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. 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.

I paid $25 and change for a box of 10 of these large (6.25 x 54) Hondurans from JR, and it was well worth it. The reddish-brown wrapper is similar to the Partagas Spanish Rosado Familia but better. Very complex, full flavors of leather, spice, and pepper. This is my all-time favorite cigar, especially after a Mexican dinner. Once you smoke one of these you will never find a better value.

Verdict = Buy.

-Submitted by Brian Weseman of Olean, NY

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

I recently had occasion to light up this beauty and was once again stunned by what a magnificently flavorful and balanced cigar this  Cuban is. Its shiny wrapper hides a medium-bodied smoke with coffee, honeycomb, and cedar notes. And like my other experiences with the Short Churchill, the construction was impeccable. Anyway, you probably see where this is going; after all, there is a reason this is one of my all-time favorite cigars.

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.

This assertive Toro had a highly ornate double band wrapped around an oily greenish-brown wrapper. The 6 inch by 52 ring gauge smoke had a predominant flavor of coffee bean and earth with an oaky finish. Unfortunately, it also had a consistent and unpleasant bitterness. Combined with a burn that was uneven and a draw that was a bit too firm, I’m afraid this smoke didn’t make a good first impression with me.

Verdict = Sell.

–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.

Like everyone else who pays attention to cigars, I’ve been inundated with Nub PR. But, until recently, I hadn’t smoked one. I’m not overly fond of large ring sizes and, while I don’t doubt the sincerity, I do doubt the “Nub Theory.” So I wasn’t sure what to expect when I lit up the Nub Cameroon. The answer: an OK cigar, but one I’d rank far behind others, such as Fuente and Cuban Crafters. I plan to try other Nubs; maybe I’ll be more impressed. On this one, though, the closest thing to a “sweet spot” that I saw was the $4 price.

Verdict = Sell.

–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.

This Brazilian puro rested in my humidor for over two years before I recently fired it up. I remember loving this Robusto (5 x 52) when I had hefty stash—long before Dona Flor changed the band to give it a more colorful appeal—but this last Alonso Menendez performed even better. The delectable mata fina tobacco gives the cigar a taste akin to moist chocolate cake with hints of spice and cream. And time seems to have worked some magic, vastly improving the cigar’s physical properties. Hands down, the Alonso Menendez Robusto is one of the best cigar experiences I’ve had in the past few months.

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. 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.

A long, slim cigar (7 x 34) comes out from a cedar-lined green tube. The rough Connecticut shade wrapper may be an ugly sight for smokers who are used to paying $5 per stick, which is about what this stogie retails for. The prelight smells of cocoa and cedar, and its band slips out easy. Upon lighting, the initial draw reminds me of a Don Diego Baby—mild, firm white ash, and not a whole lot of smoke. Towards the second third, the ash turns into salt and pepper, and the flavor becomes a bit stronger, akin to Cohiba Pequeno Miniatures. By the last third, it kicks to full body with billows of smoke. All throughout, the smoke is cool down to the nub, perhaps due to the moderately tight draw.

Verdict = Buy.

-Submitted by Rob Castro of Chino Hills, CA

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

This robusto-sized cigar is worth a full review but, to do that, I need to smoke a few more. Since I think it’s worth your attention sooner rather than later, I thought I’d do a Quick Smoke after smoking just one. The Edicion Especial No. 2 (4.9 x 48) begins as do many of Don Peipin’s creations: a blast of pepper spice. I’m guessing, though, it’s the influence of his son Jaime that makes the overall smoking sensation different. In the final two-thirds, the stick mellows out and generates flavors ranging from leather and wood to some bittersweet notes. I was reminded at times of some of the more flavorful Cubans I’ve had.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E