The Stogie Guys

At 80 East 7th Street, in Manhattan’s trendy East Village, you’ll find the Velvet Cigar Lounge, a self-described “comfortable, welcoming place to relax, unwind, and share a story.” It’s also a place to find a house brand called Velvet Cigars.

Launched four years ago, the brand has sold over 50,000 cigars online and in the Lounge. Each blend within the brand—including Tompkins, Astor, and Cooper—is named for locations in the East Village.

Released in September, the Bowery “is named after the New York City thoroughfare of the same name, just a few short blocks from the Velvet Cigar Lounge,” according to a press release. “Once considered New York’s Skid Row, the Bowery has gone through an incredible transformation, becoming a center for culture and nightlife.”

“For our newest release, we wanted to offer something very different and spent ten months on the development of the blend and manufacturing of the cigar,” said Dan Bsharat, managing partner of Velvet Cigars. Dan and his colleagues came up a recipe of four-year-old Nicaraguan and Honduran filler tobaccos beneath a dark Ecuadorian wrapper.

The Bowery is offered in four box-pressed vitolas: Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6.5 x 52), Torpedo (6 x 52), and Churchill (7 x 52). Boxes of 20 retail for $195 to $230.

The Robusto is a smooth, oily specimen with a soft box press and a slightly spongy feel. It boasts a pre-light aroma of sweet chocolate and a clear cold draw that imparts spice to the lips.

Once lit, powerful notes of dry wood, black cherry, and powdery cocoa emerge. The smoke is voluminous and chalky—the sort of texture that pairs well with coffee, or cabernet sauvignon. Spice is evident in the aftertaste.

Moving into the second third, the profile transitions from medium to full as a bold taste of leather takes the forefront. A nicotine kick surfaces. This segment of the Robusto has undeniable heft, requiring patience between puffs to keep the foot from overheating and becoming harsh.

As it progresses with a near-perfect burn, this cigar rewards patience and punishes eagerness. A delightful flavor of caramelized walnut is only apparent when smoked slowly. Conversely, if smoked too quickly, the taste gets stale.

That makes this a nice cigar if you can give it the time it deserves. After smoking three samples for this review, the Bowery Robusto, which retails a bit out of its league at just under $10, is worthy of three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The secret is out. (OK, really it’s been out since we revealed it back in July.) Tatuaje Anarchy is the latest “shop exclusive” from Tatuaje. Anarchy is made exclusively for Abe Dababneh and his six Smoke Inn stores in South Florida.

Abe said he approached Pete Johnson with the idea and Pete ran with it. After several different test blends, they finally settled on the blend that will be offered for pre-sale on Black Friday (November 26) at Smoke Inn. Cigars ordered on the 26th will ship on December 13, just after the launch party on December 10,  which will be attended by both Pete Johnson and Don Pepin Garcia.

Anarchy is being offered in boxes of 15 with a price of $150 per box. The folks at Smoke Inn were kind enough to send me a couple of pre-release samples to review before they go on sale.

The Anarchy is a salomon-shaped cigar (6.125 x 48-52) finished with an unusual flattened pigtail cap. The blend consists of a dark brown Ecuadorian habano wrapper with a Nicaraguan binder and filler.

As you would expect with a Pepin/Pete Johnson cigar, the construction is excellent. The wrapper is moderately oily with few veins and is smooth to the touch with no tooth. Pre-light it smells of leather, cocoa, and a light spice.

After lighting the cigar, the first thing I notice is the lack of the trademark Pepin spice blast. Initially the cigar offers up flavors of leather, chocolate, and a very subtle spice. The thick creamy smoke is smooth through the nose and decently balanced.

As it progresses, the spice increases along with some sweetness and coffee notes. The burn is a little ragged and requires touch-ups along the way. The spice continues to pick up throughout the entire cigar, especially in the nose, but never becomes unbalanced.

The Tatuaje Anarchy is an interesting and well-constructed cigar. I have a feeling the burn issues may be a result of the lack of resting time between my receiving the samples and smoking them. The first sample that I smoked did hit a flat spot with the flavors becoming muted for a period of time, but that didn’t happen with the second sample. Overall, my experience with the Tatuaje Anarchy was very enjoyable, earning it four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick M

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In early 2009, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo ended his tenure with General Cigar to establish his own project. The move left La Gloria Cubana, the brand he built from relative obscurity to industry prominence, without its leader of nine years.

La Gloria is now managed by Yuri Guillen, Benji Menendez, Michael Giannini, and Rick Rodriguez. Collectively known as “Team La Gloria Cubana,” the quartet dreamed up the recently-released “Serie N” line to compliment the popular “Serie R”—an Ecuadoran wrapped blend with full-bodied flavors of black pepper and leather.

“In creating La Gloria Cubana Serie N, our intent was to provide tenured smokers with a flavorful powerhouse of a cigar,” said Debo Mukherjee, vice president of cigars for General Cigar. “We are confident that consumers will respond to the new taste dimension brought forth by the proprietary Nicaraguan tobacco.”

Serie N marries that proprietary tobacco with an Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper. Four vitolas are available: JSB (5.5 x 54), 46 (6.5 x 46), 49 (5.75 x 49) and 58 (6.5 x 58). They carry suggested retail prices ranging from $6 to $7.10.

The Serie N JSB is very firm to the touch—so much so, in fact, that I expected the draw to be onerously tight. After clipping the head with my double guillotine cutter, however, I found an effortless pre-light draw.

The cigar, a heavy stick with ample oils and several large veins, starts with a charred taste of peppercorn, espresso, and raisin. The first impression is of a powerful, almost overbearing smoke that’s singular and lacking in balance.

As the taste mellows, notes of black cherry, leather, and dry wood emerge. I’d hesitate to call the JSB complex. Still, at least it develops nuance into the midway point, adding some character to its raw force.

While the Serie N JSB displays construction typical of a General Cigar product—including a straight burn and a solid ash—it never really matures out of its charred, meaty base. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you’re enamored with this Nicaraguan’s bold framework.

If that sounds up your alley then, by all means, seek this cigar out. I’m sure many seasoned cigar veterans will be pleased with everything the Serie N has to offer. But I was hoping for a little more depth from the three samples I smoked for this review—depth that, if nothing else, would help counteract the high nicotine voltage. That’s ultimately how I arrived at my rating of two and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Last fall, fresh off my trip to New Orleans for the 2009 IPCPR Trade Show, I reviewed the 777 Corojo, a wonderful release from master blender Jesus Fuego. I was impressed and made a commitment to better acquaint myself with the other lines of the relatively young J. Fuego brand.

That brand, J. Fuego by the Miami-based Tabacos S.A. company, was launched in 2006 with the help of the Plasencia family. It now includes the Natural, Gran Reserva, Delirium, 777 Corojo, 777 Zero, Origen, and 777 Maduro. The latter is the subject of today’s review.

Called “triple siete,” 777 Maduro is a Nicaraguan puro complete with a four-year-old criollo maduro wrapper, a corojo binder, and filler tobaccos of the corojo and criollo varieties. It is marketed as a medium- to full-bodied blend that’s satisfying to cigar veterans and approachable to cigar rookies. Five affordable frontmarks are available: Belicoso (5.5 x 54), Corona (5.5 x 46), Grande (6 x 60), Robusto (5 x 50), and Toro (6 x 52).

I picked up a handful of Belicosos at my local tobacconist for $5.75 apiece. This vitola has a sharply pointed cap, a spongy feel, and potent pre-light notes of cocoa and peppermint. Its Jalapa-grown wrapper is dark, textured, and oily.

Upon lighting, the Belicoso displays a hearty profile of leather and espresso. The finish, a long, tingly sensation, has hints of black pepper and syrup. There’s also a smooth, chocolaty creaminess present.

That creaminess comes to the forefront towards the midway point. The spiciness mellows. Here, the Belicoso is at its finest, especially as more sweet notes enter the equation, giving the cigar a classic maduro composition. That’s about where it stays until the finish.

The construction is befitting a cigar twice the price. I noticed a straight burn, a moderate draw, and a solid gray ash.

Ultimately, while the 777 Maduro Belicoso may not have the nuances or complexities of the best maduros on the market, it is a damn fine smoke. It packs a whole lot of enjoyable flavor into a reasonably priced format. Another fine selection from Jesus Fuego, it earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This summer marked a rebirth for Augusto Reyes, a respected cigar maker who traces his Dominican tobacco roots back six generations. It was at the industry trade show that he premiered two new lines: Signature and Sixth Generation.

Before these blends were released, Reyes had been on a hiatus following an ill-fated U.S. distribution deal for his Criollo, Epicure, Grand Cru, Nativo, and Maduro cigars. But now he’s looking to bounce back on the American scene to reclaim the fan base he built after launching his own brand.

His strategy includes the Signature series, a four-vitola lineup of Dominican puros that are dressed in beautifully intricate bands of white, green, and gold with decorative ribbons across the foot. They range in price from $6-7 each.

The Robusto (5 x 50) is an attractive cigar. Its velvety wrapper has few veins, an oily sheen, and a well-constructed cap that clips neatly. The pre-light aroma is of molasses and graham cracker.

As innocent as it looks, feels, and smells, the Robusto starts with an unexpected flare of full-bodied spice. The first few puffs are on the verge of being overly harsh and meaty. But beneath the dominant taste of leather and peppercorn is a more nuanced backdrop with a sweet aftertaste.

That nuance comes to the forefront as the profile mellows, clearing the way for a creamier base and traces of honey, nuts, and vanilla. Still, the Signature is a bold, spicy smoke through the second third. Then the finale witnesses a reintroduction of the powerful flavors from the outset.

Several of the Robustos that I sampled for this review burned without incident while others required a fair amount of maintenance. The burn line, it seems, either develops perfectly or meanders to the point of annoyance. Whichever the case, the draw is always moderate and the gray, well-layered ash is always solid.

I wouldn’t say that I’m underwhelmed by the Augusto Reyes Signature Robusto. Occasional harsh and sour notes, however, prevent this cigar’s profile from displaying its full potential. I’ll be interested to see how this young specimen develops with age. For now, it earns three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I’ve been most impressed with the Master, a new release in the budget category from the Toraño Family Cigar Co. And I say that as a long-time fan of the company and its cigars.

Long known for an extraordinary ability to blend tobaccos from a wide variety of countries to create terrific cigars, with this release the Toraños have gone the other way. Charlie Toraño joined with Cuban blender Felipe Sosa for a cigar that features a Nicaraguan binder and filler (albeit from Esteli and Jalapa) with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper.

It is one of the most enjoyable medium-strength cigars I’ve smoked in quite awhile. I’ve smoked only the Churchill, a bargain at about $6 for a single. Construction on those I’ve tried has been excellent and the cigar burns slowly while producing volumes of smoke. The other three sizes are Robusto, Torpedo and Toro.

You won’t find the Master on the Toraño website, but in coverage promoting its release at this year’s industry trade show the cigar was described as one for sale only at B&Ms. That’s where I’ve seen it, though you can also find it online with only a minimal search.

Perhaps the first thing you’ll notice when you smoke a Master is the lower level of spice or pepper so often found in Nicaraguan tobacco. It isn’t a powerhouse. Rather, the Master is a finely balanced and flavor-filled cigar that changes as it burns. Among the more prominent flavors I found were cedar, cocoa, and sweetness woven together. The last third of the stick can get a little muddled and hot, though not terribly unpleasant.

As Toraño continues to re-make its mark in the cigar word after changing the company’s name and taking back control of its distribution, the Master is a fitting addition to its fine and expanding line. A cigar so smooth and so tasty at such an affordable price earns the Master a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

On Friday we announced that La Sirena, a new blend from Miami Cigar & Co., would officially debut in Chicago this month. That makes today as good as any to review my pre-release samples.

Blended by Don Pepin Garcia, La Sirena is the first full-bodied creation to come out of Miami Cigar’s partnership with My Father Cigars. It features a Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper, a dual binder of habano and corojo Nicaraguan tobaccos, and Nicaraguan fillers comprised of criollo ’98 corojo ’96 leaves.

La Sirena is Spanish for “mermaid.” Not content with traditional names, each of the line’s five sizes sports an ocean-inspired moniker: Sprite (5.5 x 42), The Prince (5 x 50), Divine (5.5 x 52), King Poseidon (6 x 60), and Trident (7 x 50). They retail in the $8-10 range.

The Trident is a spongy, rustic-looking cigar with a clean cap and bold pre-light notes of powdered cocoa and earth off the foot. Toothy and oily, the cigar cuts neatly to reveal an easy draw. Establishing an even burn takes hardly any effort.

The initial flavor is of dark chocolate, coffee, and black pepper. I’d describe the profile as lacking in strength yet medium- to full-bodied. It tastes as though it was blended to deliver big taste with little bite—an effect for which many cigar makers strive but few successfully achieve.

Moving into the second third, the Trident gradually increases in spice. Flavors of espresso and bittersweet chocolate become prevalent. Here, the texture of the smoke becomes chalkier and more voluminous with every puff.

That carries over into the final third, a segment of the cigar that, thankfully, doesn’t become overly bitter or meaty. That’s when I start to take note of this Estelí-made cigar’s outstanding construction. The burn is even, the draw clear, and the white ash holds firm off the foot.

All things considered, this is a fine addition to the Miami Cigar portfolio, and one that’s well-suited to the cold winter months. I award the La Sirena Trident four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys