The Stogie Guys

The first impression of Sam Leccia’s Black comes as soon as you remove the cellophane sleeve. A distinctive and full aroma fills the air. It’s smoky, outdoorsy, and it has a hint of pipe tobacco and campfire.

From the outset, it’s clear that this cigar is different. That’s no surprise, considering the range of tobaccos used in Black. The filler combines Nicaraguan and Dominican ligero, Brazilian Mata Fina, and a bit of fire-cured tobacco. Completing the international mix is an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and a Nicaraguan Rosado binder.

The flavors reflect the complex aroma with some added spicy components and sweetness. I found it to be medium in strength, with a fascinating twist. It nearly always felt as if it was going to jump up a notch but never did. The finish was also remarkable: very long and thick.

I’ve smoked three: one while at the IPCPR Trade Show and two at home. Construction, draw, and smoke production in each was excellent. The small Dominican factory producing the line knows its stuff.

Although the slightly fat robusto (a 52 ring gauge with the typical 5-inch length) is the only one of the four sizes I’ve tried, I can’t help but think it’s probably the best for this smoke. It runs around $8 per stick.

A lot of smokers will pick up a Black, and its White partner, because they’re familiar with Sam Leccia from his work with Oliva, where he generated a tremendous following with Nub (and later Cain). They should have no trouble finding these new cigars. They’re in catalogs, and it seemed as if nearly every retailer at IPCPR stopped to talk with Sam, who shared space with Toraño, which is distributing his smokes.

For those seeking something different, Black should be at the top of your list. Not just because it’s different, but because it’s good. In fact, this is a cigar that’s more enjoyable every time you smoke one. I rate it four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: @SamLeccia

Chicago has no shortage of great tobacco shops, and Blue Havana is no exception. Located about 10 minutes south of Wrigley Field by foot, the tobacconist boasts a wonderful selection and the city’s largest humidor (over 700 square feet).

Bolstering Blue Havana’s position as a premier cigar destination for the region are two new exclusive smokes that are set to debut imminently. Both are crafted at Fabrica de Tabacos Nica Sueño in Estelí by Skip Martin of RoMa Craft Tobac. Many of you will recall that RoMa Craft’s portfolio includes Intemperance, CroMagnon, and Aquitaine.

The first of the two forthcoming Blue Havana exclusive cigars is called Ouroboros (named after an ancient symbol depicting a dragon eating its own tail). Available in one size (6.25 x 52) for $8.50, it 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.

The second Blue Havana cigar is Abaddon (the name given to the dwelling place of the dead in the Hebrew Bible). It has 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. Like Ouroboros, only 40 boxes of 12 are being produced—at least for now—and all Abaddon cigars are in the same size (6.25 x 52). The price is $8.15 apiece.

After clipping Abaddon’s cap and establishing an even light on the closed foot, pre-light notes of sweet chocolate transition to a profile of coffee, black pepper, nut, and a flavor that reminds me a little of fennel. The texture is thick and leathery. Despite the fragrance of the unlit cigar, only a trace of sweetness is evident on the palate. While I could go on trying to name the various flavors that jump out at me, the bottom line is this: Abaddon is balanced, interesting, and, above all, complex.

It maintains my attention throughout the long, slow-burning experience, and the physical properties do not detract from my enjoyment. The draw is moderate, the smoke production solid, and the burn line straight.

Abaddon is one of the more interesting cigars I’ve smoked this year and, no, I’m not giving it extra points just because it’s ultra-exclusive (or because it’s from my hometown). With a wonderful fragrance, unique flavors, and solid construction, the sample I smoked for this review assures I’ll be heading to Blue Havana to pick up more once it’s released in September. For those outside Chicago, Blue Havana tells me they are working to accommodate phone and/or online orders, so keep your eyes open. For now, Abaddon merits a 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

You wouldn’t know it by talking to the cigar vets who routinely sing the praises of trendier blends, but Macanudo remains the best-selling brand in the U.S. And now Macanudo is “embarking on a new journey,” according to Alan Willner of General Cigar.

The new direction is Macanudo Estate Reserve, an annual limited edition that aims to challenge the perception that Macanudo is only for rookie cigar fans who haven’t yet graduated to the fuller-bodied, more complex smokes on the market.

The inaugural Estate Reserve celebrates 45 years of Macanudo. To compose it, “General Cigar’s artisans sourced a delicate Connecticut Shade wrapper from an independent grower, and built an outstanding blend around it,” according to a General press release. “Unlike any other Macanudo cigar, the binder and filler are strictly Dominican, cultivated throughout the island, and aged for at least 8 to 10 years under the watchful eyes of seasoned tobacco experts.”

Three sizes are available for the super-premium price range of $16 to $18 apiece: No. I (7 x 50), No II (6 x 52), and No. III (5 x 50). Each is “individually encased in wooden coffins and elegantly sealed with gold foil.” Only 3,000 boxes of 10 will be made in each size.

I sampled several of the Estate Reserve No. III format for this review. This is a beautiful frontmark—as you’d expect for the price—with a wrapper leaf that’s clean yet wrinkled enough to suggest some age. The golden band is striking and highly detailed. Only the slightest notes of sweet hay are apparent pre-light.

After setting an even light with a couple wooden matches, a mild profile of dry cedar, almond, and cream emerges. The texture is surprisingly sharp yet there’s predictably zero harshness and very little nicotine kick. As light as the flavor is, this is one of those reserved, subtle cigars that still offers a fair amount of complexity. And the interplay between spicy cedar and sweet cream makes for an enjoyable experience, especially as that spice ramps up towards the end.

The Macanudo Estate Reserve No. III’s physical properties are as you’d expect from a super-premium manufactured by General Cigar: excellent. The burn line, draw, and ash are all nearly perfect.

I don’t know how many seasoned cigar enthusiasts are going to fork over $16 to try a robusto from Macanudo. And that’s what makes this such a difficult cigar to rate. I like the cigar itself, but I find the price to be excessive based on the return. Something tells me a lot of the $16 cost can be attributed to the (admittedly gorgeous) packaging. And there’s too many fine Connecticut Shade smokes on the market for a fraction of the price. In my book, all this adds up to a rating of three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Sindicato was clearly one of the most anticipated new cigar companies at this month’s industry trade show in Las Vegas. And that came as no surprise. It is the first cigar outfit to be launched by a formidable “syndicate” of veteran tobacco retailers.

These retailers include Abe Dababneh (Smoke Inn in Florida), Dan Jenuwine (Quality Fresh Cigars in Michigan), Gary Pesh (Old Virginia Tobacco in Virginia), Robert Roth (Nice Ash Cigars in New York and Pennsylvania), and Jeff Borysiewicz (Corona Cigar Company in Orlando). The group is headed by Jim Colucci, formerly executive vice president of sales for Altadis. So while Sindicato is new, it’s getting a great head start with a base of 45 top retailers—not to mention some of the biggest, most sought-after retailers in the industry.

Three distinct brands comprise the Sindicato lineup. Casa Bella is a “premium bundle” smoke from the Dominican Republic with prices around $2 per cigar. Affinity is an Ecuadorian Connecticut-wrapped blend with a mild profile that “delivers a rich, flavorful, and complex taste.” And Hex, Dababneh’s personal favorite, will be sold as “a refined medium- to full-bodied cigar.”

Hex sports a dark Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around tobaccos from Condega, Nicaragua. It is available in five sizes, including the Perfecto (6.25 x 52) which retails for $183.75 for a box of 21. The Perfecto is a gorgeous, pigtail-capped smoke with an oily shine and negligible veins or seams. A big aroma of earth, cocoa, and red pepper is apparent off the tapered foot.

One might assume a cigar as dark and menacing as this would have a powerful, spicy intro. But that’s not the case. After setting an even light, a balanced, medium-bodied profile of black cherry, dry wood, and white pepper emerges. The smoke production is solid and the mouth-feel is velvety. Little changes from beginning to end, save for a slight increase in intensity.

The Perfecto burns nicely with a thick, black mascara that requires no torch touch-ups. The solid, gray ash hangs off the foot well, and the draw remains moderate throughout. Interestingly, resting smoke only emanates from the foot a few seconds after each puff; otherwise, when sitting un-smoked, virtually no smoke is produced.

This young cigar isn’t a nicotine ass-kicker or a spicy flavor-bomb. Rather, it dominates the palate in a different way: with an oily, palate-coating texture that, I think, begs to be paired with sipping bourbon. I wonder how it will age. Right now, I find it works best in the evening after a meal, and I’m awarding it a very solid rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

When I visited Drew Estate three months ago it was clear that the My Uzi Weighs a Ton Kentucky Fire Cured (MUWAT KFC) would be released at the (then-upcoming) 2013 IPCPR Trade Show. For the blend called Nica Rustica, the immediate future seemed far less clear.

At the time, I was given a pre-release sample which I described as “gritty, rustic, slightly vegetable, and even a bit grating.” That blend included a unique and nontraditional (for cigars) strain of tobacco that grows wild in Nicaragua. I’m told that tobacco has been eliminated from the final release.

Nica Rustica is being introduced in trunk-like boxes of 48 comprised of two 24-count bundles. Retailers, I was told at the Trade Show, could order full boxes or simply refill bundles of 24. Frankly, this strategy is pretty smart on Drew Estate’s part. Retailers essentially get to sell the cigar in bundle form (I say that in the purely packaging sense) without it actually being a bundle cigar (which, fair or not, carries certain prejudices).

The cigar comes in just one size (at least for now; Liga Privada was also first introduced in just one size): 6 inches with a 52 ring gauge with a pigtail cap  and a closed foot. The cigar’s suggested retail price is $6.95. (I smoked two for this review, both given to me at the Trade Show.)

The cigar uses Connecticut Broadleaf “mediums” for its wrapper, as compared to “No. 1 Darks” for the Liga Privada No. 9. The binder is Mexican San Andres Negro (the same type used as wrapper on the Undercrown) while the fillers are Nicaraguan, from Estelí and Jalapa.

Drew Estate says the strength is medium to full and I’m inclined to agree. It’s full of flavor with dry cocoa, wood, and black pepper, along with a hint of vegetal flavors that grates on the roof of your mouth. As you might expect from the blend, it shares many qualities with both the Liga No. 9 blend and Undercrown. But the flavor isn’t nearly as refined or dense as the Liga No. 9, nor are the flavors as  balanced or sweet as Undercrown.

Construction is absolutely impeccable, something it shares with both the other aforementioned Drew Estate cigars. The draw is flawless (something Jonathan Drew calls critical to Drew Estate’s success) and I’m always amazed at the volume of aromatic smoke Drew Estate’s cigars produce, even when just perched on the side of my ashtray between draws.

Nica Rustica is billed as “rustic, un-polished, un-refined,” and that’s pretty spot-on. It lacks balance and harmony, but attempts to make up for those deficiencies with plenty of strong, dominant flavors. Drew Estate is upfront about this trade-off. The similarity to Drew Estate’s other popular lines, combined with the price, nearly guarantees it will be a hit.

I place high value on balance and nuance, which is what amazes me about Liga Privada, which so flawlessly marries balance and complexity with intensity of flavor and strength. To that end, I’d trade some of Nica Rustica’s forcefulness for a little more balance, but I also know that, for many people, this will be right up their alley. Rustic and formidable, if lacking slightly in balance, Nica Rustica earns three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

And so it begins: The flurry of reviews about cigars that debuted at the IPCPR Trade Show. I remember flying back home from Las Vegas, thinking about which cigar to light up first.

It probably won’t come as much of a surprise that I chose the new Davidoff Nicaragua blend. First off, it’s a Davidoff. While I don’t smoke many cigars from this super-premium cigar maker, I definitely enjoy the ones I can afford every so often. Second, it’s crafted by Hendrik “Henke” Kelner, a master who also blends cigars for PG and is one of the best in the business. And finally, with a price point of about $10-17, you’d expect this to be one fine smoke.

Davidoff Nicaragua is a stark departure for the brand, and not just because the black band is strikingly different from the white ones that adorn other Davidoff smokes. This is Davidoff’s first Nicaraguan line—a Nicaraguan puro, to be exact. “This is a major step for Davidoff to expand to a new territory,” said CEO Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard in a press release. “Davidoff’s mission is to bring aficionados delightful experiences regardless of territory.”

This particular experience is derived from a 10-year-old Habano Rosado wrapper, a Jalapa binder, and filler tobaccos from Estelí, Condega, and Ometepe. It is offered in three formats: Short Corona (3.75 x 46), Robusto (5 x 50), and Toro (5.5 x 54).

The Toro is a gorgeous, reddish cigar with few veins and plenty of tooth. The feel is moderately firm from the foot to the beautiful cap. Pre-light notes are of syrup and damp earth.

In many of Kelner’s cigars I often find a light, mushroom-like flavor. Davidoff Nicaragua is no exception. After establishing an even light, the slightly peppery core is joined with background notes of creamy mushroom and dry wood. The texture is heavy yet the nicotine kick is minimal and the spice is muted.

After the first third, the Toro increases in intensity as tastes of espresso and bitter chocolate enter the equation. Traces of sweetness come and go to provide a little balance. All the while the draw is smooth, the smoke production solid, and the gray ash firm. The burn line does tend to wander, though, so touch-ups here and there are necessary to keep an even light.

This is a solid blend and one that provides some welcome diversification for the Davidoff portfolio. I may be a little unconvinced the construction and complexity are outstanding enough to justify the exclusive price. Taking all this and several samples into consideration, I’ve arrived at a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Back in 2006, if you were to ask me to name my favorite cigars, I almost certainly would have mentioned Dona Flor’s Alonso Menendez. To this day I remember that smoke as capturing the flavor of moist chocolate cake like none other.

So I was disappointed when Dona Flor disappeared for a number of years. Evidently, shortly after the brand was introduced to the U.S. in 2005, legal issues arose that blocked domestic distribution. Then, about a year ago, Chris Edge—a Denver-based cigar enthusiast and businessman—brought Dona Flor back to North America. Several new blends were part of Dona Flor’s reintroduction, including Seleção.

Now Chris Edge is also bringing Alonso Menendez back, with a different band but presumably with the same recipe as the 2006 variety. The Brazilian puro features a Mata Fina wrapper, Mata Fina binder, and a filler mix of Mata Norte and Mata Fina tobaccos. The intent is to create a fuller-bodied cigar “with the same lush, creamy, smooth smoke that the Mata Fina tobacco is known for,” according to Edge. The cigar is manufactured in Brazil by Felix Menendez (his brother, Benji, started the Alonso Menendez brand in 1980).

Brazilian-wrapped smokes are never going to be as aesthetically appealing as those from, say, the Dominican Republic. Mata Fina and Mata Norte leaves are, by definition, a little rough around the edges. But the five-inch Alonso Menendez Robusto doesn’t make a bad first impression. While the wrapper is a little lumpy, this is overshadowed by the fragrant tobacco’s pre-light notes of chocolate and sweet hay.

And after all, taste is what really counts. That’s why it’s a treat to light up the Robusto and find a very familiar, very approachable, profile of milk chocolate and coffee bean. Tons of flavor yet very little nicotine kick and only the faintest black pepper spice. Call it nostalgia—call it whatever you want—but this cigar takes me back, and I like it. Only some sour notes in the final third detract from my overall experience.

The Robusto’s construction thankfully doesn’t get in the way of my enjoyment of the flavor. The burn line is very straight and requires no touch-ups to stay even or lit. The gray ash holds firm. And the draw is smooth with each puff producing lots of smoke.

My colleagues and I have written about how our tastes change with time. That’s no doubt true. Yet I’m still a big fan of this smoke, and I’d wager there will always be room in my humidor for a cigar that reminds me of moist chocolate cake. Keep an eye out for more information about Alonso Menendez—including availability and prices—following this month’s IPCPR Trade Show. For now, I award the Robusto a stellar rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys