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.”

One of the most anticipated releases of the year, Don Pepín Garcia’s riff on an Ecuadorian Connecticut shade wrapper does not disappoint. With Nicaraguan Habano-Criollo filler and a Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 binder—both grown on the Garcias’ farms—this caramel-colored stick is a tasty treat. Considerably milder in strength than the typical Pepín creation, the Connecticut is, nonetheless, a complex cigar with a bit of the familiar pepper as well as plenty of sweetness, spice, and wood. This should please any cigar smoker, from beginners to those who chase the boldest blends.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: My Father Cigars

If you’re involved in a fight over smoking restrictions or simply want to be well-armed when the topic comes up, Unlucky Strike is a book for you.

Written by Professor John Staddon (above right), a Duke University professor of psychology and biology, his aim is “a re-think and a redress” of society’s current views on smoking. He marshals a lot of argument, replete with footnotes and citations, in just over 100 pages.

That’s fitting for a scholar whose work has ranged from simulated detection of landmines to lectures on traffic control.

But the book is anything but a dry, academic tome. Whether exploring the limitations of epidemiology or dissecting the ins and outs of the tobacco Master Settlement Agreement of 1998, Staddon maintains a sharp focus, a sense of humor, and a conversational tone.

Here, for example, is his take on the effectiveness of banning cigarette advertising: “Dogs like to chase cats. Keeping them away from cats doesn’t help. The first time they see a cat, off they go. The only way to prevent chasing is to expose them to cats and train them not to chase. So it may be with tobacco.”

You’re as apt to run across a reference to comedians Laurel and Hardy as to epidemiologist Sir Richard Doll.

Nonetheless, this is a book that is unlikely to enjoy wide readership. And that might be OK if those who do read it include policy makers, legislators, scientists, and other researchers. Because whether one agrees with Staddon’s views on smoking, there’s no disputing his thoroughness and depth in presenting his case. It would help anyone keep the sort of open mind necessary to reach valid conclusions.

You can order Unlucky Strike online at Amazon.

–George E

photo credit: University of Buckingham Press

Not long after I lit my first PG Reserva Exclusiva, I thought to myself, “I’ve found my newest favorite cigar.” It’s a smoke that you can get lost in and enjoy from beginning to end. And when you return for another, the journey begins again.

Like most Paul Garmirian cigars, the Reserva Exclusiva is created with well-aged tobaccos blended to bring out their flavors with just the right strength, which, in this case, I’d call medium. What set this cigar apart for me was the subtlety and complexity, along with a delicate finish that lingers lightly on the tongue.

The 7-inch, 48-ring gauge Churchills I’ve smoked were as consistent as a handmade product can be. Thick, rich smoke; fine, slow burn; even, deliberate draw. I paid about $11.50 for each one, a bargain, really, for a super-premium class cigar.

The filler is Dominican and Ecuadorian, with a Dominican binder and an Ecuadorian wrapper. According to the website, the tobaccos are 10 years old and they come in nine sizes.

Describing the flavors doesn’t do the cigar justice. It’s the way they intertwine and play off each other that creates the experience. Take just one component as an example: the grassiness frequently found in Dominican tobacco. In the Reserva Exclusiva it is never overpowering but rather comes and goes as a complement to the sharper and sweeter flavors, winding through them to produce something unique.

About seven years ago, one of my colleagues found the robusto (pictured) in this line a bit lacking. Perhaps he stumbled on a dud, or perhaps that vitola doesn’t match the Churchill. Or maybe our tastes for this line are just different. That wouldn’t be particularly surprising. After all, if everyone’s tastes were the same there wouldn’t be hundreds of different blends.

And, honestly, I’m not sure I would have been so enamored with the Reserva Exclusiva earlier in my cigar smoking days or later when I was drawn to ligero-laden powerhouses. I think I have become more attuned these days to smokes that repay attention, though I still enjoy a tasty strong cigar. Like the Opus I had the other week that beat me like a rented mule.

Right now, the Reserva Exclusiva is, for me, a great smoke. In fact, it gets my first five-stogie rating this year.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. A list of other five-stogie rated cigars can be found here.]

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

At StogieGuys.com, we try to appeal to the entire spectrum of cigar smokers. But, aware of the fact that many cigar sites and forums may appear intimidating from the outside, we try particularly hard to pass along tips and thoughts to those just getting into the hobby.

To paraphrase Harry Truman, the only cigar advice that’s new is what you haven’t learned yet. So, if you’re a cigar novice, hopefully these negative commands will help you on the road to greater pleasure. And if you’re a seasoned vet, maybe they’ll remind you of a thought or two you might reconsider.

Don’t worry about laying in a large supply. There are thousands of selections out there. These aren’t 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle coins or 1954 Oldsmobile F-88s. There are plenty on the store shelves. No need to stock up before you really know what you want.

Don’t focus on getting “more for your money.” Smaller sizes, particularly for a new smoker, often offer a better way to sample a new cigar and make it easier for you to concentrate throughout the smoke. Right now there’s a trend towards huge, thicker ring gauge smokes, but many seasoned cigar vets and cigar makers alike prefer to more regularly smoke thinner, smaller sizes like lanceros and coronas.

Don’t worry about aging. Nearly all quality cigars these days use aged tobacco and are sold with the intent that they be smoked, not stored. And even if you wait six months to a year or more, you’ll probably not notice the difference, anyway. One exception to this rule might be Cuban smokes. But I would first focus on exploring all that Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Honduras have to offer anyways.

Don’t make judgments too quickly. That cigar you love today may not seem the same a week from now. Your tastes will change the more you smoke. Better to concentrate on variety than end up with cigars you find you don’t really like.

Don’t forget why you smoke. Smoking cigars is about enjoyment. It’s not a contest or a competition. Relax and have fun. Slow down. And remember the StogieGuys.com Cigar University is a great resource to further your cigar education.

–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 is, I’m afraid, an evaluation of a cigar you may not be able to buy. I picked up a handful of these in December and they’ve been sitting in my humidor ever since. From what I understand, Gurkha had purchased the brand a few months earlier and this line no longer exists. If that’s correct, it’s a shame. The Corojo is a fine cigar, a complex combination of strength, pepper, sweetness, and leather that shifts and twists along the five-inch smoke. Pick one Robusto—or more—up if you can.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Reading the past weekend’s Wall Street Journal, it was difficult not to think about cigars.

No, I saw no stories about tobacco industry consolidation or the potential dangers of possible spreading FDA regulation. But there were thought-provoking revelations about other pursuits that called cigars to mind.

On the cover of the “Off Duty” section was a major piece delving into big changes in the luxury watch market. The new trend is a shift from big, complex watches to what the author called “simpler models… sleek and elegant timepieces that are smaller than a sundial…”

A Montblanc executive is quoted as saying that a few years ago a watch “couldn’t be bigger. The bigger, the louder, the better.” Now, he said, there’s been a turn toward classic, slimmer models.

Doesn’t that bring to mind the 60, 70, 80, and even larger ring gauges of so many recent cigar releases? Will the smoking world experience a shift similar to that of the watch world?

There might be a faint glimmer of one already, with lots of talk these days on some cigar forums and among some highly dedicated smokers about a preference for lanceros. Don’t take it too far, though. Ask just about any retailer or manufacturer, and they’ll tell you lancero sales remain nearly non-existent, while big ring gauges continue to move off the shelves.

Back to the Journal and a few pages further into the section, William Bostwick reported on popular craft beer brewers coping with greater demand and higher output. Some are opening new plants in response.

As they do, they worry about maintaining quality and retaining their small-brewery image. At the granddaddy of craft operations, Sierra Nevada, a manager confessed his respect for industry giants. “Making sure ever bottle tastes the same—that’s hard to do,” he said.

It’s not a stretch to imagine a boutique cigar manufacturer—whose customers would be no more likely to smoke a Macanudo than a Lips of Faith fan would be to hoist a Miller Lite—commenting similarly about General or Altadis.

The article closed with another observation that seems to mirror what’s happening in parts of the cigar industry: Working to keep innovation and experimentation alive as the operations grow.

Both articles were a stark reminder that in every endeavor there’s change. Sometimes good, sometimes not-so-good, but inevitable. Sometimes there are clues if you can spot them.

–George E

photo credit: Flickr

Christian Eiroa may not be as widely known as some other cigar blenders, but he has created an indelible legacy. His Camacho brand helped create the market for strong cigars that now forms a permanent part of the industry, while his Camp Camacho in Honduras was a pioneering effort in the growing trend of cigar tourism to Latin America.

But Eiroa, a young man with a new operation, is anything but a historical figure. These days, he’s putting terrific new cigars on the shelves at a fairly rapid pace. I’ve been strongly impressed by his Eiroa line and other brands in which he’s had a hand, such as Asylum.

Now, I can add CLE Plus to the growing list. CLE, in case you hadn’t guessed, are Eiroa’s initials. His middle name is Luis.

This Honduron puro has been on the market about a year, a presentation standout with a striking thin red band and a nutty, mouth-watering pre-light aroma from its somewhat mottled brown Corojo wrapper.

CLE Plus comes in four sizes. The Robusto—a familiar five inches long with a ring gauge of 50—is the only vitola I’ve smoked, but as I’ve been working my way through a five-pack, it seems to me to be the perfect size for this bold cigar. Large enough for a satisfying experience but not so much cigar that you’ve had too much by the end.

With a bit of spice, deep leather, a little wood, and an occasional touch of sweetness, this is a cigar blended to be sure of what it is and to stay with it. There’s no harshness, no bitterness, and no nicotine bite.

Construction is excellent, with a straight burn, lots of smoke and a great draw. The Robusto runs about $8 per stick.

CLE Plus is, in my estimation, a first-class cigar, perhaps a bit too intense for a new smoker but one that an experienced hand shouldn’t miss. I give it four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys