The Stogie Guys

Cuban-born baseball legend Luis Tiant, known to many simply as “El Tiante,” launched his own line of cigars in 2007, around the time of the 25th anniversary of his final major league game. Now, the man who many call one of the best big game pitchers of all time is reinventing his cigar company with his son, Daniel.

Daniel Tiant serves as president and CEO of the newly renamed Tiant Cigar Group. He recently unveiled the two new blends that serve as the cornerstone of the company’s reintroduction: Habano Oscuro and Habano Rosado. Each is made at Don Pepin’s My Father Cigars Factory with Ecuadorian-seed wrappers and Nicaraguan binders and fillers.

“I wanted a more serious image with our cigar company, and that is the reason we recreated our cigar bands, boxes, and overall presentation,” Daniel told me. “We have a great respect for [the Garcia family], being able to spend time with them, seeing how they run their factory, and seeing how comfortable and in their relaxed state my dad and Don Pepin are when together…this really made our decision an easy one.”

As for the blends themselves, Daniel says “they bring to the table a tremendous complexity in flavor, flawless construction, and effortless draw. I smoke a lot of different cigars out there in the market and only a handful make me feel the way ours do…Every time I finish one I’m looking to light up a second one right away.”

Both new blends come in four vitolas that retail for $6.80 to $8.60 apiece: Pyramid (6 x 52), Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 x 50), and Toro Gordo (6 x 60). They are sold mostly in the New England area, including shops in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire, but are also available at several locales in Florida. Daniel is looking to expand distribution nationwide.

My first exposure to the new El Tiante was with the Habano Oscuro Pyramid, and it was a pleasant one. This cigar starts with lots of chary, chewy Nicaraguan zing. Black pepper, cayenne spice, barbeque sauce, and dried fruit make up the bulk of the bold profile. After a half inch, the flavor mellows slightly, dropping some of the spice and picking up roasted nuts and cream. But the overall impact is still full-bodied.

Smoking slowly really pays off, allowing the nuances of the blend to shine through despite the cigar’s strength. All the while the construction is outstanding—a testament to the “pride and craftsmanship” at the My Father Cigars operation in Estelí, according to Daniel.

While I was a fan of the original El Tiante blends, I have to say the Oscuro Pyramid is a solid improvement and a good value. I look forward to trying the Habano Rosado soon. For now, the Oscuro Pyramid is worthy of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

New cigars from new cigar companies are rarely as anticipated as the Crowned Heads innaugural release, Four Kicks. Perhaps that’s because the new company has many familiar faces.

Crowned Heads was Founded by longtime employees of CAO (including Jon Huber and Mike Conder). They stayed in Nashville, Tennessee, after CAO completed its merger with General Cigar and moved into General’s headquarters in Richmond, Virgina.

Their new cigar is also made by a familiar face, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, who worked for many years with General Cigar after selling his El Credito company (La Gloria Cubana, El Rico Habano). The cigar is the first Carrillo has made since leaving Geneal that isn’t for his own E.P. Carrillo brand. However, when he first went out on his own, his original plan had been to base his business on making cigars on contract for others.

The name “Four Kicks” comes from the Kings of Leon song of the same name. Huber explains why that was chosen on the company blog (part of a welcome, informative, and up-to-date cigar website—something far too rare in the industry).

The blend, made in Carrillo’s Dominican factory, uses an oily, reddish Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. The cigar comes in four sizes: Robusto (5 x 50), Sublime (6 x 54), Piramide (6.1 x 52), and a Corona Gorda (5.6 x 46). For this review I picked up a six-pack of the Corona Gordas from Emerson’s Cigars where they cost $6.95 each.

Four Kicks is a medium-bodied smoke. I found a notably chewy aspect to it, with meaty and leathery flavors. As it develops, sweet cinnamon and nutmeg spice are revealed before the strength fades a bit and the sweetness comes to the front of the palate. Construction is perfect.

It’s a well-balanced, very savory cigar that’s completely distinct from Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s other creations. It pairs up equally well with a cup of coffee, an IPA, or an after-dinner bourbon, and could be an everyday smoke or one you save for a special occasion.

In an already crowded market of well-made cigars, it takes a lot for a new one to stand out. Crowned Heads’ first offering does that, and I’m looking forward to what they plan on creating next. With it’s medium-bodied, well-balanced, savory flavors and a reasonable price, the Four Kicks Corona Gorda earns four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In January, Pedro Benitez officially launched P. Benitez Fine Cigars with a factory in Estelí (a factory that has since relocated to Managua, Nicaragua). Benitez, the founder of the company and also its master blender, was born in Cuba, raised in Miami, and processed tobacco for 25 years in the Dominican Republic.

The original P. Benitez line is made up of five vitolas, including the Lancero and the Torpedo. Even though it is less than a year old, Benitez has already introduced a second blend, this one called Antonio Benitez. It was blended by Benitez and his son, Reynold, in honor of Benitez’s first grandson, Reynold Antonio.

“We wanted to produce a line of cigars geared towards the more seasoned palate,” said Alberto Iturrey, the company’s co-owner and Benitez’s nephew, when I asked him why they’re launching a second line. “This blend is made with more full-bodoed tobaccos. All five vitolas of the Antonio line are Nicaraguan puros.”

But not all Antonio Benitez vitolas are made with the same Nicaraguan tobaccos. The Churchill (7 x 50), for example, features a corojo ’99 wrapper. But the Robusto Maduro (5 x 50) has a Habano maduro wrapper around its criollo ’98 binder and filler tobaccos. The latter is firm and oily with a few lumps and a nice double cap.

Once lit, the Robusto Maduro takes on a rich espresso character with plenty of black pepper spice on the finish. Definitely bold. After only half an inch, the power is complemented by sweet cocoa and caramel flavors. The result is a smooth, decadent mixture with a resting smoke akin to baked chocolate cake.

Seasoned cigar enthusiasts will be pleasantly surprised by the depth and complexity in this cigar, which has an MSRP of $6.80. Likewise, the physical properties are excellent. Expect an even burn, a sturdy white ash, and a clear draw.

Currently, Pedro Benitez’s creations can be tough to find. But if you’re interested in trying the Robusto Maduro—and you should be—Iturrey tells me Habaneros Cigars will take orders by telephone, even though they don’t have this cigar on their website. I assure you the extra effort will be well worth it. This is one of my favorite new cigars of the year, and it’s worthy 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

“Corona Gorda, the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, the white horse which is the conquer, the false prophet.”

According to the Illusione website, the unique name behind this vitola was inspired by Pete Johnson, who suggested Illusione creator Dion Giolito call it “cheval blanc.” Giolito evidently wanted to associate this cigar with French wine country, and a name that translates to “white horse” not only accomplishes that association, it also fits perfectly with the conspiracy culture that Giolito embraces.

Each of the 12 vitolas in the original Illusione lineup have unique names—including “And Crowned of Thorns” and “Necessary and Sufficient”—and each corresponding vitola digit (i.e., 23, 888, 2) refers to either Giolito’s faith, a significant year in his life, or his favorite number at the craps table. The Illusione name itself is a nod to conspiracy culture.

Like its brethren, the cg4 (5.63 x 48) is made at the Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras from three-year old Nicaraguan tobaccos. It features a reddish oscuro corojo wrapper that has some prominent veins and ample oils. Topped off with a triple cap, the cigar is firm with pre-light notes of earth and milk chocolate.

Once lit, the corojo ’99 and criollo ’98 tobaccos produce a profile of leather, spice, and plenty of sweetness on the finish—more sweetness than I have noticed in any of the other Illusione vitolas. The flavor is bold yet balanced with the sort of smooth strength that can sneak up on you given the depth of the taste.

The depth is further accented by the additions of dark chocolate and nuts towards the midway point. The roasted nut flavor and the sweetness on the finish really makes the cg4 stand out. Even with all its nuance, though, the cigar definitely falls in the full-bodied range. But unlike so many powerful smokes on the market, this one has the complexity—it’s not brute force.

I’d expect a corona gorda that costs $7-8 to have good construction, and the cg4 doesn’t disappoint. The stable ash holds firm. And the burn, while not perfectly straight, doesn’t require any touch-ups to stay mostly even.

I don’t think I’m surprising anyone by throwing my recommendation behind the Illusione cg4. The cat has been out of the bag for years now, and most would agree that the near universal praise for the Illusione recipe is justified. That’s certainly the case with this smoke, which 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

You’ve got to hand it to Pete Johnson, the creator and owner of the Tatuaje cigar brand: The annual Halloween cigar release is marketing genius. Each year Tatuaje fans seek out the Halloween limited release with many buying an entire box before smoking a single one.

Cigar Aficionado even wrote an article about the “distribution nightmare” that the Halloween release has become. With 666 numbered “dress boxes” going out to 13 “unlucky retailers” (plus another 1,500 plain boxes of ten), there is still more demand than supply. But it’s hard to feel to sorry for Johnson for having too many people wanting his annual Halloween cigar.

Wrapper leaf generally is judged by two key attributes: taste and appearance. A testament to that marketing genius, by making ugly “scary” cigars cool, the Halloween release is free to use wrapper that while plenty tasty, would normally be far too rustic in appearance for most $13 cigars. Indeed, the Sumatra wrapper, while oily, is two-toned with reddish brown and plenty of black veins.

Inside the Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper is binder and filler based on the Tatuaje Cojonu. The cigar is a large (7.5″ x 52) box-pressed torpedo with an unfinished foot that is exposed for half an inch before the wrapper starts.

Once lit, the unfinished foot creates an unbalanced start. When the wrapper kicks in, though, you get a full-bodied, complete smoke. The Wolfman has a notable dried fruit sweetness, combined with leather and a hint of woodiness. There’s also a little sourness that comes and goes.

The flavors change only slightly as the long smoke moves past the halfway point. Some cedary spice develops and the dried fruit notes continue. The medium- to full-bodied profile reminds me an awful lot of the NHC Capa Especial, another box-pressed, Sumatra-wrapped Tatuaje.

Despite a somewhat loose draw, construction is excellent. The burn is even and, except for the unfinished foot, the ash holds steady for over an inch.

In the end, the newest Halloween is much like its predecessors: a little different and a little quirky, but ultimately pretty good (and yes, the dress box is pretty cool too). It’s not the best Tatuaje I’ve ever smoked, but ultimately it’s enjoyable and worthy of a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

“We are the cigar for the majority cigar smoker, not the…corporate exec sitting in his big leather chair smoking a $20 cigar…You, the majority cigar smoker, are who we labor for.”

That’s the idea behind C&C Cigars, a new outfit that announced itself at the IPCPR Trade Show in July. Reading through the company’s website, you get the idea that C&C intends to position itself as a purveyor of premium cigars that won’t break the bank, and it hopes to win over cigar veterans who are looking for a solid values.

You’ll remember C&C’s owner, Joe Chiusano, as the former president of Cusano, a brand that ended up getting purchased by Davidoff in 2009. He and his team of former Cusano/Davidoff employees—including Jeff Aronson, Maurice Tisseur, and Shane Hays—have cooked up three premium lines that are handmade in the Dominican Republic: Corojo, Maduro, and Connecticut.

The Connecticut will ship towards the end of the month, and the Maduro and Corojo started hitting retailers in late October. Each blend is available in three sizes of 18-count boxes: Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 x 52), and Churchill (7 x 50). In keeping with C&C’s goal of value, the MSRPs on these cigars all fall in the $3.99 to $4.49 range.

The Corojo Robusto certainly doesn’t look like a smoke that costs less than $4. The samples I examined for this review each had clean, moderately oily Ecuadorian wrappers and nice triple caps. Underneath, the Dominican binder and filler tobaccos are packed in well enough to create a heavy, firm feel in the hand, yet carefully enough to yield a smooth draw. The pre-light aroma is earthy.

The first few lit puffs give off a smooth, oaky character with virtually none of the spice that I associate with corojo tobacco. After a half inch, though, a richer profile emerges. Notes include molasses, toast, graham, and a soft spiciness that lingers in the finish. As C&C says, “the spice sneaks up on you.” I’d have to agree.

While the flavors don’t really change from the first inch to the nub, they do tend to slowly increase in intensity throughout the smoke. Despite this amplification, the Corojo Robusto remains toward the lighter end of the medium-bodied range.

With these characteristics and outstanding physical properties, the C&C Corojo Robusto is a very good choice if you’re looking for a milder corojo that won’t break the bank. No, you won’t find a ton of complexity here. But even discerning smokers will agree that, for the money, this is a welcome addition to the market, one worthy of three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

“Made in the U.S.A.” is a phrase not often associated with premium cigars. But that’s the sort of spirit Walter “Lilo” Santiago wants to bring to his new brand, Crémo Cigars.

When Crémo actually hits the market in early 2012, Santiago will be promoting the fact that the cigars are crafted at the El Titan de Bronze Cigar Factory on Miami’s Calle Ocho. The factory, according to a recent Crémo press release, 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, who have worked for Cohiba, Romeo y Julieta, Corona, and Partagas. These torcedores, like a painter to a canvas, handcraft each cigar with meticulous detail.”

I recently received several samples of Crémo’s inaugural blend—called “Classic”—in the mail from Santiago. Sure enough, along the side of each cream-colored band is the phrase “handcrafted in Little Havana.” But the tobacco within the blend is not American. It is comprised of a Habano wrapper, a Nicaraguan binder, and filler from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

Exclusively blended by Willy Herrera prior to his departure to Drew Estate, Classic will be offered in three vitolas: a corona gorda called Magnum Opus (5.75 x 46), a robusto called Excelsior (5 x 50), and a toro called Intrepidus (6 x 52). The robusto will carry an MSRP of $8 while the other two formats will be priced in the $10-12 range.

The Intrepidus is a pale-looking smoke with a roadmap of thin veins across its otherwise smooth surface. The cap is constructed well, and there’s a moderately soft feel from head to toe. I notice faint pre-light notes of honey and hay as I take a draw before touching fire to the foot.

After establishing an even light, the cigar starts with a dry wood flavor, some coffee, and plenty of Nicaraguan kick. The latter taste, which comes across as a black pepper spice, slowly fades after the first inch, leaving a creamier texture and a more rounded profile. I’d be willing to say the Intrepidus starts fairly full-bodied and transitions to the medium-bodied range rather quickly. That’s where it remains until the end, giving off floral notes and cedar along the way. Construction on the toro is about as close to perfect as you can get.

Santiago tells me Crémo will be introducing a maduro line at the company’s official launch at next summer’s IPCPR Trade Show in Orlando. I look forward to trying that. For now, the Classic Intrepidus has made an impression on me, with all three samples smoking well, yielding complex flavors, and producing aromatic resting smoke. For these reasons, I have no qualms about rating this up-and-coming smoke four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys