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.”

Another cigar sporting the seemingly ubiquitous Brazilian arapiraca maduro wrapper, this time encasing a criollo ’98 binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan filler. A medium-strength, five-inch stick, this Gurkha delivers a pleasant experience with only a hint of the dirt that I link to Brazilian tobacco. It also displayed little of the sweetness often found in maduros, though there was a bit of cocoa and coffee. Construction, burn, and draw were excellent in the pair I smoked. Judge it by your own preferences, and if they match up, give it a try. Oh, and check out that stunning black and silver band.

Verdict = Buy.

-George E

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.”

If there’s a cigar with a better looking wrapper, I’ve never seen it. The Ecuadorian Habano 2000 applied expertly to this Limited Edition (6 x 52) is silky and veinless. Befitting the name—a complex chord used in jazz arrangements—the filler combines numerous Dominican leaves and Peruvian tobacco. The smoking experience is complex as well, though somewhat delicate and requiring careful attention. Issued to celebrate Avo Uvezian’s March 22 birthday, the $15 toro is a fine smoke. And if you buy one of the 9,000 boxes of 10 you’ll get a USB stick with Uvezian performing a song composed in honor of the cigar.

Verdict = Buy.

-George E

photo credit: N/A

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.”

There was a time not long ago when this was one of the hottest cigars around. Now I don’t hear much about it. Still, it’s a well-made cigar by Oliva, even if Sam Leccia, formerly the face of Cain (and Nub), is about to launch his own independent company. While not as full-bodied as I remember (perhaps due to the two plus years in my humidor) it’s still a medium- to full-bodied stick with lots of spicy wood and pepper. For a cigar with so much ligero (82%, Leccia told us back in 2009) it demonstrates excellent combustion.

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.”

I’ve had this cigar, made by Honduras Caribbean Tobacco, resting in my humidor since last summer’s IPCPR Trade Show. I wish I had smoked it sooner. It has a fantastic, classic band and packaging that surrounds an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan-double binder, and Honduran and Nicaraguan filler. The cigar is medium-bodied with toasty notes, coffee bean, cedar, dried fruit, and chocolate flavors. Construction is excellent on this well-balanced, tasty smoke. My only wish is that Honduras Caribbean Tobacco’s cigars were easier to find, as I’ve enjoyed the few I’ve smoked.

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.”

Ever since my colleague George E awarded this box-pressed, Sumatra-wrapped smoke a perfect five-stogie rating, I’ve been dying to try it. Over the years I’ve learned that George’s tastes are quite similar to my own, so I had high expectations for this specimen from Oliveros Cigars. Firing it up for the first time after about six months of aging, I was not disappointed. It exuded well-balanced notes of coffee creamer, bittersweet chocolate, and dry wood—all of which paired nicely with a glass of zinfandel. The Concerto (7 x 50) also boasted excellent construction and admirable smoke production. The going rate of about $9 apiece is a fair asking price for such a fine cigar.

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.”

Abe Flores of Pinar del Rio makes a lot of cigars, but maybe its telling that he chose to put his name on the Serie Privada. The line comes with an Ecuador Habano wrapper (natural or maduro) around a Nicaraguan Habano binder and Nicaraguan Habano and Dominican Corojo filler. I smoked the Toro (6 x 54, though the box press makes it seem smaller) which retails for $11.25. It’s a medium- to full-bodied smoke with tons of flavor, ranging from cinnamon and toast to black coffee and leather. Flavorful and complex with excellent construction, this one is easy to recommend.

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.”

These Pete Johnson cigars come not from Tatuaje but from L’Atelier Imports, an outfit he formed with his brother and friends to make “consumer price conscious cigars.” The three-cigar namesake line, rolled at Don Pepin Garcia’s My Father Cigars factory, features a hybrid wrapper from Ecuador called Sancti Spiritus over Nicaraguan filler and binder tobaccos. The blend runs between about $8-10 per stick, with each one named for the ring gauge. It’s a medium-strength smoke with a lot of flavors that change throughout. A most enjoyable cigar. Highly recommended.

Verdict = Buy.

-George E

photo credit: N/A