The Stogie Guys

When my colleague interviewed him back in August 2007, Jesus Fuego came across as a likable figure who loved making cigars and sharing his creations. I was pleased to learn firsthand how personable he is when I met him at last month’s IPCPR Trade Show in New Orleans.

There, Fuego told me about his new release: the 777 Corojo. Pronounced “triple siete,” it features a corojo wrapper grown exclusively by his father in Brazil. Fuego hopes to include future harvests in upcoming limited releases under his eponymous 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, and 777 Maduro blends. Prior setting off on his own, Fuego had gained industry fame through his instrumental role in developing Rocky Patel’s Vintage ’90 and ’92 lines. That’s a pretty good entry on a cigar résumé.

The new 777 Corojo is an affordable lineup of four standard vitolas—Robusto, Corona, Belicoso, and Toro. In addition to the aforementioned wrapper, it includes a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos that are two-thirds corojo and one-third criollo.

The five inch by 50 ring gauge Robusto, which retails for under $5 apiece, is densely packed and feels heavy in the hand. An ample number of fine veins roadmap the oily, rustic wrapper, and the foot smells of damp earth and pencil shavings. This cigar looks more expensive than it is, save for its somewhat sloppy cap.

While the cold taste is tight, the draw is easier once the cigar is lit. Each puff produces ample amounts of smoke and balanced notes of dry wood, pepper, and citrus. The ash is white and the wrapper leaves a bit of sweetness on the lips.

As the thick, black mascara works its way down the cigar, the flavors slowly build to include tastes of warm tobacco. A smooth characteristic that’s akin to sour cream is also a welcome addition. And I’m happy to report excellent physical properties—a straight burn that requires no touch-ups and a structured, well-behaved ash.

In all, it’s easy for me to conclude that the J. Fuego 777 Corojo Robusto is an excellent value. While seasoned cigar enthusiasts won’t be blown away, they will appreciate this cigar for what it is: a balanced, tasty, well-built everyday treat. That’s why it earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Litto Gomez’s Coronado by La Flor made quite a splash when it was introduced. The full-flavored smoke earned many accolades, including a five-stogie rating and the number two spot on Cigar Aficionado‘s 2006 list of Top 25 Cigars.

Litto, known for innovations like the chisel shape, is constantly experimenting with limited edition smokes. This maduro-wrapped edition of the Coronado is the result of one such experiment. According to the shops that carry it, only 83 boxes of 24 will ever be made—making the two cigars I sampled for this review more than 1/1,000th of the total run.

The cigars come in only one size: a 5 and 7/8 inch by 47 ring gauge Corona Especial. They retail for $10 each and are only available at a handful of shops. In fact, I’ve only seen them at two B&Ms: Jack Schwarz and Arnold’s.

The Dominican-made smokes feature an Ecuadorian maduro wrapper. The wrapper is dark, slightly reddish, and rustic with a many visible veins. Underneath is the same Dominican filler and Dominican corojo binder from the normal Coronado line. Pre-light, the cigar gives off a fantastic cherry aroma.

The Corona Especial starts with a burst strength. There are chocolate, nut,  and warm tobacco flavors, resulting in an intense full-bodied smoke. By the midway point it mellowed slightly with some nutty notes emerging. Later, it picks up again when a strong peppery spice comes to the forefront.

Even though they’re both flavorful cigars, the maduro version is not as balanced or nuanced as its natural counterpart. This blend does, however, give off a pleasant aroma of licorice and cherries.

Then there were the construction issues (notably uncharacteristic of Litto Gomez smokes) that just shouldn’t happen  in a $10 cigar. One sample had a straight burn but required multiple re-lights. The other sample needed multiple touch-ups to fix persistent canoeing.

All in all, the Coronado Maduro is quite a mixed bag. It has a unique and interesting combination of deep, intense flavors, yet serious construction issues and an occasional lack of  balance. That’s why the Coronado by La Flor Corona Especial Maduro earns three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Named for statesman and diplomat John Hay—perhaps best known as Abraham Lincoln’s secretary—John Hay Cigars was founded in 1882 by W.W. Stewart.

Their website, while not the most sophisticated, provides plenty of information about the history of the Pennsylvania-based company and its products.

The John Hay Anniversary, a six and a half inch by 52 ring gauge Pyramid, celebrates 125 years of John Hay Cigars. It features a light brown Habana 2000 wrapper and a “special blend” of filler.

Hand rolled in the Dominican Republic, only 1,882 of these cigars were made to commemorate the company’s founding year. Now the company says they are “down to the last couple hundred.”

The Pyramid has a rugged appearance with some prominent veins. It is so firm to the touch that it causes me to be concerned about a tight draw.

Pre-light, the John Hay Anniversary smells like hay and honey. The cap clips easily and, despite my previous concerns, reveals a very good draw. The foot lights up easily and the first few puffs yield hay, honey, and cinnamon spiciness.

Both of the samples I smoked for this review featured a burn that went ragged from the beginning but never required a touch-up.

As they progress, the hay flavor remains and the cinnamon spiciness increases, while the honey flavor diminishes.

Nearing the end, a harsher taste starts to develop and I set it down for good with a little more than an inch remaining.

On sale on the company website for $6 per stick, the John Hay Anniversary Pyramid is not a complex cigar but is nonetheless enjoyable on the mild side of medium.

With adequate construction and burn properties, its flavors earn it three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick M

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all consider Cain to be first son of Adam and Eve. But this biblical figure, regarded by many as “from the wicked one,” is better remembered as the murderer of his brother, Abel, and more generally as the embodiment of evil.

So given its high-powered makeup, “Cain” seemed a fitting name for Nub creator Sam Leccia’s new brand. It is, after all, a “straight ligero” blend. And ligero is recognized as the most full-flavored of leaves due to their concentration of nutrients and direct exposure to sunlight at the top of the tobacco plant.

As Leccia told us at last month’s IPCPR Trade Show in New Orleans, Cain is 82 percent—not 100 percent—ligero because any cigar comprised entirely of ligero leaves would inherently suffer from serious combustion deficiencies. Both the Maduro- and Habano-wrapped versions of this blend incorporate three different ligero tobaccos grown in the Estelí, Condega, and Jalapa regions of Nicaragua.

The six inch by 50 ring gauge Habano Toro could be easily mistaken for a cigar with a more traditional proportion of ligero, seco, and viso tobaccos. It has an oily, clean-looking wrapper, a fairly solid feel, and pre-light fragrances of sweet cocoa and spice.

While Cain certainly doesn’t look like the progenitor of annihilation, appearances can be deceiving. The first few puffs are remarkably bold and densely packed with notes of peppercorn and dry wood. A background of leather and light sugar, though, adds depth.

To its credit, Cain turns out to be much more than just a heavy-handed bomb of strength and intensity. The Habano Toro is surprisingly smooth and complex, especially as it progresses past the midway point. This is likely the result of the triple fermentation process that Leccia employs to reduce the natural harshness of ligero tobacco.

So what we have here is a bit of a paradox. Leccia presumably created this straight ligero blend to satisfy the palates of enthusiasts of full-bodied cigars, yet he actively took steps to somewhat dilute the edge of ligero tobacco. The result is a blend that’s big on taste but not as explosive as some other sticks on the market (say, the 601 Green).

But I like this cigar for what it is—a rich $6-8 stick with more nuance and smoothness than meets the eye. I also like the fact that Leccia and Oliva include a 12-page pamphlet on Cain’s makeup, fermentation, and flavor in each 24-count box. Making such information readily available is sadly an industry rarity. So despite its occasional construction flaws and some bitter notes, the Cain Habano Toro earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The Partagas  Serie D No. 4 is one of the best regarded cigars in the world, and with good reason. That robusto (4.8 x 50) features a powerful combination of cedar and spice. It’s a classic representation of the fuller-bodied “new school” Cubans.

With that pedigree, it should come as no surprise that Habanos S.A. sought to capitalize on the Serie D No. 4 fame with a limited edition smoke. For the 2008 Edición Limitada, it introduced the slightly shorter Partagas Serie D No. 5, attempting to provide the flavor of the No. 4 in the trendy short robusto (4.3 x 50) format.

This double-banded Cuban features tobacco aged at least two years. The wrapper is oily, but it also has a number of large, unsightly veins. The cigar is relatively firm to the touch, and features a notably squared-off cap that requires a precise cut so as not to expose too much filler.

After a few puffs I was concerned that this was simply an overpriced dud. Fortunately, the vegetal flavors quickly faded, making way for a full-bodied, earthy smoke with black pepper. Later notes of cinnamon, clove, and leather emerged to provide new depth, although the leather sometimes fades into an unpleasant bitterness.

Construction is superb. Unlike many Cubans I’ve smoked lately, the burn is straight and requires no touch-ups.

Those combustion qualities make the complex, balanced flavors of the Partagas Serie D No. 5 easy to enjoy. A little tougher to enjoy is the price, which runs $15-20 per cigar.

Despite the price and occasional bitterness, this fireplug provides a lively 45-60 minutes of bold, intermingled flavors. That’s why the Partagas Serie D No. 5 LE 2008 earns a rating of four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Before I met Sean Williams at the IPCPR Trade Show in New Orleans last month, I had never heard of El Primer Mundo Cigars. I probably should have. In its young existence, his Atlanta-based boutique manufacturer has built a loyal following, earned some impressive reviews, and achieved nationwide distribution.

Sean will be the first to tell you that none of this would have happened without his “friend and mentor,” David Blanco of Los Blancos Cigars. David’s knowledge and connections to the Plasencia family inspired Sean to pursue his dream. “Spending time with these two great families gave me a humbling insight into the tobacco business and a sincere respect for the tradition, heritage, and pride that the great tobacco families hold,” says Sean on his website.

Today, El Primer Mundo is handmade by the Plasencias in Estelí, Nicaragua, and distributed by the Blancos. The tobacco comes from Plasencia’s farms.

In the case of the Habano Criollo Maduro blend, that tobacco includes a binder from Jalapa, filler from Nicaragua and Honduras, and a dark Havana-seed maduro wrapper. The classically sized Robusto is further accented by its beautiful band and rich fragrances of honey and cocoa.

While some of the sweetness carries over to the taste, the first third is dominated by notes of coffee beans, walnuts, and bitter chocolate. A great combination, albeit lacking in balance. The thick, hearty smoke all but coats the mouth for a long, flavorful finish with each easy puff.

The midway point is where the box-pressed Robusto really shines. Just as a black pepper spice enters the equation, a sugary taste creeps in to add depth and complexity and the meandering burn starts to self-correct. Notes of charred steak and intensified spice are evident as the 70-minute smoke comes to a close.

This selection from El Primer Mundo earns my respect for its interesting flavors and decent construction. It shows promise to improve with age, which would validate its $7-8 price tag. So, in my book, the Habano Criollo Maduro Robusto earns three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Philip Wynne, maker of Felipe Gregorio Cigars, has created many distinct blends, including some using Moroccan tobacco introduced at this year’s IPCPR Trade Show. But one blend we hadn’t seen from him until this year was a Dominican Puro.

“Pure” is a reference is to the Dominican-grown tobacco that makes up this new smoke. In fact, according to FG’s website, it all comes from a single finca (or farm) in the Cibao Valley.

Available in three sizes—Churchill (7 x 47), Corona (5 x 44), and Torpedo (5 x 54)—the blend is aged in cedar trunks for at least six months before being boxed. When it finally arrives in stores, Pure retails for around $10 each.

The Dominican wrapper is very oily with a few noticeable veins. The somewhat squared Torpedo is firm and well-constructed, and pre-light there are subtle fruit notes of dates.

Once lit, the cigar gives off a variety of intense flavors. Pure has lots of leather, cedar, and pepper with a background of cognac with a savory, charred meat. The finish is long and woody.

Despite the force of the flavors, Pure isn’t necessarily what I’d call a full-bodied smoke. Medium to full is a more apt description, especially since the final third mellows to more of a classic medium-bodied smoke.

As you’d expect from a cigar that costs $10, construction is notable with an even burn, a sturdy ash, and a draw with just the right amount of resistance. I was, however, disappointed that both of the samples I smoked for this review required re-lights in the final third because they extinguished. But Pure’s unique flavor profile compelled me to go on.

Pure has admirable construction, plenty of intensity, and remarkable complexity for a cigar built with tobacco all from one farm. That’s enough to earn the Felipe Gregorio Pure Torpedo a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys