The Stogie Guys

Bourbon is getting increasingly popular, especially well-aged bourbon. The problem is, you can’t just whip up a batch of well-aged bourbon. It takes time. Literally decades.

And yet many of the most sought-after bourbons are those of the extra-aged variety: Pappy Van Winkle 20 and 23, George T. Stagg, Eagle Rare 17, William Larue Weller, and Elijah Craig 20-22. While the suggested pricing of these bottles varies, unless you get lucky you can expect to pay hundreds of dollars for each of these limited offerings.

With that as the background, whiskey giant Diageo (they own Bulleit and George Dickel, plus numerous well-known scotch brands) introduced its Orphan Barrel line of 20+ year old whiskeys that were acquired, one might speculate, from its purchases of Shenley and the closed Stizel-Weller distillery. The first three released Orphan Barrel bourbons were Old Blowhard (26 years old), Barterhouse 20, and Rhetoric 20. (For the record, my favorite of the three is Rhetoric.)

There are lots of details and debate about the Orphan Barrel series bourbons, but one detail that caught my eye about Lost Prophet is that it was distilled at the George T. Stagg Distillery (now renamed Buffalo Trace). According to Whiskey Advocate, it was distilled with the same “high rye” mashbill as Blanton’s and Elmer T. Lee, two favorite bourbons of mine.

Orphan Barrel Lost Prophet 22 Year Old Bourbon is a deep copper color that shows the age of the 90.1-proof Kentucky bourbon. The nose is rich with baking spices, wood, and hints of caramel, though you wouldn’t necessarily assume it’s an extra aged bourbon.

On the palate it really flexes its maturity. There’s intense oak, clove spice, vanilla, and leather. It’s got the woodiness that demonstrates its years, but isn’t as cloying as the previous Orphan bourbons.The spicy finish fades quickly on the roof of your mouth, but lingers on the back of the tongue.

The bourbon’s traditional proof and finesse mean you don’t want an overly bold cigar. I recently reviewed the Illusione Fume d’Amour, and it’s just he kind of cigar you’d want with Lost Prophet: flavorful yet not full-bodied.

Judging a $120 bottle of bourbon can be tough, especially when there are so many fine bourbons available, many for around $30. Still, Lost Prophet has a lot going for it as an excellent representation of why people seek out extra-aged bourbon. It just came out so there’s actually a chance of finding it on shelves right now. If this sounds good to you, move quickly.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Montecristo requires no introduction. The flagship Altadis brand has a spot at nearly every U.S. cigar retailer and boasts a portfolio of familiar lines, including Classic, Platinum, White, Epic, and Monte.

One line you won’t find on the Montecristo website, however, is Relentless. That’s because the Montecristo Relentless is exclusive to Famous Smoke Shop, a Pennsylvania-based online retailer. Famous markets Relentless as a cigar that “lives up to its name. It relentlessly pounds your taste buds with amazing flavor, while you experience a medium-bodied strength profile.”

The Relentless recipe includes an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper, a Mexican San Andrés binder, and long-filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and Brazil (Mata Fina). It is offered in five sizes: Churchill (7 x 56, $12.50), Magnum (6 x 60, $12.75), No. 2 (6.1 x 52, $12.50), Robusto (5.5 x 48, $9.65), and Toro (6 x 54, $10.00).

Full disclosure: Famous sent me a sampler pack of Relentless Toros to make this review possible. As always, the samples Famous provided in no way impact my assessment of the cigar.

Several things strike me about the Relentless Toro upon initial examination. First, the band of red, black, and orange-ish yellow is huge and covers much of the wrapper. Second, once the band is removed, the beauty of the light, shade-grown wrapper comes into full view. It’s a clean, oily specimen, and the entire cigar exudes an overall feel of quality—from the neatly executed cap to the cross-section of tobaccos at the foot.

After setting an even burn, pre-light notes of oak and hay transition to a creamy, mild- to medium-bodied profile of cinnamon, roasted nut, and dry wood. The texture is bready and the resting smoke is sweet and enticing. There’s a nice interplay between sweet cream, bitter coffee, and some peppery spice on the finish. Those who take their time and smoke slowly will be rewarded with nuance.

Construction is excellent, as one would expect for the price. The burn is straight, the smoke production above average, the gray ash holds firm off the foot, and the draw has just the right amount of resistance. I should add, though, the wrapper is incredibly thin and fragile. Treat this cigar with the utmost care as you store it and smoke it. Any mishandling is sure to cause cracks.

Truth be told, the Montecristo Relentless Toro is a well-built, consistently reliable, tasty smoke with solid, well-balanced flavors. I would absolutely recommend this in the morning or afternoon with a complementary cup of coffee. That said, I think the price point is a tad high (around $7 seems more reasonable to me) and I’d be interested to try Relentless in the more condensed, narrower Robusto format. Still, the Relentless Toro is worthy of a solid rating of three and a half 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.”

This excellent cigar comes as part of Tatuaje’s ten-pack lancero sampler inaugurated last year and expected to be a low-production annual release at a shade under $100. I’ve tried a few and, while they’re all good, this is the best so far. The medium strength and many shifting flavors create a winning combination, with near-perfect construction and draw throughout. The Cabaiguan Lancero (7 x 38) is a beauty that should please almost any cigar smoker.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

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.”

Last year I spent a lot of time smoking cigars from Skip Martin’s RoMa Craft Tobac, and I even had the opportunity to visit his small Nica Sueño factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. In my judgment, Martin and his lean team are making some of the best damn cigars money can buy. And the price points are all very reasonable. The CroMagnon Cranium (6 x 54) is no exception. It’s a large, slow-burning toro that features a hearty blend of Nicaraguan filler tobaccos, enclosed by a Cameroon binder, and covered by a dark Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. For $8.50, it offers a full-bodied, balanced experience with flavors of charred steak, milk chocolate, barbecue sauce, black pepper, and coffee. Smoke the CroMagnon Cranium on a full stomach with a side of sipping rum. You won’t regret it. Guaranteed.

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) AVO this week announced a new era for the brand, which will include “contemporary packaging, new communication, and a streamlined range that focuses on core lines,” according to a press release from Davidoff. “The AVO portfolio has been streamlined to focus on its four celebrated core lines—AVO Classic, AVO XO, AVO Domaine, and AVO Heritage.” In addition, the brand presentation will more overtly associate itself with music, a nod to brand founder Avo Uvezian’s background as a jazz composer. “The elegantly modern wooden box design displays the AVO logo on the lid, flanked with music bars featuring authentic debossed notes from Avo Uvezian’s songs… It is finished with an intensity meter, developed from scaling musical notes, that allows consumers to easily select the perfect cigar for that moment.” The new AVO products will begin shipping to U.S. retailers later this month.

2) The International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) is in the process of buying property in Washington to serve as the organization’s headquarters. A three-story commercial townhouse in the Capitol Hill neighborhood has been selected. “Currently, the association has employees in five different states with headquarters in Columbus, Georgia,” according to a recent press release. “Mark Pursell, IPCPR’s CEO noted that, ‘The new headquarters will enable IPCPR to house its staff in one location creating a greater focus on all of the services we provide members and the larger industry.’” The move is expected to result in greater access to policymakers and the ability to host congressional events.

3) Inside the Industry: The delayed, but much awaited, limited edition La Flor Dominicana Beer Stein has finally shipped to retailers; it comes complete with 20 1994 anniversary cigars. Altadis is launching a new Romeo cigar called Romeo Añejo, which will sport a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Dominican binder, and Nicaraguan and Honduran filler.

4) Deal of the Week: Nub fans should be all over this sampler. Just $25 gets you 8 cigars ($3.12 per stick). Included are two each of the four first Nub blends: Connecticut, Cameroon, Habano, and Maduro.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Davidoff

Dion Giolito, the man behind the Illusione brand, has fastidiously resisted the cigar industry trend to add new cigar lines annually. Many years at the industry trade show his booth seems purposely quiet, as if he intends to let his Illusione cigars do the talking.

One result of his resisting the temptation to always come out with something new is that when a new Illusione cigar is finally released, it’s worth an extra good look. Which is why I eagerly awaited Illusione’s new Fume d’Amour line.

Fume d’Amour  comes in four sizes—at least for now—ranging from petit corona to large toro: Lagunas (4.5 x 42), Clementes (6.5 x 48), Viejos (5 x 50), and Capristanos (6 x 56). For this review I smoked four of the robusto-sized Viejo vitola.

Fume d’Amour is a Nicaraguan puro made at the TABSA Factory in Jalapa, Nicaragua, with Aganorsa tobaccos. While the blend is based on the original Illusione line, it also shares something in common with the Epernay blend: a lack of any ligero leaf.

The result is a cigar that tastes like a hybrid. It’s more powerful than the Epernay, but not as spicy as the original Illusione core blend. Still excellent. The flavors are a whirlwind combination of dry woodiness, hay, roast nuts, light honey, and maybe a hint of muted black pepper. The cigar starts off medium-bodied but slowly ramps up to a more medium-full profile.

It doesn’t have the elegance of the Illusione Epernay, which is still my favorite Illusione line, but that’s a matter of personal preference and not any criticism of the composition of Fume d’Amore, which is as complex and well-rounded, just punched in body and strength.

The Fume d’Amour line can certainly be considered one of the best cigars introduced at the 2014 industry convention. The Fume d’Amour Viejos earns four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

“Where fertile land is abundant.” That’s the meaning behind the Cubanacan name. According to the company’s website, Cubanacan “is derived from tobacco traditions that predate Cuba itself. The story of Cubanacan is not just one of our past, but one that is still being written… Our goal is not just to be the storyteller, but to have each person that enjoys our cigar help write the next part of our tale.”

Cubanacan began growing its own tobacco in Nicaragua in 2006, and shortly thereafter established the Tabacalera Cubanacan factory in Estelí. There, six distinct blends are handmade under the supervision of master blender Omar González Alemán: Cubanacan Connecticut, Cubanacan Habano, Cubanacan Maduro, HR Habano 2000, Soneros Maduro, and Soneros Habano Claro.

The latter comes in five vitolas: Campana, Corona Gorda, Gran Robusto, Petit Sublime, and Toro. I smoked two Soneros Habano Claro Corona Gordas for this review, both of which were provided by Cubanacan. While the company website lists the cigar as 5.1 inches long with a ring gauge of 46—and while a recent email press release lists the length as 6.5 inches—I was able to confirm this size actually measures 5.625 inches with a 46 ring gauge.

The Habano Claro features a Habano Ecuador binder, Nicaraguan filler tobaccos, and an Ecuadorian wrapper classified as “claro.” When I think claro, I think of a shade-grown wrapper so light it’s almost green. When asked, Nate McIntyre of Cubanacan said, “Cigar shades are always relative… It’s always according to a multitude of factors including varietal, weather that year, fermentation practices, etc.”

After lighting the foot, pre-light notes of coffee and leather transition to a taste of cream, roasted nut, dry oak, and hints of pepper. Milk chocolate and some caramel become apparent towards the midway point. The final third is characterized by more creaminess and sweetness, which is somewhat offset by a natural tobacco flavor. Throughout, the strength remains consistently medium-bodied and the texture is silky.

Construction is top-notch. My two samples both exhibited straight burn lines that required no touch-ups, solid ashes that held well off the foot, and above average smoke production.

With a reasonable price tag of $7.25, the Soneros Habano Claro Corona Gorda is a well-balanced treat that provides considerable bang for the buck. In addition, I really dig the size (5.625 x 46) since it delivers solid flavor, doesn’t overstay its welcome, and avoids the pitfall of the current “thicker is better” trend. I’m pleased to award this cigar four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys