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.

After Patrick A’s review, I was excited to try this well-proportioned Cuban cigar. Despite an overly tight draw, I found a wonderful profile of deep earth and subtle peppery spices. The finish was pleasant with long fruity undertones, and the construction was solid with an even burn and long, solid ash.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

Tags: cigars

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

From Reserva Especial to Alonso Menendez, we’ve made no secret of our love for the products of Brazil Cigars & Tobacco. The six and ½ inch by 52 ring gauge Piramide by Dona Flor is no exception. A Brazilian puro with a Mata Fina wrapper, this cigar delivers delicious smoke with full flavors of cocoa, molasses, and toffee. Construction isn’t perfect, but with a price of $6 per stick I can wholeheartedly recommend you give one a try.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

Tags: cigars

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 reader for our Quick Smoke Cigar Giveaway contest. If you’d like to submit your own for publication, please contact us.

The EO 601 Habano Oscuro Trabuco is a giant, 6.125 inch by 58 ring gauge creation by none other than Don “Pepin” Garcia. This is said to be the most full-bodied of the 601 lineup. The cigar has a good draw, initially starts off with a typical Pepin taste, a blast of cayenne and black pepper, which lasts for about an inch. Then the taste profile changes to that of maduro, not sweet but complex leather, wood, and coffee. The black pepper and cayenne keeps going in and out for about two inches, then the flavor starts to build up and once again becomes sharp, but not with a kick like at the beginning. This cigar was interesting enough to keep me occupied all the way.

Verdict = Buy.

–Submitted by Louis Hodgson of Chapel Hill, NC who will receive the final Arganese sampler for winning our contest.

Tags: cigars

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

Hey, even Tiger Woods sometimes shoots an average round of golf. So I guess Pepin Garcia can make an average smoke. I found this five inch by 50 ring gauge $6 cigar simply OK. Not bad, but far from outstanding. There was no development or complexity of flavor in this Nicaraguan puro, really just a peppery predominance from beginning to end. Smoking one occasionally would be all right, but I wouldn’t seek it out.

Verdict = Hold.

–George E

Tags: cigars

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 reader for our Quick Smoke Cigar Giveaway contest. If you’d like to submit your own for publication, please contact us.

I stepped into my car one morning, lit this monster up, and started puffing down the road. Some 218 miles later, three hours and five minutes from starting, I put the beast down. At 7 5/8 inches with a 54 ring gaige, this Lincoln Log of a cigar (Dominican with a Connecticut wrapper) is a long-hauler’s dream! Great draw and no major burn issues over the entire course of the smoke. It tastes great, too; like Chinese five-spice with some leather and sugar thrown in. It did get a little zippy with nicotine toward the end (what l call “nicotingle”), but it didn’t slow me down a bit. At about $60 for ten sticks, it’s a real Fuente bargain!

Verdict = Buy.

–Submitted by Eric Chester of Prescott, AZ who will receive the forth of five Arganese samplers.

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

With terrific lines like Black, Brazilia, and Criollo, I’ve turned into quite the CAO fan. Maybe that’s why I had such high expectations for the 6 1/2 inch by 50 ring gauge Gold Corona Gorda. With an Ecuadorian wrapper and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos, the flavor is mild and creamy, and I have no complaints about construction. The only problem is this $4 cigar is missing that wow factor I’ve come to expect from CAO. Still, it’s certainly not a bad smoke, and I’d be interested to see how the blend reacts to some aging.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

Tags: cigars

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 for our Quick Smoke Cigar Giveaway contest. If you’d like to submit your own for publication, please contact us.

The Perdomo Habano Maduro Toro is a big, beautiful cigar at 5 1/2 inches with a 54 ring gauge. It is dark and oily with a very attractive label, and a pleasure to smoke from beginning to end. It smelled great before I lit it and it just got better. This smoke is a bit deceptive; it looks like it should be a spicy flavor bomb. But it isn’t – and that is a good thing. It is full-bodied and full-flavored, but mild to medium in strength. Creamy with deep rich but subtle flavors of dark cocoa and coffee, the Habana Maduro Toro is a smoother, mellower, sweeter version of the Lot 23 Maduro.

Verdict = Buy.

–Submitted by George A from Madison, WI who will receive the third of five Arganese samplers.