The Stogie Guys

The Spectre by AJ Fernandez is easily one of the most unique, interesting cigars I have smoked in years. Now, we’ll discuss whether or not that’s a compliment in a little, but just go into this review knowing that this cigar is very distinctive and you likely have not smoked something like this before.

What makes this such a unique experience is the “secret blend” of tobacco used in making the Spectre, which reportedly includes latakia. For those who are not big pipe enthusiasts, latakia is a type of tobacco normally included in what are called “English” blends. It has a smoky smell, like a campfire, and normally has smoky and spicy flavors associated with it. At this point, some of you may be thinking of cigars like the MUWAT KFC or the Leccia Black, which feature Kentucky Fire-Cured tobacco. While the process these two tobaccos go through to achieve their flavor is similar, there is a distinct difference: KFC is American tobacco, and latakia is an Oriental process.

While some details about the cigar were not disclosed to the public, we do know this has a Maduro wrapper with Nicaraguan origin. Three sizes are initially offered: Toro, Robusto, and Gordo. I smoked three Robustos (5 x 50) for this review. The wrapper is very dark and oily, and the band shows a tobacco leaf in shadows, with a bright light coming up behind it. While it’s a small complaint, I don’t really like bands like this which take up more than 50% of the cigar. When clipped the cigar emanates very smoky aromas, with some spice and leather underneath.

Lighting up this cigar straight off the shelves is an insane experience. The flavor is so strong and interesting in the first half that it was honestly a little overwhelming. Your palate is blasted with smokiness, charred meat, leather, cocoa, and earth, with a sharp spiciness dominating the finish. The second half of the cigar burnt a little hot, but also allowed most of the flavors to mellow out and complement each other a bit more.

I feel the need to add in that I smoked the third cigar for this review after it sat in my humidor outside the cello for about two weeks. The experience was really different. That smoky-spicy latakia dominant first half was replaced by rich cocoa and earth, that were overpowered in the previous two I had smoked. Sadly, that experience also felt muted and one-dimensional in comparison to my first two.

This is a cigar that I cannot really recommend to just any smoker, due to the strength of flavor (the nicotine is a solid medium, by the way). However, if you’re looking for a unique experience, these sticks can be picked up at a pretty good price, and it’s worth trying them just to say you have. I personally like them, and they are well rolled, but considering the fact that this cigar would never enter my regular rotation, I will only give it three stogies out of five.

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

–Joey J

photo credit: Stogie Guys

With this limited-run cigar, General Cigar shows what it looks like when an elephant dances, producing an elegant, powerful smoke that holds its own among top-flight boutiques.

Created as a tribute to General’s recently retired tobacco master Benji Menendez, the Homage is a delight to smoke. It comes in two vitolas: Toro (6.5 x 54) and Robusto Gordo (5.5 x 52). They’re packaged in 10-count boxes with total production of only 1,500 boxes in each size.

The cigars feature more wrapping than a Christmas present. White tissue paper envelops the cigar, and it is surrounded by double bands that are duplicated around the cigar itself. (A tip: The easiest way to remove the tissue paper is to tear it off around the head, then grab the pigtail at the foot and slide it down.)

Though you’ll often see “62”—the notation on the band refers to Menendez’s years in the industry—included in the name, it isn’t, according to General’s Victoria McKee. She also reported that Menendez had no role in the complex blend of a Honduran wrapper and Connecticut Broadleaf binder with Dominican, Honduran, and Mexican filler.

It’s smooth, with a light finish. I’ve smoked four and found them consistent, though one did exhibit a bit of an uneven burn at several points. Draw was excellent on each. Strength varies along the way, ramping up considerably by the final third.

Flavors change throughout as well. Homage begins with some spice and a thick, rich tobacco taste, followed by the introduction of floral notes and wood. Strong pepper makes an appearance in the second half, as does some cedar and tobacco sweetness.

It’s the kind of smoke that rewards attention, and you’ll likely find yourself detecting lots of flavors and nuances. One I didn’t pick up was that telltale dirt taste I associate with Mexican tobacco. Frankly, I’d never have guessed it was in there.

If you’re a fan of bold boutique smokes, check out the Homage. With its reasonable prices—$9 and $9.50 for the Toro and Robusto Gordo, respectively—you might want to pick up a box, if you can find one. I give the Partagas Benji Homage Toro a rating of four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

When my colleague reviewed the CroMagnon Cranium back in May 2011, I’d wager most readers had not heard of RoMa Craft Tobac or its owners, Michael Rosales and Skip Martin. Almost three years later, if you still haven’t gotten around to trying RoMa Craft smokes, you need to get on board. You’re missing out.

RoMa Craft was born after the Hava Cigar Shop and Lounge in Galveston, Texas, was decimated by Hurricane Ike in 2008. At first it was an online version of the old brick-and-mortar store, but distribution and cigar production grew. The company now counts the CroMagnon, Aquitaine, Intemperance, Adrian’s Costa Rica, and Hava Cigar brands as part of its portfolio. It maintains production facilities in Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

Those who’ve met Skip Martin know he’s no fan of nanny state paternalism (particularly as it pertains to tobacco). His Intemperance series pays homage to the American movement that overthrew Prohibition, and it calls on us to do our part to protect cigar freedoms. It’s also an excellent line of smokes.

Intemperance BA XXI features a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper around an Indonesian binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. (There’s also an Intemperance EC XVIII line that’s wrapped in an Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf.) Four regular-production vitolas range in price from $5 to $7: Petito, Short Robusto, Short Perfecto, and Belicoso. Three additional vitolas are reserved for RoMa Craft events, though rumor has it they will eventually be available for online purchase: Brotherly Kindness, The Breach of the Peace, and A.W.S. IV. My favorite is the A.W.S. IV, a Lonsdale (6.5 x 44) that costs $6.50. It’s a dark, oily smoke with pre-light notes of chocolate, and binder and filler tobaccos that protrude slightly beyond the wrapper at the foot.

Once underway, black pepper spice immediately coats the palate, while a red pepper spice tingles the lips. The smoke has a hearty, gritty texture, and the flavors remind me of rich chocolate, cream, dry wood, and roasted nut. The balance is tremendous, and the spice can easily be controlled by either smoking quicker for more heat, or smoking slower for a cooler experience. Towards the end, the spice takes a backseat to sweetness, cream, and apricot.

As I’ve come to expect from RoMa Craft, the combustion qualities are downright impeccable. The burn is straight and true, the draw is smooth, the ash holds firm, and the smoke production is impressive. A tip of the hat to the professionals at the Nica Sueño factory in Estelí.

While I think the secret has been out for some time—heck, I arrived late to the party myself—it’s my pleasure to add my praise to the many accolades that have been bestowed upon the Intemperance BA XXI blend. The A.W.S. IV vitola is a great value and a joy to smoke, earning it a very rare rating of five stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. A list of other five-stogie rated cigars can be found here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

When I initially heard that La Flor Dominicana (LFD) was discontinuing some of their lines, I was very nervous. LFD has a plethora of high quality, enjoyable smokes and a few of them have been in my regular rotation for a while now. While it was not entirely removed, the LFD 2000 Series offerings were cut down dramatically. From now on, only one size out of the original nine will be offered.

This vitola is the No. 3 (4.625 x 40). Though this cigar is small, the myths surrounding it loom large. Some claim that a portion of the tobacco included in the 2000 series comes directly from Litto Gomez’s private 120-acre farm. I have also been told, from the sales representative for LFD who works in my region, that the 2000 No. 3 was saved because it is Litto’s personal favorite cigar. While I cannot verify whether or not any of these claims are true, they are certainly interesting.

What really interests me about this cigar is how it differs from other LFD offerings. While normally known for their nicotine-heavy, ligero-filled smokes, this cigar is instead a solid medium in both flavor and strength. Dominican and Brazilian fillers compliment the Cameroon wrapper, which has a nice smoothness to it with minimal veins.

When lit, the 2000 series has a lot to offer. The main flavors here are very nutty, with cedar compliments in the beginning. Further in to the experience the cigar adds a nice pepper, with a spicy and medium-length finish. Though I expected some sweetness due to the Cameroon wrapper, it was not really there. The flavors that are present, though, are very pleasant, and the taste remains consistent down to the nub.

This cigar is a great offering from LFD, and it is nice to see them differentiate from their normal hard-hitters. When one takes into account how quickly these cigars can be smoked, and the affordability of a box, it is hard to award this stick anything less than four stogies out of five.

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

–Joey J

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Revelation is the latest Don Pepin Garcia creation in Ashton’s San Cristobal line. Like the others, it sports a gorgeous, intricate band in addition to an identifying secondary one. (We’ve reviewed the original line here and here, the Selección del Sol, and done a Quick Smoke of the Elegancia line here.)

But what stands out is a box press that, with the 48-ring gauge Mystic, makes it resemble a wafer along the lines of the coffee-flavored Java.

Light it up, though, and you’ll quickly discover that shape is all the two have in common. Revelation—befitting its Nicaraguan binder and filler—produces quite a pepper punch in the opening, followed by a nice spice on the back of the throat. It’s not the smoothest cigar, and the sharpness becomes exacerbated if you don’t smoke very slowly.

That can require a little effort because Revelation burns effortlessly, producing smoke like a house fire. The draw in those I’ve had was excellent, as was construction throughout.

In appearance, though, the 5.6-inch stick isn’t particularly pretty. Though there are no prominent veins, the brown Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper tends to be splotchy.

Overall, I’d say Revelation is a medium-strength cigar that develops throughout with some flavor shifts. I wondered, though, if it might not be a better smoke in a larger ring gauge, featured in each of the four other vitolas. There’s even a Leviathan (6.5 x 64).

Overall, I’d recommend giving the Revelation line a try. I rate the San Cristobal Revelation Mystic three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

About a year ago, when I reviewed a pre-release version of the Recluse Draconian Robusto from Iconic Leaf, I mentioned that the sizes of the blend would not be disclosed until the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) Trade Show in Las Vegas.

Typically, the announcement of vitolas is a non-event. But, last winter, well before the IPCPR convention, Iconic Leaf assured us three of the sizes would be in a never-before-seen format called “Sidewinder,” and this created some intrigue. (Iconic Leaf fans will recall Recluse was likewise rolled out in an inventive format called “Kanu,” which has a head-turning kayak-like shape).

As best as I can describe it, the Sidewinder shape is reminiscent to a flattened oval that has a slight box press and a bit of a taper at the cap. Three Sidewinders appear in the Recluse Draconian portfolio: No. 1 (5 x 57, $8); No. 2 (6 x 57, $9); and No. 3 (7 x 57, $10). They join three other standard vitolas, all of which are box-pressed: Robusto (5 x 54, $7.50); Toro (6.25 x 50, $8.50); and 6 x 60 ($9.50).

All of these cigars are rolled in the entubado style at the Tabacalera Leyendas Cubanas factory in the Dominican Republic. They share an Ecuadorian maduro wrapper around a proprietary binder. The filler includes a Ligero leaf that’s unique to Iconic Leaf, as well as Dominican Ligero, Piloto Cubano, and Braziago.

The Recluse Draconian Sidewinder No. 2 is a sleek-looking smoke with a smooth surface, minimal veins, and barely visible seams. Notes of caramel, leather, and red pepper are apparent off the foot. A small V-cut is all that’s needed to open up a clear draw, thanks to the entubado rolling technique. In a nod to its unique shape, the cigar fits comfortably in the mouth despite its large ring gauge.

Ample spice, dry wood, espresso, pepper, and bread characterize the flavor profile. The smoke is heavy, toasty, and abundant with a thick texture. Traces of cream and peanut come and go. Throughout, the construction is very good—the ash is firm and stable, the burn line straight, and the draw smooth.

I thoroughly enjoyed both Sidewinder No. 2s I smoked for this review, though I can’t say I liked either considerably more or less than the pre-release Robusto. Still, I’d imagine some will prefer the Sidewinder format over the traditional Recluse Draconian sizes because of the ability to comfortably smoke a large ring gauge, and the ability to effectively control the concentration of the smoke by choosing between a V-cut and a standard guillotine cut. In the end, this vitola is worthy of a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

One might argue this review is unnecessary. For starters, I reviewed this same cigar (and same vitola) a little more than two years ago. In addition, the My Father line has become ubiquitous among cigar fans, earning it a solid reputation and diminishing the usefulness of yet another review stacked upon longstanding heaps of praise.

However, we should not forget cigars share many similarities with wine. Each growing season in each part of the cigar-producing world brings with it different soil conditions, different rainfall, different sunlight exposure, and different levels of humidity. When you add in the variables associated with cultivation, fermentation, and rolling, it’s a wonder cigar makers have any consistency at all within the same blend across years. So I would argue there’s a fair amount of value in revisiting old reviews. Particularly when—as in this case—several years separate the two creations.

Whereas the robusto-sized My Father No. 1 cigars I acquired for my previous review were purchased in 2011, the five-pack I bought for this review was ordered and received in late 2013. Both have Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos and a Habano/Criollo hybrid wrapper from Ecuador. And both measure 5.5 inches long with a ring gauge of 52 and a price tag of about $10.

In appearance, the recently acquired My Father No. 1 cigars look exactly like all the others I have smoked in this format. They have smooth, oily wrappers, soft pre-light notes with tons of sweetness, and the trademark My Father band of pink, green, red, and gold. The cap clips easily to reveal a smooth cold draw.

Perhaps these newer robustos are somewhat different—or perhaps my tastes have just changed (that’s another variable to consider)—but today My Father No. 1 has a meaty, almost mesquite-like character that I don’t remember. Sure, the core flavors of cedar, coffee, chocolate, dry tannins, and pepper remain. I don’t recall, though, the cigar having such a pronounced char component. I’m not complaining, especially since these bold, smoky tastes are offset by a frequent creaminess that reminds me of nougat.

Throughout, the medium- to full-bodied robusto is a model of construction perfection. The ash holds firm for an above-average length, the burn line is wonderfully straight, and each puff yields ample smoke.

Based on my own recollection, which is admittedly flawed, the My Father No. 1 tastes a little different today than it did a few years ago. Interestingly, however, I don’t find myself liking this cigar any more or any less. I maintain it’s still worthy of a stellar 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