The 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.”

Like many of today’s baseball-bat sized smokes, this immense stick gets a bit tiresome unless you have something else to distract you. The tobaccos are all from Nicaragua, with the wrapper receiving additional aging in bourbon barrels, which may account for the slightly funky finish in the first third. The flavors are OK, but nothing special: a little wood, a little leather, mostly straight tobacco. And no real changes along the way. Burn, draw, and smoke production are fine. I’d recommend a smaller vitola, but there really aren’t any. Each of the four others in the line has a ring gauge of 54. At $8-9, the Gordo is reasonably priced, but, for me, there is nothing to make we want to pick up another.

Verdict = Hold.

–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 gritty-looking cigar is loaded with flavor and packs a punch from start to finish. Part of a special Tatuaje creation introduced last year, this Pete Johnson blend features a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. My colleagues have already reviewed a few of the ten Broadleaf Collection sizes. This vitola (5.5 x 50) is a treat with a pleasant mix of wood, pepper, and sweetness.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

When you’ve been writing about cigars for as long as we have at StogieGuys.com—more than 11 years, actually—it can seem like every subject imaginable has been covered. Sometimes it’s necessary to take a step back and remember that not all of our readers have been with us for years, and not everyone is a seasoned cigar veteran.

So this one is for the beginners. Those smokers who’ve just gotten into the hobby. After all, we like to think of our site as free of snobbery, judgement, or condescension. New smokers are most welcome here and encouraged to ask questions (either via comments or otherwise).

In honor of you, the new cigar smoker, here are ten do’s and don’ts addressing some questions you may have and, hopefully, helping you get off on the right foot.

Don’t ask your local cigar shop for Cubans. Now, let’s be honest. Some shops may have a stash of Cuban cigars for regular customers. But it’s still illegal, and you can get off on the wrong foot by bringing up the topic.

Don’t bring your own cigars into a shop to smoke. It’s in poor taste, and a slap at the store owner who has to pay rent.

Don’t buy too many cigars at first. Your tastes will almost certainly change along the way and so will the cigars you enjoy. Also, focus more on samplers and less on boxes.

Don’t obsess. Whether it’s humidity levels or finding a new limited edition release, don’t let pursuit create stress. That’s the polar opposite of the mental state cigars should help create.

Don’t flick the ash like it’s a cigarette, and don’t stub out the cigar when you’re done. Just leave it in the ashtray to die on its own.

Do pay attention to what you like and dislike. Note things like the blender and tobaccos. That can help suggest other cigars to try and to avoid. Keeping a simple cigar journal can help with this.

Do experiment. There’s a vast world of cigars out there, and if you limit yourself too soon you run the risk of missing out.

Do listen to informed smokers to gain information and insight, but don’t take anyone’s word as gospel. Remember: The best cigar in the world is the cigar you like the best.

Do select a cigar size appropriate to the time you have for smoking. And when you have it lit, take your time. Smoking is not a race, and you don’t want to overcook the tobacco.

Do enjoy yourself. That’s what it is all about.

For further learning that’s a little more structured than search engines and perusing blogs (all of which are great resources, by the way), check out our Cigar University.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This Diamond Crown extension was introduced some years back to celebrate the founder of J.C. Newman Cigar Co., which calls itself “America’s oldest family-owned premium cigar makers.”

Newman promotes Julius Caeser as a high-end premium, packaged in fancy boxes and originally available only at Diamond Crown lounges. In 2014, the robusto was named No. 14 on Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 list.

But to me it seems the line has never really garnered the cachet of some other top-tier smokes rolled by Fuente, such as Opus X or God of Fire. My belief was reinforced recently when I was able to buy 10 of the toros online for around $50, roughly a third of the normal retail price listing.

The tobacco composition of Julius Caeser is a bit muddled. Newman’s website refers to an Ecuadorian Havana-seed wrapper over a rather vague “robust blend of Central American tobaccos.” That CA rating has it as an all Dominican stick, while others generally list Dominican binder and filler.

The Toro (6 x 52) has a lovely pre-light chocolate aroma from the wrapper. The cap is excellently applied and easy to clip. Performance, as you’d expect, was excellent in all of those I’ve smoked. Straight burn, fine draw, and good smoke production.

I found it to be a little stronger than my colleague when he reviewed the Julius Caeser Pyramid in 2011. I’d call it near the low end of medium. We did agree on the lack of complexity, with little in the way of changes from start to finish, especially after the first inch or so.

But what Julius Caeser produced was pleasant. I got light spice, a touch of cedar, and some deep, woody notes.

If you’re looking for a cigar you can enjoy any time of the day, this could be one to try. At the regular retail price, though, most experienced cigar smokers can probably find other sticks that stand out more. But when it’s marked down, Julius Caeser is well worth picking up. I rate the Toro three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Diamond Crown/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.”

I don’t smoke a lot of maduros, but once in a while those coffee and cocoa flavors tempt me. I liked the Habano La Galera, so I thought I’d try the Maduro. I was cautious from the start in light of the Mexican San Andrés wrapper; I usually dislike this tobacco’s dirt-like taste, but there have been exceptions, and I hoped this would be another one. It wasn’t. The low-priced robusto (5 x 50, under $6) also had an unpleasant sharpness from the start and never developed into anything else. Construction and performance were fine. If you’re a big San Andrés fan, you might want to pick one up. Otherwise, I recommend leaving it on the shelf.

Verdict = Sell.

–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.”

Released in 2015 to celebrate Rocky Patel’s 20 years in the cigar industry, this blend is said to have taken four years to develop. Its wrapper and binder comes from Honduras, and the filler is a mix of Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos. The result is a complex, tasty, medium-strength smoke. The severely pressed Twentieth Anniversary Natural Toro (6 x 52, $12) performs excellently, including the generation of lots of smoke. It’s well worth a try.

Verdict = Buy.

–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.”

New World, a lightly pressed Nicaraguan puro, was introduced several years ago by A.J. Fernandez as a budget line to complement his more expensive blends that had gained numerous fans. The New World Navegante (5.5 x 55) is a fairly rough-looking cigar and that appearance carried over to the initial smoking experience. Although it did smooth out a little about halfway down, it remained a bit harsh throughout. Smoke production was also fairly limited. Even at only about $6, I think you can navigate your way to a better cigar.

Verdict = Sell.

– George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys