The Stogie Guys

[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.]

Even the most amateur enthusiast knows that cigars need humidity for proper storage. Since they are hydroscopic in nature, cigars will, over time, dry out in an arid climate or absorb moisture in a humid one. Dry cigars yield high combustion temperatures, leaving the smoke hot and acrid on the palate. And wet cigars tend to burn improperly and taste stale.

Therefore, we need to aim for a happy medium between too dry and too damp. For the most enjoyable smoke, this equates to 12 to 14 percent of the cigar’s total weight in moisture (or about 60 to 70 percent relative humidity). If you have a humidor, your hygrometer measures relative humidity. But hygrometers, whether mechanical or electronic, can be grossly imprecise and may require adjustment or replacement. So be sure to verify the accuracy of your hygrometer with the salt calibration test.

I’ll begin by mentioning that my degrees in political science and international commerce in no way qualify me to discuss the intricacies of chemistry. So I won’t try to explain why the salt calibration test works. Just please note that it does.

To perform the test on your own hygrometer, you’ll need a few basic items:

(1) Distilled water (purchased from any grocery store)
(2) Coffee stirrer (or other thin, clean object with which to stir)
(3) Bottle cap (Snapple bottle caps work perfectly)
(4) Empty wide-mouth jar with lid (like a clean mayonnaise jar)
(5) Tablespoon of plain table salt
(6) Your hygrometer

Place the tablespoon of salt within the bottle cap and slowly add distilled water to the salt while stirring with the coffee stirrer. Only add just enough water to moisten the salt so that it becomes a thick paste—do not add enough to dissolve the salt.

Next, place the bottle cap with salt/water mixture gently into your wide-mouth jar and add your hygrometer. Make certain the sensor is exposed and is not blocked by the sides of the jar. Seal the jar so there are no leaks, and put it in a place out of direct sunlight and with a stable, cool temperature (like your closet).

Leave the setup undisturbed for a minimum of eight hours. After that, check the reading on the hygrometer through the glass jar. It should read on or near 75 percent relative humidity. Most inexpensive hygrometers are only accurate to within 3 percent, so do not be surprised if yours reads 72 or 78 percent. Whatever it reads plus or minus our 75 percent benchmark is the amount of error.

If your hygrometer has an adjustment meter then, by all means, try to tweak it to exactly 75 percent relative humidity. You should repeat the salt calibration test after making any adjustments. If your hygrometer can’t be adjusted but the reading is close, then my advice is to not worry about it; just remember that your hygrometer is X percent off—either high or low. If the reading is grossly in error and you are unable to adjust it, you need to replace it.

Once you confirm your hygrometer’s accuracy and maintain a relative humidity of about 65 percent in your humidor, your cigars will age properly and be in peak condition when you’re ready to fire them up.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr

As we approach our fifth anniversary and celebrate a half decade of publishing daily, the StogieGuys.com team is preparing for change.

For the past several months, we’ve been quietly laying the foundation for a complete website overhaul and redesign. Our preparation has included analyzing what we do well, understanding what we do poorly, and assessing where and how to implement improvements. Virtually every aspect of our operation is being critiqued—as it well should be to ensure our ability to offer high-quality coverage of the world of cigars for many years to come.

Some things, however, we don’t plan to change. For example, we will continue to publish daily, offering such regularly occurring features as full reviews, tips, Quick Smokes, commentaries, interviews, and Friday Samplers. And we aim to keep our readers well-informed about the most pressing threats to cigar rights, be they tobacco taxes, smoking bans, or onerous regulations.

Beyond that, pretty much everything else is subject to change. This includes, but is not limited to, the overall look of the website, our branding, the way comments are managed, social networking integration, our usage of video, and site navigation. I could go on and on, but you get the picture.

While some changes will take longer than others, we’re currently planning to roll out the new StogieGuys.com before the summer. But we need your help.

Our greatest asset has always been our loyal readers, and now I’d like to solicit your guidance in shaping the future of our website. So please take a few moments today to leave a comment listing (1) what you like about StogieGuys.com, (2) what you dislike, and/or (3) any suggestions for improvement.

Your constructive comments and criticisms will be used as we make redesign decisions. My colleagues and I thank you in advance for your feedback at this critical juncture in our website’s history.

–Patrick A

[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.]

Properly lighting a cigar is a bit more complicated than simply striking a match. But taking the time to establish an even, straight burn—and getting in the habit of doing so regularly—will pay dividends in better performing cigars and fewer touch-ups.

It’s well-documented that butane lighters, due to their resistance to wind and consistent flames, make great ignition tools. Some cigar enthusiasts spend hundreds of dollars on a shiny lighter made of a precious metal that may or may not perform well over the years (or may or may not get lost between the car seats). If that’s the route you want to take, I think you’ll find many of options. I, on the other hand, have several single-flame lighters (one in the car, one in the golf bag, one at home, one at work, etc.), each of which cost me between $4 and $30. A few are very reliable and effective, and a few others are less consistent. Most importantly, all are easily replaceable.

Whether you’re using a $4 lighter or a $400 lighter, the process of establishing a good burn is pretty much the same. After cutting the head and examining the cold draw, take the foot, hold it at a 45 degree angle over the flame, and slowly rotate the stogie so the entire face of the foot begins to darken. Take note of the aroma.

Next, place the stogie in your mouth and hold the flame about an inch from the foot. Rotate the cigar as you draw in air. When you release the air pressure from the draw, a flame will shoot up from the foot of the cigar, and smoke will release.

Finally, take the cigar out of your mouth and gently blow air directly onto the foot. This will help the flame spread across the entire surface of the filler tobacco (and also enable you to check your work). Repeat as necessary.

These simple steps can be followed whether you’re using a butane torch or, as is my preference in non-windy locales, wooden matches. It is inadvisable to light cigars with paper matches, stoves, candles, or lighters that use lighter fluid.

Whatever your ignition tool, be sure to keep this in mind: You’re lighting a cigar, not welding iron. There’s no need to rush the lighting process (the ritual is meant to be enjoyed), and overhearing or charring the foot is a great way to ruin an otherwise fine smoke. So take your time and keep the flame at a safe distance.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr

The summer is quickly approaching, and that means warmer temperatures and higher levels of humidity. For cigar smokers, these conditions present several challenges, each of which is best addressed through prevention.

The first challenge, and arguably the most sinister foe of premium tobacco, is common mold. This white, black, green, and/or blue substance is a fuzzy, smelly cigar-killer. If left untreated, mold can spread through direct contact—or even airborne spores—to ruin your treasured smokes and damage the lining of your humidor. Once you’ve got mold, there are a few measures you can take to minimize the damage. But you’re much better off preventing a mold outbreak from occurring in the first place. To keep your guard up, maintain 65% relative humidity in your humidor and allow your smokes to breathe every so often.

Another menacing tobacco enemy that’s more prevalent in the summer is the tobacco beetle. Most cigar enthusiasts shudder at the mere thought of these nasty little critters. If activated by warmth, these loathsome creatures undergo the larva, pupa, and beetle stages over the course of 10 to 12 weeks. After that, they’re beetles for about 14 days, and your humidor becomes their all-you-can-eat buffet. Trust me when I say that prevention is the best policy.

Beetle prevention can take a number of forms. The simplest method is to keep the temperature inside your humidor to 65 degrees. This strategy is effective because beetle eggs—which are harmless and (sadly) present on most tobacco leaves when they’re harvested—won’t hatch without temperatures of around 75 degrees.

Another way to prevent beetle outbreaks is to freeze your stash of cigars (thereby killing the eggs before they have a chance to hatch). Some cigar enthusiasts freeze every single new cigar they get before adding it to their humidor. For those of us who consider this practice overkill, try freezing only high-risk cigars (such as ones that were shipped during the hot summer months).

In either case, follow these steps: Put the cigars in Ziploc freezer bags, seal the bags tightly with as little air as possible inside, place them in a refrigerator for one day, move them to a freezer for three days, place them back in the refrigerator for one day, and then leave them at room temperature for one day. This process of slowly freezing cigars will minimize the stress imposed on the tobacco leaves.

Whether you’re working to prevent mold or beetles, please know that your efforts are only as effective as your equipment. The onset of summer—and all the heat and humidity that comes with the season—is a good time to upgrade your thermometer and hygrometer if need be.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr

[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.]

While enjoying a fine cigar is certainly more of an art than a science, there a few essential skills you should master in order to get the most out of the experience. What better place to start than with a good, clean cut?

It’s worth pointing out that, when it comes to cigar cutting, there are many different tools. Some people use specially-crafted cigar scissors, some use a sharp knife, a cigar punch, a V-cutter—some even use their teeth. But the most common tool is the guillotine-style cigar cutter.

We recommend the guillotine cutter for most cigar smokers because knives and teeth usually don’t yield clean cuts. Cigar scissors are nice tools if you know how to use them (they require precision, practice, and a keen eye). And cigar punches and V-cutters, while perfect for some cigars (use punches on stogies with tightly-packed fillers to ease the draw and V-cutters on cigars with small ring gauges to increase surface area), are not always the best choice.

In order to use the guillotine cutter, take the head of the cigar and position it so the blade will enter the stogie just above the shoulder (where parejo cigars stop being round). If you’re planning to smoke a torpedo or a pyramid, a good rule of thumb is to slice off about a quarter inch.

No matter what the cigar size, though, keep in mind that it’s better to error on the side of cutting too little. You can always go back and carefully re-cut if the cold draw is too tight. But if you cut too much, there’s no going back.

With the guillotine in place, press down firmly until the blade completely passes through the cigar. If the blade is sharp and the stogie is in good condition, you will get a nice clean cut. You may want to invest in a double-guillotine cutter (that’s a guillotine with two blades instead of one) to ensure even cleaner cuts.

Finally, for a cigar that typically exhibits a tight draw, try cutting the head at a slight angle instead of straight up and down. Angled cuts will increase the surface area of the exposed filler and thereby make it a little easier to pull through.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

La Floridita is a Famous Smoke Shop exclusive that, according to a company representative, “has been performing very well for us. The name is well recognized by our customers as an outstanding value for their money.”

Given the success of the established La Floridita lines, including the Fuerte (Habano viso wrapper) and the Limited Edition (mata fina wrapper), it was a “logical line extension” to release a version with an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. Hence La Floridita Gold, which was introduced in March.

This blend comes complete with a Honduran binder and long-filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and Honduras. Like its brethren, it’s made by Nestor Plasencia and priced to move.

The Robusto (5 x 50), one of three traditional sizes, sells for $80 for a box of 20, $16 for a 5-pack, or $5.25 for a single.

This cigar doesn’t come at a super-premium price, and it certainly doesn’t make a super-premium first impression. But it also doesn’t look half bad, either. The exterior leaf has moderate oils and minimal veins, the feel is firm from head to foot, and the pre-light aroma is of honey and almond.

Once lit, the initial flavor is somewhat grassy with a base of cream, cashew, hay, and vanilla. The overall effect is mild with a taste akin to coffee with hazelnut creamer. While not complex, the profile is nice for the price.

If I were one to complain, I’d say the Gold Robusto tastes a bit green at this point. I’d be interested to see how it develops after a few months, or even after a year. Even so, today it tastes pretty good for such an inexpensive smoke.

That value is further illustrated by the combustion qualities, which are exceptional. The burn line is straight as they come, the white ash holds sturdily off the foot, and the draw is just about perfect. I wouldn’t expect anything less from Plasencia.

In full disclosure, Famous Smoke Shop did furnish the five Robustos I smoked for this review. But I always judge a cigar on its merits—presentation, aroma, flavor, complexity, construction, etc. In this case, the merits of the La Floridita Gold earn it a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The Miami-based Berger & Argenti company was established in 2009 as a partnership between brothers Michael and Albert Argenti and Enrique Berger. The outfit’s first lines included Exile Wired, Clasico, and Entubar.

The latter, Berger & Argenti’s flagship blend, made quite an impression on me when I reviewed it after returning from the 2009 IPCPR Trade Show. It had balance, complexity, and interesting flavors. It also had outstanding construction, due in no small part to the “entubar” process, which involves creating delicate “scrolls” of filler tobacco to ensure “chambers” of air flow.

The newer Entubar Quad Maduro—so named for its “cuadrado” press and maduro wrapper—was introduced at the 2010 IPCPR Trade Show. This line makes use of the same painstaking “entubar” procedure but employs a new, bolder blend of tobaccos. Included are Nicaraguan (viso and ligero) and Dominican (seco) filler leaves, a Nicaraguan binder, and a Jalapa-grown maduro wrapper that has been “aged eight years in seasoned oak barrels,” according to a press release.

Like the original Entubar, the Quad Maduro has a “channel” of ligero tobacco that extends a quarter inch beyond the foot, which creates “a startlingly unique ‘fuse like’ appearance that assures a superior draw, flawless conical burn with a long white ash, and a myriad of complex flavors channeled directly onto the palate.” A band around the bottom advises enthusiasts to “thoroughly toast entire cigar foot before smoking.”

It’s easy enough to establish an even light on the Double Corona (7.63 x 54). Once set, the dark cigar produces a full-bodied taste of earth and peppery spice. The profile then settles to include less heft, less spice, and flavors of nuts, leather, cream, and dark chocolate. Quite enjoyable with a chalky texture.

At the midway point and beyond, the Double Corona is decidedly medium-bodied. The flavors never really seem to change all that much, they just moderately intensify and retreat (depending on how quickly you smoke the cigar). Construction, as expected, is superb throughout the two-hour experience, with a near-perfect burn, a solid ash, and an easy draw that yields bountiful smoke.

Quad Maduro comes packaged in cedar boxes of 20 cigars and is available in three other sizes sizes: Corona Macho (4.63 x 48), Robusto (5.38 x 54), and Torpedo (6.88 x 56). The Double Corona retails for $12 apiece. This price point, in my opinion, is an accurate reflection of the quality of the tobacco and the labor-intensive “entubar” process. For its harmonious flavor, beautiful aroma, and notable combustion properties, the Entubar Quad Maduro Double Corona deserves four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys