The Stogie Guys

Perhaps frigid winters that limit outside smoking time inspired Minnesota-based Crux to craft a Lilliputian cigar that performs more like a Brobdingnagian. Or maybe they were simply looking for a good, small smoke. Either way, they succeeded.

Crux Sports is a 4.625-inch stick with a 35-ring gauge. Don’t let the size lead you to confuse it with lesser cigars. Rolled by Plascencia in Nicaragua, it features a complex, balanced blend. The wrapper is Habano Jalapa from Nicaragua, the binder Indonesian, and the filler is from Nicaragua.

For this review, I smoked five Sports, all provided by Crux. (Despite an expanding retailer base, there’s unfortunately still not one anywhere near me.) Packaging is interesting. They are sold by the box of 30, which consists of six wrapped five-packs. The individual MSRP is $3.75. Crux introduced the line last summer but didn’t begin shipping until quite a while later.

Cutting and lighting both require a bit more attention than might be necessary for a more conventionally sized cigar. I’d recommend matches, a cedar spill, or a soft flame lighter. A butane torch—especially one with multiple jets—is likely to badly scorch the foot.

There’s a hearty fullness to the start, along with a bit of a bite that doesn’t last long. As you’d expect, there’s not a lot of changes in the small smoke. But a little pepper comes and goes. All in all, it’s quite balanced.

Areas where Sports shines are construction, draw, and smoke production. I was amazed at how even and smooth the draw was in each of the five I smoked, and the smoke volume could easily rival many larger cigars.

The five-pack wrapper displays a photo of four sportsmen dressed in what appear to be 19th century garb with the Crux Sports logo emblazoned on their sweaters. I wondered if there was any significance, but Crux’s Logan Drake informed me that they are “just generic sports guys.”

That’s not the case for the cigar they represent. It’s far from generic, and, as such, gets four out of five stogies.

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

–George E

photo credit: Crux

This year marks the tenth anniversary of Old Henry, a house blend made for Holt’s Cigar Company by none other than José “Pepín” García. Holt’s, as you may know, is the Philadelphia tobacconist that launched the Ashton brand in 1985 and today maintains a strong catalog and online presence. That means you don’t have to traipse to 1522 Walnut Street in downtown Philadelphia to get your hands on some Old Henry smokes.

Over the past decade, Old Henry has built a reputation as a cost-conscious way to get a Pepín-made cigar. The seven vitolas range in price from $3 for the Runt (4.5 x 42) to $4.60 for the Champion (6.25 x 56), when purchased by the box of 25. Holt’s describes Old Henry as “a best-selling cigar with an avid cult following.”

It’s probably no surprise, then, that the Old Henry portfolio has grown over the years. Additions have included Gold Label (Connecticut-seed Ecuadorian wrapper), Maduro (Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper), and the subject of today’s review: Pure Breed.

The Pure Breed recipe consists of an oscuro-grade Ecuador Sumatra wrapper around “well-aged, vintage Nicaraguan filler components” with a Nicaraguan binder. It comes in four vitolas—Churchill (7 x 49), Grandshire (5.5 x 60), Robusto (5 x 54), and Toro (6 x 52)—and is marketed as “a unique medium- to full-bodied smoking experience.”

I sampled two Pure Breed Toros for this review, both of which were provided to me by Holt’s. This format costs $6.50 for a single or $93.95 for a box of 25. It boasts a clean, attractive wrapper with tight seams and minimal veins. The pungent pre-light notes are sweet hay and cocoa powder, and the cold draw has a fair amount of resistance.

Once an even light is established, right off the bat you’ll find a hearty dose of red and black pepper with some creamy sweetness and roasted nuts in the background. Marshmallow, dry oak, and dried fruit are apparent through the retrohale. The abundant resting smoke is sweet and aromatic with a mouth-watering chocolaty appeal.

As the Toro progresses, there short spurts when the taste turns light and papery. Just when I think the flavor is fading, though, I’ll happily find a burst of creaminess and sweetness to pique my attention and enjoyment. The finale ushers in a reprise of Pepín’s signature blast of pepper.

Construction is pretty good throughout. Both samples exhibited fairly straight burns that only required a touch-up here and there. The ash holds well. And the draw, while a bit stiff at first, opens almost immediately to provide abundant smoke with easy puffs.

If you’re a Pepín fan, you can’t afford to not give the cigars in the Old Henry portfolio a try. I doubt any of them will knock your socks off with incredible complexity, but the bang-for-your-buck value is tough to beat. My advice is to pick up the Best in Show sampler, which features two Toros from each of the four Old Henry blends for just $29.95 ($3.74 per cigar).

The Pure Breed Toro might be the highlight of the assortment, with its abundant flavor and sweet creaminess. In my book it earns a solid rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This reblended and redone line from General Cigar now sports a dark, gritty Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper that’s unfinished at the foot, twisted into a pigtail at the cap, and an inviting target for bargain hunters.

Eager to breath new life into what had seemingly become almost a catalogue afterthought, General turned Ramon Allones over to its Foundry Tobacco Co., which functions as something of a cigar skunkworks under Michael Giannini, who serves as the company’s creative director and director of innovations.

While the cigar might not live up to the advance billing—“the world’s best tobaccos mixed with the forbidden fruit”—it more than holds its own among low-priced smokes.

Sure, no one’s going to mistake the Ramon Allones for a complex boutique blend or a high-end stick. But if you’re looking for a medium-strength smoke that can serve as a yard-gar, golf companion, or handout to your brother-in-law, this is one to consider. Even an occasional cigar smoker will appreciate the thick volume of smoke.

Remember, this robusto (5 x 50, $6.49) can be found online for under $4 a stick in a box of 20. Considering that you get General’s consistency and construction quality, it’s almost certainly a better buy than many no-name bundle cigars, even if they’re half the price.

I wasn’t at last summer’s IPCPR where the Ramon Allones debuted, along with a redone Bolivar line. General sent me a five-pack that I smoked for this review. (Of note, General Cigar says the bands on these samples, which appeared at the IPCPR show, are not exactly what you will find at retailers.)

The Ramon Allones starts dark and meaty with a fairly strong finish, befitting its Nicaraguan filler. At several points, a bitterness emerged and walked up to the edge of overpowering but didn’t cross the line.

A StogieGuys.com three-stogie rating signifies that a cigar is “pretty respectable,” and I think that’s an apt label for the new Ramon Allones. It’s well worth considering if you’re looking for a smoke that can fill a few different roles in your humidor. The Ramon Allones 550 earns three stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys / General Cigar

Few small cigar brands begin with a mild smoke. Sure, the potential audience is larger than that for the powerhouse blends often favored by boutique firms. But it also involves going up against industry behemoths such as Macanudo, Romeo y Julieta, and Montecristo.

Búho Cigars, run by the father and son team of Eddie and Ryan Dovner in Florida, kicked off at the low-end of the spectrum with a Dominican-rolled line featuring an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, an Indonesian binder, and “a proprietary Dominican blend” for filler.

Ryan told me the inspiration was his father’s love of Cuban cigars and how impressed he became with Dominican tobacco. He thought he could create a Cuban-esque blend and worked with the Abam factory in Santo Domingo to come up with the six-vitola Primero line. (There’s a Maduro with a San Andrés Mexican wrapper as well.)

Búho (“owl” in Spanish) is experimenting with different packaging options. In addition to conventional boxes of 20, sampler packs are available in durable humidified travel cases. The company is also promoting point-of-purchase displays with individual cigars in sealed humidity packs.

Cigars for this review were supplied by Búho, which also sent some we’re giving away in a StogieGuys.com contest. (Details toward the end.) Suggested retail prices for Búho cigars are $8 to $9.

I have smoked three in the Robusto format (5 x 50), and, other than a bit of a tight draw on one, construction was good. They burned straight and slow, producing a great deal of creamy smoke.

The opening is typical of many Connecticut cigars: a little grass, a little hay, a touch of earth, a bit of a bite. Within half an inch or so, though, a rich tobacco sweetness begins to emerge and overlays other flavors, including some light spice along the way. The cigar shines best in the second half.

Now, here’s the contest. For a chance to win a sampler of Búho cigars, simply go to Búho’s Facebook page, like it, and visit Búho’s website and register. Then leave a comment on this post that you’ve done so. We’ll pick two winners at random in a week or so.

And I think the winners will enjoy these smokes, especially if they’re partial to Connecticuts. Búho is well worth trying. I rate the Robusto three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys / Búho Cigars

This cigar’s smooth, light brown Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper—even with much of it hidden by the huge, ornate band—makes an inviting first impression. It’s equally enticing after lighting up.

An original line from Mel Shah’s Bombay Tobak, Classic has a Dominican binder and Dominican, Honduran, Peruvian, and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. (I’ve also written about MBombay’s KẽSara, Habano, and Mora lines.)

One area that stood out—something I rarely notice, frankly—was the cap. It drapes quite a bit past the shoulder, making it easy to apply the cutter without fear of going too far and possibly causing the wrapper to unravel.

The Classic line is clearly aimed at the large segment of the cigar audience that prefers milder cigars, and it clearly hits the mark. I think most smokers will find the strength to be in the upper-mild/lower-medium range.

This Churchill, one of five vitolas in the line, is 7 inches long with a ring gauge of 48. The MSRP is $11.50.

My first impression was formed from the deep, rich smoke and near perfect draw in each sample I smoked. The cigar is incredibly smooth, with a light finish. I found the flavors to be light as well, the sort that I might miss if I didn’t pay attention as I smoked.

That’s one reason I enjoy the occasional milder cigar. It creates a different smoking experience, tapping into tastes that don’t usually come into play with a higher-powered smoke.

In the beginning, I noticed a little spice and cedar that wound down after about an inch, overtaken by a delicate sweetness. The dominant trait, for me, was without a doubt the creamy smoothness of the smoke.

Construction was excellent in each of the three Churchills I smoked. They were supplied by Bombay Tobak.

Whether you regularly smoke milder cigars or, like me, pick one up every once in a while, the MBombay Connecticut Classic is definitely worth your consideraiton. I rate it four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys / Bombay Tobak

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say Warped Cigars had a breakout year in 2015. The company has been around for the better part of a decade, but in the past couple years it upped its game with a series of releases made at El Titan de Bronze in Miami and TABSA in Nicaragua.

Futuro was one of a handful of new releases from Warped at the 2015 IPCPR Trade Show in New Orleans last summer. Warped describes Futuro’s creation on its website:

“Future” is a collaboration between Warped x Casa Fernandez, but more specifically Kyle Gellis of Warped and Max Fernandez of Casa Fernandez, son of Eduardo Fernandez, owner of AGANORSA and Casa Fernandez. We originally began speaking about this project at the 2014 IPCPR and it took that much time to develop this concept and blend. We set out to create a profile that is unlike anything Warped or Casa Fernandez has done previously, utilzing 100% AGANORSA material from their “vault,” a selection of tobacco under lock and key and specifically for the Fernandez family.

The cigar uses a reddish-brown Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 wrapper, Nicaraguan Criollo ’98 binder, and Nicaraguan Criollo ’98 and Corojo ’99 filler tobaccos. It is made at TABSA.

Futuro will be offered in two vitolas, each of which sold in 20-count boxes: Selección Suprema (5.6 x 46, $8.75), and Selección 109 (6 x 52, $9.75). I smoked four Selección Supremas, the size and blend preferred by Kye Gellis, for this review.

The profile starts with an initial burst of creaminess before it settles into a woody flavor with light spice and hints of honey. Occasionally, I even pick up on a combination of flavors that reminds me of banana bread. As the medium-bodied cigar progresses, heavier spice and earth notes become more prominent. There are papery notes on the clean, relatively short finish.

The excellent construction on this cigar is a testament to the increased quality that the TABSA factory has been producing. The factory is now producing cigars for Illusione, Warped, Casa Fernandez, Foundation Cigar Co. (El Güegüense), and others.

With a combination of sweetness, spice, wood, and earth, this is a very enjoyable, complex, and balanced Nicaraguan puro. Add in excellent construction plus a fair price (under $9) and the Warped Futuro Selección Supremas earns our first five-stogie rating of 2016.

From its rough, rugged Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper to the intense finish, The Rake would be right at home at the poker table in the Long Branch Saloon.

The Rake is the second regular production line from MoyaRuiz, a small firm that has already made an impression in the cigar world with a couple of offbeat limited editions and its initial La Jugada line.

Like La Jugada, The Rake is a powerful smoke. With filler comprising four ligero leaves—two from Jalapa and two from Estelí—the surprise would be if it weren’t. (Details on the binder were not released.)

The Fix starts with spice and pepper and a bit of a back-of-the-throat scratch. For the first third, in fact, it seemed that might be its single distinguishing characteristic. Fortunately, though, that began to lessen as the second third began, opening up to some dark flavors like burned coffee, roasted nuts, and charred wood.

As I progressed down the box-pressed frame (5.6 x 46), there was lots of smoke, a slightly loose draw, and a not-so-great burn. The thick wrapper, at times, seemed almost fireproof.

The cigars are rolled at Erik Espinosa’s La Zona factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. The Rake comes in boxes of 20, with three sizes in addition to the Fix: Cut (5 x 52), Take (6 x 52), and Vig (6 x 60). The boxes and bands, like the names themselves, all reflect a connection to poker.

In announcing the line, Danny Moya said in a release that the band’s design was “inspired by the speakeasy peep hole found in many doors at underground gambling rooms, and the cigar box has two slots on the top of the box to resemble a rake box.”

I bought a five-pack ($47.50) back in the summer and smoked a couple then and a couple recently. Six months or so in the humidor seems to have made a little difference, especially in reducing sharpness.

With such a distinctive profile, I wouldn’t regularly smoke The Rake. But I would definitely pick one up on occasion for something different. I recommend it, especially in this size, and give it four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys / MoyaRuiz