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 collaboration between the Quesada sisters of SAG/MATASA and Janny Garcia of My Father Cigars, 3 Reynas is made in Nicaragua with a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler. The Robusto (5 x 50) costs $7. This sample is more full-bodied than the previous 3 Reynas cigars I’ve smoked. I’d characterize it as medium-bodied, as apposed to mild-medium. With earth, coffee, milk chocolate, and mild oak, it’s a great smoke for the Sunday paper and a good coffee.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Reinado is a brand to keep your eye on. The original offering is a good cigar (particularly the small Habanito size), but it’s the follow-up that has been getting the buzz.

That follow-up, the Reinado Grand Empire Reserve, is a cigar I remember enjoying when I first smoked it at the IPCPR Trade Show and one I meant to seek out. Still, whether because they are difficult to find locally or just because I’ve had no shortage of new cigars to smoke, I was glad when I got a few samples to try recently.

The Grand Empire Reserve (GER) currently comes in just one size called Elegidos (5 x 55). It has a soft box-press and looks more like a traditional 50 or 52 ring gauge cigar. In addition to this initial size, introduced this summer, multiple additional sizes are in the works for 2013.

Like the original Reinado, the GER is a Nicaraguan puro made in Condega. It utilizes a “select Habano maduro” wrapper that’s dark and shows lots of oils. It retails for $9.95.

The cigar shows loads of earth, a syrupy sweetness, and plenty of oaky wood. There’s black pepper on the finish. It starts out strong, mellows slightly, and then ramps up to the finish.

Flavor-wise, it’s a cigar smoker’s cigar: full-bodied, gritty, with plenty going on and not too similar to anything else available. Construction is excellent with a quality burn, ash, and draw.

It’s the kind of cigar that begs for a fine, dark spirit. Aged rum, malty Scotch, or well-aged oaky bourbon all fit the bill.

All in all, I really enjoy the Elegidos. Unique, flavorful, and spirited, the cigar gets a well-deserved 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.”

It’s a bit confusing, but there are actually two Timeless blends produced by Nat Sherman. In addition to the Dominican blend, a Nicaraguan-made puro was introduced summer 2012. This little cigar (4 x 52) is a great size that I wish we saw more of. The cigar is medium- to full-bodied and woody with spice, earth, and just a bit of sweetness. Enjoyable flavors combined with excellent construction makes this a definite “buy” recommendation.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In recent years, the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) has gone out of its way to crack down on non-members visiting its annual Trade Show. The IPCPR made it clear that not only were consumers not welcome, but that legitimate members, especially retailers, who brought consumers to the show could face repercussions. (Complicating matters was a debate about the status of internet media outlets.)

Now the IPCPR has officially moved to change that, and welcome consumers—specifically the cigar smoking public—to their show, for at least part of one day. Just before the new year, John Anderson, chairman of the IPCPR Board Trade Show Committee and co-owner of W. Curtis Draper’s in Washington, DC, sent an email to IPCPR members (of which StogieGuys.com is an online media member) announcing the changes, which he says are already being planned:

In an effort to raise funds for our continued and ever more expensive legislative battles, the IPCPR Board Trade Show Committee is planning two events to take place at the 2013 annual Trade Show in Las Vegas.

The first event under consideration is a Consumer Day that will take place on the last half-day of the show.

• The goal of the event is to generate $100,000 for our legislative battles.
• Each ticket will include a pre-packaged assortment of select cigars purchased by the IPCPR from volunteer manufacturers, as well as a chance to walk the Trade Show floor to meet and interface with the individuals behind the brands in the industry.
• This event will be limited to the first 500 consumers who purchase tickets (ticket price TBD based on cigar selections & cost).

The second event under consideration is a Roast. This will be an elaborate event featuring:

• A celebrity comedian as the host, a panel of well-known industry “roasters,” and a carefully selected “roastee.”
• Tickets for the Roast will cost $ (TBD based on catering selections) and will include entry to the event, heavy hors d’ oeuvres, and an open bar.
• Tables and sponsorship opportunities will be available for purchase.
• The roast will be open to the consumers who attended the Consumer Day as well as the industry and will make for a lighthearted conclusion to a busy week of work.

All money raised from the events will go directly towards funding legislative pursuits.

Analysis

The move represents a radical departure for the IPCPR, which has maintained that the Trade Show is primarily an event for buying and selling cigars. But it is not an illogical move. As we’ve noted many times, there is much for the cigar industry to do when it comes to protecting cigars from government regulation, taxation, and prohibition, and the IPCPR is one of the groups doing important work to defend cigars from anti-tobacco zealots.

While the goal—more funds to protect cigars from legislative attacks—is clearly worthwhile, the proposal raises a number of issues which should be addressed.

(more…)

Each Saturday and Sunday (and on special occasions midweek) we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.” This Quick Smoke is part of our “Win a Big Box of Cigar Swag” contest. Leave a comment and be subscribed to our free email newsletter to enter. Full details here.

Released by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo (along with the Oliva I recently tried), this Toro is part of a series of cigars celebrating Atlantic Cigar’s 15th year of business. It features a maduro Brazilian Habano wrapper around Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos. The result is an extremely balanced cigar with medium-bodied flavors, particularly milk chocolate, coffee, and cedar. It’s another impressive creation by Carrillo with notable amounts of sweet, earthy flavors. Combine that with flawless construction and it’s easy to recommend.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday (and on special occasions midweek) we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.” This Quick Smoke is part of our “Win a Big Box of Cigar Swag” contest. Leave a comment and be subscribed to our free email newsletter to enter. Full details here.

Relatively new from Miami Cigar & Co., Añoranza is made with 100% Nicaraguan tobacco, including an oscuro Habano wrapper. My robusto burned flawlessly and produced loads of full-bodied flavors and thick, powdery smoke. Earth and unsweetened cocoa were the primary flavors, but notes of black pepper spice, cinnamon, and cedar were also apparent. Not a cigar to be trifled with, Añoranza is a flavor bomb, making it a good candidate for the conclusion of a multi-cigar evening. It’s especially nice with bourbon.

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 verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.” This Quick Smoke is part of our “Win a Big Box of Cigar Swag” contest. Leave a comment and be subscribed to our free email newsletter to enter. Full details here.

Though you wouldn’t know it from the band, which doesn’t mention Oliva, this cigar is made for Atlantic Cigar Company in celebration of their 15th Anniversary by the Oliva Cigar Company. It’s the fourth and final release in a series of exclusive blends for Atlantic’s 15th year. The $8.50 cigar features an attractive Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, and it comes in a Diadema (6 .75 x 48) size that looks sleek and refined. I found cocoa, earth, and leather flavors, as well as a slightly damp flavor. Medium-full in flavor, the cigar struck me as just alright and hardly as good as either of the other Atlantic 15th Anniversary releases, or other cigars made by Oliva.

Verdict =Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys