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.”

The Wolfman was one of the best Tatuaje Monster Series cigars, and the Pudgy Monster version (5.5 x 52) doesn’t fall far from the tree. The combination of a box press on the torpedo and an unfinished foot creates an airy draw, but it doesn’t impact construction or the flavors. Spice, wood, and leather dominate, but there’s also roasted notes and a hint of cola. With interesting, full flavors, this is a cigar worth seeking out, and fortunately, with a bit of searching, you can still get your hands on this smoke.

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.”

It has only been a few weeks since I reviewed Sobremesa, the debut blend from Steve Saka’s Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust. But I couldn’t resist the temptation to light up another. Plus, I was eager to see how the blend would perform in a different vitola. This time I decided to try El Americano (6 x 52), a toro that, like the Cervantes Fino, boasts an Ecuadorian Habano Rosado wrapper, a Mexican binder, and a filler blend of Pennsylvania Broadleaf Ligero with four different Nicaraguan tobaccos. The taste is balanced and complex with a syrupy texture and hints of dark cherry, spices, coffee, and some cocoa sweetness. It’s not unlike the Cervantes Fino—which is definitely a good thing—though perhaps the overall impact is a little less full-bodied. With an MSRP of $12.45, this is not an inexpensive smoke, but it’s one that’s worth every penny and teeming with rich flavor.

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.”

While Ashton Cigars has been busy expanding its San Cristobal and La Aroma de Cuba brands, the namesake Ashton brand was in hibernation from when it introduced the ESG line in 2006 until 2014 when it added Symmetry. The Fuente-made Symmetry uses an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Dominican binder, and a combination of Dominican and Nicaraguan filler. (The Nicaraguan filler is a first for an Ashton cigar.)  The result is a medium- to full-bodied smoke with wood, leather, tea, and sawdust notes. The draw on my corona was a little tight but otherwise construction was good. This was a fine enough smoke but nothing special, which  doesn’t cut it for a cigar that costs $12.

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.”

The underlooked half of the Liga Privada core blends, T-52 features a Connecticut-grown Habano wrapper that is stalk-cut and cured (meaning instead of just curing the leaves, each tobacco stalk is cured whole). The blend features notes of wood, leather, black coffee, and earth. Construction is excellent. There’s a slightly sour quality that comes and goes. Maybe my tastes have changed, or maybe the T-52 has changed, or maybe this was just an anomaly, but, while pleasant, this cigar didn’t live up to its $15 price tag.

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.

When I got the OK from my doctor to rejoin the land of the living, I had already decided this lovely 6.5-inch lancero would be my first smoke. Minnesota-based Crux sent me three samples when I was on the medically induced wagon, and the dark, oily Habano Jalapa wrapper was enticing. The cigar did not disappoint. The blend, with a Nicaraguan binder and Honduran filler, made an immediate impact with spice and cedar. The spice moved up and down in intensity throughout, and other flavors, from coffee to nuts, intermingled as well. Draw was a little tight in spots, but not really detrimental; construction and burn, always a concern with thin cigars (38 ring gauge), was excellent. A cigar you’ll want to smoke.

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.”

When it comes to woody flavors in cigars, the flavors tend to break down into two types of wood: cedar (think Chateu Fuente) tends to be lighter and spicier, while oak tends to be heavier and richer. The San Cristobal (original line) is a blend dominated by the latter. Oak, bread, and black coffee notes make for a robust, medium- to full-bodied cigar that also demonstrates good balance. It’s a smoke that goes equally well with a coffee in the morning or a single malt after dinner.

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.”

In September, six exclusive cigar sizes were announced for the new Drew Estate Lounge at Corona Cigar Co.’s location in Sand Lake, Florida. The sizes are all presented in a toro format (6 x 50), with half featuring a soft-press and half a box-press. The blends include Undercrown, Liga Privada No. 9, Herrera Estelí, Natural, Tabak Especial Dulce, and Tabak Especial Negra. The Liga Privada No. 9 Box Press sports perfect construction, massive smoke production, and flavors reminiscent of dry wood, black pepper spice, espresso, and sweet cocoa. It’s a bit flat compared to the smokes in the regular Liga No. 9 lineup, missing some of the punch and substituting a bready texture for the familiar oily, rich density that, to me at least, is a hallmark of the brand. That said, the Box Press is absolutely a good cigar in its own right if you can light it up without expecting the normal Liga No. 9 experience.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys