The Stogie Guys

Aside from creating thousands of jobs and innovating and producing the stogies we love, most cigar companies also make significant charitable contributions. Many are playing active roles in the development of communities, increasing access to basic necessities, and even saving lives. These selfless initiatives are admirable and, in my opinion, underreported. So today I’m pleased to highlight several companies who deserve our praise. They are but a few of the dozens of organizations in the tobacco industry who are giving back in important ways.

Toraño Family Cigar Co.

For the holidays, Toraño partnered with the Miami-based Neat Stuff to provide new toys for children who come from abused and underprivileged homes. Company president Charlie Toraño (pictured) says this won’t be the last time he’ll undertake a charitable effort. “I look forward to Toraño Family Cigar Co. being more involved in the community in the near future as we can’t lose focus on those who are less fortunate,” he said. Franklin Monjarrez, executive director of Neat Stuff and a cigar smoker, said: “I am honored to have met with Charlie Toraño to undertake this amazing event to help Neat Stuff deliver toys to the children who need them most.”

Cigar Family Charitable Foundation

No discussion of cigar charities is complete without mentioning the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation, a joint venture of J.C. Newman and the Fuente Family. This organization builds schools and health clinics, supports the development of business ventures, sponsors sports programs, and invests in water purification, all in the Dominican Republic. The goal is to make a positive humanitarian impact in an important cigar-producing country.

Other Noteworthy Causes

While space is too limited to provide even a cursory glance of the tobacco industry’s overall charitable contributions, it’s worth noting that cigar makers are giving to a host of causes, including the troops, guide dogs, hunger relief, cancer research, literacy, disaster relief, etc. Altadis’ Montecristo Relief Organization, for example, has donated millions to build homes, schools, and medical facilities, as well as provide scholarships and economic opportunities to victims of natural disasters in the Caribbean and the U.S. And Tesa, one of my favorite boutique manufacturers, donates 10% of its profits to benefit the housing, education, and sustenance of the Nicaraguan people.

Friends of CRA

Let’s also not forget that many cigar companies support Cigar Rights of America, a consumer-based, non-profit public advocacy organization that works at the local, state, and federal level of government to protect the freedoms of cigar enthusiasts. So, in addition to joining CRA yourself, you can fight against tobacco taxes and smoking bans by buying cigars made by the Friends of CRA.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

La Aurora has grabbed its share of headlines lately, launching highly anticipated (and well-marketed) blends like Guillermo León and 107. But let’s not forget that the Dominican’s oldest cigar maker offers plenty of other wise investments for smart enthusiasts.

Among them is the Preferidos series, a collection of smokes that debuted in 1998 to honor Eduardo León Jimenes, the man who founded La Aurora in 1903. Initially, all Preferidos cigars were perfectos. About five years ago, though, La Aurora began to offer Preferidos in standard parejo shapes.

Today you can find five-packs of Preferidos in the Robusto size, each pack with one cigar from the line’s five blends: Connecticut, Ecuador, Cameroon, Corojo, and Maduro. These blends are also sold individually or by the box.

The Cameroon Robusto (5 x 50) features an oily, water-spotted wrapper with Dominican binder and filler tobaccos. All of these components were aged up to three years before spending additional time in rum barrels. This strategy is intended to speed up the fermentation process, not infuse the tobacco with a rum taste.

So it isn’t surprising that this cedar-smelling cigar’s profile doesn’t include molasses or any other flavors that I associate with rum. Instead, it starts with a dry woody taste, hints of black pepper, and a sugary finish that’s commonly found in African Cameroon tobacco. The overall effect is straightforward yet well-balanced.

At the midway point and beyond, the Robusto develops strength—making it decidedly medium-bodied—and some creamy tones. These additions play nicely off the sweet and salty flavors that remain in the foreground. All the while the construction is near perfect. Expect a firm ash, a straight burn line, and a smooth draw.

I enjoyed all three Cameroon Robustos I sampled for this review. Still, at $8-11 apiece, this cigar’s value doesn’t compare favorably against some of the other Cameroons on the market, like the Cuban Crafters Cameroon or the H. Upmann Vintage Cameroon, just to name a couple. But for its harmonious flavor, aromatic resting smoke, and outstanding combustion qualities, the La Aurora Preferidos Cameroon Robusto shouldn’t be ignored. It earns three 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.”

The price on this thick toro varies significantly depending on where you buy it. In my case, it was free—a gift from my father. That’s a pretty good deal. With a chalky, medium-bodied profile of cedar, cream, powdered coca, and honey, this Ecuadorian-wrapped smoke from Avo displays all the nuance you’d expect from a cigar that normally retails for as much as $12. Coupled with good construction, the Compañero (6 x 54) is a wise purchase.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

As popular as the Dominican-made La Gloria Cubana line has been for General Cigar, the Cuban incarnation is less visible than most of its Havana brethren. Case in point: Habanos SA, Cuba’s state-owned tobacco monopoly, relegates La Gloria to “local brand” status.

That’s a step below “niche brand” (i.e., Trinidad and San Cristobal), two steps below “multi-local” (i.e., Bolivar and Punch), and a far cry from “global” (i.e., Cohiba and Montecristo). I’m not sure these classifications mean much in the grand scheme of things. Do they indicate production volumes? Quality?

At any rate, La Gloria isn’t as prominent or widespread as the likes of Romeo y Julieta or Hoyo de Monterrey. But this brand is no newcomer. Cigars started being produced under the La Gloria Cubana name 125 years ago. Since then, the brand has weathered three ownership changes and one Cuban revolution. Today, it boasts seven commercially available vitolas, each made at the Partagas Factory using tobaccos from the Vuelta Abajo region.

The Médaille d’Or No. 2 (6.75 x 43) is one of four cigars in La Gloria’s slender Médaille d’Or series. It is a lonsdale-shaped smoke that fetches around $15 apiece. Caramel in color and relatively firm to the touch, it has a lumpy, rough-looking wrapper with a few prominent veins and noticeable seams. Not much to look at.

Once lit, the cigar’s pre-light fragrance of hay and honey transitions to a medium-bodied profile of graham cracker spice, roasted nuts, and sweet cedar. There’s also an aftertaste present that I can only describe as a tang—a unique sensation that can also be found in other smokes like the Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill.

At the midway point and thereafter, it becomes clear that the Médaille d’Or No. 2 isn’t going to transition much. I can see some enthusiasts being dismayed by this, especially in a long, slow-burning cigar that requires a significant time commitment. But the flavor’s balance easily keeps me satisfied throughout the smoke despite its consistency.

Do the construction characteristics leave something to be desired? Yes. Like many Cubans these days, the Médaille d’Or No. 2 requires touch-ups to maintain an even burn. And the draw varied somewhat between the three cigars I examined for this review. Notwithstanding its physical faults, however, this La Gloria Cubana is a fine selection if you’re looking for a Cuban that’s outside the mainstream. It earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Robert Levin founded Ashton Cigars in 1985 when he left Holt’s Cigar Company, a Philadelphia retailer his parents founded in the late ’50s. He has since grown Ashton into one of the world’s most respected cigar manufacturers.

Today, in partnership with the Fuente Family, the company’s portfolio extends well beyond the Ashton brand, including San Cristobal, La Aroma de Cuba, and Sosa. The latter rarely shares the limelight with the other two, and it definitely doesn’t command the attention of such Ashton notables as Cabinet Selection, Virgin Sun Grown, and Estate Sun Grown.

But Sosa, made by the Fuentes in the Dominican Republic, is a fine selection if you’re looking for Ashton quality but don’t want to pay Ashton prices.

That’s what you get with the Wavell Natural (5 x 50). It can be found for less than $5, especially if you’re buying by the box. It features an oily, sepia-colored Ecuador Sumatra wrapper, Dominican binder and filler tobaccos, and soft pre-light aromas of honey and cinnamon.

The cinnamon note carries over to the first puff, where it is accompanied by flavors of dry cedar, cashew, and earth. This is a satisfying, albeit familiar, combination that’s toasty and medium in body.

Sweetness, ginger, and graham cracker spice help expand the Wavell’s profile past the first third. Here, the robusto-sized smoke displays a balance that’s lacking from many cigars twice its price. As an added bonus, the resting smoke is fragrant enough to keep my mouth watering between puffs.

Complementing the taste are top-notch physical properties. The band removes easily, the burn progresses evenly without touch-ups, the draw remains consistent and smooth, and the white ash builds solidly off the foot.

Despite short flickers of bitter notes in the final third, the Sosa Wavell Natural is a wonderful value and a strong candidate for a box purchase. I look forward to sampling Ashton’s two other Sosa varieties: the Ecuador Sumatra-wrapped Exclusive Series and the Mexican maduro-wrapped Super Selection. Meanwhile, this affordably priced creation 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.”

I picked up this oak barrel-aged Belicoso (6.25 x 52) at a local tobacconist for about $8. It got off to a good start with a medium-bodied profile of molasses, coffee, and clove. Spice and meaty notes joined in at the midway point. But while the cigar’s flavor featured an interesting interplay between dry wood and sweetness throughout, its physical properties left much to be desired—especially in the second half. The burn required consistent maintenance and the ash was flaky and difficult to control.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys