The Stogie Guys

A couple times each week 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 always been a big a fan of the PG 15th Anniversary blend. Yet, best I can remember, I’ve never smoked the Corona Gorda size (5.5 x 46), which is odd considering the corona gorda is generally one of my preferred sizes. Featuring a Nicaraguan wrapper along with Dominican binder and filler tobaccos, it’s a full-bodied blend with leather, pepper, wine tannins, rich cedar, and some Davidoff-esque mushroom and earth notes. It isn’t as eloquently balanced as the Belicoso, but it’s still quite enjoyable.

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.

Introduced earlier this summer, the new Heritage Nuevo line from Macanudo sports a golden Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, a Mexican San Andrés binder, and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. The Robusto (5 x 50) starts dry and salty, but quickly settles in to a much more enjoyable profile of creamy almond, peanut, and white pepper. It is mild, balanced, and smooth. The combustion properties are impeccable. While I cannot give my full recommendation given the $13 price point, this Macanudo is unlikely to disappoint if you’re looking for a higher-end morning or mid-afternoon smoke.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A couple times each week we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

When I reviewed this robusto collaboration almost a year and a half ago, I wasn’t a fan. Overall, I found it sharp on the throat with a fairly unpleasant taste. This stick, the last of a five-pack I purchased for the original review, has been sitting in my humidor ever since. I thought I’d see if resting had led to any improvements. I’d have to say it did. While the sharpness was still noticeable, it had lessened to a relatively small factor. The dirt and campfire tastes I didn’t like originally had also backed off. What was left was an earthy, nutty smoke with some sweetness. And while All Out Kings is not one I’d quickly reach for (especially at nearly $14), it does offer something different. But the fact that you need substantial patience results in my rating.

Verdict = Hold.

–George E

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.

General Cigar Co. has revived the Hoyo Dark Sumatra line—formerly made at the HATSA factory in Honduras—this time in partnership with A.J. Fernandez in Nicaragua. While the factory and country of origin have changed, the blend remains the same as the original Dark Sumatra: a dark Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper, Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and a three-country filler blend of Dominican, Honduran, and Nicaraguan tobaccos. The Media Noche (5.75 x 54, $8.49) is one of three sizes. It is full-bodied, rich, and packed with deep flavors ranging from cocoa and espresso to earth and roasted nuts. Construction is solid, especially for such a large cigar. This isn’t the first time A.J. Fernandez has collaborated with General for the Hoyo brand (La Amistad Gold, Silver, and Black). But it might be my favorite Hoyo collaboration to date.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A couple times each week we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

As noted by my colleague, the Punch Diablo, introduced last year, is billed as “the fullest-bodied Punch to date.” Made by A.J. Fernandez, it uses a dark Ecuadorian Sumatra oscuro wrapper, a Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and a combination of Nicaraguan and Honduran filler tobaccos. The profile is pleasant with plenty of earth, spice, and coffee, although I didn’t find it to be the full-bodied flavor-bomb its marketing materials suggest. Still, with excellent construction, it’s a cigar I wouldn’t hesitate to smoke again.

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.

About a decade ago, PG launched Soirée. The line is the result of company patriarch and cigar legend Paul Garmirian’s quest for “new blends reminiscent of the great Cuban cigars [he] enjoyed in the 1950s and early 1960s.” Soirée sports a Nicaraguan Colorado wrapper around Dominican binder and filler tobaccos. It is full-bodied, in a somewhat sneaky way. Yet it’s also smooth, exquisitely balanced, and well-aged. In addition to the trademark PG mustiness, it boasts good combustion qualities and interesting flavors ranging from cedar spice and white pepper to toffee and floral notes. The Robusto (5 x 50) retails for $306.40 for a box of 25 ($12.26 per cigar) at the PG website. It’s obviously not inexpensive; it’s also obviously worth every penny.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A couple times each week we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

Produced at Joya de Nicaragua’s factory, La Vencedora (Spanish for “the victor”) is a Nicaraguan puro that employs a dark, oily Habano Oscuro wrapper. It has developed nicely with over a year of aging, featuring bready notes, oak, and cocoa along with hints of citrus fruit, licorice, and smoked meats. Construction is excellent on the $10 medium- to full-bodied cigar.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys