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.”

The newest offering from Abe Flores of Pinar del Rio is the 1878 Cubano Especial. This line features a Brazilian arapiraca wrapper, a Dominican criollo ’98 binder, and a filler blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos. The Robusto (5 x 52) is a little spongy with an overly loose draw. The resulting flavors fall flat with unbalanced sweetness in the first third. Approaching the halfway point, the draw tightens and the taste improves with chocolate sweetness, woody undertones, a light basil flavor, and good amount of black pepper spice. My guess is that the second half is a better representation of what this cigar can be. For now, though, I can’t fully recommend this Jekyll and Hyde act.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick M

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.”

In 2008, Davidoff surprised many industry observers by introducing its first ever maduro. That Robusto was followed in 2009 by a Corona, and this year they rolled out the toro-sized Maduro T. Wrapped in a deep brown San Vicente wrapper, it’s an attractive, well-constructed cigar with contrasting black and white bands. The smoke opens up with dry cocoa and leather flavors. It’s medium-bodied and balanced. As the cigar develops, some oak is evident along with notes of green banana, making for an interesting, well-rounded smoke.

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.”

Far too often, dark cigars that look, feel, and smell like this one turn harsh, meaty, or stale in the final third. But this Robusto (5 x 50) from Pinar del Rio’s Oscuro blend manages to avoid that trap while still featuring a full-bodied profile. Its Brazilian-grown oscuro wrapper combines with a criollo ’98 Dominican binder and a filler blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos to produce tastes of creamy espresso, cocoa, and nuts. The combustion qualities are fair and the sub-$6 price tag is more than reasonable.

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.”

It had been some time since I lit up this little $4 Cuban (5 x 37). Time in the humidor has only served to give the light brown, slightly veiny wrapper a little extra shine. The cigar is much how I remembered it: mild and smooth featuring nutty flavors and slight  notes of wood and cream. Burn, ash, and draw present no problems. It’s balanced, uncomplicated, and easy to recommend, particularly with a cup of coffee in the morning.

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 box-pressed robusto was recently added to the lineup of cigars that celebrate the Toraño family’s 50-year exile from Cuba. It produces cool tufts of smoke that taste of leather, cocoa, raisin, and black cherry. As with most Toraño cigars, this Brazilian arapiraca-wrapped beauty has outstanding construction. It’s a nice sub-$7 addition to one of the company’s finest blends.

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.”

Tempus Maduro, introduced earlier this month, features that same core blend as the regular Tempus line but with a unique San Andres maduro wrapper. The wrapper fermentation process includes the use of a bethune made from tree pulp that’s applied to the leaf during the fermentation process, resulting in a leaf that achieves a dark maduro color. The shorter fermentation time allows the wrapper leaf to maintain some of the strength that would normally be lost in the time required to ferment a maduro leaf. The Imperator, a torpedo (6.1 x 52), is well-constructed with no soft spots and a good draw. The cigar starts out with in an intriguing sweetness and subtle spice. The core flavors of smoked oak, mocha, and subtle cracked black pepper create an interesting and pleasant smoking experience. This cigar is much more enjoyable for me than my previous experiences with the regular Tempus line. Even at$9.40 apiece, I can definitely recommend it.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick M

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.”

A.J. Fernandez has made top-selling cigars for the likes of Rocky Patel, Padilla, and others, but a few weeks ago he released his first nationally-distributed solo blend. San Lotano, an old Cuban cigar line that Fernandez has brought back to life, comes in three wrapper varieties: Habano, Connecticut, and Maduro. The former has a combination of Brazilian, Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Dominican tobaccos that combine to produce voluminous, spicy tufts of smoke. Key flavors include leather, roasted coffee beans, caramel, and creamy coffee. Construction is near perfect. The Toro (6 x 52) is a must-try at around $8 apiece.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys