The Stogie Guys

Even for Fuente, this 2012 release is loaded with bells and whistles, like a brilliant red aluminum tube and a cloth foot band. You sense it’s something special before you light up. And when you do, there’s no doubt.

From the first rich puffs to the finger-burning last, the cigar is a powerful pleasure. The 7-inch King T line is normally encased in a Connecticut shade wrapper (check out a review here). But this line uses a sun-grown rosado wrapper. Maybe it’s true, as has been written, that this was a mistake at the factory that was allowed to go forward. But with the sterling Fuente reputation for quality, I find it hard to believe.

Whatever the reason, the result is a stunning cigar, worthy of its $10-plus price tag. The 49-ring gauge is comfortable, it burns slowly (I enjoyed one through an admittedly unusually fast baseball game) and the smoke volume is excellent. Cedar is predominant throughout, not a surprise considering the tube is lined with a Spanish cedar sheet that’s handy for lighting.

I found it to be a strong cigar, a bit more so than its royal-named siblings and others in the Chateau Fuente line. The strength, however, doesn’t come with any harshness or unpleasant bite. Surprisingly, the finish is rather light.

With the tube, the extra band, and the fairly high-dollar price, you might think of this King T as a special occasion cigar. There’s no question it can fill that role with ease. Limit it to such appearances, though, and you’ll deny yourself a treat that you undoubtedly deserve more often.

Considering what this cigar delivers, it is worthy of a rare five-stogie rating.

[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

With serious coffee drinkers, it isn’t just what you drink. It’s how you prepare what you drink.

These days, there are two big trends in the world of coffee preparation. For the majority, it’s single-serve pods. For the connoisseur, it’s pour-over. Of course, it doesn’t stop there.

While nothing could seem simpler than pour-over preparation, you won’t be surprised to learn that even such a rudimentary system offers numerous options. These can range from the plain, inexpensive Melitta to the elegant and pricey Chemex.

And chic coffee bars, like Stumptown out of Portland and Chicago’s Intelligentsia, now make individual cup preparation part of their shops.

You’ll find a good guide to seven methods—though Melitta is omitted—at Prima Coffee Equipment’s blog. Another excellent instruction site, Brew Methods, collects guidance from many sources, including 17 on pour-over alone.

Recently, the website Lifehacker asked its readers to nominate the best coffeemaker and then reported on the top five vote-getters. Interestingly, the French press method came in first, followed by AeroPress and none of the uber-trendy Japanese manufacturers, such as Hario, or Kalita made the cut. You’ll also find quite a few other articles and reviews on coffee and coffee-making at Lifehacker.

An in-depth drip-off was done a couple of years ago by Serious Eats, which compared ceramic cones.

So, go as deep into the subject as you like. Just don’t forget to enjoy the end result.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

First, let’s talk about what this cigar is not. It is not the one handed out at Don Pepin Garcia events and said to be a replica of his storied blend for the original El Centurion.

No, this cigar is what might be referred to more aptly as the “Not-So-Special” My Father Special.

While occasionally offered for sale, nearly always in a three-pack, this line is more frequently found as the extra stick in a My Father sampler or an inducement giveaway.

According to what little information I was able to find, the light brown wrapper is Ecuadorian Habano-seed and the binder and filler are Nicaraguan tobaccos. The cigar carries typical Robusto proportions: five inches long with a ring gauge of 50.

What it isn’t, however, even for a big Pepin fan, is particularly special.

I’ve had four of them and, as you’d expect from My Father, they are consistent and well-constructed. Good draw, good burn.

It’s in the flavor that the cigar falls somewhat short. While it kicks off with a bit of the typical Pepin spice, the cigar quickly settles in with a flatter, less lively taste. There’s also little complexity, and the stick more or less maintains the same profile from head to foot.

I don’t find that at all surprising, since I wouldn’t expect a manufacturer to use its best tobacco in producing what is, essentially, a fill-in cigar.

This is by no means a bad cigar. It just isn’t anything special. As such, it fits right in to the “pretty respectable” three-stogie rating.

[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.”

This new release from cigar polymath Frank Herrera sports a wrapper from the increasingly popular tobacco fields of Brazil, paired with Dominican and Nicaraguan filler. I’m always wary of Brazilian tobacco because I frequently find it shares a quite unpleasant dirt taste common to its Mexican sibling. And, quite frankly, this Toro (6 x 54, $6.50) did exhibit a bit of that, but not too much. If you’re a fan of Brazilian Arapiraca or just want to try something a little different, give this three-vitola line a chance.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

I’m writing this on an unseasonably mild, sunny afternoon as I smoke a Tatuaje Fausto Avion 11. On the one hand, it offers a nearly perfect example of how a pleasant experience can enhance the enjoyment of a cigar. But the reverse is also true: A very good cigar makes a good time even better.

I began to wonder a bit about what it is that I find so enticing about Avion. I smoked them fairly regularly after discovering them shortly their release, but it has been months since my last. This stick has probably been sitting in my humidor for at least a year. I can’t say, however, that time had much effect, at least that I could detect. Other than losing much of its box-pressed shape, the lovely perfecto didn’t seem noticeably different from those I have smoked right out of the box

Of course, it has characteristics common to many Tatuajes I like. Strength, pepper, complexity, to name a few of the most obvious. Thinking more, though, I believe the characteristic that it—and other cigars I prefer most—embodies is one that’s easier to name than to explain: smoothness.

There is no bite, no kick, no harshness in the smoke or in the finish. The tobacco, from first to last, comes across as well-aged and fermented. The flavors, some subtle and some bold, are part of a cohesive blend that is as tightly woven as braided rope. It is without sharp edges or deep troughs.

Smoothness can be present in a cigar anywhere along the strength spectrum, from mild to full, and regardless of size, from a lancero to a thick smoke. It represents, for me, what sets the best apart from the rest. Sort of my Unified Field Theory of Cigars.

Creating these cigars can’t be easy, though there are quite a few blenders and manufacturers who do it regularly with aplomb. And those of us who get to enjoy them on a lovely afternoon are truly the lucky ones.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In this latest segment of Random Thoughts from the Humidor, I ponder cigar names, electronic smoking devices, and cigar sponsorships.

Name That Stogie

I’ve been critical of the names some cigar makers choose for their sticks, so it seems only right that I offer some praise for what seems to me to be a good trend: fewer and fewer with Cuban roots. It’s easy to see why, after Cuba nationalized the cigar industry in the ’60s, former owners who fled wanted to keep their brand names for new operations elsewhere. But others seem to have simply adopted Cuban brand names simply to cash in on the association with Cuban cigars. In recent years, though, the trend seems to have slowed considerably. Perhaps it’s partly the influence of numerous successful cigar makers without a Cuban background, such as Rocky Patel.  Perhaps it’s part of the industry’s natural growing process. Or maybe they’re finally just running out of good Cuban names. Whatever the reason, I think it’s a good trend, one I’m happy to see continue.

Electrifying

Occasionally, I hear from an electronic cigarette manufacturer introducing a new product, asking if I want a sample to review, or simply extolling the virtues of vaping. Frankly, I can’t think of anything much more misguided than e-cig makers trying to appeal to smokers of premium cigars. E-cigs, like conventional cigarettes, are simply nicotine delivery systems. Premium cigars aren’t. It’s as simple as that. I have nothing against e-cigs. I hope the industry grows and prospers. But I also hope they learn a little bit more about cigars, and what makes cigar enthusiasts tick.

Patron-izing

I’m pleased to see the Orange Bowl debacle didn’t discourage cigar companies from sports sponsorships, both charitable and commercial. Among the latest is General Cigar, which is sponsoring the Golf Channel program Big Break Mexico. And Arturo Fuente and J.C. Newman were among those involved in a benefit for a local Tampa little league.

–George E

photo credit: Flickr (CC)

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 cigar can be summed up easily: excellent. From the dark, oily Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper and pungent cold aroma to a symphony of flavors that begins with the light and never lets up, the Colorado Oscuro No. 4 is terrific. La Flor’s Florida-area manager, Antonio Gomez, told me the line is produced once or twice a year, “depending on wrapper availability.” The blend, with Dominican and Nicaraguan filler, remains the same each time, Gomez added. As with many LFDs, it’s a strong cigar, but by no means overwhelming. The No. 4 is hefty, weighing in at 5.25 inches long with a ring gauge of 54. And, if I may repeat myself, it’s excellent.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: La Flor Dominicana