The Stogie Guys

While there are no doubt exceptions, seasoned cigar smokers mostly tend to steer clear of Macanudo. America’s top-selling brand is often viewed as a gateway cigar that should be dismissed for heartier, more complex creations as one graduates from occasional smoker status to a full-blown brother of the leaf.

I have to admit my own cigar consumption has been affected by this stigma. So I recently challenged myself to reexamine Macanudo’s Robust line—something I hadn’t done for almost three years before I embarked upon this review.

Advertised as “more flavorful and complex” than the Café blend, Robust was launched in 1998 to “immediate success.” (Then again, what stogie introduction wasn’t successful at the height of the cigar boom?) Today’s eight-vitola version of the Daniel Nuñez-crafted line hit shelves in 2003 with a Connecticut shade wrapper, a Connecticut broadleaf binder, and filler tobaccos from Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.

The five and a half inch by 42 ring gauge Duke of Devon is a small, slender stick with a dry, coarse appearance. You’ll find plenty of wrinkles, veins, and bumps on the rustic wrapper. Fortunately, while this rugged cigar looks like a value smoke, it also sells like one (under $3.50 apiece when bought by the box of 25).

As the foot lights evenly and easily, the faint pre-light aroma of cedar turns into a taste of birch and paper that’s mild but not without a spicy aftertaste. The tobacco struggles to produce much flavor well into the first inch.

Dry cedar, salt, and cereals are dominant at the midway point, all of which are underscored by a molasses-like taste in the final third. This is where the 50-minute smoke is at its spiciest and best.

The Duke of Devon’s physical properties are excellent, especially for the low price range. I experienced a razor-sharp burn, a sturdy white ash, and a moderate draw across two samples.

All things considered, this cigar has its place. It’s well-constructed companion smoke that won’t get in the way of some other activity (golf, poker, reading, yard work, etc.). You shouldn’t pay much and you shouldn’t expect much either. That’s why the Macanudo Robust Duke of Devon earns two and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Despite missing out on the Hall of Fame this past year, legendary baseball player Luis “El Tiante” Tiant continues his quest to make hall of fame cigars. The former pitcher initially launched his El Tiante Cigars line with two variations, Natural and Maduro, and since has added a corojo-wrapped blend.

The El Tiante Corojo line was introduced at last year’s IPCPR trade show and was described as their most full-flavored release yet. While the company’s website does not yet include the Corojo (I’m told the update is in progress), I got the details of the cigar’s origins directly from Kevin Anderson of El Tiante Cigars.

Via email, he told me “the cigar is made with a Corojo seed fifth priming wrapper leaf, the country of origin is our little secret. The binder is a Sumatra seed grown in Ecuador. The fillers are all Nicaruagan. Half of the filler is all Ligero. Just like our Natural and Maduro, all the cigars are draw tested and aged about 90 days (usually more ) before they leave the factory.”

The “secret” corojo wrapper is medium brown, dry, and relatively vein-free. Pre-light, the Belicoso (6 x 54) has a sweet grass and herbal aroma.

Construction is impressive. The cigar is extremely firm to the touch and the cap is seamlessly applied. An easy snip with my Xikar cutter revealed tightly packed filler with a firm but manageable draw.

After lighting, I find a core of intense dry, woody cedar. The cigar also has the classic corojo flavor of sweet spice, as well as a rare, smooth herbal taste.

The profile is medium-bodied, with a short, slightly salty finish that undoes an otherwise balanced smoke. As it progresses, an earthier flavor settles in with some roasted cashew notes.

Like its Maduro and Natural companions, the El Tiante Corojo sells for the fair price of around $7 per stick—not a must-buy value stick but worth picking up. It’s a tasty cigar with great construction.

Most impressive is that the flavor is a unique combination of woodiness, herbal notes, and spice. It won’t be for everyone, but those who appreciate complexity and subtlety will find this cigar rewarding. For that, the El Tiante Corojo Torpedo 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

Por Larrañaga is a famous Cuban brand that holds the title of oldest continuously produced cigar in the world, having first been created in 1834. And as detailed in this review, there are no shortage of non-Cuban imitations to this famous frontmark, with at least three different lines being produced.

The Cuban Grade is a recent addition to the Por Larrañaga universe. In early 2007, Cuban Imports began distributing the line, which is made in the Flor de Copán factory in Honduras.

The 5.5 inch by 44 ring gauge corona gorda is made with a deep brown maduro wrapper from the San Andres Valley of Mexico. Inside is a Mexican binder and a mixture of Dominican and Honduran long-fillers. The cigars I sampled tended to be a bit spongy, and a few had one particularly soft side that would go on to create burn problems.

With a dark toothy appearance, this maduro tasted a lot like it looked: rich and earthy but with a bit of dry bitterness. The flavor reminds me of dark bitersweet chocolate. It’s not a particularly complex smoke, but it has a nice medium-bodied profile that goes well with a cup of espresso.

The construction, however, wasn’t very impressive. The ash is flaky and tends to fall off unexpectedly, often after only a half inch. And while most of the samples I tried burned evenly, one in four sticks required a touch-up. Fortunately, the firm draw was not problematic.

One of the most interesting aspects of the Por Larrañaga Cuban Grade line is the price. The suggested retail price for abox of 20 is $120. On some websites, though, they can be found for the most reasonable price of $40 a box. At that price I suspect a smoker would be willing to deal with some of the construction issues that I found.

All in all, this relatively new Por Larrañaga won’t blow anyone away and the persistent construction issues were disappointing. But that doesn’t mean it won’t make a pleasant accompaniment to a cup of coffee or a round of golf—at least for 45 minutes of it. For that, the Por Larrañaga Cuban Grade Corona Gorda Maduro earns a rating of three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

With limited production, high prices, and few retailers, Graycliff is among the most elusive of the super premium cigar brands. And I suspect, for many of us, Enrico Garzaroli’s creations will become even more obscure as today’s economic turmoil continues to take its toll.

Nevertheless, there are deals to be had. You can avoid this 6 inch by 52 ring gauge cigar’s regular price tag by picking it up in online samplers—a good strategy if you haven’t yet tried a 1666, since the Pirate vitola retails for $12-16 apiece by the box or 5-pack.

Various Graycliff lines, from Château Grand Cru and Espresso to Profesionale and Emerald, have earned high marks in mainstream publications like Cigar Aficionado and Smoke Magazine. To date, I’ve enjoyed every Graycliff I’ve encountered. I remain skeptical, however, that they’re worth the extremely high cost.

I set out to see if the 1666 blend would be an exception with the help of two Pirates from my humidor. Created to commemorate the year a church was built on the land that now holds the Graycliff Hotel, this line includes a Jaltepec maduro wrapper, an Ecuador Sumatra binder, and long filler tobaccos from Peru, Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico.

I found tons of hearty flavors off the dark, textured, and splotchy wrapper, including raisin, espresso, and cocoa. Dare I say it almost captures the prelight aroma of an Opus X?

While this stick is undoubtedly firmer than other Graycliffs (which isn’t saying much), it clips cleanly to reveal a light, airy draw. The foot lights effortlessly and starts with a surprisingly gentle flavor of plum, cream, and coffee. Each puff yields plentiful tufts of smoke.

As the straight burn progresses past the first inch, I am reminded of a moist chocolate cake flavor that is found in cigars with mata fina wrappers like the Alonso Menendez. Delicious. Maintaining a flavorful, medium-bodied profile throughout, the final third sees a slightly lamentable departure to more typical cigar tastes of tobacco and pepper.

The well-behaved burn stays even to the nub with only rare instances of required maintenance. The ash builds nicely off the foot for up to two inches, but it’s less sturdy than it looks; ash early and often if you’re smoking indoors or if you want to avoid a lapful.

All things considered, and even though this creation isn’t worthy of such an obnoxious price tag, the Graycliff 1666 Pirate earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This pricey corona was a gift I smoked after several months in the humidor because it was a pretty day that seemed to call for a lovely cigar. With an Ecuadorian sungrown Connecticut wrapper and a great prelight aroma, this Davidoff-produced stick launched by no less than Sir Winston’s grandson seemed to fill the bill.

As is so often the (annoying) case, getting straight information on the cigar’s composition isn’t easy. The Davidoff site says the four sizes “incorporate four different specially composed tobacco blends,” while the cigar’s site is a little more informative. It refers, without specifics, to all the tobaccos as Dominican, Peruvian, Nicaraguan, and Ecuadorian.

At any rate, the Chequers, a 5.5 inch cigar with a 46 ring gauge, proved to be an interesting smoke. I have seen some criticism calling it a one-dimensional cigar, but I didn’t find it that way. At the light, there was a mixture of roasted nuts and leather. Later, I got some citrus notes, hay, and a little cedar as the strength remained medium. It had a slow burn though the ash was not tight.

Each of the four sizes in the line is named after a place that was significant in Churchill’s life, with a thin secondary identifying band. Chequers is the prime minister’s country home (think of a much older, much grander version of Camp David) that Churchill often visited during World War II and was the site for some of his famous broadcast speeches.

As you would expect from Davidoff, who is in this venture with global giant Swedish Match, the Winston Churchill is expensive. A box of 25 Chequers will run you in the neighborhood of $320 and a single from $12 to $15.

Is it worth the money? Well, you’ll have to make up your own mind about that. After all, one man’s “affordable” is another man’s “outrageous.” I found it to be a good cigar, worthy of four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Absolute Cigars

After the introduction of the Jameson Cigar Co. last March, and bolstered by a generous web offer of two sticks and a T-shirt for the cost of postage, it seemed like the entire online cigar community was writing about the new cigar outfit. So Jameson’s strategy had worked. The only problem, however, were the mixed reviews of the company’s original blend.

As Jameson President Brad Mayo told me, that Sumatra-wrapped line, now called the Red Label, was re-blended “due to several factors, including changes at the factory and problems with the wrapper. It now consists of an all-Dominican filler, Honduran binder, and Ecuadorian wrapper.”

After a positive experience with the relatively new Black Label, I decided to sit down with a couple five inch by 54 ring gauge Perfectos—the most intriguing vitola in the Red Label lineup. The shape and size features a classic yet unique character that I wish more manufacturers made available.

Handmade in Santiago, Dominican Republic, the cigar includes a dry, almost flawless Connecticut shade Ecuadorian leaf with a light yellow hue. It emanates a pleasant aroma sweet sawdust and clips cleanly to reveal a well-packed interior.

The draw, initially on the tighter side, gives way to a taste of cream, cedar, and a few floral notes. Each mild-tasting puff produces a good amount of smoke as the thick mascara widens.

At its widest point, the Perfecto’s draw loosens and notes of spice, grass, and cereals become more apparent. This is the cigar’s sweet spot. The finely layered, dark gray ash builds sturdily off the foot and holds strong in a cone-like shape for two inches or more. The burn isn’t razor-sharp, but it doesn’t require any touch-ups or re-lights.

For me, this 60-minute smoke strikes a nice balance for mid-afternoon relaxation—a good combination of high notes with a touch of bass. And the price ($30 per five-pack, $120 per box of 20) isn’t intimidating.

For its pleasurable mild- to medium-bodied profile, suitable construction, and the versatility to pair with a tasty brew or a well-mixed cocktail, the Jameson Red Label Perfecto earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Over the years I’ve learned that you can judge a cigar by its appearance about as accurately as you can a book by its cover. This powerful-looking Ernesto Padilla creation, though, delivers exactly what its commanding presence promises.

One of a lineup of Edición Especial cigars released by Padilla in 2006, the Obsidian features a blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos, a Honduran-grown corojo binder, and a jet-black Nicaraguan ligero wrapper leaf.

While production was supposed to stop after 50,000 Obsidians, Cigars International is still selling “an encore performance” in “limited quantities” ($100 per bundle or $30 per five-pack). It’s worth noting, due to the continuation, that the “2006” refers not to the age of the tobacco but only to the year the original batch was released. Sneaky, sneaky.

The six inch by 54 ring gauge belicoso-shaped vitola is the only size still available from this burly blend. It is dark, formidable, and thick with few veins and barely noticeable seams. Intense prelight notes of dark chocolate and nuts abound.

The cold taste yielded some spice on the lips and a relatively tight draw—undoubtedly the product of the cigar’s ultra-tight packing. Once lit, I encountered a strong, mouth-coating taste of black pepper, leather, and hints of tea. The flavor settles after the first inch to include a cocoa sweetness, only to amp up again down the home stretch.

Regrettably, the meandering and finicky burn requires constant monitoring and occasional corrections. The ash is also on the flakey side.

When it’s all said and done, this heavy-handed beast of a cigar finishes just about par for the course. It’s certainly not inspiring or extraordinary, but it’s definitely satisfying, full-bodied, and appropriately priced. For that, I give the Padilla Edición Especial 2006 Obsidian three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys