The Stogie Guys

Despite whatever bourbon shortage there may or may not be, there are plenty of good bourbons available these days. Not only that, but there are plenty of excellent bourbons available for $30 or less. (In fact, there are quite a few very good bourbons on the shelf for under $20.)

That approachable price for good quality is what differentiates bourbon from Scotch whisky. To that list of good, affordable bourbon you can add Henry McKenna Bottled in Bond Single Barrel 10 Year Bourbon.

Even before tasting it, this bourbon (made by Heaven Hill, which also makes Evan Williams and Elijah Craig) checks off three of the characteristics many bourbon fans find desirable: single barrel, well-aged (10 Years), and a decent proof (100-proof). In fact, it is the only 10 year Bottled in Bond bourbon on the market.

The Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel has gone through multiple iterations over the years, and the latest version (pictured) puts all the key features up front.  The bourbon is a light copper color. The nose is straight forward although inviting with vanilla, wood, and butterscotch.

On the palate, McKenna 10 is surprisingly soft for its 100-proof. Most prominent is butterscotch, wood, and apple brandy, although clove, cinnamon, and rye spice are also apparent. The finish is smooth and sweet with vanilla and fruit.

Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel is a versatile bourbon for pairing with a cigar, but I think an ideal cigar pairing is mild or medium-bodied. A couple examples would be Illusione Epernay, Davidoff Grand Cru, Paul Garmirian Gourmet, or the Tatuaje Black.

Ultimately, Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel doesn’t quite break into my best bourbons under $30 list, but it is clearly a tasty, widely available bourbon that costs only $25-30. I don’t think any regular bourbon drinker would be disappointed with picking up a bottle.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

First Smoke is a new series of Quick Smoke reviews each evaluating a single pre-release cigar. Like the Quick Smokes we publish each Saturday and Sunday, each First Smoke is not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

When Max Oettinger opened a store in Basel in 1875, he never could have imagined 140 years later it would grow into Oettinger Davidoff AG, one of the largest and most storied cigar makers in the world. To celebrate that anniversary, Davidoff has created a special limited cigar. Details of the blend of the thick toro aren’t available, nor is it known if it will go on sale, although a limited release along the lines of the 2013 Davidoff of Geneva 25th Anniversary seems likely.

I received this cigar at a media event hosted by Davidoff in their booth at the recent IPCPR Trade Show. It starts out very subtle with cedar, bread, cafe-au-lait, and just a hint of distinctively Davidoff mushroom notes. About a third of the way in, the cedar increases and there is a slight white pepper spice. Construction is excellent. If it goes on sale there is no doubt this will be an expensive smoke, but for fans of Davidoff it will meet every expectation, with subtlety and balance along with a restrained medium-bodied intensity.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

This Nicaraguan puro is made for Warped Cigars at Casa Fernandez (TABSA) from 100% Aganorsa tobacco. The Gran Valle (5.5 x 50) is made with a Cuban triple-cap and entubado-style filler bunching. It starts with a burst of salty and savory flavors but settles into a medium-bodied smoke with coffee notes and just a hint of sweetness. Construction is flawless with a perfect draw and razor-straight burn that produces a sturdy ash and thick smoke. From start to finish, this cigar impressed me.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

First Smoke is a new series of Quick Smoke reviews each evaluating a single pre-release cigar. Like the Quick Smokes we publish each Saturday and Sunday, each First Smoke is not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

As a follow-up to last year’s all-Nicaraguan Montecristo Espada line, Altadis USA announced the limited Montecristo Espada Estoque at this year’s IPCPR Trade Show. The one-size blend (6 x 50 torpedo) is made by the Plasencia Family in Nicaragua and only 5,000 boxes of 10 will be made. The cigar uses a 2013 Jalapa wrapper, a 2002 Criollo Jalapa binder, and three filler tobaccos from Esteli (Corojo 2009), Ometepe (Criollo 2013) and Condega (Criollo 2013).

Once lit, the cigar has a notably sweet edge, along with a nice balance of coffee bean, earth, baking spices, and leather notes. It starts off medium- to full-bodied, although towards the second half it develops a gritty edge as it ramps up to full-bodied with some black pepper on the finish. Despite a slightly jagged burn line, construction was good with a firm draw and sturdy ash. While I found the first half more enjoyable than the more one-dimensional second half, the Estoque ($14.50) is an interesting cigar that is worlds away from the Dominican Montecristos that most Americans are familiar with.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The Elijah Craig brand, made by Heaven Hill distillery, is a perfect example of both the reality and the myth surrounding the bourbon shortage that seems to make national news every few months. That the regular 12-year-old small batch version is consistently on shelves demonstrates that, at least for the largest distilleries (Heaven Hill also makes Evan Williams and a host of other bourbons), their standard release versions don’t seem to be suffering too much from the aforementioned shortage.

However, more limited offerings, especially older ones, is where the shortage is most evident. Only a few years ago I could walk into a Virginia state liquor store and grab an Elijah Craig 18-year single barrel bourbon for around $45. That release has since been discontinued and instead 20- to 23-year-old versions of Elijah Craig were released that can run over $200, if you can find them. (Elijah Craig 18 is supposed to be introduced soon, but with an expected price many times what it was only a few years ago.)

Although only a 12-year bourbon, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is another example of the booming market for high-end limited release bourbon. A few years ago Heaven Hill began releasing barrel proof versions of the 12-year bourbon and now a small offering hits stores about three times a year. The suggested price is $50 but, depending on the store, you may see it selling for twice that much.

Each of the eight (and counting) batches is bottled unfiltered at its natural barrel-proof which varies from 128 (the release I sampled for this article) to over 140. I’ve tried a handful of the releases and while there are some variations, they share the most fundamental characteristics.

Even the 128-proof version is a beast with a strong nose full of wood, spice, and clove with notes of citrus. On the palate the high proof is very apparent, with charred wood, spice, vanilla, more clove, black pepper, and dry chocolate. I highly recommend a few drops of water in this, which eliminates the sharpness but leaves behind all the full flavors of this powerhouse. The finish is long and woody.

The appeal of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is easy to see: Barrel proof bourbons are increasingly in demand, 12 Year barrel proof bourbons are few and far between, and none besides Elijah Craig can be found for $50. Still, I don’t recommend it unless you are certain you like barrel proof bourbons because there isn’t much subtle or gentle about Elijah Craig Barrel Proof.

As for pairings, rich, robust, earthy cigars are needed to stand up to the strong flavors of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. I’d particularly recommend the Tatuaje Havana Verocu, RoMa Craft Cromagnon, or Drew Estate Liga Privada.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

My colleague reviewed the Gran Toro size of the new Drew Estate Undercrown Shade (a cigar we exclusively revealed) a few days ago and called it a “well-constructed standout smoke at a reasonable price.” Today, I’m smoking the the Robusto (5 x 54), which also features an Ecuadorian wrapper, Sumatran binder, and Nicaraguan and Domincan filler. The cigar is mild- to medium-bodied with cedar, sweet cream, and just a hint of spice, plus some lingering vegetal notes. It’s not nearly as balanced or complex as the Herrera Estelí, which was also blended by Willy Herrera, but it is still a solid smoke with flawless construction.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

When I first started attending the IPCPR Trade Show in 2008, the primary reason was to get news about new cigars I couldn’t get elsewhere. These days that news isn’t so hard to come by. The basic details of pretty much any new cigar can be found online a few days after the convention starts.

Still, there are good reasons for me to go to the Trade Show. First, walking the floor and speaking with cigar makers  in person gives us a perspective that simply cannot be achieved otherwise and is immensely helpful when writing about cigars for the rest of the year. Second, frankly, it’s the easiest way to get samples of pre-release cigars that in many cases won’t be for sale for weeks or even months. (We don’t go around asking for samples, but they are almost always offered.)

If you regularly read our site and others, you’ll probably read lots of reviews of brand new cigars in the coming months. And while I’m sure we’re all flattered when people go out and buy a box of cigars based on a review without trying them first, my advice is: Don’t!

This is good advice always, but especially noteworthy when there’s a flood of new cigars about to hit the market. Unless you have an unlimited budget and are willing to repeatedly donate the 19 cigars from that box you didn’t really like to the troops, save your hard-earned money and only buy boxes of cigars you are certain you enjoy. Plus, cigars are rarely discounted heavily when they are first available; if you wait a little you might be able to find a better deal.

If you read this site (thanks for that, by the way) and others you probably find reviews a helpful way to decide which new cigars to try. But even so, you should ask yourself a few things. First, is the reviewer truthful and willing to say unflattering things about a cigar if it is warranted? (If not, why are you even reading the review?) Second, do you find you generally enjoy the same things as that reviewer? (A “great cigar” is rarely great for everybody, because everyone’s palate values different qualities.)

Next, wait for the cigar to come out and head to your local tobacconist and buy one or two. (If you can’t find it locally, split a five-pack with a friend.) Because if you can find it for sale one day, you can almost certainly find more next week.

There’s a saying on the Trade Show floor: It’s not hard to to get a retailer to order a new cigar once; the challenge is getting them to reorder it, again and again. The same goes for consumers: Being the answer to the proverbial “What’s New?” question may sell a cigar once, but only your experience with that cigar can get you to buy more.

But don’t just take it from me. Take it from Steve Saka of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust (who in many ways was the original online cigar writer for his site called Cigar Nexus long before he was a cigar maker):

–Patrick S

video credit: The Cigar Authority