The Stogie Guys

A couple times each week we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

Inspired by Cigar Aficionado’s recent abysmal (and laughable) 83 for the CroMagnon EMH—a rating RoMa Craft co-owner Skip Martin publicly attributes to his unwillingness to send the publication ad dollars—I made a point to revisit this cigar. A robusto extra (5 x 56), the “Early Modern Human” sports a gorgeous Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Cameroon binder, and three different filler tobaccos from Nicaragua (from Estelí, Condega, and a small farm on the Honduran border). It is a dark, chalky, full-bodied smoke with immersive notes of pepper, cocoa powder, char, and espresso. My palate finds Cigar Aficionado’s description of “green apple” and “bitter and damp” off the mark. Expect to pay around $9 for a single, and expect a flavorful, well-constructed experience.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A couple times each week 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 this release from Altadis when it was introduced. From the one I smoked recently, I largely agree with his conclusion that the H. Upmann Legacy is “a solid smoke at a fair price.” I found the Ecuadorian Sumatra-wrapped Toro to be medium-bodied with woody, roasted, and salted notes, and a little spice. It’s not a tremendously complex cigar, but it provides pleasant enough flavors and nearly flawless construction.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A couple times each week we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

As one of the industry’s leading tobacco growers and manufacturers, it seems only natural that the Plascencia family would want its name on a high-end cigar. It introduced the still-expanding Alma series a few years ago to do just that. The Alma del Campo, a Nicaraguan puro, makes a near-perfect first impression. The wrapper is vein-free, smooth, and gives off an enticing mint aroma before lighting. The Guajiro vitola (5.5 x 54) runs about $16. It begins with a thick, meaty flavor and deep, rich smoke. Some spice and nuts come fairly quickly to the fore. Other notes include pepper and a touch of cinnamon. All are nicely balanced. Construction is excellent, strength is medium, and the the finish is long. I thoroughly enjoyed the Guajiro. The cost, though, is likely to limit my future pleasure. But when you’re looking for a luxe cigar, this is one line not to ignore.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A couple times each week we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

I don’t think I’ve smoked this blend from La Flor Dominicana since it was called the Premium line. (That was two names ago; it was briefly renamed “La Flor Dominicana Light” in 2012.) Long associated with fuller-bodied, ligero-heavy offerings, the truth is Litto Gomez and La Flor Dominicana started off with milder offerings, including this cigar, which features a pale golden Connecticut Shade wrapper and Dominican filler tobaccos. This robusto emphasizes balance and mildness, though it does have honey sweetness with cream, subtle cut grass, and light cedar. It’s not my preferred flavor profile, but it’s a flawlessly constructed example of a premium, mild-bodied cigar.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A couple times each week we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

The intense pre-light floral aroma from this cigar’s Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper is a quick tipoff that it isn’t a typical maduro. And that plays out from beginning to end. There’s not a lot of the usual coffee, chocolate, or cocoa frequently associated with other maduros. The Brazilian Maduro Toro (6 x 52, $9.68) opens with a shot of pepper that yields to notes of light spice, some sweetness, and leather in a smooth, well-balanced blend. Strength is firmly in the medium range. It burns slowly, produces lots of smoke, and has an excellent draw. With a Connecticut Broadleaf binder and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos, you might expect more complexity, but I found it to be a fairly straightforward smoke. That’s not a criticism; I thoroughly enjoyed what it presented. This addition to Drew Estate’s Herrera Estelí line was introduced last year. It comes in five sizes, all in boxes of 25. I suggest you pick one up.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A couple times each week we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

Some cigars sit in your humidor for years unsmoked. In this case, it’s because I rarely have time to smoke an ‘A’ size, which is generally 8-9 inches long with a ring gauge of 50. Thanks to my email account, I can see that I picked up a “Rocky Patel Limited Edition 2008 ‘A’ Sampler” (16 cigars) back in April 2009 for about $5 a cigar, though I’m sure the suggested retail price was quite a bit more. The decade of age hasn’t mellowed this full-bodied smoke, which was subsequently cancelled only to be brought back in 2018. The cigar features an especially oily (age may be a factor here) Honduran Corojo wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler. The flavors are heavy in leather and oak with light spice.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A couple times each week we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

When I reviewed the Psyko Seven Robusto back in the fall of 2013, the just-released offering from Ventura Cigar was making a splash for its unique presentation. (You can’t see it in the “action” photo above because the enormous outer band needs to be removed before you can fire up the cigar, but you can see it here; and by “it” I mean a white prescription form enticing you to “medicate your mind” with a six-country blend of tobaccos, signed by “El Diablo Blanco.”) But this Dominican-made product from the legendary Henke Kelner has substance to back up its style. Six years of age hasn’t changed the Robusto (5.5 x 50) much, but that’s fine by me since it had performance and flavor from the get-go. The balanced, mild- to medium-bodied profile is bready with notes of cream, almond, oak, and some cinnamon spice. The original asking price was $7, but now you can find it for a bit less if you shop around. That makes it an easy cigar to recommend.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys