The Stogie Guys

Don’t be surprised if you begin seeing numerous reviews of the new Romeo y Julieta line, the Nicaraguan RyJ, as well as some giveaways. Altadis, the manufacturer, has engaged not only in the common practice of mailing three-pack samplers to cigar bloggers, it added a twist.

“We wanted this experience to be magical, that’s why the first 15 bloggers who send me the link of their magical, innovative, and creative RyJ reviews… will receive a box of the new RyJ to share with fans and friends,” RyJ’s brand manager wrote in a followup email.

The issue of freebies can be divisive in the cigar world. It led to a flap at IPCPR, some smokers resent bloggers and reviewers receiving samples, and small cigar makers often see them as their best way to gain exposure.

After spending my career at newspapers where ethics was always a concern, I may be a little more sensitive to this issue than many. As with so many things, the more you examine it the greater the complexity.

Flying around the world with the Secretary of Defense? Seems pretty simple that the Defense Department has to be reimbursed. Having a cup of coffee with a university president? Refuse to let him pick up the check and you run the risk of appearing to be a sanctimonious ass.

Most papers where I worked had guidelines on freebies. Often, there was a limit allowing accepting of things valued under $10 or $20 to avoid that cup-of-coffee conundrum. Perhaps the most common freebies were books and musical recordings, which could nearly inundate the newsroom. One placed I worked auctioned the collections off a couple of times a year and donated the proceeds to charity, another gave them to institutions such as VA hospitals.

What to do about cigars can, likewise, be vexing.

First, I must say that the bloggers I’ve met do this because they love cigars and the industry around them, not for what they might get. Frankly, I’d be very surprised if most of those RyJ boxes don’t end up as contest prizes for their readers. (That’s what we’d do with such a freebie.)

Second, I can’t really say how many samples most bloggers get, only that I’ve received a lot at IPCPR and a relative handful throughout the year. Third, without samples there’d be a lot fewer small-label reviews or even knowledge about those cigars. Fourth, my practice is generally to go through my humidor a couple of times a year, cull a pile of smokes, including freebies I’ve received, and dispatch them to the troops.

Here at Stogie Guys, we keep it pretty simple. We don’t go looking for free cigars. Sometimes, they arrive out of the blue; sometimes, manufacturers email first to ask if we’d be interested in doing a review. When we write about cigars, we make it clear if they were samples. (You can read all our policies here.)

–George E

photo credit: Flickr

You don’t have to pour over cigar press releases, attend the IPCPR Trade Show, or even peruse the online cigar community to notice the trend toward thicker cigars. Ring gauges of 54, 56, 60, and even wider aren’t hard to come by these days.

Interestingly, there’s a paradox at play here. The cigar makers I’ve spoken to say they don’t care for large ring gauges. And I also find many of the most seasoned cigar veterans think of these bulging sizes as somewhat of a gimmick. Yet money talks, and the market is dictating the production of thick smokes in vast quantities.

Amid this shift towards large ring gauges is a renewed interest in thinner smokes, which I perceive as being led (at least in part) by regular cigar smokers and the online cigar community. This movement values the more concentrated flavors thin cigars afford over the “bigger is better” approach.

Picking up on this, some cigar makers are adding Lanceros—long, thin, elegant-looking cigars—to their lineup of the usual vitolas. Included is Gary Griffith of Emilio Cigars, who offers a limited edition Lancero to his La Musa Μελέτη, which also has a Toro, Torpedo, Corona, and Robusto. Only 200 Lancero boxes are made available annually to select retailers.

La Musa Μελέτη is the second of the blends that follow from the re-branding of Grimalkin (the first being the Habano Rosado-wrapped Mοῦσα, which is the same recipe as Grimalkin with a different name and band). Μελέτη boasts a dark, leathery Nicaraguan wrapper that leaves a fine coating of oil on the fingers. It has a rustic exterior and a firm packing of Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. Pre-light, I find notes of dark chocolate and an easy draw.

After toasting the narrow foot and establishing an even light with a single wooden match, La Musa Μελέτη Lancero starts with a deep, bold espresso flavor. The texture is rich and a little gritty with a striking Nicaraguan zing on the aftertaste. Underneath is a creamy, almost nougat-like sweetness that helps add balance. At the midway point and beyond, bready flavors come and go, as do occasional meaty notes.

Construction is excellent. My two samples exhibited straight burn lines, good smoke production, solid gray ashes, and clear draws.

This is a more powerful smoke than Grimalkin was (or La Musa Mοῦσα is). I’d be interested to try it in a slightly larger ring gauge, since I assume the boldness would be less concentrated. But don’t get me wrong. This is a complex, balanced smoke with more substance than your standard flavor-bomb. And that’s ultimately why La Musa Μελέτη Lancero earns a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

One of the great things about bourbon, when compared to, say, scotch whisky, is the quality of spirits available at affordable prices. The five bourbons I highlighted in my article about five good bourbons under $30 demonstrate the impressive spirits available at that price range.

Those are all bourbons I’d recommend to anyone, even if you told me price were no concern. Diving deeper into the value range, the following list of bourbons are available for $20 or less.

At the $20 price, you’re probably giving up at least one thing (complexity, proof, intensity), but I’m still impressed at what you can trade for a twenty-dollar bill: a satisfying bourbon that you can drink straight-up or with a few ice cubes, at a price that doesn’t make you wince when you mix it into your friend’s bourbon and Diet Coke.

Four Roses Yellow Label — I’m a big fan of Four Roses Single Barrel and Small Batch ($38 and $32, respectively), but my go-to house bourbon is Four Roses Yellow Label ($18). The bourbon is a blending of ten different bourbon recipes (two mashbills and five yeast strains). The result is a surprisingly rounded, complex bourbon with honey and fruit. My only wish would be to have a proof higher than just 80.

Evan Williams 1783 — The phrase “small batch” isn’t terribly descriptive, but the Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch is almost certainly smaller batch than it’s younger, more ubiquitous cousin who you might have encountered in a frat house. It’s also a nice step up for just a few bucks more (around $15). The 86-proof bourbon is a straightforward and pleasant combination of vanilla, oak, and burnt corn. (Read my full write-up here.)

Old Grand Dad 100 — For the money, I’m not a fan of the $40, 80-proof Basil Hayden, but I think highly of the $20, 100-proof Old Grand Dad. Which is interesting because they are basically the same whiskey (both use Beam’s high rye bourbon mashbill) and are named after the same guy (Basil Hayden is the “Old Grand Dad”). While Basil Hayden may be a bit thin, Old Grand Dad 100 shows off the rye spice with floral notes and a bit of citrus. Even better is Old Grand Dad 114, though it’s $5 more than the $20 Old Grand 100.

Wild Turkey 81 — The $18 Wild Turkey comes from the same barrels Wild Turkey 101 uses. While lacking an official age statement, it’s reportedly 6-8 years old. (The old, discontinued, 80-proof edition was made with four-year-old bourbon.) It has classic Wild Turkey bold flavors with oak, caramel, vanilla, and lots of cinnamon spice.

Old Forester — Old Forester uses the same recipe (mashbill and yeast) as Woodford Reserve. Reportedly, choice barrels are picked to be Woodford Reserve and the others end up as Old Forester, which isn’t aged quite as long and is bottled at 86-proof for $19. Old Forester is similar to its more expensive relative with lots of caramel, buttered corn, and dried fruit. Taste it side-by-side with Woodford and you’ll be surprised how well it measures up at half the price.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Not being a Led Zeppelin fan, I wouldn’t know the drums in “When the Levee Breaks” from “Moby Dick.” Not that it really matters. We are, after all, smoking, not beating out a rhythm.

After a successful, but limited, debut in 2012, Headley Grange went on to become Crowned Heads’ second regular line. It is available in five regular vitolas and a limited edition drumstick, released earlier this year. The corona gorda is 5.6 inches long with a ring gauge of 46. I paid about $8 each for the most recent sticks.

The blend comprises a familiar combination: Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper with binder and filler from Nicaragua. Headley Grange, like Four Kicks, is rolled at Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s Tabacalera La Alianza factory in the Dominican Republic. I consider that the cigar world’s equivalent to the Good Housekeeping Seal when it comes to quality and consistency, and it surely is in this case.

From appearance to draw, burn line to ash, Headley Grange is first-rate. My initial smoking impression was that this cigar is a bit milder than Four Kicks and that held up throughout. The predominant flavor is deep, rich tobacco with a light layer of spice at the back of the throat.

About halfway down, Headley Grange ramps up a bit, becoming, in fact, a bit sharp. That quickly dissipates, though, and by the final third, it’s again smooth with just a little spice.

This cigar is well worth trying. Descriptive words that come quickly to mind are satisfying, rich, and deep. What I don’t think you’ll find are much complexity or surprises.

I give the Crowned Heads Headley Grange a paradiddle and a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Crowned Heads

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’ve been consistently impressed with the smokes from Aging Room/Boutique Blends. The company produces quality, interesting sticks for a fair price. Which is why I was looking forward to trying their new Swag S Maduro, introduced in Las Vegas last summer. The Infamous vitola (6 x 54) features an attractive, toothy, oily maduro Nicaraguan wrapper around Dominican binder and filler. It has roasted flavors, coffee, unsweetened chocolate, and toasted oak, all paired with fantastic construction and medium-bodied notes that go excellently with either coffee or rum.

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.”

With a name like Straight Jacket, you’d expect a cigar strong enough to wrestle you to the ground and wrap you around the throat. Couple it with Christian Eiroa, one of the fathers of modern full-strength cigars, and it would seem an even better bet. Surprisingly, I didn’t find it that way. Oh, the six-inch Toro is powerful, a spicy $9 smoke with a bit of pepper and a long, satisfying finish. But if it’s strength you crave, I’d recommend Eiroa’s eponymous line. Just don’t ignore Straight Jacket. Or you’ll miss an immensely enjoyable smoke.

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) Our friends at Cigar Rights of America—the national advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the rights of the consumer, retail tobacconist, and manufacturers of premium cigars—are hitting the road with four upcoming events. These events are a great opportunity to join CRA, renew your membership, become more involved, or just share a smoke with like-minded cigar enthusiasts. On November 23, CRA will be at the Tampa Cigar Festival. On December 5, the organization will be at Cigar Aficionado’s Big Smoke in New York City. And on December 7 and 14, CRA will be in Miami at Smoke This! and Cigar Extravaganza, respectively. StogieGuys.com encourages all cigar smokers to join CRA and take a stand against tobacco taxes, smoking bans, and harmful regulations.

2) It may soon be illegal to smoke cigars on outdoor bar and restaurant patios in Toronto. That’s because officials in Ontario are considering a proposal that would criminalize those activities, and also ban smoking on playgrounds and sports fields. The Health Minister also “announced a ban on sales of tobacco on college and university campuses and the doubling of fines for stores that sell cigarettes to minors,” according to CTV News.

3) Site News: Regular visitors may have noticed that the site has been a little sluggish over the past few weeks, especially during peak hours. To fix the problem, we’ve upgraded servers once again and you should now be able to access all the great StogieGuys.com content quicker than ever.

4) Inside the Industry: Toraño has started shipping its new Vault D-042. “Vault Red,” as Toraño has nicknamed it, features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan filler, along with a Pennsylvania filler leaf. The cigar comes in four sizes: Robusto (5 x 52), Toro (6 x 50), Torpedo (6.1 x 52), and BFC (6 x 60).

5) Deal of the Week: This “Black and White” sampler features 10 cigars for just $30. You get five Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Natural Robustos
and five CAO MX2 Robustos.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: CRA