The Stogie Guys

[See details below on how to win one of the very first cigarblogger.favorites samplers.]

The announcement of a new sampler pack featuring cigars that have been on the market for awhile normally wouldn’t be big news, but the new “cigarblogger.favorites” sampler from General Cigar is different. That’s because StogieGuys.com recently participated in the creation of the first product based completely on the input of web-only cigar publications.

Back in January, we were approached by General Cigar to help select cigars for the industry-first “bloggers pack.” General Cigar was putting together a sampler featuring their Honduran cigars and wanted to base their selection on the opinions of cigar bloggers. With the understanding that all we would offer was our honest opinion, we welcomed the opportunity.

Also taking part in the project were A Cigar Smoker, The Cigar Nut, Toasted Foot, and Nice Tight Ash. Ultimately, based on our reviews of a dozen different Honduran blends, General Cigar settled on six cigars:

• Uppercut by Punch – Toro (6.6 x 54)
• Excalibur Legend – Conqueror (6.25 x 54)
• La Escepcion – Gran Gener (6.25 x 54)
• Hoyo de Tradicion – Toro Grande 6.25 x 54)
• Excalibur Dark Knight – No. 1 (5.75 x 54)
• Punch Gran Puro – Rancho (5.5 x 54)

The sampler pack, which comes complete with two tasting notes on each cigar from the contributing websites and QR codes that link to each site, will be arriving in cigar stores nationwide soon. Based on the “buy four get two free” label on the packaging, it should be priced to move.

To celebrate the launch, let us know your favorite cigar of the six in the comments and we’ll select one comment at random to receive one of the very first cigarblogger.favorites packs. (Fine print here.)

Further, winners of our weekly NFL Pick’em Challenge will be getting cigarblogger.favorites packs (one for each of the 17 weeks of the season), and we’ll also be giving a few away as part of our newsletter giveaway (sign up here for free to be eligible).

–The Stogie Guys

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.”

The broadleaf-wrapped Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition 2011 is, in addition to a mouthful to say, a pretty limited release. This version featuring a shade-grown Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper is 15 times rarer, as every box of the the LE 2011 has 15 cigars with the broadleaf wrapper and just one of these, which reportedly will be the limited edition release in 2012. The toro has perfect construction, as I’ve come to expect from Garcia’s cigars. The cigar features medium-bodied flavors that start out with some bitterness, but soon develops into a balanced, well-rounded flavor profile with nuts, honey, cedar, and spice. It’s remarkable how different this cigar is despite having the exact same blend except for the wrapper. Ultimately, like the broadleaf version, the price ($16) is the biggest detractor, and while I prefer the more readily available version to the 2012 incarnation, it isn’t a cigar you should avoid.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This new line from A.J. Fernandez, formally introduced at the 2011 industry trade show, is Oval-shaped, like a box press with more rounded corners. It features an Ecuadorian-grown Habano 2000 wrapper (though for some reason at the trade show I was told it was Brazilian), a binder from Nicaragua, and three fillers: Nicaraguan, Honduran, and a “secret filler.”

Perhaps the “secret filler” is the new propreitary seed that’s growing outside Copan, Honduras, which Cigar.com’s Alex Svenson reports was cultivated exclusively by Fernandez.

Notable is the use of the Habano 2000 wrapper, which was very popular quite a few years ago, but hasn’t really been featured, at least not in marketing materials, in recent years. Habano 2000 (or “H2000”) was developed by the Cubans as a hybrid of Habano and Connecticut tobacco (and was supposedly used on many of the Cuban EL cigars) but it soon found its way out of Cuba where it has been used on many cigars made for the American market. In the early years, it was known for its reddish Colorado color and more auspiciously because many smokers reported burn issues.

Fortunately, I found no such burn issues with the Oval samples I’ve smoked so far. (Each of the three samples were given to me at the trade show.) In fact, from pre-light to nub, the cigar drew perfectly, burned evenly, and held its ash steady for a solid inch or more.

Once I cut the head off this torpedo, the oval shape that was left reminded me of the Chisel made by Litto Gomez of La Flor Dominicana. It’s a comfortable shape that makes the 54 ring gauge seem slightly smaller than it is.

When I finally got down to smoking the Oval, I found a full-bodied cigar with excellent balance. Coffee, earth, wood, and bread were all prominent, and I also picked up faint liquorice and subtle clove spice.

It’s not dissimilar to the San Lotano Habano (my favorite of A.J.’s three original self-released lines) in terms of flavors, but just a little but better in almost every area. In particular, the Oval’s flavors are fuller, and more complex, but still more balanced and rounded.

For such a well-composed combination of flavor and balance, I can do nothing but heartily recommend this cigar, which retails for around $10 and is available only in brick and mortar stores. That’s why the San Lotano Oval Pyramid 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

Developing your palate for tasting cigars comes down mostly to one thing: smoking lots of cigars and paying close attention to the flavors you notice. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things you can do to accelerate the learning curve.

For one, you can make sure your palate is clean. Sure, a neat scotch or a good rum on the rocks may be my preferred drink pairings, but there is no substitute for for some sparkling water when I want make sure I’m picking up the full spectrum of flavors in a cigar.

An excellent, but less traditional, way to improve your ability to pick up nuances in cigar flavors is to light up two at the same time. By that I obviously don’t mean drawing on two cigars at once, but rather lighting up two and alternating tastes to pick up differences and similarities. The concept is standard in wine, where multiple similar wines are sampled either vertically (the same wine in different vintages) or horizontally (where multiple wines of the same vintage and type are sampled). The results can be striking. By tasting similar wines, it becomes easier to focus on the nuances and subtle differences.

The same holds true for cigars. The best way to taste multiple cigars is by smoking similar cigars. (Like tasting a Champagne against a full Bordeaux, you’re not likely to learn much by tasting a mild Connecticut-wrapped cigar against a full-bodied Nicaraguan puro.)

Light up a full-bodied Nicaraguan cigar and you’re likely to pick up the same general flavors: earth, spice, maybe leather or cedar. However, light up two different full-bodied Nicaraguans (as I recently did in the photo above) and you’ll notice more specifics, such as the type of spice (sweeter cinnamon versus black pepper). Secondary flavors, like cocoa, coffee, and clove will also begin to stand out.

As long as you continue to keep your palate clean, you’ll be amazed at what flavors you can “discover” in a cigar when searching for differences between two cigars that smoked alone would be described in very similar terms. Plus, alternating between two cigars forces you to smoke each slowly, which will also help you notice the distinct qualities of each (smoking too quickly will overheat the tobacco and taint the flavor).

You certainly wouldn’t want to smoke most of your cigars this way, because the fun of cigars is relaxing and reflecting, not having to worry about keeping multiple cigars lit or concentrating on the small details of the flavors. Still, if every so often you smoke two (or more) at once to exercise your palate, I think you’ll find it easier to enjoy all the depth and complexity that fine cigars have to offer.

–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 limited edition smoke features a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, hard-to-grow Nicaraguan pelo de oro binder, and Nicaraguan filler. It’s a rich combination of earth, chocolate, black coffee, and lots of spice, especially in final third. It reminds me of the the 2009 Tatuaje La Verite, probably because both use pelo de oro, though the Jamie Garcia has a bit more bite and less balance. Ultimately, this is a good cigar with the only major drawback being the price tag, which is a hefty $16.50. At that price, I can’t give it my most enthusiastic recommendation, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth trying at least once.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

If you live in the Northern Virginia area, please don’t read this article. Seriously, finding Four Roses Single Batch Bourbon (let alone their Single Barrel) is hard enough already.

Of the four Virginia ABC liquor stores I visit in my area (and yes, there’s a connection between state-owned liquor stores and poor selection) only one carries Four Roses Small Batch. Just like how a different Virginia ABC store is the only one that carries my favorite rums: Zaya, Ron Zacapa, and El Dorado 15.

Four Roses distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, makes a number of very nice bourbons, including their standard “Yellow Label” variety which sells for the bargain price of around $20 per fifth. Lately, however, my go-to has become the Small Batch, which offers more complexity for around $32 (sometimes less, if you can find it on sale).

The Four Roses Small Batch is a blend of four different bourbons which average six and a half years of age, though they may be aged longer if master distiller Jim Rutledge deems it necessary. When all the blending is done the Small Batch is 90-proof (45% ABV).

The amber-colored spirit has a lemon cake nose with citrus, vanilla, and burnt sugar. Dominant flavors are lemon and burnt sugar, with additional complexity provided by butter, orange peel, oak, and caramel notes. The finish is long and smooth with rye, caramel, and touches of pepper and pine.

Four Roses Small Batch is a favorite of mine because it is both sweet and complex, whereas many overly sweet bourbons lose the heft and complexity in their sugary sweetness. The well-roundedness of this bourbon makes it an excellent pairing for medium-bodied smokes.

Some of the best cigars to pair with this spirit include La Aurora Guillermo León, Arturo Fuente Añejo, Isla de Cuba Aged Maduro (sadly discontinued), and the Padrón (original series) natural. For something more full-bodied (and thicker) try the CroMagnon Mandible, which has plenty of sweetness from its oily Connecticut wrapper and Cameroon binder.

Whatever your cigar pairing choice, I’m confident Four Roses Small Batch will impress you with its complexity and reasonable price. That’s why it’s become a staple in my collection.

–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.”

Back in May, I recommended this Dominican puro. Four months later, it still gets an enthusiastic thumbs up. The medium-bodied cigar has excellent balance and none of the leathery notes that sometimes dominate Dominican puros. Instead, it features a combination of cocoa, coffee, roasted nut, and earth. Construction is good with a notably white ash. Best of all, it costs under $5 per cigar.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys