The Stogie Guys

One of the most interesting, unique, and perhaps divisive flavors in all of spirits is “hogo.” Hogo is Creole slang for “haut gout” (a French term for “high taste”) and its most closely associated with the funky characteristic that is identified with many Jamaican rums.

Describing hogo (that Jamaican funk) is not easy (it’s easier experienced than described) but you can think of a rotting or overripe element ranging from blackened bananas to spoiled red meat. The mystique behind hogo is full of unsubstantiated, misleading rumors (like the use of goat heads or dead bats), but the science is more about long pot-still fermentation, the careful use of leftover dunder (or muck), and the creation of esters that impart the funky hogo characteristics.

Jamaica’s Hampden Estate is known for producing funky Jamaican rum. Which is why today we’re looking at two Hampden Estate-made rums that are relatively easy to find:

Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum

Billed as “the world’s top-selling overproof premium white rum,” this inexpensive ($20-25) Jamaican staple reportedly accounts for 90% of all rum sales on the island.

Nose: Raw dry-aged ribeye, fresh roast corn, and the raw alcohol of 126-proof unaged rum.

Palate: Crisp apple, pineapple, fresh cut grass, and alcohol heat.

Finish: Short and sharp with more subtle guava and pineapple notes.

Between the proof and the youth, I wouldn’t recommend this as a rum to sip neat, but it can shine in a cocktail. It’s not for everyone, but I love it in a funky traditional daiquiri and it’s an obvious candidate for tiki drinks.

Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaican Rum

This 57% ABV “navy proof” rum is a mix of two of Hampden’s distillation styles (Wedderburn and Plummer) mixed together after 1 to 3 years of aging. Expect to pay around $30 for a bottle.

Nose: Brown banana peel, oak, and brown sugar.

Palate: Crisp tropical fruit (pineapple and mango) followed by clove, molasses, sugar cookies, and ginger with an oily mouthfeel.

Finish: Long and lush with tobacco, nutmeg, burnt caramel, and a hint of powdered chocolate.

Many will probably reserve Smith and Cross for cocktails, but think it’s quite enjoyable neat. Try it that way or on the rocks, but if 114-proof is too intense for you, I especially like the funky notes swapped in for gin in a classic negroni recipe.

Assuming you are using Wray & Nephew in cocktails (especially sweet tiki concoctions), you can pretty much pick out any cigar you like, with the general rule that the stronger the flavors, the more full-bodied the cigar. Smith and Cross deserves to be enjoyed neat (or with a drop of water or an ice cube or two) and with an earthy, full-bodied cigar like the Padrón Serie 1926, Tatuaje Havana VI Verocu, or Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A couple times each week 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 Illusione Epernay La Petite is a great winter cigar when time is short. The petite corona-sized (4.5 x 44) Nicaraguan puro features a Corojo ’99 Rosado wrapper and Corojo and Criollo filler. The cigar produces an exquisitely balanced combination of coffee, wood, and creamy notes in the mild to medium range. Construction is excellent. Shop around and you can find it for about $5 per cigar (in a box of 50). It’s an excellent cigar at a great value.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Ahead of both bourbon or rye, you could make the argument that apple brandy is the original American spirit. It turns out Johnny Appleseed, whose story you likely heard in grade school, was planting apples that were likely good for little except turning into apple cider, brandy or applejack (which is created by mixing brandy-neutral grain spirits).

But apple brandy was hardly an American invention. For at least 400 years, the Normandy region of has been distilling apples (sometimes along with pears) into calvados brandy. Today I’m tasting two calvados brandies, both aged for at least 15 years.

Menorval XO Tres Vieux Calvados

Details: Aged more than 15 years in oak casks. Bottled at 40% ABV. $41 per bottle.

Nose: Pear, baking spices, and brown sugar.

Palate: Honey, walnut, brioche, and leather.

Finish: Soft and long with pie crust, leather, and oak.

Calvados Morin Hors d’Age 15 Years

Details: Aged in 200-year-old casks for 15 year calvados, this one bottled at 42% ABV. $55 per bottle.

Nose: Fresh tart apple, tannins, and oak.

Palate: Floral notes with clove, sandlewood, citrus, and sherry.

Finish: Oak, sour apple, and spice.

Both of these brandies showcase why I’ve become a fan of of calvados. While very different, each showcases both the fruit and wood from age. The Morin is more full-bodied and fruit-forward, while the Menorval is more restrained with softer fruit flavors and more wood influence.

I’m not sure either calvados could stand up to a full-bodied cigar without being overpowered, but a well-balanced medium-bodied cigar is an excellent pairing. Recommended cigars include the Illusione Rothchildes CT, Paul Garmirian Reserva Exclusiva, Tatuaje Black, and Davidoff Colorado Claro.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A couple times each week we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

With an incredibly oily wrapper, the Double Ligero Especiales has been a hidden gem in the La Flor Dominicana portfolio for years. The cigar (7 x 48) features a sun-grown Ecuadorian Oscuro wrapper with a pigtail cap around Dominican binder and filler. The pre-light notes are rich with toasted oak and dried fruit. Once lit, I find graphite, wood, unsweetened chocolate, and earth. It’s medium- to full-bodied with lots going on. A classic, powerful, Dominican filler-driven blend, the La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Churchill Especiales Oscuro is worth revisiting.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Every two years, a flurry of new bills are introduced in Congress and, as has been the case every two years since 2011, a bill was again introduced in the Senate to protect handmade cigars from damaging Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations.

Senate Bill 9, the “Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2019,” was introduced January 3, 2019, by Florida Senator Marco Rubio. Five Senators signed on as original co-sponsors: Cory Gardner (R-CO), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Joni Ernst (R-IA).

In the previous Congress, Florida Senator Bill Nelson introduced the legislation, while longtime-supporter Rubio had been an original co-sponsor who supported the bill from its initial introduction. The change takes place after Nelson, a Democrat, was defeated in November by then Republican Governor Rick Scott.

Although Scott is not one of the original co-sponsors, as governor he did send a letter to the FDA Commissioner opposing FDA regulation of handmade cigars. A later report claimed Scott personally lobbied Vice President Mike Pence about the issue of how FDA regulations would be applied to cigars already on the market. The discussion was revealed in a report that noted that Swisher, which now owns Drew Estate, had made significant contributions to Scott’s campaign.

Other past supporters who were defeated in November include Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) and Joe Donnelly (D-IN), though many others were re-elected. Cigar industry groups will now have to build support for the legislation in both the Senate and House.

According to Congress.gov, a companion House bill has not yet been introduced to protect handmade cigars from the FDA. Florida Republican Bill Posey, who easily won re-election in November, has traditionally introduced that bill.

Despite the House changing hands in the 2018 elections, most previous supporters of the bill survived re-election. The cigar industry did lose some champions, including Florida Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who retired after being a longtime advocate for cigar rights.

Trump-appointed FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb was initially seen by many as a positive change when it came to FDA policies towards cigars compared to the Obama FDA. However, despite delaying the implementation of some cigar regulations, some experts worry his subsequent actions are step towards a stealth ban on tobacco products, including cigars.

–Patrick S

photo credits: Stogie Guys

A couple times each week we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

For ten straight years Tatuaje has released an annual Halloween series cigar. The 2017 edition was “The Michael” – a large 6.5 inch by 52 RG toro using an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler. One of the better recent Tatuaje Halloween releases, it features a complex medium-full bodied combination of flavors including leather, oak, roast nuts, coffee and light spices. Like all Halloween series annual releases, suggested retail is $13.00.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

New Year’s resolutions are a annual tradition. Here are my cigar (and cigar-related) resolutions for 2019:

Smoke More Non-Nicaraguan Cigars

Not counting cigars I’m reviewing, I find there’s been less and less diversity in what I smoke. Mostly, I reach for Nicaraguan cigars. I plan on changing that this year and shaking things up more, which will especially mean more Dominican cigars and more Cubans.

Explore Calvados

The spirit I want to explore and learn more about this year is calvados. As I observed recently: “The apple (and sometimes pear) brandy from Normandy combines some of the best elements of cognac, wine, and whiskey. Terroir matters, oak barrel aging is important, and both large and small producers develop their own distinct styles.” Calvados can be hard to find, but I’m looking forward to tracking more down.

Drink More Cocktails

With the exception of margaritas, and the very occasional negroni, I rarely order or make cocktails. My thinking tends to go: If I’m drinking spirits, why not have a good one and take it neat? It’s not the worst philosophy, but this year when I’m at a place with a interesting cocktail list, I plan to take advantage.

Try More Coffee

I drink coffee daily, and I’m fairly serious about it (with or without a cigar). Every morning I freshly grind beans in my burr grinder and make myself a pour-over coffee. But nearly every morning I use the exact same coffee: Major Dickason’s Blend by Peet’s Coffee. It’s a solid, full-bodied coffee and always available at a reasonable price at my local grocery store. Nothing wrong with that. Still, it has been a while since I saw what else is out there. So trying out local roasters, online specialists, and more are on the agenda for 2019.

Got a cigar-related resolution of you own? Let us know.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys