The Stogie Guys

In the latest issue of our “Random Thoughts from the Humidor” series, we ponder humidor maintenance, cleanliness, advertising, and blind reviews:

When I say OCD, I mean it in a good way. Lots of cigar smokers worry about summertime temperatures increasing the chances of a beetle attack. But you’re more likely to see your sticks ruined in the winter from extremely low humidity drying them out beyond repair. Even if you have mild winters, humidity levels will be low and the heat will drive them down even further. Check the hygrometer in your humidor frequently—every couple of days isn’t too often—and add distilled water when necessary.

Brush, brush, brush. I’m no dentist, but I’ve been told by more than one that smoking can lead to an increase of tartar and its associated problems. So, it’s always a good idea to brush as soon as practical after smoking. I don’t know how much it will lessen the buildup, but, hey, it couldn’t hurt. Any dental professionals out there feel free to weigh in.

Cleanliness is at least next to freshness. Whether you smoke inside or out, get rid of the ashes and butts when you’re done. Huge ashtrays are great, but no excuse for collecting tobacco detritus. It creates that unpleasant barroom-at-4 a.m. odor far more than the smoke.

Just wondering. Why are there cigar ads these days in nearly every magazine that aims at an upscale audience except Wine Spectator, the larger sibling of Cigar Aficionado? Aren’t fine wine and premium cigars considered one of the ultimate pairings?

I’m not sure I see the point. I’m always intrigued by cigar reviewing that’s done blind. But does anyone ever smoke that way? Knowing at least a little about the cigar you’re smoking is part of the experience—whether picking up a stick you’ve never heard of or laying out big bucks for a highly regarded limited edition.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Like many of you, my cigar tastes tend to run to stronger smokes. Those spicy Pepin powerhouses, ligero bombs from La Flor Dominicana, Camacho‘s intense creations, and the like. They keep me engaged and leave me a happy herfer.

But not all the time. Occasionally, I look for a milder cigar and, when I have a good one, I’m always struck by how satisfying it can be. This came home to me again recently when I pulled an Oliva Serie G Toro from my humidor and lit it up. It is an excellent, subtle cigar with a great Cameroon wrapper that blends well with the Nicaraguan filler.

My next milder smoke was a Bahia Blu Toro, which came in some sampler or other. It was the first I’d tried and it, too, provided a good experience: tasty, smooth, and very inexpensive.

I find it interesting that cigars I generally classify as mild are often referred to as medium by manufacturers. Of course, such categories are all relative and subjective.

I rarely, if ever, smoke what I consider to be really mild cigars, such as the original Macanudo and Dominican Montecristo. Again, like many of you, I find those too lacking in flavor and heft.

Part of what I enjoy about cigars is the exploration and surprise that comes from experimenting, though it certainly comes with the risk of disappointment. But I don’t want to get in rut. That can happen by limiting selection to a narrow range of strengths, just as it can with restrictions on wrapper leaf, sizes, or blenders.

One added benefit of smoking some milder cigars is that they usually require greater attention and focus to fully enjoy them. And that can be a nice reminder: The act of smoking a cigar is, in itself, an activity well worth pursuing.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Like most hobbies, there’s plenty of jargon when it comes to cigars. Vintage, puro, hand-rolled, aged, hand-bunched, maduro, oscuro, natural, bundled, mixed-filler, short-filler, entubar…There are so many terms out there, even the most well-informed consumers are likely to have trouble keeping track of them all.

And when these terms appear on a box of a cigars or in a cigar catalog, it’s often hard to hard to separate the marketing hyperbole from the facts. Does the handmade cigar industry need better labeling? If so, who should decide what those standards are and how they might be enforced?

A recent article in Wine Spectator (sister publication of Cigar Aficionado) got me thinking about these questions. It discusses the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau’s (TTB) recent call for comments on proposed wine labeling rules that would dictate under what conditions wine makers can include certain terms on their labels.

Many of the terms specifically mentioned—estate, estates, estate-grown, reserve, old vine, barrel-fermented, proprietor’s blend, single vineyard, old clone, vineyard select, select harvest, bottle-aged, and barrel select—are quite similar to terms used in cigar making. And their cigar counterparts can be just as confusing. Vintage, for example, can refer to almost anything: the wrapper’s age, the harvest of tobacco that makes up the cigar, the year the cigar was made, or some combination of those definitions. Most of the time, it’s enough to drive a consumer crazy.

So should cigar smoker’s call in the TTB and demand standardization? Quite the opposite. Cigar enthusiasts should be weary of further government intervention.

As the Wine Spectator article notes, “small wineries could be hurt by the costs of complying with new or retooled regulations in general.” Similarly, tracking the exact age of every tobacco leaf in every cigar could impose huge costs on smaller boutique cigar makers, stifling the innovative blending that smaller cigar makers bring to the market. Besides, the FDA is already breathing down the neck of cigar makers, and the cigar industry already has to deal with enough TTB regulations.

Absent government intervention, there can still be more disclosure about the contents of the cigars we purchase. There are plenty of private organizations—Tobacconist University and the Cigar Association of America come to mind—that could provide standards for labeling that would give cigar consumers the information we want.

Cigar makers who want to participate in this system could voluntarily adhere to a set of standards, agreeing to only use terms like vintage, puro, or single region when they meet the agreed-upon definition. Those who feel such standards would be too burdensome won’t be coerced into participating. A simple seal can be displayed only by those who participate.

Such a system would let cigar consumers know what participating cigar makers mean when they use terms that are otherwise vague. And, more importantly, smokers would know to take the claims of cigar makers who don’t participate with an appropriate grain of salt.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Yesterday, my colleague highlighted four excellent cigars that debuted at this year’s International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show. Today I reveal the second half of our series on the best new cigars of 2010.

Narrowing our list proved difficult, so we’ve focused on new lines (excellent extensions, like the Tatuaje 7th don’t qualify). Below are four more of our favorites from the 2010 IPCPR, listed in no particular order.

Avo Heritage: Avo departed from its previous lines with the four-size Heritage. The brand may be known more for its mild and medium-bodied smokes, but Heritage is a full-bodied tour de force, with plenty of leather, cinnamon, pepper, cocoa, and cream. With excellent construction, it’s a welcome new addition to the Avo family.

E.P. Carrillo Core Line: Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, creator of La Gloria Cubana, burst back on the scene in 2009 with the Edición Inaugural, followed in 2010 by the Short Run.  The highly anticipated, six-size “Core Line” was released at the trade show, utilizing an Ecuadorian wrapper around a Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Its well-balanced, medium-bodied profile of cedar, cream, and earth earned positive reviews.

Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor: Made by Don Pepin Garcia at his My Father Cigars factory in Nicaragua, this new member of the Aroma de Cuba family features a dark, oily San Andreas wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. With a sharp box press, the $5-8 cigars look like a bar of dark chocolate. And they sort of taste that way, too, with bittersweet chocolate, cream, and nutty notes.

Room 101 Conjura Ltd: Matt Booth, the man behind Room 101, may be known for his flashy style, but his new Conjura blend has plenty of substance. The box-pressed line features a rustic rosado wrapper, a Honduran binder, and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican. It’s a savory smoke, with classic Honduran spice, leather, and a hint of graham sweetness. With excellent construction, fans of complex spice will want to seek out Conjura before the 50,000-cigar run sells out.

So there you have it: our favorite cigars from this year’s IPCPR. Keep in mind that while the StogieGuys.com team has sampled many of this year’s new releases, we haven’t yet had the time to thoroughly examine everything that debuted in 2010. But from what we’ve sampled so far these eight are the top standouts. If you think we’ve missed a new cigar, please let us know in the comments.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In August, StogieGuys.com traveled to New Orleans to report live from the 78th annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show—the premier industry convention where cigar makers from around the world showcase their products and debut their new creations.

Dozens and dozens of reviews were published after the trade show concluded as the online cigar community and the mainstream cigar media scrambled to satiate readers’ appetites for information on the newest market entrants. True, over sixty percent of the reviews StogieGuys.com published in the last three months have been of 2010 IPCPR debuts. The dust is finally starting to settle. As it does, we reflect on the trade show and reveal our favorite new releases to date. They are listed below in no particular order.

J. Fuego Origen: While several limited edition Origen vitolas were leaked to the market over the last two years, the full Origen lineup wasn’t officially introduced until this summer. It boasts 100% Cuban-seed corojo tobaccos with a Costa Rican binder, a two-country filler blend from Honduras and Nicaragua, and a toothy Brazilian wrapper. The blend yields excellent combustion qualities and flavors of coffee beans, nuts, dry wood, and sweet caramel. The Lancero ($6-7 apiece) is particularly enjoyable.

La Aurora Guillermo León: This line just keeps getting better the more you smoke it. The blend’s namesake, La Aurora Vice President Guillermo León, says he “wanted something with deep complexity yet also a stronger smoke than most of our offerings.” The result is a dual binder, Ecuadorian habano-wrapped treasure that burns well and sells in the $7-10 range. Flavors range from milk chocolate and spice to earth and syrup. Be on the lookout for this cigar as it starts hitting tobacconist shelves nationwide.

Toraño Single Region Serie Jalapa: To construct this unique offering, the Toraño Family Cigar Company applied a vintner’s approach to cigars, using tobaccos grown on one carefully selected farm. The intention, according to a press release, is to have the blend’s flavor and aroma reflect the influence of a single region’s soil, weather, and topography. The experiment produced a reddish, well-built cigar with a medium-bodied profile of tea, leather, toffee, cream, and nuts. The Single Region’s three traditional sizes sell for less than $7.

San Lotano Habano: A.J. Fernandez’s first solo, nationally distributed project is San Lotano, a revived Cuban brand that’s available in three versions: Connecticut, Maduro, and Habano. The latter is the best, displaying a complex array of flavors like cedar, roast coffee, leather, and caramel. Its Brazilian, Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Dominican tobaccos burn well. The San Lotano Habano may be best in the Toro format, which sells for $8.

While the StogieGuys.com team has sampled many of this year’s new releases, we haven’t yet had the time to thoroughly examine everything that debuted at the 2010 IPCPR Trade Show. So please feel free to let us know if we’ve missed one of your favorites. Meanwhile, check back tomorrow as my colleague reveals the second half of our favorite 2010 releases.

–Patrick A

photo credit: IPCPR

Choosing a drink to accompany your cigar is about as individual a choice as selecting what you’re going to smoke in the first place. The drink choice can also be greatly influenced by where you happen to be smoking. A cigar bar that features only beer and wine obviously isn’t the spot to enjoy a single-malt Scotch, for example, while smoking at home offers nearly endless possibilities.

I’ve never been an alcohol drinker. Though I’ve tried almost everything, I’ve  failed to develop a taste for it. My choice of a drink to pair with a cigar is almost always coffee. Early, late, it doesn’t much matter to me. And while I prefer good coffee, I’ll usually settle for mediocre and, on occasion, choke down a cup of black swill. I drink it without cream or sweetener.

I’ve never truly gotten beyond simply preparing ground coffee at home, these days using a manual Melita drip system. While I think I’d enjoy trying lots of different roasts and regions, I have to admit I’m too lazy to go to the trouble, particularly of roasting my own beans. About as far as I’ve gone is buying beans from some of the country’s top coffee roasters, such as Intelligentsia, and grinding them myself. I do try to sample coffee anytime I see an interesting looking shop. But, nowadays, I usually settle for Starbucks (Charbucks to real coffee aficionados) that I have ground at the shop because it’s so much easier

My biggest coffee move recently has been the purchase of a two-cup Bialetti Brikka stovetop “espresso” pot. I haven’t actually gotten it broken in yet (they recommend at least three trial runs for seasoning and to make sure you’re doing it right), so I can’t comment on how the end product turns out. Hopefully, I’ll enjoy it. Even for me, it looks pretty simple.

I’m guessing that when you ask most cigar smokers what they would light up with a cup of coffee, they’d answer, “a maduro.” The dark richness of that tobacco appears as a natural complement to coffee. I wouldn’t disagree. However, I also find a mild to medium stick with a Connecticut shade wrapper can be an even better fit. Something about that fine, smooth zip in the wrapper sets off the coffee taste exquisitely. Spicy cigars, like many of Don Pepin’s creations, also suit me with coffee. The contrasting tastes and textures react pleasantly on my palate.

If you haven’t had coffee with a cigar, I’d suggest you give it a try. And if you’re already a regular coffee-drinking cigar smoker, please let the rest of us know what you recommend.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The other day I fired up a special cigar. It was a limited release super-premium that’s no longer in production. Expectations were high.

I had looked forward to trying this rare, fairly expensive smoke for the first time, especially given its plethora of accolades and impressive pedigree. I remember slowly selecting it from one of my humidors and taking great pleasure in the pre-smoke ritual. I took note of the aroma. I examined the exterior leaf with a careful eye. And I admired the cap before making a precise cut.

True, as a reviewer, I go through this routine often. But I was smoking this cigar for sheer enjoyment, not as “research” for an article. While I make a point to examine the sights and smells of each and every cigar I smoke, I can’t say I always fully live up to that commitment when I’m merely smoking for relaxation.

I did, however, with this special cigar. I made sure to invest the time to build anticipation given my high expectations. And I was pleased when those expectations were met. This particular smoke was creamy with a graham cracker sweetness, excellent construction, and a finely balanced profile.

So the special cigar ended up being, well…special. That got me thinking: Did I find the cigar special because it was truly outstanding? Or was it outstanding because, before I lit the first match, I thought it was going to be special?

I hope it was the former. I pride myself on being an unbiased judge of premium tobacco, trying my best to prevent expectations from influencing my judgments.

But isn’t it naïve to think that expectations played no role in my assessment of this cigar? Perhaps I enjoyed it so thoroughly because I made a conscious effort to savor all of its qualities—an effort that was motivated by expectations.

In the end I guess it doesn’t really matter. If I enjoyed it, I enjoyed it. Period. The best cigar is the cigar you like the best, regardless of reasoning.

The question of how expectations influence outcomes is a fair one to raise, though, especially when those outcomes are intended to inform decisions. It’s helpful to keep that in mind while reading reviews.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr