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.”

Eddie Ortega’s first line on his own has been steadily gaining fans and generating positive reviews, including Patrick A’s four-stogie rating for the No. 12 size. I’d say much the same for the longer No. 10, a tasty cigar with a smooth mix of flavors and a great, long finish. It’s not as strong as many of Ortega’s past cigars, but rather sophisticated and intensely satisfying. The Ecuadorian Habano Rosado wrapper may appear a little dry, but don’t be misled. With the Nicaraguan filler mix, it’s a great combination.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

Nearly everyone knows the obvious elements that make for a good cigar shop. Selection, comfort, prices, welcoming atmosphere, etc. But there are a few things that I think make a good shop and an outstanding one—the sort you want to frequent again and again. And they’re not necessarily what you might think. Here are five attributes I check for:

1. Dust. Cigar shops attract it like almost no other. Smoke adheres to just about every surface, creating a vast, virtual dust magnet. I’m not just talking about the cigar boxes, either. Counters, windowsills, fan blades—you name it and it’ll get dusty without nearly constant attention. A shop owner who’s careful about dust is almost certain to be just as careful about everything else, from maintaining his stock to customer relations.

2. Hot water. Yes, this is kind of silly. But it does turn me off when the restroom has only cold water running in the sink. I have to wonder: If the shop’s pinching pennies at this level, where else is the eagle being squeezed?

3. Inventory awareness. Good owners know which cigars are selling. No one—not even the largest retailers—can stock every cigar. It’s a basic law of cigar physics: To get more in, you have to move some out. Boxes that remain full month after month mean new sticks aren’t arriving. Creative owners find ways to get those old ones out.

4. Light. People come in to enjoy a smoke for all sorts of reasons. Reading, whether it’s the newspaper, a book, a magazine, or an electronic device, is one of those reasons. I always appreciate at least a nook carved out with good lighting and good seating.

5. Wi-Fi. I put this one last because it’s probably the most obvious. With the proliferation of smartphones, tablets, laptops, and e-readers, providing good, free Wi-Fi these days should be de rigueur.

If you’re a store owner or work in one, what do you think? Is this reasonable, and are there things I’m missing? Similarly, I hope you customers out there will comment as well.

–George E

photo credit: Flickr

I don’t generally make New Year’s resolutions for the simple reason that I know that I, like most people, won’t keep them. But thinking about cigars has tempted me to come up with a few goals for 2013.

Keeping the list short and approaching it this way will, I believe, increase my chance of success. And if I don’t succeed in crossing the goal, perhaps I can at least get in the Red Zone. Here they are:

1. Concentrate more on the cigar I’m smoking. This should be easy, but because cigars are such a wonderful accompaniment to so many pleasant activities (reading, conversing, watching or listening to sports, just to name a few) I often multi-task to what is undoubtedly a loss of attention to the cigar. Right now, for example, I’m smoking a lovely Fuente Sun Grown Double Chateau while typing.

2. Check out more limited editions. These are proliferating and are adding many terrific smokes to the shelves. Unfortunately, they aren’t always easy to find. So, I’m going to try to search harder. They are a great opportunity to sample some standout cigars, even though it may be a one-time thing.

3. Smoke more mild and medium strength cigars. I seem to invariably gravitate to powerhouse sticks, which I enjoy. But when I do light up a top-notch cigar that’s less potent, I almost always relish the experience. So, I need to remind myself that power isn’t the only path to pleasure.

What are your plans for the year? Let us know in the comments section (and be sure to vote in our question of the month). Perhaps you’ll inspire the rest of us.

–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.”

This is a killer cigar. Strong, flavorful, complex, smooth. Just about everything you’d expect from a stick that garnered a five-stogie review from Patrick S. I got this 5.5-inch beauty as a gift from him a while back and smoked it the other day. As you can tell, I was blown away. Believe me, Patrick got it absolutely right. At about $10 per stick, exclusively from Smoke Inn, it’s worth every penny.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I said goodbye to an old friend the other day. After more than seven years of faithful service, my worn Ronson Jetlite torch gave up the ghost. I’m not sure, but I think it was the ignition system that sputtered away.

Think about that. Seven years. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of cigars torched and touched up. Filled with butane that ranged from the cheapest drug-store no-name brands to fancy quintuple-filtered fuel, a $3 Ronson performed perfectly time after time.

If you’re a regular StogieGuys.com reader, you know we’ve long extolled the virtues of this simple, reliable lighter. My recent experience reinforced that view.

After the Jetlite died, I went rummaging through my cigar accessories stash and found several other lighters. The first one I tried—a thin, stylish lighter I’d rarely used—came apart when I tried to light it. A couple of others, admittedly cheapies, either wouldn’t ignite or did so erratically. The only reliable lighter was a BenzOmatic micro-torch that holds a ton of butane and fires up every time. But it has two problems. It requires another flame to light it, and the flame is unbelievably hot.

So, I went to the cigarette counter at my local Walmart and picked up another Jetlite. There have been a few changes since I bought my first. The price is up about $1 (still a bargain). And Zippo bought Ronson a couple of years ago. But in appearance at least, the lighter seems to be the same.

One thing I didn’t notice before, though perhaps it was there, is a line on the packaging that the lighter is “Excellent for Pipes and Cigars.” Yes, it’s excellent for cigars. But I hope no one would be foolish enough to risk severe damage to a pipe by using a torch lighter of any kind.

So, I’ve met my new friend. Here’s to what I hope is a long and happy relationship.

–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 Quick Smoke is part of our “Win a Big Box of Cigar Swag” contest. Leave a comment and be subscribed to our free email newsletter to enter. Full details here.

About the only negative comment I have about this cigar is that the double bands and emblazoned tissue paper packaging hide a gorgeous wrapper with a lovely aroma. An all-ligero Dominican puro, this slow burning stick is a great combination of spice and sweetness in a medium-strength package. Not always easy to find, it’s well worth tracking down for a great change of pace.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

As the year draws to a close, it seems everyone’s making best-of lists. Rather than try to pinpoint and rank-order the best of the 2012 releases, I thought I’d look back at the cigars StogieGuys.com rated five stogies out of five this year. You’ll find a complete alphabetical list of the cigars that earned the rare five-stogie rating going back to 2006 here.

This year, there were five, and they represent a wide range of cigars. Perhaps the most notable is Drew Estate’s widely anticipated Liga Privada Único Serie Velvet Rat, which Patrick A. was wowed by at a pre-release event. It isn’t expected to be in regular release until 2013 and will almost certainly be at the top of everyone’s gotta-get-but-hard-to-find list.

Another new cigar getting five stogies is the Aging Room F55 Quattro Concerto that I thought was great. Patrick S. similarly raved about the Berger & Argenti Entubar V32 Rogue Rothschild, a pricey limited edition.

The other two that received five stogies in 2012 have been around for a while. The Illusione Epernay Le Matin came out several years ago, and an EO 601 Serie “Blue” Toro was a maduro that had been in my humidor for two years.

We have high standards for handing out five-stogie ratings, and a glance through previous years seems to confirm that. Five in a year, out of scores of sticks reviewed, seems to be close to the average. In past years, we’ve had as many as seven and as few as three.

Of the 36 smokes that made the list over the years, only 7 are Cuban. Among those made elsewhere, top manufacturers and blenders represented include names such as Pete Johnson, Don Pepin Garcia, Paul Garmirian, Litto Gomez, and Rocky Patel.

You’d expect to find an Opus X and Padrón Serie 1926 listed, and they are. But I think you might also find a surprise or two. Take a look. Let us know what you think of our selections and what cigars you find worthy of five stogies.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys