The Stogie Guys

When Patrick A awarded a five-stogie rating to the Avo Limited Edition 2011 Diademas, a reader wondered what other cigars had garnered such a great grade.

So, I thought it was time to round up the top-rated cigars from 2010. You can catch up on previous years here and here. Going through the Stogie Guys Review Archive, I found four fives in 2010.

The limited-edition Davidoff Colorado Claro Short Perfecto was reviewed by Patrick S, who found it subtle and full of flavor. “In so many cigars, saltiness is a sign of a lack of balance—but here that flavor contributes to what makes it such a distinct and enjoyable smoke,” he wrote.

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After being on the defensive for decades, advocates of cigar rights are finally in the advantageous position of being able to push for a bill, instead of just trying to block the passage of bills that further infringe on the rights of cigar smokers.

On April 15, House Resolution 1639—”The Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2011″—was introduced in Congress by Rep. Bill Posey of Florida. Four other representatives joined as original co-sponsors: Ken Calvert (R-CA), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Tom Cole (R-OK) and Candice Miller (R-MI).

The proposed bill would stop the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from regulating premium cigars, which would likely be disastrous for cigar makers and consumers.

The step is necessary after a 2010 law that instructed the FDA to regulate cigarettes, but left the door open to the regulation of cigars.  While some observers predicted it would take years for the FDA to add cigars to its already large portfolio of regulated products, by April 2010 bureaucrats had already started the process, which could move forward at any moment.

If you are represented by one of the five Congressmen already on record in support of The Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2011, then you should take the time to thank them. But if your Representative is one of the 430 that hasn’t indicated their support yet, then it is even more important that you contact them today. That’s what I did recently when I sent the following letter to my Congressman, Jim Moran:

I write to express my strong support for HR 1639, the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act. Please join the bipatisan group of co-sponsors of this bill that would protect jobs here in Northern Virginia and all across America.

As a cigar enthusiast, I can assure you that premium handmade cigars are very different from mass-produced cigarettes. If the FDA regulates handmade cigars like cigarettes, a process it has already initiated, it will have a devastating impact on the cigar industry. Unlike cigarettes, whose primary purpose is to deliver nicotine, cigars are a hobby that is more like fine wine. If you visit the cigar shops I frequent (which are in your district), you’ll find people of all walks of life stopping in to relax for 30 minutes or an hour with a fine cigar while they enjoy the camaraderie of their neighbors. But all that may come to an end if the FDA imposes strict rules on handmade cigars and treats these artisan-made products like a mass-produced industrial product.

That’s why it is critical that Congress pass the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act, to protect cigars and instruct the FDA to use its resources in other areas. I hope you will become a co-sponsor of this important legislation and will push for passage through the House.

If you haven’t already, please join me in writing your Congressman to pass this important bill. You can find more information about how bad FDA regulation would likely be for handmade cigars here.

–Patrick S

photo credit: CRA

In a business imbued with tradition, things certainly can change quickly in the cigar world. For the latest example, look at Mexican tobacco.

Not long ago, you’d be hard pressed to find a cigar blender or manufacturer outside Mexico who would openly admit to having that country’s tobacco, much less using it in a premium cigar. Outside New York, someone lighting up a Te-Amo seemed a rarity.

Now, you’ll find “Mexico” proudly displayed on cigars and touted in ads. Exhibit A: the band on Pepin Garcia’s latest La Reloba: “Selección Mexico.”

In fact, Pepin’s widening use of Mexican tobacco may be a large part of its growing acceptance, especially the heavy San Andreas wrapper leaves that can be rolled natural or fermented further to produce a maduro. One of the first non-Mexican cigars I recall announcing its Mexican component was the Pepin-blended Murcielago from EO Brands in 2009.

Among top-of-the-line sticks said to include Mexican tobacco is the Avo Limited Edition 2010. Although Avo’s site doesn’t disclose the components, several retailers list a Mexican Sumatra binder.

We shouldn’t be surprised. Among cigar trends in recent years, such as large ring gauges and powerful smokes, the expanded experimentation with tobacco grown in different countries is among the strongest. Brazil and Costa Rica have quickly moved from exotic to nearly commonplace. There’s even a line using Louisiana pipe tobacco specialty perique leaves in cigars.

Mexico itself is getting in on the act, with the country’s leading tobacco family, the Turrents, releasing and promoting new blends. Perhaps the image of foul-tasting Mexican cigars has begun to fade. After all, it’s been over a decade since the country changed its tariffs on the importation of tobacco, making it feasible for blenders there to create something other than a Mexican puro.

I applaud all the experimentation and greater disclosure of ingredients. And even though I usually don’t like Mexican tobacco, I’m occasionally pleasantly surprised. If blenders weren’t willing to take a chance with new tobaccos—and ignore sometimes long-standing opinions—smokers wouldn’t get a chance to enjoy new and different cigars.

–George E

photo credit: Flickr

The summer is quickly approaching, and that means warmer temperatures and higher levels of humidity. For cigar smokers, these conditions present several challenges, each of which is best addressed through prevention.

The first challenge, and arguably the most sinister foe of premium tobacco, is common mold. This white, black, green, and/or blue substance is a fuzzy, smelly cigar-killer. If left untreated, mold can spread through direct contact—or even airborne spores—to ruin your treasured smokes and damage the lining of your humidor. Once you’ve got mold, there are a few measures you can take to minimize the damage. But you’re much better off preventing a mold outbreak from occurring in the first place. To keep your guard up, maintain 65% relative humidity in your humidor and allow your smokes to breathe every so often.

Another menacing tobacco enemy that’s more prevalent in the summer is the tobacco beetle. Most cigar enthusiasts shudder at the mere thought of these nasty little critters. If activated by warmth, these loathsome creatures undergo the larva, pupa, and beetle stages over the course of 10 to 12 weeks. After that, they’re beetles for about 14 days, and your humidor becomes their all-you-can-eat buffet. Trust me when I say that prevention is the best policy.

Beetle prevention can take a number of forms. The simplest method is to keep the temperature inside your humidor to 65 degrees. This strategy is effective because beetle eggs—which are harmless and (sadly) present on most tobacco leaves when they’re harvested—won’t hatch without temperatures of around 75 degrees.

Another way to prevent beetle outbreaks is to freeze your stash of cigars (thereby killing the eggs before they have a chance to hatch). Some cigar enthusiasts freeze every single new cigar they get before adding it to their humidor. For those of us who consider this practice overkill, try freezing only high-risk cigars (such as ones that were shipped during the hot summer months).

In either case, follow these steps: Put the cigars in Ziploc freezer bags, seal the bags tightly with as little air as possible inside, place them in a refrigerator for one day, move them to a freezer for three days, place them back in the refrigerator for one day, and then leave them at room temperature for one day. This process of slowly freezing cigars will minimize the stress imposed on the tobacco leaves.

Whether you’re working to prevent mold or beetles, please know that your efforts are only as effective as your equipment. The onset of summer—and all the heat and humidity that comes with the season—is a good time to upgrade your thermometer and hygrometer if need be.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr

Spring is finally here. At least officially, as of March 20. I guess some of us are still dealing with cooler temperatures or even snow. But the promise of warmer weather is closer than ever. Cue “Here Comes the Sun” on your iPod.

And that means good things for those of us who are lucky enough to be cigar enthusiasts. We can finally open the windows, dust off our tiki torches, and comfortably smoke cigars where cigars were meant to be smoked: outside. Soon, we’ll all be freed from the indoor smoke-friendly sanctuaries in which we’ve been hiding since the fall. That is, of course, if you’re lucky enough to have access to an all-too-rare indoor cigar haven.

I’ve been hiding in my den, which is equipped with plenty of books, more than plenty of cigars, and easy access to cold libations. My wife “allows” me to smoke in there as long as the outside temp is below 50 degrees. For that I’m very grateful.

I’m not, after all, one of these guys with an air-tight, separately ventilated room, an expensive exhaust system, and a password-protected vault door. When I smoke a cigar in the den, you can smell it throughout our home. But I like that smell. And my wife is cool enough to put up with it.

As much as I love the den, though, and as much as I enjoy such cigar-friendly locales as CXIII Rex and Shelly’s, I’m really looking forward to getting back outside. Whether it’s having a cocktail on my patio, playing a round of golf, or firing up the barbecue, outside is the place to be for this cigar fan.

Warmer temperatures aren’t the only reason spring is a great time to be a cigar smoker. This season is also a perfect chance to catch up on cigars that were released at last year’s IPCPR Trade Show. The next convention, after all, is just a few months away, and many cigar makers will start issuing press releases about their new products before you know it. It’ll be like hearing Christmas carols before Thanksgiving (a major no-no in my book).

Before you grow envious of all the new stuff you can’t buy yet, take stock in those cigars you may have missed from the 2010 convention, or reacquaint yourself with some of your favorites. Personally, I think last year’s trade show was top-notch in terms of new cigar releases. Smokes like the Avo Heritage, J. Fuego Origen, Toraño Single Region, and Guillermo León will pair nicely with the warmer temperatures and the increasing levels of sunshine.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr

[Editors’ Note: The following is a commentary by Stephen Boyajian, founder of The Cigar Network, a new magazine to which StogieGuys.com contributes.]

There comes a point in everyone’s life when they want something that doesn’t exist. In a way, this is what happened to me about a year ago. I had looked at just about every print cigar magazine available to me, yet none seemed to grip me enough to push me to subscribe. Some seemed to opinionated. Some didn’t seem opinionated enough, or biased to a certain degree. Some didn’t even really seem like they were about cigars. I came to this realization shortly after launching CigarFriendly.us but at the time, I didn’t give it much thought, continuing to depend on the internet for my cigar information fix.

Fast forward to the 2010 IPCPR Trade Show in New Orleans. I met a lot of bloggers that I had previously only met through forums, Facebook, or Twitter. There was a strong feeling among them all. The print cigar media that was out there just wasn’t good enough. Most of these publications rehash news old news. And the ratings…where were they getting their ratings? Some of the numbers did not make sense. Were they biased by money or personal palate? You’re guess is as good as mine.

At some point we moved towards the idea that “any cigar that scores in the 80s is a subpar product” or “if you don’t get a 90 or higher it’s time to come up with something new.” I don’t know how we got here, but I think it’s about time that misconception was laid to rest. Think back to when you were in school. If you got an 84 on a big test, were you happy or did you feel like you failed? For some, getting less than an A+ might be unacceptable. For others, a solid B is something to smile about.

It’s time to recapture the passion we all have for cigars. Cigars create a passion in many of us that can’t be explained to others. Picture two people sitting on a park bench, each with their favorite book. Odds are neither one will strike up a conversation. Now replace these people with two cigar smokers and, more often than not, they’ll spend the next 45 minutes discussing everything from their favorite brands to a recent cigar event. They may even transition to work, family, or politics. There is a good chance they’ll establish a friendship that will last long after their chance encounter.

The purpose of The Cigar Network is just that: to bring some of that passion to a format that anyone can share with someone else. We hope to educate in ways no other cigar publication has ever done, with articles written by people who share that same passion whether they be bloggers, brand managers, or even cigar company presidents.

Our ratings are solely consumer-driven, to avoid any fear of editorial bias. Some cigars will rank in the 90s, some in the 80s, and you will even see some in the 70s. Every issue will feature interviews from both members of the cigar industry as well as popular celebrities, who we promise also smoke cigars. We’ll also share cigar-friendly locations and what you can expect at each one.

As we embark on our journey to try something no other print cigar magazine has done before, we appreciate your support. Our first print issue will be released the first week in April and available at most cigar shops in limited quantities. To ensure you receive yours, visit us at TheCigarNetwork.com to subscribe for your own copy. Use coupon code “stogieguys” at checkout for 15% off the cover price.

–Stephen Boyajian

photo credit: The Cigar Network

Visiting a tobacconist to smoke a cigar is almost always an enjoyable occasion. What could be better than lighting up and relaxing, perhaps enjoying a beverage, good company, or a televised sporting event?

We hear and read a lot about what store owners need to do to maintain a great shop, but I think we patrons have some responsibilities as well. I need to say first that the following are my own three pet peeves. No shop owner suggested any of them to me, nor did I run them by anyone. They’re just a few things I’ve noticed that I would love to see come to an end.

First and foremost, don’t bring cigars you bought elsewhere into the shop to smoke. Why anyone would even consider doing this is beyond my comprehension. Would you go into a bar and pull out your own bottle of Old Overholt? Or hoist your car on the lift in an auto shop and proceed to work on it? A cigar shop is a business. Selling cigars is the major part of that business. A lounge in which to smoke them is a perk for paying customers.

Now, I’ll grant two possible exceptions. If you pay to belong to a “club” within the shop and it includes a cigar locker, then I’d say you’re free to stock it as you see fit unless there’s a prohibition to which you agreed upon joining. But I’d also say you should remove the band when you’re smoking something the shop doesn’t carry. The second exception would be when a shop has a “cutting fee” for smoking outside cigars. Pay the tab and light up.

Second, don’t pocket the cutters or lighters supplied by the shop for customers to use. Let’s face it, putting the five-finger discount on these is stealing, plain and simple. It also hurts all the customers because the owners, faced with frequent replacements, will invariably begin to put out cheaper, and fewer, implements.

Finally, don’t talk loudly about how much higher the prices are at the shop than you can find on the internet. While this is really just common courtesy, like taking your cell phone calls outside, I think it’s particularly tasteless. Instead, why not send an email to your favorite online cigar retailer complaining about how you can’t smoke there?

–George E

photo credit: Flickr