The Stogie Guys

Disappointed is about the only word I can use to describe my feelings about Oliva’s 2012 version of its limited release maduro. I didn’t find a bad cigar, more like Gertrude Stein’s reaction upon returning to her Oakland home.

Start with the pre-light aroma. It was barely noticeable. Move to the opening puffs, where there was a bite and a sharp finish for much of the first third. Then the remaining four inches or so: not much of anything in the way of taste. None of the typical maduro tobacco sweetness or characteristic coffee, cocoa, or chocolate. Nothing else really apparent, either.

My disappointment comes not so much from the stick not making much of an impression. No, it’s more because I’d read and heard so much positive reaction from smokers whose opinions I respect. I’d be less than honest if I didn’t confess that it does make me wonder about my own reactions.

Construction was flawless in the three I smoked. The six-inch, 50 ring gauge smoke retails for about $9.50 and comes in boxes of 10. The Oliva web site appears hopelessly out of date, apparently describing the 2009 version. According to most reports, the 2012 sports the popular Mexican San Andrés wrapper and Nicaraguan filler and binder, as has been the case for several years, with 50,000 sticks rolled.

Two things I can point to for my lack of enthusiasm are that wrapper and maduros in general. It’s been years since I smoked maduros with any regularity and rarely find them more than passable. The same holds for that Mexican wrapper; it’s a rare smoke that utilizes it and suits my taste.

All that being said, I would urge you to consider your own tastes in thinking about purchasing the Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial 2012. For me, though, I can only award it three stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In this latest segment of Random Thoughts from the Humidor, I ponder custom torch improvements, patio smoking at one of the country’s most desirable locales, and impending cigar industry price increases.

Jetlite Mods, Start Your Engines!

As any loyal StogieGuys.com reader knows, we’re fans of the Ronson Jetlite, a cheap, reliable butane torch. But just about anything can be improved, even this simple device. First, though, a disclaimer. I am simply noting this possibility. I’m in no way suggesting or recommending you do any of these things to your Jetlite. I’m sure it voids whatever warranty might exist, and it undoubtedly will render the lighter unsafe. So, make no mistake, if there’s a problem or accident, you’re on your own. That said, there’s a YouTube video that will explain step-by-step how you can modify your Jetlite. The procedures will make it easier to light and provide greater flame control. If you want to check it out, the video is here.

A Winner in Las Vegas

Good news for patrons of famed Casa Fuente: The shop expects the currently closed patio to soon be open again for smokers. A manager at the high-end Las Vegas shop told me they anticipate having the situation resolved without going to court. The patio was closed earlier this year, after a complaint reportedly from another tenant at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. Smoking has continued inside Casa Fuente, but, as visitors know, that can get crowded. Casa Fuente, which became an instant international destination for cigar lovers when it opened in 2005, experienced a similar temporary patio blackout once before. That problem, too, was resolved.

Got to Pay to Play

Look for some cigar prices to go up later this year. Cigar news site Halfwheel has reported that some manufacturers have recently notified retailers of increases, and it seems likely others will follow. Higher production and transportation costs are hitting many cigar makers, and some will undoubtedly pass those along to consumers.

–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.”

Change seems to be the hallmark of Gurkha these days, whether it’s producing budget-priced smokes under the East India Trading Co. subsidiary or increasing presence at tobacco shops. An outfit once frequently derided for overemphasizing packaging and glitz is putting some interesting cigars on the shelf. This specimen, called the Cellar Reserve Prisoner, is certainly one of those. It sports a criollo wrapper along with filler Gurkha says is aged for 15 years. I found it to be a medium-strength, flavorful, and complex smoke. Well worth trying.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

Given this cigar’s pedigree, I’m sure it will come as no surprise to hear that the latest limited edition from La Flor is a powerful smoke. But it’s also a complex, balanced treat that fulfills the promise of a line released only every other year or so.

The V comes in a single vitola that weighs in at 6.5 inches long with a 54 ring gauge and a production level reportedly under 100,000. The price tag ranges from around $9.50 to $11, a reasonable amount considering the size and what you get for your money.

And what you get is a terrific cigar with more changes than a Rockette in the Christmas show. It begins with a nice, tangy pre-light aroma from the Dominican filler, kicks off with pepper in the first few puffs, and then quickly shifts to a deep chocolate undertone. There’s a pleasant bite to the finish that’s present from beginning to end.

This cigar rewards attention. I easily picked up leather, hay, a hint of coffee, cedar, and several spices. I’ve smoked three from a five-pack, and they’ve been remarkably consistent in both flavor and construction. The burn, draw, and ash were all first-rate from start to finish.

Previous Limitado blends featured tobacco from more than one country, and the V continues the trend. In addition to the Dominican filler, the wrapper is Ecuadorian sun grown and the binder is Nicaraguan. Those also are the three countries represented in the first Limitado.

About the only negative I could find is that La Flor packs these in boxes of 48, putting that purchase into the pricing stratosphere (around $500).

For this kind of enjoyment, the La Flor Dominicana Limitado V rates the top-of-the-mark five stogies out of five.

[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

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.”

I stumbled across this limited, sun-grown-wrapped release at a shop I visit infrequently. Though priced about 50% above list, I couldn’t resist what was likely to be my only chance to smoke one. From first impression to final puff, there’s no doubt this cigar (5.75 x 48) is a Fuente. Rich, smooth, medium in strength, beautiful wrapper, superb construction, and the overall impression of fine, aged tobacco. On the other hand, it didn’t strike me as greatly different from some other excellent Fuentes, such as the Don Carlos (which has the same filler as the Unnamed Reserve). If you can find the Unnamed Reserve at the regular retail price of around $10, it’s well worth lighting up.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

By now, everyone’s had a chance to read and consider the seemingly endless list of top cigars of 2012. I know I have. And they’ve led me to a few new smokes I’m eager to try.

I have to say, though, I’m not really a fan of annual cigar rankings. Sure, tell me what cigars you really like and why, tell me the ones that blew you away. Heck, I’m also interested in the cigars that disappointed you. But I see no reason to try to turn smoking into a contest.

I understand it from a manufacturer’s point of view, particularly when it comes to the annual list by the industry giant, Cigar Aficionado. Whether you like it or loathe it, you cannot deny the magazine’s impact on cigar sales.

Inclusion can boost sales like nothing else. On the other hand, making the grade is no guarantee of success. Anyone smoke a Warlock lately? (No. 9 last year.)

I know there’s a general obsession with lists and ranking, but trying to reduce something as subjective as individual taste to a scoresheet seems to me a doomed practice. It’s also highly unlikely anyone could have smoked all the vitolas of all the cigars that could be ranked.

For instance, as I type this, I have Cigar Journal’s “Finest 25 Cigars of 2012” on my desk. At the bottom of the list is the Ashton VSG Robusto. I can’t help but wonder, did the same person sample each of the other 12 sizes in that blend to determine the Robusto is the best? Or who’s the lucky smoker who tried all 10 of the Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series to award honors to the Exclusivo Natural?

Frankly, I wish the compilers would provide more information. I’m still sorry Cigar Aficionado dropped the annual production figures from the standard data a few years back, though it’s included in some descriptions.

All that said, I do find the listings useful. One of my current favorites, the Aging Room Small Batch M356, came to my attention solely from last year’s CA listing. And this year I have at least three want-to-try smokes heading my list:

Kristoff Corojo Limitada Torpedo, CA’s No. 11. I not sure I’ve ever smoked a Kristoff, being baffled by the many variations on display in the humidor. But I’ll keep my eye out for this small-production stick.

CyB, the Joya de Nicaragua release that was No. 8 on Jerry Cruz’s list at Stogie Review.

Rodrigo La Fortaleza, the top pick at retailer PipesandCigars.com, which raved about it. Luckily, a Tampa shop I visit once in a great while carries this line.

Anything from all the lists make your must-try list?

–George E

photo credit: N/A

It’s easy sometimes to get caught up in the many aspects of cigar enthusiasm, from whether the industry’s largest trade group should initiate a consumer day, to which shop has the latest limited release, to the new, hot blender.

Do you age your sticks? Cello on or cello off? What’s the best bundle? Is your humidity at 60 or 65 or 70? I know it’s Nicaraguan tobacco, but what region of Nicaragua is it from? Do you think stalk-curing is the next big thing? Have you seen this stick I got at event last week?

The questions, and the answers, can be endless. And a lot of fun. Part of what makes a hobby enjoyable is the ability to become immersed in the culture and all its arcana.

But sometimes we can become lost—or at least I can, speaking for myself—in a thicket and miss that bright blue sky overhead. This came home to me the other day when I was reading a column in the February Stereophile, one of many magazines I enjoy despite not even remotely understanding what much of the writing is about.

The interesting thing is how often I’m reminded of cigars.

For example, Jason Victor Serinus described a demonstration he’d produced for an audiophile gathering to evaluate two speaker cables. Serinus was confused by numerous listeners who either could tell no difference or preferred the lower-priced cable sound.

“I couldn’t figure out why so many people were missing obvious giveaways of inferior sound,” he wrote. “But, instead of blaming the listeners, I began to wonder if we who review equipment have unintentionally helped create a community of audiophiles who lack the ability to listen deeply.” He went on to say that reviews centered heavily around specific elements can lead listeners to “focus on individual fragments… instead of receiving music as an organic whole.”

Needless to say, I thought of cigars and my own cigar reviews as I was reading.

And it brought to mind a quote I heard in a video from the Stumptown Coffee Roasters’ Skip Colombo. He was, obviously, talking about coffee. But it could just as easily have been cigars. It’s a description of the experience to which I think we can all aspire:

“A good cup of coffee is one that stops me in my tracks… I take a sip and it’s like the world stops turning on its axis.”