The Stogie Guys

A few days ago, I received an email requesting a review of the generously-proportioned Battalion Maduro from Rocky’s Edge line of cigars. I never seem to have exactly what readers want in my stash, but I did find a handful of Toros and—with a promise to track down a few Battalions in the foreseeable future—embarked upon this review.

The Edge line was launched in 2004 to great fanfare. Aside from its reasonable price and creative marketing scheme (The slogan, even for Corojos: “Professional Smokers Only. Smoke While Sitting Down.”), I’d bet much of the success was due to Rocky’s decision to sell the blend naked. In 2006, though, he added thin bands across the bottom of each stick, perhaps a result of his claim that The Edge is “the most imitated” cigar on the market.

I found a lot of conflicting information about the blend’s makeup. What I do know, according to Rocky’s website, is the binder is Nicaraguan and the filler is “secret.” Rocky quips, “I guarantee you we have tobacco in that cigar from a special country that nobody [else] uses.” What nation could it be? Finland? Anyways, our friends at KOTF note that The Edge is produced in conjunction with the Plasencia family in Danli, Honduras.

At six inches in length with a ring gauge of 52, the Toro’s maduro wrapper is firm, oily, and dark with few veins and carefully applied seams. The cream-colored band across the tightly-wrapped foot is unique and attention-grabbing, almost drawing you in to the mouth-watering prelight notes of espresso.

The cigar is advertised as a full-bodied, make-you-weak-in-the-knees experience, and the first few inches certainly deliver. I found lots of peppercorn and what can be described as a bitter black coffee flavor. The thick smoke has lots of texture with a hearty, biting aftertaste.

The last four inches are very similar in taste, if not a bit more mellow. It took me an average of about 100 minutes each to smoke three Toros, and I found even burns, clear draws, and solid gray ashes across the board.

Whether or not this cigar lives up to its laughable warning—many reviews claim it doesn’t, but what cigar could?—is not all that important. The bottom line is it delivers tons of enjoyable, albeit predictable, flavor with good physical properties. Plus, the price is sub-$5 whether you buy by the bundle or by the rustic wooden cabinet of 100.

My advice? If you’re into powerful smokes, go ahead and pick up a stash of your own. Just remember to smoke them on a full stomach. I give the Rocky Patel Edge Toro Maduro four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This massive cigar with a silly name from Alec Bradley aptly fills the niche for those who want a large stick. Its 60 ring gauge is nearly an inch in diameter and it runs 6 and 3/8 inches from head to foot (even larger than The Fix I reviewed back in March).

I picked one up when I went to a shop recently to watch a little football. It wasn’t a particularly good choice. On the plus side, The Freak burned well, had a good draw, and produced a lot of smoke.

The $5.75 price tag also seemed most reasonable. But a single negative outweighed those points: The cigar is one-dimensional and lasts so long it became boring.

That was somewhat surprising because the filler is a four-country mix of tobacco from Colombia, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Honduras, with a Costa Rican binder and a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper. I’d rate it as medium in strength with a flavor mostly of tobacco with a hint of leather and earthiness—over and over and over.

This cigar is obviously for those who are into the current trend for big cigars. If that appeals to you and you’re just looking for something to puff for a couple of hours, then The Freak could be your stick. Personally, if I’m going to be so distracted that I assume I’ll barely notice the cigar I’m smoking, I’d rather not smoke.

I certainly wouldn’t call this a bad cigar; it’s just not a cigar I’m particularly interested in smoking again. Putting everything in perspective, I rate the Alec Bradley Maxx The Freak three out of five stogies.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

At the 2008 IPCPR cigar trade show, General Cigars released a host of new lines. Overshadowed by the higher profile releases of the Cohiba Puro Domincana, Macanudo 1968, and La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Miami, the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Legend was released to be a newer, bolder Hoyo.

The Excalibur Legend features the same Connecticut grown Havana wrapper that is featured on the Hoyo de Monterrey Dark Knight. The filler features Nicaraguan tobacco from both the mainland and the same volcanic island of Ometepe (the same as is used in the Macanudo 1968), blended with ligero tobacco from the Dominican Republic.

The wrapper is shiny and oily with some prominent veins and a lush Colorado brown color. Prelight earth and hints of pepper are apparent from the firm cigar. The band looks similar to the original Hoyo de Monterray Excalibur line, but with a regal red color below the gold band.

Once lit, I found a medium- to full-bodied cigar with cool smoke. It had a charred meaty flavor with black pepper initially, then evolved to earth and paper while the pepper still persisted. A slight bitter aftertaste comes and goes throughout.

The construction on this five and 1/4 inch by 50 ring gauge robusto was impressive. The draw was deliberate and firm, but not difficult. The burn was even, with a shiny black line leading the way for a sturdy ash.

For around $7 per stick, this cigar has impressive qualities, even if it’s a bit on the pricey side. While not overly complex, it fulfills its goal of recreating the Hoyo Excalibur with a slightly fuller flavor. The paper flavor is particularly reminiscent of the original Excalibur line.

In the end, the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Legend Challenger earns three and 1/2 out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The name for this cigar line, says company chief Darryl Lieser, “was conceived as something that was fun, edgy, and reminiscent of the good times we had when we were in high school and college.” And this vitola—aptly named at 6.5 inches in length with a ring gauge of 54—would undoubtedly last a long way into a Friday night fraternity party.

It’s one of two new blends from Isla de Cuba, though unlike the Blend 376, the simple silver Wango Tango band carries nothing to identify it with the company. One promotion to introduce it for the October rollout, according to Lieser, will be a four-pack sampler with all three lines that sells for under $10.

Lieser, whose initial Isla de Cuba was inspired by a pre-revolution Cuban Montecristo No. 3, said he was trying to achieve a medium- to full-bodied smoke with the Wango Tango. (The Tampa-based manufacturer launched in February with Classic and Aged Maduro blends.)

“It was inspired by the unique blending process of super-premium distilled spirits, by using the finest, small batch tobacco harvests available,” Lieser wrote in an email. While the wrapper and binder are Connecticut broadleaf, the company identifies the filler only as a proprietary blend from four countries. In addition to the Biggie, which lists for $6.95, Wango Tango comes in one longer and two shorter sizes that range in price from $5.95 to $7.25.

I found the construction to be excellent, with an interesting white ash and a good burn. That last point is important with a cigar this large because it lasts so long you’re almost certain to have to set it down a few times for one reason or another.

The most prominent taste was leather, with a little sweetness edging in at about the halfway point. Strength increased a bit in the final third, and I found that to be the most enjoyable part of the cigar. As with most large cigars I’ve smoked, it was a little difficult to stay interested from start to finish. Ultimately, though, the Wango Tango Biggie earns a solid rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Call it quality or call it hype, but I’m never surprised when I see Cubans rated highly in mainstream cigar publications. I think the greater stogie community, however, was caught off guard when a Bolivar—not considered one of Habanos SA’s flagship brands—was named Cigar of the Year by Cigar Aficionado in 2006.

The four and 7/8 inch by 50 ring gauge Royal Corona earned that title, along with a rating of 94, for its “sophisticated flavor bomb of smoke with an array of rich character, including touches of chocolate, coffee, and leather.” You can watch Gordon Mott and James Suckling of CA profess their admiration in this video.

Produced at the H. Upmann factory in relatively limited quantities (only 300,000 were made in 2006), this cigar has been hailed as symbolic of Cuba’s return to glory and reminiscent of Habanos from the golden ’80s and ’90s. Textured, clean, and firm, a slight box press and a beautifully adhered flat cap add to its character and mystique.

I’ve had the good fortune to smoke six Royal Coronas over the past few months, and I’m happy to report all the accolades and rave reviews are well deserved. This is simply one of the most satisfying cigars around, and the price—about $10 for a single or $215 for a box of 25—is very fair for the tremendous, full-bodied experience.

If the radiant prelight aromas of nuts and milk chocolate don’t make you salivate, toasting the foot certainly will. From there, you’ll find a dry, woody spice with hints of cocoa sweetness. Other tastes also pop in and out, including leather, coffee, and plenty of floral notes.

Aside from being extremely well-balanced and complex, this exquisite smoke doesn’t fall into the same construction traps with which many of its Cuban cousins grapple. The ash holds well, the draw is clear and deliberate, and the burn, albeit imperfect, self-corrects its own missteps. Expect the slow smoke time to be closer to a toro than a robusto.

Awards and ratings aside, this is the sort of creation that makes me proud to be a cigar enthusiast. I’m simply infatuated with the Bolivar Royal Corona, and I have no qualms about adding a rating of five out of five stogies to its growing trophy case.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

When I think of Panama, the first thing that comes to mind is the canal—not tobacco. But the Central American country has been manufacturing cigars for 100 years and, as evidenced by the Joyas de Panama brand, should be included in the growing list of nations that are exporting tobacco to the U.S. and elsewhere.

Until recently, Joyas de Panama has been sold exclusively in Europe. BCB Design, however, which acquired the brand in the fall, began introducing these Cuban-seed Panamanian puros to the U.S. market at the 76th Annual IPCPR Trade Show in July.

The blend includes a Sumatran wrapper and long-fillers grown in the Chiriqui province of Panama, “a lush region well known for its agricultural products.” Joyas says the leaves are completely organic with “no chemicals, pesticides, or machines…used in he growing or production of this sustainable product.”

Under the supervision of Miriam Padilla, a 26-year cigar vet, the Joyas de Panama factory turns out five different handmade vitolas. I smoked two Especial No. 1s (6.5 x 45) for this review, and each was very difficult to remove from its ultra-tight cellophane sleeve.

Once out in the open, the veiny, partially discolored wrapper gives off plenty of sugar-cookie sweetness. While relatively solid between the fingers, a cross-section inspection reveals the filler is bunched loosely, helping to contribute to the cigar’s even draw despite its thin physique.

The initial taste is sort of bland and uninspiring with an airy, hollow character. Fortunately, the quick additions of vanilla, onion spice, leather, and oak lend some life to the mild- to medium-bodied profile, and moderate increases in burnt sugar down the stretch keep things interesting and pretty satisfying.

For the value price of $60 per bundle of 25, I was most impressed with the 80-minute smoke’s construction. Both of my cigars exhibited very even burns, clear draws, and well-fortified ashes.

My overall assessment is that these outstanding physical properties, coupled with the minimal cost, render the Joyas de Panama Especial No. 1 a decent early morning golf, walk, or newspaper companion. Just don’t expect the cigar’s flavors to be especially captivating or complex on their own. That’s why I give it three out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

At the IPCPR Darryl Liesler, the man behind Isla de Cuba, handed me one of his new cigars. Called Blend 376, Isler told me the name came about because the final product represents the 376th blend tested while the cigar was being created. While I was able to try one of the 376 cigars while in Vegas, my palate was a bit dulled from smoking cigars by the handful, so I was glad to have the opportunity to smoke a few more and publish this review just as the cigar begins hitting stores.

This Isla features a dark attractive wrapper with a slight box press. The Robusto Extra (5.5 x 50) is firm to the touch.

The cigar is wrapped with a Mexican San Andres leaf, a Nicaraguan binder, and a blend of fillers from Nicaragua, Honduras, and other “secret” Central American tobaccos. (Why the secret? I’m not sure, but two theories come to mind: Perhaps it’s an illusion to the use of Cuban tobacco, or maybe just a way to avoid naming a politically unpopular country like Venezuela. Then again, maybe it’s just secret so cigar reviewers will talk about it!)

Pre-light I find notes of peanuts. The 376 lights up easily, quickly revealing a solid white ash. The draw is deliberate but not difficult, and the ash will hold for a whole inch. Three of the four cigars I smoked for this review burned perfectly from light to nub, while the fourth required only a slight touchup.

The flavors of the Blend 376 are reminiscent to, but not the same as, the original Classic blend. The cigar is toasty with leather and lots of nut flavors—both peanut and cashew come to mind. The short finish features roast coffee, a sensation that leaves the mouth watering.

The Blend 376 is medium-bodied and well-balanced. The flavors don’t change throughout the cigar, but they are still interesting enough to keep you engaged for the entire stick. I found that the Blend 376 reminded me of one of my favorite smokes, the Padrón 1926 (incidentally also a box-pressed smoke), although the 376 isn’t quite as complex.

At around $7 apiece, it may be a stretch to call this cigar a bargain, but I certainly think it is fair price. All things considered, between well-balanced and interesting flavors, excellent physical properties, and a reasonable price, I think Isla de Cuba has a real hit with this new cigar. The Isla de Cuba Blend 376 earns the exemplary rating of four and a half out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys