The Stogie Guys

Small barrels can be a bit controversial when it comes to American whiskey. Some say small barrels are the key to making young whiskey taste like old whiskey, while others say it just makes lousy whiskey.

My feeling on the matter is a little more nuanced. Small barrels don’t necessarily make lousy bourbon, just a different style. But small barrels certainly aren’t a substitute for extended traditional barrel aging. With that in mind, I was looking forward to trying this new 86-proof release from Jim Beam. (I wrote about the regular offering to the Signature Craft series, the 12 Year Bourbon, here.)

Although Beam’s new limited release Quarter Cask Finished Bourbon ($40) has finished in the name, it isn’t used the way you’d come to expect, like the way Angel’s Envy is bourbon finished with a period of aging in port barrels. Rather, Beam’s Quarter Cask is a blend of traditional barrel bourbon and bourbon aged in smaller barrels.

Here’s how Beam explains it in a press release: “[It] starts with premium Jim Beam Bourbon aged at least five years and is finished with a variety of fine quarter cask bourbons, and all aged at least four years in smaller barrels. By building on a base of mature liquid and finishing it with quarter cask aged liquid, the inspired distillers at Jim Beam were able to craft just the right balance of rich vanillas of a mature bourbon profile and the extra oak notes of the quarter cask bourbon.”

The deep gold bourbon features a nose with vanilla and candied orange. On the palate it has that classic Beam yeasty funk, vanilla, and sweet corn, but with the added depth of roasted nuts, oats, woodiness.

There’s a lot a vanilla sweetness here (no surprise since it’s a defining characteristic of Beam bourbons from standard White Label to Booker’s 25th Anniversary), but it also is nicely balanced between sweetness, grain, and dry wood. The finish is surprisingly long with a woodiness that lingers on the roof of your mouth.

The profile pairs well with a medium-bodied cigar with a little woodiness. I found that the E.P. Carrillo 5th Anniversary Limitada is an excellent accompaniment.

While Jim Beam Signature Craft Quarter Cask Finished Bourbon won’t blow you away, it’s a nice bourbon and an excellent reminder that Beam is about a lot more than its ubiquitous White Label rail bourbon. This expression is plenty drinkable neat and does nothing to deter me from wanting to try future Signature Craft offerings.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

While there are surely exceptions, seasoned cigar smokers generally tend to steer clear of Macanudo. “America’s best-selling premium cigar” is often viewed as a gateway brand that should be dismissed for heartier, more complex creations as one graduates from occasional smoker to full-blown cigar veteran status.

That said, I believe Macanudo’s reputation is largely a result of the ultra-mild Macanudo Café line. There are seven other lines listed on General Cigar’s website—Gold Label, Robust, Vintage, Estate Reserve, Maduro, Cru Royale, and 1968—and not all of them are geared towards beginners. I also believe, in addition to the reputation, regular smokers tend to scoff at Macanudo simply because it’s made in large quantities by a huge corporation.

But it’s good to get out of your comfort zone every once in a while. So, while I admit Macanudo cigars (of any variety) can rarely be found in my humidors, today I’m going to examine the Macanudo Vintage 1997. This blend includes a Connecticut Shade wrapper from the 1997 harvest, a Mexican binder, and Dominican Piloto Cubano filler tobaccos.

Full disclosure: Online retailer Famous Smoke Shop sent me a four-pack of Vintage 1997s in the No. 5 format (5.5 x 50) to make this review possible. As always, the samples Famous provided in no way impact my assessment of the cigar.

Several things struck me about this Robusto before I lit up the first sample. First, the wrapper looks old (no surprise there). It’s marked with wrinkles, a few bumps, and it has a rustic, dry feel. Second, the foot exhibits an ultra-tight cross-section of tobacco. Finally, and inconsequentially, two of my samples had the slightest amount of filler/binder extending beyond the cut of the wrapper leaf.

Once lit, pre-light notes of sweet hay and honey transition to a toned-down profile of cedar spice, black coffee, and syrup. The resting smoke is sweet and the finish is characterized by a soft, lingering spice on the tip of the tongue. The draw is too firm for my liking, requiring significant effort to get minimal smoke production. I’d classify the body as mild-medium.

After half an inch, the draw begins to open, increasing the smoke volume and making it a little easier to detect some complexity in the flavor—including floral notes and some citrus. The final third witnesses a slight increase in intensity. Throughout, the burn line is razor sharp and the white ash holds incredibly well.

As you might expect from a cigar with a wrapper bearing over 17 years of age, the Macanudo Vintage 1997 No. 5 is not inexpensive. Famous sells 5-packs for $74.99. That’s about $15 per cigar. Ultimately, while this robusto has some good things going for it—including a milder, well-balanced profile that remains interesting—I have a hard time reconciling the cost. There are too many excellent smokes that sell for a fraction of the price.

So, after careful consideration, I believe the most appropriate score for the Vintage 1997 No. 5 is 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 verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

In September I reviewed the Tatuaje WCD 127, the cigar made by Tatuaje exclusively for the Washington-based W. Curtis Draper cigar shops. The large vitola (7.6 x 56) boasts an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler. The additional aging time has only made this cigar better. It still features plenty of roasted flavors: coffee, leather, and a bit of pepper spice. There’s also a charred savoriness to the oversized double corona. If you’re offered one, jump at the opportunity to try it.

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.”

The Nicaraguan puros in the original Padrón line always have such mouth-watering pre-light fragrances. Creamy nut and rich chocolate come to mind, especially when you smell the foot. Once lit, the 5000 Natural (5.5 x 56) transitions from this enticing preview to feature flavors of oak, cocoa, coffee, and leather. But the flavor is considerably milder and less concentrated than the (many) formats in this line that sport smaller ring gauges. While I remain a steadfast fan of the so-called “Thousands Series” from Padrón, I don’t think the 5000 Natural is the best showcase of the blend.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

We’re celebrating the beginning of 2015. Naturally, we’ll be doing so with a few cigars, and we hope you do the same. We’ll return on Saturday, January 3. Until then, you can follow us on our official Twitter feed, on Facebook, or you can sign up for our free email newsletter. Happy New Year!

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: N/A

This was a good year for good cigars. Five scored our top five-stogie rating, and 15 ranked superbly at four and a half stogies.

Unlike last year, when I was the only one to award five-stogie ratings, each StogieGuys.com contributor had at least one top-ranked smoke in 2014.

Pete Johnson’s Tatuaje brand, which has had numerous high-scoring smokes through the years, scored two five-stogie ratings this year. The other three winners also represented brands with excellent track records: RoMa Craft, La Palina, and Paul Garmirian. Here are all five, listed in no particular order:

Tatuaje 10th Anniversary Bon Chasseur: This fat robusto was called a “remarkable smoke” and “simply one of the best new releases in recent memory,” by Patrick A.

Tatuaje Black Corona Gorda: Joey J found the flavors in this 2013 re-release “intense and varied… full-flavored all the way down to the nub.”

RoMa Craft Intemperance BA XXI A.W.S. IV: Patrick A’s other five-stogie cigar. He wrote of its “tremendous” balance, noting that the Lonsdale was “a joy to smoke.”

La Palina Collection Mr. Sam Robusto: After starting as a limited edition, Mr. Sam was added to the regular line and Patrick S called it “an impressive cigar full of flavor… that will be enjoyed by all types of cigar smokers.

Paul Garmirian Reserva Exclusiva Churchill: This quickly became my “newest favorite cigar,” an incredibly pleasing stick that displayed “subtlety and complexity.”

The following 15 cigars (listed in no particular order) came close. All you’ll see, they represent a wide array of companies, countries, prices, and profiles:

RoMa Craft Aquitaine Mode 5: “At $7, the Aquitaine Mode 5 is an incredible buy.”

Drew Estate Nirvana Toro: “There is something to love here for everyone.”

E.P. Carrillo 5th Year Anniversary Limitada: “It characterizes the best of E.P. Carrillo: flavorful, complex, and affordable.”

God of Fire Don Carlos 2009 Robusto: “I may only light up a God of Fire by Don Carlos cigar a few times a year, but when I do it’s always special and worth the high price.”

Illusione *R* Rothchildes: “This small, value-priced Illusione is outstanding.”

Illusione Epernay L’Excellence: “Illusione makes some very fine cigars, but the Epernay line is the pinnacle—Giolito’s highest achievement.”

Joya Red Robusto: “The Robusto is classic with traditional tastes and plenty of balance and complexity.”

L’Atelier Imports LAT46 Selection Spéciale: “At the midway point it becomes clear this is a complex, balanced cigar with lots to offer (especially to attentive smokers).”

My Father No. 1: The second time this cigar scored a four-and-a-half-stogie rating. “No simple sledgehammer. It has the subtlety and nuance that seasoned cigar smokers look for in cigars in this price range.”

Partagas Benji Homage Toro: “If you’re a fan of bold boutique smokes, check out the Homage.”

Reinado Grand Empire Reserve Ecuador Edition Petit Lancero: “One of the best Ecuadorian Connecticut-wrapped smokes I’ve had in a long time.”

Tatuaje The Jekyll: “The Jekyll is an excellent, well-balanced smoke that’s well worth the $13 price and worthy of the Monster Series name.”

Tatuaje Pudgy Monster Tiff: “It’s dominated by sweet creaminess, along with roasted nut and woodiness, and hints of paper, graham, and spice.”

Viaje Oro Reserva VOR Aficionado: “A special spice-forward, interesting cigar worth finding.”

Drew Estate Herrera Estelí Piramide Fino: “This is an outstanding belicoso… a truly wonderful value at $10.”

Padrón Family Reserve No. 50 Maduro: “A model of restrained strength with full flavors.”

If this list isn’t enough to keep you busy for a while, you can peruse all the Stogie Guys reviews back to 2006 at our archive. We also break out the five-stogie rated sticks here. And the details on our rating system are here.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

There aren’t many cigars I’d purchase by the box without having even tasted one. Aging Room’s blends are an exception to the rule.

I’ve been a big Aging Room fan since the first one I smoked a couple of years ago, the M356 Presto. Lately, I’d been tremendously impressed by the exquisite M20 Fortissimo.

So, when I went to a recent even featuring Boutique Blends co-owner Rafael Nodal, I was intending to buy a 10-count box of those limited edition M20s. Rafael’s enthusiasm for the Bin No. 1 quickly convinced me to pick up a box of those as well. Good decision.

I’m smoking my way through the B Minor (6.125 x 52), a beauty with a dark, toffee-colored Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over well-aged Dominican binder and filler tobaccos. The cigar retails for about $12.50 and comes in boxes of 20. The other two sizes available are even bigger: C Major (6.25 x 54) and G Major (6.25 x 63).

Bin No. 1 makes quite a first impression with a large parchment-style outer band that covers nearly half the cigar. It comes off easily and reveals a more traditional band beneath.

Prelight, there’s little aroma. But the cigar makes a statement from the first puff with a combination of spice and sweetness that’s shortly joined by a dark, rich fruitiness. A little farther on, the spice shifts more to pepper and the sweetness backs off. At about the halfway point, the strength downshifts a bit, and then picks up in the final third.

Overall, Bin No. 1 is a complex, strong, and highly satisfying cigar with excellent construction, draw, and burn. With tobacco already years old, I’m guessing these may not be the best candidates for long-term aging because it would be a shame for them to lose the zesty qualities that stand out.

As with other Aging Room cigars, I recommend the Bin No. 1. It earns four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys