The Stogie Guys

We all know about beginning-of-the-year resolutions. Lose weight, exercise, get more sleep… And we all know how most of them end up. Broken. (Statistically, by now, over a third of resolutions are already broken.)

But cigar resolutions are different. They can be easy to keep because they increase your enjoyment. Here are a few suggestions for 2016:

Take better care of your cutters and lighters. Neither of these tools requires all that much maintenance, but a little work will pay off. Keep your cutter clean. A blast of canned air will push out tiny bits of tobacco that can jam the mechanism and dull the blades. And while you have the compressed air handy, shoot a little in your lighter to eliminate debris and keep the butane flowing freely.

Venture outside your comfort zone. Try something from a manufacturer you never smoke, pick up a cigar with a different wrapper or blend, spring for an ultra-premium when it’s time to celebrate, or dig into the bargain basement once in a while. Sure, you will come up short on occasion, but you might find a new favorite. At the least, you’ll learn more about your likes and dislikes.

Clean up. Dump the ashtrays when you’ve finished smoking. Without fail. No one—and I mean no one—likes the sour, nasty smell of old ashes and butts.

Check out some oldies. New doesn’t always mean better. There is a reason some smokes have been around for years and years. People like them and buy them regularly. It’s also nice to know that a cigar you enjoy will always be available.

Introduce someone to the joys of cigars. We’ve all got friends who have never tried a premium cigar. Can they really turn down an invitation to watch a game, enjoy a drink, or just chew the fat at your local shop or in your backyard?

Enjoy. Whatever you find best about cigars, do a little more of it this year.

You likely can come up with more resolutions of your own. No matter what you decide, here’s to the best cigar-smoking year ever!

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

BG Meyer is an offshoot from Camacho’s “Board of the Bold,” which is comprised of legendary NFL coach Mike Ditka, jewelry maker Matt Booth, and Hollywood writer and producer Rob Weiss. The trio was assembled in 2013—about five years after Davidoff acquired Camacho—when Camacho’s portfolio of 11 brands was narrowed to 6, and when its reputation for bold smokes was underscored by a new scorpion logo.

Ditka, Booth, and Weiss all have brands that are made and distributed by Camacho, which operates out of Honduras. Weiss, perhaps best known as a writer and producer for the HBO series Entourage, labels his smokes BG Meyer after his dog, Big Meyer. There are currently three BG Meyer blends: Standard Issue, Slackers, and Gigantes.

The latter was introduced last year as homage to the bigger-than-life heroes we admire, hence the name and “amped-up” ring gauges. Gigantes showcases a dark Nicaraguan-grown Habano wrapper from 2007 over a Brazilian Mata Fina binder and filler from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Four sizes are available: 52 (4 x 52), 54 (5 x 54), 56 (6 x 56), and 60 (7 x 60). They range in price from about $9.50 to $12.50.

The Gigantes 56 is a large, thick, bold-looking smoke accented by dual bands of gold and black. While the firm, well-built cigar is not without a minor aesthetic imperfection here and there, it carries an overall impression of quality. The oily, toothy wrapper leaf has a faint leathery aroma, and the foot has a more complex fragrance of dried apricot, cocoa, and earth.

As soon as an even light is established, I find myself agreeing wholeheartedly with my colleague’s First Impression: Gigantes 56 “is dominated by earth and oak, though notes of coffee, bread, clove, and hints of red pepper are also apparent.” Medium- to full-bodied from the get-go, I also find some cherry and creamy cashew—especially on the retrohale. The intensity subsides towards the midway point, then ramps up a bit in the final third, which is also characterized by the addition of black pepper and a heavier dose of coffee beans.

The physical properties performed perfectly across my three samples. When you fire up this cigar, you can expect a straight burn, solid ash, easy draw, and good smoke production.

You have to be weary of any cigar with a celebrity name attached to it; you can end up paying for the name, while important aspects like tobacco, blending, etc. are an afterthought. That shouldn’t be your concern with Gigantes, though. Weiss clearly had expert tobacco people guiding him through the development process.

This fine-tasting smoke has a lot going for it. That said, I wish Gigantes was available in some thinner sizes. The 56 is a big smoke, commanding a significant time commitment. Plus, the flavor changes along the way aren’t terribly significant, which means the cigar runs the risk of overstaying its welcome if you aren’t in love with the core profile. All things considered, I’m scoring the BG Meyer Gigantes 56 three 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 take on a single cigar.

Here’s a throwback: a robusto from the original Tatuaje La Vérité release, which represented an ambitious use of aspects of wine by adopting future sales pricing, single vintage tobaccos, and tobacco sourced from a single farm. Back in 2009, when my colleague reviewed a pre-release edition, he predicted it would age well, so today I’m checking out what the better part of a decade did for this cigar. Construction is flawless, with age producing a sharp, even burn. The dominant flavors on this medium-bodied smoke are mild oak and light spice, although there is a slightly tannic, bitter element towards the final third. Most unique is the notably clean and crisp finish. This is a well-made, unique, and enjoyable cigar, but I don’t think it ever fully lived up to the grandiose expectations. Even with age it is easily surpassed by the 2009 La Vérité releases.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Formally announced in 2014, the Orphan Barrel Project has been one of the biggest, albeit sometimes divisive, developments in the high-end bourbon market in recent years. The project of industry giant Diageo has brought a number of well-aged bourbons to the marketplace at a time when such releases are becoming very rare and expensive.

The first releases were the 20-year Barterhouse and 26-year Old Blowhard, the latter being one of the oldest bourbons to be sold. Next came Rhetoric 20, a 20-year bourbon distilled at the New Bernheim distillery in Louisville, which is now owned by Heaven Hill, maker of Elijah Craig and Evan Williams.

Next up was the 22-year Lost Prophet and 15-year Forged Oak. The latest release is a 21-year version of Rhetoric, which is part of a planned annual release that will show off the evolution of the bourbon as it ages, perhaps up to 26 years. (Another Orphan Barrel release, Gifted Horse, is due out soon; it will be a combination of 4-year bourbon and corn whiskey blended with 17-year bourbon.)

Rhetoric 21 is 90.2-proof, a smidge higher than the 20-year version (90-proof). It sells for around $100, and I picked up my bottle for $93 online after tasting a sample provided by Diageo.

Rhetoric 21 pours a deep copper color and has a nose that shows off its age with damp wood, vanilla, and green apple taffy. On the palate, the bourbon tastes of oak, baking spices (clove, cinnamon, nutmeg), vanilla, orange peel, and burnt sugar. The finish is long with cornbread, charred wood, and clove.

At times, the flavors feel slightly muted with the exception of the deep woodiness (over-oaked, perhaps) which is why I prefer the Lost Prophet and Forged Oak. Still, fans of oaky, ultra-aged bourbon will find Rhetoric fits the bill in a way that very few bourbons (you can actually find) will.

For cigar pairings, I think the light wood and sweet spice style of Mexican-wrapped cigars matches up nicely. Specifically, try the Illusione *R* Rothchildes, Room 101 San Andrés, Tatuaje The Face, and Drew Estate’s Undercrown.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Few cigar brands are as diverse as the current portfolio from CAO. Flathead and Steel Horse are built to attract blue-collar tough guys who fancy muscle cars, pinup girls, and motorcycles. Margaritaville would be most at home with the baby boomer dads and grandpas who occasionally smoke as they grill dinner on the back deck while wearing a Hawaiian shirt. Then there’s Flavours, the country-specific blends (Brazilia, Italia, Colombia, etc.), and holiday limited editions like Angry Santa and Evil Snowman.

One of the 2015 releases from CAO caught my eye. Called CAO Pilón, the line seems intended for more serious cigar smokers who care about tobacco and probably spend a good portion of their cigar budgets on boutique-made smokes. CAO classifies Pilón in the Classic quadrant of its lineup, which also includes Gold and La Traviata.

Behind the Pilón name is an antique fermentation technique that, according to CAO, comes from eighteenth century Cuba. “This method involved hemming tobacco leaves together and stacking them, layer by layer, in a circular pattern,” reads the CAO website. “While building and tending to the round pilón took as much patience as it did skill, this method of natural fermentation maximized the flavor and color of the leaves.” Over time, “less costly fermentation methods were explored and the standard rectangular pilón was born.”

Crafted by Master Blender Rick Rodriguez, whose name and recipe adorns the attractive CAO Pilón band, the blend consists of an Ecuadoran Habano wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. Three sizes are available in the affordable $6 to $7.25 range: Corona (5.5 x 44), Churchill (7 x 48), and Robusto (5 x 52).

The latter makes a good first impression with a clean, seamless exterior that’s both smooth and dry. Firm to the touch, the Robusto’s foot shows a well-packed cross-section of tobaccos that exude pre-light notes of cocoa powder and musty earth. The head clips easily to reveal a stiff cold draw with a slight sweetness on the lips. I appreciate that the two ends of the band are joined by an external band sticker—which both makes the band easy to remove and prevents any errant adhesive from making its way to the wrapper.

At the outset, the medium-bodied profile carries notes of dry wood, leather, coffee, and sweet cream. The overall effect might be best summed by the phrase “warm tobacco.” The aftertaste leaves considerable cedary spice on the tongue, while the retrohale enables you to pick up a little dried fruit and nuts. As the cigar progresses, I find the flavors remain fairly consistent, save for an increase in intensity in the final third that brings a dose of black pepper.

From light to nub, the burn line remains straight and the gray ash holds well off the foot. However, I find the tight draw and low level of smoke production to be frustrating. These physical attributes were similar across the three samples I smoked for this review.

Draw and smoke production aside, this is an enjoyable—albeit straightforward—cigar with a mellow profile that renders it approachable and somewhat classic-tasting, especially for the friendly price. Some will find it just their speed, others will say it lacks pop and complexity. In my book, the CAO Pilón Robusto is worthy of three 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 take on a single cigar.

With a multi-national combination of tobaccos—a dark Brazilian wrapper, Mexican San Andrés binder, and Dominican filler—La Nox is a strong, satisfying smoke. The Toro (6.5 x 52) is ideal for the cigar to develop along the way. For instance, it begins with a combination of spice and earth and maintains a rich, spicy finish for a third or so. Then sweetness mixes in, toning down the finish and allowing other flavors to come to the fore. Tony Gomez, son of La Flor Dominicana’s founders, has certainly created a fine limited cigar, well worth its $11 price tag.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys