The 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.”

If you’re in the market for a cigar with a whole bunch of shiny, elaborate bands, look no further than the Espada Estoque from Montecristo. This well-dressed cigar debuted last year as Altadis’ follow-up to the 2014 Montecristo Espada. The Plasencia Family made only 5,000 boxes of 10 in a torpedo (6 x 50) format, the only vitola offered. The tobaccos include a 2013 Jalapa wrapper, 2002 Criollo Jalapa binder, and three filler leaves from Estelí (Corojo 2009), Ometepe (Criollo 2013), and Condega (Criollo 2013). I found a single Espada Estoque in one of my humidors, where it had likely been resting over a year. The initial profile is deliciously nutty with a toned-down black pepper spice and some espresso. Thereafter, the nuttiness fades while pepper and leather come to the fore. The texture is gritty and papery. Construction is excellent, but I expect more from a cigar with an MSRP of $14.50.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Occasionally I’ll walk into a tobacconist with a few specific cigars in mind and leave with something entirely different. Or maybe I just end up spending way more than I had anticipated. Such was the case recently when I wondered into one of my local shops only to find a representative from Oliva. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take advantage of the special he was offering and reacquaint myself with some old favorites.

Serie V has been on the market for a long time. Like many of you, I suspect, the blend was a staple in my rotation years ago, only to be slowly displaced by a constant barrage of newer, trendier smokes. There’s nothing like catching up with a long-lost friend, though, so I decided to re-review a cigar I last wrote about way back in September 2012: the Oliva Serie V Lancero.

This blend is intended “to deliver full body taste while maintaining an unparalleled smoothness,” according to the Oliva website. “This flavorful blend exhibits complex tobacco with rich coffee and dark chocolate tones.” The recipe calls for a Habano sun-grown wrapper around a Nicaraguan binder and Ligero filler tobaccos from Jalapa.

I count seven regular-production Serie V vitolas: Belicoso, Churchill, Double Robusto, Double Toro, Special V Figurado, Torpedo, and Lancero. The latter ran me about $8. It measures 7 inches long with a ring gauge of 38 and sports an oily, reddish, smooth wrapper with tight seams. The feel is moderately firm and the foot shows a cross-section of tightly packed tobaccos. After the well-executed cap is clipped, the cold draw is quite smooth—especially for such a thin smoke. The sweet pre-light notes remind me of chocolate, caramel, and hay.

On the palate, the Serie V Lancero is much bolder and considerably less sweet than the pre-light notes would have you believe. This is a medium- to full-bodied cigar with ample nicotine kick. Flavors include leather, espresso, black pepper spice, warm tobacco, earth, and a touch of sweetness. Background tastes include subtle hints of sweet toffee, dry cedar, and some dark chocolate.

As the cigar progresses, the profile doesn’t change much, but the spice and intensity dip towards the midway point, only to ramp back up in the final third. I would call the texture leathery—borderline meaty—with enough complexity to keep things interesting from light to nub.

Construction leaves nothing to be desired. The burn is straight, the ash holds fairly well, the draw is clear, and the smoke production is average.

I am electing to slightly change my rating of the Serie V Lancero (I originally awarded it four stogies out of five). It’s hard to say if the cigar is different four years later, or if my preferences, taste buds, and/or standards have somewhat changed. I harbor this impression that one of Oliva’s hallmarks is consistency, so I’m inclined to think it’s more the latter and less the former. In any event, taking everything into consideration, this time I’ve arrived at a score 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

Caldwell Cigar Co. was launched in 2014 by Robert Caldwell with a lineup of Dominican blends. The company seemingly came out of nowhere; its cigars debuted only about eight months after Caldwell walked away from Wynwood Cigars, a co-venture with Christian Eiroa, formerly of Camacho. Most people will tell you eight months isn’t nearly enough time to create and execute a vision for a new brand, but Robert Caldwell isn’t most people.

The following year, in 2015, in an effort to reach segments of the market that don’t typically seek Dominican smokes, Caldwell introduced Blind Man’s Bluff. The line is crafted at Agroindustrias Laepe S.A. in Danlí, Honduras—best known as the factory that produces Camacho—using a “their kitchen, our chef” approach. Caldwell says the intention was to make a “Caldwell-eqsue” cigar from tobaccos to which he didn’t previously have access.

The Blind Man’s Bluff recipe calls for an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Honduran Criollo binder, and filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic and Honduras. It is offered in three sizes: Toro (6 x 52), Magnum (6 x 60), and Robusto (5 x 50). (My colleague has also reviewed a Corona Gorda that’s exclusive to Burns Tobacconist in Chattanooga, Tennessee.)

I smoked a five-pack of the Robusto vitola for this review (the pack was $37.50, or $7.50 per cigar). Beneath the cigar’s interesting and memorable band—which features a black and white portrait of a man in a bowler hat with his eyes smudged out—is a silky wrapper with a few large veins. The Robusto is moderately spongy to the touch with a few soft spots. The pre-light notes at the foot are a combination of earthiness and dried fruit.

Once lit, I find a medium-bodied, bready profile of cedar, subtle black pepper, papery airiness, and warm tobacco. The texture is light yet it has a leathery core. Salt hits the tip of the tongue while a soft sweetness adds balance in the background. The pace at which you smoke drastically impacts the intensity of the salt so, if you’re like me and want to limit that flavor, you’ll want to take your time between puffs.

Into the midway point, the salt begins to fade while green raisin and hints of vanilla join in. This marks the point at which the Robusto is most enjoyable. The final third is characterized by a slight increase in spice and intensity. I will note, however, that I don’t think this cigar ever ventures beyond medium-bodied.

Construction-wise, the burn line leaves something to be desired; touch-ups are needed along the way to keep things on course. The draw is perfect, though, and the smoke production is above average. I would also add the gray, finely layered ash holds well off the foot.

As I burned through this five-pack, I realized the Blind Man’s Bluff Robusto is my personal introduction to the Caldwell Cigar Co.—a surprising revelation given how I have appreciated (from an apparent distance) the unique names and interesting artwork associated with the Caldwell brands. I will be actively seeking out other Caldwell blends to see how they suit my palate. But this Robusto, while certainly not bad, doesn’t seem to deliver much of what I’m looking for. I find it somewhat dry and not as flavorful as I had hoped. For me, it rates a respectable though uninspired three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

StogieGuys.com has been covering the annual IPCPR Trade Show for a decade, but there are a few things I especially remember about the 2015 convention in Las Vegas. Aside from the scorching heat outside on The Strip, I recall this being the first show where a sense of FDA foreboding seemingly permeated every conversation. I remember the sheer volume of exhibiting cigar makers, which seemed notably more numerous than previous years. And I recollect the excitement about the new cigars coming to market from former Drew Estate tobacco men Steve Saka and Nicholas Melillo.

You’ll recall Melillo, who formerly served as executive vice president of international operations at Drew Estate, announced the formation of the Foundation Cigar Company shortly before the 2015 convention. At the time, all we knew was his first solo outfit would be headquartered in Connecticut, and the first blend would be made at the TABSA (Tobaccos Valle de Jalapa) factory in Nicaragua, using Aganorsa tobacco.

Today, many of us have smoked the blend El Güegüense—also known as “The Wise Man”—which is a Nicaraguan puro with a Corojo ’99 wrapper from Jalapa that’s described as “rosado rosado café.” There are five vitolas: Robusto, Toro, Torpedo, Corona Gorda, and Chuchill. The latter measures 7 inches with a ring gauge of 48 and retails for $11.

Aside from its red-tinted color, the first thing you notice about the Churchill when it’s in your hand is the smoothness of the wrapper. Whether the velvety touch is due to the cigar’s tight seams, abundant surface oils, or some combination of the two, it’s definitely silky to the touch. And the well-executed cap and firm feel only reinforce the message of quality. The pre-light notes are soft and floral with traces of white pepper and cedar.

After setting an even light, a spice-forward profile emerges with plenty of cinnamon and pepper. But there are plenty of balancing flavors in the not-too-distant background, including honey, melon, and subtle sweetness. As it settles into the midway point, the Churchill exhibits a little less spice with more dry wood and a molasses-like sweetness with some barbeque char. Hints of hay, graham, and chocolate come and go. The finale witnesses a reprise of spice with abundant cedar and more cinnamon.

While the burn is imperfect, it’s also well-behaved enough to dismiss the need for any touch-ups along the way. The draw is moderate, the smoke production average, and the gray ash is unstable and a bit flaky for my liking. That said, the well-balanced taste is enticing from light to nub.

Interestingly, the medium-bodied El Güegüense is a Nicaraguan puro from a Nicaraguan-centric cigar maker, yet the profile is—to me, at least—decidedly Cubanesque. It brings loads of harmonious, balanced flavors to the fore, leaving the heavy-handed characteristics of many Nicaraguan cigars behind. The Corona Gorda remains my favorite vitola (I think the Churchill overstays its welcome a bit), yet this thoughtfully built cigar is worthy of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

On Friday, the Obama administration lifted restrictions barring Americans traveling abroad from bringing back Cuban cigars and rum—another step towards further normalizing relations between Washington and Havana.

Since December 2014, American citizens who were officially licensed to visit Cuba (for reasons including religion, journalism, education, visiting family, etc.) were granted the ability to bring back $100 worth of Cuban cigars and/or Cuban rum into the U.S., as part of a $400 total import allowance. This change—which coincided with a prisoner exchange that was brokered with Cuban President Raúl Castro—was a shift from the previous policy, which didn’t allow any Cuban cigars, or other Cuban goods for that matter, to be imported.

Now, travelers to Europe, Canada, Mexico, or other places where Cuban cigars are legally sold (including Cuba) can legally import Cuban cigars and rum without limitation, as long as the importation is for personal consumption only.

While this is a rather significant shift in policy, it’s important to remember the longstanding Cuban embargo is still in effect. Obama can’t reverse the embargo in its entirety; that would take an act of Congress. So don’t expect to suddenly find Cuban smokes at your local tobacconist, or a way to order them online from U.S. sellers. (Whether or not cigars can now be legally purchased by consumers from online retailers in other countries is not clear.)

Still, this is a major win for cigar enthusiasts who enjoy Cuban cigars and regularly travel abroad. It’s also a step in the right direction. The Cuban embargo has been a massive failure when you consider the objective was (and still is?) to cripple the Castro regime. The island’s totalitarian communist regime has been unbelievably stable for decades, and its economic policies have only recently begun to take small steps towards liberalization. Furthermore, America hypocritically has no qualms trading with many other countries that regularly suppress human rights and political freedoms.

So while it’s appropriate for cigar enthusiasts to cautiously applaud Friday’s announcement, our adulation for the administration should be, at best, very tempered. Recall that, thanks to President Obama and the anti-tobacco policymakers he relies upon to craft and carry out policy, cigars commercially solid in the U.S. at retail shops and online are subject to highly draconian regulations—regulations that will force businesses to close and eliminate an estimated 30,000 jobs in the U.S. and 300,000 jobs abroad.

Setting aside the ban on samples, new warning labels, and the ridiculously arbitrary nature of the February 15, 2007 cutoff date, the lack of clarity about the FDA approval process is the biggest reason why industry experts predict the rule will devastate the industry. What will qualify as “substantially equivalent”? How will the FDA build and maintain the capacity to process approval applications in a timely manner? How will small, family-owned boutique cigar operations pay the outrageously high costs needed to successfully gain FDA approval (estimates for the cost of obtaining FDA permission to sell a cigar vary widely from $20,000 to $100,000 or more for each size and each packaging option within each blend)?

One can see how the elimination of restrictions on importing Cuban cigars for personal consumption—which are not subject to FDA regulations, by the way—coupled with outlandish FDA rules on all other cigars could jeopardize U.S. retailers and manufacturers of non-Cuban cigars in places like Nicaragua, Miami, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. What’s the message here? Commercial cigar sales in the U.S. have to abide ungodly stringent rules, while Cubans get to flow more freely? Is it not hard to envision a future state where Cuban cigars are exchanged on the black market once they have been legally imported? Won’t these cigar sales cut into the profits of non-Cuban manufacturers and retailers who must comply with the terrible new rules?

Whether or not this was Obama’s intention makes no matter. Good intentions do not always result in good outcomes, especially in matters of public policy. So while we aficionados tip our hats to Friday’s announcement, let’s remember the cigar industry is entering extremely perilous waters thanks to a reckless course set by Obama and misguided, misinformed members of Congress who agreed to grant FDA oversight over premium handmade cigars.

It should go without saying that Obama is no friend of cigars. But you certainly wouldn’t know that from reading the outpouring of support on social media, or the laughably off-target “reporting” from the mainstream media.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr

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.”

Last summer, E.P. Carrillo introduced the Core Plus series, a lineup of four vitolas available in either Natural or Maduro wrappers. The robusto-sized Enchants format in the Natural selection comes complete with a dry, reddish Ecuadorian wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. It sells for under $7. On the palate, it’s spicy, leathery, and considerably sweet. A prominent sugary note reminds me of Luden’s wild cherry cough drops, a medicinal flavor of which I’m not particularly fond. The burn leaves much to be desired, as my single sample required several re-lights to stay on course. I have been a fan of many E.P. Carrillo creations over the years, but the Core Plus Natural Enchants left me unimpressed.

Verdict = Sell.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Justified or not, hardcore cigar enthusiasts will often ignore brands from huge companies like General Cigar and Altadis in favor of offerings from small, boutique operations. Perhaps in an effort to combat this treatment, the two industry giants have both recently partnered with cigar makers who—while certainly not small—manage to maintain a solid rapport among the most dedicated segment of the cigar smoking community.

Last year, Altadis tapped Pete Johnson of Tatuaje to help craft Henry Clay Tattoo, a limited run of 2,500 boxes that quickly sold out. This year, General chose to partner with A.J. Fernandez well-known for his operations in Nicaragua, to develop a four-vitola line called La Amistad.

“I grew up very near to the Hoyo de Monterrey farm and I have always had a love for the brand,” said Fernandez in an Altadis press release. “When it came time to develop this blend, I put my heart and soul into it… This cigar represents the best of me and my factory and I am proud to be a part of this collaboration.”

Marketed as “brawny and robust” with “notes of leather and spice,” the recipe for La Amistad includes an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, a Nicaraguan binder from Fernandez’s farms in Estelí, and Nicaraguan filler tobacco from Estelí, Ometepe, Condega, and Jalapa. The available sizes are Rothschild (4.5 x 50, $6.49), Toro (6 x 50, $7.79), Gigante (6 x 60, $7.99), and Robusto (5 x 54, $7.59).

I sampled five Robustos for this review. Each had a dark, slightly reddish wrapper with minimal veins and tight seams beneath dual bands of white, gold, and red. As you would expect from both General and A.J. Fernandez, the cigar appears to be expertly built with a firm feel, a cross-section of tightly packed tobaccos at the foot, and a well-executed cap. The pre-light notes remind me of sweet hay and molasses. The cold draw is clear.

The Robusto begins with a hearty dose of Nicaraguan zing. I’d describe the preliminary flavor as black pepper spice, cinnamon, dry wood, and hints of caramel. Spice-forward and dry with a coarse texture, the strength settles after a half-inch. Here, the profile is earthier while still maintaining a fair amount of spice, especially on the tip of the tongue. At the midway point, the cigar is at its best: medium-bodied with citrus, subdued pepper, leather, all balanced by salted nuts and sweetness. The finale brings a reprise of the intensity from the outset.

With solid construction—sturdy ash, straight burn, clear draw, and good smoke production—coupled with a spicy Nicaraguan character and body that sways from full to medium and back to full, the Hoyo La Amistad Robusto is an enjoyable smoke and a good buy at less than $8. I award it an admirable 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