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Quick Smoke: MBombay Mora 585

12 Sep 2015

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

Mora 585

MBombay has made an impression on the cigar world in its brief existence. This Mora vitola (5 x 58) comes in canisters and sports a regular-sized band without the firm’s large overwrap. Like other MBombay cigars, these are rolled in Costa Rica. The wrapper is a lovely Dominican leaf with an Ecuadorian binder and filler from Ecuador, Peru, and the Dominican. They combine for a spicy smoke with citrus overtones and a smooth floral note somewhat reminiscent of medium-strength Cuban smokes. Well worth a try at about $14.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: MBombay

 

Cigar Review: Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2015 LC46

8 Sep 2015

While a top-notch, limited edition cigar rolled at a major factory with a price tag under $10 isn’t a black swan, it might qualify as a gray one. These days, the $20+ My Father LE and Davidoff’s $30+ Year of the Sheep may seem more the norm.

CalaverasAnd with only 30,000 of each of the three Las Calaveras vitolas released, this year’s edition may no longer be easy to find, but it is one smoke worth the hunt. I praised its sibling, LC52, in a Quick Smoke earlier this summer. Picking up a five-pack of the LC46 gave me the opportunity to smoke, and enjoy, more.

This cigar, rolled for Crowned Heads at the My Father Cigars factory, is 5.625 inches long with a ring gauge of 46. The wrapper is an Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro, and the binder and filler are Nicaraguan.

They combine for a complex smoke that began with roasted nuts, dry cocoa, and a little back-of-the-throat spice. By the start of the second third, that spice had mellowed, and I picked up notes of cinnamon, cedar, and leather. Pepper joined in during the final third. Throughout, the flavors were even, smooth, and well-matched.

Construction and burn were excellent, the ash held tight, and the smoke was rich and ample. I did find the draw a bit tight, especially when I used a V-cut. I’d highly recommend opening up the head by using a guillotine cutter instead of the V or a punch.

The first incarnation of Las Calaveras debuted to high praise last year, and Crowned Heads plans to make it an annual release with a different blend each time. In addition, for 2015, Crowned Heads introduced some different sizes. Bands clearly note the year of issue and display some different colors, making it easy to distinguish between 2014 and 2015.

By now, though, noting the difference is likely to be more of a test at home than on the shelves. The Las Calaveras, whose name comes from an image related to Mexico’s Day of the Dead holiday, has been a sales success both years.

I can’t wait to see what 2016 brings. For 2015, I rate the Las Calaveras LC46 four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Quick Smoke: Tatuaje Anarchy 2015

5 Sep 2015

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

Anarchy

This recreation of Smoke Inn’s original entry in its limited edition Microblend Series is a winner. It is a lovely cigar, showcasing a bun at the cap, an oily Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, and a figurado shape that runs from a 48 ring gauge to 52 along the 6.25-inch frame. As you’d expect from Pete Johnson and My Father Cigars, Anarchy kicks off with strong pepper notes, then provides plenty of other flavors along the way, from wood and leather to coffee. With production limited to 666 boxes of 15 (about $10 a stick), you’ll need to move quickly.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

 

Cigar Tip: CRA’s New Page Helps Keep Smokers Informed

31 Aug 2015

If you want more cigar news, reviews, and reports, Cigar Rights of America has created a new page to help you out.

CRA LogoThe lobbying group’s Cigar Media Center offers links to online sites, audio programs, and advertising partners in print and on TV.

“It kind of puts it all in one spot for cigar enthusiasts,” said CRA executive director J. Glynn Loope.

The organizations represented on the page and the CRA have a symbiotic relationship, one that’s intended to drive online traffic to all involved. Making the selections for those to include, Loope added, was a fairly straightforward task. The online sites have links to CRA, while those under Audio Links and Advertising Partners provide complementary advertising for CRA.

“We didn’t choose them, really they chose us by being supportive of CRA,” Loope said.

The page went up in mid-August and almost immediately attracted attention. Loope said one site that had been overlooked got in touch and was quickly added to the page, as were several others that were intrigued by the concept and wanted in.

One thing the Cigar Media Center highlights is just how many sources there are for cigar news. They range from a slick magazine like Cigar Aficionado and the nationally syndicated Cigar Dave radio show to a Philadelphia area local-access cable television program.

But blogs, podcasts, and online sites comprise by far the largest category on the page. They range from sites like StogieGuys.com and Stogie Review to the Half Ashed podcast and the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers’ publication, Smokeshop. More will, undoubtedly, be added.

Check it out. I think almost anyone will find at least a site or two they hadn’t seen before. I know I did.

–George E

photo credit: Cigar Rights of America

Quick Smoke: MBombay Habano Churchill

22 Aug 2015

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

MBombay Habano Churchill

My first MBombay was quite a pleasant experience. I was impressed with the cigar’s sweet spiciness and thick, rich smoke. The Churchill (7 x 48) exhibited several changes, keeping it interesting all the way. The wrapper and binder are from Ecuador, while the filler is a combination of Nicaraguan and Peruvian tobacco. My only complaint on the $13.50 stick was a not-so-hot burn that required numerous touch-ups, especially in the second half. Still, I look forward to sampling other lines from MBombay.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: MBombay

Cigar Review: My Father Le Bijou 1922 Toro

19 Aug 2015

While StogieGuys.com has taken note of this popular My Father line—including a 2012 mention of the Churchill as a Gold Star smoke—we’ve never actually reviewed it.

my-father-le-bijouI’ve smoked a few of various sizes through the years. Recently, I picked up a couple five-packs of the 6-inch toro with a 52-ring gauge—one of the original vitolas introduced in 2009—at a significant discount over the regular price of about $11 each.

The cigar was crafted by Don José “Pepin” Garcia to honor his father, in the same manner Jaime Garcia did for Don Pepin with the earlier My Father line. Le Bijou 1922 features a Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler. The cigars are rolled at the Garcia’s My Father Cigars factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

The dark, oily wrapper is exquisite, with tiny veins and a mouthwatering pre-light barnyard aroma. The presentation is also nicely done, with two ornate bands set off by a cloth orange foot band.

In those I smoked for this review, all but one smoked and burned perfectly. One did develop a tunnel that briefly disrupted the burn and the smoke, though it cleared up after about a half-inch.

I’ve read reviews that make note of pepper, but I don’t really get much of it. To me, there was more light spice than pepper. And the flavors I found tended to be darker and richer, with a sweetness in the second half and some floral notes throughout.

I thought the strength was in the upper-medium level, with a lot of thick, rich smoke.

Overall, this is an enjoyable cigar. The length allows it to develop and display complexity along the way. It’s especially worthwhile if you can catch them on sale.

I’d also recommend trying several of the sizes because there’s a difference among them, enough so that I think some smokers will definitely prefer one over another. I rate My Father Le Bijou 1922 four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Cigar Tip: Tampa’s Rich Cigar History Still Worth a Visit

17 Aug 2015

ybor-cigar-factory

Tampa’s cigar past lost a prominent feature recently when one of its old-time factories, long vacant, burned to the ground.

But don’t despair. If you’re interested in the history of cigars, Tampa still has lots for you to see. Most of it is in Ybor City, which was once the center of the industry that gave Tampa its nickname, Cigar City.

First, though, you’ll need to venture off 7th Avenue, nucleus of Ybor’s entertainment these days and home to several small cigar rolling shops and other retailers.

Next, you’ll need to hone your expectations. You’re not going to be seeing large cigar-making operations like those now operating in Central America. In fact, there’s only one true functioning cigar factory left in Tampa: J.C. Newman’s, where workers and machines produce mass market smokes.

The factory, often called El Reloj for its iconic clock tower, has gained quite a bit of attention as Newman has made keeping it open central to its fight against potential U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulation that could shut it.

Most of the other Tampa area factories lost their fights to stay open decades earlier as cigar smoking declined. Some have come back in renovated form for other uses; many sit empty.

Perhaps the best way to check out Tampa’s cigar factory history is to follow in the footsteps of local cigar expert Tom Ufer, who compiled an incredible resource on the factories’ histories as well as a fascinating and detailed, easy-to-follow tour. You’ll find all that and more at Tom’s site.

Tom did this work in 2009 and 2010, so a few things have changed. One of the most notable changes has taken place at what’s known as the Charles the Great factory. It’s now been renovated and serves as offices for the Arturo Fuente organization. Tampa Sweethearts moved out three years ago to its own beautiful casita just off 7th Avenue.

Wallace Reyes has also written extensively on the cigar history of Tampa in “Once Upon a Time in Tampa … Rise and Fall of the Cigar Industry” and this year’s “Cigar City Architecture and Legacy” has a substantial section devoted to cigar factories.

So whenever you visit Tampa, be prepared to spend a little time getting to know more about Ybor City and its fascinating past. You’ll be amazed at what’s just right around the corner.

–George E

photo credit: Flickr