The Stogie Guys

The 5th Year Anniversary Limitada wasn’t the only new cigar from E.P. Carrillo (EPC) recently. The company also released La Historia, its first box-pressed cigar.

While details are murky so far, and while these things have a way of changing, it has been suggested this line will be the first in a new series of EPC of releases called “The Generations” series. The names of La Historia also pay tribute to multiple generations, with the sizes being named after Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s father, wife, and son, respectively: El Senador, Doña Elena, and E-III.

I sampled the Doña Elena (6.1 x 50), smoking four cigars from the ornate box pictured above. La Historia uses a Mexican Maduro wrapper around an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder. According to the EPC website it has only Nicaraguan fillers. However, nearly every retail website (such sites generally get their info directly from the company) lists fillers as coming from both Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

The cigar comes in a very elegant, ornate presentation. It’s a far cry from the original EPC packaging and it looks very sharp, although the large box isn’t exactly an efficient use of your humidor space for just 10 cigars.

Pre-draw, there’s a very unique plastic-like flavor. I thought at first it was from the plastic tray at the bottom of the box, but even the two cigars I set aside for a month had the same element. It’s not something that bothers me, or is even unpleasant, but it’s definitely different.

Once lit, you can clearly taste the Mexican wrapper. The cigar produces thick, dense smoke that’s packed with a mix of chalk, milk chocolate, almond, and roasted flavors. The medium- to full-bodied smoke really coats the palate. Construction is flawless.

La Historia Doña Elena is a complete 180 from the EPC 5th Anniversary cigar, but good in its own way. All things being equal, I’ve never been a big fan of Mexican wrappers, and this cigar is dominated by it’s wrapper. Yet it’s still easy to appreciate the roasty flavors, voluminous smoke production, and excellent construction. That earns the E.P. Carrillo La Historia Doña Elena a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

About a month ago, I reviewed the Premium Line, the most expensive brand to date from Roberto P. Duran Premium Cigars. Impressed, I set out to round off our coverage of the company’s Azan line by trying the Azan Maduro Natural for the first time.

Azan is an old Cuban cigar brand that was revived by Roberto Pelayo Duran and reintroduced at the 2013 industry trade show. Azan was originally started by a Chinese immigrant who produced handmade cigars in the Manicaragua area of Cuba prior to Castro taking control. He eventually won a lottery and invested the money in his tobacco operation, only to have the Cuban government nationalize his business.

Today, Roberto P. Duran offers three variations on Azan: White, Burgundy, and Maduro Natural. Maduro Natural includes filler tobaccos from Estelí and Jalapa, a Nicaraguan binder, and a dark Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper that reportedly takes over 22 months to process. “This Maduro wrapper is very oily and naturally dark [hence, “Maduro Natural”] while maintaining the sweetness of the Corojo,” according to the manufacturer. “The beauty of the wrapper comes absolutely natural without any additive.”

Azan Maduro Natural comes in two sizes: Robusto Extra (5.5 x 52) and a belicoso called Campana (5.5 x 52). The latter retails for about $10 and comes complete with a well-executed cap, a firm packing of tobaccos, and pre-light notes of espresso, leather, and earth. The cold draw is moderately tight.

After setting an even light, a spicy, full-bodied profile abruptly announces itself. There’s no easing into this smoke. Right at the outset, bold, rich flavors of coffee bean, roasted nut, and black pepper hit the palate with a thick, leathery texture.

Background tastes include sweet cream and cinnamon. Aside from the additions of cocoa and warm tobacco in the final third, I don’t find many changes from light to nub.

While the complex flavor leaves little to be desired, the two samples I smoked for this review did not perform as well in the construction department. For one, the draw is stiffer than I would like (even though the smoke production is solid). Second, the burn line is often ill-behaved, requiring touch-ups along the way to stay even. That said, flavor is king. And the Azan Maduro Natural Campana has flavor in spades. As an after-dinner smoke and a complement to bourbon, this belicoso is an excellent choice and worthy of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

La Palina has accomplished a lot in the four and a half years since the brand was launched, or technically re-launched. (The original La Palina was introduced in 1896, and later developed by the vision of William S. Paley, who went on to found CBS.)

I attended the La Palina launch event in 2010 when the company introduced its first cigar, made at Graycliff in the Bahamas. If you had told me then where this brand would be now, I would have been both impressed and surprised.

Since 2010, La Palina has introduced a steady stream of new cigars, with nearly two per year. The latest offering is La Palina Black, the second La Palina cigar (after the Classic) to be made at Abe Flores’ Pinar del Rio factory in the Dominican Republic.

The line comes in four sizes—Gordo (6 x 60), Toro (6 x 50), Robusto (5 x 52), and Petit Lancero (6 x 40)—with prices ranging from $9 to $11.50 per cigar. La Palina has always had a classic look, but the black accents in the primary band combined with the black and gold secondary label make this an especially sharp presentation.

For this review, I smoked two Robustos provided as samples by La Palina. Each features a deep brown Brazilian Bahiano wrapper. Underneath are dual binders from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua around filler tobaccos from the same two countries.

The cigar has notable dried fruit flavors on the pre-light draw. Once lit, I found medium-full bodied roasted flavors of coffee, leather, and oak. There’s a slight hint of licorice too, and perhaps an echo of sweetness.

As it progresses, a chalky element adds into the mix, but mostly the flavors are consistent from start to finish. The aroma is very pleasant with dense oak and pepper. Construction is flawless, including a light gray ash that holds for an inch and a half before falling off.

This latest La Palina has many of the qualities that make the brand unlikely to disappoint. It’s well-made and features pleasant flavors, even if it doesn’t have much of a wow factor. That earns the La Palina Black Robusto a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I have to admit, when I first saw the Swag cigars, I rolled my eyes and wrote them off. The name—combined with the over-the-top packaging—led me to assume they were subpar cigars, marketed towards casual smokers who wouldn’t know the difference between quality tobacco and cheap smokes.

After a while, a friend of mine convinced me to try the Swag Sobe, and I was pretty surprised. It certainly was not the best cigar I ever smoked, but it was a solid experience. Later, I learned Swag is part of Boutique Blends, noted most famously for the Aging Room cigars they’ve created. At this year’s industry trade show, the Boutique Blends booth was constantly busy, and they released four new cigars. One is the smoke I’m reviewing today: Swag Black.

This cigar is branded as a “Nicaraguan-level strength” Dominican puro. Personally, I’m not sure what this means. I’ve had plenty of Dominican puros that were filled to the brim with nicotine (I’m looking at you, La Flor Dominicana), and I’ve had some Nicaraguans that were solid medium-bodied smokes.

Swag Black clocks in at around $8, in 4 different sizes. I purchased 3 in the “Lavish” format (5 x 54) for this review, and after about a month in the humidor I figured it was time to light them up.

The construction on all three robustos was great; one cigar had a large vein underneath the band, but it did not impact the smoking experience at all. I straight-cut two of these, and punched the third. Both types of preparation created a smooth, easy draw with a decent amount of smoke production. The cold draw was nice and earthy, with a strong fruity aroma coming off of the foot.

I was hoping that fruity flavor would be the dominant one, similar to Joya de Nicaragua’s Cuatro Cinco. Instead, the first few puffs are smooth and earthy with natural tobacco in the background. This is definitely a full-flavored cigar, but I’m not sure I’d call it full-bodied (more medium- to full-bodied). As the cigar progressed, some of the fruity notes started to develop with a rich berry tone. About halfway through, on each of the sticks, I noticed a dark espresso component. On the third, I decided to brew up an Americano to pair the smoke with, and it really heightened the experience.

With an interesting flavor profile, consistent burn line and draw, and a decent price, the Swag Black Lavish is definitely worth checking out. This is my favorite of the Swag lines, but some of the Aging Room offerings are where one should go to find the best that Boutique Blends has to offer. Still, I like this cigar enough to want to have some around as a hefty morning coffee option. I award it four stogies out of five.

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

–Joey J

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The first thing I focused on with this Nat Sherman wasn’t the smooth Ecuadorian wrapper or the pleasant pre-light aroma. It was the simple band, reminiscent of a bygone era of beer joints, pool halls, and all-night diners permeated with ashtrays and cigar smoke.

In fact, much of the cigar captures the spirit of the original Epoca that launched Nat Sherman into the cigar business in 1929. From box art to its medium strength, this is a celebration, much like the Joel Sherman 75th Anniversary released earlier this year.

There are six vitolas in the line, ranging in price from $9 to $15. I smoked the 6-inch, 50-ring gauge Prince, with samples provided by Nat Sherman.

From the start, the burn and draw were just about perfect. If the cigar produced any more smoke, you wouldn’t be surprised to see a hook-and-ladder truck. And not only is there a lot of smoke, it’s thick and rich.

I found no surprise that the Epoca kicked off with that grassy taste familiar to Connecticut tobacco. It was somewhat surprising, though, that it didn’t last. A nice tobacco sweetness edged it aside, with a bit of leather and earth. Then, the grass worked its way back in during the final third.

The flavors are balanced throughout, creating a pleasing experience from start to finish.

While I think almost any smoker would enjoy it, those looking for a stick to add to their morning routine would be the first I’d suggest give it a try. Epoca would also be a good choice for those who routinely enjoy mild cigars and want to step up a shade in strength.

I also plan to try it in a smaller size, such as the Breva, which is 5 inches long with a 42-ring gauge. I wonder whether that might concentrate the flavors more.

All in all, this is another fine new offering from Nat Sherman, and I rate it three 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, Kuuts launched Nicaraguan Blend. The new line is likely a response to the popularity of Nicaraguan tobacco, and yet another example of a non-Nicaraguan brand introducing a Nicaraguan-themed cigar.

Kuuts Nicaraguan Blend started shipping to retailers only recently. It sells in the affordable $5-7 range, and is available in 5 formats: Momentos (4 x 48), Pequeño (4.5 x 58), Robusto (5 x 52), Gordo Especial (7 x 60), and Toro (6 x 52). The blend recipe calls for Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos surrounded by an Ecuadorian wrapper. It is marketed as a “solid, medium-bodied cigar.”

Like the other Kuuts brands—including Miró, Placeres Reserva, and Tabacalera Zapata—the Nicaraguan Blend is made at the Compañia Hondureña de Tabacos (CHT) factory in Jacaleapa, Honduras. “Although the Danlí region is the source for a large percentage of the cigars manufactured for worldwide distribution, we have the advantage of owning and operating our own factory,” reads the Kuuts website. “Our factory [can produce] over 6 million cigars a year. With 98 pairs of rollers working in a family atmosphere, CHT has the ability to keep all aspects of the manufacturing process under one roof.”

The Nicaraguan Blend Toro has a light brown, almost pale exterior with little tooth or oils. It’s firm to the touch with a neat cap and an interesting band of black and metallic orange. The pre-light notes are subtle and sweet, and the cold draw is firm.

After setting an even light, I find the initial profile to be light, creamy, and characterized by sweet bready notes with some roasted nuts. The texture is smooth and the body is medium to medium-mild. Then, after the first inch, the Toro begins to taste a little more like what I’d expect from a Nicaraguan-heavy blend: black pepper spice, dry wood, and a bit more overall strength.

Still, even into the final third, the strength remains low and the body doesn’t seem to increase beyond medium. Late-arriving flavors include cinnamon and more sweet cream. All the while the burn line stays true and the gray ash holds well. The draw is a little tight for my liking and the smoke production is slightly below average.

Kuuts has a bigger footprint in Europe, where (generally speaking) the Cuban-esque profile reigns supreme. Perhaps that helps account for why the Nicaraguan Blend tastes so non-Nicaraguan (at least to me). The name of the cigar aside, the Nicaraguan Blend Toro is a nice smoke with balanced, subdued flavors that will strike a chord with less-frequent smokers, as well as experienced cigar fans who seek a morning complement to a cup of coffee. I award it three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

About two years ago, Gran Habano—the Florida-based operation of the Rico family—added two new blends to its Gran Reserva series: Gran Reserva #3 2009 and Gran Reserva #5 2010. They joined the original Gran Reserva, which was the Gran Reserva #3 2008.

Made at Gran Habano’s GR Tabaqueras Unidas factory in Danlí, Honduras, all the cigars in the Gran Reserva series are produced in limited quantities. In the case of the Gran Reserva #5 2010, production was limited to 1,200 boxes of each of the 5 sizes, for a total of 6,000 boxes of 20 cigars (120,000 individual cigars). But at the time of publication of this review, there are still plenty of Gran Reserva #5 2010 cigars to be had.

Blended by George A. Rico, the Gran Reserva #5 2010 blend consists of a Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper from 2005, a Nicaraguan Habano binder from 2005, and filler tobaccos from Jalapa. It is offered in the following formats for about $6 to $9 per cigar: Imperiales (6 x 60), Czar (6 x 66), Grandioso (7 x 70), Corona Gorda (5.6 x 46), and Gran Robusto (6 x 54).

Slipping the Gran Robusto out of its cedar sleeve (which covers almost the entire cigar up to the golden band), I find a thick, heavy, dense cigar with a neat cap and a tight cross-section of tobaccos at the foot. The veins are thin and minimal, and the surface is oily with moderate tooth. The cold draw is smooth and the pre-light aroma reminds me of milk chocolate and sweet hay.

According to Gran Habano, the Gran Reserva #5 2010 blend is sold as a “remarkably smooth, earthy, and spicy smoke accompanied by notes of sweet wood and espresso.” Upon setting an even light, I encounter a spicy profile of cedar and black pepper with background notes of coffee and leather. Quickly, a creamy peanut taste also enters the equation, which adds nice balance.

Into the midway point and the final third, little changes in terms of profile, save for a slight increase in intensity at the very end. For me, frankly, that’s a bit of a disappointment. This is a large, slow-burning cigar. More complexity and more variation in taste would go a long way towards better capturing my attention.

Still, with solid construction, a pleasant flavor, and sweet, aromatic resting smoke, the Gran Reserva #5 2010 Gran Robusto is a solid cigar at a fair price. That earns it three stogies out of five. I just can’t help but wonder how the blend would fare in a thinner format.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys