The Stogie Guys

With this limited-run cigar, General Cigar shows what it looks like when an elephant dances, producing an elegant, powerful smoke that holds its own among top-flight boutiques.

Created as a tribute to General’s recently retired tobacco master Benji Menendez, the Homage is a delight to smoke. It comes in two vitolas: Toro (6.5 x 54) and Robusto Gordo (5.5 x 52). They’re packaged in 10-count boxes with total production of only 1,500 boxes in each size.

The cigars feature more wrapping than a Christmas present. White tissue paper envelops the cigar, and it is surrounded by double bands that are duplicated around the cigar itself. (A tip: The easiest way to remove the tissue paper is to tear it off around the head, then grab the pigtail at the foot and slide it down.)

Though you’ll often see “62”—the notation on the band refers to Menendez’s years in the industry—included in the name, it isn’t, according to General’s Victoria McKee. She also reported that Menendez had no role in the complex blend of a Honduran wrapper and Connecticut Broadleaf binder with Dominican, Honduran, and Mexican filler.

It’s smooth, with a light finish. I’ve smoked four and found them consistent, though one did exhibit a bit of an uneven burn at several points. Draw was excellent on each. Strength varies along the way, ramping up considerably by the final third.

Flavors change throughout as well. Homage begins with some spice and a thick, rich tobacco taste, followed by the introduction of floral notes and wood. Strong pepper makes an appearance in the second half, as does some cedar and tobacco sweetness.

It’s the kind of smoke that rewards attention, and you’ll likely find yourself detecting lots of flavors and nuances. One I didn’t pick up was that telltale dirt taste I associate with Mexican tobacco. Frankly, I’d never have guessed it was in there.

If you’re a fan of bold boutique smokes, check out the Homage. With its reasonable prices—$9 and $9.50 for the Toro and Robusto Gordo, respectively—you might want to pick up a box, if you can find one. I give the Partagas Benji Homage Toro a rating of four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

When my colleague reviewed the CroMagnon Cranium back in May 2011, I’d wager most readers had not heard of RoMa Craft Tobac or its owners, Michael Rosales and Skip Martin. Almost three years later, if you still haven’t gotten around to trying RoMa Craft smokes, you need to get on board. You’re missing out.

RoMa Craft was born after the Hava Cigar Shop and Lounge in Galveston, Texas, was decimated by Hurricane Ike in 2008. At first it was an online version of the old brick-and-mortar store, but distribution and cigar production grew. The company now counts the CroMagnon, Aquitaine, Intemperance, Adrian’s Costa Rica, and Hava Cigar brands as part of its portfolio. It maintains production facilities in Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

Those who’ve met Skip Martin know he’s no fan of nanny state paternalism (particularly as it pertains to tobacco). His Intemperance series pays homage to the American movement that overthrew Prohibition, and it calls on us to do our part to protect cigar freedoms. It’s also an excellent line of smokes.

Intemperance BA XXI features a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper around an Indonesian binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. (There’s also an Intemperance EC XVIII line that’s wrapped in an Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf.) Four regular-production vitolas range in price from $5 to $7: Petito, Short Robusto, Short Perfecto, and Belicoso. Three additional vitolas are reserved for RoMa Craft events, though rumor has it they will eventually be available for online purchase: Brotherly Kindness, The Breach of the Peace, and A.W.S. IV. My favorite is the A.W.S. IV, a Lonsdale (6.5 x 44) that costs $6.50. It’s a dark, oily smoke with pre-light notes of chocolate, and binder and filler tobaccos that protrude slightly beyond the wrapper at the foot.

Once underway, black pepper spice immediately coats the palate, while a red pepper spice tingles the lips. The smoke has a hearty, gritty texture, and the flavors remind me of rich chocolate, cream, dry wood, and roasted nut. The balance is tremendous, and the spice can easily be controlled by either smoking quicker for more heat, or smoking slower for a cooler experience. Towards the end, the spice takes a backseat to sweetness, cream, and apricot.

As I’ve come to expect from RoMa Craft, the combustion qualities are downright impeccable. The burn is straight and true, the draw is smooth, the ash holds firm, and the smoke production is impressive. A tip of the hat to the professionals at the Nica Sueño factory in Estelí.

While I think the secret has been out for some time—heck, I arrived late to the party myself—it’s my pleasure to add my praise to the many accolades that have been bestowed upon the Intemperance BA XXI blend. The A.W.S. IV vitola is a great value and a joy to smoke, earning it a very rare 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 A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In terms of new lines of American whiskey in recent years, E.H. Taylor has to be one of the more interesting. Produced by Buffalo Trace (makers of Blanton’s, George T. Stagg, Elmer T. Lee, W.L. Weller, Eagle Rare, Buffalo Trace, and a little bourbon called Pappy Van Winkle) the six-whiskey line honors Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr.

Taylor is one of the founding fathers of the bourbon industry and one-time owner of what is now called Buffalo Trace Distillery. He’s largely known as a proponent of the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, which ensured quality standards for “bottled-in-bond” bourbon (back then many bourbons were mixed with things like tobacco, turpentine, or other horrible additives to appear more aged than they were). But rest assured the Feds weren’t just worried about the quality of our bourbon. The law also ensured that the federal government could more easily collect taxes.

The E.H. Taylor line consists of four bourbons (Small Batch, Single Barrel, Barrel Proof, and Warehouse C Tornado Surviving), an Old Fashioned Sour Mash (which technically might be bourbon), and this E.H. Taylor Rye. With the exception of the Barrel Proof, all are bottled at 100-proof, the minimum for a bottled-in-bond American whiskey.

What sets this rye apart is a different mashbill than previous Buffalo Trace ryes (both the Sazerac/Handy recipe, and anything made at the Buffalo Trace-owned Barton Distillery). Neither uses nearly as much rye as the the E.H. Taylor mashbill, which uses no corn (only rye and malted barley), probably in a 95/5 ratio. The age of the rye isn’t disclosed, though the straight rye designation (without any age statement) means it’s at least four years old.

The result is a lively spirit with an intense nose of honey, nutmeg, and varnish. On the palate it really shows its range. Traditional flavors include vanilla, pepper, and oils with subtle, though more dramatic, hints of mint, dried fruit, tamarind, and cinnamon. The finish is long with fruit and woody spice.

I paid $68 for this rye. And while it’s a good rye, it can’t compete with Sazerac ($30) or Rittenhouse 100 ($25) for value, nor is it as good as Sazerac 18, which has a suggested retail of around $80 (though good luck finding it, let alone at that price). And yet, E.H. Taylor is still an impressive rye, one that I not only bought one bottle of, but another right after.

Spicy, full-flavored rye calls for a full-bodied spicy cigar. The Opus X, La Aroma de Cuba Edición Especial, and the Boutique Brands Swag all fit the bill. Ultimately, it’s what I call a stage-two whiskey: not one of the first five ryes I’d recommend to someone just feeling their way through the world of American whiskey, but not something I’d deter a more seasoned rye drinker from trying.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

When I initially heard that La Flor Dominicana (LFD) was discontinuing some of their lines, I was very nervous. LFD has a plethora of high quality, enjoyable smokes and a few of them have been in my regular rotation for a while now. While it was not entirely removed, the LFD 2000 Series offerings were cut down dramatically. From now on, only one size out of the original nine will be offered.

This vitola is the No. 3 (4.625 x 40). Though this cigar is small, the myths surrounding it loom large. Some claim that a portion of the tobacco included in the 2000 series comes directly from Litto Gomez’s private 120-acre farm. I have also been told, from the sales representative for LFD who works in my region, that the 2000 No. 3 was saved because it is Litto’s personal favorite cigar. While I cannot verify whether or not any of these claims are true, they are certainly interesting.

What really interests me about this cigar is how it differs from other LFD offerings. While normally known for their nicotine-heavy, ligero-filled smokes, this cigar is instead a solid medium in both flavor and strength. Dominican and Brazilian fillers compliment the Cameroon wrapper, which has a nice smoothness to it with minimal veins.

When lit, the 2000 series has a lot to offer. The main flavors here are very nutty, with cedar compliments in the beginning. Further in to the experience the cigar adds a nice pepper, with a spicy and medium-length finish. Though I expected some sweetness due to the Cameroon wrapper, it was not really there. The flavors that are present, though, are very pleasant, and the taste remains consistent down to the nub.

This cigar is a great offering from LFD, and it is nice to see them differentiate from their normal hard-hitters. When one takes into account how quickly these cigars can be smoked, and the affordability of a box, it is hard to award this stick anything less than four stogies out of five.

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

–Joey J

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.”

 

Made by the Aganorsa kings from Casa Fernandez Nicaraguan, this Miami-made Nicaraguan puro features a Medio Tiempo Ligero wrapper. The Robusto (5.25 x 52) is well-made with admirable combustion qualities. The flavors are gritty, with plenty of wood spice, though the profile is a bit unbalanced. It’s not a bad smoke, but hardly the best from Casa Fernandez.

Verdict = Hold.

–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.”

I first smoked this cigar when retailers handed them out last month as part of the company’s National Hex Day promotion. I’ve since tried two more. With a dark Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and a pigtail cap, Hex stands out on the shelf. The robusto—5 inches long with a ring gauge of 52—is a good size to enjoy what the stick has to offer. While there’s little flavor change along the way, it’s an enjoyable trip from start to finish. Fine construction, lots of smoke, excellent burn. (See my colleague’s full review of the Hex Perfecto here.)

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: N/A