The Stogie Guys

In a move many industry leaders have indicated was much needed, this week Cigar Rights of America added another full-time employee. Mike Copperman has been named Legislative Director for Cigar Rights of America. Previously CRA had only two full-time employees.

Copperman was the longtime owner of the Bethesda Tobacco shop just outside Washington, where he spent countless hours educating people on the artisan aspects of premium cigars. (Notably, he graciously conducted a highly educational cigar tasting with the founders of StogieGuys.com many years ago when this website was just getting started.)

Copperman will be concentrating on the CRA federal effort to advance legislation that will exempt premium cigars from regulation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Specifically, he is a noted authority on the healthcare debate surrounding tobacco, and will be a leading expert challenging many pseudo-scientific  reasons given for extending smoking bans and tobacco taxes that hurt consumer choice.

In a statement released announcing his appointment, Copperman stated, “As a professional tobacconist, it was and is important to respond to the erroneous health claims put forth by those in the field of Tobacco Control, and to do so with sound science, and the use of epidemiological evidence to support our arguments. That effort will be critical to the effort to pass H.R. 1639 and S. 1461.”

FDA Exemption Bill Adds Support in Congress

The push comes as CRA’s central legislative effort continues to add support in Congress. CRA and other pro-cigar associations continue to lobby members of congress to support the “Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2011,” which would protect cigar consumers and cigar manufacturers from crippling FDA oversight.

Since its introduction in April 2011, the “Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2011” (H.R. 1639) has added 81 cosponsors in the House. The companion bill in the Senate (S. 1461) has three co-sponsors: both Senators from Florida (Democrat Bill Nelson, the lead sponsor, and Republican Marco Rubio) as well as Senator Pat Toomey (Republican) of Pennsylvania.

To further efforts to push for this legislation, Cigar Rights of America has recently added a webpage to make it easy for cigar smokers to contact their representatives in support of H.R. 1639 and S. 1461. Concerned cigar consumers should contact their elected officials here.

–Patrick S

photo credit: CRA

Unless you have the day off work, you might not realize that today is Columbus Day. Still, and particularly if you have the day off , it’s worth revisiting the story of how Columbus and his crew brought tobacco back to Europe and kick-started what would become today’s cigar industry:

Columbus (right) is widely credited with introducing the tobacco plant to Europe, which set in motion a series of events that culminated in the cigar industry we see today. It was during Columbus’ voyages to the new world that Europeans first encountered the tobacco plant.

According to history, it was two of Columbus’ crew members who were most responsible for bringing tobacco to Europe. Both, Rodrigo de Jerez and Luis de Torres, took a liking to tobacco after seeing native Americans smoking the leaf.

After arriving in Cuba in November 1492, which Columbus thought was the Asian coast, Columbus sent Torres and de Jerez inland to explore the country and to contact its ruler. The two men were received in an Indian village where they saw the native custom of drying leaves, inserting them in cane pipes, burning them, and inhaling the smoke.

Upon his return to Spain, Jerez continued smoking and introduced his habit to his home town of Ayamonte. The smoke reportedly frightened some of his neighbors, resulting in the Spanish Inquisition imprisoning him for his use of the “devil’s weed”—making Jerez the first victim of anti-tobacco laws. He spent seven years in prison for his “sin,” only to be released as smoking was becoming an accepted activity in Spain.

And so a member of Columbus’ crew was not only one of the first Europeans to enjoy the simple pleasures of tobacco, he was also the first victim of anti-tobacco persecution. It’s a story worth remembering, particularly on Columbus Day, and preferably with a fine cigar.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Wikipedia

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.”

I was a big fan of the 2010 version of Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s Short Run cigar, enough to secure a box before they sold out. So I was  excited to try the 2011 edition. It’s a medium-bodied smoke with woody notes, pleasant cafe au lait flavors, and a slight sourness. Construction was good up until the end when the wrapper fell apart on me. The 2011 Short Run is not a bad cigar, but the obvious comparison is to the 2010 Short Run, which I found to be a superior cigar.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A quick look through our reviews archive and you’ll see that Paul Garmirian cigars have been a favorite of ours. And personally, living only 15 minutes from their home shop, I appreciate my ready access to all their blends (including cigars with nearly 20 years of age), which in many areas are tough to find.

So I was excited to learn earlier this year that PG was coming out with a new blend called Artisan’s Passion. The blend is a “sister cigar” to PG’s Artisan’s Selection cigar, and like the Artisan’s Selection it aims to provide the PG experience in a more value-conscious offering.

Unlike the mild Artisan’s Selection, Artisan’s Passion is a more full-bodied line, which fits in with PG’s two previous releases: the Symphony 20th and the 15th Anniversary blends. Unlike those cigars (which command as much as $20 each), this sells in the $7-9 range.

The cigar comes in three sizes: a Short Robusto (4.5 x 52), a Super Robusto (5 x 54),  and a Toro (6 x 52). I smoked three Toros for this review. Each features a rough but oily wrapper of Dominican origin. Interestingly, a version with an Ecuadorian wrapper was also tested, but ultimately this Dominican wrapper won out.

The cigar is dominated by leather and wood and accompanied by a mustiness that many who smoke cigars made by Davidoff master Henke Kelner will recognize. Artisan’s Passion is not as complex as the PG Symphony 20, but the flavors are similar with peppery spice and oak.

It’s full-bodied as advertised, though the strength fades slightly at the end. Construction is good, with an easy draw, solid ash, and even burn.

For those looking for an introduction to PG cigars, but have been scared off by the often double digit prices, the PG Artisan’s Passion is well worth a try. Just don’t think this is as good as it gets for PG cigars. Both the Symphony 20 and the 15th Anniversary offer similar flavor profiles to but with more complexity, nuance, and balance.

Despite not quite measuring up to those extraordinary though higher-priced blends, there is a lot to like about this new addition to the Paul Garmirian portfolio. That’s why the Artisan’s Passion Toro earns a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–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.”

Friday was my birthday, which seemed like a good reason to light up this well-constructed limited edition Cohiba. It had the quintessential characteristics of a Cuban cigar—sweet cocoa and earth—but in a more intense variety than any Habano I’ve smoked recently. It reminded me of a more focused version of the Montecristo Sublime. Though the $30 price tag is daunting, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this cigar. It has continued to develop since I the last time I smoked it, and age has only improved this tasty smoke.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Not long ago I, like most people I suspect, identified Prometheus with two things: high-end cigar accessories and limited Fuente smokes (first the God of Fire line then Angelenos). But in 2010, Prometheus introduced its first cigar line not made by the Fuentes, called Sencillo.

The first Sencillo (Spanish for “simple”) was the Platinum, made by Christian Eiroa of Camacho Cigars in Honduras. Prometheus founder Keith Park tells me that blend came about when he asked Eiroa to replicate a particular cigar he had given Park back in 2008.

Next came the Sencillo Black, which features filler from Nicaragua, Honduras, and Mexico (San Andreas) surrounded by Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. It’s made by the prolific Nestor Plasencia Jr. in Nicaragua and comes in five sizes, including the 5.75-inch by 52-ring gauge Double Robusto that is the subject of this review.

The dark Habano Colorado wrapper is oily with a few veins, and the cigar has a nice firm feel that foreshadows excellent construction. It retails for around $8 per cigar. A pre-light draw reveals rich cherry notes with some earth.

The cigar’s dominant flavors are leather and earth. It’s a full-bodied smoke with enough balance to let you appreciate secondary flavors that include cocoa, black pepper, and sweet cinnamon.

Construction is superb, with a solid ash and an even burn that produces an abundence of smoke that coats the palate. The powdery smoke makes for a lingering finish and the cigar mellows slightly in the final third as it settles into a medium to full body.

It’s an enjoyable smoke, and my favorite Plasencia-made cigar since at least the original Casa Magna. With interesting, solid construction, ample complexity, and a fair price, the Sencillo Black Double Robusto earns a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Haven’t heard of Corner Creek? Neither had I until I came across it on sale for $29 at my local spirit store. With an attractive bottle and a reasonable price, I decided to take this 88-proof bourbon for a spin.

The product is described on its website: “A selection of the distillery’s finest barrels. Smoothed to perfection with pure Kentucky limestone water. Full-bodied, but without any harshness.”

Further information on the brand wasn’t easy to find, but eventually I was able to determine that Corner Creek is made by an elusive Bardstown, Kentucky, outfit called Kentucky Bourbon Distillers Ltd. Some of the other bourbons they make include Jefferson’s Reserve, Noah’s Mill, Rowan’s Creek, Pure Kentucky, and Kentucky Vintage.

But enough of the background. The bourbon, which uses wheat and rye, in addition to the required corn, is ultimately what I was interested in. It’s a slightly hazy amber color with an inviting nose of vanilla, toffee, and cherry notes.

Once I tasted Corner Creek I found nut, rye, and lots of oak. Dryness is the most pervasive element to the flavor profile and that continues in the finish, which includes some pine. You can definitively taste the rye in the blend.

photo credit: Stogie Guys