The Stogie Guys

On the heels of its successful Perdomo Reserve line, which later evolved into the 10th Anniversary Reserve line, Perdomo released the highly-anticipated Perdomo ESV 1991 Vintage line in 2005. ESV stands for “Estate Selección Vintage,” and the line was an extension of the regular Perdomo Estate Selección line, which is no longer in regular production.

This Perdomo ESV Vintage  is comprised of vintage 1991 Nicaraguan fillers purchased by the late Nick Perdomo, Sr. in 1995. According to the Perdomo website, the tobacco was “stored in a bodega on the outskirts of Estelí” and “the existence of these rare tobaccos was discovered after Nick, Sr. passed away on July 2, 2004.” It’s far more believable than most of the stories of suddenly found caches of wonderful aged tobacco.

Around the vintage Nicaraguan filler is a Nicaraguan binder and a U.S.-grown Connecticut shade wrapper. The thick 5 inch by 54 ring gauge Regente has a flawless, slightly pale, cinnamon-colored wrapper that is remarkably vein-free and velvety to the touch.

I find the cigar naturally gives off subtle coffee flavors. After clipping, I notice a perfectly easy draw that will continue throughout the smoke, which lights up easily with just a few matches. I’d also encounter similary impressive construction with an attentively even burn and a solid ash.

The Regente has a complex profile that combines dry wood, leather, and roasted  coffee beans. Underneath there is a bit of cinnamon that provides subtle spicy sweetness. The dryness of the finish dominates the back end of the cigar’s flavors.

Overall, the Perdomo ESV has great balance and complexity until the finish kicks in, which is so singly woody and dry that it distracts from the great flavors this cigar has to offer.

Still, it’s a nice medium-bodied cigar with the excellent construction you’d expect from a stick that sells for $9-10 apiece. That combination earns the Perdomo ESV 1991 Vintage Regente a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. Cigars for this review were provided by Cigars Direct. You can purchase Perdomo cigars from Cigars Direct here.]

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Some brands inspire cigar enthusiasts to go to great lengths just to have a chance to buy their highly sought blends. El Mejor Emerald isn’t one of those brands. In fact, I’ve found that it’s quite the opposite—often serving as a filler stick in samplers with more attractive stogies.

But there are, apparently, many fans of this value brand around the online cigar community. I found several flattering reviews on blogs and forums that laud El Mejor Emerald for its simple, straightforward taste and low price tag. I wish I would have enjoyed this creation as much as they did. In the end, this value cigar left me neither delighted nor dismayed.

One of four cedar-wrapped vitolas, the Torpedo (6.5 x 54) includes Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos and a Honduran-grown corojo wrapper. It isn’t much to look at, despite of (or because of, I can’t decide which) the shaggy foot—a feature that is supposed to honor the “true old world fashion” of cigar making.

After removing the cellophane and the cedar strip, the dry, pale wrapper displays few veins and a musty pre-light aroma of damp earth. Then, after toasting the foot and establishing an even light, I encountered a taste much creamier and milder than expected.

That flavor is best described as light and airy with notes of cedar, peanuts, and some low-key spice. Nice yet uncomplicated and undemanding of much attention. And in contrast to what I read from some other reviewers, I found El Mejor Emerald to be fairly consistent in taste from start to finish.

The physical properties could have been a lot worse, especially for a cigar that sells for $3-4 apiece (and even less in samplers or on auction sites). While the burn tends to weave in and out, it doesn’t require serious maintenance. The draw is clear and open and the ash, though far too flaky for my liking, seems to hold pretty well.

All told, this is one of those decent cigars that works best on the golf course or as a complement to some other activity. It just doesn’t have the depth to deserve your undivided attention.

So, while I won’t go out of my way to buy more El Mejor Emeralds, I won’t go out of my way to avoid them in otherwise exciting samplers, either. That’s ultimately why the Torpedo earns three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Released in 2007, this Nicaraguan puro is made for Ashton by Don Pepin Garcia in his Tabacalera Cubana factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. It features a beautiful, oily, dark brown wrapper that shows a slight tooth.

The torpedo-shaped Fabuloso (6.125 x 52) is fairly smooth with one large vein that runs most of the length of the cigar.

I need to point out that one of the two cigars I smoked for this review included a loose wrapper that separated from the binder about a third of the way up from the foot. More on that later.

The pre-light aroma is nutty with a slight hint of chocolate. After an easy cut, I found a perfect pre-light draw with just the right amount of resistance.

The foot lights effortlessly and the burn is perfect at the start. Smooth and creamy, the initial flavor is predominantly earthy with a little spice and just a hint of bitter chocolate.

On the second Fabuloso I smoked (the one with the loose wrapper) I was forced to touch up some burn issues after the first third was complete—problems that likely arose due to the loose wrapper.

At this point, on either sample, the flavors begin to transition with the earthy taste fading just a little bit, and dark chocolate and coffee notes coming to the forefront.

The burn continues to be a little ragged but does not require any more touch ups. The dark chocolate and coffee flavors remain until about the last inch and then fade away after being replaced by some spicy and grassy notes.

While this is a very pleasant $9-10 cigar with good complexity, the lack of consistency in construction detracts from the experience and ultimately prevents the San Cristobal Fabuloso from receiving a mark higher than four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick M

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The Diplomáticos No. 2 is a classic Cuban cigar with classic proportions. In fact, the smoke has the same proportions (6.125 x 52) as the iconic Montecristo No. 2. (All five Diplomáticos currently in production have the same proportions as the Montecristo of the same name.)

Diplomáticos was the first new line of Cuban cigars to be publicly launched after the beginning of the Castro regime but, ironically, given its name, it wasn’t the Diplomáticos but the Cohiba line (which was not for sale to the general public at the time) that was given exclusively to visiting dignitaries and diplomats. Instead, Diplomáticos ended up mainly as a brand to be exported to France, where its milder profile was  preferred.

In 1966, Diplomáticos was originally created as a less expensive and milder version of the Montecristo, and that reputation remains today. All of which makes it a prime candidate for a “value” Cuban cigar, particularly in the  popular and often expensive Pyramide shape.

While not necessarily a value by non-Cuban standards, the Diplomáticos No. 2 sells for around $11 individually and around $9 per cigar by the box. That’s nearly $5 less than the Montecristo No. 2. (I payed around 10 Euros each, including 3 Euros each in French taxes for the two sticks I sampled for this review. Both were purchased  at a shop in Paris’  Odeon area that was recommended to me by Denis of the Cigar Inspector website.)

The Diplomáticos No. 2 features an attractive wrapper with small veins, and my samples even had the beginnings of some plume, showing that the cigars had some age. While it had a sweet, creamy aroma pre-light, it was noticeably soft to the touch, often a precursor to draw and ash problems.

Once lit, I found a combination of creamy peanut butter and grass. There was some significant bitterness that went in and out, and the pyramide had a long grassy finish.

The construction was similarly a mixed bag. While the burn was relatively even, the draw was at times extremely difficult. The ash held for at least a half an inch, after which it would sometimes unexpectedly fall off.

For a similar Cuban smoke at a true value price ($3 or less per stick) I’d prefer the Por Larrañaga Panatella. It has a similar flavor, costs less, than a third of the price, and sports better construction. On the other hand, for significantly better construction and more complexity in the pyramide size, I’d say you’re better off spending a few dollars more and smoking the Montecristo No. 2.

This is a mild- to medium-bodied cigar with lots of potential  and some pleasant flavors, but it ultimately disappoints due to the bitterness and construction issues. Because there are better options at both higher and lower prices, the Diplomáticos No. 2 earns a rating of two and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I’ve never explicitly put it this way before but, for me, a good cigar is definitely a panacea: a virtual cure-all. I’m guessing many of you would share that sentiment. And there’s no denying that Paul Bush, owner of the Flatbed Cigar Co., would agree that premium tobacco can be a remedy for ills or difficulties.

That passion inspired Paul to found Flatbed, which released its first cigar—the Panacea Black—to mid-Atlantic retailers in October 2007. “Selling from the trunk of my car, I enjoyed the company of hundreds of cigar enthusiasts, shop owners, and patrons alike, as I made my way from DC to Boston,” he wrote in Stogie Fresh’s Cigar Journal. “Panacea is now in 42 stores and growing steadily.”

Although Flatbed distributes out of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, the company’s operations center on its factory in the Dominican Republic. There, experienced rollers turn out two different Panacea blends, both of which include Dominican binders and filler composed of Cuban-seed seco, ligero, olor Dominicano, and Nicaraguan tobaccos.

The Natural line is finished with a clean, nearly flawless Connecticut Ecuadorian wrapper that features a bumpy terrain and a soft touch from head to foot. I smoked two Toros (6 x 50) for this review. Both took a clean cut and produced a pre-light nose of sweet hay and dry foliage.

The initial taste, which shines through in the voluminous smoke, exhibits traits similar to other Connecticut-wrapped smokes—cream, butter, nuts, and paper. But there’s more going on here. A tiny hint of what I’d call nutmeg spice, for example, keeps the flavor plenty interesting.

Not much changes in the well-balanced profile from beginning to end, save for a slight increase in spice down the home stretch. That isn’t necessarily a criticism, though; I enjoyed the Toro for its crisp consistency.

Adding to this cigar’s value are superb combustion qualities, including a razor-sharp burn, a clear draw, and a sturdy gray ash.

That’s why, when it’s all said and done, I can heartily recommend the Panacea Black Natural Toro as a great morning to mid-afternoon selection for everyday smoking. Keep your eyes open for this vitola in B&Ms in the eastern half of the country, or buy a four-pack from Flatbed’s online shop for $24. While this cigar may not cure all of life’s problems, its smooth taste and great construction earns 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

When I think of things that are barrel aged I think of wine, bourbon, beer, and rum. But, thanks to José Blanco and the oldest cigar company in the Dominican Republic, now I think of stogies too. And for that I am grateful.

This blend, which debuted in August 2007 at the IPCPR Trade Show, features tobacco aged in oak barrels that were once home to Dominican rum. The process doesn’t necessarily infuse the leaves with a rum taste; rather, it speeds up the fermentation process. And while this idea isn’t new to the people over at La Aurora, the Barrel Aged blend is the first cigar they’ve made with 100 percent barrel aged tobacco.

They seem to have found a winning concept. The Belicoso (6.25 x 52), one of four vitolas in the line, was named the 14th best cigar of 2008 by Cigar Aficionado. The magazine imparted a rating of 92, writing the stick is “one of the company’s top cigars since its landmark 100 Años.”

With a dark, russet-colored corojo wrapper and a pre-light aroma of sweet chocolate and nuts, this cigar is downright appealing right out of the cellophane. The oily texture and hardened veins impart a feeling of age, even though the tobacco is likely only a few years old at this point.

The initial flavor is spicy with dominant hints of coffee beans, clove, and that straightforward tobacco taste that’s typical of corojo tobacco. The Dominican and Nicaraguan binder and filler leaves produce plenty of complexity yet zero harshness.

Sweet, woody, earthy…there’s a lot going on here. A touch of bite on the finish joins in the fray down the home stretch, and there it remains until you’re forced to set the nub down for good.

Fortunately, the physical properties mostly live up to this cigar’s $6.50-9 price tag. The draw is easy and smooth and the white, finely layered ash holds strong until tapped. I only wish the burn didn’t require as many touch-ups to stay even.

That aside, this is an outstanding choice for someone who enjoys the raw taste of a well-balanced, nicely constructed cigar. I applaud José Blanco and his colleagues for experimenting with the barrel aged concept. And I give the La Aurora Barrel Aged Belicoso 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

When he launched his cigar operation in the mid-nineties, few expected an outsider like Rocky Patel to survive for a decade. He had no Cuban heritage and no ancestral roots in an industry dominated by firms that are often family owned and operated for generations.

Rocky, however, did much more than merely survive the cigar boom. Bolstered by critical acclaim, blockbuster sales, and a reputation as one of the hardest working men in the business, his star rose to iconic status. And his Decade blend celebrates how he achieved ten years of success “against all odds.”

Speaking of odds, odds are you’ve probably tried at least one of the original four vitolas offered in the Decade lineup since they were released in November 2007. These smokes have garnered tremendously high ratings from Cigar Aficionado which, as one retailer recently told us, has driven consumer demand to the point of shortages on B&M shelves.

But most of you likely haven’t yet had the opportunity to sample the newest Decade size: the six inch by 60 ring gauge Emperor. Released in March, this cigar was born of Rocky’s success with wider sticks and intends to capitalize on the current “thicker is better” trend that’s reverberating throughout the industry.

While the Robusto, Lonsdale, Torpedo, and Toro Decade cigars are all box-pressed, the formidable Emperor boasts a typical parejo shape. That’s about where the differences end. It too is handmade at Nestor Plasencia’s El Paraiso Factory in Danlí and is composed of a dark Ecuador Sumatra wrapper and binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua.

Fairly soft to the touch, the Emperor yields an abundant pre-light aroma of cherry and chocolate. Its generous proportions include plenty of texture and tooth but few veins or seams.

From the very beginning you can tell this is the sort of cigar that has an incredible amount of flavor with very little strength. I encountered tastes of cocoa, nuts, and cream with a long, spicy finish. No harshness to be found. Of equal importance is the fact that the plentiful resting smoke produces an intoxicating scent that’s akin to a Vintage ’90 or ’92.

The white ash is soft, sandy, and flaky, and the draw—as you’d expect from such a wide cigar—is very clear. Unfortunately, the burn requires more touch-ups to stay even than I’d like from a stogie that retails for approximately $10-13 apiece.

Not withstanding that flaw, this marvelous 120-minute smoke includes enough subtlety and nuance to impress seasoned cigar veterans and enough forthrightness and accessibility to win over newbies. That’s why I’m giving the Rocky Patel Decade Emperor four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys