The Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

Ask and ye shall receive… a cigar. In my full review of the impressive PG 25th Anniversary, I wrote, “For now, this is a single-vitola blend, but PG’s 15th and 20th Anniversary blends were later expanded into multiple sizes, and I certainly hope the same happens for the 25th.” Sure enough, PG has already rolled out a Short Robusto size, with very limited numbers being sold at the brand’s flagship shop in McLean, Virginia, and a wider release to come later this year. As you might imagine, the flavors are nearly identical to the toro-sized Connoisseur, including oak, bread, savoriness, and a hint of sweetness. While I’d recommend starting with the Connoisseur if you’ve never had the PG 25th Anniversary blend before, the Short Robusto features all the depth and complexity of the toro in a short, more concentrated version.

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 verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

First, it’s necessary to get past the gimmicky wrapped-in-a-cigar-leaf packaging. Fortunately, that’s not difficult. Just tear it off and, voilà, there’s a cigar. What I found was a nice-looking Honduran puro with typical toro dimensions (6 x 50). Billed as mild to medium in strength, the Leaf by Oscar Corojo brimmed with the leather and earth often associated with Honduran tobacco. Smoke production was excellent, as were the draw and burn. It’s not a flavor profile I’d want to smoke routinely, but a stick to reach for when something a little different would fill the bill.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Leaf by Oscar

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) Enrique Sánchez Icaza, CEO and Founder of Global Premium Cigars (GPC), has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida against the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). At at high level, the suit alleges the FDA’s recently announced deeming rules are cost-prohibitive for GPC, a small business known for its 1502 line of cigars. “When I joined this beautiful industry, I promised myself that I would do whatever was necessary to make the cigar industry better, and leave a legacy for my kids to carry on in life,” said Icaza in an email released yesterday. “Today, that dream is in jeopardy due to the FDA’s deeming regulations, and I feel I have the obligation to protect our industry, lifestyle, consumers, clients, friends, and our family from these terrible threats. It’s time for action! Talking belongs in the past… In the few next days, we will be giving you more information in how you can support, and help us with the tools to fight with strength.” GPC’s lawsuit is likely the first of many to be brought by a cigar maker against the FDA. The suit alleges the FDA’s actions violate the Regulatory Flexibility Act, designed to protect small businesses from over-burdensome regulations, and the Administrative Procedure Act, which sets standards that agencies engaged in rule-making must follow, as well as the First and Fifth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. The suit has been assigned to Judge Darrin P. Gayles, an Obama nominee.

2) Davidoff is expanding its Brazilian-inspired Escurio line by adding new sizes, including a Corona Gorda (6 x 46), Gran Perfecto (5 x 60/51), Primeros (4.25 x 38), and Mini Cigarillos (3.3 x 20). Escurio was launched in 2015 with three sizes that feature an Ecuadorian Habano-seed wrapper, a Brazilian Cubra binder, and a filler blend that includes Mata Fina and Cubra tobaccos from Brazil paired with Dominican leaves. Several years prior, the Davidoff Nicaragua blend marked Davidoff’s first departure from its Dominican roots.

3) Inside the Industry: This week Camacho announced the details of its 2016 Liberty Series limited edition cigar, set to be released tomorrow. According to the announcement, “the core of 2016’s edition are two high-octane Ligero tobaccos from Mexico and Nicaragua, making up over half of the tri-country filler blend… Combined with two Seco tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic for added complexity, the 2016 Liberty displays the perfect balance of intensity and finesse.” The cigar sells for $18 and will be the first Camacho Liberty release to also be distributed to Europe.

4) From the Archives: Introducing cigars to someone who hasn’t tried them before, or only smokes them on extremely rare occasions?  Check out this helpful article from 2010: Five Rules for Introducing Someone to Cigars. The tip provides a few easy-to-follow suggestions, but also makes the important point that smoking a cigar is meant to be an enjoyable experience. Overwhelming a newbie with too many rules will detract from the goal of an enjoyable, relaxing experience.

5) Deal of the Week: StogieGuys.com recommends Bespoke Post, a monthly collection of awesome items delivered to your door for just $55. Past boxes include barbecue accessories, shaving kits, everything you need to make great coffee, and exclusive cigars from E.P. Carrillo paired with custom accessories. You can select a box each month or skip the month entirely. Click here to sign up today.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Global Premium Cigars

If the cigar industry needed any more bad news, it could be found recently in a couple of unrelated developments that involve sugar rather than tobacco.

U.S. District Judge Edward Chen turned down a request by the powerful American Beverage Association for a temporary injunction against San Francisco’s requirement that some soft drink advertising include warnings about the dangers of consuming drinks with added sugar.

An abridgment of freedom of speech? No. A potentially fatal and unfair blow to the industry? No. Regulation in the public interest? Yes.

Then the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced its new nutrition facts food label with an additional category: added sugars.

Now, to be clear, there is a world of difference between these actions involving sugar and the FDA’s tobacco restrictions. And there is sure to be more court action on the soft drink front, as there will be against the FDA’s tobacco rules.

But I believe the moves on sugar are indicative of the legal trajectory.

Here’s why I think the cigar fight against the FDA is, sadly, doomed. (Remember, this is just my view. No one else’s from this site.)

First, despite the outcry that government regulations are taking away our rights, there’s little doubt that there is no “right” to smoke tobacco, and certainly not one that can’t be curtailed. Legal challenges to smoking prohibitions based on a recognized constitutional right (be it privacy, property, or equal protection) have generally failed.

Additionally, the legality of a product doesn’t shield it from restrictions or a ban. Just ask those who live in one of the United States’ remaining dry counties. Up until 1914, cocaine was legal. Caffeinated alcohol drinks were legally sold a few years ago until the government decided they shouldn’t be.

Examples are endless.

Then there is the frequent complaint of a “war on tobacco.” There isn’t a war. There was a war. Tobacco lost. We’re now in the aftermath.

Petitions underway in the cigar community seem, to me, unlikely to accomplish anything. One, urging the White House to act, may garner enough signatures, though I doubt it. But even if successful, it will induce only reconsideration, not action. A reversal or exemption would require a monumental change. The chances of that are slim and none, and, as they say, Slim already left town.

(By the way, are you looking to the future? It’s hard to distinguish which presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, dislikes tobacco more.)

Demanding congressional action also appears dubious. Congress didn’t approve an exemption in the past when it would have been much easier. Why expect it to do so now?

Cutting off funding for enforcement, as has been proposed, seems to me little more than a replay of the earlier Congressional move to include an exemption in its funding bill: a bargaining chip to be traded for something else. And even if a funding halt were to be approved, the FDA could likely go right back to work with new funding in the future.

I think the most likely outcome to the FDA regulations is legal action that slows, but doesn’t stop, the process.

Perhaps my years in Washington made me too cynical. Maybe I am just too negative in general.

I hope so. I can’t think of anything that would bring me more joy than writing another piece with the headline: I Was Wrong.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

In early March, it was announced Drew Estate would be expanding its popular Herrera Estelí line by launching the Herrera Estelí TAA Exclusive, which began shipping to Tobacconists’ Association of America (TAA) members in April. (TAA works to “maximize professionalism and success” among its 80 associated retailers through training and the sharing of best practices; you can find a TAA shop near you here.)

The Drew Estate Herrera Estelí TAA Exclusive is presented in a single vitola, a toro (6 x 52) that retails for $144 per 12-count box, or $12 per cigar. Whereas the original Herrera Estelí features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around a Honduran binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua, the TAA Exclusive—also blended by Willy Herrera—sports a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Brazilian Mata Fina binder, and Nicaraguan fillers.

“This is my first blend since joining Drew Estate that utilizes Connecticut Broadleaf tobacco,” said Herrera in a press release. “Drew Estate fans know that we’re famous for our use of Connecticut Broadleaf tobaccos, especially in our Liga Privada No. 9 and Nica Rustica lines. I’ve been experimenting with blends that incorporate this incredible wrapper since coming on board and finally have a blend I’m really excited about.”

The Herrera Estelí TAA Exclusive is handsomely appointed with dual bands of red and gold that make this extension easily differentiated from the original Herrera Estelí blend. Even without the bands, though, you’d never confuse the two. The Ecuadorian Habano wrapper on the core line is light and golden, whereas the TAA Exclusive is dark. In typical Drew Estate fashion, the cold draw is ultra-easy. The pre-light notes remind me of chocolate and cedar.

Once underway, I find cocoa with black pepper spice and abundant leather. The texture is coarse and gritty. The potent vegetal notes that are so common among Connecticut Broadleaf smokes from Drew Estate are also apparent, especially in the plentiful resting smoke. Other noticeable flavors include damp earth, vanilla, cream, and a dash of cinnamon. At the midway point and beyond, I start to notice some sour, meaty notes from time to time—nothing terribly concerning, but certainly worth pointing out.

As far as the physical properties are concerned, this cigar is expertly rolled and a complete joy to smoke. The burn line is straight and true throughout, the smoke production well above average, the draw smooth, and the gray ash holds very firmly off the foot.

If Willy Herrera’s objective was to blend a full-bodied cigar that smokes cool with plentiful flavor, I’d consider the Herrera Estelí TAA Exclusive a job well done. I especially appreciate the fleeting tastes I uniquely associate with Drew Estate Connecticut Broadleaf tobaccos, and how they are coupled with an overall profile that’s differentiated from the likes of Liga Privada No. 9 or Nica Rustica. This well-crafted cigar is worth seeking out—even with its lofty price tag—and deserving of an admirable rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

Not to be confused with The Jekyll, which was Tatuaje’s Halloween smoke in 2014, The Jackal hit the market last summer as an exclusive to Chicago-area retailer Casa de Montecristo. It boats a beautiful Ecuadorian Sancti Spiritus wrapper around Nicaraguan tobaccos. Only about 10,000 Jackals were made in a single vitola (6.75 x 56) with a torpedo-style cap and an unfinished foot. The profile is dry and oaky with cedar spice and hints of cocoa, black pepper, and creamy peanut. The only downside is the price tag of $13.90; you’ll get your money’s worth, though.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) Two years ago, StogieGuys.com broke the news that, for the first time since 1977, long-filler cigar tobacco was being grown in Florida. Jeff Borysiewicz (pictured above), owner of the Orlando-area Corona Cigar stores and a partner in the Sindicato cigar company, began growing tobacco on land he had purchased—out of love of the leaf, and to avoid paying residential taxes on the land, which is outside Orlando. At the time, while we learned Drew Estate had been selected as Borysiewicz’s partner in the endeavor, it was unclear exactly how the tobacco would be used. This week we learned it will be included in a new blend from Drew Estate aptly called Florida Sun Grown (FSG). The Floridian tobacco joins Nicaraguan leaves as a component of the filler; the binder is Mexican and the wrapper Brazilian. Five vitolas—including a limited edition Trunk-Pressed Toro (6 x 54)—will retail in the $11.50-$15 range. “This has been one of the most difficult challenges of my life,” said Borysiewicz. “Tobacco growing is just as much an art as it is a science, and growing tobacco in this area of Florida was totally uncharted territory. It took a lot of trial and error to get it to where it is today, but we couldn’t be happier with the way it’s smoking.” FSG will be exclusively available at Corona Cigar starting in June.

2) On the heels of thawing relations between Washington and Havana, Cuba’s government has announced the decriminalization of small- to medium-sized private businesses. “Cuban business owners and economic experts said they were hopeful the reform would allow private firms to import wholesale supplies and export products to other countries for the first time, removing a major obstacle to private business growth,” reports ABC news. “While the government offered no immediate further details, the new business categories appear to be the next stage in reforms initiated by President Raúl Castro after he took over from his brother Fidel Castro in 2008.”

3) Inside the Industry: Paul Joyal’s Ocean State Cigars announced the addition of a box-pressed Double Robusto (5.5 x 54) to the J. Grotto Anniversary line. The cigar uses a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, a Dominican Habano binder, and undisclosed “other Central American tobaccos” for the filler. The Anniversary line is blended and manufactured by Phil Zanghi, whose Dominican operation shares factory space with the Reyes family of tobacco producers. The cigar comes in 10-count boxes and sells for $8.50.

4) From the Archives: One user error that rookie cigar smokers often commit is ashing too often. In a tip from three years ago titled “Better Ash, Better Cigar Experience,” we covered this and gave the advice that, while smoking doesn’t need to be a long ash contest, there are scientific reasons why ashing too frequently will negatively impact your enjoyment.

5) Deal of the Week: The latest iteration of the popular Tatuaje Monster Series is the Tatuaje Skinny Monsters. This ten-count sampler ($85) features each of the eight Halloween Monster blends, plus the Chuck and Tiff blends that debuted in the Pudgy Monster sampler in a “skinny” lancero (6 x 38) format.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Drew Estate