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.

This line was one of Davidoff’s early entries in the category of strong cigars while keeping with its tradition of Dominican tobaccos. With its simple gold foot band and tight pigtail cap, the 43-ring gauge Deliciosos makes a statement that’s accented by the lumpy, somewhat bent figure of the 4.875-inch long parejo. At first light, there’s a nice spicy kick mixed with a familiar earthy, mushroom taste. Along the way, light chocolate, coffee, and a slight vegetal note join in. The $12 price tag is a bit steep, but you’ll get a rich, rewarding experience.

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.”

The last two Halloween-themed Monster Series releases from Tatuaje were The Jekyll (2014) and The Hyde (2015). The former featured a lighter Ecuadorian Sancti Spíritus wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, whereas the latter sported a darker Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. I liked both, and was pleased to recently discover I still have The Hyde (7 x 49) in stock. So I decided to take one for a test drive to see if it had changed since I reviewed it in November. Granted, when it comes to cigar aging, four months isn’t a long time, and I therefore wasn’t expecting a wildly different experience. What I found was very similar to my review (and my memory). The Hyde is a veritable candy bar with medium-bodied notes of sweet cream, chocolate, mint, graham cracker, and a little background pepper. I liked it then, and I like it now.

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.

Liga Privada was the traditional cigar that put Drew Estate’s marker down as a force in the traditional premium cigar market (previously, the company was best-known for its infused cigars). Lately, though, my favorite line from Drew Estate has been Herrera Estelí. The cigar sports an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Honduran binder, and Nicaraguan filler to produce a “Cubanseque” profile in a lineup of five traditional sizes. Recently, Drew Estate added a box-pressed version as part of its line of exclusive box-pressed smokes for the Drew Estate Lounge at Corona Cigar Company’s location in Sand Lake, Florida. The cigar features plenty of cedar along with cream, hay, and roasted nut notes. Although it’s a solid cigar, I prefer the original sizes to this pressed vitola, which burns a little hot, probably because the box-press yields a loose draw.

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.”

While the small Fabrica de Tabacos Nica Sueño in Estelí makes many excellent cigars, the Intemperance BA XXI A.W.S. IV is my absolute favorite. This Arapiraca-wrapped lonsdale (6.5 x 44) is the perfect format to enjoy the outstanding Intemperance blend, which also includes an Indonesian binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. For the very fair price of $7.50, you get a well-balanced profile of red and black pepper along with notes of cocoa, sweet cream, roasted nut, and dry wood. Construction is always impeccable. Consider this Quick Smoke an affirmation of my review two years ago that awarded this cigar our top rating.

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.

While the bulk of capacity at Fabrica de Tabacos Nica Sueño is devoted to RoMa Craft production (CroMagnon, Aquitaine, Intemperance, and Neanderthal) the boutique Estelí factory has slowly been adding a few other clients. The Powstanie line is made for the Florida-based retailer Cigar Hustler. The first Powstanie blend (a second Habano-wrapped blend followed soon after) sports a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Indonesian binder, and Nicaraguan filler. The result is a medium- to full-bodied smoke with sneaky strength. Dominant flavors are wood, earth, and unsweetened chocolate. The finish is short and clean and the construction very solid. It’s hardly my favorite cigar made at Nica Sueño, but it’s still very 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.

Few cigars have generated as much buzz as Cubanacan’s HR line, and even fewer have been at the center of a star-studded cigar-centric soap opera. The splits and legal questions involving who did what and who owns what are best left for another day (long story short, in July, Cubanacan found out, via the media, that Cuban tobacco star Hiroshi Robaina was leaving the company for La Palina). At this point, let’s just say Robaina and blender Omar González Alemán created one fine cigar. The Ecuadorian-wrapped HR Hermosa (5.1 x 48) is powerful, rich, and pours out smoke. Not particularly complex, the profile is pleasing from start to finish. It’s expensive—I paid about $75 for a four-vitola sampler—and hard to find. But if you can get an HR, light one up.

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 take on a single cigar.

Made at the Plasencia factory in Nicaragua, the Claro edition of the U.K.-based Regius Exclusivo U.S.A. line features a white primary band above a red, white, and silver secondary band. The Nicaraguan puro sports a light brown wrapper and dual binders. Once lit, I find light spice, woody notes, and bready flavors. Billed as lighter than the original Exclusivo U.S.A. line, it falls distinctly in the medium-bodied range. The Pressed Perfecto shape (6.5 x 56) shows off excellent construction and combustion qualities.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys