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.”

I’ve praised this small (4 x 40) cigar before (listing it as one of my favorite small cigars). Much as I remembered, it didn’t disappoint. The Dog Walker features a Brazilian mata fina wrapper, Costa Rican binder, and filler from Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico, and Columbia, just like the rest of the line. For such a small cigar, it demonstrates impressive complexity with leather, clove, coffee, and pepper. It’s medium- to full-bodied and thoroughly enjoyable when you need a good smoke but only have 30 minutes.

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 handsome Robusto from Emilio Cigars features a clean Sumatra wrapper around a Honduran Connecticut binder and filler tobaccos from Jamastran and Costa Rica. After lighting, musty pre-light notes transition to a profile of spice and espresso. This full-bodied, 5.5-inch smoke is tasty and bold, though it doesn’t have the nuance or complexity that you can find in the Grimalkin.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

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 hard-to-find, limited, Dominican-made Partagas was released in 2009 when it could be had for $16-20. Perhaps the most impressive thing about this cigar is the ten-year-old Cameroon wrapper, which is darker and more oily than any Cameroon wrapper I’ve come across. The smoke (5.5 x 50) has plenty of classic Cameroon spice, cedar, and coffee notes. It’s medium-bodied with and an elegant balance. Construction is perfect, as you’d expect from a pricey, limited release.

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.”

For $150, I signed up for Pete Johnson’s Saints & Sinners club, entitling me to discounted merchandise, exclusive cigars, and access to members-only forums. I was mailed a care package of Tatuaje swag and 15 cigars upon registration. Included was this unreleased size of the Fausto. At 4.75 inches in length, it packs a powerful taste of pepper, raisin, and espresso from its Nicaraguan tobaccos and Ecuadorian wrapper. While this blend and format isn’t Johnson’s finest, it’s a good pairing with bourbon after a heavy meal. If you didn’t sign up for the 2011 Saints & Sinners club, keep an eye out for the 2012 registration; at the very least, it’s a pleasure to get to taste blends and sizes that are unavailable to the general public.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

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 band-less torpedo (6 x 54) isn’t much to look at, but it may be my favorite Cameroon-wrapped cigar. It features a pale Cameroon wrapper around Dominican binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan filler. It’s a perfectly balanced smoke with a medium-bodied combination of cedar, spice, and cafe-au-lait. Construction is excellent, except for a few cracks in the delicate wrapper that develop towards the end. While I think I prefer the No. 1 size, this torpedo only affirmed my enjoyment of La Flor’s Cameroon line. Particularly impressive is this $10 smoke’s versatility: It goes well with a cup of coffee in the morning, and also with a glass of scotch at the end of the night.

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.”

Looking for a good way to spend $5? It’s hard to think of a better buy than the 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Natural Robusto from Pinar del Rio. This Abe Flores creation has a mixture of Ecuadorian, Nicaraguan, and Dominican tobaccos that combines to produce an outstanding profile of dry oak, grass, nuts, and cream. With excellent construction, this five-inch cigar is an easy recommendation. Try it with a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

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.”

 

Viaje is known for making its cigars in small batches, which makes the ultra-small batch White Label Project exceedingly rare and very tough to find. This particular version, of which only 5,000 cigars were made, is based on the the 50/50 Red blend. Viaje owner Andre Farkas says the blend was designed to be slightly stronger than the full production 50/50 Red line (and presumably not quite as strong as the 50/50 Black line). The well-made Nicaraguan puro is firm to the touch with no soft spot between the two blends, and features a nearly flawless criollo wrapper, a pigtale cap, and slightly closed foot.  It starts out with a burst of spice but quickly settles into a smooth, woody, medium- to full-bodied profile. After the midway point, it evolves only slightly as the sweetness picks up and the cigar develops a leathery, syrupy element. Except for a somewhat tight draw, construction was excellent on this limited but enjoyable cigar.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys