The Stogie Guys

On most Friday nights my mom and stepdad attend karaoke at a nearby bar, the Mercantile Club. While most bars no longer allow smoking, this is a social club where one has to sign up for membership, so they are able to smoke cigars in the bar.

There are some general rules to follow while doing this. First, it is considered impolite to sit next to someone who is eating while smoking your cigar. Second, it is generally considered better to sit near the big vents (the “smoke eaters”), as opposed to further away from them. Both of these guidelines make a lot of sense to me.

What doesn’t make sense is the reaction my mother got on a recent Friday. During karaoke, my stepdad was trying a new Dominican blend, attempting to find something to replace a stick which he recently found out was a limited release, and my mom smoked some of the cigar as well, saying she enjoyed the flavor. While my stepdad was away, a man lectured her on the dangers of smoking cigars, and told her she was “too pretty to be doing that anyway.” Let me make clear that I have smoked cigars in the Mercantile Club a number of times—many times with that same man in the bar—and I have never received this lecture.

Maybe a second anecdote will show my point a little clearer. I was in a large cigar store a few weeks ago just hanging out, smoking, reading, and minding my own business. A man, who I’ve never met, let alone ever said anything to, just taps me on the shoulder, points at the TV, and says, “Hey, check out the tits of that brawd.” I ignored him.

Why is it that as soon as one enters a cigar shop, they feel they have a free pass to talk about women in an objectifying manner? Or to treat women cigar smokers differently? While this is not true for everyone, I have a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest it is a prevalent problem. I noticed from working weekends at my cigar lounge that a lot of the older men think that our business is an “escape” for them from their wives, and this gives them an excuse to say anything they want.

Let’s get this straight: A cigar lounge is an environment for anyone, regardless of their gender, race, political affiliation, class, sexual identity, etc.

The fact that my mom had to ask me, “Is there something weird about me smoking a cigar?” disgusts me, and it should disgust anyone involved in this fine hobby. We’re better than this; cigar smokers are some of the best people around. And there is nothing about cigar smoking that makes it an exclusively “male” hobby. If a woman walks into a cigar shop, she should be treated just like anyone else: a customer. And we don’t need to assume, just based on gender, that she only likes mild cigars, or only smokes flavored cigars.

I won’t even get into the realm of borderline-sexist cigar advertisements (yes, we get it; a cigar is phallic in shape). I would just like cigar smokers to think about whether you would like to be coddled or objectified the next time you go to relax and enjoy a smoke.

As always, if any of you have similar stories to share, or thoughts on the matter, please let me know in the comments.

–Joey J

photo credit: N/A

These days, smokers are more likely to associate the Dunhill name with top-quality pipes (“The White Spot”), long-lamented pipe tobaccos (“Early Morning Pipe”), and high-priced cigarettes (Hunter Thompson’s go-to brand). Among cigars, the trademark name, sliced and diced nowadays to different corporations, is something of a second-place luxury finisher to Davidoff in the U.S. Think Omega vs. Rolex.

Still, a cigar brand with a storied history of more than 100 years and ties to Winston Churchill is one not to be ignored. This new line celebrates that history, named as it is for the year in which Alfred Dunhill opened his first tobacco shop in London.

A limited edition cigar was released seven years ago to mark the centenary. This line, Dunhill’s first since introducing Signed Range in 2001, is “a tribute to the legacy and greatness of this brand rather than the mark of a specific anniversary in time,” General Cigar’s Victoria McKee told me.

She also supplied the three Robustos (5 x 52) I smoked for this review. The cigar costs $8.50. There are three others in the line: Rothschild, Toro, and Churchill, with all four packaged in 18-count boxes.

The 1907 is a varied mix of tobaccos. It sports an oily Honduran Olancho wrapper (a higher priming of the same leaf used on the CAO OSA Sol), a Dominican Olor binder, and what General calls “a proprietary blend of Dominican Ligeros and Brazillian Mata Fina.”

The 1907 starts with a lovely pre-light aroma from the wrapper and the filler. When lit, the first impression comes from a nice blast of pepper that backs down after about a half-inch. At that point, it settles into a rich tobacco taste for a bit. Also fairly prominent in the first half is wood and leather, which I often associate with Honduran tobacco. I’d put the overall strength at about medium.

I encountered a little harshness near the halfway point, but that smoothed out fairly quickly, and some spices moved in and out.

Construction was excellent. The draw was just right on each sample and they burned straight from start to finish.

If you haven’t tried a Dunhill in a while, you might want to give the 1907 a try. I rate it 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 verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

From Sindicato—a unique cigar company founded by a group of veteran tobacco retailers—comes Casa Bella, a five-vitola line that won’t break the bank. For just a couple bucks you can try the Gran Toro (6 x 60), a huge smoke featuring an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper around an Indonesian binder and a filler blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos. Clearly, this blend is positioned to compete in the value space of the market. Yet the bland, nutty, sometimes buttery, sometimes papery flavor of the Gran Toro makes me wish I would have spent more on a better, more interesting cigar. For me, when I smoke Sindicato, I’ll be focusing on Hex and Affinity.

Verdict = Sell.

–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.”

Fed up with big fat cigars? Then Crux is your company. This 7-inch perfecto rolls in at a modest 33 ring gauge. I smoked two supplied by Crux, a venture from two suburban Minneapolis tobacco retailers, and found it a nice medium cigar with some pepper, nuts, and floral notes. As is always the case with such thin cigars, getting the draw right can be tricky. And though both had some dicey spots, they were generally OK. Crux lists the blend as a Habano Jalapa wrapper, Indonesian binder, and Viso Estelí filler. The MSRP is $5.99. Production runs are small, so if you want to try one, grab it when you see it.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Hopefully cigar connoisseurs have woken up to the threat posed by impending FDA regulation of handmade cigars. If not, it can be summarized like this:

Given what we know about the FDA approval process, if new cigars are required to seek FDA approval before being sold, then effectively there will be no new handmade cigars introduced. When it comes to requiring that type of pre-approval, the FDA has proposed two options: (1) all cigars must get their pre-approval, or (2) the vast majority of cigars must get FDA pre-approval.

Under option two (as it’s referred to in the FDA’s deeming document), a small percentage of new cigars would become exempt by meeting an arbitrarily restrictive definition of “premium cigar.” When it comes to the FDA’s proposed definition, the $10 price floor for a cigar to be “premium” has gotten much attention because it’s so obviously ill-conceived.

Less attention has been paid to the second most problematic aspect of option two’s definition of premium cigars: an effective prohibition (due to the difficulty of FDA approval) on cigars with “characterizing flavor” other than tobacco. Even setting aside definitional problems, like the fact that the Fuente Anejo could be characterized as having a characterizing flavor because the wrappers are aged in rum barrels (or that the FDA has refused to say if cedar aging could be considered “characterizing flavor), there is a big problem with the FDA’s rationale.

The problem with effectively banning new flavored cigars is there is no rational reason to do so. There is no research I’ve seen to suggest that handmade flavored (or infused) cigars are smoked more often by children, nor do they pose any additional health risks.

When President Obama signed the Tobacco Control Act (which authorizes the FDA to regulate tobacco) he said the following: “Removing these flavored products from the market is important because it removes an avenue that young people can use to begin regular tobacco use.” That may be true of cigarettes (and possibly even small cigars and machine-made products), but not cigars like Drew Estate Acid, Rocky Patel Java, or CAO Flavours.

Let’s be honest. Many handmade cigar smokers look down on flavored cigars (my preference is for “traditional” cigars too). But if you think about who you’ve seen buying these cigars, they are still not underage or even particularly young. I strongly suspect much of the survey data that says machine-made cigars in general, and flavored machine-made cigars in particular, may be more likely to be used by youth is a function of them being used in tandem with illegal drugs, which is entirely unrelated to youth smoking issues.

The fact is, all handmade cigars are about flavor, as opposed to being primarily nicotine delivery devices like cigarettes, something the FDA implicitly recognized when considering a premium cigar exemption. And following that logic to it’s conclusion, there’s no reason to discriminate against those who like their cigars with coffee flavors as opposed to full of Nicaraguan Ligero or with a flavorful Broadleaf wrappers.

It’s just another reason why cigar smokers should let their voices be heard during the FDA’s comment period to oppose regulation, including pre-approval of handmade cigars.

–Patrick S

photo credits: Stogie Guys

It’s hard to believe Sam Leccia’s Leccia Tobacco outfit has only been around for about a year. I know many people who consider his Black and White blends to be regulars in their rotations, and the new Luchador series, a Mexican-wrapped smoke that debuted on Cinco de Mayo, is already making inroads (we’ll have a full review on Luchador shortly).

Before getting Leccia Tobacco off the ground, Leccia, formerly of Nub and Cain fame, couldn’t stay away from the industry any longer than he was legally obligated to. He originally tried to jump back in the business in 2011 with a Toraño-distributed brand called Debut, which prompted a lawsuit from Oliva and postponed his return until 2013.

With the conclusion of his non-compete agreement with the Oliva Cigar Co., his former employer, Leccia’s return was formally announced in April 2013, and last June he unveiled his new company at the IPCPR Trade Show. Its two inaugural blends—Black and White—are distributed by Toraño.

The Black is made in Nicaragua and features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, a Nicaraguan Rosado binder, and a filler blend of Dominican Ligero, Brazilian Mata Fina, and some fire-cured tobacco. White is made in the Dominican Republic with a Cameroon wrapper, Ecuadorian binder, and a filler blend that includes Pennsylvanian tobacco.

The White 446—also known as “Little Guy”—is about $7 and measures 4 inches long with a ring gauge of 46. The small cigar is dry, toothy, and nearly vein-free with pre-light notes of sweet caramel and milk chocolate. The cap, which seems hastily applied, clips cleanly enough to reveal an easy draw.

In my experience, this smaller format of the White blend is the spiciest. Whereas the larger Double Toro, Toro, or even Robusto have more of a doughy texture, the 446 is drier and more cedar-forward with background notes of roasted nuts, cream, coffee, and white pepper. The finish has a sweetness (almost marshmallow) that’s characteristic of Cameroon tobacco.

Construction is excellent with voluminous smoke production, a straight burn, solid ash, and smooth draw. But, as I’ve written before, the White blend burns quickly, so it’s advised to take your time to savor the flavor and keep the smoke from getting hot or harsh.

Looking for a mild- to medium-bodied stick that’s perfect for walking the dog, pairing with a morning cup of coffee, or fitting in during a lunch break? The Leccia Tobacco White 446 fits the bill. For its harmonious combination of flavors and solid value, this Little Guy earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys