The Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

This six inch by 50 ring gauge toro features a dark and flawless Connecticut broadleaf wrapper. The medium-bodied smoke has dry, dark chocolate flavors and a pronounced cedary aroma. It’s a well-balanced profile. Construction is also impressive, with an even burn, sturdy ash, and easy draw. It went well with this Lebowski-inspired cocktail.

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 take on a single cigar.

After resting in my humidor for over six months, the Vintage Regente (5 x 54) showed significant signs of improvement—performing better than my colleague reported in his May review. Its soft notes of coffee, wood, and leather seemed more harmonious. The finish, as a result, wasn’t as coarse or dry as I remembered. And since the cigar’s physical properties remain outstanding, it’s easier to justify this Connecticut shade-wrapped stick’s fairly steep price of $9-10 per single.

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 take on a single cigar.

From the first puff, this Nicaraguan puro displays all the nuance and depth of a Michael Bay film. That’s about what I was expecting given the hearty pre-light notes of cocoa and raisin and the appearance of the dark corojo leaf. But the Verocu No. 9 (4.5 x 49) quickly settles into a medium-strength, full-bodied profile of coffee beans, dark chocolate, and nutmeg. Sold exclusively at Holt’s Cigar Company for $130 per box of 20 or $36 per 5-pack, this Pete Johnson creation would have been an easy recommendation if not for its occasional bitterness and surprisingly frequent burn problems.

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 take on a single cigar.

With its oily yet rustic wrapper and plenty of pre-ight aromas, this cigar seems like a winner. The lancero starts out with a burst of woody spice, but soon fades into a singular earthy flavor that’s medium- to full-bodied. Construction is problematic, as the burn has a tendency to go out and the ash seems to be constantly falling off. I’ve smoked and enjoyed many different sizes of the La Flor Double Ligero line, and while not a bad smoke, the lancero lacks the depth and complexity of its larger ring gauge counterparts.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

With its veiny and somewhat dry wrapper, this cigar isn’t much to look at. Fortunately the taste has much to offer with plenty of woody spice and roasted nut flavors. This Lancero (7.5 x 41) isn’t as full-bodied as the other Tempus formats I’ve sampled, but it is a well-balanced, medium-bodied smoke. Contrcution is excellent, which is impressive given the dificulty in rolling a flawless lancero.

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 take on a single cigar.

When I smoked this Torpedo (6 x 54), I thought it tasted similar to the Habano blend. There was a sharpness to the first half inch before it evened out, and there were none of the flavors that I often associate with Maduro cigars. The wrapper was dark and thick and, while the roll seemed very tight, the draw turned out just fine. The smoke was incredibly thick and the burn was better than the Habano. This $6.80 stick is not a complex smoke, but it does change as it burns.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

At the IPCPR Trade Show in August, Nub creator Sam Leccia introduced the fourth blend of his popular Nub line featuring a Brazilian maduro wrapper. The cigar demonstrates classic maduro coffee and cocoa flavors with more subtle notes of creamy peanut butter and leather. The medium- to full-bodied smoke also includes impressive balance and classic Nub construction, with a perfect burn, easy draw, and an ash that only needs to be tapped off twice during the entire smoke. This is a must-try for Nub fans.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys