The Stogie Guys

Not long ago I, like most people I suspect, identified Prometheus with two things: high-end cigar accessories and limited Fuente smokes (first the God of Fire line then Angelenos). But in 2010, Prometheus introduced its first cigar line not made by the Fuentes, called Sencillo.

The first Sencillo (Spanish for “simple”) was the Platinum, made by Christian Eiroa of Camacho Cigars in Honduras. Prometheus founder Keith Park tells me that blend came about when he asked Eiroa to replicate a particular cigar he had given Park back in 2008.

Next came the Sencillo Black, which features filler from Nicaragua, Honduras, and Mexico (San Andreas) surrounded by Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. It’s made by the prolific Nestor Plasencia Jr. in Nicaragua and comes in five sizes, including the 5.75-inch by 52-ring gauge Double Robusto that is the subject of this review.

The dark Habano Colorado wrapper is oily with a few veins, and the cigar has a nice firm feel that foreshadows excellent construction. It retails for around $8 per cigar. A pre-light draw reveals rich cherry notes with some earth.

The cigar’s dominant flavors are leather and earth. It’s a full-bodied smoke with enough balance to let you appreciate secondary flavors that include cocoa, black pepper, and sweet cinnamon.

Construction is superb, with a solid ash and an even burn that produces an abundence of smoke that coats the palate. The powdery smoke makes for a lingering finish and the cigar mellows slightly in the final third as it settles into a medium to full body.

It’s an enjoyable smoke, and my favorite Plasencia-made cigar since at least the original Casa Magna. With interesting, solid construction, ample complexity, and a fair price, the Sencillo Black Double Robusto earns a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

It’s possible that you’ve never heard of Amilcar Perez Castro, but it’s highly unlikely that you’ve never smoked a cigar that was made under his direction.

Castro is a “maestro tabaquero” with Rocky Patel, helping Rocky maintain quality control for some of his most visible blends that are crafted in Estelí, including the 1961 and 15th Anniversary lines. Rocky affectionately calls Castro “the master.”

It seems appropriate that someone with such a flattering title should have his own name on a cigar. Now he does. The Amilcar Perez Castro (APC) line is a Pennsylvania broadleaf-wrapped blend that’s made exclusively for Famous Smoke Shop, a Pennsylvania-based online cigar retailer. APC features a two-country recipe of Nicaraguan and Honduran binder and filler tobaccos.

Three traditional sizes are available: Churchill (7 x 50), Toro (6 x 50), and Robusto (5 x 50). Prices range from $4.05 to $7 apiece, depending on the size and the quantity ordered. The Robusto has a very dark exterior leaf with pre-light notes of nuts and powdered cocoa off the foot. The cap takes to a punch wonderfully, revealing an easy draw with the slightest puncture.

Once lit, the APC Robusto assumes a chalky, powdery profile with plenty of coffee, caramel, toast, and dark chocolate on the palate. Black pepper is also apparent but not overpowering. Surprisingly enough, despite my description of the individual flavors, the overall effect is more creamy than anything else (I say “surprisingly” because I don’t often associate tastes like pepper, coffee, and toast with creaminess). This creaminess carries over to the final third, where the only major change is a noticeable increase in spice on the lips. Some bitter notes drift in and out. All the while, the construction is admirable with a solid gray ash and a burn line that’s somewhat wavy though never an encumbrance.

You can purchase the Robusto from Famous for $6.50 per single, $19.50 per 5-pack, or $80.99 for a box of 20. I’m not convinced this cigar is worth more than $4.50 apiece, so my recommendation would be to try a single and then, if you’re a fan, make a box purchase.

Ultimately, this is a nice golf course selection if you want something dark and rich, which makes the APC Robusto worthy of three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

If you’re a recurring visitor to cigar websites and forums, you’ve probably already heard about Grimalkin, a blend made by Gary Griffith’s Emilio Cigars. This cigar has been written about and reviewed many times since it debuted in February.

If you haven’t heard of Grimalkin yet, the first question you’re probably asking yourself is: “What’s with the name?” Well, a grimalkin is defined as an old or sinister-looking female cat—which explains the interesting band. Wikipedia cites that “Scottish legend makes reference to the grimalkin as a fairy cat which dwells in the highlands.”

Name and band aside, I’m guessing you’re more interested in this cigar’s makeup and how it smokes. So on to the review. Grimalkin is crafted in Estelí from a proprietary blend of “carefully selected tobaccos.” Some have speculated that it is made by Don Pepin Garcia at the famed My Father Cigars Factory.

Three traditional sizes are available: Robusto, Torpedo, and Toro. The latter measures 6 inches long with a ring gauge of 50 and an MSRP of $8.30. My Toro sample has an oily, reddish wrapper that’s mostly smooth, though not without one prominent vein that runs the length of the stick. It has a sweet hazelnut aroma at the foot and a nice triple cap.

The opening profile is of roasted almond, cocoa, creamy caramel, and cedar spice. Medium in body, the flavor is devoid of harshness or unwelcome heat yet assertive enough maintain a long finish on the palate. Its balance and syrupy texture stand out as the most memorable characteristics of the smoke, imparting a uniqueness that’s lacking from other cigars that take on a more predictable profile.

Fortunately, the Toro’s outstanding physical properties enable you to focus entirely on the taste at hand. The burn is nearly perfect, the white ash solid and stable, and the draw has just the right amount of resistance.

Grimalkin is, without a doubt, a most welcome addition to the premium cigar marketplace. Woe is the cigar enthusiast who passes up trying this blend because the name is a little funny or because the band is a little nontraditional or because Emilio Cigars are little hard to find. I think $8.30 is a very fair price for the Toro, a tasty treat that’s definitely 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

For the first inch of this pressed perfecto, you may wonder whether you’re smoking a cigar or if you accidentally lit up the pepperpot. (Similarly, I couldn’t help but wonder about the band: Is that a cigar with wings or a flying railroad spike?)

While the recently introduced Avion is said to be the same blend of Nicaraguan filler and binder in an Ecuadorian Habano maduro wrapper common to the four other Fausto sizes and shapes, I found it fairly different from the two vitolas I’ve tried. And every bit as enjoyable.

The Avion’s size, varying in ring gauge from 48 to 52 ring gauge along its 6.75-inch tapered length, may help to mitigate the Fausto’s strength somewhat and create a more balanced experience. Don’t get me wrong. It’s still powerful, just not quite a haymaker.

After the pepper began to fade a bit, the more prominent tastes in the second third were wood, nuts, spice, and a tobacco sweetness. In the final third, the strength picked up and the pepper made a comeback. I did find it rather dry, especially by the end, and I‘d recommend liquid accompaniment.

The cigar does not feel particularly heavy in the hand, sometimes a warning of a loose draw and a quick burn. Neither was apparent in the Avion. The draw and the burn were peerless. I like the small foot which can easily be lit without a high-watt flame. Smoke production was first rate and the ash something to behold: tight, fine, and remarkably white.

At $10, the Avion is less expensive for its size than some other high-end Tatuajes. I recommend giving it a try after a meal and with a drink that can stand up to it. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I give the Tatuaje Avion 11 cigar four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Tatuaje Cigars

This new line from A.J. Fernandez, formally introduced at the 2011 industry trade show, is Oval-shaped, like a box press with more rounded corners. It features an Ecuadorian-grown Habano 2000 wrapper (though for some reason at the trade show I was told it was Brazilian), a binder from Nicaragua, and three fillers: Nicaraguan, Honduran, and a “secret filler.”

Perhaps the “secret filler” is the new propreitary seed that’s growing outside Copan, Honduras, which Cigar.com’s Alex Svenson reports was cultivated exclusively by Fernandez.

Notable is the use of the Habano 2000 wrapper, which was very popular quite a few years ago, but hasn’t really been featured, at least not in marketing materials, in recent years. Habano 2000 (or “H2000”) was developed by the Cubans as a hybrid of Habano and Connecticut tobacco (and was supposedly used on many of the Cuban EL cigars) but it soon found its way out of Cuba where it has been used on many cigars made for the American market. In the early years, it was known for its reddish Colorado color and more auspiciously because many smokers reported burn issues.

Fortunately, I found no such burn issues with the Oval samples I’ve smoked so far. (Each of the three samples were given to me at the trade show.) In fact, from pre-light to nub, the cigar drew perfectly, burned evenly, and held its ash steady for a solid inch or more.

Once I cut the head off this torpedo, the oval shape that was left reminded me of the Chisel made by Litto Gomez of La Flor Dominicana. It’s a comfortable shape that makes the 54 ring gauge seem slightly smaller than it is.

When I finally got down to smoking the Oval, I found a full-bodied cigar with excellent balance. Coffee, earth, wood, and bread were all prominent, and I also picked up faint liquorice and subtle clove spice.

It’s not dissimilar to the San Lotano Habano (my favorite of A.J.’s three original self-released lines) in terms of flavors, but just a little but better in almost every area. In particular, the Oval’s flavors are fuller, and more complex, but still more balanced and rounded.

For such a well-composed combination of flavor and balance, I can do nothing but heartily recommend this cigar, which retails for around $10 and is available only in brick and mortar stores. That’s why the San Lotano Oval Pyramid 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

Between the excessive taxes and smoking bans, California may be the least friendly cigar state in the country. Prometheus—a Los Angeles-based purveyor the Fuente-made God of Fire smokes, as well as cutters, lighters, and humidors—pays homage to those in the City of Angels who still manage to enjoy cigars despite the efforts of politicians.

Their tribute is a cigar called Angelenos, a blend comprised of an Ecuadorian wrapper with Dominican binder and filler tobaccos. It is made at Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia under the direction of Carlito Fuente. Six sizes are available that range in price from $8.95 to $10.95: Robusto (5.25 x 50), Toro (6 x 50), Lonsdale (6.25 x 44), Gran Toro (6.5 x 54), Double Robusto (5.75 x 52), and Robusto Gordo JM (5.5 x 54). For the latter, the “JM” in the name—and the signature on the second band—is for actor Joe Mantegna, a cigar enthusiast. At the request of Mantegna, a portion of Angelenos proceeds benefits the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center.

The Robusto Gordo JM is a golden-colored smoke with an oily exterior leaf that’s smooth and almost vein-free. It smells of honey, hay, and sawdust. After toasting the foot and establishing an even light with my Magma T (what else?), a flavor of brown sugar, cream, grass, and cinnamon spice emerges. The smoke is thick and textured with a soft, rounded finish. Dried fruits and leather are also apparent, and the aroma is fragrant and nutty.

Some would call the Angelenos Robusto Gordo JM decidedly mild, but I’m more inclined to call it somewhere between the mild and medium-bodied ranges. This is especially true in the second half of the cigar where the taste intensifies and the spice becomes more pronounced on the finish.

Regardless of how you’d classify the body, there’s no denying that this cigar has outstanding construction. The white ash builds wonderfully and solidly off the foot and the burn line stays true.

I’ve always been impressed with the cigars in the God of Fire portfolio, particularly the Carlito 2006 Double Robusto. Their biggest drawback is their price, which can exceed $20 per cigar. While the Angelenos Robusto Gordo JM may not be as complex as its predecessors, it’s still a fine, supremely creamy smoke and a smart buy at $9.95 apiece. It earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Abe Flores of Pinar del Rio gives us reason to be optimistic about the future of the cigar industry. He and a select few others—including Pete Johnson of Tatuaje, Dion Giolito of Illusione, Jonathan Drew of Drew Estate, and Chris Kelly of Tesa—comprise a gifted squad of young cigar makers who are destined to be making great smokes for years to come.

Flores’ talent was on full display in the summer of 2010. That’s when he introduced his re-blended standard lines, launched a wonderful new smoke, and dropped his cigars’ prices by 10%. “I wanted to do a premium cigar that wouldn’t hurt the average guy,” he told me. “People still need to be able to buy tobacco.”

That commendable attitude has earned Flores a chorus of praise from the cigar community. It also doesn’t hurt that the cigars themselves are quite good, including the Selección Reserva Limitada, a line of nine vitolas that currently ranges in price from $100 to $125 per box of 20. Each size features a dark, mottled wrapper from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, wrapped around a criollo ’98 binder from the Dominican Republic and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

The Magnum measures 5 inches long with a hearty ring gauge of 60. It’s a thick, bold-looking smoke with a pigtail cap, double bands, and a black ribbon around the foot. The pungent pre-light notes are sweet and chocolatey.

Advertised as medium in body, the Selección Magnum starts with a musky leather flavor that leaves a long, somewhat bitter taste on the tongue. Bitter isn’t a bad thing, mind you. While the word “bitter” often conjures a negative sensation, most well-balanced cigars have some bitterness to complement their sweet, salty, and acidic components.

But the Magnum isn’t all bitter. Its other flavors include cocoa, black pepper spice, espresso, and creamy undertones. And as the cigar progresses, tastes of roasted nuts and dark chocolate become more apparent, rendering this cigar a rich after-dinner smoke and a fine medium-bodied companion to a glass of rum.

The Magnum’s physical properties are likewise dependable, with a clear draw that yields bountiful tufts of smoke, a solid ash, and a burn line that requires little maintenance.

I’ve yet to come across a Pinar del Rio smoke that I didn’t like, and the Selección Magnum is no exception. With interesting flavors, zero harshness, and an affordable price point, this cigar is a good reminder of Abe Flores’ talent. It earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys