The Stogie Guys

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. When it comes to cigars, that old axiom doesn’t always hold true. Between the desire to sample new, heavily marketed releases and the need to explore uncharted blends, it’s easy to forget about old favorites that were once mainstays of my cigar rotation. I know many of you feel the same way.

My colleague, George E, wrote about this phenomenon back in May 2010. “I’m sure each of you can think of cigars that you really liked in the past but somehow got away from smoking as new releases elbowed their way onto the shelves,” he said. “And I’m not suggesting that anyone abandon the hunt for great new cigars. Discovering them is one of the many pleasures of cigar smoking. But so is reconnecting with an old friend.”

Revisiting George’s article got me thinking about cigars that I haven’t reconnected with in a long time. So I decided to jot down a quick list of cigars I miss. Of the cigars on my list, some are limited releases that are no longer available. Some are rare. Some verge on being cost-prohibitive. But, perhaps surprisingly, many are regular production smokes that are widely available at a relatively reasonable cost.

I find this latter category intriguing. I have no excuse for losing sight of excellent cigars that are easily located and purchased, especially since I once found them so consistently enjoyable. Below are five of these cigars and my reason for missing them: (more…)

Every great city has a great park. Many city parks—including New York’s Central Park, Chicago’s Grant Park, and Boston’s Post Office Square—are more than mere gathering places; they’re symbols of the cities themselves and beacons to locals and tourists alike.

“From botanical gardens to ice skating rinks, from jogging paths to bison paddocks, a great city park can contain multitudes,” wrote Rob Baedeker in Forbes when he ranked America’s best city parks. “But beyond their physical features, the best urban oases may well be defined by a feeling.”

Whatever feeling I get from whatever park I happen to be visiting, I often find that a cigar only enhances the experience. And why not? Cigars and parks are great complements for a variety of reasons. For one, parks are outdoor spaces. As much as I love my indoor cigar havens when the weather turns foul, nothing beats a cigar smoked in the great outdoors—be it a sunny afternoon or a cool evening.

Parks also tend to have plenty of benches, tables, and other places to sit. Sitting down with company or on your own is a great way to focus on the cigar at hand (especially if, like me, you’re the kind of cigar smoker who likes to take notes). If you’re not the note-taking type, sitting in a park can still be quite entertaining. Try “people watching” as you enjoy one of your favorite smokes. Or maybe read a book.

Better yet, you may want to get up and move around with your cigar. Parks are great for that, too. My favorite parks have spectacular vistas and a plethora of paths. Sometimes I’ll just stroll along Millennium Park (pictured) and see what piques my interest, what band happens to be playing, or what event is taking place.

Sadly, though, not all people share my passion for cigars, freedom, and tolerance. In cities like New York, it is now illegal to smoke in outdoor parks. What a terrible shame. I wonder what’s in store for my city of residence, Chicago, where local politicians’ attitude towards cigars isn’t much better than in the Big Apple.

I can’t predict the future. What I can do is enjoy some fine cigars in my favorite park locales before the next Chicago winter sets in—or before politicians rob me of the right to do so.

–Patrick A

 

photo credit: Flickr

If you look online, you’ll find virtually zero information about Mataza, a new line from the Alec Bradley Cigar Company, maker of such cigars as Maxx, Prensado, and Tempus.

I say “virtually” because, for now, there’s only one website that talks about Mataza. It belongs to Hiland’s Cigars, a tobacconist in Scottsdale, Arizona, that carries a nice selection of smokes and takes orders over the web and phone. Scott Hiland tells me that Mataza was sent to his store first. The line is expected to soon become more widely available.

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Like many cigar enthusiasts, I was enamored with the quality and value exhibited by the 777 Corojo when it was introduced in 2009 by Jesus Fuego. That cigar encouraged me to delve deeper into Fuego’s relatively young brand.

J. Fuego by the Miami-based Tabacos S.A. company, as it is called, was launched in 2006 with the help of the Plasencia family. Prior setting off on his own, Fuego had gained industry fame through his instrumental role in developing Rocky Patel’s Vintage ’90 and ’92 lines. Now, his own lineup of creations includes the Natural, Gran Reserva, Origen, Delirium, 777 Corojo, 777 Maduro, and 777 Zero blends.

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[Editors’ Note: In celebration of the five-year anniversary of StogieGuys.com, we’re updating and re-publishing some of our oldest articles, many of which focused on cigar basics. Our hope is to encourage a discussion among readers and reacquaint the community with important cigar fundamentals.]

I know it’s a cliché but, let’s face it, there just aren’t enough hours in a day. Especially if you’re a cigar enthusiast. Between work, commutes, showers, errands, friends and family, chores, three square meals, taxes, and all the other responsibilities us grown-ups shoulder, how exactly is a human supposed to set aside an hour (well, more reasonably, 90 minutes or more) to enjoy some premium tobacco?

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You may have noticed that, over the last week, I’ve been somewhat missing in action. I have a good excuse (or, rather, excuses).

For one, aside from playing a little golf and saying goodbye to many great friends and coworkers, my wife and I recently packed up our apartment in Virginia, loaded up our belongings, and drove them to our new home in Chicago. On Friday we closed on our condo (our first home purchase). On Saturday and Sunday we unloaded and began the unpacking process. Today is my first day at my new job.

As exciting and wonderful as all these changes are, I’ve been incredibly busy. I look forward to getting settled in, establishing a new routine, and maybe even taking a few moments to celebrate some big milestones in my life—including my first wedding anniversary, which passed on May 15 with little time for fanfare.

I also look forward to enjoying a few nice cigars. (more…)

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.”

My exposure to the Cuban version of the Trinidad brand has been severely lacking, but I’ve remedied that lately with a few Robusto Extras. This vitola, which measures six inches long and comes complete with a pigtail cap, is a joy to smoke. Creamy notes are abundant and complemented by traces of cocoa and mint. Notably, though many Cubans seem to be plagued by inconsistent construction these days, this cigar always seems to burn well.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys