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.

From the gorgeous, dark Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper to the satisfying final puffs, this new release is, for me, one of the finest regular production lines from Avo. The blend, with Nicaraguan Ometepe, Dominican, and Peruvian filler, begins with a peppery kick. Along the way, the slow-burning, box-pressed Toro (6 x 54, $10) mixes in an undertone of nuts, a little hay, cedar, and some occasional sweetness. A fine cigar.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

First Smoke is a new series of Quick Smoke reviews, each evaluating a single pre-release cigar. Like the Quick Smokes we publish each Saturday and Sunday, each First Smoke is not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

CAO has long had an association with music due to its Nashville roots, but Jimmy Buffet’s island- and rum-inspired tones probably aren’t the first to spring to mind. At least until CAO announced a pair of officially licensed Margaritaville brand CAO cigars this summer. One is a piña-coloda flavored cigar, while the other, called Havana Daydreamin’, is a traditional blend with an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper over Nicaraguan tobaccos.

The latter comes in three sizes. I smoked the Robusto (5 x 50), which features a notably shiny, golden brown wrapper. Once lit, it produces very mild, mellow flavors, with paper, cream, and light cedar. The construction is excellent with a firm but not difficult draw, sturdy white ash, and an even burn. With so many “Parrothead” Buffet fans, CAO has a good chance of commercial success, but the cigar itself is just too bland for me to recommend, even to a novice cigar smoker.

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.

This was my first Cubanacan, but it definitely won’t be my last. With an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Ecuadorian binder, and Nicaraguan filler, it kicks off with pepper and wood, adds a natural tobacco sweetness along the way, and comes back with more pepper in the final third. Medium strength, excellent construction, and straight burn—a bargain at about $8.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Cubanacan

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

MBombay has made an impression on the cigar world in its brief existence. This Mora vitola (5 x 58) comes in canisters and sports a regular-sized band without the firm’s large overwrap. Like other MBombay cigars, these are rolled in Costa Rica. The wrapper is a lovely Dominican leaf with an Ecuadorian binder and filler from Ecuador, Peru, and the Dominican. They combine for a spicy smoke with citrus overtones and a smooth floral note somewhat reminiscent of medium-strength Cuban smokes. Well worth a try at about $14.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: MBombay

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

Coyol debuted at last year’s IPCPR Trade Show, but this one came in the 10-cigar sampler I received when I renewed my Cigar Rights of America membership. It features wrapper, binder, and filler from a Honduran farm called Coyol, along with a second binder and additional filler from Nicaragua. Once lit, you’ll find toasty notes along with leather, clove, and a slight dried fruit sweetness. It’s a medium-bodied and well-balanced blend, an enjoyable cigar with excellent construction.

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.

This recreation of Smoke Inn’s original entry in its limited edition Microblend Series is a winner. It is a lovely cigar, showcasing a bun at the cap, an oily Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, and a figurado shape that runs from a 48 ring gauge to 52 along the 6.25-inch frame. As you’d expect from Pete Johnson and My Father Cigars, Anarchy kicks off with strong pepper notes, then provides plenty of other flavors along the way, from wood and leather to coffee. With production limited to 666 boxes of 15 (about $10 a stick), you’ll need to move quickly.

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.

Even before Ashton transitioned its La Aroma de Cuba blend from Plasencia to Pepin, I felt the line was a bit under-appreciated. That feeling has only been strengthened by the subsequent additions to the line, including the Mi Amor, which uses a Mexican wrapper. The cigar produces thick, rich smoke with dark earth and chocolate flavors in abundance. It is medium- to full-bodied and is expertly constructed. Even as someone who, as a whole, isn’t a big fan of blends featuring Mexican wrappers, I find this to be a very enjoyable smoke.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys