The Stogie Guys

About one year ago, Gary Griffith of Emilio Cigars and House of Emilio—his umbrella of the “best of the boutiques”—announced a new partnership with Bodega Premium Blends (BPB). “BPB offers cigars that embody the company’s passion and commitment to the ‘cigar experience,’” reads the BPB website. “Our philosophy is to capture how and when people enjoy cigars and reflect this essence in our blends.”

BPB has four founders headed by Gino Domanico, who serves as president and social media guru (@Cigar_G). The founders do not hide from the fact they weren’t born of cigar lineage. “Their blending pedigree stems from passion and vision, not birth right,” says their website. “Maybe it’s their busy family lives, or the harshness of their northern climate, but the guys at BPB understand the value of time and the relevance of the cigar experience.”

BPB’s cigars include Reunión Aperitivo—a Habano Claro-wrapped, three-vitola line that’s intended to be smoked before a meal—and Reunión Digestivo. The latter, as you’ve likely guessed, is intended to be a bolder, post-meal smoke. Also offered in three sizes, it has a Mexican wrapper around a proprietary binder and fillers of Nicaraguan origin.

The Reunión Digestivo Toro (6 x 52) costs about $10 per single. It’s a heavy, oily cigar with rich pre-light notes of raisin and a firm packing of tobaccos. The exterior is dark and silky, and the cap is applied neatly. The cold draw is moderately firm with some spice on the lips.

Once underway, a spicy, leathery profile of black pepper, espresso, and dry wood emerges. The texture is thick and meaty, and the spice-centric aftertaste lingers on the tip of the tongue. As the Toro progresses, background notes of raisin, dried apricot, and sweet earth come and go. The body is medium to medium-full with a moderate nicotine kick. Down the stretch, a sour meatiness becomes more apparent. A background sweetness—which BPB attributes to a longer fermentation process—keeps things interesting.

The Toro’s physical properties do not detract from the flavor it offers. The gray ash holds well off the foot, and the burn is straight and true. At times, though, the draw can be a little stiff, and the smoke production can be a little stingy.

In all, the BPB Reunión Digestivo Toro is a nice smoke that, frankly, I’d be more excited about in the $6-8 range. I think $10 is asking a lot when you consider the many outstanding smokes that can be had at that cost. That said, this is a respectable after-dinner companion that isn’t so spicy or strong it would drown out a full-bodied red like a Cabernet or Bordeaux. For that, I award it 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 write this acutely aware that none of you (save for Patrick S) will ever get to try this cigar. In fact, right now I’m smoking the second-to-last of its kind. And the final specimen is resting comfortably in my humidor. It will almost assuredly be smoked by no one other than me, probably in the not-too-distant future with a serving of Four Roses Small Batch.

But this is not a cigar review, and I’m definitely not doing this to brag. In the interest of cigar education—and for the benefit of those who have never had the opportunity to blend their own cigar—today I’m bringing you my findings from the blend I chose at Drew Estate’s 2014 Cigar Safari. Only ten of these cigars were made, nine of which I brought back from Nicaragua (the tenth was traded to my colleague for a sample of his blend).

For starters, I’d like to point out this is my third blend from Cigar Safari over the past several years. In each case I chose a different wrapper. I chronicled the results of my Connecticut Ecuador and Brazilian Mata Fina blends here.

Each time I’ve blended a cigar, the process has been similar. I’m presented with a menu of pre-selected, pre-fermented, aged tobaccos (so all the hard work is already done). They are organized by filler, binder, and wrapper. Based on the vitola format of my choosing, I’m told how many filler leaves I’ll need. And while barber poles and double-binders are certainly on the market these days, I’m instructed to select just one wrapper and one binder. I wrote more about this process here.

Fortunately, I don’t have to actually roll my cigars. I’m just selecting the tobaccos, and the professionals do all the actual craftsmanship. A cigar bunched or rolled by my own hands would be unsmokable. But, in true Drew Estate fashion, all of my samples exhibited perfect construction, including a solid ash, smooth draw, even burn, and good smoke production.

Here’s what I chose for the actual blend, for which I elected a Toro format (6 x 50):

• Cameroon wrapper

• Connecticut Habano binder (a leaf grown specifically for Drew Estate in Enfield)

• Four filler tobaccos in equal parts

o Seco Piloto Cubano from the Dominican Republic
o Viso Ometepe from the volcanic island in Nicaragua
o Ligero Estelí
o Ligero Jalapa grown specifically for Drew Estate

My intention was to create a spicy smoke with equal parts saltiness and sweetness. I was aiming for the medium-bodied spectrum, counting on sweetness from the wrapper, coupled with spice and strength from the binder. The Seco was added for its fruitiness and aroma, the Viso for its richness and texture, and the Ligero fillers for their power and sharpness.

I’m really pleased with the result. The profile tastes of crème brûlée, cinnamon, cedar, black pepper, and coffee. The texture is coarse—almost sandy—and the finish is long and spicy. I’d say the strength is medium to medium-full. My only concern is a creeping sour meatiness that comes and goes if you smoke too quickly.

While I think this is by far my best effort to date, I’m not entertaining any delusions of Drew Estate putting it into regular production. That said, this was one of the most rewarding and educational exercises in my tenure of writing about and studying cigars, and I thank you for indulging my desire to write about the experience.

Tomorrow we’ll get back to writing about cigars you actually have a chance of smoking.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Since the company was introduced at the 2010 industry trade show, my colleagues and I have been reviewing cigars from Reinado, a boutique manufacturer that prides itself on its “original and closely guarded signature fermentation process.” We have been impressed.

The original Reinado line (Spanish for “reign”) is no slouch—particularly in the smaller Habanito format. But our favorite Reinado creation to date is Grand Empire Reserve. It’s a five-vitola Nicaraguan puro made in Condega with a “select Habano maduro” wrapper. In his review of the Elegidos size, my colleague called Grand Empire Reserve “a cigar smoker’s cigar: full-bodied, gritty, with plenty going on and not too similar to anything else available.”

So when Reinado owner Antonio Lam told me he was coming out with an “Ecuador Edition” of the Grand Empire Reserve, I was excited to try it. This offshoot features the same Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos from the original Grand Empire Reserve, this time wrapped in a golden, three-year-old Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf. “With the explosive consumption of our exceptionally rated Grand Empire Reserve line, we sought to introduce a complementary profile that delivers a rich, toasty, and distinctive flavor…” said Lam.

The Ecuador Edition took one year to blend. As with Grand Empire Reserve when it first came out, it will be offered in only one vitola—a Petit Lancero (6 x 38)—with additional sizes to come at a later date. Cheers to Lam for choosing the Petit Lancero as the inaugural format. This is a size that will excite cigar fans. And it makes a great first impression, what with its beautiful pigtail cap and elegant stature.

After taking note of the spongy cigar’s easy cold draw and pre-light notes of sweet hay and caramel, once lit a profile of cream, roasted nut, spicy cedar, and coffee emerges. The body falls in the mild to medium range yet there’s plenty of flavor going on. This is definitely not one of those Connecticut smokes you can accuse of being papery or tasteless. The flavors of sweet cream and dry, spicy cedar are especially pronounced, giving the Petit Lancero wonderful balance and an enjoyable bouquet.

With top-notch construction and ample smoke production, the Grand Empire Reserve Ecuador Edition—Reinado’s first cigar that isn’t a Nicaraguan puro—has to be one of the best Ecuadorian Connecticut-wrapped smokes I’ve had in a long time. Keep an eye out for the Petit Lancero at your local Reinado retailer; it is expected to cost $8.99 and be packaged in boxes of 10. I’m awarding it four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Arturo Fuente’s Solaris. Tatuaje’s Anarchy and Apocalypse. My Father’s El Hijo. Padrón’s 1964 Anniversary SI-15. Quesada’s Oktoberfest Dunkel. Room 101’s Big Delicious. What do these cigars have in common?

They’re all part of the Microblend Series that’s sold exclusively by Smoke Inn, a Florida-based cigar retailer. The Microblend Series is inspired by the growing popularity of U.S. microbreweries, harnessing how “limited production quantities allow for a greater emphasis to be placed on quality and consistency,” according to the Smoke Inn.

To bring the Microblend Series to fruition, Smoke Inn has partnered with some of the most respected names in the industry to produce one-time limited batches offered in one size each. The eighth—and latest—edition is the 601 La Bomba Bunker Buster (5.5 x 56), a figurado variation of Espinosa Cigar’s 601 La Bomba. It was created, according to the Smoke Inn website, “to honor our courageous troops” and their traits of “strength, honor, grit, and freedom.”

In addition to an “army-green design with ammunition-style boxes and military stripes across the band,” the Bunker Buster features a Habano Claro wrapper around a Criollo binder and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. The milk chocolate-colored exterior is silky and oily, the pre-light notes sweet, and the cold draw smooth despite the tapered head and foot.

With a name like Bunker Buster, and marketing copy like “a full arsenal attack on the senses,” you’d expect this figurado to be powerful. It is. Once the foot is evenly lit with a wooden match, a profile of dry cedar spice, red pepper, espresso, and warm tobacco. The Nicaraguan puro has a meaty, chewy texture with an herbal aftertaste. The nicotine kick is considerable, and the conclusion of the cigar is characterized by heat and even more spice.

Throughout, the construction is solid. The burn line may meander a bit, but it’s nothing a few touch-ups can’t quickly correct. The draw is clear, the smoke production adequate, and the gray ash holds firm off the foot throughout the slow-burning, enjoyable smoke.

The Bunker Buster is $8.95 whether you buy it by the 5-pack or the package of 10. I think that’s a pretty fair price as long as you concede you’re obtaining this smoke for pure power instead of complexity or subtlety. Seasoned cigar vets who crave strength will want to give this full-bodied, military-themed cigar a try. For my own tastes, the 601 La Bomba Bunker Buster is worthy of three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

About one year ago, we reported Hendrik Kelner, Jr.—son of Henke Kelner of Davidoff fame—was releasing his own brand called Smoking Jacket Cigars. The inaugural release was the first cigar created in Kelner, Jr.’s newly opened Kelner Boutique Factory in the Dominican Republic. It was a blend of Dominican, Brazilian, Peruvian, and Nicaraguan tobaccos.

As is popular in the cigar industry, Kelner, Jr. is involved in other projects as well. One example is Cabal Cigars, a brand operated by Chris Arolfo who distributes Cabal out of a base in Houston. Over the past few years, Cabal’s availability has expanded to 24 cigar shops, most of which are in Texas. Other states with Cabal retailers include Alabama, Kansas, Louisiana, Nevada, and Washington.

Cabal—which means a group of like-minded individuals who gather for a common purpose or ideal—took two years to blend at the Kelner Boutique Factory. The result is a lineup of three regular-production sizes in the $6.50 to $8 range that Arolfo hopes many cigar fans will adopt as everyday smokes. (There’s also a single-vitola blend called Cabal Esoteric; Arolfo says this Robusto stood out so much in the blending process that it deserved its own identity).

The core Cabal sizes are Corona Gorda (5.5 x 46), Robusto (5 x 50), and Short Robusto (4 x 52). The latter, as the Cabal website notes, is “distinctly darker than the other Cabal vitolas… [because it] comes from a higher priming of the Dominican Bonao wrapper.” In addition to this dark Bonao wrapper, the Short Robusto sports double binders from Peru and the Dominican Republic surrounding a filler blend of Nicaraguan, Pennsylvanian, and Dominican tobaccos.

The Short Robusto is characterized by a fair amount of tooth, especially around the rough cap, and a heavy weight. The cold draw is smooth and the pre-light notes are earthy with a hay-like sweetness. Once lit, a leathery, medium-bodied profile emerges with background notes of coffee, roasted nut, and a cocoa sweetness. The impact is bold and complex—especially for such a small smoke—and the interplay between leather and sugar will likely be what grabs you. The hot, meaty notes that creep in towards the final third will be more forgettable.

I only smoked a single sample for this review, which is not typical for me, or for StogieGuys.com. So keep that in mind. But if my Short Robusto is any indication, you won’t encounter any construction issues when you try this smoke for yourself. My sample exhibits a straight burn, solid ash, smooth draw, and ample smoke production.

One of the finest compliments I can pay a cigar is writing that smoking one makes me want to fire up another. Clearly, the Short Robusto’s small stature makes it easier to say this because, by the time you’re done with this tiny smoke, you still haven’t tired of the flavors. That said, though, the Cabal Short Robusto is very impressive and affordably priced. That earns it a reputable rating 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 you appreciate cigars for their aesthetic beauty as well as their flavor and smoking characteristics, you’ll agree the Belle Encre (5.4 x 42) is a sight to behold. This perfecto in the Tatuaje 10th Anniversary line has a unique shape, a gorgeous, milk chocolate-colored Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, and a super oily—almost velvety—texture. It’s a cigar that begs to be smoked. And when you do light it up, it doesn’t disappoint. The profile is balanced and complex with notes of woody spice, black pepper, warm tobacco, and a little creamy sweetness. This classic-tasting smoke is one of my all-time favorites from Tatuaje.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

With José Blanco’s CyB and the forthcoming Joya Red, the focus of Joya de Nicaragua of late has been on cigars with more balance and less power. But the oldest cigar maker in Nicaragua built its reputation on bold, full-bodied blends, and those blends are still the cornerstone of the Joya de Nicaragua portfolio.

Antaño Dark Corojo is the line that first comes to mind when I think of Joya de Nicaragua. It was the first Joya I ever smoked and, for a while, it shaped my notion of what a Nicaraguan cigar should be. When I was just getting into cigars, I remember having a Joya on my lunch break after a light meal. I was not terribly productive for the rest of the afternoon.

These days I know better. I tend to save my Dark Corojos for the evenings, usually after a large meal and paired with a sipping rum. For me, this is the best way to enjoy what Joya calls “the embodiment of the Nicaraguan power cigar.”

The Antaño Dark Corojo is a Nicaragua puro with a mottled, oily Corojo Oscuro wrapper. It comes in six sizes: Azarosa (4.5 x 52), La Pesadilla (4.75 x 60), Peligroso (5 x 44), El Martillo (5.5 x 54), La Niveladora (6 x 52), and Poderoso (6 x 54). I smoked several in the El Martillo format for this review.

After removing the foot band, I take note of pre-light aromas of raisin, cocoa, and caramel before lighting up the cigar with a couple wooden matches. The initial flavor is heavy-handed with spice, espresso, and dark chocolate. The texture is thick and leathery. Smoking through the nose helps reveal some raisin, charred steak, and black cherry.

Make no bones about it, this is a very full-bodied cigar. At times, El Martillo’s complementary sweetness makes it seem less aggressive. But the power is sure to eventually sneak up on you—especially when you stand up after having been seated for a while.

Throughout the experience, the El Martillo’s physical properties are good, including a straight burn, a solid white ash that holds very firm off the foot, and good smoke production. My only complaint is the draw, which is too tight for my liking. Perhaps of late I’ve been smoking too many loose-drawing cigars from Drew Estate.

If you’re looking for a full-bodied cleanup hitter with ample power that won’t break the bank, look no further. The Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Dark Corojo El Martillo has all the flavor and boldness you could ask for, and it runs about $8 for a single. I always keep some on hand, and I award it three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys