The Stogie Guys

One year ago I reviewed the Toro vitola of Romeo, a new blend that aimed to bring a bolder, more modern feel to the Romeo y Julieta brand.

This Ecuadorian Habano-wrapped line sported a contemporary band that broke from the traditional motifs of its Romeo y Julieta predecessors. It came packaged in sleek, curved boxes. And it strove to capitalize on two pervasive industry trends: larger ring gauges and more powerful flavor profiles.

So when I saw the new Saint Luis Rey Gen2 blend, also made by tobacco giant Altadis, I couldn’t help but compare it to Romeo. It seems like Altadis is following the same formula: revive and/or diversify an older brand that has been in the U.S. market for decades by launching a new, fuller-bodied line with modern marketing and large ring gauges. “We wanted to…launch an innovative new concept with SLR Gen2 to attract a wide range of different consumers not only with the unique blend but also with the attractive price positioning,” reads a recent press release from Altadis.

SLR Gen2 employs a beautiful, reddish Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper with a Nicaraguan binder and a filler blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos. It comes in three sizes: Robusto (4.5 x 54), Toro (6 x 54), and Titan (6 x 60).

Once lit, the Toro’s pre-light notes of sweet earth and leather give way to a bready taste with a sharp, lingering cedar spice that covers the palate. After an inch, the sharpness rounds off, leaving more of an earthy profile. Coffee creamer comes and goes. The midway point is characterized by more leather, bread, and espresso. The finale witnesses a reduction in spice and an increase of mustiness. Traces of meaty notes are peppered throughout.

As far as construction goes, the burn is by no means perfect, but it tends to be straight enough to avoid the need for touch-ups. Each puff produces thick, ample smoke that smells earthy and a little sweet. The draw is easy and the ash is very flaky.

The Saint Luis Rey Gen2 retails for $5.75-6.75 apiece. That’s a fair price for a suitable cigar. I will say, however, that the flavor leaves something to be desired, especially in today’s crowded marketplace of fine cigars. Truthfully, I have a hard time seeing how the Toro will work its way into my rotation. Taking all this into consideration, I’m settling on a rating of three stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

-Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This is a terrific cigar, one I think you’ll enjoy smoking from the foot all the way down to the head, which is seven inches away.

For those who still think of Dominican cigars as a generally punch-less division, producing only the occasional hard-hitters like Opus X or some La Flor Dominicanas, it’s time for reconsideration.

This cigar has power. Not a heavyweight, but by no means a lightweight, either. Think Mayweather rather than Klitschko. It’s also nicely balanced and smooth. And the flavors are diverse. In fact, it’s about all you could ask for in a satisfying smoke, including a retail price of only $6.51 before taxes.

With many smokers these days opting for larger and larger ring gauges, lanceros aren’t among the most popular vitolas. Many lines eschew them altogether. That seems a shame because many cigars perform excellently with a small ring gauge, such as this 38, and a long barrel.

I didn’t detect much aroma on the pre-light or the cold draw. But when lit, I was hit with a cinnamon spice, quickly followed by citrus and fruit. That one-two combination continued through the first half or so, then the cinnamon drifted away and was replaced by the tastes of nuts and leather, again with the fruit components.

Construction was excellent and the draw was just right in those I smoked. And while smoking slowly is always best with any cigar, it can be absolutely critical with a lancero because of how rapidly the thin stick can overheat. I made an extra effort to slow down and it paid off.

Regular readers know I’m an Oliveros/Boutique Blends fan. This is another winner in its stable. I give it four and a half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

-George E

photo credit: Oliveros Cigars

You know how every time you open your humidor one cigar leers at you, just begging you to smoke it? Lately, for me, that cigar has been the Cabinetta Serie No. 27.

I’ve had two of these monstrous double coronas situated near the top of my glass-lid humidor. I have no idea how they got there, and I have no idea how long they’ve been resting. But for whatever reason—maybe their generous proportions, maybe their two-tone wrappers—they’ve been catching my eye lately. So I decided to give in to temptation and fire them up for a review.

The Cabinetta Serie is one of a half-dozen lines listed on the Joya de Nicaragua website. Launched before the prolific José Blanco joined the Estelí-based company as senior vice president, the blend is rolled completely in a golden Ecuadorian wrapper and topped off with a dark, sun-grown criollo leaf at the head. The goal of the latter is to add a sweet spiciness to the lips.

When it was introduced in 2010, Cabinetta marked a departure for Joya de Nicaragua, which was best known for its bold Antaño line. The Nicaraguan filler tobaccos are mild by design to “deliver a smoother, more refined smoking experience.”

The No. 27 vitola is not listed on Joya de Nicaragua’s website; only the No. 2 (belicoso), No. 4 (robusto), No. 11 (corona), and No. 7 (toro) appear there. But rest assured the immense (7 x 54) No. 27 does exist, and you can easily find it at tobacconists or at several prominent online retailers, usually for around $7-8 apiece.

This double corona is pale below the band and dark-reddish above it. Several large veins are visible, as are a plethora of modest lumps and bumps. The feel is moderately firm and the foot has a wonderfully sweet pre-light aroma. A punch cut is all that’s needed to free up an easy draw.

After establishing an even light, I find a creamy, toasty smoke of almond, cedar, and honey. The aftertaste is characterized by a sharp spice that lingers on the tongue for a surprisingly long time. To be sure, this is a smooth cigar with a thick, billowy texture. I find the balance interesting enough to hold my attention, though the large No. 27 format may be a bit too much of a good thing.

The physical properties leave nothing to be desired. The draw remains clear throughout as each puff yields ample smoke. The burn line is straight. The ample resting smoke is sweet with an agreeable aroma. And the gray ash holds fairly well (albeit with consistent flaking).

I happen to really enjoy the blend—more now than when Cabinetta debuted—and find the best sizes to be the corona and lancero. The double corona is a fine cigar for sure, but the large size can render the unwavering profile a tad monotonous, and the time commitment is significant. Still, I’m glad the Cabinetta Serie No. 27 was a siren calling my name; it’s worthy of four stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

-Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

“Sencillo Black is a new twist on the Sencillo theme. Like Sencillo Platinum (the first release of the Sencillo brand), it’s a truly extraordinary cigar that is smooth enough and inexpensive enough to smoke every day. Yet Sencillo Black has a distinctive flavor all its own. If Sencillo Platinum is the cabernet of the line, Sencillo Black is the pinot noir.”

Such is the description of Sencillo Black. The line, which debuted in June 2011 after six months of aging, is a complex blend of five different tobaccos. It features a Habano Colorado wrapper, a Habano Jalapa binder, and a filler mix of Viso San Andreas, Ligero Habano Jalapa, and Ligero Habano Jamastran crops. It is handmade in Nicaragua by Nestor Plasencia Jr. for Keith K. Park, CEO of Prometheus.

Sencillo Black is offered in five sizes that range from $6.95 to $8.95: Robusto, Double Robusto, Gigante, Short Churchill, and Pirámide. “All five sizes…have a similarly smooth character, but each one emphasizes different aspects of the flavor profile,” reads the Sencillo website. The Pirámide (6.4 x 54), for example, is said to have a leathery core with “a slight citrusy tang and undertones of sugar and vanilla.”

Over the past few days I smoked several Pirámides to see how this oily, reddish cigar stacks up with that description. At the outset, my taste buds interpret the profile to be dark, peppery, and a little meaty. The resting smoke strikes a sharp contrast with sweet notes that remind me of burnt sugar. Once settled in, flavors of cream, black cherry, and coffee become dominant. The finish is leathery with a thick texture.

Construction is solid with a firm white ash, an easy draw, and a burn line that requires only a few touch-ups to stay even.

Prometheus is known for high-end accessories and limited Fuente smokes (like God of Fire and Angelenos). But the Sencillo Black Pirámide is proof that Prometheus can compete in the mid-priced cigar market. I would give the edge to Sencillo Platinum given that cigar’s wonderful balance and subtlety. The Sencillo Black is a fine smoke in its own right, though, and clearly worthy of four stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

-Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

My consumption of La Aurora cigars seemed to drop off right around José Blanco’s departure from the oldest cigar maker in the Dominican Republic. But the relationship between these two events is merely correlation, not cause-and-effect.

Several years ago, my humidors were always full of La Aurora sticks of various blends—Barrel Aged, 107, Guillermo León, Escogidos, 1495, Preferidos, 100 Años, etc. Nowadays I don’t keep much La Aurora inventory. I’m not really sure why since, as a whole, I always enjoyed the creations from this storied cigar maker.

Perusing the shelves of my tobacconist the other day, I came across the Belicoso (6.25 x 52) from La Aurora’s original Cameroon-wrapped line. The price point of $3.95 was attractive, as was the prospect of reengaging with an affordable blend I hadn’t smoked in a long while.

Perhaps you, too, have been away from this value-priced smoke for some time. In that case, let me refresh your memory. It comes complete with a Dominican binder, Dominican and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos, and a clean, golden wrapper with few veins and considerable tooth. The foot smells of hay and honey and the cold draw is easy with some spice on the lips.

After establishing an even light, that spice carries over to the flavor, which is characterized by dry cedar, pepper, and warm tobacco. A half-inch in, the texture becomes less salty and the spice more muted as a candied pecan taste comes to the fore. Cedar remains the dominant note, now complemented nicely by creamy nut and sweetness. Smoking slowly is advised to help avoid the onset of mustiness.

Construction is top-notch. The white ash holds firm for an inch or more. The burn line is set-it-and-forget-it straight. The draw is effortless. And each puff produces ample plumes of aromatic smoke.

No, this isn’t a terribly complex or memorable cigar. But the quality, consistency, flavor, and value make it a solid choice for everyday smoking or the golf course. Keep the La Aurora Belicoso in mind if you’re looking for a decent Cameroon-wrapped smoke that won’t break the bank. It’s worthy of three stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

-Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

When the man who made La Gloria Cubana a household name started his new family-run company in 2009, few in the cigar industry doubted he would be successful in his new venture. To date, by seemingly every measure, he has been.

One undertaking that has helped solidify Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s post-General Cigar success has been Short Run. So far, the line has resulted in one release per year (although, when it was first introduced, we were told there might be two Short Run blends per year). The concept is pretty simple: Make a limited run of a blend using tobacco that isn’t available in enough quantities for a full-blown release.

The original Short Run, introduced in 2010, featured an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. The 2012 edition was wrapped in the Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf from the New Wave Connecticut around binder and filler tobaccos from the Core Line Maduro (Ecuadorian binder with Dominican and Nicaraguan filler).

The 2011 Short Run—the subject of today’s review—has an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos. Slightly less than 25,000 were made. I sampled several in the Cañonazos format (5.9 x 52), which is marked with an intricate roadmap of thin veins. The pre-light aroma is light, sweet, and a little musty, and the cold draw is moderately tight, though not burdensome.

That draw opens considerably once the foot is lit. Each puff is easy and the smoke production is voluminous—enough so to make a comparison to many Drew Estate sticks. This isn’t surprising. Jonathan Drew told me that, back in the day, Perez-Carrillo helped Drew Estate perfect its trademark draw.

The flavor can best be described as café au lait, cedar, and white pepper. The finish has a lingering spice yet hardly any nicotine kick. On the retrohale, the smoke is a little sweeter, though this cigar lacks the sweetness and creaminess that was a staple of the 2010 Short Run.

But don’t get me wrong. The E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2011 Cañonazos is a fine specimen at a very reasonable price point ($6 at my local tobacconist here in Chicago). Construction is superb and the medium-bodied profile is more than pleasing to my palate. All this results in a solid rating of four stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

-Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

If you ever lamented how cigar enjoyment can get caught up in details that distract from your own impressions of flavor—details like countries of origin, tobacco types, blenders, factories, quantity of units produced, etc.—Quesada has just the cigar for you.

Earlier this year, Quesada (a product of SAG Imports) released Heisenberg, a cigar line that’s secretive about its makeup. It is named for “the scientific formula of the same name that proves the fundamental limits of precision: In other words, no matter how much we know about something we will never know everything; the more we focus on one aspect, the less we know about another,” reads the SAG Imports website. “The Heisenberg project has two intentions: to dispel the stereotypes that limit our ability to enjoy a cigar and remind aficionados that sometimes it’s best to sit back, relax, and just enjoy a smoke without over-analyzing it.”

True to this agenda, Quesada—which also makes Oktoberfest and Tributo, among other lines—is releasing no information about Heisenberg, a cigar that will undoubtedly appeal to fans of Breaking Bad. All I’ve been able to gather is there are four vitolas, and the two Corneta Cuadradas I sampled cost me $7 apiece.

The Corneta Cuadrada is a funky-looking smoke, and not just because its black and silver band is marked with nothing but a quantum physics formula. The slightly box-pressed, ever-widening cigar is 5.25 inches long with a ring gauge of 44 at the head, 48 towards the middle, and 55 at the foot. It has a dark, moderately oily wrapper that’s spattered with dark spots and bumps. Faint notes of sweetness and earth can be found pre-light.

Once lit, the texture is syrupy and chewy with bitter leather and spice. Quickly, flavors of raisin and black licorice emerge, but they’re finicky and not noticeable with every puff. I have to gently squish the cap between my teeth to open up the draw. Perhaps a punch cut is a poor choice (I figured it wouldn’t be given the slender head, though next time I’ll use a guillotine).

I’ve had other cigars similar to Heisenberg, though don’t ask me to recall which ones specifically. Everything is familiar, especially the core mustiness, the bitterness, and the warm tobacco taste. While I’m not saying I suspect Heisenberg is a copy of something else, I will say the flavor—at least to my taste buds—is nothing new. Unfortunately, it also isn’t a sensation I’ll be going out of my way to experience again.

Yes, there are some issues with the burn line, and the draw needs to be worked at to open up. But these are secondary considerations. What concerns me is the flavor doesn’t seem to speak to me in a meaningful way. This isn’t a bad cigar, and maybe you’ll have a completely different experience. For me, the Quesada Heisenberg Corneta Cuadrada rates two and a half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

-Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys