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.”

This is the latest in Toraño’s series of smokes based on blends created in the past. They twisted the 2004 blend, using an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The filler is from Jalapa and Estelí, along with what Toraño calls “a rare Pennsylvania leaf” they discovered in 1998. It’s a full-bodied, smooth cigar with some spice and sweetness. The Toro (6 x 52), which runs about $7.50, is an excellent size for the experience.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

The Surrogates line is an effort by brand owner Pete Johnson to release “consumer price conscious” cigars with premium quality.

To increase the appeal, each of the five Surrogates vitolas, rolled at Don Pepin Garcia’s My Father Cigars factory in Nicaragua, has a different blend and flavor profile. The idea is to create cigars with something of a limited edition feel in a regular production run.

For the Skull Breaker, a belicoso (5.25 x 52), that means a splotchy Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper with few veins and Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. It’s listed at $8 per stick.

I’ve smoked five and generally enjoyed each one. I did encounter some inconsistency between sticks. A few, for example, were rolled a bit tight. And while smoke production was generally good, it was notably thin in one Skull Breaker. Across all samples the burn was excellent, and the ash held on tightly.

Pre-light, the wrapper had a nice, spicy, barnyard aroma while the filler gave off a sweet and chocolatey air. Smoking through it, I was surprised at the relatively mild level of pepper considering where it was rolled and the Nicaraguan filler.

But it did have the strength and body typical of many Nicaraguans, as well as flavors of leather and espresso.

The Skull Breaker isn’t particularly complex, though it did develop a bit, and I generally liked the second half more than the first.

I’d like to try others in the Surrogates line. It’s an interesting concept. Patrick A reviewed the original Skull Breaker when it was introduced at New Havana Cigars and gave it three and a half stogies. A year and a half later, I’d agree.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Azan Cigars continues to grow. It’s now in 60 shops (no online sales), has just run its first national advertisement (in Cigar Snob), and is readying a new line (maduro).

Not bad for a company that, while tracing its cigar roots to 1928 Cuba, only got started in 2012 and entered the U.S. market a year later at the IPCPR Trade Show.

The small operation is anchored by Roberto Pelayo Duran, who worked in the industry in his native Cuba. Azan cigars are produced at a 20-person factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. Each pair of rollers and buncheros is dedicated to producing a single size in an effort to achieve maximum quality.

I’ve received samples from Azan and reviewed the more expensive White line last year. This time I smoked the budget-friendly Burgundy, which had been in my humidor for several months.

The Short Robusto (4.4 x 50) has a suggested retail price under $4. It’s wrapped in a light brown Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper that has little pre-light aroma, while the Nicaraguan binder (Jalapa) and filler (Jalapa and Estelí) give off a sweet air.

That sweetness shows up in the lit cigar as well, though I tended to get more straw and wheat. Construction and performance were top flight. My only complaint was with the amount of smoke. I’d prefer more.

The Burgundy line is aptly described by Azan as one for “daily enjoyment” and “perfect to share with friends.”

It would also be a fine introductory smoke for newcomers, particularly with its emphasis on smaller vitolas: the longest is just over 5 inches, and the fattest ring gauge is a 50. With the low price, Burgundy could also fit nicely into a regular rotation, particularly if you’re seeking to get in a shorter smoke on these cold winter days.

Keep an eye out for Azan. Their cigars are well worth a try. I give the Burgundy three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–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.”

When this cigar emerges from its simple two-piece white tubo, you might be gazing at perfection. The Connecticut wrapper is flawless, the aroma enticing, and the smoker’s level of expectation at its peak. The toro (6 x 50)—aptly described by Davidoff as “stronger and fuller-bodied” with an “elegant, harmonious blend”—is an absolute pleasure to smoke. Tasty, complex, lots of smoke, excellent performance. (Patrick S. reviewed this stogie back in 2008.) Mine was a gift. I have to confess I don’t buy a whole lot of $20 cigars, but I had no doubt this one was worth every penny.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The cigar industry’s two heavyweights, General and Altadis, don’t have to worry about overall sales. With best-selling brands like Macanudo and Montecristo, they dwarf nearly all the other purveyors of premium, hand-rolled cigars.

But neither firm is coasting. The landscape these days is littered with former giants that once dominated their fields and appeared to have no sales concerns. Just check out Sears or Kodak or Blockbuster. So, like their behemoth brethren in the beer-brewing industry who are fighting small craft bottlers, General and Altadis are determined to keep the boutique brands just that. Of course, there are about as many ways for big companies to react to creative competition as there are consultants ready to advise them. One of the most popular paths: create an entrepreneurial, “start up” mentality among existing divisions. That seems to be the route General’s taken with La Gloria Cubana since Ernesto Perez-Carrillo left in 2009.

Let’s face it, though. Getting the small, but often influential, number of passionate smokers who blog and Tweet and podcast about cigars to try a General or Altadis product is a challenge. General has tried hard, with extraordinary booths at IPCPR, seemingly unending local events, cranking up its social media presence, and making interesting cigars with low prices.

With La Gloria, flamboyant team leader Michael Giannini exploded its storied role in the 1990s boom to develop an almost experimental brand that offers nearly endless possibilities. General’s website shows 14 different La Gloria lines with all sorts of tobacco combinations, shapes, and packaging.

The Serie R Estelí line is a B&M exclusive that comes in three large ring gauges, this 54 being the smallest. Size is one thing that sets it off from its online sibling, the Serie R Black, which sports even bigger ring gauges.

I’ve smoked about 10 of these, several of them gifts from General and the others purchased at a local shop where they list for about $6.50 each. All the sticks generated lots of smoke, burned excellently, and were remarkably consistent in everything from performance to the appearance of the reddish Jalapa Sol wrapper. I’ve also smoked a couple of the 60s and found them similar, though a tad spicier.

A Nicaraguan puro, the Estelí has a nice, rich pre-light aroma from the wrapper, while the filler’s bouquet is reminiscent of pipe tobacco.

Spice and pepper are plentiful in the beginning of the No. 54, shifting down a little at about the halfway point. Along the way, I picked up some sweetness, wood, and a little leather. I encountered none of the harshness I typically associate with the regular Serie R line. The Estelí is smooth with a fine finish.

If you routinely smoke boutique brands from Nicaragua, you should give the Estelí a try. I know I’ll continue to smoke them. I give the La Gloria Cubana Serie R Estelí No. 54 four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Enjoying a cigar takes no special skill. That’s one of the things that makes it such a wonderful pastime. But there are things you can do—and not do—that will help increase your smoking pleasure. Here are three tips for just that reason.

1. I would pay attention to your surroundings and circumstances so you can select the right cigar for the occasion. Of course, a great cigar is, pretty much, always a great cigar. But if you’re otherwise occupied while you’re smoking one, much of that greatness is likely to be lost or never found. A subtle, complex cigar, for instance, doesn’t stand much of a chance if you’re puffing in a smoke-filled casino.

2. Do a little research before choosing a new cigar. These days, with tablets and smartphones, it’s easy to look into the tobacco composition and read a review or two, even when you’re standing in a humidor. This was driven home to me recently when, after hearing several people comment favorably about the PIO Resurrection, I tried one. I was impressed at the start but soon encountered what I can only describe as the nearly unmistakable taste of dirt I associate with Mexican tobacco. Sure enough, I checked and found it sports the ubiquitous San Andres wrapper and some Mexican filler. Not a bad cigar, but not one I’d have chosen if I’d looked before I lit.

3. Take a good look. Creating handmade cigars is a remarkable achievement and every aspect of the craft is worth attention. Notice how evenly the seams are on the wrapper, how the shading matches among those lined up in a box, how the cap is applied, etc. Some bands are extraordinary for their ornateness, such as Ashton’s San Cristobal. Occasionally, simply glance around the humidor at your favorite B&M and marvel at the incredible array and selection from which you can choose.

Feel free to visit our Cigar University for many more tips.

–George E

photo credit: Flickr

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.”

When I tried a sample of Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s new E-Stunner line at last summer’s industry trade show in Las Vegas, I thought it was a unique cigar. But it was a creation from E.P. Carrillo that I didn’t care for. Billed as a powerhouse, the E-Stunner is unlike other cigars in Carrillo’s portfolio. I found more strength than flavor, more punch than pleasure. I hadn’t tried another until the other day, and I’ve since smoked two more in the Siboney format (5 x 50). While the experience was better than my first, particularly in the second half when it smooths out a bit, I’d say give it try only if you really like a kick.

Verdict =  Hold.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys