The Stogie Guys

New cigars from new cigar companies are rarely as anticipated as the Crowned Heads innaugural release, Four Kicks. Perhaps that’s because the new company has many familiar faces.

Crowned Heads was Founded by longtime employees of CAO (including Jon Huber and Mike Conder). They stayed in Nashville, Tennessee, after CAO completed its merger with General Cigar and moved into General’s headquarters in Richmond, Virgina.

Their new cigar is also made by a familiar face, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, who worked for many years with General Cigar after selling his El Credito company (La Gloria Cubana, El Rico Habano). The cigar is the first Carrillo has made since leaving Geneal that isn’t for his own E.P. Carrillo brand. However, when he first went out on his own, his original plan had been to base his business on making cigars on contract for others.

The name “Four Kicks” comes from the Kings of Leon song of the same name. Huber explains why that was chosen on the company blog (part of a welcome, informative, and up-to-date cigar website—something far too rare in the industry).

The blend, made in Carrillo’s Dominican factory, uses an oily, reddish Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. The cigar comes in four sizes: Robusto (5 x 50), Sublime (6 x 54), Piramide (6.1 x 52), and a Corona Gorda (5.6 x 46). For this review I picked up a six-pack of the Corona Gordas from Emerson’s Cigars where they cost $6.95 each.

Four Kicks is a medium-bodied smoke. I found a notably chewy aspect to it, with meaty and leathery flavors. As it develops, sweet cinnamon and nutmeg spice are revealed before the strength fades a bit and the sweetness comes to the front of the palate. Construction is perfect.

It’s a well-balanced, very savory cigar that’s completely distinct from Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s other creations. It pairs up equally well with a cup of coffee, an IPA, or an after-dinner bourbon, and could be an everyday smoke or one you save for a special occasion.

In an already crowded market of well-made cigars, it takes a lot for a new one to stand out. Crowned Heads’ first offering does that, and I’m looking forward to what they plan on creating next. With it’s medium-bodied, well-balanced, savory flavors and a reasonable price, the Four Kicks Corona Gorda earns four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I have been a fan of V-cutters and punches since I started smoking cigars. All that talk about making sure your guillotine didn’t slice off too much of the cap and cause the wrapper to unravel made me nervous. At least that was one worry I could eliminate.

Even now that I think I have enough skill to clip the head without inflicting undue damage, I still like the V-cut. It opens up the cigar but maintains its integrity and shape. But I’d never had a good V-cutter. Until recently, the only high-quality one of which I was aware was from the Boston Cigar Cutter Company, and they’re, frankly, too pricey for me.

Enter the VX Cutter from Xikar, listing at about $50 and generally available for $10 less. I have long used and appreciated a regular Xikar cutter. I like its sharp blades, fine action, and the company’s no-questions-asked lifetime guarantee. So I took the plunge, selecting the silver VX model.

The first thing I noticed was the heft. After a succession of cheap plastic V-cutters, the Xikar’s metal construction stands out, as does the easy sliding action and the ergonomic design. The blade is extraordinarily thin and sharp. The result is a surgically clean clip through most any size cigar. The indention for the cigar head is ample, working for a ring gauge up to 64, according to Xikar.

The company also notes that the bottom of the cutter is concave and can be used to hold a cigar. I guess that might come in handy at some point, though I’m not really sure when.

I’ve used my cutter on a dozen or so cigars, and it has opened up every one perfectly. So, whether you’re afraid of unraveling your wrappers or just like a V-cut, I highly recommend the Xikar VX.

–George E

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 hard-to-find, limited, Dominican-made Partagas was released in 2009 when it could be had for $16-20. Perhaps the most impressive thing about this cigar is the ten-year-old Cameroon wrapper, which is darker and more oily than any Cameroon wrapper I’ve come across. The smoke (5.5 x 50) has plenty of classic Cameroon spice, cedar, and coffee notes. It’s medium-bodied with and an elegant balance. Construction is perfect, as you’d expect from a pricey, limited release.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In September, I wrote about one of my favorite bourbons: Four Roses Small Batch. It’s a complex, 90-proof Kentucky whiskey that won’t break the bank.

Recently, I visited my local liquor store to pick up more Small Batch. At least that was the plan until I saw Four Roses Single Barrel next to it.

Only a few dollars more than the Small Batch at $37, the Single Barrel version (not to be confused with the Limited Edition Single Barrel) comes in at 100-proof. Master Distiller Jim Rutledge selects just one of Four Roses ten different bourbons for the Single Barrel.

The result is a bourbon that’s complex, full-bodied, and spicy. The nose features caramelized sugar, burnt corn, and butter. On the palate, I found oak, toasted bread, roasted nut, and some pepper spice. The finish is long with nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla.

Four Roses Single Barrel is not as sweet or smooth as the Small Batch, but it makes up for it with complexity and depth of flavor. This makes it an excellent candidate for pairing with a full-bodied smoke. Three new-ish smokes I particularly enjoyed with a few fingers of Four Roses Single Barrel were the Drew Estate Undercrown, Tatuaje Black Petite Lancero, and the 7-20-4 Londres.

All in all, I might slightly prefer the Small Batch to the Single Barrel (especially when you consider that the $6 price difference can buy you a fine cigar to enjoy with it). Still, this is a good bourbon to enjoy with a cigar and one I plan on picking up from time to time.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In this issue of “Random Thoughts from the Humidor” I pontificate on an odd cigar name, a Honduran puro, a legal victory for cigars, and a new supporter of Cigar Rights of America.

Would you smoke “The Gagger”?

I’m a big fan of K.A. Kendall’s 7-20-4 cigars. I’ve enjoyed both the original and the new line, and I think the “Dog Walker” size is not only a good little smoke but also clever branding. (Even non-dog owners can relate to a cigar that’s just large enough to enjoy on a short walk.) I can’t say the same for his newest size, “The Gagger.” I honestly can’t think of a worse name for a cigar. Maybe that’s what he’s going for, but personally I don’t see it working. Then again, I’m not a big fan of 60-ring gauge cigars, so I’m probably not the target audience.

Humo Jaguar

Speaking of cigars with unique names, I was skeptical when I was first told about Humo Jaguar, named after the Honduras cigar festival of of the same name. The cigar, which is distributed by Miami Cigar & Co., is a Honduran puro made by Placensia and was the winning blend at the 2011 festival, where cigars by various Honduran makers were tasted blind. It happens to be a fantastic cigar, one of my favorite from the recent IPCPR show, with depth, plenty of body, excellent construction, and quintessential Honduran sweetness. As someone who generally reaches for Nicaraguan and Dominican smokes and not for Honduran smokes (especially puros), it reminds me how good Honduran cigars can be. To that end, it certainly achieves its goal.

Free Speech for Tobacco Companies

While I’m not a lawyer, the recent federal court decision striking down the new graphic warning labels for cigarette packages strikes me as particularly important. Finally, a judge stood up for the First Amendment rights of tobacco companies by saying that they cannot be forced to put propaganda on their products. While courts haven’t always recognized it, the graphic warning labels clearly are not about providing facts to smokers so they can make an informed decision, but are designed to persuade people not to smoke. As someone who worries about the artistry of cigar boxes being ruined by similar anti-tobacco propaganda, it’s good to see a judge standing up to government attempts to force companies to propagandize their customers.

Altadis USA Steps Up

Kudos to Altadis USA for signing up with Cigar Rights of America and also making a “significant contribution” to IPCPR. Up until they signed on a few weeks ago, Altadis, one of the largest premium cigar makers, was the one missing cigar company from CRA’s list of supporters. Now that they’ve stepped up, all of the largest cigar makers are represented with CRA.

–Patrick S

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 band-less torpedo (6 x 54) isn’t much to look at, but it may be my favorite Cameroon-wrapped cigar. It features a pale Cameroon wrapper around Dominican binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan filler. It’s a perfectly balanced smoke with a medium-bodied combination of cedar, spice, and cafe-au-lait. Construction is excellent, except for a few cracks in the delicate wrapper that develop towards the end. While I think I prefer the No. 1 size, this torpedo only affirmed my enjoyment of La Flor’s Cameroon line. Particularly impressive is this $10 smoke’s versatility: It goes well with a cup of coffee in the morning, and also with a glass of scotch at the end of the night.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

You’ve got to hand it to Pete Johnson, the creator and owner of the Tatuaje cigar brand: The annual Halloween cigar release is marketing genius. Each year Tatuaje fans seek out the Halloween limited release with many buying an entire box before smoking a single one.

Cigar Aficionado even wrote an article about the “distribution nightmare” that the Halloween release has become. With 666 numbered “dress boxes” going out to 13 “unlucky retailers” (plus another 1,500 plain boxes of ten), there is still more demand than supply. But it’s hard to feel to sorry for Johnson for having too many people wanting his annual Halloween cigar.

Wrapper leaf generally is judged by two key attributes: taste and appearance. A testament to that marketing genius, by making ugly “scary” cigars cool, the Halloween release is free to use wrapper that while plenty tasty, would normally be far too rustic in appearance for most $13 cigars. Indeed, the Sumatra wrapper, while oily, is two-toned with reddish brown and plenty of black veins.

Inside the Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper is binder and filler based on the Tatuaje Cojonu. The cigar is a large (7.5″ x 52) box-pressed torpedo with an unfinished foot that is exposed for half an inch before the wrapper starts.

Once lit, the unfinished foot creates an unbalanced start. When the wrapper kicks in, though, you get a full-bodied, complete smoke. The Wolfman has a notable dried fruit sweetness, combined with leather and a hint of woodiness. There’s also a little sourness that comes and goes.

The flavors change only slightly as the long smoke moves past the halfway point. Some cedary spice develops and the dried fruit notes continue. The medium- to full-bodied profile reminds me an awful lot of the NHC Capa Especial, another box-pressed, Sumatra-wrapped Tatuaje.

Despite a somewhat loose draw, construction is excellent. The burn is even and, except for the unfinished foot, the ash holds steady for over an inch.

In the end, the newest Halloween is much like its predecessors: a little different and a little quirky, but ultimately pretty good (and yes, the dress box is pretty cool too). It’s not the best Tatuaje I’ve ever smoked, but ultimately it’s enjoyable and worthy of a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys