The Stogie Guys

The latest release from EO Brands stands apart from the company’s highly praised 601 series, though they’re all blended by Pepin Garcia and rolled in his Nicaraguan factory.

Visually, there’s the rough Ecuadorian-grown Sumatra wrapper. More importantly, the Cubao’s flavor profile is different with not as much pepper and a complexity that is enhanced by a smoothness and a little dryness—reminiscent of some good Cubans.

According to EO partner Erik Espinosa, the response since the IPCPR introduction has been exceptional. The first shipments went to four shops on a Monday and reorders were in just eight days later, he said.

I met Espinosa recently at a Cubao event at MJM Fine Cigars. An old hand at these kinds of affairs, Espinosa entertained smokers with stories, jokes, and cigar conversations. I’d been lucky enough to smoke a couple of Cubao robustos earlier, and was primed to buy a box before I arrived.

The robusto is a 5.5 inch stick with a 52 ring gauge that I bought individually for $6.80. (It is important to note that the No. 6 is slightly larger than the No. 4, which Patrick A and Patrick S jointly reviewed a few weeks ago, even though both fit into a loose definition of a robusto.)

A box of 20 is under $120. So far, all that I’ve smoked have burned evenly, had good draws, and consistent flavors. The Nicaraguan filler and binder burned slowly and produced thick, white smoke.

EO creates an interesting juxtaposition with the old-world look of distressed wooden boxes and simple paper bands combined with 21st century bar code labels on the cellophane of each stick.

When looking to create new blends, Espinosa said, it is getting more and more difficult to secure adequate supplies of top-quality tobacco. “I could make the greatest cigar in the world,” he said. “But if I can only make one box of them, what good is that?”

I truly enjoy the Cubao. I find it to be a flavorful medium-strength cigar that rewards attention each time with complexity and consistency. I give it four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

For former real estate entrepreneur Paul Garmirian, it all started with The Gourmet Guide to Cigars (1990). He spent nine years researching and writing the book, landing solid cigar contacts in the Dominican Republic and gaining the confidence to produce his own blend.

The very first PG cigars were officially released nationwide at a dinner in Chicago in 1991. Since then, according to U.S. News & World Report, they have become favorites among many politicians and celebrities, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, David Letterman, and the last three presidents.

Paul expanded his operations in 1991 with the introduction of Gourmet Series II. Offered in Torpedo and Robusto—and later in Connoisseur and Belicoso Fino—the blend features a Connecticut shade wrapper and Dominican binder and filler tobaccos, all handmade in Santiago.

The 5 inch, 50 ring gauge Robusto has a suggested retail of $237.50 for a box of 25 or $38 for a four-pack. Relatively firm to the touch, I found rich, salty notes off the head after a clean clip and conspicuous wrinkles and veins across the pale brown wrapper. The overall feel is one of quality and craftsmanship.

The opening puffs are salty with a parched oak flavor and some hints of cream. I was surprised by the overpowering dryness of the smoke, especially given PG’s commitment to balance, a running theme at their recent “Cut and Taste” event at Morton’s. Fortunately, after the first few minutes I found more parity with the additions of smooth butter and red cedar spice. The mild- to medium-bodied profile works well on its own, but I find is best enjoyed as a complement to drink and cuisine.

While the flavor is enjoyable, the $9.50 per cigar price tag is primarily justified by the cigar’s construction. I smoked two Robustos for this review, each with clear draws, solid ashes, and burns as straight as you’ll find on any cigar.

All told, my rather obvious conclusion is that this cigar isn’t a great choice if you’re trying to save money. But if you’re operating with disposable income to spare—or if you just need a special treat—this choice offers subdued elegance and balance. I give the Paul Garmirian Gourmet II Robusto three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

“Rich, dark, and unexpected.” That’s the tag line of the new Macanudo 1968.  The newest extension of General Cigar’s best-selling Macanudo brand was introduced at the IPCPR trade show in July and began hitting cigar stores in mid-August. The blend celebrates 40 years since Ramón Cifuentes began developing Macanudo, which was eventually released in 1971.

This five inch by 50 ring gauge Robusto retails for $8.50, and is one of four sizes. The line also comes in a Toro (6x 54), a Churchill (7x 49) , and a Gigante (6x 60)—a size being emphasized by General in a number of different blends.

According to General Cigar’s promotional materials, the 1968 features tobacco “grown by General Cigar or cultivated for the company under an agreement of exclusivity…aged in tercios and charcoaled wooden barrels to further enrich its flavor.”

The blend features a Dominican and Nicaraguan filler that includes tobacco grown on the Nicaraguan island of Ometepe, volcanic land known for its rich soil that rises out of Lake Nicaragua. The binder is Connecticut Habano, wrapped in a Honduran San Agustin leaf.

Before lighting the classically proportioned Robusto, I find a highly aromatic cigar filled with leather and earth. The wrapper is oily with only a few small veins, and with classic Macanudo construction the cigar is firm to the touch with no soft or spongy areas.

Once lit, I was greeted with lots of leather, burnt cedar, and roasted coffee. The taste is distinctly chewy, and the finish had muted licorice flavors with a very subtle pepper spice. There is also an underlying salty characteristic to the 1968 that leaves your mouth dry.

Like most Macanudo sticks I’ve smoked, the physical properties are nearly flawless. The burn was even, the ash steady, and the draw firm but never difficult. The only construction complaint I have is that a few times the Macanudo 1968s I sampled for this review seemed to go out prematurely, requiring relights to enjoy the cigar as the burn neared the attractive black band.

Despite being billed as the fullest Macanudo, I would be more inclined to call the Macanudo 1968 medium- to medium-full. It reminded me of a slightly toned down Partagas Black, although the 1968 is a far more complex smoke.

Overall the Macanudo 1968 is a nice addition to the line. It will go a long way towards combating Macanudo’s reputation among smokers as simplistic or as a beginner’s cigar (a reputation I don’t think is always deserved.) The flavors won’t be enjoyed by all, but it is a unique, interesting, and complex profile that I found quite pleasant. The Macanudo 1968 Robusto earns a rating of four out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

From Cupido, J.L. Salazar, Don Kiki (Brown and White), La Carolina, and Cameroon, Cuban Crafters makes some excellent, under-priced cigars. And, as you probably know, we have not been shy about providing honest reviews of these wonderfully blended, expertly constructed lines.

Cuban Crafters’ modus operandi has thus far focused on value. But, in the coming weeks, the Miami-based boutique manufacturer will introduce its “crown jewel”: the new Medina 1959 blend. We’re told the idea is to create a pre-Castro stogie (hence 1959) made by masters who have cigar experience from the forbidden island nation. The five vitolas in this premium line, therefore, will be handmade in Miami by Cuban expatriates under the supervision of Manuel Medina, formerly of the H. Upmann and Davidoff factories in Cuba.

Our friends at Cuban Crafters were nice enough to send us a pre-release box of 25 Robustos (5 x 50), which has an MSRP of $200. The presentation is brilliant; the finished maroon and gold cedar chest won’t be one of those cigar boxes you toss once the sticks are gone.

You’ll also want to hang on to at least a few of the ornate double bands. They rest perfectly atop the clean Cuban-seed Sumatra wrappers, which exude prelight hints of sweet hay and field grass.

I tasted about eight Robustos for this review and found that my V-cutter works best. You only need to carefully puncture the tip of the cap to reach the Cuban-seed Habano long-filler and establish an even draw—a strategy that preserves more tobacco for smoking.

The most prominent flavors are of toast, cream, and butterscotch, but careful cigar enthusiasts will also find an onion-like spice when smoked through the nose. The whole effect is mild yet tasty with interesting flavors weaving in and out as the straight burn progresses. While the smoke becomes spicier and richer in the final third, I think the cigar is accurately labeled as mild- to medium-boded.

My understanding, according to Cuban Crafters’ marketing materials, is the tobacco in this fine cigar is already “extremely aged.” That may be, but I have a feeling what remains from my box will benefit significantly from an extra six months or so of humidor time.

Still, these are great cigars now. And although you don’t need me to understand that you can get some fine stogies for $8 apiece, this new line is undoubtedly worthy of your attention—especially for fans of creamy, toasty cigars. The Cuban Crafters Medina 1959 Robusto earns four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

From Erik Espinoza and Eddie Ortega’s United Tobacco, the outfit that brought us the smash hit 601 Serie blends, comes a new highly anticipated cigar. Cubao, the Taino word for “where fertile land is abundant” or “a great place,” was recently introduced at this year’s IPCPR Trade Show in Las Vegas.

Like the older Green, Blue, and Red labels, Cubao has the advantage of the tried and true Pepin-blended, Estelí-made combination. The six vitolas are marketed as full-bodied with Ecuador Sumatra oscuro wrappers and Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos.

The robusto-sized 4 and 7/8 inch by 50 ring gauge No. 4 is oily, firm, and fragrant with an attractive band that blends into the wrapper and serves as a departure from the flashy bands of the 601s. Singles sell for about $6 and rustic boxes of 20 in the $130-150 price range.

After smoking over ten No. 4s between the two of us in the past several weeks, we’re convinced that cost is more than reasonable. We think you’ll agree from the moment you light up a Cubao, which predictably starts with a trademark blast of peppercorn that has become synonymous with Don Pepin Garica’s creations.

What we found most interesting about this blend is its unwavering balance. After the initial greeting of spice we found a variety of tastes including wheat, oak, and bread. While the profile is definitely medium to full, and while the flavor is consistent throughout, this balance keeps the smoke exciting and cool—never too spicy, too strong, or too harsh. Look for a slight increase of bitterness in the last two inches.

The mechanics of the stogie’s performance are also top-notch, probably superior to those of some cigars in the more expensive 601 blends (of which we are huge fans). We found even burns, moderate draws, and firm ashes across our array of samples.

All told, perhaps this is the best compliment we can give this new addition to United Tobacco’s lineup: This is the kind of cigar that makes you want to smoke one more right away, preferably another Cubao. So don’t hesitate putting the EO Cubao No. 4 on your “Must Try” list; we give it four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A & Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I picked up this 4.25 inch stick when I was looking for a short smoke and thought I should try something new. I’ve never been a fan of Fonseca, finding them bland and uninteresting. But I’d read that this line, introduced some years back, was bolder and tastier. Coupled with my affection for Cameroon wrappers, there seemed to be good potential.

According to MATASA’s website, it’s actually grown in the African nation, too. Aging in palm bark is supposed to add to the taste. The company lists the filler as a mix of Dominican and Nicaraguan ligero, with the binder U.S. Connecticut broadleaf. Cigar Aficionado ranked the somewhat larger Sobrinos vitola 14th on its list of the best 25 cigars in 2004.

From the start, the 40 ring gauge perfecto looked flawless. The wrapper, the roll, the prelight draw—all appeared excellent. The cap clipped easily and the light was nearly instantaneous.

Unfortunately, when I was smoking it, I didn’t find a lot to distinguish this cigar from the regular Fonseca. It was a little stronger and a little tastier, but nothing to write home about. The wrapper, in particular, did not seem to have the distinguishing Cameroon spice and flavor.

I paid only $3.30, so it wasn’t much of a disappointment. But I can only give this Vegas de Fonseca three out of five stogies.

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

–George E

photo credit: Famous

Just about two years ago, Patrick S awarded this small, pig-tailed robusto four stogies, praising its cool smoke and complexity. I’ve had one resting for about a year and a half and thought it might be interesting to see if I agreed.

Though my palate didn’t pick up that Pabst Blue Ribbon in a can flavor he mentioned (though, alerted, I was on the lookout for a hint of Falstaff), there was much similarity in what we found: a peppery blast at the start, a tight ash, some sweetness replaced by a hint of bitterness about halfway through, and an overall pleasant experience. It appeared that aging had little or no significant impact on this Criollo Pato.

The cigar takes its name from the Criollo ’98 wrapper, a hybrid developed in Cuba to resist devastating blue mold. With its Habano heritage, Criollo was a natural to promote as a Cubanesque cigar when CAO introduced the line in 2002. Like the wrapper, the fillers and binder are grown in Nicaragua.

CAO calls it a medium strength cigar, and I’d agree.

The five-cigar Criollo line has something for everyone, at least in size. The Pato is 4 and 7/8 inches long with a 50 ring gauge and generally retails for under $6. You can go smaller and cheaper to the Pampa, a 4 inch, 38 ring gauge smoke packed five to a tin for around $10. Or go larger with the Conquistador, 6 and 1/8 inches long with a 52 ring gauge and a price tag of about $125 for a box of 20.

I’m with Patrick on the rating as well. I look forward to smoking more of these and concur with his rating of four out of five stogies.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys