The 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.”

Since its inception, I have been a member of Saints & Sinners, a Tatuaje club that annually sends participants exclusive cigars (as well as other Tatuaje-branded merchandise like wine openers, poker chips, and apparel). Part of the 2013 smoke kit was an Exclusive Series “Hassell”—Pete Johnson’s middle name. It’s a large perfecto (6.9 x 52) based on the Tatuaje Avion, with a twist. Like Avion, it has an Ecuadorian Habano maduro wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. But this time, the filler also includes tobaccos from another undisclosed country. The result is a medium- to full-bodied profile of dry oak, roasted nuts, black pepper, coffee, and ample earthy sweetness on the aftertaste. Construction is excellent. If you aren’t a Saints & Sinners member, finding this cigar will be exceedingly difficult. So, if anything, I hope this Quick Smoke encourages you to sign up.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Many people who enjoy wine have made the trip to Napa Valley, France, Spain, Italy, Argentina, or another wine-producing locale to walk the vineyards, speak to the winemakers, and learn more about the process of transforming carefully grown grapes into wine.

My knowledge of wine is far more limited than my knowledge of cigars. Yet my understanding of wine seems to grow exponentially with each visit I pay to a vineyard. While those visits are rare, each one leaves a lasting impression on me. I pick up new nuggets of information. I see the passion of winemakers sewn into their meticulous processes. I observe how others taste wine. And, above all, I gain a greater appreciation for the grape.

Cigars, like wine, are hard to gain a thorough appreciation for unless you have the opportunity to see them made. Loving cigars is a contact sport. You need to walk tobacco fields. Witness the many careful steps required to properly ferment the leaves. See the cigars being rolled. And speak with the great cigar men who oversee blending, bunching, aging, and boxing.

Such firsthand access to cigars doesn’t come easy. Obviously you can’t get it at an event like Cigar Aficionado’s Big Smoke. While no doubt fun, events like these are typically spent wondering through crowds to exchange coupons for cigars—and trying to balancing a lit cigar with a drink and a plate of food (there’s always a severe shortage of tables). It’s hard to have a brief conversation with a sought-after cigar maker, let alone see any of their processes. One Big Smoke I attended in Las Vegas featured a mile-long line just to shake Rocky Patel’s hand.

Still, there do exist opportunities to visit tobacco fields and cigar factories, and to get an invaluable behind-the-scenes look at cigar production. The foremost example is an experience I can’t recommend highly enough: Drew Estate’s Cigar Safari in Nicaragua. I find myself thinking about my Cigar Safari adventure a lot. It was so eye-opening, and it was a real pleasure to bounce all my questions off knowledgeable men like Jonathan Drew, Steve Saka, José Blanco, and Mario Perez. Other options for factory tours include the ProCigar Festival in the Dominican Republic, Humo Jaguar in Honduras, the Nicaragua Tobacco Festival, or the Habano Cigars Festival in Cuba. I’ve also heard instances of cigar shops sponsoring informative trips, so keep your ears open at your local tobacconist.

Reading about cigars, visiting your local shop, speaking with other enthusiasts, attending events in the U.S., and, of course, smoking cigars are all great ways to learn about the leaf. But I would encourage you at some point to visit a live cigar factory, tobacco field, or tobacco processing facility. The experience will increase your appreciation of cigars twofold. And you’ll have an amazing time.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Aging Room. Boutique Blends. Oliveros Cigars. Swag. Call this Miami-based organization what you will. I call it a damn fine maker of premium boutique cigars. Since the company was launched, my colleagues and I have been consistently impressed by its offerings, from Swag Elite and M21 to SoBe and M356.

So, even though I had only very limited at the 2013 IPCPR Trade Show, I made sure to stop by the Boutique Blends booth. There, I found the company’s president, Rafael Nodal, and spoke to him about his newest creation, the Swag S Maduro.

This blend is intended to reflect “the taste of young and modern smokers who are tired of the same old traditional brands,” according to the Boutique Blends website. “Contemporary, slick presentation, oversized vitolas, perfect construction, and an incredible taste is what Swag S is all about.” The line is comprised of Dominican binder and filler tobaccos and a San Andres maduro claro wrapper. Billed as medium- to full-bodied, five sizes are available in the $8-13 range. They include Infamous (6 x 54), Ego Grande (6.5 x 60), Carter (7.9 x 63), The Bawse (7 x 70), and Spin (5.5 x 57).

My first impression is that this cigar—or at least its marketing—is not targeted to my tastes. I typically prefer slimmer, more traditionally sized smokes, classic names and bands, and an emphasis on balance and complexity over brute strength. But the bottom line is the Swag S smokes nicely and has a solid taste. For me, the blend is further proof you can’t judge a cigar by its marketing copy.

The Spin vitola is a gorgeous, pigtail-capped smoke with a dark, clean, toothy wrapper offset by a bright band of white, red, and gold. Its foot gives off a subtle pre-light aroma of sweet raisin and leather. The cold draw is smooth. Once lit, the bold profile has a charred character with notes of espresso, unsweetened chocolate, dry wood, and black pepper. The texture is simultaneously gritty and oily. I find few changes from light to nub.

With good construction and a full-bodied taste that has some depth, the Swag S Maduro Spin from Boutique Blends is a fine cigar. I may not smoke it too often—the price is a little high for an everyday cigar, and I tend to favor slightly milder blends—but when I do I’ll pair it with an after-dinner sipping rum. And I will enjoy myself. These conclusions result in an admirable rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

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.”

Currently, 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 story behind the Rodrigo brand—which can be read in its entirety here—is one of a man who loved cigars, flew to Santiago on a whim in 2010, and by chance got connected to a former master blender for Davidoff who taught him the business. That man is George Rodriguez, founder and president of Rodrigo Cigars.

Rodrigo consists of three small-batch blends: Habano Clasico, Boutique Blend, and La Fortaleza. The latter is a Dominican puro that translates to “strength” and is intended to counter the “stigma that flavor and complexity must be sacrificed in order to gain strength.” It comes in four sizes: Absoluto (5.1 x 43), Forte (5.5 x 50), Elegante (6.75 x 48), and Cinco (6 x 56). All have an oscuro wrapper, and no more than 7,000 cigars are made in each size.

The Absoluto is a rustic specimen that’s a little rough around the edges. It has a few lumps, some large veins, and the seams are very pronounced. The cap has a nice pigtail, though, and the cold draw is smooth. At the foot, pre-light notes of red pepper are apparent.

After establishing an even light, a medium- to full-bodied profile of black pepper and damp earth emerges. The strength is evident yet not overwhelming, and the flavor is bold and rich with a thick, leathery texture. Floral notes and traces of sweetness are fleeting but noticeable, particularly when you smoke through the nose.

I find this slow-burning cigar takes longer to smoke than I would typically expect from a cigar this size. All the while the combustion qualities are very solid. The burn is straight, the ash holds firm, the draw is smooth, and the smoke production is high.

Do yourself a favor and give the Rodrigo La Fortaleza Absoluto a try. For the going rate of about $7, you’ll get a bold smoke with a lot to offer in the flavor department. I find it works particularly well as an after-dinner companion to a cup of coffee and, as advertised, delivers both complexity and strength. In my book it rates 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.”

This year I’ve resolved to try and smoke more old favorites. That may sound silly to some of you—why not just smoke only the cigars you love all the time?—but managing the content for this website requires sampling a lot of new releases and scores of other smokes we haven’t yet reviewed. Woe is me. In any event, to try and make whole on my resolution I recently sat down with an Undercrown, a marvelous cigar that was introduced by the fine folks at Drew Estate a few years ago. It has been a favorite blend of mine ever since. The Gran Toro (6 x 52) always performs beautifully, with a rich, toasty profile of espresso, nut, and earth coupled with Drew Estate’s trademark draw (think copious tufts of smoke with each puff). I snagged a Gran Toro five-pack not too long ago, and I can hardly think of a better way to spend $40.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

There are cigars you can classify as everyday smokes, and then there are special occasion cigars. God of Fire falls into the latter category.

With so many excellent smokes on the market for about $10 or less, a cigar truly has to shine to prove itself worthy of double that cost threshold. The God of Fire Don Carlos 2009 Robusto does just that. Despite commanding a price of $20 apiece, it is a flavorful, balanced, and satisfying experience that performs time and again—rendering it an excellent choice if you want a special cigar and are willing to pay up.

I recently purchased two Don Carlos 2009 Robustos (5.25 x 50) for a total cost of just under $40. The Robusto is one of three formats offered in the Don Carlos series, the others being Robusto Gordo (5.5 x 54) and Toro (6 x 50). Each features an Ecuadorian wrapper surrounding Dominican binder and filler tobaccos. These cigars are complimented by the Carlito series in the God of Fire portfolio—four vitolas that are presented with Cameroon wrappers. The lines are blended by Carlos Fuente, Sr. and Carlito Fuente, respectively, and they are manufactured by Arturo Fuente for Prometheus.

The 2009 release of the Don Carlos series was aged for a minimum of three years after the cigars were rolled. Regardless of the release, though, the Don Carlos Robusto is said to be “the most distinctive of all the God of Fire cigars—and indeed one of the most distinctive cigars available anywhere,” according to the God of Fire website. “It has the most intense flavor of any cigar carrying the God of Fire label, though it is still best described as a medium-bodied cigar.”

The clean, moderately veined Robusto has rich pre-light notes of syrup and a perfect cap that clips easily to reveal a slightly stiff draw. Once lit, what follows is a dry, almost salty profile of cedar, coffee, sweet cream, and nougat. While the draw may be a little firm, the smoke production is excellent with each puff. The resting smoke has a terrific aroma that’s bright and sweet. And the construction—from the perfect burn to the solid ash—is immaculate.

Even as the Robusto progresses to the midway point and beyond, the strength always falls somewhere between mild- and medium-bodied. This is not a heavy-handed cigar with in-your-face flavors; rather, it’s a subtle, balanced blend that’s only fully appreciated with conscientious, deliberate puffs. Smoking through the nose is highly encouraged.

I may only light up a God of Fire by Don Carlos cigar a few times a year, but when I do it’s always special and worth the high price. Based on the two samples I smoked for this review, the 2009 iteration of the Don Carlos Robusto is worthy of an outstanding 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

Back in 2006 when I was starting to get into cigars, Mike Copperman of Bethesda Tobacco generously donated his time (and cigars) to give me a private session on cigar tasting. Copperman, now the legislative director for Cigar Rights of America, is about as well-versed in the field as anyone. His invaluable—albeit brief—tutelage made a huge impact on me.

I remember tasting cigars with Copperman at his Maryland shop, which today is another DC-area location of W. Curtis Draper. We were on the second floor of Bethesda Tobacco, in a small room with scant ventilation that assured the cigar smoke would hang heavy enough in the air to sting the eyes. On a muggy summer day we sampled sticks that were comprised entirely of Piloto Cubano tobacco, then Viso, then Ligero. Tasting these tobaccos independently instilled a great appreciation for the final cigar, which was a harmonious combination of all three: the Davidoff Grand Cru No. 3.

I didn’t know much about cigars at the time. But, thanks to Copperman, I really adored the Davidoff Grand Cru No. 3. It was a cigar I later reviewed, and it became the first cigar to earn a five-stogie rating on this website, which was only a few months old in the summer of 2006.

Hundreds of cigar reviews and almost eight years later, I still fondly revere the Davidoff Grand Cru line. For reasons including price and the need to constantly smoke different cigars for this website, I don’t smoke the blend often. But when I do, I love it. Flying in the face of today’s obsession with thick smokes, the five Grand Cru vitolas all have ring gauges less than 50. According to Davidoff, “only the Corona shape gives the Grand Cru the ideal ring gauge with which to enjoy this medium-bodied flavor.”

For this review, I bought a five-pack of No. 4s (4.75 x 41) for just under $50. Like the other sizes, the No. 4 is a gorgeous smoke with a clean wrapper, a well-executed cap, and faint pre-light notes of molasses and hay off the foot. After setting the burn with a wooden match, a bright, crisp, mild- to medium-bodied profile emerges with flavors of oak, peanut, cream, and earth. The finish leaves a surprisingly long-lasting sensation of spice on the tip of the tongue. The texture is dry and silky and the combustion properties are perfect.

I’m not sure it’s possible for me to write a completely unbiased review of a Davidoff Grand Cru cigar. Even when I do my best to set aside the memories and nostalgia, I can’t help but arrive at the same conclusion: This is a tremendous blend with exquisite balance and subtlety. Now keep in mind I’ve always had a soft spot for cigars at the milder end of the spectrum. Some cigar enthusiasts live for those full-bodied flavor-bombs and could never imagine paying $10 for a milder smoke—particularly one this small. Not me. I adore the Davidoff Grand Cru No. 4, and I can’t think of a more suitable rating than 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