The Stogie Guys

Michter’s is special name in American whiskey because the Michter’s Distillery in Pennsylvania made some great whiskey back in the day. The distillery closed in 1988, though there is still a tiny amount of bourbon from that distillery available for sale in the form of A.H. Hirsch—which cost around $100 a bottle when I wrote about it in 2008, and now will cost you around ten times as much because it is so rare.

Like the Hirsch Reserve bourbon my colleague wrote about earlier this year, this Michter’s whiskey has nothing to do with the Michter’s Distillery except the name. The new Michter’s is planning on opening a distillery in Kentucky but, for now, it sources its whiskey from others and doesn’t disclose its providers.

Sour mash refers to the process, rather than the specific mashbill like rye or bourbon. (In fact, both rye and bourbon can, and are, made with a sour mash style, with the most famous being Jack Daniel’s.) Sour Mash simply means that each batch uses part of the fermented mash from the previous batch.

While details are hard to come by, reportedly Michter’s Sour Mash uses the same recipe as an old product from the Pennsylvanian distillery: 50% rye, 38% corn, and 12% barley. That recipe (with only 50% corn, as opposed to 51%) would make it neither bourbon nor rye. Contrary to what some think, Sour Mash doesn’t mean a sour flavor.

Michter’s Sour Mash shows a dark amber color when poured straight. The nose features muted candied fruit, yeasty bread, and a bit of ripe red apple.

On the palate it’s a very unique profile with muted apple, bread, red fruit, tea, oak  and—remarkably for the 50% rye in the mashbill—only a subtle hint of spice. The finish is very clean with more fresh oak and subtle fruit.

At $40 a bottle, there are better values in American whiskey, but Michter’s Sour Mash earns points for it’s unique, enjoyable taste.

It lacks the intensity to pair with a full-bodied cigar, so stick with medium-bodied or mild smokes. I particularly enjoyed La Palina Classic, Aging Room M21, and a 15-year-old P.G. Gourmet with this unique American whiskey.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

One could make the argument that Nicaragua has become, or is quickly becoming, the nucleus of premium cigar production. The Central American nation is closing the gap on the Dominican Republic, currently the largest exporter of cigars to the U.S., and a list of the world’s hottest brands is likely to have as many Nicaraguans as any other country.

This is a relatively new trend. Ten years ago, few would have predicted Nicaragua would be where it is today, competing with the likes of the Dominican Republic and Cuba for quality, attention, and prestige. And going back even further to 1968, there was only one cigar manufacturer in Nicaragua: Joya de Nicaragua.

This year is Joya’s 45th anniversary, and the company is celebrating by doing something it hardly ever does: releasing a limited edition. “With this cigar we are capturing the true Nicaraguan Spirit, rich in the tradition that embodies our cigars and that defines us as the archetypal Nicaraguan cigar maker, because before Joya, there was no Nicaraguan cigar,” said Dr. Alejandro Martínez Cuenca, head of Joya de Nicaragua. “While this cigar promotes our heritage, it is also a celebration of the future and the many years we still have ahead of us.”

Called Cuatro Cinco, the cigar is a Nicaraguan puro with tobaccos from Estelí and Jalapa. The filler is of particular interest; it’s aged Ligero that had been resting in oak barrels. Only 4,500 boxes of 10 have been made, and only one vitola is available: a large, semi-box-pressed smoke that measures 6 inches long with a ring gauge of 54.

With a smooth, reddish wrapper, pre-light notes of cocoa and dried fruit, and a well-executed cap, Cuatro Cinco is aesthetically pleasing. It clips easily with a double guillotine to reveal a smooth cold draw that leaves a little mustiness on the lips.

Once lit, the cigar opens with a complex, balanced profile that tastes a little leathery and a little sweet, with a base of earth and moderate spice. Espresso and cashew enter the equation around the midway point. In the final portion, there’s an increase in spice and dry wood. All the while the combustion qualities are befitting a cigar of the Joya de Nicaragua name: great draw, straight burn, solid ash, and above average smoke production.

For my personal taste, the asking price of $13 is more than fair. Cuatro Cinco hits all the right notes. It’s traditional in flavor yet somehow also unique. It’s powerful yet nuanced. And, perhaps above all, it leaves a lasting impression. That results in the stellar rating of four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I once tried smoking my way through a large number of La Flor Dominicanas. Of course, with so many lines, new releases, and limited editions, there was no way I’d get them all.

With Crowned Heads, it’s a much different story, although I still may not make a sweep. That’s because of special editions, such as Mule Kick and Drumstick, that aren’t easy to find. But I can certainly get through the standard lines: Four Kicks, Headley Grange, and J.D. Howard Reserve.

Four Kicks is rolled in the Dominican Republic by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo and was Crowned Heads’ debut production after Jon Huber left CAO and formed the new company.

The Corona Gorda measures 5.6 inches long with a ring gauge of 46. Retail is about $7 individually and $150 for a box of 24. The binder and filler are Nicaraguan and the wrapper is an Ecuadorian Habano.

As with much of Crowned Heads, there’s an interesting mix of old and new. For example, the name comes from a Kings of Leon song, while the intricate red and gold embossed band wouldn’t look out of place on a mid-century Cuban.

I smoked a couple of Four Kicks not long after they came out a couple of years ago—check out the 4.5-stogie review by Patrick S. from that time—but only recently devoted the care and attention necessary to do a review. As you’d expect, the basics are well covered: construction, draw, burn, and smoke production are first-rate. Every one I’ve smoked has performed the same.

When it comes to taste, Four Kicks is a bit different. There’s a range of spices but little of the pepper often associated with Nicaraguan tobacco. While some elements, such as a sweetness, appear and disappear, complexity is achieved more by a variation of the intensity of the spices as you smoke. The finish is light and smooth. I found lighting with a cedar spill successful as the woody flavor mixes well with the spices.

The best compliment I can give Four Kicks is the more of them I smoke, the more I enjoy them. For me, the Crowned Heads Four Kicks Corona Gorda earns four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The year is 1980. The U.S. boycotts the Summer Olympics in Moscow to protest the Soviet Union. Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” is topping the charts. President Jimmy Carter bails out the Chrysler Corporation. Yours Truly is three years away from being born. And the Cameroon wrapper on this cigar is harvested.

Yes, you read that right. General Cigar launched the Cohiba Edición Diamante in December 2011 as an ultra-premium line with a wrapper that pre-dates the Reagan Administration. Originally, two sizes were available in the $22-25 range: Robusto (5 x 50) and Toro (6 x 54). Two new vitolas have since been added: Gigante (6 x 60) and A (8.25 x 49). All four feature an Indonesian binder and Dominican Piloto Cubano filler.

But the real star of the show is the ancient wrapper. “It is a widely held belief that the 1980 crop of Cameroon wrapper tobacco remains one of the most exemplary leaves ever cultivated,” reads a General Cigar press release from the summer of 2011. “In the more than thirty years since this outstanding tobacco was harvested, General Cigar’s tobacco masters have cloistered these rarified leaves, nurturing them for the perfect occasion. That time is now…”

You’d expect a cigar with a 33-year-old wrapper to look old, and the Cohiba Edición Diamante Toro does. Its wrinkles, green splotch, lumps, and dry, toothy exterior all suggest age. But don’t get me wrong. This is a great-looking smoke that I’ve had the pleasure to admire through my glass-top humidor. It begs to be smoked. And it’s not exactly like any additional age is going to make much of a difference.

So with no reason to further delay this Toro’s fate, I light it and take note of its flavors. The outset is characterized by a dry, woodsy profile of oak, cream, and toast. The body borders on mild-medium yet there’s ample cedar spice on the lips—particularly on the aftertaste. Faint sour notes come and go, as does a fleeting sweetness. The texture is bready and the resting smoke has a pleasant, sugary aroma.

The Toro’s construction is flawless, as one might expect from General Cigar (especially on a stick with a price tag north of $20). The burn is straight, the draw clear, and the white ash holds well off the foot. Smoke production is above average with each easy puff.

Given its price and age, it’s impossible to light up the rare Cohiba Edición Diamante without high expectations. While my experience with the Toro didn’t disappoint, I can’t quite say this cigar is worth double the many excellent smokes that can be had for half the price. Still, there’s some undeniable novelty and intrigue associated with smoking such an ancient specimen. All this adds up to a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–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) Representatives of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) and Cigar Rights of America (CRA) this week met with the White House Office of Management and Budget about the looming threat of regulation of premium cigars. “The high-level meeting helped focus attention on the economic needs important to cigar retailers, including: in-store humidors, self-service displays, seasonal releases and special editions, access to financial capital, sampling events, age verification, and preserving the cigar store experience,” according to the IPCPR. “IPCPR expects FDA regulations on premium cigars to be released for public comment within the next few weeks.” Such regulation is expected to deplete cigar innovation, render limited edition smokes more difficult to produce, stifle cigar advertising, and impose burdensome testing requirements on cigar makers.

2) For the time being, the so-called Marketplace Fairness Act has stalled in Congress. This bill, which would require online retailers to collect sales tax, was being closely watched by the cigar industry. The major online cigar retailers were obviously against it, while many brick-and-mortar tobacco shops were for it, arguing the law would level the playing field. Many expect the bill to be revisited in the foreseeable future.

3) Inside the Industry: While previously disclosed, Altadis USA formally announced its new RyJ by Romeo y Julieta cigar this week. The blend is different from other Romeo y Julieta blends as it is a Nicaraguan puro rolled in Honduras. According to the announcement, the cigar uses “a special wrapper cultivated and grown exclusively for RyJ,” double binders from Estelí and Jalapa, and filler from Estelí and Jalapa, including from the storied La Mia farm (in Jalapa) which was once controlled by then-Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza. The cigar will come in three sizes: Piramide (6.1 x 52), Toro (6 x 52), and Bully Grande (5 x 54). They will retail for $8-8.75.

4) Deal of the Week: Cigar Place has a bevy of discount codes available. One particularly good deal is on the Liga Undercrown Corona Viva, our favorite size of the Undercrown blend. After you add it to your cart, add the promo code “liga” to knock the price down 15% to just $104 for a box of 25.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: IPCPR

A little over a month ago, My Father Cigars began shipping a limited size of it’s Flor de las Antillas blend to select retailers. The cigar (6 x 48) will be offered in a round format, unlike the standard Flor de las Antillas slightly box-pressed vitolas. (You can see the difference in shapes in this photo.)

Dubbed the MAM-13, the cigar is limited to 500 boxes of 20, all exclusive to five retailers located in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. I received three samples from Emerson’s Cigars (one of the five retailers) which sells five-packs for $36 and boxes of 20 for $130.

Except for the shape and size, there’s no difference between the MAM-13 and the rest of the Flor de las Antillas Sun Grown line, which features a Nicaraguan sun-grown wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. (It’s the second Flor de las Antillas size that isn’t a box-press.)

The wrapper is dark brown and a bit rustic. It’s framed by the classic, old-school Flor de las Antillas band and burgundy-colored foot ribbon. Pre-light the foot features a pungent earthy aroma.

Once lit, the MAM-13 reveals wood, leather, baking spices, and a little dryness on the roof of the mouth. It starts out a little rough around the edges but smooths out after the first third. There’s also a bit of pepper spice that really shows up on the retrohale.

It’s very well-constructed, which is hardly a surprise for a Pepin-made cigar. Each of the three samples I smoked burned perfectly and drew flawlessly.

The change in size and shape didn’t alter the flavor very much so, if you’re fan of Flor de las Antillas, you’ll like the MAM-13. Personally, MAM-13 is more my size than the box-pressed Toro, which has a ring gauge of 52, but that’s more a function of ring gauge than box-press.

More fundamentally, the three samples I smoked confirmed my thoughts about Flor de las Antillas, which received plenty of attention after being named Cigar Aficionado’s Cigar of the Year for 2012. It’s a solid, enjoyable smoke, but not extraordinary. In fact, there are at least a half-dozen blends made by My Father Cigars that I enjoy more.

You may, as I do, slightly prefer the MAM-13 to the rest of the line because you prefer smaller ring gauges. But it’s not a significant change from the original line, which is medium- to full-bodied, well-made, flavorful, but not particularly complex. That earns the Flor de las Antillas MAM-13 a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys