The Stogie Guys

This year has been a big one for Tatuaje Cigars, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary—not that it’s easy to miss. The company switched up the packaging on its original Brown Label line, including anniversary bands, and added new sizes.

The tenth anniversary also influenced Tatuaje’s third annual TAA release, which has just arrived on the shelves of Tobacconists’ Association of America (TAA) stores. TAA is a small (relative to IPCPR) association of cigar shops that includes many of the most prominent U.S. tobacconists.

This year’s TAA release is different from previous editions in two notable ways. First, the packaging is a variation of the Tatuaje 10th Anniversary cigar with a black background instead of brown on the band. Second, the blend is based on the regular Brown Label line, where as in past years it used a blend based on the Barclay Rex 100th Anniversary blend, one of my all-time favorites.

That means it uses an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler. Like the other additions to Brown Line beyond the original six, this is made at Don Pepin Garcia’s My Father Cigars factory in Estelí.

The cigar is 6.4 inches long with a ring gauge of 54 (with a closed foot), one of the bigger editions of the original Brown Label blend. It sells for $11 each, less by the box. I acquired the three I smoked for this review from Emerson’s Cigars, which still has them in stock.

Even though we’re told it’s the same blend as the original Brown Label, the wrapper seems a bit darker and less reddish than the Brown Label smokes I’ve had lately. There were other aspects that seemed slightly different than the original Brown Label.

The cigar features the excellent balanced combination of wood, cream, bread, and subtle pepper spice that makes the Brown Label a popular medium- to full-bodied cigar. There are also darker charred oak and meaty notes that I don’t recall finding in the other Brown Label sizes. Like most Pepin-produced cigars, construction was excellent.

All in all, it’s a tasty rendition of the Tatuaje Seleccion de Cazadores (the full name for Brown Label), with just a few tweaks caused either by the size or a slight variation in the blend. I was a bit disappointed Pete Johnson didn’t continue the TAA blend of the previous years (though it will be back next year), but the Tatuaje Grand Chasseur TAA 2013 is still an excellent cigar worthy of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

With its extremely sharp press, this cigar makes a strong first impression that’s enhanced by a strong pre-light aroma from the Habano ’98 wrapper.

I smoked three of these, supplied recently by Flex Assouline Cigars, with whom we failed to personally connect at the IPCPR Trade Show this summer in Las Vegas. The Blaze is 6 inches long with a ring gauge of 54, an MSRP of $7, and an international composition. The binder is Indonesian and the filler comprises Nicaraguan and Honduran tobacco.

Overall, Havana Sunrise is an enjoyable cigar, with balanced flavors that are medium in strength. The finish is a bit harsh at the start, though that soon rounds out.

But I did encounter some negatives, mainly with the burn. The worst came in the second sample, when a tunnel developed about half way down, airing out the smoke and creating a terrible off-kilter burn I tried vainly to correct again and again.

I wasn’t particularly concerned since I was smoking outdoors with the attendant hazards of errant breezes and still-high Florida humidity. And the first Blaze I smoked outdoors burned just fine, produced thick smoke like a forest fire, and had an excellent draw.

Unfortunately, the third cigar also had a tunnel, though less severe. There was also a problem shared with the earlier stick: a rock-hard ash as the tunnel developed, which can be indicative of problem tobacco.

According to the Flex Assouline website, distribution is limited. So you might not see these cigars at your local shop. If you do, though, I’d recommend giving them a try. It’s the kind of cigar a lot of smokers will enjoy. Unfortunately, the performance issues were a drawback. I rate it three stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Officially launched in January, but formalized at last year’s convention, Sindicato is a new company founded by a group of veteran retailers. The group starts with a customer base that’s the envy of any new cigar company.

Heading up this “syndicate” is Abe Dababneh of Smoke Inn. He is joined by Dan Jenuwine (of Quality Fresh Cigars in Michigan), Gary Pesh (of Old Virginia Tobacco in Virginia), Robert Roth (of Nice Ash Cigars in New York and Pennsylvania), and Jeff Borysiewicz (Corona Cigar Company in Orlando). Their stores alone would be top targets for any new cigar line looking for quality retailers.

Three brands comprise the Sindicato lineup. Casa Bella is a “premium bundle” smoke from the Dominican Republic with prices around $2 per cigar. Hex, my favorite, is sold as “a refined medium- to full-bodied cigar”. And Affinity is an Ecuadorian Connecticut-wrapped blend with a mild profile. (StogieGuys.com was also told an eponymous “Sindicato” cigar is currently in the works.)

Affinity comes in six formats: Churchill, Gran Toro, Belicoso, Toro, Corona, and Robusto. The Belicoso measures 6.1 inches long with a ring gauge of 52 and a price of about $7. It’s a pale cigar with a clean, delicate wrapper that’s prone to tiny cracks if you aren’t careful. The sharply pointed cap clips uneventfully to reveal a smooth draw, and the foot boasts pre-light notes of sweet hay and caramel.

Setting an even light across the wrapper, the Nicaraguan binder, and the blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican filler tobaccos, a buttery profile of cream and nut emerges. The finish is short, tangy, and just a little spicy with a slight bitterness. Each puff coats the palate with silky, oily smoke. The body is decidedly in the mild spectrum.

I won’t call the flavor “papery,” though some may find the Belicoso to be too mellow. I’ve always enjoyed milder smokes as long as they back up their lack of power with creaminess and complexity. To be blunt, while Affinity may have character, the samples I smoked for this review were on the verge of being too mild for my personal taste.

That said, the Sindicato Affinity Belicoso brings a decent flavor to the table along with perfect combustion qualities—straight burn, solid ash, good smoke production, and consistently easy draw. Fans of mild-bodied cigars will find it to be a solid buy. In my book, it earns three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Arturo Fuente’s Solaris. Tatuaje’s Anarchy and Apocalypse. My Father’s El Hijo. Padrón’s 1964 Anniversary SI-15. Room 101’s Big Delicious. What do these have in common?

They’re all part of the Microblend Series that’s soldby Smoke Inn, a Florida-based cigar retailer. The Microblend Series is inspired by the growing popularity of U.S. microbreweries, harnessing how “limited production quantities allow for a greater emphasis to be placed on quality and consistency,” according to the Smoke Inn website.

With that inspiration, it was only a matter of time before Smoke Inn partnered with Manuel Quesada to put new twist on one of Quesada’s most popular lines: Oktoberfest. Just in time for the German festival, Smoke Inn is now shipping the Oktoberfest Dunkel, named for the German word for “dark” that’s typically used to describe a dark lager.

“In the spirit of Oktoberfest, the Dunkel uses the same binders and fillers of the regular Oktoberfest release, with the exception of the wrapper,” reads a Smoke Inn press release. “A very select broadleaf maduro wrapper envelops this rich cigar with a slight underlying Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper at the foot, thus giving the appearance of a dark, rich Dunkel beer with a savory, foamy head.”

Dunkel is sold in one size (6 x 54) at a cost of $8.95 per single, or $134.25 per box of 15. It’s obviously a unique-looking cigar, which may be why Quesada chose to keep the band exactly the same as the regular Oktoberfest blend. Aside from the different wrapper at the foot, Dunkel’s other aesthetic properties include a tremendously oily exterior, pungent pre-light notes of earth and cocoa, and a dense, firm feel.

The initial profile is reminiscent of the original Quesada Oktoberfest with dark cherry, burnt coffee, and an occasional bitter bite. Sweet notes are more apparent on the aftertaste than each individual puff. But during the outset of the smoke—the one covered in the Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper—the texture is very creamy.

Spice and leather take center stage once the cigar passes into the broadleaf maduro phase. Here the Dunkel becomes more full-bodied with a little more nicotine kick. Perhaps not surprisingly, though, the creaminess prevails, rendering Dunkel one of those flavorful smokes with ample spice and complexity yet a creamy undertone.

All of the Quesada Oktoberfest Dunkels I smoked for this review exhibited admirable physical properties, and all were, quite frankly, a joy to smoke. While I’m no fan of pairing beer with cigars—as I’ve written before—the quality of this smoke is undeniable regardless of pairing. That earns it a solid rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

At one time, Miami was a hotbed for cigar production, especially among Cuban expats seeking to rebuild after the Cuban Revolution stole away their businesses. Rising labor costs eventually necessitated most of this production move overseas to countries like Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic.

These days, Miami is witnessing somewhat of a renaissance in cigar making. Crémo Cigars, launched near the end of 2011, is part of this revitalization, proudly proclaiming its commitment to American production. Crémo’s blends are crafted at the El Titan de Bronze Cigar Factory on Miami’s Calle Ocho. The factory is “known best for its old-school Cuban entubado techniques, [and] is a family-owned and operated ‘fabriquita’ which employs level-nine rollers from Cuba,” according to the Crémo website. “These torcedores, like a painter to a canvas, handcraft each cigar with meticulous detail.”

Following up on the Crémo Classic (blended by Willy Herrera prior to his departure to Drew Estate) and the Crémo Classic Maduro, Crémo’s newest blend is Capa Caliente. It is intended to be a full-bodied, full-flavored cigar—and that’s exactly what it is. It features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around a Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

Capa Caliente comes in two formats: Robusto (5 x 50) and Toro (6 x 52). They cost $8 and $12, respectively. Each has a dark, reddish wrapper with ample oils and neatly executed triple-caps. The foot—a cross-section view of the entubado style of cigar rolling—emanates bold pre-light notes of earth and leather.

The Toro starts out as advertised. It’s about as full-bodied as a cigar can be with a bold, salty spice and flavors of espresso, black pepper, and charred steak. The taste coats the palate with a heavy, leathery texture unequaled in any cigar I’ve smoked in recent memory. The overall impact can be knee-buckling, even on a full stomach.

At the midway point the Toro becomes a little less aggressive, and at times it’s almost creamy. Still, the core notes are pervasive, and the strength is mostly unrelenting. All the while the construction is excellent. The gray ash holds firm off the foot, the draw is smooth, the burn line is straight, and each puff yields ample smoke.

If you’re a power-monger, the Capa Caliente from Crémo is one blend you absolutely have to try. If, like me, you’re more strength-agnostic and instead seek balance and harmony, this may not be the best selection. Like many things with cigars, it all depends on your point of view and personal preferences. For me, all things considered, while I prefer Crémo’s two previous blends, the four Toros I smoked for this review result in a rating of three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Throughout his career, Abe Flores has made cigars for various brands, including his own boutique Dominican outfit, Pinar del Rio (PDR). He is regarded as one of the most sought-after cigar makers in the world. So he caught the industry’s attention when, in 2012, he decided to produce a cigar bearing his own name.

Called A. Flores Serie Privada, it comes in two wrapper varieties: Ecuadorian Habano (“Capa Habano”) and Maduro Habano Ecuador (“Capa Maduro”). These blends use “the oldest tobacco in the PDR factory, and for good reason, [as] they are a tribute to Abe Flores, who has become a major player in the world of premium hand-rolled cigars,” reads the PDR website. “The Habano wrapper delivers great complexity and a creamy, cool, medium-body cigar. Best way to describe this is creamy sweetness with a touch of spice at the finish…The Habano Maduro wrapper is a medium-body cigar that starts with some natural sweetness, then delivers some spice.”

Both versions have Nicaraguan Habano binders and filler tobaccos comprised of Nicaraguan Habano and Dominican Corojo. Sizes include Robusto (5 x 52), Toro (6 x 54), and Churchill (7 x 58). In the $9.75-12.75 MSRP range, Serie Privada’s prices clock in higher than PDR’s other blends, which are very affordably priced (especially when you consider the quality).

I sampled three Serie Privada Capa Habano Robustos for this review. Common aesthetic characteristics include rustic, oily wrappers with only thin veins, a very soft feel from cap to foot, and faint pre-light notes of honey and hay. The caps all clip easily to reveal airy draws that are ultra-easy. Without even lighting it up, my concern is the box-pressed cigar is going to burn hot, harsh, and quick.

Hot or harsh the Robusto mostly isn’t. While there’s a lingering spice—especially on the tip of the tongue—the profile is a medium-bodied mixture of dry cedar, cinnamon, roasted nut, and a little sweet cream. The texture is light, billowy, and toasty. Black pepper and that trademark Nicaraguan zing play bigger roles as the cigar progresses. Towards the end some bitter notes come and go. The aftertaste lingers long after each puff which, I find, makes the Capa Habano an excellent pairing with sipping rum or bourbon.

My concerns about the smoke being too quick were also assuaged, evidenced by the average smoking time of 70 minutes for the Robusto. All the other physical properties are up to muster as well. The burn line is near perfect, the ash holds well, and the draw remains smooth throughout with each puff yielding ample smoke.

I’ve been a big Pinar del Rio fan for years, and I still think it’s hard to find a better bang for your buck than with many of the lines Abe Flores has created for PDR. The 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Natural and the Small Batch Reserve Maduro are among my favorites. For me, the Serie Privada Capa Habano Robusto is a fine smoke, but it falls a little short of my (admittedly high) expectations. While the flavors and construction are solid, the depth and complexity aren’t what I had hoped. All this adds up to a respectable yet tempered 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

In 2009, Miami Cigar & Co.created the Nestor Miranda Special Selection “20 Aniversario,” a limited release that celebrated of two decades of producing a Special Selection line named for company founder Nestor Miranda. The Rosado version of that series ended up being one of my favorite smokes of that year. I ended up smoking several boxes.

Aniversario aside, Special Selection is a regular-production brand with five sizes, each offered in either a Nicaraguan Habano Rosado wrapper or an Oscuro one. It joins Grand Reserve, Art Deco, Dominicano, 1989, and Danno in the Nestor Miranda portfolio.

A project conceived by Jason Wood at Miami Cigar and several years in the making, the Special Selection Exclusivo Regional was recently announced. The concept is to eventually have different Special Selection varieties available in different regions of the U.S. For starters, the inaugural Exclusivo Regional is a Midwest-only release. It sports a San Andres wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, and it comes in two formats that cost $8-9: Robusto Extra (5.5 x 54) and Toro Grande (6 x 60).

A box-pressed smoke, the Robusto Extra is a dark, gritty cigar with a wrinkled cap and zero large veins. The foot smells of sweet cocoa and pepper. Clipping the cap reveals a smooth pre-light draw and a little spice on the lips.

After lighting the cigar, the draw opens significantly, and a profile of cream, dark chocolate, and leather emerges. Given the aforementioned spice on the lips and the fact the cigar is predominantly Nicaraguan, I had expected a pepper-forward flavor. But the taste is anything but spicy. The edges are very rounded, so to speak, despite the body trending to the heavier side.

As the medium-bodied Robusto Extra progresses to the midway point and beyond, I do not find major alterations in taste. I also don’t find any of the “dirt” flavor that’s sometimes associated with Mexican tobacco. What I do notice is a smooth creaminess, a moderate nicotine kick, and sweet resting smoke. The physical properties are impeccable—solid ash, straight burn line, easy draw.

The Special Selection Exclusivo Regional is no doubt a fine, well-made cigar, and the idea of a limited regional release is an interesting one. Yet I’m a little skeptical the Robusto Extra is going to utterly captivate the Midwest—age may improve it but, right now, it isn’t terribly complex, and it doesn’t change much from light to nub. That said, it’s a good smoke at a fair price, and one that’s worthy of a  three stogies out of five rating.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys