The Stogie Guys

Last month I reviewed Abaddon, a forthcoming single-size blend from Blue Havana, a tobacconist in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. Crafted at Fabrica de Tabacos Nica Sueño in Estelí by Skip Martin of RoMa Craft Tobac, I found the cigar to be unique and flavorful, and I mentioned that I looked forward to its release in September.

September is here, and so is Abaddon. On Friday, to be exact, Blue Havana hosted a Nica Sueño event to welcome Abaddon to the shop’s selection of smokes. The cigar, which takes its name from the dwelling place of the dead in the Hebrew Bible, sells for $8.15 and sports a dark, oily, slightly mottled Nicaraguan hybrid (Criollo/Corojo) wrapper from Nicaragua, a Mata Fina binder, and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. I liked the cigar enough to award it a rare rating of four and a half stogies out of five.

So I was understandably eager to try Ouroboros, the other RoMa Craft-produced Blue Havana exclusive that also made its debut on Friday. Named after an ancient symbol depicting a dragon eating its own tail, Ouroboros is also available in one size (6.25 x 52). It retails for $8.50 and has a Mata Fina wrapper from Brazil, an Indonesian binder, and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Only 40 boxes of 12 will be produced in the first run.

Ouroboros is dark, firm to the touch, and heavy in the hand. Its wrapper is clean with few veins and plenty of tooth. I don’t find much pre-light aroma besides faint syrupy notes. Interestingly, despite the closed foot, the cold draw is smooth after clipping the cap.

Once an even light is established, a dense, leathery flavor emerges with pepper spice, coffee bean, earth, and traces of bitterness. Hints of black licorice come and go, and the aftertaste is characterized by a lingering paprika spice. The final portion of the cigar, rather than predictably building to intense bitterness or heat, is characterized by cream and cedar.

With outstanding construction—something I’ve come to expect from Fabrica de Tabacos Nica Sueño—I’m happy to report that Ouroboros, like Abaddon, is a very pleasing cigar. The balance, complexity, and fragrance make it well worth its price tag and worthy of another solid 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

This annual release from Quesada continues to impress, beginning with an extraordinarily oily wrapper and ending, for me, with a nubbed cigar. I recommended the line last year and I do the same in 2013.

The Bavarian, whose named honors the home of Oktoberfest, is a 5.5-inch beauty with a mix of Dominican filler leaf that creates a sometimes sweet, sometimes spicy stick. Exhaling occasionally through the nose adds another dimension to the tastes.

A leader in expanding the expectations of Dominican tobaccos, Quesada has certainly imbued this puro with more power, punch, and complexity than the stereotypical mild cigar from the Dominican.

In those I’ve smoked, construction has generally been fine. I have had to touch up the burn a time or two, but the problems were relatively minor. The draw was right on target, and the smoke production excellent. The ring gauge of 52 is comfortable.

The limited edition has grown this year to 6 sizes, including a Corona (5 x 43 ). With the small number of cigars produced, though, I’d be surprised if many shops carry all sizes.

My one small complaint is that I’d prefer Quesada to include the production year somewhere on the band, which, frankly, I’d like to see on all limited editions.

Quesada set out to create a cigar that would match the Märzen style of Bavarian beer associated with Oktoberfest. I have no doubt it will. But I think you’ll enjoy the cigar no matter what drink you pick up.

For me, this year’s Oktoberfest, like its predecessor in 2012, is worthy of four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: SAG Imports

Take two of the most popular cigars on the market (Padrón Anniversary 1964 and Liga Privada No. 9), switch a couple numbers, squish them together, and what do you get? The Nat Cicco “Aniversario 1965 Liga No. 4.” At least that’s what the name seems to imply.

It wouldn’t be the first time Nat Cicco has created a brand—without violating any trademarks—that alludes to another brand. A while back, I reviewed the Nat Cicco HHB which, in name and packaging, quite clearly is designed to invoke the Cohiba Behike.

According to Zander-Greg, who now owns the Nat Cicco line, the Aniversario 1965 Liga No. 4 is a celebration of the first time (1965) the “Factory Rejects” concept was produced. Back then it was the National Cigar Company, which has since been shortened to Nat Cicco, whose “Rejects” is still the company’s best-known line.

Aniversario 1965, the company’s first big move into the higher end of the market, is available in Robusto, Toro, and Churchill shapes, and has Nicaragua-grown Habano-seed  filler, binder, and wrapper tobaccos. I smoked four Toros (provided by Nat Cicco) for this review. The press release put out last year says the cigars retail for around $8, but it also says the cigars are band-less, and clearly they aren’t.

It’s a well-made, box-pressed cigar with an even burn, easy draw, and sturdy ash. The cigar features a pigtail cap and a dark, oily wrapper. The profile tastes of molasses, powdered chocolate, earth, and a little leather. It’s pretty simplistic, though pleasant, with not much variation from start to finish.

The Aniversario 1965 Liga No. 4 doesn’t exactly stand out, but it’s still a well-made, tasty cigar. A classic example of the new higher baseline for cigar quality that I mentioned in my recent commentary.

Well-made, well-constructed, and featuring a pleasant, if not particularly balanced, profile, it’s an interesting new addition that I wish was easier to find. (A quick Google search suggests it’s tough to find.) While it’s no Liga No. 9 or Padrón 1964, the Nat Cicco Aniversario 1965 Liga No. 4 does earn a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

El Cedro is a new brand recently launched by Anwar Elboustani. Elboustani experienced what he calls “love at first smoke” while stationed in Iraq as a translator in the U.S. Navy. In early 2013, nearly ten years later, Elboustani founded El Cedro Cigars, a new boutique brand “inspired by the men and women of America’s armed services.”

The name means “The Cedar,” which refers to the ancient Mediterranean cedar trees which dot the mountains of Lebanon, some of which date back nearly 2000 years. “I chose the cedar tree because to me it embodies eternity… I want ‘The Cedar’ to memorialize those who have fallen for the freedom that every American enjoys,” Elboustani says. (Spanish) cedar also happens to be the type of wood most closely associated cigar making and proper cigar storage.

El Cedro cigars are produced at the new Kelner Boutique Factory in the Dominican Republic, run by Hendrick Kelner Jr.(son of “Henke” Kelner, who oversees Davidoff production and produces many other cigars). Henke Jr. also makes his new Tuxedo Cigars at the new facility.

El Cedro has a Dominican wrapper and binder around a blend of Dominican tobacco (supplied by Kelner Jr.’s sister Monica) and Nicaraguan ligero from an undisclosed source. The blend comes in two sizes: Robusto (5.5 x 50) and Corona Gorda (5.5 x 46), the latter of which is really more of a traditional corona size; they retail for $8 and $7, respectively. I smoked four of the Corona Gorda size for this review, all provided by El Cedro before its national release next month.

With a white and gold band around a medium brown wrapper with only a few veins, it’s a classic-looking cigar. It’s well-constructed with a flawless draw (just enough resistance, but not too much) an even burn, and a solid ash that holds for at least an inch.

The cigar is medium-bodied and distinctly Dominican. Dominant flavors are dry cedar and dusty earth. It’s nicely balanced, even if it’s not overly complex. The tobaccos have a character that suggests they are properly aged and not rushed.

These are the first cigars I’ve smoked from the Kelner Boutique Factory and I’m largely impressed. It doesn’t feature the mustiness that characterizes most Davidoff cigars, but it is smooth, balanced, and well-aged. Those characteristics earn this fairly-priced cigar a very respectable four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Few expected Sam Leccia to stay away from the cigar industry any longer than he was legally obligated to. Leccia fans will recall he originally tried to jump back in the business in 2011 with a Toraño-distributed brand called Debut, which prompted a lawsuit from Oliva and postponed his return until this year.

With the conclusion of his non-compete agreement with the Oliva Cigar Co., his former employer, Leccia’s return was formally announced in April, and in June he unveiled his new company at the IPCPR Trade Show. His venture is called Leccia Tobacco.

It has two inaugural blends—Black and White—that fall in the $7-9 range and are distributed by Toraño. Each comes in four sizes. My colleague recently reviewed the Black 552 (5 x 52), which is made in Nicaragua and features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, a Nicaraguan Rosado binder, and a filler blend of Dominican Ligero, Brazilian Mata Fina, and some fire-cured tobacco.

I personally haven’t tried Black yet. My first experience with Leccia Tobacco is the White 650 (6 x 50), a toro I grabbed at my local shop for $8.50. Made in the Dominican Republic, it’s a Cameroon-wrapped smoke with an Ecuadorian binder and a filler blend that includes Pennsylvanian tobacco. Soft to the touch with a rough cap, the toothy, nearly vein-free cigar has a sweet caramel smell at the foot. The pre-light draw is smooth.

After setting the burn with a couple wooden matches, a doughy texture emerges with flavors of coffee, nuts, milk chocolate, and cream. The impact is mild- to medium-bodied with a little black pepper and cedar on the finish. The resting smoke has a wonderful, sweet aroma.

Construction is very good with a straight burn and a solid gray ash. My only complaint is the draw errors on the side of airy, which renders the toro a fast-burning, quick cigar (albeit with great smoke production). Taking your time between puffs is highly advised.

When it’s all said and done, the Leccia Tobacco White 650 is the kind of cigar I can see myself buying regularly. It pairs as well with morning coffee as it does with after-dinner drinks, and it’s a very approachable choice to hand out to occasional smokers. I’m awarding it a deservedly high rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Aimed at serving “the new generation of cigar smoker out there,” the California-based Ventura Cigar Co. is taking a less-than-traditional angle with two blends that recently launched at the IPCPR Trade Show: Psyko Seven and Project 805.

The latter, presumably named for the area code where Ventura is located, doesn’t merely employ bold fonts, unique bands, and attention-grabbing marketing to create a “disruption” in the industry. Project 805 brings an entirely new tobacco to the table. Called Andullo, the leaf is exclusive to Ventura and, according to the Ventura website, it has never been used in a cigar before.

Described as “naturally flavored, aromatic, and so utterly different,” Andullo is part of the Project 805 filler, which also includes Dominican tobacco. The rest of the blend features a Dominican Olor binder and a Corojo Shade wrapper. Four sizes are available: Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 x 50), Figurado (6.25 x 52), and Churchill (7 x 50). Each is crafted at La Aurora’s E. León Jimenes factory and sold in 20-count boxes that are handmade from African Okuome wood.

The Robusto, also known as “805R,” sells for approximately $7. It is a reddish, oily cigar with a rough cap and a surface that’s sparsely populated with thin, winding veins. Two bands partially obstruct the wrapper—one proudly proclaiming the inclusion of Andullo tobacco, the other with Ventura’s trademark red “V” cut out of the back. Ample sweet notes emanate from the foot.

Once the Robusto is burning, a profile of oak, dry red wine, and earth emerges. A mild spice and a slight bitterness characterize aftertaste. The texture is leathery and the palate is most concentrated on the tip of the tongue and the roof of the mouth.

I’ve never tasted Andullo tobacco completely on its own, so I’ll refrain from guessing how this new tobacco is impacting the blend. But the overall effect is quite nice, and I find Project 805 to be enjoyable—particularly the interplay between salty notes and syrupy sweetness. The spice and leather are perhaps a little more muted than what you’d expect from a Corojo-wrapped smoke.

Project 805’s physical properties are solid, a tribute to the fine folks who craft cigars for La Aurora. The burn is straight and low-maintenance, the ash holds well, and the draw is smooth.

Whether Project 805 will be the disruption to the industry Ventura hopes remains to be seen. This is a young cigar with, in my opinion, good potential for improvement in aging. Time may round off the edges a bit and produce a more harmonious balance. For now, though, the Robusto is worthy of a good 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

Certain cigar personalities are downright magnetic. When I met Omar de Frias in Las Vegas at this summer’s IPCPR Trade Show, he was certainly giving off an attention-grabing vibe: energetic, optimistic, eager, and incredibly excited about his new brand, Fratello Cigars.

If you were at the Trade Show, you probably encountered Fratello’s booth—or at least heard about the new brand, which has an inventive diagonal band of red, white, and black. If you weren’t, I imagine you’ll soon be encountering Fratello, either via the online cigar community, or finding the brand in your local shop. Omar’s personality and stature (he’s tall) almost guarantees Fratello will at least get a fair shake.

Over two years in the making, the Fratello recipe includes a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper, Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, and filler tobaccos from Peru and Nicaragua. “While smoking only filler and binder we found a great balance between our sweet and salty notes,” reads the Fratello website. The wrapper “gives our cigar the creaminess and finish that will take our customer’s taste buds on a ride.”

The name “Fratello” is a whole other story. Why would a man from the Dominican Republic make a cigar in Nicaragua and call it “brother” in Italian? Because “fratello” was a younger Omar de Frias’ nickname. I guess that’s what happens when you take Italian classes in college.

In any event, the Corona (5.5 x 46), one of four sizes, is dark, moderately oily, clean, and soft to the touch. Only a V-cut is needed to yield a smooth draw. Once lit, a flavor of black pepper, bitter espresso, and earth emerges. Notes of cream and dry cedar come to the fore after a half inch of smoking.

Then, about an inch in, the taste undergoes a complete transformation from hot and spicy to smooth and creamy. This creaminess is soon augmented by cinnamon spice and a slight reprise of heat. Throughout, the burn line remains true and the white ash holds firm.

I think a lot of people are going to gravitate to this cigar simply because Omar de Frias is an incredibly likable personality. But that does Fratello a certain injustice. Judging the blend on its own merits, it’s balanced, well-rounded, and interesting. And it doesn’t taste like everything else on the market. That earns the approachable Fratello Corona 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