The Stogie Guys

This is a terrific cigar, one I think you’ll enjoy smoking from the foot all the way down to the head, which is seven inches away.

For those who still think of Dominican cigars as a generally punch-less division, producing only the occasional hard-hitters like Opus X or some La Flor Dominicanas, it’s time for reconsideration.

This cigar has power. Not a heavyweight, but by no means a lightweight, either. Think Mayweather rather than Klitschko. It’s also nicely balanced and smooth. And the flavors are diverse. In fact, it’s about all you could ask for in a satisfying smoke, including a retail price of only $6.51 before taxes.

With many smokers these days opting for larger and larger ring gauges, lanceros aren’t among the most popular vitolas. Many lines eschew them altogether. That seems a shame because many cigars perform excellently with a small ring gauge, such as this 38, and a long barrel.

I didn’t detect much aroma on the pre-light or the cold draw. But when lit, I was hit with a cinnamon spice, quickly followed by citrus and fruit. That one-two combination continued through the first half or so, then the cinnamon drifted away and was replaced by the tastes of nuts and leather, again with the fruit components.

Construction was excellent and the draw was just right in those I smoked. And while smoking slowly is always best with any cigar, it can be absolutely critical with a lancero because of how rapidly the thin stick can overheat. I made an extra effort to slow down and it paid off.

Regular readers know I’m an Oliveros/Boutique Blends fan. This is another winner in its stable. I give it four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Oliveros Cigars

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.”

As the first release from Crowned Heads, the Four Kicks line garnered lots of attention and praise. Our own Patrick S, for example, has sung its praises more than once, including a 4.5-stogie rating for the Corona Gorda. So, I was quite excited when I finally got to try one recently, the six-inch Sublime. It is Nicaraguan filler and binder wrapped in Ecuadorian Habano. And I have to say it was as good as advertised. Smooth, tasty, medium strength, and excellently constructed (in Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s factory). Don’t pass it up.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Crowned Heads

The ways to judge a cigar are many and varied.

Perhaps the most common criterion is taste, which is sensible since that’s what tends to make the biggest and most lasting impression. Many smokers will tell you that’s really all they care about.

But try convincing yourself of that when poor construction begins to intrude on the experience. A bad burn will invariably corrupt the delicate mix of tobaccos and alter the taste, while overheating from frequent relights can leave a bitter, charred flavor. Similarly, a poor draw creates frustration and diminishes pleasure.

Many other factors can come into play. Consider size (“I don’t like big ring gauges.”) or availability (“I’ve got to have that latest limited edition.”). Some smokers automatically resent, and reject, high-priced smokes; others believe there’s no good cigar on the market for less than $15 or $20.

I began thinking about all this the other day as I sat smoking an Arturo Fuente Queen B.

What an excellent cigar. And one that, surprisingly, we’ve never reviewed. This, incidentally, isn’t that review. It just struck me that the Queen B affords an ideal example of what a cigar can offer. In this case, one can select almost any way in which to pass judgment and the Queen B will reign supreme.

Part of the Arturo Fuente Chateau line, construction is impeccable. Price? Only about $6 before state taxes. Size? The 50 ring gauge is one that will satisfy most smokers. Taste? Complex, balanced, varied. Strength? Not too strong, not too light. Availability? It may not be on every retailer’s shelf, but it is a regular production cigar.

I could go on, but I’m sure you get the idea.

Then there was a Cuban Classic robusto from Don Pepin that’s been in my humidor a bit over two years. Judging that one by the pre-light aroma from the wrapper would make any smoker break out the blue ribbons. Frankly, it seemed almost a shame—almost—to light it up. But it smoked as nicely as it smelled.

Cigars have a great deal to offer. If we don’t avail ourselves of what is there, we’re missing out.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

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.”

Another cigar sporting the seemingly ubiquitous Brazilian arapiraca maduro wrapper, this time encasing a criollo ’98 binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan filler. A medium-strength, five-inch stick, this Gurkha delivers a pleasant experience with only a hint of the dirt that I link to Brazilian tobacco. It also displayed little of the sweetness often found in maduros, though there was a bit of cocoa and coffee. Construction, burn, and draw were excellent in the pair I smoked. Judge it by your own preferences, and if they match up, give it a try. Oh, and check out that stunning black and silver band.

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.”

If there’s a cigar with a better looking wrapper, I’ve never seen it. The Ecuadorian Habano 2000 applied expertly to this Limited Edition (6 x 52) is silky and veinless. Befitting the name—a complex chord used in jazz arrangements—the filler combines numerous Dominican leaves and Peruvian tobacco. The smoking experience is complex as well, though somewhat delicate and requiring careful attention. Issued to celebrate Avo Uvezian’s March 22 birthday, the $15 toro is a fine smoke. And if you buy one of the 9,000 boxes of 10 you’ll get a USB stick with Uvezian performing a song composed in honor of the cigar.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

Curivari began making cigars for the European market, introducing its Selección Privada in 2003. Going head-to-head with Cuban cigars on their turf obviously was a gutsy move for a Nicaraguan cigar maker. But in only a few years, the company’s reputation was expanding about as quickly as its lines.

Now available in the U.S., Curivari cigars are among the most fervently sought boutique smokes by those on the lookout for something new. I heard good things about the brand long before I saw one. I tried a couple of times to get to their booth at last summer’s IPCPR Trade Show, but couldn’t get through the crowds.

My introduction to them came in an order from Atlantic Cigar Co., one of a few retailers with a selection—often with limited supplies or on backorder—of Curivari’s small batch lines. If there’s a shop in my area that carries them, I haven’t found it.

I’ve had just three: the El Gran Rey Belicoso (5.4 x 52), a Nicaraguan puro with a $9 price tag. I’m eager to try the other two El Gran Rey vitolas, as well as different Curivari lines (like the Buenaventura).

Although Curivari describes it as a “full-bodied cigar,” I’d call it more of a medium, with what I think of as traditional flavors, such as leather and oak. I didn’t find El Gran Rey to be particularly complex, but rather an expertly balanced and exceptionally consistent cigar.

Construction was excellent, the burn was nearly perfect, and the draw about as even as possible. They produce good smoke volume and the finish is long and deep.

Even after smoking only three cigars, I can see why this small manufacturer has gained such a large reputation. I’d urge you to seek these out, in addition to Curivari’s other lines. I give this “great king” four 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.”

These Pete Johnson cigars come not from Tatuaje but from L’Atelier Imports, an outfit he formed with his brother and friends to make “consumer price conscious cigars.” The three-cigar namesake line, rolled at Don Pepin Garcia’s My Father Cigars factory, features a hybrid wrapper from Ecuador called Sancti Spiritus over Nicaraguan filler and binder tobaccos. The blend runs between about $8-10 per stick, with each one named for the ring gauge. It’s a medium-strength smoke with a lot of flavors that change throughout. A most enjoyable cigar. Highly recommended.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: N/A