The Stogie Guys

It’s possible that you’ve never heard of Amilcar Perez Castro, but it’s highly unlikely that you’ve never smoked a cigar that was made under his direction.

Castro is a “maestro tabaquero” with Rocky Patel, helping Rocky maintain quality control for some of his most visible blends that are crafted in Estelí, including the 1961 and 15th Anniversary lines. Rocky affectionately calls Castro “the master.”

It seems appropriate that someone with such a flattering title should have his own name on a cigar. Now he does. The Amilcar Perez Castro (APC) line is a Pennsylvania broadleaf-wrapped blend that’s made exclusively for Famous Smoke Shop, a Pennsylvania-based online cigar retailer. APC features a two-country recipe of Nicaraguan and Honduran binder and filler tobaccos.

Three traditional sizes are available: Churchill (7 x 50), Toro (6 x 50), and Robusto (5 x 50). Prices range from $4.05 to $7 apiece, depending on the size and the quantity ordered. The Robusto has a very dark exterior leaf with pre-light notes of nuts and powdered cocoa off the foot. The cap takes to a punch wonderfully, revealing an easy draw with the slightest puncture.

Once lit, the APC Robusto assumes a chalky, powdery profile with plenty of coffee, caramel, toast, and dark chocolate on the palate. Black pepper is also apparent but not overpowering. Surprisingly enough, despite my description of the individual flavors, the overall effect is more creamy than anything else (I say “surprisingly” because I don’t often associate tastes like pepper, coffee, and toast with creaminess). This creaminess carries over to the final third, where the only major change is a noticeable increase in spice on the lips. Some bitter notes drift in and out. All the while, the construction is admirable with a solid gray ash and a burn line that’s somewhat wavy though never an encumbrance.

You can purchase the Robusto from Famous for $6.50 per single, $19.50 per 5-pack, or $80.99 for a box of 20. I’m not convinced this cigar is worth more than $4.50 apiece, so my recommendation would be to try a single and then, if you’re a fan, make a box purchase.

Ultimately, this is a nice golf course selection if you want something dark and rich, which makes the APC Robusto worthy of three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

If you’re a recurring visitor to cigar websites and forums, you’ve probably already heard about Grimalkin, a blend made by Gary Griffith’s Emilio Cigars. This cigar has been written about and reviewed many times since it debuted in February.

If you haven’t heard of Grimalkin yet, the first question you’re probably asking yourself is: “What’s with the name?” Well, a grimalkin is defined as an old or sinister-looking female cat—which explains the interesting band. Wikipedia cites that “Scottish legend makes reference to the grimalkin as a fairy cat which dwells in the highlands.”

Name and band aside, I’m guessing you’re more interested in this cigar’s makeup and how it smokes. So on to the review. Grimalkin is crafted in Estelí from a proprietary blend of “carefully selected tobaccos.” Some have speculated that it is made by Don Pepin Garcia at the famed My Father Cigars Factory.

Three traditional sizes are available: Robusto, Torpedo, and Toro. The latter measures 6 inches long with a ring gauge of 50 and an MSRP of $8.30. My Toro sample has an oily, reddish wrapper that’s mostly smooth, though not without one prominent vein that runs the length of the stick. It has a sweet hazelnut aroma at the foot and a nice triple cap.

The opening profile is of roasted almond, cocoa, creamy caramel, and cedar spice. Medium in body, the flavor is devoid of harshness or unwelcome heat yet assertive enough maintain a long finish on the palate. Its balance and syrupy texture stand out as the most memorable characteristics of the smoke, imparting a uniqueness that’s lacking from other cigars that take on a more predictable profile.

Fortunately, the Toro’s outstanding physical properties enable you to focus entirely on the taste at hand. The burn is nearly perfect, the white ash solid and stable, and the draw has just the right amount of resistance.

Grimalkin is, without a doubt, a most welcome addition to the premium cigar marketplace. Woe is the cigar enthusiast who passes up trying this blend because the name is a little funny or because the band is a little nontraditional or because Emilio Cigars are little hard to find. I think $8.30 is a very fair price for the Toro, a tasty treat that’s definitely worthy of four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

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 masterful smoke from Pete Johnson boasts an unfinished foot, an oily Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, and Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. Short and skinny in stature (4 x 40), the Petite Cazadores Reserva packs loads of flavor and complexity into a quick format that’s ideal for a lunch break or cold weather. I taste dark chocolate, earth, nuts, caramel, and tea. What an outstanding way to spend $4. Highly recommended.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Between the excessive taxes and smoking bans, California may be the least friendly cigar state in the country. Prometheus—a Los Angeles-based purveyor the Fuente-made God of Fire smokes, as well as cutters, lighters, and humidors—pays homage to those in the City of Angels who still manage to enjoy cigars despite the efforts of politicians.

Their tribute is a cigar called Angelenos, a blend comprised of an Ecuadorian wrapper with Dominican binder and filler tobaccos. It is made at Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia under the direction of Carlito Fuente. Six sizes are available that range in price from $8.95 to $10.95: Robusto (5.25 x 50), Toro (6 x 50), Lonsdale (6.25 x 44), Gran Toro (6.5 x 54), Double Robusto (5.75 x 52), and Robusto Gordo JM (5.5 x 54). For the latter, the “JM” in the name—and the signature on the second band—is for actor Joe Mantegna, a cigar enthusiast. At the request of Mantegna, a portion of Angelenos proceeds benefits the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center.

The Robusto Gordo JM is a golden-colored smoke with an oily exterior leaf that’s smooth and almost vein-free. It smells of honey, hay, and sawdust. After toasting the foot and establishing an even light with my Magma T (what else?), a flavor of brown sugar, cream, grass, and cinnamon spice emerges. The smoke is thick and textured with a soft, rounded finish. Dried fruits and leather are also apparent, and the aroma is fragrant and nutty.

Some would call the Angelenos Robusto Gordo JM decidedly mild, but I’m more inclined to call it somewhere between the mild and medium-bodied ranges. This is especially true in the second half of the cigar where the taste intensifies and the spice becomes more pronounced on the finish.

Regardless of how you’d classify the body, there’s no denying that this cigar has outstanding construction. The white ash builds wonderfully and solidly off the foot and the burn line stays true.

I’ve always been impressed with the cigars in the God of Fire portfolio, particularly the Carlito 2006 Double Robusto. Their biggest drawback is their price, which can exceed $20 per cigar. While the Angelenos Robusto Gordo JM may not be as complex as its predecessors, it’s still a fine, supremely creamy smoke and a smart buy at $9.95 apiece. It earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Abe Flores of Pinar del Rio gives us reason to be optimistic about the future of the cigar industry. He and a select few others—including Pete Johnson of Tatuaje, Dion Giolito of Illusione, Jonathan Drew of Drew Estate, and Chris Kelly of Tesa—comprise a gifted squad of young cigar makers who are destined to be making great smokes for years to come.

Flores’ talent was on full display in the summer of 2010. That’s when he introduced his re-blended standard lines, launched a wonderful new smoke, and dropped his cigars’ prices by 10%. “I wanted to do a premium cigar that wouldn’t hurt the average guy,” he told me. “People still need to be able to buy tobacco.”

That commendable attitude has earned Flores a chorus of praise from the cigar community. It also doesn’t hurt that the cigars themselves are quite good, including the Selección Reserva Limitada, a line of nine vitolas that currently ranges in price from $100 to $125 per box of 20. Each size features a dark, mottled wrapper from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, wrapped around a criollo ’98 binder from the Dominican Republic and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

The Magnum measures 5 inches long with a hearty ring gauge of 60. It’s a thick, bold-looking smoke with a pigtail cap, double bands, and a black ribbon around the foot. The pungent pre-light notes are sweet and chocolatey.

Advertised as medium in body, the Selección Magnum starts with a musky leather flavor that leaves a long, somewhat bitter taste on the tongue. Bitter isn’t a bad thing, mind you. While the word “bitter” often conjures a negative sensation, most well-balanced cigars have some bitterness to complement their sweet, salty, and acidic components.

But the Magnum isn’t all bitter. Its other flavors include cocoa, black pepper spice, espresso, and creamy undertones. And as the cigar progresses, tastes of roasted nuts and dark chocolate become more apparent, rendering this cigar a rich after-dinner smoke and a fine medium-bodied companion to a glass of rum.

The Magnum’s physical properties are likewise dependable, with a clear draw that yields bountiful tufts of smoke, a solid ash, and a burn line that requires little maintenance.

I’ve yet to come across a Pinar del Rio smoke that I didn’t like, and the Selección Magnum is no exception. With interesting flavors, zero harshness, and an affordable price point, this cigar is a good reminder of Abe Flores’ talent. It earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

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.”

The Heritage line, introduced in the summer of 2010, may be the fullest-bodied regular production cigar in the Avo portfolio. But that doesn’t mean it trades strength for substance. The Robusto (4.9 x 50) still has plenty of subtlety to go along with its boldness, with notes of leather, mushroom, bread, and black pepper as the most dominant flavors. The aftertaste is especially spicy. I paid $7.50 for this Ecuadorian-wrapped cigar at my local tobacconist in Chicago, and I didn’t experience any buyer’s remorse.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) Edgar M. Cullman, the former head of General Cigar, passed away this week at the age of 93. “Cullman led the fourth generation of his family’s involvement in cigars, which, according to a company history, began in 1848 with Ferdinand Kullman, a wine merchant who immigrated to the U.S. from Germany,” reports Bloomberg. “Cullman joined his father’s tobacco business in 1944 and, in 1961, led a group of investors in buying a controlling interest in New York-based General Cigar, the producer of cigar brands including White Owl, William Penn, and Van Dyck.” Cullman presided over General from 1962 to 2005, helping make Macanudo one of the most recognizable and successful brands in the industry.

2) In August’s “Question of the Month,” we asked readers which cigar released at this year’s trade show they are most looking forward to trying. The Drew Estate Undercrown came in tops with 35% of the vote, followed by the E.P. Carrillo Core Blend Maduro (19%), Tatuaje Casita Criollo (16%), Tatuaje Fausto (15%), CAO OSA Sol (11%), and Casa Miranda (4%). Be sure to weigh in on this month’s question by voting in the sidebar to the right. And feel free to contact us if you’ve got suggestion for a poll.

3) If you’ve got an iPhone and you want to take StogieGuys.com reviews on the go, be sure to check out the new “Cigar Boss” application, which is available in paid and free (ad-supported) versions. The app also links to other websites’ reviews, locates the nearest tobacconists, and enables you to save favorites.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews an E.P. Carrillo Maduro. Cigar Fan smokes the Berger & Argenti Clasico. Smoking Stogie smokes an Illusione MKULTRA. Nice Tight Ash tries the 8-5-8 Sungrown. Your Cigar Ratings gives high marks to the Tatuaje 7th Reserva.

5) Deal of the Week: We gave the My Father El Hijo our highest rating. Even though it’s a limited edition cigar, Smoke Inn still has boxes ($150) and five packs ($50) available here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Amazon