The Stogie Guys

Long before the Ozgeners produced such hits as the Brazilia, Vision, Mx2, Criollo, or Italia lines, there was CAO Black. Riding the waves of a perfect ten out of ten rating in Cigar Buyer Magazine, these exclusive, limited production cigars single-handedly transformed the company from a small pipe and humidor outfit to a Nashville-based cigar manufacturing powerhouse.

And that success was pretty much a mistake. As you can read in this 2004 Cigar Aficionado article, a production problem with the Black line led to a recall and, ultimately, CAO’s successful – albeit short-lived – partnership with Douglas Pueringer, owner of Tabacalera Tambor in Costa Rica.

To make a long story short, thanks to a reincarnation of the highly successful line in the late 90s, CAO Black is still readily available in hand-painted, hand-numbered boxes. You won’t find any information on CAO’s website, but they’re out there for those who look hard enough.

The building blocks of these cigars include Connecticut-Ecuador wrappers, Habano-seeed Nicaraguan binders, and three-country filler blends. Each is meticulously sheathed in a cedar strip with a thin black ribbon across the foot.

As I was looking over my six inch by 50 ring gauge Bengal before lighting, I noticed what appeared to be a small notch in the top of the cedar. I naïvely thought to myself, “What care CAO has taken to ensure the entire logo is visible.” As it turns out, the attractive red, gold, and black band is merely affixed over each cedar strip.

Once removed, the strip reveals a gorgeous, almost vein-free, oily wrapper leaf. With two wooden matches, I had an even burn and some spicy notes of pepper and clove. Those tastes quickly mingle with a creamy butter flavor to omit pleasant and distinctive clouds of smoke.

I have to admit, I had a hard time picking up specific flavors from this cigar. I chalk this up to the fact that it’s too well-balanced for any one taste to dominate. My memory is still good enough to recall the sensation is quite similar to the highly acclaimed Davidoff Grand Cru.

The only weakness of the stogie is a flakey white ash that’s prone to falling off at inopportune moments. The draw is clear and true, and the burn is as straight as any cigar I’ve had.

In all, this is a tremendous light- to medium-bodied cigar that’s well worth the price (about $6 for one or $103 for a box of 20). Even though they’re not heavily marketed anymore, make sure you don’t forget to try at least one. I give the CAO Black Bengal four out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick A

The Ashton Aged Maduro No. 10 is a five inch by 50 ring gauge robusto from the only Ashton line of maduro cigars. Featuring a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper and a Dominican binder, these dark maduros, like all Ashtons, are handmade under the watchful eyes of the Fuentes in the Dominican Republic.

According to the manufacturer’s website, the line is aged in sherry finished oak barrels. Taking in the flavors prior to lighting, I found a sweet aroma with some floral notes.

This robusto’s maduro wrapper is dark, rustic, and oily with many prominent veins. Despite all the oils, the its taste prior to lighting is almost flavorless.

After clipping the cigar and carefully lighting it, I was greeted with a bitter-sweet chocolate flavor and a dry finish. Additionally there are some nutty notes in this medium- to full-bodied smoke.

The construction is good, with a firm (but not at all difficult) draw, and a fairly even burn. The light gray ash was solid and held for over an inch before it required a light tap and gently fell off.

As I continued smoking, the flavor remained consistent until the two-thirds point when the cigar suddenly upped the amount of smoke it produced. At the same time, some woody cedar notes revealed themselves.

Overall, the No. 10 is an exceptionally well-balanced cigar that retails for around $8 – not an outstanding value, but a reasonable price for special occasions.

For its impressive balance and great flavor, the Ashton Aged Maduro No. 10 earns a rating of four out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. To purchase this cigar from a StogieGuys.com affiliate, click here.]

–Patrick S

Tags: cigars

Finding myself blessed with several days of unseasonably pleasant evenings, I’ve been smoking more cigars on the deck than usual this time of year. More often, the heat forces me to visit a cigar shop if I want to smoke. Being able to smoke at home has allowed me to try some I’ve accumulated over the past few months.

This H. Upmann Super Fuerte Robusto was one of a seven-stick special I bought in May from JR for $19.75, including shipping. The Super Fuerte line – which was created in 2005 – is the result of JR head Lew Rothman working with Tabacalera de Garcia cigar factory manager Jose Seijas to create a stronger Upmann. Boxes of 20 can be purchased for $95 from JR, but a few other online retailers seem to carry it for less.

The maduro wrapper, a Connecticut broadleaf, is nearly as dark as coffee and oily to the eye and to the touch. Pre-light, the aroma from a blend of Nicaraguan, Peruvian, and Dominican fillers is warm and earthy at the foot. The binder is Ecuadorian Sumatra.

All in all, a beautiful five inch by 55 ring gauge cigar.

Lately, I have been taking more time lighting, working to get an even, full glow without having to puff while holding the foot above the flame. It was easy with this cigar. And as the ash grew, it showed the waving pattern of the filler leaves. Not that all that has much to do with the taste, but, as reader Mac and Nudo reminded us recently, aesthetics are important.

The Super Fuerte, to my taste, was not nearly as strong as its name implies. I found it more in the mild to medium range. It is also not an overly complex cigar. Though I picked up a little spice, a little cocoa, and some woody notes along the way, the predominant taste was warm, pleasant tobacco.

This cigar seems like a natural to accompany an afternoon cup of coffee or following a light meal. For that it earns a rating of three and 1/2 out of five stogies.

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

–George E

After two huge hits with his Vintage 1990 and 1992 lines, Rocky Patel was on top of the cigar world. So how do you follow up such successes? Combine them, of course!

The Rocky Patel Fusion is a combination of his 1990 and 1992 lines featuring the same Honduran Connecticut broadleaf wrapper as the 1990, while using the Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper from the 1992 as a binder. Inside the seven inch by 48 ring gauge Churchill is a mix of Nicaraguan, Honduran, and Cameroon tobaccos blended at Patel’s Honduran factory.

This particular vitola retails for around $8 per stick, but it can be found online for closer to $5 (I purchased a five pack online for $19). After clipping and lighting this classically-shaped Churchill with its dual purple band, I was greeted with a firm but not too difficult draw, as well as a complex flavor profile.

The cigar has exceptional balance, with a hint of spice and subtle chocolate notes. As it progressed, the Fusion produced an earthy flavor that started a little bitter but had a subtle sweet finish.

Construction on the Churchills is good but not great. The burn was even on every stick I tried, but I found the ash was unstable and often fell off well before it grew to a full inch.

Given that it is a combination of two of my favorite cigars, it should be no surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, I think that ultimately the Vintage 1990 and 1992 lines are both better than the Fusion. Despite being both earthy and balanced, the Fusion lacked the full, rich earthy flavor of the 1992 and the perfect balance and floral elements of the 1990.

Still, while not as fantastic as the cigars that make up its parts, the Fusion is still a very good cigar that earns an impressive four out of five stogies .

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

–Patrick S

Tags: cigars

Here at StogieGuys.com, we don’t get to review many Cuban cigars. So while we plan to change that shortly, I jumped at the chance to smoke the Guantanameras a friend was nice enough to gift me after his overseas trip.

The brand is named for the famous Cuban song of the same name which means “girl from Guantánamo.” Guantanameras have a reputation for their mild flavors and inexpensive prices.

The Compay is a small vitola (four and ¾ inches by 40 ring gauge) that comes in boxes of ten for about $25 American. With a crumpled, wrinkly wrapper, even a novice stogie enthusiast can tell it’s machine-made.

Exposed behind sealed cellophane, the interesting, cedar-colored band makes no secret of Guantanamera’s forbidden origin. The head comes pre-cut, and the small foot is easy to light with just one wooden match.

The taste is very mild and a bit papery right out of the gate. This was somewhat of a disappointment to me because the tobacco – grown in the Vuelta Arriba region of Cuba – radiated rich earthy aromas once I peeled away the cellophane.

At the midway point, a clove-tasting spice introduces itself, and this adds some much needed flavor. Then the papery taste gives way to notes of leather. For me, these changes were too little too late.

While the burn and draw are just fine, the ash is about what you’d expect from a machine-made stick: flakey and unstable. This characteristic, coupled with the cigar’s rustic appearance, made me thing of Altadis’ Backwoods.

When it’s all said and done, this 45 minute smoke just doesn’t amount to much. I’ve heard Guantanameras are popular with American tourists who don’t want to waste money on pricey Cubans just to have them confiscated by customs upon their return home, but I’d rather take a chance on something decent.

So even though I tried to review this cigar on its merits as an inexpensive, machine-made Cuban, I can’t give the Guantanamera Compay anything better than a sub-par two out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick A

With hopes of creating the finest cigar in Cuba, José Alonso established La Carolina in the 1840s. Over the brand’s 160 years of production, it isn’t surprising that many things have changed. Stewardship is now in the hands of Henry “Don Kiki” Berger. Production has shifted from Cuba to Nicaragua. And the brand name has even changed from La Carolina to Cupido and back.

For all these transformations, however, many elements of these boutique cigars remain the same. With only 7,000 boxes available each year, they are still “handmade in small batches with extraordinary attention to each and every detail.” And they still yield that floral, low nicotine taste that earned them accolades such as a 90 from Cigar Insider and an 89 in Cigar Aficionado.

The Capitan is a six inch by 52 ring gauge stick that sports an oily wrapper with just a few prominent veins. Sadly, my picture doesn’t do the attractive band justice, which features a Mona Lisa-style portrait of some undisclosed señorita.

Before the first puff, I noticed the wrapper leaves a sweet, berry-like taste on the lips. As the Keepers of the Flame pointed out last year, the sensation is similar to a Baccarat. I too never cared for such “flavored wrappers,” as the taste almost always takes away from – rather than adds to – the flavor of the tobacco.

But this torpedo-shaped Nicaraguan puro is quite different. The sweet taste of the wrapper is complimented by fruity notes and a bit of spicy leather. And, although I’ve never understood using the term “bouquet” to describe a cigar’s flavor, this one packs some deep floral tastes as well.

Despite a spongy feel, the draw is a bit tighter than average. But each puff still produces an abundance of delicious smoke. The other physical properties are on par, including a razor-sharp burn that stays true until the end and a white ash that’s just a tad too flakey.

When it’s all said and done, this is an excellent 60 minute smoke – especially when you consider that each Capitan will cost under $4.60 apiece when bought by the box at Cuban Crafters.

Considering their unique, complex flavor (and the fact that I just smoked my last one), I won’t be waiting long to pick up a few more. I give the La Carolina Capitan a noteworthy four and ½ out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. To purchase this cigar from a StogieGuys.com affiliate, click here.]

–Patrick A

Five months ago, I wrote an unflattering Quick Smoke of the Paul Garmirian (PG) Reserva Exclusiva. The honest critique – which was based on four or five Robustos – received some interesting comments from loyal readers, a fourth grade English teacher, and someone claiming to be from PG.

With no hard feelings, I decided it was about time to try a different PG line: the Artisan’s Selection. Launched ten years ago, these cigars come in nine vitolas and are advertised as consistent, smooth, and reasonably priced. With costs ranging from $6.40 to $4.70 apiece, however, the PG website makes it clear that “these are not seconds or rejects, but an offering of a great cigar at a very affordable price.”

Over the last few weeks, I’ve carefully smoked several five and ½ inch by 52 ring gauge No. 4s. As you can see by the picture, these are gorgeous sticks with smooth and seamless Colorado shade wrappers. The red and cream colored band is consistent with other PG smokes.

You’d expect a cigar this innocent-looking to start off with a whimper and not a bang, but that’s not the case. As soon as I lit the foot with a few matches, I received heavy notes of sharp spice and salt. Not terribly pleasing.

Then, after a few minutes, those flavors were pushed to the background by delicious, mild tastes of creamy butter, hazelnut, and ginger. This is the flavor I was hoping for, and it fortunately stuck around for the vast majority of the 60 minute smoke. (If you’re having trouble picking up all of these flavors, try smoking through the nose.)

In an interesting twist, the spicy notes actually dissipate into the final third. I don’t know about you, but most of the cigars I’m used to tend to get hotter and harsher at the very end. Even so, this is a prime example of a stogie that smokes best when you take your time.

I was very impressed with the quality and consistency of the physical properties of the No. 4s. With the slightest resistance, the draw is just right. The ash is fairly firm and the burn is as straight as they come.

The only drawback is that the delicate wrapper tends to tear a bit when the band is removed. Each time this occurred, though, I was able to quickly remedy the dilemma with a dab of saliva.

Overall, I think the $5.80 suggested retail price is very fair. This is a tasty, well-constructed cigar that is perfect for an early round of golf. I give the Artisan’s Selection No. 4 by Paul Garmirian three out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick A