The Stogie Guys

I have a lot of admiration for Tabacalera Perdomo. When politicians raised federal taxes on “large” cigars by 700% for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), the folks at Perdomo responded by dropping their prices and absorbing the SCHIP hike on most of their portfolio.

“We’re all in this together in these tough economic times,” says Nick Perdomo, the company’s president. “You should be able to afford great cigars at great price points.” So, in 2009 and 2010, Tabacalera Perdomo made their best-selling blends more affordable, including dropping prices on their popular Lot 23 line by $15 per box.

Lot 23 was born ten years ago when Nicolas Perdomo, Sr. and his son, the aforementioned Nick Jr., cleared a lot of virgin soil near their factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. Six years later they were cultivating tobacco from this fertile land to make the original Lot 23. Connecticut and Maduro versions were added later in a variety of sizes.

Among the newest vitolas is the Punta Gorda (5 x 60), a stubby torpedo that verges on Nub dimensions. The Maduro incarnation comes complete with a toothy broadleaf wrapper that’s dark and oily. Its sharply pointed cap clips to reveal an effortless draw. Despite having little pre-light aroma, the Punta Gorda Maduro starts with a zesty, medium-bodied profile of cedar, espresso, and a bit of barbecue tang. Each easy puff yields an abundance of thick, white smoke.

After the first inch, as the textured, finely layered ash works its way down from the foot, the flavor begins to border on full-bodied. Spice, leather, and rich molasses come to the forefront. Still, the taste is more smooth and nuanced than overbearing or powerful. It stays that way until the last puff.

With outstanding construction—including a near-perfect burn—the Lot 23 Punta Gorda Maduro is a great value at under $5 apiece. Perdomo deserves much credit for the way they’ve kept their prices down in tough times, and this particular cigar deserves a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

La Aurora cigars were among the first I smoked. I enjoyed them then and have since continued to look favorably on the Dominican firm’s products, though many of its releases in recent years have had fairly stratospheric prices.

Not so with the new double-banded Corojo. Priced to appeal to bargain smokers, this line features substantial cigars for under $7. I paid about $6 for the 6.5-inch Gran Corona; the inch-longer Double Corona (both have a 50-ring gauge) is only 50 cents more, while the Robusto (pictured right) runs just under $6.

And what do you get for your money? Well, it’s not the prettiest cigar at the party. The reddish-brown Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper is a bit lumpy, sports quite a few veins, and has a cap that won’t win any prizes. But the wrapper’s pre-light bouquet is sweet and inviting. There’s not much aroma from the filler, which is a combination of Dominican Cubano and Olor along with Nicaraguan Habano.

Where it really counts—taste—is where the Corojo shines. It kicks off with a bit of the spice you expect from corojo tobacco. I used a cedar spill on one and, to me, that woody flavor mixed wonderfully for the first few puffs. The cigar generates a lot of smoke and features a good draw.

While not an overly complex smoke, the Corojo does create some variations along the way, including a little sweetness and leather, with a rich, full tobacco flavor predominating.

Negatives are only a few. The ash doesn’t hold. You need to be on alert to tap off frequently. The burn also isn’t particularly straight and can require an occasional touch-up.

Still, at the price, it’s difficult to complain. This well-balanced cigar would be a good deal at a couple of dollars more. Since its summer-time introduction, the La Aurora Corojo has garnered positive online buzz and quite a few favorable reviews. I think you’ll agree. I rate this three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Rocky Patel brings new meaning to the word “prolific.” The cigar superstar, almost always on the road, is known far and wide for his ever-expanding portfolio of cigars. Newly added lines include the 1961, Patel Bros., and 15th Anniversary.

Long before his Decade, Edge, Old World Reserve, Vintage blends, and many others, there was Indian Tabac—Rocky’s original brand made in Danlí, Honduras by Nestor Plasencia. “This cigar line was created in the 1990s with the true cigar aficionado in mind,” according to Rocky’s website.

The Super Fuerte is a box-pressed line made with Honduran corojo-seed wrappers, Nicaraguan binders, and filler tobaccos from Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras. Each vitola is priced to move. The Robusto (5 x 50), for instance, can easily be found for less than $3 per stick.

It looks more expensive than it costs. With a clean wrapper and a neat cap, this cigar—based on first impressions alone—could command a price twice its retail value. Subtle pre-light notes of coffee and syrup don’t hurt, either.

Still, I have to admit I had low expectations before I examined the two Robustos I smoked for this review. I’ve had subpar experiences with Indian Tabac in the past, and my colleague, George E, recently wrote that this cigar was “hot, dry, and harsh with a taste reminiscent of stale cigarettes.” That description doesn’t sound too appetizing.

Sadly, but not surprisingly, I can mostly confirm my colleague’s assessment. While the Super Fuerte brings intermittent flashes of cream and cashew, the base flavor is of salty spice and paper—a combination that’s simultaneously harsh and bland. There’s little transition from light to nub.

This profile makes the cigar’s excellent construction moot. After all, it’s hard to appreciate an even burn, a well-built ash, and a clear draw when the flavor doesn’t deliver.

No, the Indian Tabac Super Fuerte Natural isn’t much to write home about. But it isn’t quite a dog rocket either. I’m sure there are plenty of cigar enthusiasts out there who enjoy these as affordable everyday smokes. To them I say, “Smoke ’em if you got ’em.” For me, though, the Robusto is only worthy of two stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

When I spotted this cigar on the shelf, I went for it immediately. I’ve been a fan of the regular La Traviata from the beginning. If you haven’t tried it, you’re missing out. To find out how much, just check the earlier Stogie Guys review.

But you’ll then want to turn to the newer Maduro line. Priced as pleasingly as its lighter twin (about $5-6 per cigar), the dark La Traviata is another CAO winner.

Interestingly, the two cigars share the same Cameroon binder and filler tobacco from Nicaragua and the Dominican. One can only guess that the blending proportions are the same, too, with the difference being a U.S.-grown Connecticut broadleaf wrapper on the maduro rather than the habano from Ecuador.

While La Traviata isn’t a particularly complex cigar, it is a particularly satisfying one. I’ve been drawn to the fat Intrépido (7 x 54), though the robusto-sized Divino (pictured) is equally satisfying. Each one I’ve smoked has shared the same first-rate construction, burn, and draw while producing thick, full smoke.

For those who smoke maduros regularly, I think you’ll find this line representative of the type. It begins with a little pepper but quickly moves to the familiar tastes of chocolate and coffee paired with a tobacco sweetness. Occasionally, I get a little woody taste, too. While CAO rates the body on the fuller side of medium, I’d say it’s right in the middle of medium-bodied.

I think of this as a great complementary cigar, one that will enhance the time spent watching a football game or reading a book. You’ll enjoy smoking it without having to worry about touch-ups or problems, but it won’t demand all of your attention with flavor nuances and subtle changes.

Unlike the opera from which it takes its name, this cigar has been a hit from the beginning. The Maduro line is an excellent encore. As did the original, it rates four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The Oliva Cigar Co. has only been around for about 15 years. In that short time, this decorated Nicaraguan manufacturer has built a well-deserved reputation for quality and affordability. The brand’s foundation is built on blends like the Habano-wrapped Serie V and the Cameroon-wrapped Serie G—two highly-rated cigars that can be bought on the cheap.

The Master Blends 3, or “Liga Maestra,” is considerably more expensive. It is the rarest regular production Oliva, “specifically blended to deliver the richest characteristics of Nicaraguan ligero fillers and broadleaf sun-grown wrappers,” according to Oliva’s website. “It is a complex cigar crafted for the most developed palette.”

Four traditional sizes are available: Churchill (7 x 50), Double Robusto (5 x 54), Robusto (5 x 50), and Torpedo (6 x 52). They sell for $10 to $14 apiece. Each is a box-pressed Nicaraguan puro with a picturesque band of green, gold, maroon, and orange.

The Churchill sports a dry, milk chocolate-colored exterior leaf with several long, albeit unobtrusive, veins. It is moderately firm to the touch with an effortless pre-light draw. The foot gives off a faint fragrance of coffee and caramel.

After establishing an even burn, the cigar produces an initial taste of cedar spice, cinnamon, and sweet syrup. The medium-bodied profile is slightly dry though otherwise balanced. Each easy puff yields voluminous tufts of white, aromatic smoke.

As the Churchill progresses to the second third, creamy notes join in the fray to round off the once spicy edges. Here the cigar lives up to its promise as a super-premium worthy of the Oliva name. All the while the burn line is impeccable and the sandy ash holds firm. The flavor’s cedary core regains prominence in the final third and the spice increases—especially on the short, crisp finish. Towards the end, one of the three samples I smoked for this review began to unravel at one of its seams. Construction was otherwise flawless across the board.

All told, the Oliva Master Blends 3 Churchill is a very respectable smoke from light to nub. I find it completely worthy of its elevated price tag and award it four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The H. Upmann brand got its start when, in the mid-nineteenth century, a German banker named Herman Upmann moved to Cuba to try his hand at cigar making. Today the brand is among the oldest in the industry with a dozen regular production vitolas and two limited edition releases.

The first limited edition, the Magnum 50, came out in 2005. It was a double robusto-sized smoke that received excellent ratings in the mainstream cigar media. Cigar Aficionado, for example, awarded it a 90 and named it a Top 25 cigar of the year. The magazine’s editors praised the cigar’s “powerful, almost raw smoke” and said they’d “like to see this as a regular vitola in the Cuban stable.”

In 2008 they got their wish. That’s when Habanos SA, Cuba’s state-owned tobacco monopoly, released a regular production Magnum 50 at the Habanos Festival—an annual showcase of Cuban distributors and products. Like its predecessor, the newer Magnum 50 is handmade with Vuelta Abajo tobaccos and sold in the double robusto format (6.3 x 50).

The cigar features several large veins, double bands, and a reddish, rustic wrapper with an assortment of large bumps. The pre-light aroma is of faint graham cracker.

After clipping the Magnum 50, taking note of its firm draw, and toasting the foot, I find a flavor of woodsy spice and syrup. Nice but a far cry from exceptional or unique. With a short finish of charred meat, the overall effect is dry and on the lighter side of medium-bodied.

Moving into the second third, as the draw opens, a black pepper spice emerges. Here the cigar develops much more complexity. Notes of honey, coffee, cedar, and leather add depth. Graham cracker spice is the predominant flavor in the final inches, the tastiest segment of the smoke.

While many Cubans have fallen victim to poor combustion qualities in recent years, the Magnum 50 smokes like a champ. All three of the samples I examined for this review exhibited straight, maintenance-free burns and stable ashes. I wouldn’t accept anything less from a cigar that retails for $11 to $15.

The Magnum 50 is a smart buy at the lower end of that spectrum, especially given its potential to improve with age. For now, given its enjoyable transitions and depth-building profile, this cigar is worthy of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Luca del Toro is the newest release from Los Nietos Cigars, which is owned and operated by Ron Andrews. Los Nietos Cigars are only available online and at Andrews’ cigar store in Punta Gorda, Florida.

The Luca del Toro blend is made for Los Nietos by George Rico of Gran Habano Cigars. The Toro Grande (6 x 54) features a milk chocolate-colored Nicaraguan habano hybrid wrapper and Honduran filler and binder tobaccos. Construction appears to be excellent with no soft spots and very few veins.

Pre-light, the cigar gives off a woody, slightly sweet aroma with just a hint of spice at the end. The initial puff yields a complex sweetness and good amount of spice. After about half an inch the spice fades and is barely noticeable, but the sweetness remains.

The ash is dark gray and very sturdy with a thin burn line. The cigar gives off a good amount of smoke that yields sweetness reminiscent of brioche and caramelized sugar. There is also a woody flavor that reminds me of pine bark and sourness like relish.

Overall, the Luca del Toro is an incredibly complex and impeccably balanced cigar. The flavor profile doesn’t really change and the balance makes it difficult to isolate single flavors. The complexity, however, more than makes up for the lack of transitions. Only towards the very end did my interest  start to wane.

The Luca del Toro is a bargain at $6.50 per cigar, and an excellent way to spend a couple of hours. One of the most complex and balanced cigars that I have smoked in recent memory, the Toro Grande earns four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick M

photo credit: Stogie Guys