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.

Robert Caldwell’s Blind Man’s Bluff, introduced at the 2015 IPCPR Trade Show, broke from his earlier releases. It is not as strong, and it’s made in Honduras, at the factory where Davidoff rolls Camacho. The Magnum (6 x 60, $9.50) features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Honduran Criollo binder, and filler from Honduras and the Dominican Republic. It burns extremely slowly, though not perfectly. Flavors start with a nice spice that quickly fades, opening up to include the common Honduran leather along with burned coffee and some sweetness. A worthwhile smoke, though perhaps better in a smaller size.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Caldwell Cigar Co.

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

The original El Centurion blend was one of my favorite cigars, which has always given the second iteration an unfair standard to live up to. But after being impressed with the newer El Centurion H2K, I decided to revisit the cigar, which uses a Nicaraguan sun-grown Criollo wrapper. It has nice pepper and wood notes, but this particular stick suffered from a terribly tight draw that made multiple relights necessary. Given my experience with this blend and My Father cigars in general, I have every reason to think the fatal construction on this cigar was a fluke, and a rare one at that. Still, each Quick Smoke only evaluates a single sample, and this one was a dud.

Verdict = Sell.

–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.

Regius has gained lots of online buzz since entering the U.S. market from Great Britain. The Exclusivo, introduced in 2014, is billed as a “fusion of the old and new schools of cigar making” for American smokers. Four vitolas feature three large ring gauges and a Lancero Extra, each blended to suit the size. I paid about $12 for the Toro Extra (6.5 x 56). Made by the Plasencias in Nicaragua and distributed by Quesada, it’s a tasty, medium-strength Nicaraguan puro with wood, earth, spice, and a hint of sweetness. One complaint: Regius’ poor website. There are few to no specifics about the cigars, and the retailer page is woeful, failing to even include the Chicago shop where this line debuted. I had to rely on a Cigar Aficionado interview with the CEO.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Regius Cigars

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

Here’s a throwback: a robusto from the original Tatuaje La Vérité release, which represented an ambitious use of aspects of wine by adopting future sales pricing, single vintage tobaccos, and tobacco sourced from a single farm. Back in 2009, when my colleague reviewed a pre-release edition, he predicted it would age well, so today I’m checking out what the better part of a decade did for this cigar. Construction is flawless, with age producing a sharp, even burn. The dominant flavors on this medium-bodied smoke are mild oak and light spice, although there is a slightly tannic, bitter element towards the final third. Most unique is the notably clean and crisp finish. This is a well-made, unique, and enjoyable cigar, but I don’t think it ever fully lived up to the grandiose expectations. Even with age it is easily surpassed by the 2009 La Vérité releases.

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.

With a multi-national combination of tobaccos—a dark Brazilian wrapper, Mexican San Andrés binder, and Dominican filler—La Nox is a strong, satisfying smoke. The Toro (6.5 x 52) is ideal for the cigar to develop along the way. For instance, it begins with a combination of spice and earth and maintains a rich, spicy finish for a third or so. Then sweetness mixes in, toning down the finish and allowing other flavors to come to the fore. Tony Gomez, son of La Flor Dominicana’s founders, has certainly created a fine limited cigar, well worth its $11 price tag.

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.”

Some of my favorite Tatuaje cigars have been from the Exclusive Series (for example, the Barclay Rex and TAA 2015) so I was interested to see how this Lancero stacked up. Once lit, it showed roasted coffee notes, clove spice, and intense leather that borders on bitter, especially towards the first half. Construction on the medium- to full-bodied smoke was flawless. I like lanceros, and I’ve generally been very impressed by the Tatuaje Exclusive Series cigars, but I’m just not sure this size showed off the best of the blend, which was pleasant but not outstanding.

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 take on a single cigar.

Encased in the perfecto-style tube that distinguishes this high-end line, the Diamond smokes as good as it looks. A dark Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, a Dominican maduro binder, and Dominican filler combine for a rich, thick, tasty smoke with a pearl-white ash. The Diamond, often called “Black” after the tube color, is fairly small (5 x 54). The only real negative is the hefty price, which runs about $18-$20 individually, though I’ve seen it as low as about $12.50 when purchased by the box of eight. Worth the money, especially as a celebratory stick.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys