The 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.

When Max Oettinger opened a store in Basel in 1875, he never could have imagined 140 years later it would grow into Oettinger Davidoff AG, one of the largest and most storied cigar makers in the world. To celebrate that anniversary, Davidoff has created a special limited cigar. Details of the blend of the thick toro aren’t available, nor is it known if it will go on sale, although a limited release along the lines of the 2013 Davidoff of Geneva 25th Anniversary seems likely.

I received this cigar at a media event hosted by Davidoff in their booth at the recent IPCPR Trade Show. It starts out very subtle with cedar, bread, cafe-au-lait, and just a hint of distinctively Davidoff mushroom notes. About a third of the way in, the cedar increases and there is a slight white pepper spice. Construction is excellent. If it goes on sale there is no doubt this will be an expensive smoke, but for fans of Davidoff it will meet every expectation, with subtlety and balance along with a restrained medium-bodied intensity.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Crafted in Miami by Figaro Cigars, this line is relatively new to the market. If it isn’t on your radar—frankly, it was completely new to me—it’s well worth checking out.

Featuring an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and Nicaraguan filler and binder, the Robusto starts with a fiery kick. It doesn’t overwhelm, though, and tends to wind down a bit as you move into the second half of the five-inch frame.

Along the way, there’s some sweetness, which is also present in the pre-light aroma on the wrapper, and a strong leather component, especially in the second half. There’s a nice overall balance to the cigar, and I found myself enjoying each of the three sticks I smoked more than the one before.

The 50-ring gauge Robusto isn’t a complex cigar, but the flavors it delivers are good from start to finish.

It’s the kind of cigar you could smoke on a golf course or watching a game and realize when it’s over that you thoroughly enjoyed it. Or you can pay more attention as you smoke it and find yourself rewarded with an even greater level of enjoyment.

I’d put the strength level at the upper end of medium.

Construction on the samples I received from Figaro was excellent. I was concerned at first because the pre-light draw seemed very open, but that wasn’t a problem when it was lit. And that held when the cigar got a conventional guillotine cut, a V-cut, or a punch. (I tried all three.)

Smoke production was robust, and the burn extremely straight. The ash held tight as well.

The MSRP is a more-than-reasonable $6.99. There are two other regular Figaro cigars: a 6 x 60 that lists for $8.99, and a 6 x 52 for $7.99.

This cigar likely won’t blow you away, but it is also unlikely to disappoint. I think it would be a great choice for someone looking to move up from milder cigars to something with a tad more Nicaraguan pop and for anyone looking for a good, straight-forward smoke.

The Figaro 1943 Habano VX Robusto earns a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–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.

This Nicaraguan puro is made for Warped Cigars at Casa Fernandez (TABSA) from 100% Aganorsa tobacco. The Gran Valle (5.5 x 50) is made with a Cuban triple-cap and entubado-style filler bunching. It starts with a burst of salty and savory flavors but settles into a medium-bodied smoke with coffee notes and just a hint of sweetness. Construction is flawless with a perfect draw and razor-straight burn that produces a sturdy ash and thick smoke. From start to finish, this cigar impressed me.

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.

I’ve long enjoyed Oliva Serie V cigars, but I hadn’t smoked this exquisite vitola until recently. Quite simply, I think the figurado is the best of the line. From the first light of the tip, when it explodes with pepper, to the leathery, sweet end, it’s a terrific cigar. Smooth, powerful, tasty, complex, typical first-rate Oliva performance. The tapered body—6 x 60 at its largest—seems to focus the flavors. At a bit over $10, it is truly worth every penny, and more.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Oliva

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) While any efforts to repeal the Cuban embargo (which includes a ban on the import and sale of Cuban cigars except for a small allowance for licensed visitors to Cuba) will face stiff resistance in Congress, two developments this week show growing support for further changes in Cuban-American relations. In Congress, Republican Representative Tom Emmer (pictured) of Minnesota introduced a bill to end the longstanding embargo. Emmer cited a recent trip to Cuba for his position and stated “This isn’t about the Cuban government—it’s about people on the street looking for more opportunity and to improve their quality of life.” Meanwhile, on the other side of the aisle, leading Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton also publicly called for ending the embargo.

2) The controversial Obamacare legislation makes it illegal for health insurance companies to charge individuals different prices based on health risks, except for tobacco users who can be charged 50% more. For cigarette smokers, who tend to have lower incomes, that’s enough to threaten the affordability of health insurance. But there is some news that could eliminate that issue for many cigar smokers . As Jacob Grier explains, an entry to the Federal Register about interpretation of the Obamacare legislation defines “tobacco use” as use of tobacco on average of four or more times per week within no longer than the past six months. This interpretation will exempt the vast majority of cigar smokers who smoke fewer than four days a week from the discriminatory higher premiums.

3) Inside the Industry: At the recent IPCPR Trade Show, Ashton displayed a new limited release blend to the San Cristobal line called the San Cristobal Ovation. Ovation comes in one size and is made at the My Father Cigars factory with a blend featuring a San Andrés Oscuro wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler.

4) Deal of the Week: Camacho fans should check out this Meet Your Maker Camacho sampler. Just $32 (free shipping included) gets you a selection of six Camacho cigars, including the new American Barrel Aged blend.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Congress

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.

As a follow-up to last year’s all-Nicaraguan Montecristo Espada line, Altadis USA announced the limited Montecristo Espada Estoque at this year’s IPCPR Trade Show. The one-size blend (6 x 50 torpedo) is made by the Plasencia Family in Nicaragua and only 5,000 boxes of 10 will be made. The cigar uses a 2013 Jalapa wrapper, a 2002 Criollo Jalapa binder, and three filler tobaccos from Esteli (Corojo 2009), Ometepe (Criollo 2013) and Condega (Criollo 2013).

Once lit, the cigar has a notably sweet edge, along with a nice balance of coffee bean, earth, baking spices, and leather notes. It starts off medium- to full-bodied, although towards the second half it develops a gritty edge as it ramps up to full-bodied with some black pepper on the finish. Despite a slightly jagged burn line, construction was good with a firm draw and sturdy ash. While I found the first half more enjoyable than the more one-dimensional second half, the Estoque ($14.50) is an interesting cigar that is worlds away from the Dominican Montecristos that most Americans are familiar with.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Perhaps no topic generates more interest among new smokers—and many long-timers—than the question of how to detect flavors in cigars.

“Isn’t it all just tobacco?” is a typical inquiry.

Well, yes, it is all tobacco. But you can say the same for a lot of other things we experience with our taste buds. They’re all apples, for example, but a Granny Smith has a vastly different texture and taste than does a Golden Delicious. Or, it’s all wood, though who would confuse the aroma of Aromatic Red Cedar with American White Oak.

Opening your mind—and, consequently, your nose and taste buds—to the potential of discovery is, I believe, the first step to expanding what you perceive in your cigars.

There are any number of ways to do that. You can explore flavor wheels, fill out tasting sheets, sniff spices in the cabinet, and take numerous other approaches to improve your palate. And they’re probably all worth trying.

One caution, though: While exploring tasting processes in other areas, such as wine, spirits, or coffee, bear in mind that they’re often done with several examples simultaneously. Few of us smoke more than one cigar at a time.

My goal here is to provide some context for your approach, and to broaden your viewpoint as you explore cigar aromas and flavors.

Don’t look for exact matches. Think more of what you taste as suggesting a flavor, not replicating it.

1. Concentrate at first on common flavors, such as coffee with a maduro, pepper with a Nicaraguan puro, or grass with a Connecticut wrapper.

2. Try to focus on smell as well, since that’s a significant component of taste.

3. Roll the smoke around in your mouth before you exhale to increase the exposure to your taste buds.

4. Don’t try too hard. Everyone’s senses differ, and our perceptions are not always the same. Some have a higher developed capacity of taste, while others don’t. It’s not a contest to see who can pick out kala jeera or fennel pollen.

If you pay attention and note what you detect, I can almost guarantee you’ll find yourself discovering more and more with each cigar.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys