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.”

I consider myself lucky to live only short drive away from Paul Garmirian’s boutique in McLean, Virginia, which not only carries every PG line, but also has an excellent selection of aged PG cigars rolled in the 1990s. Those well-aged cigars can be outstanding, but I still think the finest offering in the PG humidor may be the 15th Anniversary blend. The cigar features the musty, woody notes normally associated with Davidoff-made cigars, but also added complexity from grass, cocoa, spice, and chalk. It’s a layered, complex, medium- to full-bodied smoke. Construction is just what you would expect from a cigar that will cost you around $16. It’s the kind of cigar that is well worth seeking out.

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.”

This was the next-to-last issue in Eddie Ortega’s 2013 monthly Wild Bunch series. With its sandpapery rough, thick Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper and perfume-scented pre-light aroma, Da Byrdman (6 x 54) makes a strong opening statement. And the cigar lives up to the promise. After aging nearly a year in my humidor, it’s a bit smoother with the Nicaraguan filler melding well with the wrapper, creating a medium-strength smoke. These can still be found here and there for about $9. Pick one up when you can.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

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) The Wall Street Journal recently ran an interesting piece on Fidel Castro, which provides some insight at a time when the Obama Administration is normalizing relations with Havana. The info comes from Juan Reinaldo Sánchez, a former member of Castro’s security detail for nearly two decades—and later a prisoner of Castro’s—who defected to the U.S. and died shortly after publishing a “The Double Life of Fidel Castro.” The article reads: “The legend of Castro as a great revolutionary who sacrifices for his people is preserved by keeping the details about his life a state secret. Sánchez’s account shows the real Castro: vengeful, self-absorbed, and given to childish temper tantrums… Sánchez witnessed firsthand Castro’s indifference to Cuban poverty. The comandante gave interminable speeches calling for revolutionary sacrifice. But he lived large, with a private island, a yacht, some 20 homes across the island, a personal chef, a full-time doctor, and a carefully selected and prepared diet. When a Canadian company offered to build a modern sports-facility for the nation, Castro used the donation for a private basketball court. Wherever he traveled in the world, his bed was dismantled and shipped ahead to ensure the comfort he demanded.”

2) Altadis, which has extensive tobacco operations in the Dominican Republic, is calling the 2014-2015 Dominican tobacco harvest “remarkable.” Sufficient rain overall, coupled with dry period, has resulted in thicker leaves, and light rain and cooler temperatures during the curing process provided ideal humidity levels. “Compared to previous years, the current crop has benefited from generous conditions throughout the year. Experts believe this year’s Dominican tobacco crop will qualify as a very unique and distinctive harvest, achieving both quality (strength and flavor) and crop size.”

3) Inside the Industry: More details have emerged about the new Davidoff cigar, which will be called Escurio. The line will feature a dark Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and a Brazilian binder around a combination of Brazilian and Dominican fillers.

4) Deal of the Week: The Smoke Inn Spring Fun Pack seems like the perfect accessory for summer fun at the beach, on the golf course, or tailgating a concert or sporting event. Just $65 lands you 20 Smoke Inn house cigars, plus a cooler bag to keep your drinks ice cold and a Xikar torch lighter.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

It’s hard to think of a cigar company that has had the success in just over ten years that Tatuaje has enjoyed. Tatuaje has released numerous cigars that have had both commercial and critical success.

That makes the personal cigar blend of Tatuaje brand owner Pete Johnson worthy of extra consideration, which is what his Black Label blend is. The cigar was first released for sale in 2007 in a Corona Gorda size that came in ceramic jars.

I’ve been fortunate enough to smoke quite a few of those original Tatuaje Black cigars (which my colleague gave our highest rating). While (regrettably) I didn’t buy any when they were first available, I’ve been given more than a few over the years from someone who bought multiple jars.

Those cigars were outstanding and one of my personal all-time favorites. But all cigars change a little bit over time due to some uncontrollable variables. And Don José “Pepin” Garcia-made cigars, including Tatueje Black, have also changed slightly due to the lawsuit and falling out between Pepin and his former partner Eduardo Fernandez, owner of Aganorsa S.A. and partner in El Rey del Los Habanos. (Blends had to be tweaked when access to Aganorsa tobacco stopped.)

That hasn’t stopped Tatuaje, or Pepin (who makes Tatuaje for Johnson), from putting out excellent cigars. Nor has it prevented the Tatuaje Black from being reissued in 2011. In recent years a variety of sizes have been released, including this Robusto, which is offered in three-packs at Tatuaje events.

Currently, a Tatuaje Black Petit Lancero is a limited, though regular, release. A new Corona Gorda, this time in a melamine jar, was released last year to celebrate Tatuaje’s tenth anniversary, though you’ll still find that available at some retailers. The Black Label, according to reports, is a Nicaraguan puro with a Criollo wrapper.

The well-constructed Robusto features powdery medium-bodied flavors. Bread, oak, and sweet cinnamon dominate with underlying maple syrup notes. It’s superbly balanced, but the sweetness sets it apart, providing an extra layer of richness that resonates beyond the more traditional layering of earth, leather, and spice.

It has been a while since I smoked the original Tatuaje Black Corona Gorda, so it’s hard to compare the two, except to say (at least in my recollection) the original was superior to this Robusto. I did smoke both the Petit Lancero and Corona Gorda for comparison while working on this review, and I can confidently say I found the Robusto the best of the bunch. (A colleague rated the new Corona Gorda highly last year, although I probably wouldn’t have given it quite so high of a score.)

The Robusto, on the other hand, seems to be the best of the bunch when it comes to the recent-era Tatuaje Blacks. Given that it raises the already high bar, the Tatuaje Black Robusto earns a rating of 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.]

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

After realizing I had one stick left of each of the two cigars I blended in May 2012, I decided this week—almost exactly three years after the Cigar Safari trip—would be a fitting time to fire them up. This little experiment, after all, offers a somewhat unique opportunity to see how time impacts a cigar.

I say “unique” because it isn’t often I smoke a cigar right after it’s rolled, log its impressions, wait three years, then smoke another sample that was rolled on the same day by the same person with the same tobaccos. But that’s the case here. Virtually the only variable is age. In addition, I get to do the same experiment twice: once with a milder Connecticut Ecuador-wrapped cigar made at Joya de Nicaragua (see my article from Monday), and once with a bolder Brazilian Mata Fina Oscuro-wrapped cigar made at Drew Estate.

As a reminder, please note I did not grow, cultivate, ferment, or actually roll any of my cigars. All the hard work was done by the fine folks at Joya de Nicaragua and Drew Estate, respectively. My role simply consisted of some educated guessing, a little trial-and-error, and selecting a wrapper, a binder, and a filler blend from available tobaccos.

Here’s what I had to say about the Drew Estate blend back in 2012:

Drew Estate Blend
Wrapper: Brazilian mata fina oscuro
Binder: Habano Ecuador
Filler: Estelí Seco (33%), Jalapa Ligero (33%), Brazilian Mata Fina (33%)
Size: 5.25 x 42

My objective here was to get a medium-bodied smoke that’s low on spice but big on dark chocolate flavors—something that would pair nicely with a glass of red wine. That’s why I loaded it up with Mata Fina, a tobacco that’s typically sweet and chocolaty. In my blend, though, the Habano Ecuador binder and Seco and Ligero fillers unexpectedly shine though. The result is a profile devoid of chocolate or any sweetness. Instead, the flavor packs dry spice, leather, and oak. I like this cigar, and it is getting a little better each month, but it isn’t at all what I had intended.

Much like the Joya de Nicaragua blend, I smoked through nine of the ten samples of this Drew Estate-made cigar pretty quickly. In fact, I’d wager I (somewhat carelessly) smoked all nine before the end of 2012. So, when I recently lit the tenth and final cigar, I didn’t really know what to expect from a smoke that’s been off my radar for two and a half years.

What I found was a dry, familiar profile of oak, leather, and spice. This trio of flavors was punctuated by significant cayenne heat on the tip of the tongue, especially in the aftertaste. While the cayenne seemed new, a pair of unfortunate traits were consistent with my earlier samples of the blend: an occasional (but brash) bitterness, and a shortage of sweetness to balance out the spice.

Looking back, instead of writing “I like this cigar,” I should have conceded that this blend not only misses its intended mark, but it’s also incomplete, unbalanced, and slightly abrasive. Three years of age have not yielded the improvements the cigar desperately needed.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In this edition of Random Thoughts from the Humidor, we look at a mind-boggling sale, ponder the annual cigar figures, and examine a pleasant trend.

Amazing Cigar Sale

I’m not sure why my eyes rested on the two-page spread for Fuente cigars in a recent catalogue from one of the big online sellers. But I gave it a glance and was surprised to see the Opus X Lost City listed among those for sale at reduced prices. (It also described them as “mild,” which was another shock.) Since the type is tiny, my eyes are not what they once were, and the line running through the MSRP made it difficult to discern, I reached for a magnifying glass to be certain I was seeing what I thought I was. Sure enough, the Lost City vitolas are marked down. Want to buy a box of 10 Toros? Why, you’ll pay just $298.99 instead of the MSRP of $299. Markdowns are identical throughout the line. As they say, act quickly. At these prices, they won’t last long!

Adding Without Increasing

Is anyone else puzzled by the fact that while a new cigar seemed to be released about every 30 minutes last year, the total number of cigars imported actually fell? Overall imports of premium cigars were down a shade over 1 percent, a negligible decline at a total of about 310 million sticks. For the first time in several years, Nicaragua’s production fell from the previous year, and the Dominican Republic’s total was down a bit as well. How’d that happen? Perhaps all those new lines, limited editions, specials, and extensions are boosting some individual manufacturers, especially boutique ones, but they don’t seem to have had an influence on the market overall.

Ten Is a Good Number

Lately, it seems more and more cigar manufacturers are packaging their sticks in 10-count boxes rather than the more traditional 20 or 24. I find the trend a good one. Shops frequently mark down box prices over the same number of singles, so there’s the likelihood of saving some money. But more important, to me at least, is that ten is a more manageable number. Unless you smoke a lot of cigars or have only a few favorites, it can take a long time to get through a box of 20 or more. With a few exceptions, I usually have a handful left to age for years until I work my way back to them.

–George E

photo credit: Flickr

In the spring of 2012 I journeyed to Estelí, Nicaragua, to participate in Drew Estate’s unforgettable Cigar Safari adventure.

There, in addition to touring the factories where some of the world’s best cigars are made, I got the awesome opportunity to blend two cigars: one at Joya de Nicaragua, and the other at Drew Estate. I chronicled both creations in an article that was published on September 10, 2012. The roll date on both cigars was May 24, 2012. Somewhat miraculously, I have one cigar left from each blend—both of which are just begging to be smoked. So I thought I’d revisit the two cigars to see how almost exactly three years of age have changed them.

Today I’ll examine the Joya de Nicaragua Blend, and later on this week I’ll revisit the Drew Estate Blend. As a reminder, please note I did not grow, cultivate, ferment, or actually roll any of my cigars. All the hard work was done by the fine folks at Joya de Nicaragua and Drew Estate, respectively. My role consisted of selecting a wrapper, a binder, and a filler blend from available tobaccos.

Here’s what I had to say about the Joya de Nicaragua blend back in 2012:

Joya de Nicaragua Blend
Wrapper: Connecticut Ecuador
Binder: Habano Volado
Filler: Condega Seco (30%), Estelí Viso (40%), Condega Ligero (30%)
Size: 5.5 x 48

My objective with this cigar was to produce a mild, creamy smoke that would be excellent with a morning cup of coffee. I couldn’t be more pleased with the result. This beautiful, golden cigar burns like a champ and yields a nice flavor of cream, butter, almond, and just a bit of spice. I got ten of these from Joya de Nicaragua and I’ve almost completely blazed through the entire stash. I may have to fly back down to Nicaragua to see if I can get more. While Joya de Nicaragua isn’t known for making mild smokes, this one turned out wonderfully.

I felt a little queasy setting a wooden match to the foot of this cigar, knowing it was the end of the samples from the first cigar I ever blended—and assuming I’ll never be able to smoke this exact concoction ever again.

Despite the nostalgia, my expectations were rather low. Right out of the gate, this was already a pretty mild creation. I expected three years of time to have mellowed it further, perhaps rendering it papery or (worse) utterly flavorless.

Instead, I was pleased to find a smooth, buttery profile that was mild- to medium-bodied with notes of almond, white pepper, and sweet hay. Perfect construction. And, yes, it still pairs really well with a cup of black coffee.

Again, in case it sounds like I’m tooting my own horn, the wonderful qualities of this cigar are completely a testament to the fine folks at Joya de Nicaragua, not my own (somewhat) educated guesses coupled with some trial and error. Joya sourced and cared for the tobacco, and Joya rolled the samples. I’m just thankful for the experience and opportunity to learn.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys