The Stogie Guys

In the previous segment last week, I laid out some ideas to help you increase the likelihood that you’ll enjoy the new smokes you try. Here are a few more thoughts to tuck in the back of your mind as you scan the humidor shelves and light up.

1. Price typically has meaning. Sure, some manufacturers tack a high price tag on a mediocre cigar hoping to convince potential customers it must be good. Conversely, the belief that smart people can find great bargains is also widely held. The truth is that good tobacco, talented workers, and proper production usually cost more and result in better cigars. Now, this doesn’t mean there aren’t fine bargain cigars to be had or that you‘ll necessarily like a high-priced smoke. But if you continually search in the low, low end you’ll find disappointment.

2. Remember that your tastes will change over time. A favorite cigar from a year ago may not now seem so good, just as one that didn’t quite hit the bull’s eye could prove a winner. When you smoke a cigar you don’t enjoy, ask yourself a few questions: Is it well-constructed? Was it too strong or too light? Were the flavors unpleasant or just not what you wanted? Depending on your answers, this could be a stick to revisit.

3. Pay attention to construction and burn. These can be key indicators of care and quality. Of course, one example isn’t enough to make a sweeping determination, but keeping track of how a manufacturer’s cigars perform is worthwhile.

4. Don’t rush to buy a box or a bundle. Sure, the cigars are individually cheaper that way, but you don’t want to be pennywise and pound foolish. Smoke a few sticks first, and try them with different beverages and at different times. Make sure you really want to smoke 20 or 25 of them.

5. When you find a cigar you like, try it in different lengths and ring gauges. Sometimes, you’ll find little or no difference. But sometimes you’ll discover a vitola that’s better.

Again, I hope you’ll add your tips and thoughts.

–George E

photo credit: Flickr

Discovering an enjoyable cigar is one of the highlights of the hobby. But, as in most things, there’s a yang to the yin: picking up a stick for the first time and finding it not to your liking.

I don’t believe there’s a way to eliminate that possibility, but you can certainly increase your odds for success. Here are some things you might want try. Just remember that none of my suggestions are ironclad, and no doubt you’ll sometimes want to strike out on your own.

1. Figure out what tobacco you don’t like. With so many variations, this can be tough. But if you look at some of the less common tobaccos, it can be easier. My list, for example, begins with Mexican tobacco. Now that doesn’t mean I’ll never try a cigar that uses it, and there are a few I like. But when I see Mexican on the list of ingredients, whether wrapper, binder or filler, my antennae goes up and my interest goes down.

2. Similarly, note who makes cigars you like. This isn’t always easy to discern and isn’t always disclosed. And just because you fancied one cigar from Don Pepin or Dion Giolito doesn’t mean you’ll like their others. But it does tilt the edge in your favor.

3. Have some ideas about what you’re seeking before you go to the shop. Rarely will you find any details about a cigar’s makeup on the box. Reviews, advertisements, and personal recommendations can be informative and helpful. It’s also good to have several cigars in mind, since it seems that invariably the one you want won’t be on the shelf.

4. Maybe you’re one of those individuals who totes a cigar journal along or taps your smoking thoughts into a smartphone or computer. If you, however, are among those of us who lack the discipline to consistently take extensive notes, worry not. Jotting a couple of key points on a scrap of paper and tucking it into your shirt pocket can fill the bill. Just make sure to include the cigar’s name so you’ll recall what it was you smoked.

5. Remember, a cigar doesn’t have to be new to the market to be new to you. Now, more than ever, attention is focused on newcomers. But there’s a reason some cigars have been around for decades: people like, and buy, them. Look the humidor over carefully and note how many you have and have not smoked.

As always, this will be better and more useful if you share your thoughts and suggestions. Part II will be coming up soon.

–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.”

While I’d heard of Alec Bradley’s new Black Market line, I hadn’t paid enough attention to know anything about it. I was intrigued when I saw them on the shelves—the thick paper sleeve and wooden crate-style boxes are eye catching—but, of course, they offered no information about the tobacco. At $6.25 for a Churchill (7 x 50), I thought it was worth a try. I was wrong. Smoking it was a major disappointment. About the only flavor I got was the dirt taste I associate with Mexican tobacco. Since learning the cigar’s makeup—Nicaraguan wrapper, Sumatran binder, and filler from Honduras and Panama—I’m guessing the “dirt tobacco” was that Panamanian. Unless you’re a fan, I’d stay away.

Verdict = Sell.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

There are many ways to discover an enjoyable cigar. My latest came about because I’m a sucker for cedar. So, when I noticed two sizes of My Father cigars sheathed in what looked to be branded cedar, I picked up the Cervantes for about $7.50.

I’d smoked several of the regular line of My Father cigars and thought they were pleasant enough. Nothing to get too excited about, but certainly a good smoke. Until I saw the Cervantes and the corona gorda Eminentes, I wasn’t even aware that there was a cedar subset.

Unfortunately, the brand website currently has no information on any of its cigars, so I had to look elsewhere for details. According to several other sites, the binder and filler are Nicaraguan while the wrapper is an Ecuadorian hybrid. I’m guessing that the two cedared vitolas have the same blend as regular My Father cigars.

But I found the taste to be significantly different. The Cervantes opens with lots of cedar and pepper that blasts along for the first half or so of the 6.5-inch smoke. For the remainder of the cigar, there’s strong leather and wood as the cedar and pepper drop back. With attention, you’ll also find numerous other flavors among the deep, rich tobacco.

I’ve smoked four of these 44-ring-gauge lonsdales, and they were remarkably consistent. Construction and draw were excellent on each, with a thick burn line and a tight, grainy white ash. The cigars themselves were a little lumpy, though the brown wrapper is smooth and firm.

If, like me, you’d found the My Father line OK but not outstanding, I suggest you keep an eye out for the Cedros Deluxe. I rate the lonsdale-sized My Father Cedros Deluxe Cervantes four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: My Father 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.”

Touted as an all-Corojo cigar, this relatively new line from Martin Family of Cigars definitely starts with a snap. The first half is a flavorful smoke with the strength associated with corojo, though the strength can overwhelm the flavors at times. In the second half, the voltage goes down, as dark wood and tobacco tastes dominate. Construction is generally good, though I did find a large stem in one, but it caused no real problems. If you like corojo or just want to check it out, this one’s well worth a try.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

If anyone doubts that cigars can bring a diverse group of people together, just take a glance at the list of cosponsors for legislation to bar the U.S. Food and Drug Administration from regulating handmade premium cigars.

At a time when it seems Congress might have trouble agreeing that the sun will come up tomorrow, the list of about 90 proponents presents a bipartisan bonanza. Sure, most of them are Republicans, as you’d expect for a proposal to reduce regulation. But look further.

There’s Charlie Rangel, the New York Democrat excoriated by many smokers when he headed the Ways and Means Committee during SCHIP consideration. And Jesse Jackson Jr., the Chicago-area Democrat with a perfect 100 rating from the liberal Americans for Democratic Action, is on the list with the GOP’s Duncan Hunter, a Californian who got a 0 from the same group. Similarly, try to think of another bill that would have the support of both Brooklyn Democrat Ed Towns, cosponsor of an impeachment measure for President George W. Bush, and Republican Joe Wilson of South Carolina, the man who yelled “You lie!” at President Barack Obama during a joint congressional address.

My purpose here, though, is more important than simply pointing out an interesting situation. This is valuable, useful information.

If your representative or senators haven’t signed on, you need to let them know you want them to do so. And you should draw attention to the bipartisan nature of support for HR1639, known formally as the “Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2011.”

It’s a rare politician who can resist the siren song of bipartisanship. Knowledge also demonstrates that you are an engaged citizen, and politicians know that not only do engaged citizens vote, they exert a lot of influence on others who vote.

At StogieGuys.com, we’ve devoted a lot of time and writing to this issue. You can go through the archives to find everything from analysis of the bill to tips for how to most effectively contact your legislators.

We’re staying on this because we believe it is vitally important. Not only is eliminating FDA regulation critical, the recognition of handmade premium cigars would make it easy and likely that they will be exempted from future tobacco regulations. All it will take is a line that says “except for cigars as defined in the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing …”

–George E

photo credit: UPI.com

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 don’t know that I’ve ever had a smoother cigar. From start to finish, this expensive stick is a delight. Flavors weave in and out; the more attention you pay, the greater the reward for your palate. The Cameroon wrapper and Dominican filler and binder are an exquisite combination. With a mild to medium strength, this Fuente deserves all the praise it receives and is worth the high price tag. There’s no better celebratory cigar.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: N/A