The Stogie Guys

Here’s one of those instantly recognizable cigars that needs no introduction, a Cuban that has received its fair share of praise since it was released as the “Partagas Pirámide” in 2000.

Notable among the Partagas Serie P No. 2’s commendations is the number four spot on Cigar Aficionado’s list of the best cigars of 2011. “The cigar shares the same dimensions as all of Cuba’s pirámides, and the Partagas Serie P No. 2 is currently smoking better than all of them, even the legendary Montecristo No. 2,” wrote the magazine. “It has been transformed into something incredible, a perfect example of the level of top-quality smokes that are being made in Cuba today.”

When CA rated the Serie P No. 2, it was examining samples with box dates of March 2011. I don’t have the luxury of knowing the box date of the two samples I’m smoking for this review. While I’m very confident in the authenticity of the cigars, I did not acquire an entire box. I hope you’ll forgive me since each No. 2 costs about $18.

Carefully sliding the Cuban out of its black, cedar-lined aluminum tube, the first thing I notice is the tremendous amount of oils on the mottled Colorado wrapper. I also take note of the substantial weight of the cigar (6.1 x 52), which is explained by the dense cross-section of filler tobacco that’s visible from the foot. Pre-light the aroma is of hay and syrup.

After lighting the foot, the initial flavor is very well balanced with tastes as varied as white pepper, cream, and roasted nut. The texture is bready. I find a little spice and some kick, but the profile is decidedly medium-bodied. It’s the sort of start you hope for if you spend $18 on a single.

So I wasn’t terribly disappointed to find the Serie P No. 2 remaining consistent in flavor from light to nub. Aside from a gradual increase in intensity as the end draws near, there aren’t many discernible changes in taste, save for a texture change from bready to syrupy. Construction was OK, but the burn—which requires a few touch-ups along the way to stay even—leaves something to be desired.

I guess I was hoping for something a little more exciting given the Serie P No.2’s reputation and price. While I enjoyed the cigar thoroughly, I’m taking into account the fact that you can buy better (non-Cuban) smokes for a fraction of the price when I award it four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A sibling of Holt Cigar Co.’s house brand created by Don Pepin Garcia, the Gold Label takes its name from the light brown Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. But if it were receiving medals for the taste/price ratio, I think it could be in contention for gold as well.

With the Connecticut wrapper, it is, as you’d expect, a bit milder than the original corojo-wrapped Old Henry. But only a bit, and in some ways the Gold Label blend accentuates the pepper and spice from the Nicaraguan filler. I used a V-cut to slice the pointed head perfectly, and my lips were tingling before I put flame to the foot. To me, it’s a medium strength cigar that’s full of flavor.

The Belicoso is a 5.5-inch stick with a 52-ring gauge. It’s the only one of the line’s five sizes I’ve tried, and each Belicoso was excellently constructed. They burned straight and even, with a draw that was the way I like it, not loose or tight and full of smoke.

I’ve been a fan of the original Old Henry since the first one I smoked. I suggest you check my colleague’s 2008 review for a somewhat different view. One interesting note: The prices seem to have actually gone down since then!

I think they’re pretty darn good cigars, especially considering the price. Holt’s lists the Belicoso at $5.50 for a single, but it’s more than a dollar cheaper than that by the box of 25.

When you consider that the catalog giant often throws in some freebie with an Old Henry box order, it’s nearly unbeatable. (I remember once they threw in a couple of coffee cups, and I was so disappointed when they arrived because they had the Holt’s logo and not the great looking visage of Old Henry I was expecting.)

I usually have Old Henrys on hand, and now I think I’ll alternate the original with the Gold Label. I find it tough to rate. I’d have to say I don’t think it’s complex enough to be a four-stogie smoke, but I think it deserves a good bit better than a fairly routine three stogies. I guess I’ll split the difference and go with three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George

photo credit: Holt’s Cigar Co.

Yesterday, my colleague reviewed the J.P.G. Little Havana Overruns Corona, a budget-priced cigar by super-blender Jose Pepin Garcia made for retailer Holt’s. Today, I look at a cigar with a similar pedigree and value-oriented price: L’Atelier Trocadéro Cambon.

L’Atelier is a new company headed by Pete Johnson of Tatuaje fame. While Tatuaje (and all of Pete’s other brands up until this summer) fall under the “Pete Johnson Havana Cellars” umbrella, L’Atelier is a new company, with a new lineup of cigars at various price points ranging from the Behike-esque L’Atelier to the value-priced Trocadéro and El Suelo.

Trocadéro’s biggest selling point is it’s price, which is around $3 per cigar when bought by the 20-count bundle, and only fifty cents or so more individually. The cigar is blended by Jaime Garcia for Pete Johnson and made at Garcia’s factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. It features an Ecuadorian Habano rosado wrapper, a Connecticut broadleaf binder, and Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos.

Trocadéro comes in three sizes:  Honore (5.75 x 56), Montaigne (6.25 x 60), and Cambon (5.25 x 52). I smoked three of the Cambon format for this review, each from a five-pack I purchased online for $16.

The cigar is medium-bodied with simplistic damp earth and roasted nut flavors. Towards the end, there’s some coffee and cinnamon notes, but the damp flavor holds the cigar back. Construction is excellent, and shows none of the pitfalls that $3 cigars sometimes suffer from. The burn was even, the ash stable, and the draw easy.

So is this the magical cigar that costs $3 but tastes like a cigar two or three times the price? Unfortunately not. In fact, when it comes to $3-4 budget cigars made by the Garcias, I prefer Ambos Mundos, Tatuaje Serie P, or Benchmade. Ultimately the L’Atelier Trocadéro is what it says it is: a medium-bodied, value-priced, well-made cigar that’s pleasant enough, but hardly complex or distinguished. That earns the L’Atelier Trocadéro Cambon a rating of three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This bargain basement bundle cigar from Holt’s Cigar Co. is sometimes the subject of speculation on cigar forums. Its origins offer a lot for those drawn to intrigue.

First, they’re produced by Jose “Pepin” Garcia (the J.P.G. in the title), the master blender behind quite a few of Holt’s/Ashton big name cigars, such as La Aroma de Cuba and San Cristobal. Second, the Overruns are said to be rolled “in the heart of Little Havana” where Pepin established his reputation—this despite the fact that Don Pepin’s operation moved from Miami to Doral, Florida, sometime back.) And finally, the Overruns name lends itself to the belief that the cigars are somehow related to one of Garcia’s high-priced, more famous cigars.

Sorry, but I’m not buying it.

I picked up a bundle of the 5.5-inch, 44-ring gauge Coronas for $44.95 out of curiosity. And they turned out to be about what I’d expect for such an inexpensive cigar from a quality shop. That is a well-made, relatively OK stick that tastes to me like it is composed of lower quality, less finely prepared tobaccos.

I found a little of Don Pepin’s signature pepper, but the degree of harshness is far more than you’ll experience in any of his high-quality productions. It’s the kind of cigar I would smoke but would never miss if I didn’t ever light it up again.

If you’re looking for a cigar to hand out to semi-smoking friends at poker games or on the golf course, use as a yard ‘gar, or light up as a fishing companion, this is not a bad choice. If you think you’ve discovered some Tatuajes or Blue Labels going for under $3 apiece, I think you’ll be disappointed.

This cigar rates three stogies out of five.

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

–George

photo credit: Holt’s Cigar Co.

This addition to the line that introduced many smokers to Oliva comes after years of rumors. There’s a lot to live up to for a stick that bears the name of the 19th century patriarch of the storied tobacco family, in addition to that of the highly regarded Serie V moniker.

Melanio does the job. It’s a fairly strong cigar that’s both tasty and smooth, combining an Ecuadorian-grown Sumatra-seed wrapper with a mix of Nicaraguan filler in a Nicaraguan binder. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better constructed cigar, from the sharp burn to the excellent draw. Two standout components are massive smoke production and a fine, lingering finish to treat the palate.

Another job the Melanio accomplished was to get me smoking an Oliva again after a long, long layoff. I like and have smoked many of its offerings, but it’s been a while. Much of the company’s focus and attention seems to have gone into other projects, such Nub and Cain, and I think that’s helped divert me as well.

One criticism I have for the Melanio is Oliva’s decision not to use cellophane. The wrapper is delicate and seems to be easily banged up. In fact, selecting a stick from the boxes of ten, featured for the five Melanio vitolas, can be a challenge.

Perhaps reflecting the trend toward larger ring gauges, the rectangular-pressed Churchill is a 50 rather than the more traditional 48, though it is the standard seven inches in length.

I found this size a good showcase for the Melanio’s offerings. I probably shouldn’t say this because I don’t really have enough experience to make a competent observation but, hey, we’re all friends, right? This cigar struck me as a great, old-fashioned smoke, one your grandfather would have enjoyed and you will, too.

At around $12, this cigar is higher-priced than many Olivas. I think you’ll find it worth the extra money. It earns four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Allow me be upfront about a few things. Prometheus, the Los Angeles-based purveyor of smokes and accessories that produces God of Fire cigars, is indeed an advertiser with StogieGuys.com, as well as the generous sponsor of our most recent contest. And company head Keith K. Park did provide the cigars to make this review possible.

I feel the need to state all of these things for the record because I really, really like this cigar. Of course, my colleagues and I would never allow advertising, contest sponsorship, or complimentary samples to impact a cigar’s rating. We have too little to gain and far too much to lose—namely, your trust—to adopt that practice. Honesty has always been our policy. I hope this goes without saying.

Now on to the review. God of Fire is a super-premium brand with a base of cigars dubbed either “Don Carlos” (Ecuadorian wrapper) or “Carlito” (Cameroon wrapper). These cigars have been crafted by Arturo Fuente for Prometheus since 2004. In 2011, God of Fire expanded with the Serie B blend, which takes the sophistication and balance of God of Fire and presents it in a bolder format. Two sizes were released: Gran Toro (Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper) and Robusto Gordo 54 (Ecuadorian sun-grown wrapper). Two more Serie B vitolas were introduced this summer: Robusto (Ecuadorian sun-grown) and Double Robusto (Connecticut broadleaf maduro).

The Serie B Double Robusto measures 5.75 inches long with a ring gauge of 52. It sells for $22 apiece and has the look of a cigar with such a lofty price tag. The wrapper is dark and toothy with only thin veins. The feel is very firm to the touch though the draw is clear.  The densely packed foot of proprietary tobaccos smells of cocoa.

Once lit, the medium-bodied profile yields flavors of raisin, dark chocolate, and espresso with a bit of pepper on the finish. The weight of the flavor is carried by the richness of the notes as opposed to the spice. So even though the Serie B is bolder than the Don Carlos or Carlito blends, it still falls into the category of smokes that derive their power from heavy texture than spice or nicotine.

As the Double Robusto progresses, I start to notice auxiliary flavors of black cherry, creamy nut, and a little dry wood. All the while the physical properties are just about perfect. The white, coarsely layered ash holds firm off the foot, the burn is straight and true, and the draw is easy with each puff producing ample smoke.

No, with a price tag north of $20 apiece, this isn’t an everyday smoke. But if you want to be wowed, and if you like the complexity of the Don Carlos or Carlito blends but need something with more body, the Serie B Double Robusto is a terrific smoke that won’t leave you with buyer’s remorse. That’s why it earns four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Fans of hot young blender A.J. Fernandez won’t be disappointed with his newest release, a powerful, complex cigar that delivers a first-class smoking experience. The six-vitola line debuted this summer and recently began hitting retailers’ displays, often alongside Fernandez’s popular San Lotano lines.

The Pinolero makes a strong first impression with its colorful band reminiscent, to me at least, of Antonio Gattorno’s style. The scene depicts two women, I believe, grinding corn. That would tie it to the cigar’s name, which I understand is a term that refers to someone from Nicaragua and derives from pinol, a corn-based flour.

After lighting up, you cannot help but be impressed by a volume of smoke so thick and abundant it rivals a refinery fire. And the flavors…Not to go too far off the deep end, but I couldn’t help but think of a double helix as I smoked. There’s a spicy thread that runs throughout the stick while flavors of leather, syrup, hay, and herbs run around it.

It has the smoothness of well-aged tobacco, the delicacy of expert blending, and an intriguing complexity as it changes from start to finish.

The toro is a 6-inch stick (the robusto is pictured right) with a generous 52-ring gauge and a smooth draw. Pinolero is a Nicaraguan puro with the filler identified as “Cuban-seed Nicaraguan and Fernandez family secret.” The toro retail price seems to be around $8 a stick.

On the negative side, the ash is thin and flaky. Don’t let it go far or it will end up in your lap. And the burn isn’t great. Not so bad that it required frequent touch-ups, but nowhere near razor-sharp. This isn’t a cigar you’ll want to nub; the flavors can turn harsh near the end.

Overall, I was impressed with the Pinolero and will certainly plan to smoke many more. I give the A.J. Fernandez Pinolero Toro four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys