The Stogie Guys

At one time, Miami was a hotbed for cigar production, especially among Cuban expats seeking to rebuild after the Cuban Revolution stole away their businesses. Rising labor costs eventually necessitated most of this production move overseas to countries like Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic.

These days, Miami is witnessing somewhat of a renaissance in cigar making. Crémo Cigars, launched near the end of 2011, is part of this revitalization, proudly proclaiming its commitment to American production. Crémo’s blends are crafted at the El Titan de Bronze Cigar Factory on Miami’s Calle Ocho. The factory is “known best for its old-school Cuban entubado techniques, [and] is a family-owned and operated ‘fabriquita’ which employs level-nine rollers from Cuba,” according to the Crémo website. “These torcedores, like a painter to a canvas, handcraft each cigar with meticulous detail.”

Following up on the Crémo Classic (blended by Willy Herrera prior to his departure to Drew Estate) and the Crémo Classic Maduro, Crémo’s newest blend is Capa Caliente. It is intended to be a full-bodied, full-flavored cigar—and that’s exactly what it is. It features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around a Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

Capa Caliente comes in two formats: Robusto (5 x 50) and Toro (6 x 52). They cost $8 and $12, respectively. Each has a dark, reddish wrapper with ample oils and neatly executed triple-caps. The foot—a cross-section view of the entubado style of cigar rolling—emanates bold pre-light notes of earth and leather.

The Toro starts out as advertised. It’s about as full-bodied as a cigar can be with a bold, salty spice and flavors of espresso, black pepper, and charred steak. The taste coats the palate with a heavy, leathery texture unequaled in any cigar I’ve smoked in recent memory. The overall impact can be knee-buckling, even on a full stomach.

At the midway point the Toro becomes a little less aggressive, and at times it’s almost creamy. Still, the core notes are pervasive, and the strength is mostly unrelenting. All the while the construction is excellent. The gray ash holds firm off the foot, the draw is smooth, the burn line is straight, and each puff yields ample smoke.

If you’re a power-monger, the Capa Caliente from Crémo is one blend you absolutely have to try. If, like me, you’re more strength-agnostic and instead seek balance and harmony, this may not be the best selection. Like many things with cigars, it all depends on your point of view and personal preferences. For me, all things considered, while I prefer Crémo’s two previous blends, the four Toros I smoked for this review result in a rating of three 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.”.

My tastes and preferences tend to change over time, but my appreciation for the Blue Label from Don Pepin Garcia never seems to waver. The robusto-sized Invictos (5 x 50) has been a mainstay of my humidor for years. It earned that spot for its affordability, consistency, and pleasing profile of pepper, leather, earth, and subtle sweetness. This isn’t the first time I’ve written about this cigar, and it probably won’t be the last.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Throughout his career, Abe Flores has made cigars for various brands, including his own boutique Dominican outfit, Pinar del Rio (PDR). He is regarded as one of the most sought-after cigar makers in the world. So he caught the industry’s attention when, in 2012, he decided to produce a cigar bearing his own name.

Called A. Flores Serie Privada, it comes in two wrapper varieties: Ecuadorian Habano (“Capa Habano”) and Maduro Habano Ecuador (“Capa Maduro”). These blends use “the oldest tobacco in the PDR factory, and for good reason, [as] they are a tribute to Abe Flores, who has become a major player in the world of premium hand-rolled cigars,” reads the PDR website. “The Habano wrapper delivers great complexity and a creamy, cool, medium-body cigar. Best way to describe this is creamy sweetness with a touch of spice at the finish…The Habano Maduro wrapper is a medium-body cigar that starts with some natural sweetness, then delivers some spice.”

Both versions have Nicaraguan Habano binders and filler tobaccos comprised of Nicaraguan Habano and Dominican Corojo. Sizes include Robusto (5 x 52), Toro (6 x 54), and Churchill (7 x 58). In the $9.75-12.75 MSRP range, Serie Privada’s prices clock in higher than PDR’s other blends, which are very affordably priced (especially when you consider the quality).

I sampled three Serie Privada Capa Habano Robustos for this review. Common aesthetic characteristics include rustic, oily wrappers with only thin veins, a very soft feel from cap to foot, and faint pre-light notes of honey and hay. The caps all clip easily to reveal airy draws that are ultra-easy. Without even lighting it up, my concern is the box-pressed cigar is going to burn hot, harsh, and quick.

Hot or harsh the Robusto mostly isn’t. While there’s a lingering spice—especially on the tip of the tongue—the profile is a medium-bodied mixture of dry cedar, cinnamon, roasted nut, and a little sweet cream. The texture is light, billowy, and toasty. Black pepper and that trademark Nicaraguan zing play bigger roles as the cigar progresses. Towards the end some bitter notes come and go. The aftertaste lingers long after each puff which, I find, makes the Capa Habano an excellent pairing with sipping rum or bourbon.

My concerns about the smoke being too quick were also assuaged, evidenced by the average smoking time of 70 minutes for the Robusto. All the other physical properties are up to muster as well. The burn line is near perfect, the ash holds well, and the draw remains smooth throughout with each puff yielding ample smoke.

I’ve been a big Pinar del Rio fan for years, and I still think it’s hard to find a better bang for your buck than with many of the lines Abe Flores has created for PDR. The 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Natural and the Small Batch Reserve Maduro are among my favorites. For me, the Serie Privada Capa Habano Robusto is a fine smoke, but it falls a little short of my (admittedly high) expectations. While the flavors and construction are solid, the depth and complexity aren’t what I had hoped. All this adds up to a respectable yet tempered 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

On Saturday, Bill Spann’s tenure as chief executive officer of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) came to an end. Spann resigned his post with the Columbus, Georgia-based organization to spend more time with his family and take a job in his hometown of Jacksonville Beach, Florida.

Spann’s two years at the helm of IPCPR witnessed a reversal in a decade-long decline in membership, as well as the two most successful trade shows in the association’s 82-year history. “We are grateful for Bill’s efforts on behalf of the premium cigar and pipe industry,” said IPCPR Board President Finnie Helmuth. “His dedication to the industry, successful trade shows, and new legislative staff in Washington all speak to his stewardship of IPCPR. We wish him and his family a bright future.”

Spann elaborated on his decision: “My staff and many of our members know that I have been apart from my family each week since I took this position in July 2011. We fully intended to move to Columbus, but unfortunately the town’s size did not afford my spouse the career opportunities she required. I have great respect for our dedicated Board of Directors, our Associate Member Advisory Board, and our loyal and dedicated retail members and staff, but after more than two years of nearly constant family separation, the time is right to move on.”

When Spann was hired as CEO, he replaced Joe Rowe, who headed up IPCPR for a decade. Spann’s previous experience included a 20-year career with the Navy, serving as chief of staff of the Florida Office of Financial Regulation, and several executive roles within Governor Jeb Bush’s administration.

The IPCPR, perhaps best known for its annual trade show where cigar makers showcase their products for retailers and the media, is a nonprofit organization that represents the interests of tobacco retailers and their suppliers. It was founded in 1933.

–Patrick A

photo credit: IPCPR

A couple months after making history by sending the first cigars into space, Alec Bradley is once again making headlines. This time, though, the Florida-based company is drawing attention not for a unique publicity stunt, but for a crime.

Cigar Aficionado reported yesterday that burglars recently stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from Alec Bradley’s humidified storage facility in Hollywood, Florida. The story of how they broke in and made off without getting caught sounds like the plot of a heist movie.

The burglars cut a hole through the roof of the building using a high-powered saw, said Alan Rubin, owner of Alec Bradley, and gained access to the humidified warehouse. Using forklifts, they moved cases of cigars out to a stolen truck and made away with the merchandise, worth approximately $300,000 at wholesale, or nearly $600,000 at the retail level.

The break-in occurred early on the morning of September 7, a Saturday. Rubin initially kept the incident quiet during the search for the criminals, who remain at large. “We didn’t want to say anything because of the investigation,” Rubin told Cigar Aficionado. He changed his mind, he said, when he heard of people in the northeast United States being approached with offers of buying Alec Bradley cigars at a steep discount.

StogieGuys.com has elected to help spread the news about this robbery because the criminals are still at large, and Rubin is calling on cigar consumers for help. If you are offered Alec Bradley cigars at a steep discount, or if you see Alec Bradley cigars for sale in bundles that are always sold in boxes (i.e., Prensado), please report it to the authorities. Stolen cigars included Prensado, Nica Puro, Black Market, and Alec Bradley Connecticut.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Alec Bradley

In 2009, Miami Cigar & Co.created the Nestor Miranda Special Selection “20 Aniversario,” a limited release that celebrated of two decades of producing a Special Selection line named for company founder Nestor Miranda. The Rosado version of that series ended up being one of my favorite smokes of that year. I ended up smoking several boxes.

Aniversario aside, Special Selection is a regular-production brand with five sizes, each offered in either a Nicaraguan Habano Rosado wrapper or an Oscuro one. It joins Grand Reserve, Art Deco, Dominicano, 1989, and Danno in the Nestor Miranda portfolio.

A project conceived by Jason Wood at Miami Cigar and several years in the making, the Special Selection Exclusivo Regional was recently announced. The concept is to eventually have different Special Selection varieties available in different regions of the U.S. For starters, the inaugural Exclusivo Regional is a Midwest-only release. It sports a San Andres wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, and it comes in two formats that cost $8-9: Robusto Extra (5.5 x 54) and Toro Grande (6 x 60).

A box-pressed smoke, the Robusto Extra is a dark, gritty cigar with a wrinkled cap and zero large veins. The foot smells of sweet cocoa and pepper. Clipping the cap reveals a smooth pre-light draw and a little spice on the lips.

After lighting the cigar, the draw opens significantly, and a profile of cream, dark chocolate, and leather emerges. Given the aforementioned spice on the lips and the fact the cigar is predominantly Nicaraguan, I had expected a pepper-forward flavor. But the taste is anything but spicy. The edges are very rounded, so to speak, despite the body trending to the heavier side.

As the medium-bodied Robusto Extra progresses to the midway point and beyond, I do not find major alterations in taste. I also don’t find any of the “dirt” flavor that’s sometimes associated with Mexican tobacco. What I do notice is a smooth creaminess, a moderate nicotine kick, and sweet resting smoke. The physical properties are impeccable—solid ash, straight burn line, easy draw.

The Special Selection Exclusivo Regional is no doubt a fine, well-made cigar, and the idea of a limited regional release is an interesting one. Yet I’m a little skeptical the Robusto Extra is going to utterly captivate the Midwest—age may improve it but, right now, it isn’t terribly complex, and it doesn’t change much from light to nub. That said, it’s a good smoke at a fair price, and one that’s worthy of a  three stogies out of five rating.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Last month I reviewed Abaddon, a forthcoming single-size blend from Blue Havana, a tobacconist in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. Crafted at Fabrica de Tabacos Nica Sueño in Estelí by Skip Martin of RoMa Craft Tobac, I found the cigar to be unique and flavorful, and I mentioned that I looked forward to its release in September.

September is here, and so is Abaddon. On Friday, to be exact, Blue Havana hosted a Nica Sueño event to welcome Abaddon to the shop’s selection of smokes. The cigar, which takes its name from the dwelling place of the dead in the Hebrew Bible, sells for $8.15 and sports a dark, oily, slightly mottled Nicaraguan hybrid (Criollo/Corojo) wrapper from Nicaragua, a Mata Fina binder, and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. I liked the cigar enough to award it a rare rating of four and a half stogies out of five.

So I was understandably eager to try Ouroboros, the other RoMa Craft-produced Blue Havana exclusive that also made its debut on Friday. Named after an ancient symbol depicting a dragon eating its own tail, Ouroboros is also available in one size (6.25 x 52). It retails for $8.50 and has a Mata Fina wrapper from Brazil, an Indonesian binder, and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Only 40 boxes of 12 will be produced in the first run.

Ouroboros is dark, firm to the touch, and heavy in the hand. Its wrapper is clean with few veins and plenty of tooth. I don’t find much pre-light aroma besides faint syrupy notes. Interestingly, despite the closed foot, the cold draw is smooth after clipping the cap.

Once an even light is established, a dense, leathery flavor emerges with pepper spice, coffee bean, earth, and traces of bitterness. Hints of black licorice come and go, and the aftertaste is characterized by a lingering paprika spice. The final portion of the cigar, rather than predictably building to intense bitterness or heat, is characterized by cream and cedar.

With outstanding construction—something I’ve come to expect from Fabrica de Tabacos Nica Sueño—I’m happy to report that Ouroboros, like Abaddon, is a very pleasing cigar. The balance, complexity, and fragrance make it well worth its price tag and worthy of another solid 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