The Stogie Guys

While StogieGuys.com has taken note of this popular My Father line—including a 2012 mention of the Churchill as a Gold Star smoke—we’ve never actually reviewed it.

I’ve smoked a few of various sizes through the years. Recently, I picked up a couple five-packs of the 6-inch toro with a 52-ring gauge—one of the original vitolas introduced in 2009—at a significant discount over the regular price of about $11 each.

The cigar was crafted by Don José “Pepin” Garcia to honor his father, in the same manner Jaime Garcia did for Don Pepin with the earlier My Father line. Le Bijou 1922 features a Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler. The cigars are rolled at the Garcia’s My Father Cigars factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

The dark, oily wrapper is exquisite, with tiny veins and a mouthwatering pre-light barnyard aroma. The presentation is also nicely done, with two ornate bands set off by a cloth orange foot band.

In those I smoked for this review, all but one smoked and burned perfectly. One did develop a tunnel that briefly disrupted the burn and the smoke, though it cleared up after about a half-inch.

I’ve read reviews that make note of pepper, but I don’t really get much of it. To me, there was more light spice than pepper. And the flavors I found tended to be darker and richer, with a sweetness in the second half and some floral notes throughout.

I thought the strength was in the upper-medium level, with a lot of thick, rich smoke.

Overall, this is an enjoyable cigar. The length allows it to develop and display complexity along the way. It’s especially worthwhile if you can catch them on sale.

I’d also recommend trying several of the sizes because there’s a difference among them, enough so that I think some smokers will definitely prefer one over another. I rate My Father Le Bijou 1922 four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

First Smoke is a new series of Quick Smoke reviews, each evaluating a single pre-release cigar. Like the Quick Smokes we publish each Saturday and Sunday, each First Smoke is not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

 

Whether by design or not, Nica Rustica has always seemed like sort of a discount version of the immensely popular Liga Privada No. 9. (Think of it as a second wine from a top Bordeaux producer.) Both feature Connecticut Broadleaf wrappers (Liga uses “Broadleaf #1 Darks” while the Nica Rustica uses a “Broadleaf Medium”), and both debuted in just one size, a Toro, before expanding to multiple vitolas. Continuing to follow in Liga’s footsteps, Nica Rustica is expanding with two new sizes this year: Belly (7.5 x 54) and Short Robusto (4.5 x 50).

The Nica Rustica Short Robusto features powdery smoke that coats the mouth in oak, earth, bread, grass, and pepper. Although the final Nica Rustica blend doesn’t use a wild Nicaraguan strain of tobacco that pre-release test blends included, the rustic, gritty characteristics are still evident, which is exactly what Nica Rustica intends. Construction is excellent and features Drew Estate’s trademark smoke production. You won’t mistake it for Liga, but with a $5.95 MSRP, the Nica Rustica Short Robusto delivers good value.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Tampa’s cigar past lost a prominent feature recently when one of its old-time factories, long vacant, burned to the ground.

But don’t despair. If you’re interested in the history of cigars, Tampa still has lots for you to see. Most of it is in Ybor City, which was once the center of the industry that gave Tampa its nickname, Cigar City.

First, though, you’ll need to venture off 7th Avenue, nucleus of Ybor’s entertainment these days and home to several small cigar rolling shops and other retailers.

Next, you’ll need to hone your expectations. You’re not going to be seeing large cigar-making operations like those now operating in Central America. In fact, there’s only one true functioning cigar factory left in Tampa: J.C. Newman’s, where workers and machines produce mass market smokes.

The factory, often called El Reloj for its iconic clock tower, has gained quite a bit of attention as Newman has made keeping it open central to its fight against potential U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulation that could shut it.

Most of the other Tampa area factories lost their fights to stay open decades earlier as cigar smoking declined. Some have come back in renovated form for other uses; many sit empty.

Perhaps the best way to check out Tampa’s cigar factory history is to follow in the footsteps of local cigar expert Tom Ufer, who compiled an incredible resource on the factories’ histories as well as a fascinating and detailed, easy-to-follow tour. You’ll find all that and more at Tom’s site.

Tom did this work in 2009 and 2010, so a few things have changed. One of the most notable changes has taken place at what’s known as the Charles the Great factory. It’s now been renovated and serves as offices for the Arturo Fuente organization. Tampa Sweethearts moved out three years ago to its own beautiful casita just off 7th Avenue.

Wallace Reyes has also written extensively on the cigar history of Tampa in “Once Upon a Time in Tampa … Rise and Fall of the Cigar Industry” and this year’s “Cigar City Architecture and Legacy” has a substantial section devoted to cigar factories.

So whenever you visit Tampa, be prepared to spend a little time getting to know more about Ybor City and its fascinating past. You’ll be amazed at what’s just right around the corner.

–George E

photo credit: Flickr

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

I have no idea where I got this cigar or how long it’s been sitting in my humidor. But I’m pretty sure I won’t be smoking another. Not because it was bad, but because it seems that Maraya Cigars is out of business. Its New York shop closed earlier this year, the phone is out of service, and a website on the reverse of the band calls up an error page. And that’s a shame because it was an interesting smoke. The Ecuadorian Connecticut shade wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and Dominican and Nicaraguan Corojo and Criollo ’98 filler combined for a spicy, milder cigar with some sweetness and a light hay in the background. If you see one, give it a try.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

1792 Sweet Wheat Bourbon is a new offering from the Barton Distillery, which is better known for Very Old Barton and 1792 Small Batch Ridgemont Reserve. (1792 is the year Kentucky gained statehood.)

My favorite bourbon writer Chuck Cowdery explained the details and differences between the original 1792 expression and the new Sweet Wheat:

The flagship expression of 1792 was launched in 2003. It is a rye-recipe bourbon with a higher-than-normal barley malt content, although the exact percentage has never been disclosed. It also features a yeast strain not used for any other brands. The product was created by Barton Master Distiller Bill Friel not long before he retired….

Now the Barton 1792 Distillery is set to release its first 1792 line extension, called 1792 Sweet Wheat. It was distilled in 2007 so, like the flagship, it is eight years old. ‘Using wheat instead of rye gives the taste profile a softer and more delicate flavor,’ said Ken Pierce, director of distillation and quality assurance. ‘The soft flavor is balanced by rich oak tannins extracted by the bourbon while aging in the charred oak barrels.’

In case you’re wondering, bourbon made with wheat as a secondary grain instead of rye has always been a minority of all bourbon made, but it includes some very popular ones, not the least of which is Pappy Van Winkle. While rye is characterized by spice, wheated bourbons (which also include Maker’s Mark, Old Fitzgerald/Larceny, and the Weller family of bourbons) are known for a softer, sweeter edge.

Sweet Wheat pours a light bronze color. It features a muted nose with honey, wood, and red fruit. On the palate, Sweet Wheat is as advertised. It’s soft and lush, with a little resin, oak, cherries, and apples. The finish is much of the same with apples and caramel.

1792 Sweat Wheat Bourbon is 91.2-proof and retails for $33 a bottle. Though expect to spend bit more (I found one for $38) if you can find them at all (my local store sold out in two days) as the first release is fairly limited.

Pair it with a balanced, mild or medium cigar. A few recommendations: Illusione Epernay, Paul Garmirian Gourmet Vintage 1991, Arturo Fuente King T Rosado Sun Grown, and Ashton Classic.

I wouldn’t necessarily suggest spending a lot of time or money finding the new 1792 Sweet Wheat, but it is a good bourbon for the price. If you like Old Weller Antique, Larceny, or Maker’s Mark, it iscertainly worth trying.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

With Tatuaje giving a boost this year to Verocú, introduced originally in 2007 as a stronger addition to the Havana VI line, it seemed like a good time to get reacquainted. After all, three of the earlier Verocú incarnations garnered top ratings in Stogie Guys reviews.

The “new” regular production Verocú comes in six sizes. The No. 1 is 6.25 inches long with a 52 ring gauge, the same size as the earlier limited West Coast edition. It carries a $10 MSRP.

The wrapper is an Ecuadorian Habano and the filler and binder are from Nicaragua. Typical of Tatuaje, these cigars are rolled at the My Father Cigars factory in Nicaragua.

Some cigars make a lasting impression, and I fondly remember the zoned edition (East and West) Verocú cigars I smoked in 2008. What stands out particularly in my memory is how smooth and balanced they were.

I was a little wary lighting up my first of these new ones. After all, a lot of great cigars have come along in the intervening years. It’s only natural to wonder whether these new sticks can still compete. And win.

The short answer is, yes, they can.

Of course, I can’t possibly remember those older smokes exactly and compare them to these. In my mind, the older ones had more initial pepper than the new sticks. But that could simply be the effect of years of smoking so many other cigars bursting with pepper since then.

What is unquestionably still a hallmark of Verocú is smoothness and balance, as the flavors move and shift throughout the smoke. A bit of sweetness to set off the pepper, floral notes overtaken by leather. The finish lingers nicely. Construction, burn, and draw are excellent, and the cigar produces lots of thick smoke.

Bringing Verocú fully back as a regular production line is, I think, the kind of customer-friendly move that has helped brand owner Pete Johnson achieve an extraordinary reputation and a tremendous following in the cigar world.

I recommend these highly and, once again, give the Tatuaje Havana VI Verocú five stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. A list of other five-stogie rated cigars can be found here.]

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys