The Stogie Guys

Following up on our popular A-Z Guide to Bourbon (read part one and part two) we thought a similar guide was due for rye. Like bourbon, American rye has undergone a renaissance lately. A combination of the rise of cocktail culture and the renewed interest in fine whiskies means there is more, better rye available now than there has been in a long time.

To that end, here’s the Cliffs Notes version of our coverage of rye. In addition to a link to the full write-up, I’ve included my take on the defining characteristics of each whiskey. (Part one was yesterday and the conclusion is today.) And, of course, each article has a few recommended cigar pairings:

Michter’s US1 Straight Rye – Made at an undisclosed Kentucky distillery, Michter’s features a basic but pleasant combination of oak, pepper, and cedar with a minty finish.

Redemption Rye – A young 92-proof Indiana rye, it’s a good value with a vibrant nose of apple and honey.

Rittenhouse 100 Rye – A tasty bonded rye at a can’t-miss price ($20-25). Fudge and marshmallow flavors along with more classic rye flavors.

Riverboat Rye – Another Indiana-distilled rye, Riverboat is odd in that it’s 80-proof and unfiltered. The low proof mutes the flavors but you can’t knock the price.

Russell’s Reserve 6 Year Small Batch Rye – Dark copper-colored rye with lots of intensity at 90-proof. This 6-year rye from Wild Turkey is an underrated gem.

Sazerac Rye – “Baby Saz” (as it’s called to distinguish it from the very tough-to-find Sazerac 18) is a rich, floral rye that’s an excellent value at $25.

Templeton Rye – Another Indiana rye, though the company wasn’t always upfront about the rye’s origins. Still it’s surprisingly flavorful for it’s 80 proof strength with a delicious nose that’s like a bananas foster with extra cinnamon.

WhistlePig Straight Rye Whiskey – This 10-year, 100-proof rye comes from Canada via Vermont. Its 100% rye mashbill and bourbon barrel finish give it a smooth, sweet edge with good complexity and balance.

Wild Turkey 81 Rye – Buttery, drinkable, and affordable. Solid straight or as a mixer.

Willett Family Estate Small Batch Rye – Unlike the Willett Single Barrel, this 2-year-old, 108-proof rye is distilled at the Willett Distillery in Kentucky. Current two-year-old versions are good, but when these stocks get more age they’ll be special.

Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Rye (Four Year) – A single, barrel-proof, four-year-old version of the Indiana rye that’s loaded with butterscotch sweetness and baking spices.

Keep an eye out for even more additions in our Cigar Spirits articles. And, in the meantime, check out our general guide to pairing spirits with a cigar.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Following our popular A-Z Guide to Bourbon (read part one and part two) we thought a similar guide was due for rye. Like bourbon, American rye has undergone a renaissance lately. A combination of the rise of cocktail culture and the renewed interest in fine whiskies means there is more, better rye available now than there has been in a long time.

To that end, here’s the Cliffs Notes version of our coverage of rye. In addition to a link to the full write-up, I’ve included my take on the defining characteristics of each whiskey. (Part one is today; come back tomorrow for part two.) And, of course, each article has a few recommended cigar pairings:

Angel’s Envy Finished Rye – Unlike any other rye around, Angel’s Envy took Indiana-distilled rye and finished it in rum barrels, which provides a tropical edge with pineapple, citrus, and graham cracker. Dangerously drinkable.

Bulleit Rye – Bulleit represents a bold, flavorful variety of the Indiana distillate at the right price ($25). Highly recommended combination of crisp apple, pepper, wood, rock sugar, and toffee flavors with a nice sweetness on the finish.

E.H. Taylor Jr. Rye – A relatively new bonded rye from Buffalo Trace/Sazerac, it features a rye-heavy mashbill with cloying flavors and a tasty combination of sweetness and spice.

George Dickel Rye – Long known for its Tennessee Whiskey, Dickel added this rye not long ago. It takes the ubiquitous Indiana rye but adds a twist in charcoal filtering. The result is an easy-sipping rye at an excellent $25 price point.

High West Double Rye! – An innovative blend of two ryes, one two years old and the other 16 years. The result is a feisty-ness upfront with surprising complexity underneath.

Hooker’s House Rye – Another finished rye, this one uses California Zinfandel barrels to produce subtle cherry notes along with mint, spice, and vanilla.

Jefferson’s Straight Rye – One of a trio of Canada-sourced 10-year ryes, it’s a tasty combination of floral notes, sweetness, and spice. A solid value but unfortunately production has been discontinued.

Knob Creek Rye – A powerful rye from Beam that shares many of the qualities that make Knob Creek Bourbon so popular: powerful yet smooth flavors with plenty of wood, sweetness, and spice.

Masterson’s Rye – Like Jefferson’s and WhistlePig, Masterson’s sourced some excellent rye from Canada. It has a drier element than the others but it also features some tremendous complexity.

Tomorrow you can see part two. And keep an eye out for more additions in our Cigar Spirits articles. Also, in the meantime, check out our general guide to pairing spirits with a cigar.

–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.”

Original 2003 Cien Años cigars aren’t easy to find these days. Fortunately, I have a few remaining from a box I purchased before they were re-released nearly a decade later. Made by La Aurora, the oldest cigar maker in the Dominican Republic celebrated 100 years in the cigar business with this Dominican puro, which sports an oily Corojo wrapper. The Robusto is a pleasant combination of bread, dry cedar, cream, and pepper. Despite the age, it still packs a punch with medium- to full-bodied flavors. Sometimes older cigars get dull with age, but this isn’t one of them. It’s still a flavorful, enjoyable cigar worth finding if you can. Just don’t count on the re-release being the same as the original.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In my recent review of the Padrón Family Reserve No. 50 (Maduro), I wrote 2014 is a year with a few notable anniversaries. And, of course, such anniversaries are often accompanied by limited edition cigars.

One milestone worth celebrating is the fifth anniversary of the founding of E.P. Carrillo Cigars, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s second cigar company. His first, El Credito, was sold to General Cigar in 1999 (long before CAO, Toraño, or Leccia Tobacco).

Ernesto gives the rundown about his fifth anniversary cigar in this video. Made at his Dominican Tabacalera La Alianza S.A. factory, the smoke (6.5 x 54) has a special Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper from the 7th priming that was purchased by EPC for a future project back in 2010 or 2011.

The binder is Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 and the filler is 100% Nicaraguan with tobaccos from all three major Nicaraguan growing regions: Estelí, Condega, and Jalapa. The cigar comes in 10-count boxes ($75-80 per box) and has double bands: the top band is an updated style of EPC’s traditional band (the same style is being used in the company’s new European market cigars) along with a second circular band highlighting the company’s five years.

Pre-light the cigar is surprisingly tame, with only damp earth and a hint of sweetness from the Sumatra wrapper. Once lit, however, the cigar is anything but subdued. There’s a fresh, almost minty element along with a more traditional combination of bread, baking spices, and hints of pepper. It’s a full-bodied cigar, although it settles into the medium-bodied spectrum in the final third.

What caught me off-guard about the EPC 5th Anniversary was the surprising strength that showed some real nicotine kick. (And I write this as someone who rarely even notices nicotine in a cigar.)

Only 30,000 EPC 5th Anniversary cigars will be made. That’s a shame because it characterizes the best of E.P. Carrillo: flavorful, complex, and affordable. At a time when many special limited edition cigars command double-digit prices, the E.P. Carrillo 5th Anniversary Limitada is the rare and limited, yet affordable, offering. That earns it 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

I’ll admit, rums that start with the letter “Z” tend to be my favorites. Zaya 12 and Zacapa 23 (not to mention Zacapa XO) are go-to rums for me, both with a smoothness and depth of flavor that can only be achieved through time in the barrel.

So I didn’t hesitate to pick up Zafra Master Reserve, a Panamanian rum aged 21 years in bourbon barrels. Apparently the same company that originally brought Zacapa to the U.S. market is the same outfit behind Zafra, which sells for around $40.

Zafra is a dark copper color, not surprising given its age. The nose could almost be mistaken for a bourbon, with corn sweetness, lots of oak, and orange peel.

The palate is surprisingly dry with lots of cedar and spice along with cognac and dried fruit. Underneath are more traditional rum flavors of vanilla, molasses, and oak. The long finish features more spice and oak.

It’s like a cross between a rum and a bourbon, and that’s a good combination for me. Don’t expect an overly sweet vanilla-forward rum. Zafra is more restrained and subtle than fellow “Z” rums Zacapa and Zaya.

That goes for cigar pairings, too. Instead of full-bodied smokes you’ll want something more balanced. Think Fuente Hemingway Short Story or Cabaiguan Robusto Extra.

As far as Zafra goes, it’s worlds apart from Zaya or Zacapa, but excellent in its own way, albeit more balanced and subdued. And on top of that it’s excellent for the price (I picked mine up for $37). Zafra 21 may not be the first thing I’d recommend for rum beginners, but real rum aficionados should definitely seek it out.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Many people first heard of the Viaje Oro Reserva, better known as the VOR, when the No. 5 size was named the number two cigar on Cigar Aficionado‘s top 25 list of 2010 (behind only the Cuban Cohiba Behike). That’s understandable given the extremely small production numbers of that first VOR; most probably never saw the cigar in any cigar shop near them.

With a name clearly evocative of that acclaim, Viaje recently rolled out this new Churchill (7 x 50) size of the VOR blend dubbed Aficionado. (The added marketing benefit is when you Google the cigar’s name, the top hit is that CA rating.)

The Viaje Oro Reserva line features the same basic ingredients as the regular Viaje Oro line: a Niacaraguan Corojo ’99 wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler. The difference is the Reserva edition fine tunes the blend with more aged ligero filler, and it is made by the most experienced rollers at the Raice Cubanas factory in Honduras in box-pressed sizes.

The triple-banded VOR Aficionado sells for around $11 each, or $280 for a box of 25. The reddish brown Corojo wrapper is nearly vein-free and the VOR features inviting pre-draw flavors with sweet spice, like a graham cracker pie crust.

Once lit, the spice-forward theme continues. There’s a molasses sweetness to the cigar along with baking spices, leather, and a powdery mouthfeel. Also evident are subtle fruit undertones and a long cocoa finish.

It starts out just a bit under full-bodied, but gradually eases back to a medium-bodied cigar, although the spice never really fades. The VOR features immaculate construction, from the razor-straight burn to sturdy ash to easy draw.

Thinking back on the Viaje cigars I’ve smoked, I often find them to be very good. But few are true standouts, especially given the price and trouble to track them down (since they aren’t carried by many shops). The VOR Aficionado, however, is a special spice-forward, interesting cigar worth finding. It’s enough to earn the Viaje Oro Reserva Aficionado 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.”

My colleague reviewed La Antiguedad (Spanish for “antiquity”) a couple months ago, but I hadn’t gotten around to trying this new offering from My Father Cigars. I picked up the box-pressed Corona Grande (6.4 x 47) from a local shop for just under $8. The Ecuadorian Habano Rosado Oscuro wrapper looks flavorful with its reddish-brown color, notable veins, and oily appearance. Beneath are double Corojo and Criollo binders and filler all grown at My Father-owned Nicaraguan farms. The cigar features a complex combination of oak, chalk, leather, and black pepper. The burn is occasionally uneven, but otherwise construction is solid. Smoke it slowly and it will reward you.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys