The Stogie Guys

Back in July, Altadis launched an extension of its longstanding Montecristo White line called the Montecristo White Vintage Connecticut. Unlike White, which boasts a Connecticut-seed wrapper grown in Ecuador, White Vintage Connecticut has a shade-grown wrapper from 2008 that was grown on Altadis’ own farms in Connecticut.

But the differences between the blends don’t end there. Whereas White has a Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, White Vintage Connecticut has a Nicaraguan binder and a three-country filler blend of Dominican, Peruvian, and Nicaraguan tobaccos. Vintage Connecticut is also easily distinguished from its predecessor by two extra bands—one at the foot, and a large mid-section band with a picture of a red Connecticut tobacco barn. (These three bands combine to conceal the majority of the cigar’s surface.)

White Vintage Connecticut is made at Tabacalera de García in the Dominican Republic and offered in three sizes: No. 2 Belicoso (6 x 50), No. 3 (5.5 x 44), and Double Corona (6.25 x 50). Prices range from $10.50 to $14.50, which makes the line more expensive than White (which, at around $9-11 per cigar, was already considered to be on the pricier end by some consumers).

Once the mid-section and foot bands are removed from the Double Corona, the true beauty of the vintage Connecticut leaf is on full display. The exterior is silky, golden, and smooth with a few larger veins and some wrinkles at the seams. The pre-light notes, as expected, are faint with aromas of honey, hay, and sawdust. The cold draw is stiff at first, but opens right up with a little chewing at the foot.

After setting an even light, the initial profile greets you with flavors of cream, peanut, paper, butter, almond, and vanilla. The texture is bready and the aftertaste is short with moderate cedar spice. As you’d expect from Altadis and Montecristo, construction is perfect from beginning to end.

I’d wager the binder and filler recipe was concocted specifically to not overpower the 2008 Connecticut leaf, which is surely intended to be the showcase. As such, all the traditional Connecticut flavors come through with minimal interference. And that’s ultimately what keeps this cigar from reaching its potential. While it brings you the classic tastes you’d expect from Connecticut Shade—flavors you can get from many cigars for considerably less, mind you—it fails to really complement those flavors with complexity. Instead, you’re left with a cigar that tastes creamy and nutty at its best spots, but also papery and ultra-mild at its low points.

My recommendation? Pick up this cigar if you’re looking for a mild morning smoke to pair with coffee, want to taste a vintage Connecticut Shade leaf, and budget is not a major concern. In my book, the Montecristo White Vintage Connecticut Double Corona earns three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

According to a recent report, the Obama administration may exclude the U.S. from an annual United Nations vote that condemns America’s 54-year-old embargo on Cuba. The vote is expected to take place next month.

The move comes amid thawing diplomatic relations between Washington and Havana, as well as Pope Francis’ visit to the communist island nation (Francis “worked behind the scenes to broker the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations,” according to the Associated Press).

“U.S. officials tell the AP that the Obama administration is weighing abstaining from the annual U.N. General Assembly vote on a Cuban-backed resolution demanding that the embargo be lifted. The vote could come next month. No decision has yet been made, said four administration officials who weren’t authorized to speak publicly on sensitive internal deliberations and demanded anonymity. But merely considering an abstention is unprecedented. Following through on the idea would send shock waves through both the United Nations and Congress. It is unheard of for a U.N. member state not to oppose resolutions critical of its own laws. By not actively opposing the resolution, the administration would be effectively siding with the world body against Congress, which has refused to repeal the embargo despite calls from President Barack Obama to do so,” reports the Associated Press.

In early July the U.S. and Cuba moved to formally restore diplomatic relations, including the re-establishment of embassies in Washington and Havana. By then President Obama had already issued an executive order making legal travel to Cuba a little easier—and had already removed Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism—which represented the biggest changes in a generation with respect to U.S.-Cuban relations. Obama has also called on Congress to end the trade embargo.

Under new rules, legal visitors to Cuba are allowed to bring up to $100 worth of Cuban cigars back to the U.S.; an outright end to the embargo, however, would unquestionably herald drastic, long-lasting changes for the cigar industry, as well as present new challenges and opportunities.

You can read more StogieGuys.com analysis of everything that’s new with Cuba here and here. And, as always, we’ll keep you posted with new developments as they arise.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr

Cigar makers and brand owners must feel a constant pressure to continuously work on the next big thing. From what I can tell, retailers and consumers alike are always asking about what’s new. And it must be quite challenging to keep a steady stream of traffic flowing at your annual convention booth if you don’t have something fresh and exciting to show off.

That’s why, as my colleague put it recently, “the seemingly irresistible urge to introduce new blends, new line extensions, new brands, new tobaccos, new curing methods, and on and on reaches its annual pinnacle at the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show.”

Yet there’s something to be said about the slow and steady approach: not wearing yourself too thin, and only coming out with something new when you’ve got a product worth introducing. So far, that’s the strategy Omar de Frias has employed for Fratello Cigars, the venture he began in 2013. The original Fratello line was a project over two years in the making. It would be another two years until a second Fratello cigar would come to market.

Called Bianco, the four-vitola line features a San Andrés Negro wrapper, Dominican binder, and filler tobaccos from Pennsylvania, Nicaragua, and Peru. “We wanted a richer, darker, and a fuller body smoke that would be smooth, complex, and characteristic of our full flavor cigars,” said de Frias in a May press release. Bianco cigars sell in the $8-9 range and are packaged in 20-count boxes.

I smoked three in the “Event Exclusive” size, which measures 5 inches long with a ring gauge of 44. As is sometimes the case with San Andrés, the cigar looks a little rough around the edges with noticeable seams, a slightly sloppy cap, and a toothy texture. The pre-light notes, however, are an inviting, potent combination of cocoa and espresso, the cold draw is smooth, and the surface has ample oils.

Once lit, I find a medium-bodied profile of black coffee, pepper, dark chocolate, and oak. The texture is leathery. As the cigar progresses, the complexity deepens with the additions of creamy nut, damp earth, and a dried fruit sweetness. The smoke production is commendable and the resting smoke has a fragrant, sweet bouquet. The final third is slightly more intense with espresso taking center stage.

The physical properties perform beautifully from light to nub, including a straight burn line, solid white ash, and good draw that has just the right amount of resistance.

Like the original Fratello, it’s hard to not like Bianco. I’ll take that a step further and say Bianco has its predecessor slightly beat in terms of complexity, flavor, and texture. (I doubt this will be a popular opinion; it’s fashionable to put down San Andrés-wrapped smokes, but I think San Andrés really makes this blend shine.) Try Bianco yourself and you’re bound to be impressed. I rate the Event Exclusive size four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Last spring, Pinar del Rio announced it would launch a cigar to celebrate 10 years since the opening of its factory in Tamboril, Dominican Republic. “The Flores y Rodriguez Reserva Limitada is a creation to commemorate a decade of passion, commitment, and artistry,” reads a press release from May 2014. “Abe Flores and the Rodriguez Brothers came together 10 years ago to create the Pinar del Rio cigar brand and began a journey that has led to the PDR Cigar factory now creating some of the most acclaimed cigars on the market.”

Today, the 10th Anniversary isn’t difficult to find. And when you do come across a tobacconist that carries it, you won’t have trouble locating the brand on the shelf. The band’s raised borders and graphics of white really pop off the dark green background. At least to my eye, this is one of those bands that stands out and cuts through the clutter.

Beneath the band is a toothy, thinly veined, medium-brown Habano Ecuador wrapper that sports a fair amount of oils. It surrounds an Olor binder from the Dominican Republic and seven-year-old Piloto filler tobacco “complemented by the finest tobacco from Nicaragua’s Jalapa Valley.” Three vitolas are available: Robusto (5 x 52, $9), Grand Toro (6 x 54, $10), and Wide Churchill (5.1 x 58, $11).

I smoked three Wide Churchills for this review. One of the samples—the one pictured, in fact—had a tiny green discoloration (sometimes referred to as “frog’s eyes”) that’s harmless and, in my opinion, detracts nothing from the experience. The other two cigars were devoid of any green patches. All three had potent pre-light notes of green raisin.

After setting an even light, the Wide Churchill yields an initial profile that’s dry, medium-bodied, and reminiscent of natural tobacco with white pepper, bread, and a little cayenne spice. Given the cigar’s pre-light aroma, I was expecting dried fruit to play at least a background role in the flavor, but that isn’t really the case. Instead, as the cigar progresses, sugar and cream help add balance as black pepper slowly grows in intensity. The texture remains bready.

At the halfway mark and beyond, the body moves into the medium-full to full range, yet I’m not noticing any nicotine kick. The flavors remain consistent, except for the welcome addition of cashew. Construction-wise, the Wide Churchill performs admirably with an even burn line, solid ash, easy draw, and good smoke production.

Pinar del Rio makes some excellent cigars that are priced very affordably. While the Flores y Rodriguez 10th Anniversary Reserva Limitada is on the pricier side, you get what you pay for. With loads of flavor and nice balance, this cigar rates an impressive four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Back in July, StogieGuys.com broke the news that Drew Estate would be releasing Undercrown Shade, a new line based on the original Undercrown blend—but this time with an Ecuadorian-grown, Connecticut-seed wrapper instead of a Mexican San Andrés leaf. I reviewed the Gran Toro here. As I mentioned in my review, Undercrown Shade marked the first release blended by Drew Estate Master Blender Willy Herrera not to fall under the Herrera Estelí brand family.

I’m not sure if the Undercrown Shade line would have come to fruition, or if Herrera would have been named master blender, had it not been for the success of Herrera Estelí. Introduced a few years ago, Herrera Estelí was Herrera’s first cigar since leaving El Titan de Bronze in Miami’s Little Havana and joining Drew Estate in Nicaragua.

When it came out in 2013, Herrera Estelí provided some much-needed diversification for Drew Estate’s non-infused premium cigar business, which had previously focused on dark, full-bodied smokes. Herrera brings a more traditional—some would say “Cubanesque”—sensibility to blending, whereas Drew Estate had been firmly full-throttle Nicaraguan.

Herrera Estelí employs a golden Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around a Honduran binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua. It has a gorgeous triple-cap, a moderately firm feel, and pre-light notes of hay and molasses. The cold draw is clear.

On the palate, the Toro Especial (6.25 x 54, about $9) offers a mild- to medium-bodied taste that’s creamy with hints of spice and sweetness. Think syrup, creamy nut, dry wood, and white pepper, all packaged in a toasty texture. The balance and lack of intensity make the vitola easy to come back to again and again, as long as you have the time for a big toro.

I smoked three Toro Especial cigars in the past few days for this review. The physical properties were top-notch on each, including a straight burn line, solid white ash, and a smooth draw that yields bountiful tufts of thick smoke. Basically, it’s exactly what you’d expect from Drew Estate.

Keep your eyes peeled for Undercrown Shade, but certainly don’t forget how excellent Herrera Estelí can be, especially if you’re looking for subtle complexity and more traditional flavors. The Toro Especial is a good value and a wonderful experience. It earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

You could be forgiven for not being familiar with Royal Agio Cigars. But while the Netherlands-based company may not be a major player in the U.S. market (at least not yet), Agio has a huge presence internationally and has recently achieved the milestone of over 800 million cigars sold in a single year. That’s a lot of cigars.

Agio, which was founded in 1904 by Jacques Wintermans, has recently partnered with Drew Estate to bring its cigars to the American market. The Agio portfolio includes the Balmoral Añejo 18, which had a successful launch in 2014, limited by the rarity of the 18-year-old Arapiraca wrapper.

This year, Agio introduced Añejo XO, which is made in the Dominican Republic using well-aged tobaccos. The wrapper is Brazilian sun-grown, the binder Dominican, and the filler is a three-country blend from Brazil, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. The new blend was on display at Drew Estate’s elaborate booth at the IPCPR Trade Show in New Orleans this summer. It is expected to be made available at a couple-hundred tobacconists nationwide.

Añejo XO is offered in three vitolas: Rothschild Masivo ($9.90), Mk52 ($10.95), and Petit Robusto FT ($8.50). The Rothschild Masivo measures 5 inches long with a generous ring gauge of 55. Kudos to Agio for including the name of the vitola on the foot band, though I don’t think there’s any way to confuse the three sizes; the Mk52 is a torpedo, and the “FT” in the Petit Robusto’s name refers to its “flag tail.”

The Rothschild Masivo is an oily specimen with a few prominent veins, a reddish hue, and a nicely applied triple-cap. The foot shows a cross-section of tightly packed tobaccos and exudes pre-light notes of damp wood and leather. The cold draw is stiff with the wrapper imparting a slight sweetness on the lips.

Right from the outset, the Añejo XO boasts a big, bold flavor of earth, raisin, black pepper spice, and rich espresso. The background note reminds me of black cherry. Full-bodied and strong, each puff coats the palate with thick smoke, and the aftertaste is formidable with a considerable concentration of spice on the tip of the tongue. There are few changes in flavor from light to nub.

Construction leaves a little to be desired given the burn line—which requires a few touch-ups along the way to stay even—and the moderately tight draw. But the ash holds firm off the foot and the smoke production is solid.

The Rothschild Masivo is a heavy-handed, blunt-force instrument with plenty of power and an interesting interplay between spice, earthy richness, and fruity sweetness. I’d recommend giving it a try on a full stomach after a large meal with a complementary beverage, preferably a sweet sipping rum. In my book, 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

If you’re a regular consumer of online cigar media, you’re probably at least somewhat familiar with Barry Stein. He is highly active on social media, the founder (and former proprietor of) A Cigar Smoker, a former employee of Miami Cigar & Co., and a current employee of the New Hampshire-based Two Guys Smoke Shop, a chain of cigar retailers.

Back in 2013, Stein created a new cigar brand called Kilo, which was made a La Aurora in the Dominican Republic (La Aurora is distributed by Miami Cigar, where Stein served as director of social media). Kilo was considered a test blend and marketed to cigar chops in New Mexico, Texas, and Maryland before it was discontinued when Stein and Miami Cigar parted ways in the spring of 2014. Miami Cigar allowed Stein to keep the Kilo trademark when he relocated to New Hampshire.

Kilo has been re-blended and is now available in nearly 50 cigar shops nationwide. Made at the Tabacalera Aromas de Jalapa factory in Nicaragua by Noel Rojas, owner of Guayacan Cigars, the new version of Kilo sports an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, a Nicaraguan Corojo 2006 binder, and three-year-old filler tobaccos from Rojas’ farms in Nicaragua and Aganorsa.

Kilo is offered in two sizes: Robusto (5 x 50, $9) and Toro (6 x 52, $9.50). This newer iteration is easily distinguished from the 2013 test blend Kilo because the attractive band is black with accents of gold and white, instead of completely gold. The back of the band also has a United Cigars tab, which not only identifies the parent company, it makes removing the band refreshingly easy.

I sampled several Toros for this review. This vitola is a firm, handsome specimen with a nice triple-cap and an overall feel of quality. The foot exudes notes of baking spices, cocoa, and hay, and the head clips cleanly to reveal an easy cold draw.

After setting an even light, the initial profile is characterized by a vegetal taste that’s almost grassy with background notes of coffee, leather, and white pepper. Cream and caramel add balance. There’s loads of strength with little spice.

After a half-inch, the Toro picks up some spice and intensity. Still, the vegetal taste is front and center, rounded off now by earth, natural tobacco, and sugary sweetness. The physical properties are perfect throughout, including a solid ash, straight burn line, effortless draw, and voluminous smoke production.

I have to admit, Kilo is a tough cigar to review. I’ve met Barry Stein on a number of occasions, and he’s a likable character with a sincere passion for tobacco. Plus, let’s face it: It’s easy for me to root for a cigar blogger turned brand owner. Take my opinion for what it’s worth, but I honestly think Stein and Rojas did a fantastic job with this blend. It’s balanced, cool-burning, interesting, unique, and superbly constructed. While the centerpiece flavor that I’ve been calling “vegetal”—it’s a difficult sensation to describe accurately—may not be for everyone, it really strikes a chord with me, and it confirms my suspicions that a lot of careful thought went into this cigar’s makeup. As such, I feel confident awarding the Kilo Toro four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys