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.

First my colleague gave this new Belicoso (6 x 54) a good review in March. Then, just a few weeks ago, we gave away a Savoy humidor signed by baseball legend Luis Tiant and filled with 23 El Tiante Corojos through our email newsletter contest. It was high time I tried one of these for myself. When I did, I encountered admirable construction and loads of flavor—including cedar, herbs, and sweet spice. You can pick up this wonderfully balanced, slow-burning treat for around $6-8.

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.

Rustic wrapper surrounds a solidly constructed Toro. The band is sloppily applied. Simple earth and cedar flavors. While at first I thought it was a real dud, after about an inch it turned into a pleasant mild-bodied smoke with excellent combustion qualities.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

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

With a clean Cuban-seed corojo wrapper, two beautifully ornate bands, and an approachable price point of $4-6 apiece, this Nick Perdomo, Jr. creation has the look of a real winner. It produces thick tufts of rich smoke that, as my colleague wrote in his review 19 months ago, include flavors of warm tobacco and spice. The combustion qualities of the five inch by 52 ring gauge Robusto are almost ideal, save for an overly flaky white ash. Try this slow-burning gem with a Sam Adams Summer Ale on a hot afternoon.

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.

With a splotchy wrapper and bumpy appearance, this Double Corona (7.6 x 49) wasn’t appealing to look at, but you can’t judge a cigar on looks alone. Once lit, I found a woody core of cedar spice with some graham cracker sweetness. While the burn needed a touch up or two, it had a draw with just the right amount of resistance and a sturdy ash. Well-balanced and medium- to full-bodied, it’s a fine example of why Hoyo de Monterrey is one of my favorite Cuban brands from top to bottom.

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.

While I enjoyed this belicoso-shaped stick (6.25 x 52) when I reviewed it in September 2007, I could have done without the traces of sour, stale notes that popped up from time to time. Today, after approximately 20 months in my humidor, those unfortunate flavors were gone, leaving behind a not-too-creamy, not-too-spicy profile of sweet hay, graham, earth, and tea. The already impressive physical properties were also improved. The moral of the story? Pick up this Sumatra-seed Ecuadorian sungrown-wrapped cigar, be patient, and you will be rewarded handsomely.

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.

While I originaly reviewed this little fireplug of flavor last November, I recently found myself smoking another with a good cup of coffee on a warm, sunny day. The wrapper seems to have gotten even more oily in those six months. The smoke was a pleasing mix of chocolate, earth, nut, and some cedary spice—similar but not exactly as I had remembered it. With that flavor and no construction issues, I can continue to heartily recommend this cigar for an abundance of flavors when you’re short on time.

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. The following is a Guest Quick Smoke, submitted by a StogieGuys.com reader. If you’d like to submit your own for publication, please contact us.

This long stick (6.1 x 42) is quite the trickster. I was tempted to give this a “sell” rating despite its $5 price tag—something I expected out of a cigar from 2000 when Cuba experienced quality control issues. The first half included notes of hay and nothingness. The second half, however, was well worth the wait with lush buttery tones and a period of intense floral flavors. The final quarter brought forward some typical Cuban spice and the very end features an intense salty taste. Although this vitola was discontinued in 2002, many dealers have backlogs from this period, on which they still charge standard prices because of the inherent construction risks. If you’re lucky enough to avoid plugs and uneven burns, the cigar is well worth the $5.

Verdict = Buy.

–Submitted by Chris Verhoeven of Hilton Head, SC

photo credit: Stogie Guys