The Stogie Guys

Spring is finally here. At least officially, as of March 20. I guess some of us are still dealing with cooler temperatures or even snow. But the promise of warmer weather is closer than ever. Cue “Here Comes the Sun” on your iPod.

And that means good things for those of us who are lucky enough to be cigar enthusiasts. We can finally open the windows, dust off our tiki torches, and comfortably smoke cigars where cigars were meant to be smoked: outside. Soon, we’ll all be freed from the indoor smoke-friendly sanctuaries in which we’ve been hiding since the fall. That is, of course, if you’re lucky enough to have access to an all-too-rare indoor cigar haven.

I’ve been hiding in my den, which is equipped with plenty of books, more than plenty of cigars, and easy access to cold libations. My wife “allows” me to smoke in there as long as the outside temp is below 50 degrees. For that I’m very grateful.

I’m not, after all, one of these guys with an air-tight, separately ventilated room, an expensive exhaust system, and a password-protected vault door. When I smoke a cigar in the den, you can smell it throughout our home. But I like that smell. And my wife is cool enough to put up with it.

As much as I love the den, though, and as much as I enjoy such cigar-friendly locales as CXIII Rex and Shelly’s, I’m really looking forward to getting back outside. Whether it’s having a cocktail on my patio, playing a round of golf, or firing up the barbecue, outside is the place to be for this cigar fan.

Warmer temperatures aren’t the only reason spring is a great time to be a cigar smoker. This season is also a perfect chance to catch up on cigars that were released at last year’s IPCPR Trade Show. The next convention, after all, is just a few months away, and many cigar makers will start issuing press releases about their new products before you know it. It’ll be like hearing Christmas carols before Thanksgiving (a major no-no in my book).

Before you grow envious of all the new stuff you can’t buy yet, take stock in those cigars you may have missed from the 2010 convention, or reacquaint yourself with some of your favorites. Personally, I think last year’s trade show was top-notch in terms of new cigar releases. Smokes like the Avo Heritage, J. Fuego Origen, Toraño Single Region, and Guillermo León will pair nicely with the warmer temperatures and the increasing levels of sunshine.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr

The J.C. Newman Cigar Company, best known for its Cuesta-Rey and Diamond Crown cigars, was founded in 1895. That’s the year a young Julius Caeser Newman crafted his first cigars in the family barn in Cleveland.

These days the Tampa-based company is honoring its originator and celebrating its 115th birthday with a new blend. Called Julius Caeser, the cigar line is the second Diamond Crown spinoff (the first being Maximus). Its Ecuadorian wrapper and “smooth, robust blend of Central American tobaccos” are the result of “years of testing blends, perfecting quality, and aging.”

“Over the years I have developed a fondness for cigars that have a certain ‘something,’” says Eric Newman, current president of J.C. Newman. “I can’t put it into words in a flavor profile, but I can tell you that our new Diamond Crown Julius Caeser cigars have it.”

The blend is available in leather cabinets of 20 cigars and sold exclusively at Diamond Crown Cigar Lounges. It is offered in four sizes: Robusto (4.75 x 52), Toro (6 x 52), Churchill (7.25 x 52), and Pyramid (6.5 x 52), each of which are adorned with the likeness of J.C. Newman dressed as the famous Roman general.

The Pyramid has a near-flawless exterior leaf, a moderately spongy feel, and soft pre-light notes of hay and caramel. Once an even burn is established, it yields a mild-mannered tasted of peppery spice and sweet graham cracker. There’s an indefinable flavor present, one that I’ve noticed in a few other mild cigars but that’s far easier to experience than it is to describe.

At the midway point and beyond it becomes clear that the Pyramid isn’t going to intensify in body or strength. Those who enjoy the cigar’s mild profile at the outset will be satisfied; others will be frustrated as they hope in vain for additional life to spring into the Julius Caeser. Either way, you’re better off pairing this cigar with a wine, a crisp beer, or a cup of coffee than a fuller-bodied spirit. Bourbons and rums are likely to drown out the subtlety of the light smoke.

The three Pyramids I sampled for this review each exhibited outstanding construction, including a straight burn, a nice draw, and a finely layered white ash. I wouldn’t expect anything less from a cigar that retails in the pricey $15-18 range.

But I was hoping for more in the flavor department. While I’ve long been a defender of mild cigars and naysayer of pepperbombs that are as subtle as a Michael Bay movie, the Julius Caeser just doesn’t have the complexity one would anticipate from a cigar with such a high price tag. I ultimately award it three stogies out of five based on its merits.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The history of DonQ rum dates back to 1861. That’s the year Don Juan Serrallés, a first-generation immigrant from Spain, founded a sugar plantation in Puerto Rico.

Four years later, Serrallés produced his first casks of rum using a copper pot still imported from France. The Serrallés Family would later gain exclusive rights to the Río Inabón, a river that winds through Puerto Rico’s volcanic mountains, and, in 1934, introduce DonQ to the market. “The brand is named for Don Quixote, the famous literary character from the family’s favorite novel,” reads the DonQ website. “Just as Don Quixote represents the search for a perfect world, DonQ signifies the family’s quest for perfection in rum.”

To create their rum, the family—now headed by Felix J. Serrallés, Jr.— distills DonQ five times before aging it for two to seven years in charred American white oak barrels. The product is then blended and bottled on-site. “We delight in the art and science behind making our rums,” says the family.

DonQ has won numerous accolades since it was reintroduced to the U.S. market in 2006. It was named “platinum” at the International Spirits Competition and “double gold” at the San Francisco World Competition.

Poured neat, the bright golden spirit boasts a nose of rich caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, and raisin. The aroma also has a mellow alcohol tinge, and swirling the glass illustrates the rum’s low viscosity and lack of sediments. The taste is light and smoky. Notes of butterscotch, oak, and molasses are prevalent, and more subtle flavors of pineapple and tobacco are detectable to attentive sippers. The finish, while not nearly as pronounced as bolder rums, is longer and warmer than you’d expect from such a clean-tasting spirit.

At the end of the day, DonQ isn’t as complex or inspiring as the finer rums on the market. But it can hold its own neat, or better yet, in your favorite rum cocktail (the so-called “blood and tears” is especially interesting). And it will only run you about $20 per bottle.

As for cigar pairings, couple spicy medium-bodied smokes with this spirit, as they’ll balance nicely with DonQ’s sweet and fruity flavors. I’ve found the Fuente Flor Fina 8-5-8 to be one of many excellent complements.

–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 Honduran puro from General Cigar has been a mainstay of my humidor ever since I first tried it in 2008. With outstanding construction and an interesting profile of dry cedar, clove, spice, and sweetness, the Robusto (5.5 x 50) is a fine everyday smoke for around $4 apiece.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A.J. Fernandez made his mark on the industry by producing top-selling cigars for the likes of Rocky Patel, Padilla, Graycliff, Gurkha, and others. Last year he broke the mold and released his first nationally-distributed solo cigar.

The blend, San Lotano, was once a pre-Castro Cuban line. “Retired for decades, the line is being reintroduced by A.J. Fernandez, whose grandfather first started the brand in San Luis, Cuba,” reads a press release. Fernandez says that “San Lotano has been a project many years in the making for me, and it is made to honor the tradition of cigar making that I learned from my father and my father’s father.”

San Lotano is handmade at the Tabacalera Fernandez factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, which turns out nine million cigars annually. The series is available in three wrapper variations: Habano, Connecticut, and Maduro. The latter features a Mexican outer leaf, a dual binder from the Dominican Republic and Honduras, and a two-country filler blend from Honduras and Nicaragua.

With a soft box press, the Robusto (5 x 52) retails for about $6 apiece. It has the look, feel, and smell of other Mexican cigars—notably Murcielago—with a rich, sun-softened exterior and mouth-watering aromas of cocoa and earth. The cold draw is smooth and easy.

After toasting the foot and establishing an even light, a chalky profile of cayenne spice, espresso, black pepper, and sweet coffee creamer takes center stage. A bitter taste is also present, a pleasant one that reminds me of dark chocolate. The interesting sweet-versus-bitter interplay continues into the midway point, and the finale is characterized by more espresso and intensified spice.

The construction is set-it-and-forget-it kind solid. Although slightly flaky, the ash holds firm for well over an inch, and the burn line requires zero maintenance.

True, there’s much to like about the Maduro Robusto, and the price is more than fair. While it may not be as exceptional as the San Lotano Habano, which boasts impressively complex flavors and loads of body, or the Connecticut, which sports a taste of almond and subtle spice, this savory specimen is worthy 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

CAO will never be the same. In the five months since Swedish Match and the Scandinavian Tobacco Group merged to create a new tobacco giant, bringing CAO into the General Cigar fold, four CAO executives stepped down and the company moved from its longtime home of Nashville to Richmond.

Many industry commentators and CAO fans are speculating that these changes will translate into new cigars that bear little resemblance to those once made under the direction of Tim Ozgener. Only time will tell if they’re right. For now, there’s plenty of old CAO inventory stocked at tobacconists across the country and at retailers online—like the three Lx2 Gordos I smoked for this review.

Released at the 2008 industry trade show, the Lx2 blend (“ligero times two”) features a hearty helping of spicy ligero leaves surrounded by a Honduran binder and a sungrown Nicaraguan wrapper. The Gordo (6 x 60) is a relatively new size in the Lx2 lineup. This massive, intimidating vitola seems like a natural fit for a blend that intends to pack a powerful, spicy punch. Dark and oily with thin veins, the Gordo smells of espresso and draws effortlessly in the cold taste.

With a higher filler-to-wrapper ratio than the other Lx2 sizes (and thus with more ligero), I was expecting this cigar to be fuller bodied than, say, the Lancero. Surprisingly, though, it starts more subdued than I remember the other Lx2 vitolas to be. The profile is bready and dry with an aftertaste of black pepper and some sweet notes. The filler tobaccos, a mix of Dominican and Nicaraguan ligero leaves, take a stronger foothold into the second third of the Gordo. Here, rich coffee flavors come to the fore and the spice amplifies. Leather, and a solid nicotine kick, join the fray at the midway point.

That’s also about when the monotonous flavor starts to wear out its welcome. Sure, this is a tasty, well-made cigar with pretty good combustion properties—including a fairly straight burn and a solid gray ash. But the profile just isn’t complex or balanced enough to hold my attention for lengthy amount of time it takes to smoke this beast.

Fortunately, these days you can find the Lx2 Gordo for less than $5 apiece when bought by the box. That’s probably a fair deal for enthusiasts who like hearty, thick cigars. While I don’t see myself making that kind of investment anytime soon, I’m awarding the Gordo three stogies out of five in recognition of what it brings to the table.

[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.”

When I first tried this blend several years ago, I found it to be somewhat lacking in flavor. My tastes have changed—or, depending on your perspective, either developed or declined. I say that because, these days, I find myself turning to the Lot 23 Robusto time and again when I need a good coffee companion. Its mild-mannered, classic profile of cream, nut, and spice seems to pair perfectly with a hot cup of Joe in the morning or afternoon. And with solid construction and a price tag of only $4-5, this Perdomo is easy to enjoy and afford.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys