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.”

A store-exclusive release that also appeared in the recent Saints & Sinners club membership pack, the Cohete (4 x 50) is based on the Tatuaje Brown Label blend that’s made at My Father Cigars in Nicaragua. Previous versions from 2009 and 2006 were made in Miami. The cigar features lots of dark cocoa and earth, backed by oak, a hint of creaminess, and subtle leather and spice. While generally I consider the Brown Label to be medium-full, this is more straight full-bodied, and that’s a good thing. (Although it does take its foot off the gas slightly after the first third.) With excellent combustion it easily earns a recommendation.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I remember having my first pumpkin beer in college, Shipyard Punpkinhead. Back then, it was a Halloween novelty. There weren’t that many and there were only (it seemed) far fewer that could be found at any given beer store.

Today pumpkin beers have exploded. My local grocery store has half a dozen in stock, and there are no fewer than a few dozen at my local beer and wine shop. Pumpkin pie (which more adequately describes most pumpkin beers than just “pumpkin”) is a perfect flavor for beer for autumn nights, when the temperature is crisp and we celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Abraham Bowman Limited Edition Gingerbread Beer Finished Bourbon, however, is the first such attempt I’ve seen to take the concept into bourbon. No, gingerbread and pumpkin aren’t exactly the same thing, but they share many similar characteristics: sweetness, cinnamon spice, nutmeg, and an association with autumn.

Founded in 1935, Bowman is Virginia’s preeminent bourbon distillery. Now based in Fredericksburg, the distillery is owned by Sazerac, which also owns the world-renowned Bufallo Trace Distilery in Kentucky. Reportedly, much (if not all) of what Bowman makes is distilled twice, first at Buffalo Trace before being shipped to Bowman where it is then distilled a second time on-site before being aged in Fredericksburg.

Bowman makes a number of different lines including Virginia Gentleman, Bowman Brothers (small batch, 90-proof), John J. Bowman (single barrel, 100-proof), and Abraham Bowman, which is released in small batches of limited edition whiskey, the latest being its Gingerbread Beer Finished Bourbon.

To make this unique bourbon, Bowman sent used bourbon barrels to the Hardywood Brewery in Richmond, Virginia, where they were used to age the brewery’s Gingerbread Stout. After that the barrels were sent back to Bowman, who used it to finish bourbon that had already been aged for eight years. After three months in the used gingerbread beer barrels, Abraham Bowman Limited Edition Gingerbread Beer Finished Bourbon was bottled at 90-proof.

The result is a bright, copper-colored spirit not dissimilar to the their small batch variety. On the nose you pick up slight hints of the gingerbread beer finish with clove and vanilla.

On the palate, the special finish becomes more apparent. It features a lush mouthfeel with classic vanilla and oak, combined with dashes of nutmeg, bread, and fall spices. The finish is notably short, though the spices linger a bit longer.

I can’t help but wonder if this wouldn’t be even better at a slightly higher proof (100 or even a bit higher?) as it’s a touch thin. Still, it’s an enjoyable spirit that subtlety shows off just enough of its unique finish. It’s perfect for this time of year, though—like pumpkin beer—I’m not sure I’d want to drink it year-round.

I’d recommend a medium-bodied cigar with plenty of Honduran tobacco as a pairing; something that has both spice and balance. Try the Room 101 Namakubi Ecuador, Sencillo Platinum, or Camacho Connecticut.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Any year now it will be official: Nicaragua will surpass the Dominican Republic as the biggest cigar importer to the United States.

Between January and May this year (the latest published data), 47 million cigars were imported from the Dominican Republic, while just under 43 million were imported from Nicaragua, less than a 10 percent difference. Last year for the same period the Dominican had imported 44.8 million, versus 36 million from Nicaragua, a 20 percent difference.

In other words, the gap is closing, and quickly.

But it isn’t just a matter of numbers. The center of cigar innovation seems to be shifting to Estelí.

For the first time in memory, the top four “hottest brands” (brands retailers report are most in demand) in the Cigar Aficionado retailer survey are all Nicaraguan: Drew Estate, Tatuaje, Padrón, and Flor de Las Antillas.

And the list of new brands coming out of Nicaragua is almost endless. That’s not to say they are all good, but clearly people wanting to bring new cigars to market think Nicaragua gives them the best chance at success with consumers.

Even more telling is that classic Dominican brands are expanding to Nicaragua: La Gloria Cubana, Davidoff, and Romeo y Julieta. Five years ago that would be unthinkable.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Wikimedia

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 highly unique band takes for its inspiration an old 8-bit color video game complete with names that I’m not even going to try to describe. Made in Nicaragua, the cigar has a medium brown Nicaraguan Habano wrapper from the Jalapa region that surrounds dual Nicaraguan binders and filler from Mexico and Nicaragua. It features lots of cedar, a tannic tingle on the tongue, and hints of coffee and black pepper spice. Construction is notably flawless and the balance is excellent.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Buffalo Trace makes plenty of great bourbons: Blanton’s, George T. Stagg, Elmer T. Lee, W.L. Weller, Eagle Rare, Buffalo Trace, and a little bourbon called Pappy Van Winkle. (Pappy has become excruciatingly difficult and expensive to acquire in the past few years.)

That’s why I was enthusiastic about trying one of Buffalo Trace’s newer offerings: E.H. Taylor, named after Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr., one of the founding fathers of the bourbon industry and one-time owner of what is now called Buffalo Trace Distillery. Taylor was a proponent of the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, which ensured quality standards for “bottled-in-bond” bourbon (back then lots of bourbon was mixed with things like tobacco, turpentine, or other horrible additives to appear more aged than they were). The Act also ensured that the federal government could more easily collect taxes.

Naturally, the many styles of E.H. Taylor are all “Bottled-in-Bond” in compliance with the 1897 law, most of which is still in effect. In order to meet that standard, a bourbon must be 100-proof straight whiskey, must be made at one distillery and distilled in one season, and must be at least four years old. Up until the 1980s bottled-in-bond whiskey was guarded by federal treasury agents in special warehouses where taxes were collected only when whiskey was bottled for sale and departed the warehouse.

The E.H. Taylor line currently includes six whiskeys. The single barrel bourbon variety sells for $60-70 a bottle. And it’s a handsome bottle that comes in a matching tube. It also belongs on my top shelf, along with George T. Stagg, Smooth Ambler, and Zaya Rum, if only because, like those, the bottle is too tall to fit on any of my other shelves.

I’ve seen the age listed at 11 years and 7 months, but the bottle doesn’t have a formal age statement, so take that with a grain of salt. The resulting 100-proof spirit is a dark amber color with a rather muted nose of caramel notes.

On the palate, E.H. Taylor Single Barrel demonstrates fudge, nut, dried fruit, winter spices, and just a bit of oak. It has a rum-like mouthfeel. The finish is medium-length and smooth with more dried fruit and fudge.

There’s a fair bit of nuance to the Taylor Single Barrel, so you’ll want to go with a mild or medium-bodied smoke with lots of balance. Think Tesa Vintage Especial, Ashton Classic, Arturo Fuente King T Rosado Sun Grown, Cabaiguan, or the Cuban Cohiba Siglo.

Overall, I enjoyed E.H. Taylor Single Barrel, but for the price I’d expect something a bit more exceptional. It’s only a bit better than Elmer T. Lee or Eagle Rare 10 Year (and at least double the price) and not nearly what George T. Stagg is (if you can find it) for not too much more money. Connoisseurs may want to seek this out, but if you’re just getting acquainted with bourbon there are better options that provide more value.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

We often get questions from people who read our reviews and say something along the lines of, “But I can’t taste flavor X, Y, or Z; my palate isn’t developed enough.” And they’re probably right, most people just smoke and enjoy cigars, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

There’s obviously a good deal of personal preference when it comes to reviewing cigars, but when reviewers frequently notice the same flavors in the same cigars, it’s evidence that there’s also quite a bit of science to tasting cigars. In my experience, it’s mostly a question of training yourself to observe all the complexities that a cigar can demonstrate. To that end, for those who want to develop their palate and become better at cigar tasting, here are five suggestions:

Take Notes – If observation is step one then documentation is 1A. Not only will writing down your observations help you remember what you noticed while smoking a particular cigar, but putting pen to paper will force you to think about the descriptions you use and make sure they are evocative and precise so they will be useful later.

Re-taste – There’s a good reason why we make a point of sampling multiple cigars (usually at least three) before writing a full review. Not only can one particular cigar be off, or just different, but the situation in which it is smoked can make all the difference. Taste the same cigar more than once and you’ll start to realize what is the cigar and what is you, and the more you taste a cigar the more easily you’ll be able to pinpoint the defining characteristics.

Clean Your Palate – While I love pairing cigars with a fine spirit or a good cup of coffee, I find the best way to really focus on the cigar is absent a flavorful pairing. Spring water is good. The best is room temperature or slightly-chilled club soda. The bubbles clean the palate while making sure it isn’t too cold will prevent your taste buds from being dulled.

Smoke Two – I’ve written before that one of the best ways to develop your palate is to smoke two cigars at once. It’s like that game you did at a kid where you had to pick out the differences between two seemingly identical pictures. If you smoke two similar cigars side-by-side, you’ll be forced to notice the contrasts and complexities that you wouldn’t smoking one alone. (Not to mention, most people smoke cigars too quickly, so alternating between the two will force you to slow down.)

Retrohale – It’s said that 90% of what you taste is smell, or more precisely that only 10-20% of taste is through the tongue. That’s why smoking through the nose, also known as retrohaling, is an excellent way to observe flavors you’d otherwise miss. My colleague wrote an excellent description of how to retrohale here.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys