The Stogie Guys

About one year ago, Matt Booth’s Room 101 Cigars—which is affiliated with Camacho and manufactured and distributed by Davidoff—launched a new line called Serie HN.

The line derives its name from its Honduran Criollo ’98 wrapper (the “H”) and the use of Dominican Navarette tobaccos (the “N”). Room 101 describes the unique HN recipe as follows: “Honduran Criollo is widely-known for its signature taste—rich, rugged, and filled with intense spice. By itself, Criollo can be slightly one-dimensional. However, when expertly combined with tobaccos such as Mata Fina from Brazil and a creamy Dominican Navarette, the richness and spice of Criollo comes to life in an unimaginable way.”

HN comes in five formats: 213 (5.5 x 44), 305 (5 x 50), 615 (7 x 48), 808 (6 x 60), and Papi Chulo (4 x 42). (The numbered sizes are named for the area codes of Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and Hawaii, respectively.) Each vitola is made at the Agroindustrias Laepe factory in Honduras with a production run of 20,000 cigars.

I smoked three 615s for this review. This Churchill-sized smoke costs $7 and comes complete with a milk chocolate-colored, moderately oily wrapper that has tight seams, few veins, and a well-applied cap. Firm to the touch, the 615 shows a solid cross-section of tobaccos at the foot, yet it has an easy cold draw. The pre-light notes remind me of baking spices.

Room 101 describes the HN as “multi-dimensional and full-flavored” with “medium intensity” and “a level of balance unmatched by most.” While such advertising copy is usually an exercise in hyperbole, my experience with the 615 is pretty much in line with that description. I would agree the skinny Churchill has moderate strength with full flavors, and the balance is quite harmonious—especially for a cigar that often retails below $8.

The flavors themselves range from roasted nut and woody spice to sweet cream and white pepper. I’ve grown to really enjoy smokes that have a creamy nut characteristic, and the HN 615 has that in spades. The quicker you smoke, the more a cayenne pepper spice reveals itself. In the final third, the sweetness loses ground to earthy, leathery tones.

Throughout the lengthy seven-inch smoke, the 615 performs admirably in the department of construction. I found a straight burn, solid ash, smooth draw, and good smoke production across all of my samples.

I have two more Room 101 Serie HN 615s left from the five-pack I bought, and I plan to try to set them aside to see how age might impact the cigar. More realistically, I’ll likely fire both up before the summer is over. Because right now, in my book, this smoke is worthy of a commendable raring of 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.”

If this cigar were $5 instead of $8-9, I’d be more inclined to recommend it. But, in my opinion, there are just too many superior options at the $8-9 price level for the Dunhill 1907 Robusto (5 x 52) to be competitive. Don’t get me wrong, though. This Honduran Olancho-wrapped tribute to the storied history of Dunhill is by no means a bad smoke. It has a peppery, woody taste with notes of leather and warm tobacco. But its full potential is blocked by some burn issues and occasional sour flavors.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I often get asked by occasional cigar smokers something along these lines: “What’s a good, respectable brand that isn’t too expensive but delivers on quality?” In these situations, Pinar del Rio (PDR) invariably comes to mind.

Consider the many blends in the PDR portfolio (kudos, by the way, to PDR for maintaining an attractive, easily navigable website to help you peruse these offerings). There are many winners—Classico Exclusivo, 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Natural, Habano Sun Grown, etc.—and almost all compete in the affordable $5-6 range.

Another example is Flores y Rodriguez, the first PDR to bear a different name (it’s named for partners Abe Flores and Juan Rodriguez). Handmade at the Pinar del Rio factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic, Flores y Rodriguez comes in three varieties: Maduro, Habano, and an Exclusivo that’s only available at a handful of tobacconists. The latter is essentially the same blend as the Maduro, but the binder is swapped for a Nicaraguan Criollo ’98 leaf and the filler includes Ligero from Estelí.

The Flores y Rodriguez Habano is made entirely from Dominican Habano Vuelta Abajo leaves. The available sizes include Magicos (5 x 52), Genios (6 x 52), Unicos (6.5 x 52), and Canonazo (6.75 x 58). The cigar is described as mild- to medium-bodied with “a touch of sweetness and a soft cedar flavor.”

I sampled three Habano Magicos cigars for this review, all of which had been resting in my possession for two years. The robusto-sized smoke—which can be found for as little as $4 if bought online—has a clean, oily wrapper, a firm packing of tobaccos, a neat cap, and pre-light notes of sweet hay off the foot.

After setting an even light, the Magicos introduces itself with a spicy detonation more characteristic of a Nicaraguan-heavy cigar than a Dominican puro. The spice is dry, salty, and there’s an abrasiveness that lingers on the lips. Rather quickly, though, the spice settles and a more balanced profile takes shape that includes cream and cinnamon.

At the midway point and beyond, the Magicos is even more subdued as the spice seems to fade with each puff. Floral notes and a taste of leather come and go. All the while, the construction is excellent, including a straight burn and a solid gray ash. And, due at least in part to the entubado fashion in which the cigar is rolled, the draw is clear and the smoke production above average.

If you’re looking for a medium-bodied cigar with a dry, cedary spice and an approachable price tag, the Flores y Rodriguez Habano Magicos is a solid choice. This PDR creation 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

I was struck by my colleague’s recent review of the Paul Garmirian Reserva Exclusiva Churchill. And it wasn’t the rare five-stogies-out-of-five rating that caught me off guard.

Rather, it was a link he provided in his review to a Quick Smoke I had written over seven years ago. Amazingly, I actually remember smoking that Reserva Exclusiva Robusto and composing my short assessment. It was my first cigar from Paul Garmirian (PG). I purchased it from a tobacconist in Tyson’s Corner, Virginia, and I smoked it while my then-girlfriend (now wife) and I were wasting time before a movie.

As I recall, the cigar was somewhat disappointing, especially considering the lofty price and my high expectations. At the time, I had a small budget for cigars, and I had been hearing good things about PG smokes, which came from a small boutique in nearby McLean, Virginia. So when I found the cigar to be less than exceptional, it was a letdown.

I’ve since grown to love almost all PG cigars, including the Reserva Exclusiva Robusto, and they’ve generally rated very highly on this site among my colleagues and me. Of the nearly 1,000 full cigar reviews we’ve published over the years, only about 40 have earned a perfect rating—and 3 of those have been of the PG variety. I lament not living near the PG shop in McLean anymore, where it’s not only possible to peruse an extensive collection of PG smokes, but you can also find PGs that have been aging for 15 years or more. These days, if I were asked to compose a short list of my favorite smokes, that list would almost certainly include a PG or two.

So it’s amazing to think a cigar I now revere like the Reserva Exclusiva Robusto was once a disappointment to me. It just goes to show how an individual’s preferences for cigars can change with time.

I’m sure you can think of examples of smokes you now like that you once didn’t, as well as cigars you used to love but no longer do. If I were to try to put a finger on how my own preferences have changed in the past seven or eight years, I’d cite the following: less interest in maduros, more emphasis on balance over strength, more importance placed on the ease of draw and smoke production, and more attention to texture.

In thinking about these changes, I can see how a younger me might not appreciate the Reserva Exclusiva Robusto. Like many PG smokes, the focus of this cigar is balance, harmony, and subtlety—desirable characteristics that can be lost on a fresh-faced cigar smoker.

I propose that, in some ways, we’re all dynamic cigar smokers with preferences that shift over time. Take note of how your preferences have changed to better understand your own cigar journey. And don’t be afraid to revisit cigars you tried years ago and didn’t care for. You may find them more desirable now.

–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.”

Dion Giolito’s Illusione Cigars makes some fine smokes, but this might be the pinnacle of Illusione achievement. The Epernay L’Excellence (6.75 x 48) is a fantastic Churchill with floral notes and core tastes of coffee, honey, white pepper, and apple. The absence of Ligero tobacco (the recipe is Nicaraguan Corojo and Criollo tobaccos surrounded by a Café Rosado wrapper) results in a smooth, mild- to medium-bodied experience that’s balanced and creamy. Construction is excellent. This is a fine way to spend about $10.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Every year, many new cigar releases are so-called “anniversary smokes” that commemorate some event that happened years ago. The birth of a cigar maker. The date a family fled Cuba for freedom. Or perhaps the year a cigar company was founded. There are far too many examples to even begin listing them here.

While it can be hard to keep all the numbers straight, the subject of today’s review is a standout. It’s a cigar that’s not only one of the best anniversary smokes to come out in recent years but, in my opinion, it’s simply one of the best new releases in recent memory.

The Tatuaje 10th Anniversary was launched in 2013 to celebrate a decade of Tatuaje—as well as 10 years of partnership between Tatuaje’s Pete Johnson and Don Pepín García. Back in the early days, Tatuaje was García’s first client when he operated El Rey de los Habanos on Calle Ocho in Miami. Johnson recalls placing orders for cigars he didn’t need just to keep García’s business going.

Obviously, things are much different these days. Tatuaje consistently ranks as one of the hottest, most sought-after cigar brands in the market, and García is at the helm of a veritable cigar empire, with a nucleus at the My Father Cigars factory in Nicaragua.

So it would only be appropriate to mark the ten-year milestone with an excellent smoke that lives up to the lofty expectations the duo has set over the past decade. And that’s just what they did in creating the Tatuaje 10th Anniversary cigar.

For this review I sampled three in the Bon Chasseur format, a vitola that measures 5.4 inches long with a ring gauge of 52. I purchased these cigars at my local shop for $10 apiece. Each Bon Chasseur sports an incredibly oily, milk chocolate-colored wrapper, an unfinished foot, and pre-light notes of cocoa.

The Nicaraguan puro, which is a refined version of the Tatuaje Brown Label, kicks off with a balanced profile of coffee bean, black pepper, cream, and warm tobacco. Spice lingers on the tip of the tongue. The aroma of the resting smoke is sweet and nutty. The body falls between the medium and full spectrums, and the nicotine strength is moderate to mild. It’s hard to remember a cigar with such a rich, velvety texture. The smoke almost feels like silk as flavors of red pepper, woody spice, and sweetness come and go.

With top-notch construction befitting the reputation of My Father Cigars—including a solid ash, good smoke production, easy draw, and set-it-and-forget-it burn line—the Tatuaje 10th Anniversary Bon Chasseur is a true gem. Even at $10, I think it’s a steal. It has been a long time since I’ve personally awarded a cigar our heralded five stogies out of five score, but I can think of no rating more appropriate for this remarkable smoke.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. A list of other five-stogie rated cigars can be found here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Last year, two of my favorite cigars happened to be Abaddon and Ouroboros, both of which are made for Blue Havana, a tobacconist in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. They are crafted at Fabrica de Tabacos Nica Sueño in Estelí by Skip Martin of RoMa Craft Tobac.

I was so impressed by these cigars that I decided to better acquaint myself with RoMa Craft and its core lines: CroMagnon, Intemperance (EC XVIII and BA XXI), and Aquitaine. If you haven’t already done so, you should do the same. After all, Skip Martin’s Estelí operation may be small with limited production, but he’s undoubtedly making some of the best cigars in the world.

Aquitaine is the last RoMa Craft line I haven’t yet fully delved into. It has the same filler blend (Estelí, Condega, and Pueblo Nuevo) and binder (Cameroon) as CroMagnon. But instead of featuring a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper, Aquitaine has an Ecuadorian Habano Ligero wrapper. “This eighth and ninth priming Ligero leaf is thick, oily, and has amazing texture,” according to RoMa Craft.

Only in February did Skip Martin add the Mode 5 vitola to the Aquitaine portfolio of sizes. A short perfecto measuring 5 inches long with a ring gauge of 50, Mode 5 is a favorite of his in the CroMagnon line—and it’s often in short supply—so adding it to Aquitaine was probably not a tough decision. The Aquitaine Mode 5 costs $7 and sports a velvety, oily wrapper with minimal veins. It has a well-executed, sharply pointed cap at the head, a tapered foot, and bready pre-light notes. The cigar feels firm with no soft spots and has a clear cold draw.

As one might expect given Mode 5’s makeup (Ligero wrapper, plenty of Nicaraguan tobacco), the initial flavor is full-bodied and spicy with rich notes of black pepper and espresso, which are accented by a background sweetness that I attribute to the Cameroon wrapper. A smoky mesquite taste joins the fray approximately where the burn line passes the gentle taper. There’s also a noticeable nicotine kick (which is worth mentioning, especially since I rarely notice the nicotine in a cigar).

Into the midway point, some of the spice dissipates and a creamy nuttiness becomes prevalent. But espresso and pepper are still at the core, and I don’t think the body ever meanders into the medium spectrum. All the while the combustion qualities are nearly perfect: a straight burn that only requires a light touch-up here and there, a solid ash, smooth draw, and good smoke production.

Let me put this plainly: At $7, the Aquitaine Mode 5 is an incredible buy. That should come as no surprise since I seem to love almost every RoMa Craft cigar I get my hands on. Do yourself a favor and snag some of these when you can. This short perfecto is worthy of a stellar rating of four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys