The Stogie Guys

“Don’t be caught smoking just any kind of cigar.” That’s the marketing pitch for The Kind, a new micro-batch that has been crafted exclusively for three Buffalo-area retailers.

The Kind was launched on February 28 by Nice Ash Cigars, Cigars at Your Price, and Egars. For now, it’s a house blend, though it’s one of those house blends that doesn’t require you to be at the house to get your hands on one; it can be bought online. The brand owner, Rob Roth, has plans to eventually distribute it to tobacconists throughout New York State (he sits on the Board of Directors for the New York Tobacco Association).

The blend includes a Jalapa-grown Corojo wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. It is fashioned in Estelí by Omar Ortez, known for his Omar Ortez Originals and the Warlock line. Each of the five sizes—Petit (4.5 x 46), Robusto (5.1 x 52), Toro (5.75 x 56), Gordo (6 x 60), and Churchill (7 x 54)—is sharply box-pressed with a closed foot and a pigtail cap. Prices range from about $6.50 to $8 per cigar.

I smoked several in the Petit format for this review. It is an attractive, golden-colored smoke with very thin veins and a firm packing of tobacco. Only faint notes of honey are apparent off the wrapper. The cap clips easily to reveal an effortless draw.

Roth calls The Kind “the perfect combination of strength and flavor” and says that it’s “full-bodied but only medium strength.” He also claims, despite the Nicaraguan spice, “it’s sweeter than most people would expect.” In my experience, the Petit is a flavor rush of dry wood and spice at the outset. Cedar, spice, and that familiar Nicaraguan zing take center stage. The intensity of the spice can be controlled by your puffing frequency, though I think most would agree the spice is the defining characteristic.

As the cigar progresses, it becomes a little mellower, with the majority of the spice being relegated to the long aftertaste. Buttery notes of cream and nut join in. A sweetness adds balance. Still, there’s lots of body with little nicotine kick. This is how the Petit remains until the end. Construction is solid with a straight burn, firm ash, smooth draw, and tons of smoke production.

Enthusiasts who crave spice and are generally fans of Nicaraguan cigars would do well to give The Kind a shot—especially since you can order online without having to commit to a full box purchase (five-packs and single sticks are available). I’m awarding The Kind Petit a respectable 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

When CAO, a family-owned cigar company based in Nashville, was purchased by the Scandanavian Tobacco Group in 2007 (and later merged with General Cigar), many were left wondering about the direction in which the brand would head.

Answers came in the form of OSA Sol, the first new CAO line to launch under the General Cigar umbrella. The blend, introduced a few years ago, features a unique sun-grown Honduran wrapper from the San Agustin valley in Olancho (hence “OSA”) with a Connecticut broadleaf binder and filler tobaccos from Honduras and Nicaragua.

Last summer, General Cigar further expanded the CAO portfolio with another new blend: Flathead. With a marketing scheme centered on muscle cars and pinup girls, Flathead “hits on all cylinders” and includes a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Habano Connecticut binder, and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua.

Each Flathead vitola—V554 Camshaft, V642 Piston, V770 Big Block, and V660 Carb—is sharply box-pressed and sold in boxes with lids that are easily removed and intended to be used as wall art. The V554 Camshaft (5.5 x 54) sells for $7-8 apiece. It has (not surprisingly) a noticeably flat cap, along with a dark wrapper, a firm feel, and a pungent pre-light aroma of cocoa and leather.

After setting an even light, a profile emerges that’s characterized by dark chocolate, leather, cream, and black pepper spice. The most defining attribute of the taste, however, is the texture of the smoke. Rarely have I come across a cigar with a texture so dense, moist, and chalky. While the nicotine content may not be off the charts—and while the spice is often in the background—the V554 Camshaft smokes heavy and hearty. Adjectives like meaty and savory come to mind.

As for construction, each of the four samples I smoked for this review performed well. I can safely say this cigar produces an even burn line, a smooth draw, and a solid white ash that holds firm off the foot. And the smoke production is outstanding.

When it’s all said and done, the CAO Flathead V554 Camshaft is a damn good smoke that should give the General Cigar detractors reason to rethink their position. It’s also a solid value out of the box—perhaps considerably more so with patience, as I consider it a good prospect for aging. I’m awarding it a commendable 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.”

Before I fired it up last night, this Gran Toro (6 x 54) had been resting in my humidor for almost two years. I liked the Small Batch Reserve Habano line when it was introduced by Pinar del Rio in 2012. And I’m happy to report some age renders the fine cigar downright excellent. With time on its side, the Brazilian wrapper combines with Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos to yield a more complex, balanced profile than if it were smoked right out of the box. Look for flavors of sweet wood, milk chocolate, cream, spice, and a little leather, and expect nearly perfect construction. The smart move is to buy a box of 24 for around $170 and resist the urge to dive into it for about 24 months.

Verdict = Buy.

–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.”

Back in 2003, La Aurora celebrated its 100th anniversary by launching a new line called 100 Años. The oldest cigar maker in the Dominican Republic chose only Dominican tobaccos for the blend, including an oily Corojo wrapper. The resulting profile—characterized by flavors of bread, dry cedar, cream, and pepper—is bolder than most would expect from a Dominican puro. True to La Aurora form, the Robusto (5 x 50) smokes very well. Even with a price tag north of $10, this is an easy recommendation.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

When my colleague reviewed the CroMagnon Cranium back in May 2011, I’d wager most readers had not heard of RoMa Craft Tobac or its owners, Michael Rosales and Skip Martin. Almost three years later, if you still haven’t gotten around to trying RoMa Craft smokes, you need to get on board. You’re missing out.

RoMa Craft was born after the Hava Cigar Shop and Lounge in Galveston, Texas, was decimated by Hurricane Ike in 2008. At first it was an online version of the old brick-and-mortar store, but distribution and cigar production grew. The company now counts the CroMagnon, Aquitaine, Intemperance, Adrian’s Costa Rica, and Hava Cigar brands as part of its portfolio. It maintains production facilities in Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

Those who’ve met Skip Martin know he’s no fan of nanny state paternalism (particularly as it pertains to tobacco). His Intemperance series pays homage to the American movement that overthrew Prohibition, and it calls on us to do our part to protect cigar freedoms. It’s also an excellent line of smokes.

Intemperance BA XXI features a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper around an Indonesian binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. (There’s also an Intemperance EC XVIII line that’s wrapped in an Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf.) Four regular-production vitolas range in price from $5 to $7: Petito, Short Robusto, Short Perfecto, and Belicoso. Three additional vitolas are reserved for RoMa Craft events, though rumor has it they will eventually be available for online purchase: Brotherly Kindness, The Breach of the Peace, and A.W.S. IV. My favorite is the A.W.S. IV, a Lonsdale (6.5 x 44) that costs $6.50. It’s a dark, oily smoke with pre-light notes of chocolate, and binder and filler tobaccos that protrude slightly beyond the wrapper at the foot.

Once underway, black pepper spice immediately coats the palate, while a red pepper spice tingles the lips. The smoke has a hearty, gritty texture, and the flavors remind me of rich chocolate, cream, dry wood, and roasted nut. The balance is tremendous, and the spice can easily be controlled by either smoking quicker for more heat, or smoking slower for a cooler experience. Towards the end, the spice takes a backseat to sweetness, cream, and apricot.

As I’ve come to expect from RoMa Craft, the combustion qualities are downright impeccable. The burn is straight and true, the draw is smooth, the ash holds firm, and the smoke production is impressive. A tip of the hat to the professionals at the Nica Sueño factory in Estelí.

While I think the secret has been out for some time—heck, I arrived late to the party myself—it’s my pleasure to add my praise to the many accolades that have been bestowed upon the Intemperance BA XXI blend. The A.W.S. IV vitola is a great value and a joy to smoke, earning it a very rare rating of five stogies out of five.

[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

About a year ago, when I reviewed a pre-release version of the Recluse Draconian Robusto from Iconic Leaf, I mentioned that the sizes of the blend would not be disclosed until the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) Trade Show in Las Vegas.

Typically, the announcement of vitolas is a non-event. But, last winter, well before the IPCPR convention, Iconic Leaf assured us three of the sizes would be in a never-before-seen format called “Sidewinder,” and this created some intrigue. (Iconic Leaf fans will recall Recluse was likewise rolled out in an inventive format called “Kanu,” which has a head-turning kayak-like shape).

As best as I can describe it, the Sidewinder shape is reminiscent to a flattened oval that has a slight box press and a bit of a taper at the cap. Three Sidewinders appear in the Recluse Draconian portfolio: No. 1 (5 x 57, $8); No. 2 (6 x 57, $9); and No. 3 (7 x 57, $10). They join three other standard vitolas, all of which are box-pressed: Robusto (5 x 54, $7.50); Toro (6.25 x 50, $8.50); and 6 x 60 ($9.50).

All of these cigars are rolled in the entubado style at the Tabacalera Leyendas Cubanas factory in the Dominican Republic. They share an Ecuadorian maduro wrapper around a proprietary binder. The filler includes a Ligero leaf that’s unique to Iconic Leaf, as well as Dominican Ligero, Piloto Cubano, and Braziago.

The Recluse Draconian Sidewinder No. 2 is a sleek-looking smoke with a smooth surface, minimal veins, and barely visible seams. Notes of caramel, leather, and red pepper are apparent off the foot. A small V-cut is all that’s needed to open up a clear draw, thanks to the entubado rolling technique. In a nod to its unique shape, the cigar fits comfortably in the mouth despite its large ring gauge.

Ample spice, dry wood, espresso, pepper, and bread characterize the flavor profile. The smoke is heavy, toasty, and abundant with a thick texture. Traces of cream and peanut come and go. Throughout, the construction is very good—the ash is firm and stable, the burn line straight, and the draw smooth.

I thoroughly enjoyed both Sidewinder No. 2s I smoked for this review, though I can’t say I liked either considerably more or less than the pre-release Robusto. Still, I’d imagine some will prefer the Sidewinder format over the traditional Recluse Draconian sizes because of the ability to comfortably smoke a large ring gauge, and the ability to effectively control the concentration of the smoke by choosing between a V-cut and a standard guillotine cut. In the end, this vitola is worthy of a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

One might argue this review is unnecessary. For starters, I reviewed this same cigar (and same vitola) a little more than two years ago. In addition, the My Father line has become ubiquitous among cigar fans, earning it a solid reputation and diminishing the usefulness of yet another review stacked upon longstanding heaps of praise.

However, we should not forget cigars share many similarities with wine. Each growing season in each part of the cigar-producing world brings with it different soil conditions, different rainfall, different sunlight exposure, and different levels of humidity. When you add in the variables associated with cultivation, fermentation, and rolling, it’s a wonder cigar makers have any consistency at all within the same blend across years. So I would argue there’s a fair amount of value in revisiting old reviews. Particularly when—as in this case—several years separate the two creations.

Whereas the robusto-sized My Father No. 1 cigars I acquired for my previous review were purchased in 2011, the five-pack I bought for this review was ordered and received in late 2013. Both have Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos and a Habano/Criollo hybrid wrapper from Ecuador. And both measure 5.5 inches long with a ring gauge of 52 and a price tag of about $10.

In appearance, the recently acquired My Father No. 1 cigars look exactly like all the others I have smoked in this format. They have smooth, oily wrappers, soft pre-light notes with tons of sweetness, and the trademark My Father band of pink, green, red, and gold. The cap clips easily to reveal a smooth cold draw.

Perhaps these newer robustos are somewhat different—or perhaps my tastes have just changed (that’s another variable to consider)—but today My Father No. 1 has a meaty, almost mesquite-like character that I don’t remember. Sure, the core flavors of cedar, coffee, chocolate, dry tannins, and pepper remain. I don’t recall, though, the cigar having such a pronounced char component. I’m not complaining, especially since these bold, smoky tastes are offset by a frequent creaminess that reminds me of nougat.

Throughout, the medium- to full-bodied robusto is a model of construction perfection. The ash holds firm for an above-average length, the burn line is wonderfully straight, and each puff yields ample smoke.

Based on my own recollection, which is admittedly flawed, the My Father No. 1 tastes a little different today than it did a few years ago. Interestingly, however, I don’t find myself liking this cigar any more or any less. I maintain it’s still 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