The Stogie Guys

Here in Washington, it has been hot lately, with the only exception being intense storms that quickly give way to extra humidity. Some call it summer but I call it rum season, and today I’ll introduce you to one of my go-to rums.

Ron Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva is a Venezuelan rum that is actually a blend of rums aged up to 12 years. The blend mostly consists of rum distilled from a sugar cane honey “with 80% heavy and 20% light rums and aged for up to 12 years.”

The nose of this dark, copper-colored rum wastes no time as it wafts toward your nose as soon as you pull the cork top. Once poured into the glass, the vibrant nose shows brown sugar icing, clove, and banana bread.

On the plate Diplomático reveals nougat, maple wood, oak, nuttiness, orange peel, and chocolate. It has a rich thickness with a restrained sweetness. It’s plenty sweet with lots of vanilla, but it isn’t cloying and is balanced out by spice, wood, and fruit. The finish continues the interplay between the brown sugar sweetness and the oaky woodiness, which leaves the plate a little dry.

I’ll admit I’m far more likely to drop an ice cube in my rum than my bourbon, and I wouldn’t hold it against you if you did that here, but it does deserve to be tried neat first. Diplomático is plenty smooth for the task (aided by the fact it is 80-proof).

Any cigar you enjoy would work as a pairing with Diplomático. To really bring out the best, though, I’d lean towards refined and elegant over big and bold. For example, the photo above shows the Drew Estate Nica Rustica, but my suggested Drew Estate cigar with this rum would be Herrera Estelí.

You won’t find it everywhere but, with a little work, Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva isn’t all that hard to track down. If you enjoy rums that can be sipped neat or on the rocks, consider the Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva a must-try.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

David Garafalo, owner of Two Guys Smoke Shop in New Hampshire, recently posted an interesting editorial entitled “Here Come the Copy Cats.” He writes about the longstanding practice in the cigar industry of copying the successful innovations of others.

The case Garafalo lays out is indisputably true. If you create something successful in the cigar industry, someone else will come along and knock it off. Whether it is the marketing of a certain production technique (barrel-aging tobacco), the use of a certain tobacco in a blend (double Ligero or double Corojo), or a cigar shape (the fuse-style cap), if it helps sell cigars you can expect others to come along and copy it.

Garafalo, a brand owner and seller of cigars, is understandably frustrated by this. He correctly points out that when it comes to trademarks, people are often over-litigious and in such trademark disputes often deeper pockets will prevail, regardless of merit.

Still, I want to push back against the idea that the copycat nature of the cigar industry is a bad thing. Of course a cigar brand owner doesn’t like that his innovation will get copied by the less original, but overall I think it is a good thing for cigar consumers.

What is so great about the non-Cuban cigar industry is the competition. (Cuban cigar brands are centrally controlled, which is why you don’t see nearly as much innovation there, and why there is no true boutique Cuban cigar.) When one cigar company comes out with a new hit cigar, other companies soon follow with their own version of what they think makes that cigar a hit. If barrel-aged tobacco sells a lot of cigars for Camacho, expect more companies to be experimenting with barrel-aged tobacco.

For consumers, this is a great thing. If Camacho does it the best, their cigars will sell the best. But if next year Altadis or someone else comes out with an even better cigar highlighting its use of barrel-aged tobacco, then consumers will have another excellent cigar to buy. Quality and value will drive out those that can’t compete on either.

If a copycat can create the same experience at a lower price, cigar smokers should be thankful. The alternative, which Garafalo seems to concede is just not feasible, would be a legal prohibition to the free market forces that give consumers maximum choice.

Should the Opus X be the only cigar with a Dominican wrapper because Fuente was the first to successfully grow and market a Domincan wrapper? Should Joya de Nicaragua be the only producers of Nicaraguan puros because they did it first? Of course not. Even though it would be a benefit to the innovators, it would stifle consumer choice and all the innovations that follow.

This is true of any competitive industry. Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada may have been among the first to realize American consumers would pay a premium for flavorful beer. Think of the loss to the beer-drinking world had others not been allowed to follow. The same could be said of cellphones. Think of the loss if Apple and Android hadn’t been allowed to improve upon Blackberry’s innovations.

We should be thankful cigar innovations are, except for a few small exceptions, not subject to patent laws preventing competitors from building on the innovations of others. Trademarks do prevent consumers from being confused about brand names, but they don’t stop competitors from creating a cigar that tastes similar or looks similar to a highly sought-after cigar.

This competition (and, yes, even copycat behavior) is an unmitigated win for consumers who get more variety at a better price than would ever be possible if such activity were prevented. We should be thankful for it, and we should fight efforts by the FDA and others to stifle such competition and innovation.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Two Guys/Espinosa/Viaje

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.”

New Havana Cigars (NHC) has always had a close relationship with Tatuaje owner Pete Johnson (NHC owner Dan Welsh is a partner with Johnson in L’Atelier) which has always made its house blends notable. This particular limited release was a cigar rolled in 2013 but with four varieties each with a different wrapper added only recently, including this Connecticut Sol wrapper, which is also used on the Cabaiguan Guapo.  The cigar is medium-bodied with a combination of coffee, black tea, clove, and cedar. Construction is perfect. While $9 (the cigars come in 5-packs for $45) is a bit more than many house blends, this is a standout, complex smoke.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Sunday was National Bourbon Day, not to be confused with National Bourbon Heritage Month, which is September. So I naturally poured myself some. What was a little unusual was that although bourbon is a most American product (it must be produced in the U.S., though not necessarily in Kentucky), the bourbon I enjoyed isn’t sold in the United States.

Blanton’s is a well-known single barrel bourbon made at the Buffalo Trace distillery. It’s a popular premium bourbon that sells for around $50, is bottled at 93-proof, and comes in a distinctive round bottle with an iconic metal horse perched on the cork top. While Buffalo Trace distills the bourbon, the Blanton’s brand is owned by Age International, a Japanese company.

Outside the United States Blanton’s also sells a Special Reserve version (80-proof), Blanton’s Gold (103-proof), and Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel (SFTB), which is bottled at barrel-proof. Reportedly, “contractual obligations” prevent Age International from selling these other variations within the United States.

Fortunately for me, I picked up a few bottles (700 ml. each, as opposed to the U.S. standard of 750 ml.) in France last year where SFTB sells for 69 euros, or just under $80. Each label gives you information on the particular bottle. For this one, I can see that it was bottled on 7/7/14 from barrel number 225, which is located in Warehouse H on rack number 31. (Mine is bottle 138.)

This barrel comes in a hearty 127.3-proof (though the proof can vary quite a bit from barrel to barrel, generally ranging from 125 to 135). It’s a very dark copper color with a nose that has features strong oak, clove spice, and hints of caramel and wood polish.

On the palate, SFTB features oak, cinnamon, clove, and caramelized sugar. Just a bit of water opens the flavors up nicely revealing fudge, banana bread, and toffee. The finish lingers with sweet wood notes and a dryness on the roof of the mouth.

As for a cigar, it certainly can hold up to a full-bodied, spicy smoke. Flavorful Nicaraguan-forward blends like Aquitaine or Tatuaje Fausto seem ideal; so does the spicy La Flor Dominicana Cameroon Cabinet and Fuente Opus X.

While you can find a few places online that will ship this elusive version of Blanton’s into the U.S. for a hefty premium, a better plan is to wait until you, or a bourbon-drinking friend, are heading to Europe or Japan and then do a little research to locate it so you can pack a bottle or two back with you in your checked luggage. It is an excellent bourbon and if you’re a fan of Blanton’s (or Elmer T. Lee or Rock Hill Farms, which are other single-barrel bourbons that use the same mashbill as Blanton’s) it is well worth the effort needed to acquire a bottle of this tasty, flavorful whiskey.

–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.”

I consider myself lucky to live only short drive away from Paul Garmirian’s boutique in McLean, Virginia, which not only carries every PG line, but also has an excellent selection of aged PG cigars rolled in the 1990s. Those well-aged cigars can be outstanding, but I still think the finest offering in the PG humidor may be the 15th Anniversary blend. The cigar features the musty, woody notes normally associated with Davidoff-made cigars, but also added complexity from grass, cocoa, spice, and chalk. It’s a layered, complex, medium- to full-bodied smoke. Construction is just what you would expect from a cigar that will cost you around $16. It’s the kind of cigar that is well worth seeking out.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

It’s hard to think of a cigar company that has had the success in just over ten years that Tatuaje has enjoyed. Tatuaje has released numerous cigars that have had both commercial and critical success.

That makes the personal cigar blend of Tatuaje brand owner Pete Johnson worthy of extra consideration, which is what his Black Label blend is. The cigar was first released for sale in 2007 in a Corona Gorda size that came in ceramic jars.

I’ve been fortunate enough to smoke quite a few of those original Tatuaje Black cigars (which my colleague gave our highest rating). While (regrettably) I didn’t buy any when they were first available, I’ve been given more than a few over the years from someone who bought multiple jars.

Those cigars were outstanding and one of my personal all-time favorites. But all cigars change a little bit over time due to some uncontrollable variables. And Don José “Pepin” Garcia-made cigars, including Tatueje Black, have also changed slightly due to the lawsuit and falling out between Pepin and his former partner Eduardo Fernandez, owner of Aganorsa S.A. and partner in El Rey del Los Habanos. (Blends had to be tweaked when access to Aganorsa tobacco stopped.)

That hasn’t stopped Tatuaje, or Pepin (who makes Tatuaje for Johnson), from putting out excellent cigars. Nor has it prevented the Tatuaje Black from being reissued in 2011. In recent years a variety of sizes have been released, including this Robusto, which is offered in three-packs at Tatuaje events.

Currently, a Tatuaje Black Petit Lancero is a limited, though regular, release. A new Corona Gorda, this time in a melamine jar, was released last year to celebrate Tatuaje’s tenth anniversary, though you’ll still find that available at some retailers. The Black Label, according to reports, is a Nicaraguan puro with a Criollo wrapper.

The well-constructed Robusto features powdery medium-bodied flavors. Bread, oak, and sweet cinnamon dominate with underlying maple syrup notes. It’s superbly balanced, but the sweetness sets it apart, providing an extra layer of richness that resonates beyond the more traditional layering of earth, leather, and spice.

It has been a while since I smoked the original Tatuaje Black Corona Gorda, so it’s hard to compare the two, except to say (at least in my recollection) the original was superior to this Robusto. I did smoke both the Petit Lancero and Corona Gorda for comparison while working on this review, and I can confidently say I found the Robusto the best of the bunch. (A colleague rated the new Corona Gorda highly last year, although I probably wouldn’t have given it quite so high of a score.)

The Robusto, on the other hand, seems to be the best of the bunch when it comes to the recent-era Tatuaje Blacks. Given that it raises the already high bar, the Tatuaje Black Robusto earns a rating of five stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. A list of other five stogie-rated cigars can be found 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.”

The third variation of the San Cristobal brand, Revelation features an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. The Mystic is a corona size (5.6 x 48), and it’s an excellent representation of the blend. The Sumatran wrapper imparts a distinctive sweetness that is especially apparent in the pre-light draw. Once lit, the cigar sports a medium- to full-bodied profile with rich, powdery flavors with cedar spice, cinnamon, earth, and dried fruit. The construction is flawless despite the cigar seeming a little under-filled. I like the original San Cristobal better, but there’s nothing about the Revelation that I wouldn’t recommend.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys