The Stogie Guys

In addition to heading up Emilio Cigars, Gary Griffith is at the helm of House of Emilio, an organization that provides distribution to what he considers to be the “best of the boutiques.”

The House of Emilio portfolio includes 1502, Bodega, Epicurean, Ezra Zion, Guayacan, Herederos, Nomad, and Rodrigo. “These are up and coming cigar companies that have superior product and great interaction with retailers and cigar aficionados alike,” reads the House of Emilio website.

The Orlando-based Nomad Cigar Co. was founded by Fred “GodFadr” Rewey, a man who considers great tobacco, great construction, and great blending to be the cornerstones of a great cigar. If you read through Nomad’s website, you’ll notice a theme of quality over quantity. “Nomad cigars are only rolled with the finest tobacco,” says Rewey. “It is because of this fact, from time to time, we have a shortage. Bottom line, if the tobacco does not pass inspection, it doesn’t go in the cigar.”

Among Nomad’s several cigar lines is S-307 (the “S” is for the Sumatra wrapper, the “307” for the square mileage of Estelí, Nicaragua). This is Nomad’s first full-production Nicaraguan smoke, handmade at Tobacalera A.J. Fernandez. In addition to the Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper it has an Ecuadorian Habano binder and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos.

The Nomad S-307 comes in five sizes: Toro (6 x 50), Robusto (5 x 50), Torpedo (6.5 x 52), Toro Grande (6 x 58), and Corona (5.5 x 46). The latter is box-pressed, costs about $7, and has a light brown wrapper with pre-light notes of milk chocolate.

After setting a light, the loosely packed Corona yields a well-balanced profile with a chalky texture. Flavors include oak, black pepper, creamy peanut, and leather. The body is medium and the aftertaste is dry with faint spices that linger on the tip of the tongue.

As the cigar progresses, it’s hard to ignore two distinguishing physical properties. First, the draw is supremely loose, with each easy puff resulting in ample smoke. It’s almost as if no effort is required to draw on the Corona. And second, the straight burn line has a black mascara that’s as thick as any I can recall. The resulting white ash is light and billowy.

After smoking three samples, I’ve concluded there are minimal changes in the taste of the S-307 from start to finish. But I don’t count that as a negative. I enjoy the Corona’s flavor, and you can’t really complain about the construction or the price. For those reasons, I’m awarding this Nomad smoke a solid 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

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 was in New Hampshire for work this week and, at the end of a long day of meetings, I had the opportunity to duck into a tobacconist and catch up on some emails. While the shop had a nice selection of cigars, I was ultimately drawn to an old favorite: Undercrown by Drew Estate. The large Corona Doble (7 x 54) was just what I needed to plow through a few hours in front of the laptop. I prefer Undercrown in the smaller Corona ¡Viva! format, but the Corona Doble performed well with rich notes of nut, creamy sweetness, espresso, and black pepper spice. Something about the combination of the Otapan Negro Último Corte wrapper with the T52 Habano stalk-cut binder just hits me the right way. I paid $8.50 for the Corona Doble and found it to be a wise investment.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In a perfect world, I would have one large humidor, preferably a walk-in, with all the cigars easily accessible, sorted by name, and labeled with received dates. It would make aging simpler, humidification easier to monitor, and my whole stash more organized.

Reality is much different. At any given time I have anywhere from five to seven humidors. The variance is explained by the fact that, depending on inventory, I sometimes outfit two large Tupperware containers with Spanish cedar to store spillover smokes. While I’d love to just have one humidor instead of a handful of medium- to small-sized humidors, the five traditional wooden humidors all carry sentimental value (i.e., the one I got for my wedding that’s engraved with the wedding date), so I just can’t bring myself to consolidate.

One challenge with this setup is monitoring the humidification levels of each individual humidor. Each humidor seems to hold humidity differently, and that can make proper maintenance difficult. My solution? Once every so often (more often in the winter, when the natural air humidity is lower) I examine and rotate the cigars in each humidor. I also check to see if the humidification device in each humidor needs to be “recharged.” The whole process can easily take upwards of an hour, sometimes two.

So I finally broke down and decided to start using Boveda packs instead of the humidification devices that came with the humidors. In all, since I started using Boveda about a year ago, I’ve found my humidity to be more reliable, and there’s much less effort demanded of me to keep my cigars fresh. (Before I get into the details of my experience, I’d like to point out that Boveda is not a sponsor of StogieGuys.com, and the company did not provide any product for me to review. I’m simply trying to solve a personal humidity control need, and I paid my own money to get the product.)

The process of ordering Boveda is easy. Simply consult the chart to determine how many packs you’ll need, select your level of relative humidity (62%, 65%, 69%, 72%, 75%, or 84%), and the packs arrive in a few days. It’s preferable to order more packs than you think you’ll need. “It’s impossible for Boveda to over-humidify beyond the RH on the pack,” according to the Boveda website. “That’s why our usage instructions talk about minimums, not maximums. There’s no such thing as using ‘too much.’ More than the minimum will just last longer.”

Once you’ve arranged the packs inside your humidor(s)—feel free to lay them directly on the cigars—you can essentially forget about the hygrometer (which is likely mis-calibrated anyhow) and only worry about changing out your Boveda packs once they’ve dried up. It’s easy to tell when the packs need to be changed because they feel like dry wafers instead of liquid pillows.

When I placed my first Boveda order, I didn’t get enough packs, and most of them dried out after 60 days. In my experience, buying more packs helps drag out the pack life to 90 days. Still, since these packs are $4 apiece, if you need to buy 10 packs every quarter you’re looking at $160 a year just to keep your cigars humidified. That’s a lot of money considering my old method of using distilled water was essentially free, albeit time-consuming.

I generally like Boveda, but haven’t quite come to terms with the cost. So I’m open to suggestions on other, more cost-effective ways to maintain proper humidity without wasting a lot of time. I encourage you to offer suggestions in the comments below.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys / Boveda

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 cigar’s velvety notes of espresso, marshmallow, dark chocolate, and dry wood leave a lasting impression on the palate. Even more interesting from the Crémo Classic Maduro is the resting smoke, which has a sweet aroma of candied nuts. This blend—a dark Mexican wrapper around Nicaraguan tobaccos—also performs well in the construction department, exhibiting a straight burn, solid ash, and good draw with ample smoke production. Pick up a toro-sized Intrepidus if you come across one.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Back in April, I visited the Joya de Nicaragua factory in Estelí as part of Drew Estate’s Cigar Safari. At the outset of the tour, Juan Ignacio Martínez—the 31-year-old who was named executive president as his father, Dr. Alejandro Martínez Cuenca, steps away from day-to-day operations—gave us an overview of Joya’s fascinating history. Many know that Joya is the oldest cigar maker in Nicaragua. Fewer are aware of how Joya’s legacy is intertwined with the political unrest in Nicaragua in the 20th century.

But that is a story for another time. Before walking the factory floor, we were provided samples of an unnamed blend that was under development. I only got to try one—and I had smoked many cigars that day—but I recall it being milder than the traditional Joya profile, very classic-tasting, balanced, and delicious. At the time, I didn’t know this blend would ever hit the market. I hoped it would.

Fortunately, Joya Red, as it is called, was officially announced in early June. It is currently making its worldwide debut at the IPCPR Trade Show in Las Vegas. Joya Red is intended to be the “new and exciting side of Joya de Nicaragua,” a product of what’s now “the youngest executive team in the industry.” A Nicaraguan puro, it features a lower priming of Habano wrappers, as well as more Viso tobacco and less Ligero than what Joya typically employs. The filler is a mixture of leaves from the Estelí, Jalapa, and Condega growing regions.

Joya Red will be sold in the affordable $5.75-$8 range in four sizes: Short Churchill (4.75 x 48), Robusto (5.25 x 50), Toro (6 x 52), and Cañonazo (5.5 x 54). (The latter was originally slated to be called “Cardinal;” it was likely changed to avoid confusion with the E.P. Carrillo Cardinal.) The Robusto is a handsome, well-made cigar with a nice cap and an unblemished exterior. The cold draw is smooth and the foot has abundant pre-light notes of hay and syrup.

Once lit, I find a medium-bodied, balanced profile of citrus, dry cedar spice, roasted nuts, and a little black pepper. The texture if light and toasty. Nothing else in the Joya portfolio tastes like this. The Robusto is classic with traditional tastes and plenty of balance and complexity. It is simultaneously understated yet full of flavor. The midway point witnesses a tendency to coffee with creamer, and the finish has a slight increase in pepper and spice. All the while the physical properties—ash, smoke production, burn, and draw—are solid.

Already there are a number of Joya Red reviews online, and the consensus is acclaim. After smoking several Robustos, I am adding to that praise. This is an excellent blend that will almost assuredly be on many year-end lists of the best smokes of 2014. For now, I’m awarding the Robusto 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, Abe Flores of Pinar del Rio Cigars (PDR) issued an announcement that PDR would be managing the sales and distribution of the El Primer Mundo (EPM) brand. “This is a great opportunity for the EPM brand,” said Sean Williams, head of the Atlanta-based EPM. “Abe and I have… some good synergies with our overlap on sales reps and key accounts. This move will just make things a lot more efficient for our reps and our retailers.”

The EPM lines now sold and distributed by PDR include Liga Miami, Epifania, and La Hermandad. The latter, which translates to “brotherhood,” has been made by Abe Flores at his factory in the Dominican Republic since its inception in 2012. (It should be noted that Flores’ factory also produces cigars for other brands outside the PDR-EPM fold, including Gurkha and La Palina).

EPM also has La Hermandad Costa Fuerte, which sports a Bahia Brazilian wrapper, a Dominican binder, and filler tobaccos that include Corojo ’06 from the Dominican and Criollo ’98 from Nicaragua. It is offered in three sizes that retail in the $8-$10 range: Caballito (5 x 50), Embajador (6 x 52), and Consejero (6 x 60).

I sampled three Caballitos for this review. Once I removed the white sleeve that covers the majority of the cigar, I notice this robusto-sized format has a number of fairly large veins across its otherwise smooth surface. The foot shows a cross-section of tightly packed tobaccos that give off some earthy pre-light notes. The cap seems hastily applied.

According to the EPM website, Costa Fuerte is intended to be a full-bodied smoke “with complex notes of spice, light coffee, and subtle creaminess.” After torching the foot and establishing an even light, a spice-forward profile of dry cedar takes center stage. The draw is virtually devoid of resistance, which I think adds to the intensity of the spice. It’s almost as though the voluminous smoke is concentrated at the tip of the tongue, rendering the profile salty and abrasive. For me, the sensation is quite agreeable. What’s more, I find it’s even better if paired with rum (Flor de Caña 18, in my case), as the sweetness of the rum offsets the cigar’s spice.

Into the second third and beyond, the Costa Fuerte mellows a bit, replacing some of the dry cedary spice and salt with notes of cream and roasted nut. Here the smoke begins to taste more along the lines of what I consider to be the profile of a classic full-bodied Cuban. It’s more balanced, and very traditional-tasting. All the while, the combustion properties are superb, including a straight burn, effortless draw, and solid ash.

We all know cigar reviews are subjective. I can see how some might be less enthralled by Costa Fuerte, especially since the first third is so dry and spicy. But the Caballito really strikes a chord with me, at least in part because I’m a fan of good cigars to pair with sweet sipping rums in the evening. After smoking through three samples this weekend, I’ve settled on an admirable score 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.”

I’ve aged this San Andrés-wrapped cigar for a solid two years to see if time might mellow it out, and/or bring to life some new flavors. What I found surprised me: virtually no changes whatsoever. The AF1 Toro (6 x 50) from Gary Griffith’s Emilio Cigars smokes just as it did 24 months ago. Full-bodied with a leathery, spicy texture and notes of raisin, caramel, creamy nut, and espresso. I can’t say the lack of change is disappointing, though. I liked this cigar in 2012, and I like it now—especially after a large meal with some sipping bourbon. If you decide to buy a box, however, don’t feel guilty if you mow through it; several years of patience won’t pay extra dividends.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys