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.”

This classic H. Upmann pyramid is the slighty milder predecessor to the iconic Montecristo No. 2. It’s a surprisingly well-constructed Cuban with an extremely sturdy ash and even burn.  Unfortunately, I found the flavors to be extremely mild, bordering on dull. There’s a touch of cedar with a roast nut and honey notes, but there’s also an unpleasant sawdust flavor. Only a few weeks ago I smoked another H. Upmann No. 2 out of the very same box and found it to be a considerably more refined, but this one was a dud—perhaps an unfortunate victim of Cuba’s inconsistency.

Verdict = Sell.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

It’s so predictable it’s almost inevitable: After a few years of sustained success, cigar makers begin introducing limited edition cigars, usually annual releases. Dion Giolito’s Illusione brand is no exception.

But I’m not complaining. As I’ve written before, limited edition smokes can be the great because cigar makers need not worry about a long-term tobacco supply. Instead, small batches of top quality tobacco can be turned into a limited run.

Singulare will be an annual release from Illusione and the toro-sized (6 x 50) 2010 “Phantom” was the first such annual edition.  At the 2010 IPCPR Trade Show last August, Dion Giolito told us his plan was a different blend and size every year.

The Nicaraguan puro comes in boxes of 15 and sells for around $12 a stick. Being a limited run cigar, only 1,000 boxes were made. Before writing up this review, I smoked my way through most of a box that I was able to pick up for $150.

The Phantom features a velvety brown wrapper with a nice bit of sheen. Pre-light, the it imparts a tannic flavor on the lips.

Despite being a Nicaraguan puro, there’s much of that Nicaraguan zing. Instead, I got plenty of honey and graham cracker. A complex flavor profile, there’s also a touch of cedary spice, an earthy sweetness, and a certain chewiness that’s hard to pinpoint.

As the cigar evolves it becomes more medium- to full-bodied, yet the finish becomes shorter. Dion told us the Phantom was “the mildest cigar that he makes,” but I didn’t find that to be the case.

While the Singulare 2010 has many similarities to the Epernay (a medium-bodied smoke that I would classify as Illusione’s “mildest” smoke), I found a tanic edge to the Phantom that the Epernay lacked. More Burgundy subtlety than Bordeaux boldness, the excellence in this limited smoke comes out only when you focus on the complexities.

Those complexities have made the Phantom a staple in my humidor, at least until the 1,000-box run is exhausted. And it doesn’t hurt that at $12 each, it’s reasonably priced compared to many other limited smokes. That combination earns the Illusione Singulare 2010 Phantom LE a rating of four and a half 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.”

A few years ago, these Serie B cigars were easily found online for around $4. That’s not much to pay considering the blend supposedly contains pre-embargo Cuban tobacco that was “found” in excellent condition in a warehouse. That story isn’t east to believe, but if the cigar is good who really cares, right? The attractive smoke is surrounded by a notably dark wrapper and it has excellent combustion qualities, including a solid white ash. The flavors are relatively simplistic with charred oak  and earth dominating the medium-bodied profile. A few  bursts of bitter notes also surface. It’s not going to blow you away, but between the good story and the reasonable price, I can’t really complain.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

When the man who made La Gloria Cubana a household name started his new family-run company in 2009, few “cigar people” I spoke with at the time doubted that he would be successful in his new venture. That Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, the passionate tobacco man and “mad genius” (as one industry insider described him to me), has another hit cigar is no surprise to anyone.

But few would have predicted Carrillo would produce not one or even two, but a handful of well-regarded cigars., in just two short years. Yet when you look at his many cigars (Edición Inaugural 2009, 2010 Short Run, Core Line, Edición Inaugural 2010, and Elencos) the Carrillos seem to have had the magic touch since day one.

With such an impressive line of hits, the occasional miss is to be expected. And so I tried a few samples of the new E.P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut, which is hitting shelves this month. E.P. Carrillo’s first Connecticut cigar features an Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The pale wrapper is veiny but the cigar is firm in the hand.

I sampled the Divinos size (6 x 52), which sells for $6.25. New Wave Connecticut also comes in a Robusto (5 x 50, $5.25), Corona (5.1 x 42,  $4.50), and a Double Corona (7 x 49, $7.00).

The Divinos starts off with with a delicious velvety richness. It’s a creamy smoke with lots of roasted cashew and buttery flavors. Quickly dispensing the “Connecticut wrapper equals mild” myth, the medium-bodied smoke has a lot going on with cedar, earth, and graham cracker notes underlying the dominant nut and cream flavors. It has a density of flavor not often found in Connecticut-wrapped cigars.

The cigar is well-constructed with an even burn, easy draw, and a sturdy salt and pepper ash. The Divinos doesn’t change much from start to finish, but there’s enough depth and complexity in the blend to keep you more than interested.

And that’s what will make the New Wave Connecticut yet another hit for the Carrillos, instead of the dud that they seem to be due for. It’s a Connecticut-wrapped cigar that even those who don’t usually enjoy Connecticut-wrapped cigars will enjoy. That’s why the E.P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut Divinos earns a rating of four and a half 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.”

This box-pressed torpedo (6 x 54) has a Costa Rican wrapper around Honduran binder and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. The natural version of this Nestor Plasencia creation, which features a Habana 2000 wrapper, was a favorite of mine nearly a decade ago. The torpedo is constructed well with a sturdy ash and an easy draw, though the burn needs a few touch-ups. The flavors are straight-forward black coffee and roasted notes, with some slight bitterness. All in all, the Magic Mountain Maduro is an average smoke with a reasonable $3 price tag.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

If you were to judge a cigar solely on its ability to win the game of cigar shop one-upmanship, then it would be hard to beat the Mercer Pinar del Rio Custom Cuban Sublimes.  You know, that never-ending competition to have the most impressive answer to the question of “what have you been smoking lately?”

Sure, the other guy may be able to say he’s smoking that vintage limited edition Cuban but, if you’re smoking the Mercer Pinar del Rio, you’ve probably still got him beat. After all, your cigar is a custom-rolled Cuban with an impressive story.

Offered exclusively by Mercer Cigars (La Casa del Habano) in Merida, Mexico, the Mercer PdR Custom Cubans are reportedly made completely from tobacco from Pinar del Rio’s most prominent cigar family (an apparent reference to Robaina family). The cigars are made exclusively for Mercer in three sizes (Canonazos (5.9 x 52), Piramides (6.5 x 52), and Sublimes (6.75 x 54)) and notably are shipped from inside the U.S. un-banded.

For this review, I smoked two of the Sublimes (and I also sampled one Canonazos). The large cigar has some serious heft in the hand and in the mouth. The Colorado brown wrapper has plenty of oil and the excellent construction is accented by a closed foot.

The cigar is well-balanced with quintessential Cuban sweet earth notes, in combination with coffee, toast, nutmeg, and dry cedar. The long finish shows some red and black pepper spice.

It’s an extremely harmonious smoke that’s firmly in the medium- to full-bodied range, though it trends towards the fuller end in the final third. While all around I am very impressed with this Cuban, the earthy sweetness of the cigar’s flavors really strike me.

The Sublimes smokes for a full two hours with a notably solid white ash. And, unlike many Cubans I’ve smoked, there are no burn or draw issues. That, coupled with complex, earthy sweetness, an excellent draw, and a not unreasonable price of around $15 each, makes this a fantastic cigar. That’s why the Mercer Pinar del Rio Custom Cuban Sublimes earns a most impressive rating of four and a half 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.”

Before trying the new Avo 85th Anniversary, I wanted to go back and smoke one of my favorite limited edition Avo smokes from the past. The Tesoro (5.75 x 50) debuted in 2008 and it’s still a fine smoke in 2011. Sweet cream, honey, and light cedar are each elegantly balanced in this well-constructed toro. The Tesoro is proof that mild cigars need not be bland or unflavorful, and that’s why it’s still a favorite of mine.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Avo