The Stogie Guys

In August 2018, the last time we published a full review of a CroMagnon cigar, I stopped just short of begging forgiveness. “We’ve been operating StogieGuys.com since May 2006,” I wrote. “As a result, for over twelve years, much of what I’ve smoked has been dictated by necessity for this website. And while I’m sure you won’t shed any tears in my honor (despite being a lot of work, running a cigar site is a rewarding, entertaining endeavor), you can probably appreciate my predicament. Sometimes I just want to smoke—and, yes, write about—an old favorite.”

This was how I started my review of the CroMagnon Cranium, a blend that—at that time—had already been the subject of three previous articles at this website. Today, though, I’m not going to any lengths to explain myself. While CroMagnon is nothing new (either, as I’ve already stated, to this website, or to the cigar marketplace as a whole) we have not yet written about the Blockhead vitola. So here we are.

As a reminder, the CroMagnon recipe calls for a dark Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper, a Cameroon binder, and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos from Estelí, Condega, and a small farm just south of the Honduran border. It is handmade for RoMa Craft Tobac under the direction of Skip Martin at the Fabrica de Tabacos NicaSueño S.A. factory in Estelí.

Blockhead (6 x 54) is box-pressed. It retails for about $11 for a single, or $100 for a box of 10. Not unlike the Cranium, it has a dark, reddish exterior leaf with moderate oils, plenty of tooth, and a couple noticeable veins. At the foot, the pre-light notes remind me of dark chocolate and syrup. The rough cap clips cleanly, and the cold draw is nearly effortless—noticeably clearer, in my opinion, than the Cranium.

Once lit, the body seems to be less intense than other CroMagon cigars. While it’s still a thick, leathery cigar with notes of black pepper, espresso, and chalky earth, the familiar char has been replaced with sweet notes: honey, graham cracker, and Cuban coffee with sugar.

In my previous comments about the Cranium, I had written, “To write this off as a power-bomb would be to overlook the expert blending that so clearly went into the cigar’s creation. There’s a complexity and balance here that’s often missing from many straightforwardly strong cigars. Creamy peanut, dark chocolate, and hickory add layers. And the strength level dips and surges—an effective strategy that ensures interest is not lost.”

With the Blockhead, all those supremely tasty flavors are there. But the aforementioned sweetness continues to surge along the way. As the cigar progresses, the combustion properties are stellar. The smoke production is voluminous, the ash holds well, the burn line is straight, and the draw is smooth.

I think this is my favorite CroMagnon vitola—and that’s saying something. What an immensely satisfying, well-balanced smoke. I’m settling on a deservedly wonderful score 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

A couple times each week we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

When I reviewed this robusto collaboration almost a year and a half ago, I wasn’t a fan. Overall, I found it sharp on the throat with a fairly unpleasant taste. This stick, the last of a five-pack I purchased for the original review, has been sitting in my humidor ever since. I thought I’d see if resting had led to any improvements. I’d have to say it did. While the sharpness was still noticeable, it had lessened to a relatively small factor. The dirt and campfire tastes I didn’t like originally had also backed off. What was left was an earthy, nutty smoke with some sweetness. And while All Out Kings is not one I’d quickly reach for (especially at nearly $14), it does offer something different. But the fact that you need substantial patience results in my rating.

Verdict = Hold.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

General Cigar Co. has revived the Hoyo Dark Sumatra line—formerly made at the HATSA factory in Honduras—this time in partnership with A.J. Fernandez in Nicaragua. While the factory and country of origin have changed, the blend remains the same as the original Dark Sumatra: a dark Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper, Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and a three-country filler blend of Dominican, Honduran, and Nicaraguan tobaccos. The Media Noche (5.75 x 54, $8.49) is one of three sizes. It is full-bodied, rich, and packed with deep flavors ranging from cocoa and espresso to earth and roasted nuts. Construction is solid, especially for such a large cigar. This isn’t the first time A.J. Fernandez has collaborated with General for the Hoyo brand (La Amistad Gold, Silver, and Black). But it might be my favorite Hoyo collaboration to date.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Earlier this year, Cubariqueño Cigar Co. announced its newest line named after Sir Robert Peel, considered the father of modern-day policing. The tribute to the revered British policeman makes sense when you consider that Bill Ives and Juan Cancel of Cubariqueño both have law enforcement backgrounds.

The line is made at the La Zona Cigar Factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. It comes in two wrapper variations—Ecuadorian Rosado and Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro wrapper—each surrounding Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. Both are presented in a box-pressed toro format (6 x 52) with a suggested retail price of $12.

Today I’m examining the Maduro edition (which features a red band around the foot). Pre-light, it features golden raisins and light spice. The cigar is firm to the touch and, once lit, produces an even burn with loads of thick smoke from a sturdy ash.

It’s a full-bodied smoke from the get-go. Leather, chocolate, espresso, cedar, and cinnamon notes are all apparent. The finish is long with a woody notes and powdery unsweetened chocolate that lingers on the roof of your mouth. There is little variation from beginning to end.

Cubariqueño is best known for its Protocol line. But with Sir Robert Peel they are taking their partnership with Erik Espinosa’s La Zona beyond the basic Protocol branding. The full-bodied cigar has a lot to offer, and its old-school look is a departure from Protocol’s modern presentation.

Full-bodied, slightly rustic, and well-constructed, the Sir Robert Peel Maduro has a lot to offer. It earns the new Cubariqueño offering a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credits: Stogie Guys

Fourteen years ago, General Cigar Co. released a limited edition Partagas called Decadas. Spanish for “decades,” the line featured a ten-year-old Cameroon wrapper. The annual Decadas release was repeated until 2009, when General reportedly ran out of aged Cameroon.

But the 2009 Cameroon harvest was a very good one, according to General. This year it turned ten years old. Decadas has therefore been revived.

The Partagas Decadas 2019 comes beautifully presented in a green, ten-count box that’s protected by a white sleeve. Inside, each robusto extra (5.5 x 49)—the only size offered—is housed in a glass tube. Only 2,500 boxes were made, for a total run of 25,000 cigars.

Out in the open, you can take the measure of the precious Cameroon wrapper, which is surprisingly dark. It’s slightly oily with thin veins and a well-executed cap. The pre-light notes at the foot remind me of molasses. The cold draw is effortless, even if you only snip the very tip of the cap.

Once lit, the Honduran San Agustín binder and filler tobaccos (Dominican Piloto Cubano and Nicaraguan Ometepe) combine to yield a medium-bodied flavor that places the Cameroon sweetness centerstage. Sweet cedar comes to mind, as does the oft-repeated “warm tobacco sweetness” phrase. I don’t want to give you the impression this is simply a straightforward sugar stick, though. It’s not overly sweet, and there’s plenty else going on, including black pepper spice, red pepper heat, cereals, and oak.

I am not picking up a ton of changes at the midway point. Here, the cedar is a bit spicier and a little less sweet. I also believe the profile is earthier and more bready. This carries through to the final third, which is characterized by a slight increase in spice and intensity—still staying solidly in the medium-bodied range, though.

Throughout, the combustion properties are superb. The burn line is straight and requires no touch-ups along the way. The ash holds well, the draw is easy, and the smoke production is wonderful.

I honestly can’t recall if I experienced any of the previous Decadas releases. But that’s neither here nor there. This is a new cigar with a new blend (no previous Decadas employed Nicaraguan tobacco, for example); it deserves to be judged on its own merits. And while some will surely regret the lack of strength and relatively subdued body, I’ve always enjoyed mixing up my rotation with milder smokes and can appreciate their subtlety.

If you share this appreciation, I would suggest picking up a Partagas Limited Reserve Decadas 2019. It retails for $14.99 and shipped to retailers on July 14. And it’s worthy of a very admirable rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A couple times each week we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

As noted by my colleague, the Punch Diablo, introduced last year, is billed as “the fullest-bodied Punch to date.” Made by A.J. Fernandez, it uses a dark Ecuadorian Sumatra oscuro wrapper, a Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and a combination of Nicaraguan and Honduran filler tobaccos. The profile is pleasant with plenty of earth, spice, and coffee, although I didn’t find it to be the full-bodied flavor-bomb its marketing materials suggest. Still, with excellent construction, it’s a cigar I wouldn’t hesitate to smoke again.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

About a decade ago, PG launched Soirée. The line is the result of company patriarch and cigar legend Paul Garmirian’s quest for “new blends reminiscent of the great Cuban cigars [he] enjoyed in the 1950s and early 1960s.” Soirée sports a Nicaraguan Colorado wrapper around Dominican binder and filler tobaccos. It is full-bodied, in a somewhat sneaky way. Yet it’s also smooth, exquisitely balanced, and well-aged. In addition to the trademark PG mustiness, it boasts good combustion qualities and interesting flavors ranging from cedar spice and white pepper to toffee and floral notes. The Robusto (5 x 50) retails for $306.40 for a box of 25 ($12.26 per cigar) at the PG website. It’s obviously not inexpensive; it’s also obviously worth every penny.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys