The Stogie Guys

This latest addition to General Cigar’s Partagas line has quite the tobacco heritage.

According to General, a key filler component is “a special variety of old-world Dominican tobacco” that had been “locked away for nearly 50 years” before company agronomists restored it solely for this cigar.

It’s blended with Nicaraguan Jalapa and Dominican Piloto Cubano leaf. Those, like the Dominican binder, were also grown by Partagas agronomists.

The wrapper—for me, the jewel in this arrangement—is high-priming Cameroon tobacco grown in that country’s Belita region.

StogieGuys.com has enjoyed cigars from Partagas, both regular and limited releases, for more than a decade. Quite a few have garnered high ratings, and you can check them out through our Reviews Archive. This latest offering, a brick-and-mortar exclusive, is no exception.

As I noted, I think it’s the Cameroon wrapper that makes it special. There’s a spicy pre-light aroma that kicks in with the first puff. And it doesn’t let up. The cigar isn’t particularly hot or peppery; the flavors are a mixture of exotic and seasoning spices.

The Robustos I smoked, which weigh in at 5.5 inches with a 50 ring gauge ($7.49), did not change much throughout, aside from a bit of tobacco sweetness intertwined along the way.

With a flavor so enjoyable, that’s by no means a criticism. The subtlety draws you deeper and deeper into the smoking experience.

Construction, draw, and smoke production were excellent. I’d put the strength level at medium. The only drawback I noticed was that it tended to dry my mouth.

As is evident from the name, this cigar is another General tribute to Ramon Cifuentes Toriello. The Cuban cigar pioneer lost Partagas after the revolution and fled to the United States in 1961. He went to work for General, and later produced the first non-Cuban Partagas cigars.

The new line consists of four vitolas and is a regular-production smoke so you should have no trouble finding them at your local shop. I rate this latest Partagas four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This summer, cigar makers, brand owners, blenders, and factories scrambled in an effort to rush as many new brands and vitolas to market as possible before the August 8 deadline. (Regular StogieGuys.com readers will recall that cigars introduced after August 8, 2016, will have to go through the FDA approval process before they can be sold or marketed.)

This mad dash was best personified by Steve Saka of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust. If you follow him on Facebook—where he is quite prolific—you’ll recall his rapid succession of posts proclaiming new cigars like Umbagog, Maestro de Saka, and Mi Querida. These announcements drew considerable attention among cigar faithful which, of course, was a predictable outcome given the success of Dunbarton’s inaugural line, Sobremesa.

“It has been an incredibly grueling 90 days,” Saka wrote on Facebook on July 7. “I have finalized five marca designs and over 15 ligas between 46 vitolas. Thankfully, I had been buying leaf and working on all of these blends over the past year. While there are some packaging tweaks required, none of any of these cigars are half-baked.”

NACSA is the site of production for Mi Querida, a blend of Nicaraguan tobaccos surrounded by a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper that’s crafted by Raul Disla under direction from Saka. Nine vitolas are available, including the Fino Largo (6 x 48), which retails for about $9. I smoked several for this review, each provided by CigarsCity.com.

Mi Querida sports an understated yet attractive band of blue and gold with corrugated edges. The exterior leaf is dark, oily, mottled, and rustic with plenty of tooth, thick seams, and the occasional splotch of out-of-place color. The rough-looking cap clips cleanly to reveal an easy cold draw. Off the foot, the pre-light notes are rich, sweet, and damp with hints of chocolate and musty earth.

The Fino Largo tastes the way, I believe, many expected Sobremesa to taste given Saka’s history with Drew Estate. It has a moist, full-bodied profile with a grainy texture and ample spice. Notes of espresso, cinnamon, damp wood, and leather are front-and-center from the get-go. After an inch, the cigar is at its best with hints of roasted nut and nougat sweetness adding complexity. Here, there’s still plenty of power, but that power is more refined, balanced, and harmonious. The final third brings a reprise of the intensity found at the outset.

Mi Querida is Spanish for “my dearest,” but in Nicaragua the phrase is most often used to describe a mistress. Kind of fitting, since I almost feel like I’m cheating on Sobremesa when I smoke one. Sobremesa came first, after all, and while it hasn’t been around terribly long, I’ve burned through more than my fair share. We have a history. That said, I foresee a long and meaningful relationship with the dirtier, cheaper Mi Querida. It’s highly satisfying if you’re seeking something musty, earthy, rich, well-constructed, and—in the case of the Fino Largo, especially—strong. My expectations are high whenever I light up a Saka creation, and this one does not disappoint. I award it four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This is a cigar made to stand out.

At 8.5 inches in length, it’s an inch longer than the traditional Cuban lancero size. After removing the cedar sheath that covers about two-thirds of the Vintage Reserve, the unwrapped foot is pronounced. At the head, a small pigtail cap is easy to miss.

But where this version of MBombay’s annual limited edition—500 boxes of 25 shipped to retailers, according to company head Mel Shah—truly shines is with its flavors.

It begins with light, enticing spice before the Ecuadorian wrapper becomes engaged. At this point, with all components burning, the spice begins to be overshadowed by notes of wood.

About a third of the way down, there’s a rich taste of cinnamon that lasts throughout. It is most enjoyable, especially as it mixes with the wood, cedar, and tobacco sweetness along the way. Strength is in the medium range.

The filler is a mix of Dominican and Peruvian tobaccos, while the binder is Dominican. Like other cigars from MBombay, the Vintage Reserve is rolled in Costa Rica. The price tag is $13.50 a stick.

I smoked two of these and found them to perform excellently. The burn was straight, the draw smooth, and smoke production top-notch. As with all thin cigars—the ring gauge is 38—it’s necessary to smoke slowly to avoid overheating.

Perhaps as a backlash to the trend toward humongous ring gauges, some smokers have embraced lanceros. In fact, you’ll often see the vitola dubbed the “connoisseur’s size.”

I’m not sure that’s quite rational. Judging someone by the size of the cigars they smoke doesn’t make any more sense to me than judging cigars themselves based on size.

In the case of the Vintage Reserve, I think it’s a tasty cigar that any smoker would enjoy, from connoisseur to amateur. It scores four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Last fall, James Brown, creator of Black Label Trading Co. (BLTC), announced a new “small-batch cigar line” called Black Works Studio. “Part of the motivation for opening our own factory, Fabrica Oveja Negra, was to experiment and develop unique blends highlighting Nicaraguan tobacco,” said Brown. “Black Works Studio (BLK WKS) is my first opportunity to use our factory as my playground. Blending cigars is my passion and I ended up with several blends and ideas on the shelf [so] the time was right to launch a new brand.”

The three original BLK WKS cigars were Killer Bee (4.5 x 46), an Ecuador Maduro-wrapped petite corona; Rorschach (5 x 38), an Ecuador Habano-wrapped petite panatela; and NBK (6 x 46), an Ecuador Habano Oscuro-wrapped corona larga. Green Hornet, a stronger follow-up to the Killer Bee that’s distinguished by its Candela closed foot, was added this summer. All of these are offered in addition to BLTC’s core lines, which include Lawless, Royalty, Redemption, Benediction, Salvation, and Last Rites.

Earlier this year, I reviewed the NBK and found it to be outstanding—perhaps one of the best cigars I’ve examined in 2016. I really enjoyed the “powdery” texture, the “cool, airy, and light” smoke, and the flavors of “cocoa powder, coffee, roasted nuts, and black pepper spice.” So it’s no surprise I’d like to further explore the BLK WKS portfolio.

Today we’re looking at the Killer Bee, which retails for $7.50 and sports Nicaraguan tobaccos beneath its dark, clean, oily, and moderately veined Ecuadorian Maduro wrapper. The closed foot, “linear cap,” and eye-catching band of black, gold, and green makes this a striking petit corona from an appearance perspective.

After setting an even burn, pre-light notes of burnt caramel transition to a bold, powerful profile of hearty black pepper spice with dry notes of char and oak. Make no mistake: Killer Bee is full-bodied and attention-grabbing from the get-go. The spice is offset only slightly by subtle sweet notes of syrup and candied nuts. At the midway point, though, the strength mellows noticeably and the spice tempers considerably. Here, the cigar is more balanced, but I’d say it still falls into the full-bodied spectrum. The finale includes a predictable—though not unwelcome—increase in spice and intensity.

Construction is fine with a burn line that requires a few touch-ups here and there. The gray ash holds well off the foot, the draw is smooth throughout, and the smoke production is average.

I’ve smoked several Killer Bees, and I can attest my enjoyment is heightened greatly when I fire up this cigar on a full stomach and pair it with a neat bourbon or a glass of sipping rum. For me, under other conditions, it verges on too much strength. In any circumstance, though, if you’re looking for a lot of power in a small format, this is a good choice—especially for the price. All told, I think the most appropriate rating is a respectable three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Not long ago, Rodrigo Cigars was part of the House of Emilio, an organization headed by Gary Griffith that provided distribution of what Griffith called the “best of the boutiques.” Also included under this allied umbrella were brands like 1502, Bodega, Epicurean, Ezra Zion, Guayacan, Herederos, and Nomad.

More recently, Griffith departed the outfit, and the confederated brands—now called Boutiques United—were pared down to four: 1502, Emilio, Ezra Zion, and Nomad. Anecdotally speaking, the social media visibility of all of the involved brands (with the exception of Fred Rewey’s Nomad) has declined considerably since the heyday of the House of Emilio. This observation is based on nothing more than my own personal experience, mind you, but I feel safe making the claim. All this isn’t to say the cigars themselves aren’t any good, or can’t still be purchased.

These were the thoughts jumbling in my brain as I came across several Rodrigo Boutique Blend G6s in one of my humidors. No telling how long they had been there. Since this is not a blend my colleagues or I have previously reviewed, I decided to fire them up.

The story behind the Rodrigo brand is one of a man who loved cigars, flew to Santiago on a whim in 2010, and by chance got connected to a former master blender for Davidoff who taught him the business. That man is George Rodriguez, founder and president of Rodrigo Cigars.

Rodrigo consists of three small-batch blends: Habano Clasico, La Fortaleza, and Boutique Blend. The latter sports a dark, clean, moderately oily, slightly reddish Habano Ecuador wrapper around Dominican binder and filler tobaccos. It is available in three sizes: G4 (6.25 x 54), G5 (5.5 x 56), and G6 (6 x 60). The G6 retails for about $9 and has a spongy feel with pre-light notes of honey and graham. The large, thick cigar boasts a smooth cold draw.

As with any 60-ring gauge smoke, toasting the foot and establishing an even light takes patience. My advice is to enjoy the process and take in the ambient notes of sweetness and spice, which set the tone for the profile to come.

On the palate, the G6 is mild- to medium-bodied and balanced with flavors of bread, honey, cedar, and red pepper. The texture is silky. While there’s ample spice on the aftertaste, the overall impression is mostly creamy and light—similar to a whipped butter sensation. At the midway point, the spice increases and the strength ramps up to decidedly medium. Thereafter, I find few changes.

Construction is damn good for a cigar this large. The burn is immaculate, the draw is easy, the ash holds firm, and the smoke production is about average.

The Boutique Blend line was specifically built to taste best in thick formats, hence the ring gauges of 54, 56, and 60. As someone who prefers thinner smokes, though, I can’t help but wonder what this might taste like in a lancero, or even in a standard robusto frame. I wonder if the profile’s character would hold intact, and if the intensity would be amplified.

Regardless, judging the G6 on its own merits, I feel a rating of three and a half stogies out of five is most appropriate.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This new offering from Cornelius & Anthony (C&A) is a powerful, rich cigar that expands the company’s relationship with Erik Espinosa’s La Zona factory in Nicaragua.

It also represents what is probably C&A’s strongest smoke to date, with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and filler and binder from Nicaragua. I found its power to be a notch up from the Daddy Mac, which also sports a Habano wrapper, that one from Brazil.

Venganza, Spanish for revenge, was released at this summer’s industry convention. It comes in four sizes. I smoked two samples of the Robusto (5 x 52) that were supplied by C&A. It lists for $9.25. All of the vitolas come in boxes of 20.

The pre-light aroma is mouthwatering and rich. But when I lit the first one, it was a bit sharp, especially in the initial third. That diminished a little going along, but I decided to give the second one more humidor time before I smoked it.

Wise decision. Even just a few weeks rest seemed to have smoothed out the rough edges. In fact, in the second smoke, the sharpness was replaced by a rich woodsiness in the opening.

Venganza, which sports the regular ornate C&A band and a secondary identifying one, is a fairly complex smoke. I picked up some pepper, cedar, and flavors of coffee and nuts along the way. The final third was marked by a tobacco sweetness.

And, while it is a strong smoke, it is by no means a barn-burner, nor is it likely to take the top of your head off.

Burn and smoke production were first-rate. The draw in each was excellent, and the white ash held firm until I tapped it off.

All in all, a very good cigar, and one I’d recommend. I rate Venganza four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Instead of fizzling after its hyped-up launch, Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust’s visibility on social media has only snowballed into a boutique juggernaut. I can scarcely scroll through my Facebook feed for a few minutes without seeing one of the company’s cigars triumphantly photographed by a Dunbarton devotee, or perhaps even Steve Saka himself.

These days, I’m starting to see more pictures of Mi Querida than Sobremesa. That’s not entirely surprising, I think, because the Broadleaf-wrapped Mi Querida is new to the market, whereas Sobremesa was introduced last summer. Personally, I haven’t had a chance to try Mi Querida yet (rest assured it’s on my short list). To tide myself over, today I thought I’d review the only Sobremesa vitola I haven’t yet sampled: the Corona Grande.

As you surely know by now, Dunbarton was launched by Saka, former CEO of Drew Estate, where he played a critical role in growing the company into a Nicaraguan powerhouse that makes some of the most sought-after cigars in the world. Several lines have been announced in advance of the August 8 deadline imposed by the FDA regulations, including Mi Querida, Umbagog, and Muestra de Saka. But Sobremesa was the first. It sports an Ecuadorian Habano Rosado wrapper, a Mexican binder, and a filler blend of Pennsylvania Broadleaf Ligero with four different Nicaraguan tobaccos (Gk Condega C-SG Seco, Pueblo Nuevo Criollo Viso, La Joya Estelí C-98 Viso, and ASP Estelí Hybrid Ligero). It is handmade at Joya de Nicaragua.

The Corona Grande ($9.95 per single, $248.50 per box of 25) is the smallest Sobremesa vitola at 5.25 inches long with a narrow ring gauge of 44. Velvety and oily to the touch, its surface is moderately veined and dark with a slightly reddish hue. The pre-light notes remind me of cocoa powder, earth, and caramel, and the perfectly constructed cap clips easily to reveal a smooth cold draw.

Once lit, I find the familiar—and wonderful—Sobremesa core of cocoa, dark cherry, pepper, café au lait, baking spices, and creamy caramel. This time, though, a dry, cedar-like sensation is more pronounced, especially on the finish. The texture is syrupy and thick, and the black pepper spice coupled with the rich, spicy mouthfeel renders the Corona Grande the strongest of the Sobremesa formats.

The complexity is palpable and highly enjoyable, and the sweetness of the resting smoke is mouth-wateringly intoxicating. Fortunately, the combustion qualities do not detract from the experience; rather, they enhance it. The burn line is straight, the smoke production above average, the draw easy, and the ash holds well off the foot.

Saka says over 40 varieties of black tobacco were sampled during production, with the 27th blend ultimately being selected as the final Sobremesa recipe. I count myself lucky he went to the trouble to compose a cigar that’s truly “sin compromiso.” While not quite my favorite vitola—that honor belongs to the Cervantes Fino—the Corona Grande is a finely balanced treat that’s worthy of the excellent rating of four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys