labels. There is little question that smokers are already aware of the many health risks of smoking, and evidence even demonstrates that both smokers and nonsmokers overestimate the risks of smoking.

While the new FDA labels won’t immediately impact cigars, there are serious ramifications going forward. The artwork and presentation of cigars has long been an important aspect of the cigar experience, and forcing cigar makers to add ugly warnings would damage those important aesthetics. What’s more, since cigars are often sold individually, the FDA could require each individual cigar to contain a warning, which would not only damage the look of the cigar, but increase the cost and impact how cigars are packaged and, thus, aged.

–Patrick S

photo credits: FDA

This summer marked a rebirth for Augusto Reyes, a respected cigar maker who traces his Dominican tobacco roots back six generations. It was at the industry trade show that he premiered two new lines: Signature and Sixth Generation.

Before these blends were released, Reyes had been on a hiatus following an ill-fated U.S. distribution deal for his Criollo, Epicure, Grand Cru, Nativo, and Maduro cigars. But now he’s looking to bounce back on the American scene to reclaim the fan base he built after launching his own brand.

His strategy includes the Signature series, a four-vitola lineup of Dominican puros that are dressed in beautifully intricate bands of white, green, and gold with decorative ribbons across the foot. They range in price from $6-7 each.

The Robusto (5 x 50) is an attractive cigar. Its velvety wrapper has few veins, an oily sheen, and a well-constructed cap that clips neatly. The pre-light aroma is of molasses and graham cracker.

As innocent as it looks, feels, and smells, the Robusto starts with an unexpected flare of full-bodied spice. The first few puffs are on the verge of being overly harsh and meaty. But beneath the dominant taste of leather and peppercorn is a more nuanced backdrop with a sweet aftertaste.

That nuance comes to the forefront as the profile mellows, clearing the way for a creamier base and traces of honey, nuts, and vanilla. Still, the Signature is a bold, spicy smoke through the second third. Then the finale witnesses a reintroduction of the powerful flavors from the outset.

Several of the Robustos that I sampled for this review burned without incident while others required a fair amount of maintenance. The burn line, it seems, either develops perfectly or meanders to the point of annoyance. Whichever the case, the draw is always moderate and the gray, well-layered ash is always solid.

I wouldn’t say that I’m underwhelmed by the Augusto Reyes Signature Robusto. Occasional harsh and sour notes, however, prevent this cigar’s profile from displaying its full potential. I’ll be interested to see how this young specimen develops with age. For now, it earns three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys