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.”

This Torpedo (6 x 52) is made by Villiger in the Dominican Republic using a pale brown Ecuadorian wrapper, Indonesian binder, and filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The cigar’s flavors include salted cashew, sourdough bread, citrus, cream, and clove. After a bit of harshness in the first ten minutes, it develops into a pleasant, medium-bodied cigar that pairs up nicely with Zafra rum.

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 verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

My colleague George E has written favorably about quite a few Crux smokes, including Guild, Sports, Limitada PB5, Passport, du Connoisseur, and Ninfamaniac. My experience with the boutique operation—created by Jeff Haugen and Joel Rogers, owners of the Tobacco Grove shop in Minnesota—is very limited, though. So when my father recently handed me a Crux Classic Corona Gorda (5.375 x 46) and said it had become one of his favorite everyday smokes, I was intrigued. After smoking it, I was impressed. This blend features a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. The flavor is a spice-forward, medium-bodied combination of leather, black pepper, bread, and sweet cream. The combustion qualities are superb. A great bang for the buck and an easy recommendation.

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.”

Tatuaje’s “Tattoo” cigar was originally conceived largely to defend Tatuaje’s trademark rights; Tatuaje being Spanish for Tattoo. However, eventually a re-blended expanded Tattoo line was introduced as a regularly-released, value-oriented, currently four vitola line. (The later release uses a red background behind the words Tattoo, while the earlier version had a white background.) The cigar – which costs just $5 for the robusto-sized “Caballero” – now utilizes a dark Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler and is made at the Pepin family’s TACUBA factory in Esteli. The medium-full bodied cigar features earth, oak, damp cardboard and pepper notes. The flavors aren’t elegant or particularly balanced, but the Tattoo certainly earns points for value.

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 verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

This parallelogram-shaped Diamond Rough-Cut is the third limited production Nica Puro from Alec Bradley. Weighing it at 6.25 inches with a ring gauge of 54 and an MSRP under $9, it’s a bargain for a hearty, brawny, satisfying smoke. A Nicaraguan puro, as the name implies, the Diamond Rough-Cut isn’t a complex cigar, but the combination of wood, some sweetness, and pepper is pleasing from start to finish. I did encounter some minor draw issues and had to relight a couple of times, but that didn’t significantly detract from the overall experience.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Alec Bradley

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.”

This MBombay creation was launched about three years ago and sports a beautiful, dark, oily Ecuadorian wrapper. The Gordo (6 x 60) is one of five vitolas in the Corojo Oscuro line. It retails for about $10. In addition to admirable construction properties, it has a dense, rich profile that’s medium- to full-bodied with hints of dark chocolate, espresso, cereals, dry wood, cayenne spice, and salted sunflower seeds. The finish is smooth and the texture is bready. I’m not a fan of this size in almost any blend, but the Gordo is balanced and interesting enough to keep my attention for the duration of the long, satisfying smoke.

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.”

The first thing that stands out about this box-pressed Robusto is the wonderfully sweet aroma from its Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The smoke, though, doesn’t begin that way, but rather with a somewhat charred, meaty taste. That gives way fairly quickly to a woody sweetness with a little pepper in the background, all of which changes throughout the smoke. According to Hammer + Sickle, the blend was redone a few years after the Hermitage’s introduction. It now features a Honduran Criollo binder and filler from Germany, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. They combine to create a well-balanced, medium-strength smoke I highly recommend. With an MSRP around $9, it’s well worth picking up.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Hammer + Sickle

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.”

This robusto-sized (5 x 50) smoke had been resting in one of my humidors for about three years. I enjoyed Cohiba Nicaragua back when it was introduced in 2014. Now, with some age, I find the cigar is considerably better balanced, smoother, and more enjoyable. The earthy core of leather, spice, and coffee is now offset by more pronounced flavors of cream, toffee, and peanut. Expect to pay around $12-13 for this cigar, which features a Honduran Colorado oscuro wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. It’s not cheap, but it’s a winner—especially if you can practice some patience.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys