The Stogie Guys

Since my return from the IPCPR Trade Show in August, many of my reviews have focused on fairly expensive cigars that debuted at that New Orleans event. But, in these lean times, I thought it appropriate to take a step back and check out something more affordable.

The Bering Hallmark fits the bill. This six-vitola Altadis lineup sells in the $2.50 to $5 price range. At five and three-quarters inches with a 44 ring gauge, the Corona frontmark runs only $65 for a box of 25 at JR Cigars.

Sadly, as evidenced by the two samples I smoked for this review, it has the appearance of a cigar that’s easy on the wallet. The Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper is dry and wrinkly. The barely noticeable pre-light aroma of hay is less than mouthwatering. And the feel is firm in some areas and soft in others—a warning sign of combustion problems.

Perhaps most alarming are the large lumps and veins that cover the Corona’s surface. Some of these imperfections aren’t on the thin exterior leaf itself, but rather protrude from the Indonesian binder underneath.

Moving past first impressions, the cap clips well and the cold taste reveals a moderate draw and a taste of paper through the Nicaraguan and Dominican filler tobaccos. The foot toasts and lights easily with a single wooden match.

Each easy puff produces large tufts of smoke and a light, airy taste. While picking out individual flavors is a difficult task given the Bering Hallmark’s frail profile, I found subtle notes of pine, butter, and toast. Cigar enthusiasts who are accustomed to full-bodied sticks, however, will likely have a hard time tasting anything other than hollow smoke.

Surprisingly, the Corona actually performs well in the construction department. The burn may meander a bit and the gray ash may flake off from time to time, but the physical properties are relatively impressive at this price level.

If you’re looking for a value stick with interesting flavors, though, I’m afraid this cigar isn’t likely to satisfy. Perhaps the new Bering Puro Nicaraguan line, introduced by Altadis with suggested retail prices from $6.75 to $7.25, will fare better. A reminder that, when it comes to cigars, you often get what you pay for, the Bering Hallmark Corona earns only two stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In March, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo ended his nine year tenure with  General Cigar. The move effectively made the Artesanos de Miami his last blend with La Gloria Cubana, the brand he built from relative obscurity to industry prominence.

Perez-Carrillo parted ways with General to establish his own family-owned boutique. He wasted no time in that endeavor. With a factory in Santiago and a work-in-progress website, the EPC Cigar Co. was up and running in time to debut their first blend at the IPCPR Trade Show in August.

But the core lineup under the new E.P. Carrillo brand name still won’t be available until the spring. Meanwhile, Perez-Carrillo chose to craft and debut a single-vitola limited edition line made from aged tobaccos that are too rare to serve as ingredients for regular production.

The Edición Inaugural 2009, as it is called, uniquely features two binders: one Nicaraguan and one Dominican. They are wrapped in a three-year-old Ecuadorian habano leaf that won’t be available again for a few years (at which point Perez-Carrillo may include it in a future project). Only 150,000 sticks will be made, which are sold in boxes of 10 for $130.

This super-premium, measuring five and three-eighths inches with a 52 ring gauge, looks like it’s worthy of its $13 price tag. The wrapper is clean and flawless, the double bands are interesting and impressive, the cap is nearly perfect, and the pungent pre-light aroma smells of peat.

From the first few puffs, it is clear that the Edición Inaugural 2009 bears little resemblance to anything in the La Gloria Cubana lineup. It notably marks a stark contrast from the powerful and popular Serie R. The medium-bodied flavor is, to say the least, distinctive, with dry notes of potato, olive, and cork and a light aftertaste of oats and pepper. The voluminous smoke smells heartier than it tastes.

Aside from the welcome addition of a graham cracker spice, the flavor remains unchanged until the nub. Both of my samples were complemented by outstanding combustion qualities. These included a remarkably stable and firm ash, a smooth draw, and a slow, even burn.

Overall, I’m not going out on a limb when I say that this is one of Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s finest creations. I hope the Edición Inaugural 2009 is a sign of things to come from the new EPC Cigar Co. With the only drawbacks being price and limited availability, I can confidently award this 120-minute smoke four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Even though Frank Llaneza was born into the industry, he is undoubtedly a cigar legend in his own right. And now Altadis is honoring his half century of entrepreneurship and innovation with a new blend.

Llaneza, who grew up sweeping floors at his father’s modest Ybor City outfit, is best known for expanding Villazon & Co. by establishing factories in Central America in the early 1960s. He was a pioneer in Honduras immediately following the Cuban embargo, which is why many consider Llaneza to be “the godfather of Honduran cigars.” Decades later, in 1996, he sold Villazon to General Cigar Holdings Inc. for millions.

According to press materials circulated at the IPCPR Trade Show in August, “now he has put his name on a cigar that embodies the perfect balance between his genius and passion.” The blend, made at the Altadis USA factory in Nicaragua, recognizes a man who “has been growing superior tobacco and creating cigars of exceptional pedigree since 1961.”

The Frank Llaneza 1961 features a filler blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican leaves, a Nicaraguan binder, and a dark Ecuadorian criollo ’98 wrapper. Notes of milk chocolate and coffee permeate the toothy surface right out of the cellophane.

With a suggested retail price of $7 apiece, the oily, firm Cuban Corona frontmark measures five and five-eighths inches with a ring gauge of 46. The absence of imperfections serves as evidence of an expert torcedor and quality tobacco.

After lighting the narrow foot with a couple wooden matches and studying the first few puffs, I find a balanced, medium-bodied profile of savory meat, nuts, butter, and cereals. A gentle spice on the lips adds depth. The aftertaste is decidedly smooth and leathery.

As the white, sandy ash works its way towards the middle of the cigar, the flavor remains surprisingly consistent. Here, I discover that the quicker I smoke, the meatier the cigar becomes. And since I enjoy the subtler tastes of the Frank Llaneza 1961 more than the charred steak characteristics at the forefront, I decide to slow down.

That strategy works well through the final third, which is a bit bolder than the rest of the cigar. All the while the combustion qualities—including a slow, even burn, a fairly solid ash, and a good draw—are reliable.

On the whole, I wouldn’t be surprised if this young limited release develops nicely over the coming months and years. It would be a good candidate for my regular golf course rotation if it were easier to find and priced a bit lower. Regardless, cigar enthusiasts who enjoy rich, meaty profiles should definitely check out the Frank Llaneza 1961 Cuban Corona. I give it three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Felipe Gregorio is one of those cigar brands I wish I knew more about. But thanks to Amine Taoulost, Felipe’s marketing director, I got a first-hand look at this company and its products at the IPCPR Trade Show in New Orleans this August.

Felipe, inspired by the Cuban cigars he smoked while growing up in Europe, got his self-titled outfit off the ground when he gave up selling helicopters in the Middle East in 1988. His subsequent cigar journey took him to Honduras and Nicaragua before finally settling in the Dominican Republic. There, at request of Frank Sinatra—who wanted Felipe to craft a cigar bearing his name—Felipe established the Tabacalera Real de Felipe Gregorio factory.

One of Felipe’s most intriguing projects is the Moroccan Series. This unique line of cigars includes four different blends named for the region of Morocco in which their tobacco is grown. Essaoura, an isolated city on the Atlantic coast known for its whitewashed houses, is said to produce leaves of “rich, earthy flavors,” according to Felipe’s website. The blend features 40% Essaoura tobacco, 60% Dominican, and a Vuelta Abajo habano wrapper.

The Amir frontmark, a five inch by 52 ring gauge figurado, has a tapered foot and a broad midsection that narrows at the head. Behind two black and yellow bands, the wrapper is coarse, splotchy, and a bit rough around the edges. Both of my samples were firm to the touch with faint pre-light notes of hay and pencil.

My first impression of the taste is that it’s spicy, complex, and—despite the distinctive blend—quite traditional. A full-bodied array of pepper, cedar, cork, and dried tea shines through with each voluminous puff. While I expected something entirely different given the Moroccan connection, I was pleased with what I found.

The flavor mellows and takes on more balance as the cigar opens to its widest point. Here, cream and almond enter the equation to provide a smooth contrast to the woody base. The final third, characterized by more of a meaty texture, is an appropriate way to end a hearty cigar.

I was impressed by all this 60-minute smoke has to offer, including its near-perfect construction performance. So if, like me, you need to better acquaint yourself with the Felipe Gregorio brand, consider picking up a sampler of the three Essaoura vitolas for $24 from CasaFelipe. You’ll enjoy the Amir, which earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I don’t like to write a full review based on only one stick, but there are times when it’s unavoidable. Case in point: this Tatuaje Black, which is exclusively available in the sampler for Cigar Rights of America (CRA) members (limit one per member).

Like the original Tatjaue Black, known as Tatuaje founder Pete Johnson’s personal cigar, the CRA Sampler edition of the Black is a Nicaraguan puro, made by Don Pepin Garcia. The most obvious difference between the two is that the CRA version is slightly larger  (6 x 50) than the regular version (5.6 x 46).

The Tatuaje Black CRA edition features a dark and oily (though not particularly shiny) wrapper that is folded over the foot, fuma style. Below the plain black Tatuaje band is a second CRA band that reads “Become a CRA Member – CigarRights.org – 818-541-1535” on the side that faces the cigar.

This toro has a delicious pre-light aroma of roasted nuts, a pre-cursor to the roller coaster of flavor that follows.

The profile starts with a burst of heavy leather, followed almost immediately by a strong burst of pepper. Then, about an inch in, it transforms again into a medium- to full-bodied woody combination with some lingering leather. The finish includes  a ramped-up combination of leather, licorice, and earth.

This is an impressively complex cigar, even though it’s not always balanced or particularly nuanced. With so many twists and turns, the Tatuaje Black CRA edition is an immensely interesting smoke.

Thanks to  excellent construction, which leaves those flavor shifts to speak for themselves, the Tatuaje Black CRA Sampler Exclusive earns four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: CRA

If you haven’t heard of the Vartan Zoravar, you’re not alone. I was sent these cigars as part of a blind tasting and, as of now, they are only available in one shop in the country: Ambassador Fine Cigars in Scottsdale, Arizona.

But Ambassador owner Vartan Seferian has plans to change that, as a national distribution rollout is underway. The Zoravar (named after an Armenian hero, which translates as “Iron Man”) is a most unusual house blend.

Instead of going the traditional route of simply reselling a low-priced bundle cigar, Seferian employed Henke Kelner, head blender for Davidoff, to make his cigars.

Kelner’s blend uses a deep brown Nicaraguan Cuban-seed corojo wrapper around an Ecuadorian sungrown binder (a Connecticut/Cuban-seed hybrid), and Dominican piloto, olor, and San Vicente filler. It’s lumpy with a sharp taper at its head.

Pre-light, the Vartan is aromatic with a combination of barnyard, cinnamon, and notes of rum. The belicoso starts out with a balanced woody flavor that ends in a long, peppery, toasty finish.

As the cigar evolves, cocoa and cedar appear around the midway point. Then it becomes a bit creamy. Throughout, it’s medium-bodied with an abundance of sweet, aromatic smoke.

Surprisingly for a Henke Kelner creation, I noticed some construction issues in two of the three samples I smoked for this review. While the draw was perfect, an uneven burn and unstable ash distracted from the smoking experience.

Not surprisingly, though, the Vartan carries a price more like a Davidoff than like most discount house brands. But for $17 you get a cigar far more interesting than the average “house blend”—even if that makes it less likely to be your daily smoke.

That complexity earns this unique house blend a most respectable rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Along with 1961 and Corojo Especial, “Patel Bros.” was one of three blends released by Rocky Patel at the 77th annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show in New Orleans. Inaugural shipments of the new line are arriving at retailers across the U.S. as we speak.

This appropriately named four-vitola blend represents the first collaboration between Rocky and his brother, Nimesh. According to Rocky’s website, “the duo worked for years to find a robust and unique wrapper to accompany a special Nicaraguan filler and binder blend.” They finally settled on an interesting choice: a broadleaf wrapper from the fields of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The result is rumored to taste similar to Rocky’s popular Winter Collection.

I was fortunate enough to grab a Patel Bros. Toro (6.5 x 52) when I was covering the IPCPR event back in August. So please note that this review is based off a single pre-release sample.

As you can see, my sample doesn’t include Rocky’s finished band, which features gold lettering on a black and white background. But it does include a dark and toothy wrapper, an absence of large veins or seams, a heavy weight, and a firm feel.

Pre-light, I find intense, mouth-watering aromas of sweet chocolate and espresso, especially off the foot. The well-constructed cap clips neatly to reveal an easy draw and some spice and sweetness on the lips.

Patel Bros. is full-bodied from the start. The first few puffs greet you with a rich taste of coffee, cocoa beans, and black pepper. Then, after the first inch, the flavor mellows slightly while remaining vigorous. A bit chalky, this profile reminds me of the Cain Habano—but perhaps with a little more depth.

Leather comes to the foreground as the winding yet self-correcting burn works down to the final third. All the while, the draw remains clear and the gray ash holds decently.

I enjoyed the young Patel Bros. Toro today, but I fully expect it to improve with age tomorrow. Still, absent any further development, it is already worth its price tag of $6-9 apiece and worthy of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys