The Stogie Guys

Arturo Fuente’s Solaris. Tatuaje’s Anarchy and Apocalypse. My Father’s El Hijo. Padrón’s 1964 Anniversary SI-15. Room 101’s Big Delicious. What do these have in common?

They’re all part of the Microblend Series that’s soldby Smoke Inn, a Florida-based cigar retailer. The Microblend Series is inspired by the growing popularity of U.S. microbreweries, harnessing how “limited production quantities allow for a greater emphasis to be placed on quality and consistency,” according to the Smoke Inn website.

With that inspiration, it was only a matter of time before Smoke Inn partnered with Manuel Quesada to put new twist on one of Quesada’s most popular lines: Oktoberfest. Just in time for the German festival, Smoke Inn is now shipping the Oktoberfest Dunkel, named for the German word for “dark” that’s typically used to describe a dark lager.

“In the spirit of Oktoberfest, the Dunkel uses the same binders and fillers of the regular Oktoberfest release, with the exception of the wrapper,” reads a Smoke Inn press release. “A very select broadleaf maduro wrapper envelops this rich cigar with a slight underlying Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper at the foot, thus giving the appearance of a dark, rich Dunkel beer with a savory, foamy head.”

Dunkel is sold in one size (6 x 54) at a cost of $8.95 per single, or $134.25 per box of 15. It’s obviously a unique-looking cigar, which may be why Quesada chose to keep the band exactly the same as the regular Oktoberfest blend. Aside from the different wrapper at the foot, Dunkel’s other aesthetic properties include a tremendously oily exterior, pungent pre-light notes of earth and cocoa, and a dense, firm feel.

The initial profile is reminiscent of the original Quesada Oktoberfest with dark cherry, burnt coffee, and an occasional bitter bite. Sweet notes are more apparent on the aftertaste than each individual puff. But during the outset of the smoke—the one covered in the Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper—the texture is very creamy.

Spice and leather take center stage once the cigar passes into the broadleaf maduro phase. Here the Dunkel becomes more full-bodied with a little more nicotine kick. Perhaps not surprisingly, though, the creaminess prevails, rendering Dunkel one of those flavorful smokes with ample spice and complexity yet a creamy undertone.

All of the Quesada Oktoberfest Dunkels I smoked for this review exhibited admirable physical properties, and all were, quite frankly, a joy to smoke. While I’m no fan of pairing beer with cigars—as I’ve written before—the quality of this smoke is undeniable regardless of pairing. That earns it a solid rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A surefire way to get a heated discussion going is to bring up the issue of aging.

Everything from the basic definition — It’s aging after one year. No, that’s still resting; aging starts after three years. Well, I think two years is when it starts. — to which cigars benefit most from the process is a veritable minefield.

Over the years, I’ve looked quite a bit into aging, including talking with some pre-eminent cigar collectors and reading about it from a scientific standpoint, and, frankly, I’m more convinced than ever that there is no hard and fast answer.

Like most things involving cigars, aging is a matter of personal taste. I do know that most makers of good cigars don’t expect you to age their sticks. They use well-aged and fermented tobaccos and attempt to ship their products so customers get them at their peak.

I’m talking about non-Cubans. There, I don’t believe this was the case some years back when Cuba was scrambling to meet demand and exercising poor judgment about nearly everything, from the tobacco being used to quality control. Nowadays, I think things are better.

If you want to age cigars, feel free. About the only thing I can say with any degree of certainty is that you’ll rarely, if ever, find that time makes a poor cigar, especially one with low-grade, badly fermented, or un-aged tobaccos, anything other than an older, poor cigar.

My advice, for what it’s worth, is that if you want to age by the box if possible. That way, you can sample the cigars periodically to see whether they’re changing and have a good chance of catching them near the peak. It’s also a good idea to keep notes at each stage of the process on cigars you’re aging. You’ll find that helpful not only with the cigars at hand but in selecting future cigars for aging.

At any rate, I suggest smoking rather than fighting.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

At one time, Miami was a hotbed for cigar production, especially among Cuban expats seeking to rebuild after the Cuban Revolution stole away their businesses. Rising labor costs eventually necessitated most of this production move overseas to countries like Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic.

These days, Miami is witnessing somewhat of a renaissance in cigar making. Crémo Cigars, launched near the end of 2011, is part of this revitalization, proudly proclaiming its commitment to American production. Crémo’s blends are crafted at the El Titan de Bronze Cigar Factory on Miami’s Calle Ocho. The factory is “known best for its old-school Cuban entubado techniques, [and] is a family-owned and operated ‘fabriquita’ which employs level-nine rollers from Cuba,” according to the Crémo website. “These torcedores, like a painter to a canvas, handcraft each cigar with meticulous detail.”

Following up on the Crémo Classic (blended by Willy Herrera prior to his departure to Drew Estate) and the Crémo Classic Maduro, Crémo’s newest blend is Capa Caliente. It is intended to be a full-bodied, full-flavored cigar—and that’s exactly what it is. It features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around a Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

Capa Caliente comes in two formats: Robusto (5 x 50) and Toro (6 x 52). They cost $8 and $12, respectively. Each has a dark, reddish wrapper with ample oils and neatly executed triple-caps. The foot—a cross-section view of the entubado style of cigar rolling—emanates bold pre-light notes of earth and leather.

The Toro starts out as advertised. It’s about as full-bodied as a cigar can be with a bold, salty spice and flavors of espresso, black pepper, and charred steak. The taste coats the palate with a heavy, leathery texture unequaled in any cigar I’ve smoked in recent memory. The overall impact can be knee-buckling, even on a full stomach.

At the midway point the Toro becomes a little less aggressive, and at times it’s almost creamy. Still, the core notes are pervasive, and the strength is mostly unrelenting. All the while the construction is excellent. The gray ash holds firm off the foot, the draw is smooth, the burn line is straight, and each puff yields ample smoke.

If you’re a power-monger, the Capa Caliente from Crémo is one blend you absolutely have to try. If, like me, you’re more strength-agnostic and instead seek balance and harmony, this may not be the best selection. Like many things with cigars, it all depends on your point of view and personal preferences. For me, all things considered, while I prefer Crémo’s two previous blends, the four Toros I smoked for this review result in a rating of 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.”

This limited edition version of the 601 La Bomba is the same blend as the original except it features a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. The cigar (6.5 x 54) is semi box-pressed, and only 2,000 boxes of 10 are available. For me, the maduro wrapper makes the cigar milder than the original. It’s still plenty full-bodied, though, with lots of earth, leather, pepper, and coffee. The cigar produces tons of smoke and has excellent construction. While I generally prefer a Habano wrapper to Broadleaf, I prefer this cigar to the original La Bomba.

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.”.

My tastes and preferences tend to change over time, but my appreciation for the Blue Label from Don Pepin Garcia never seems to waver. The robusto-sized Invictos (5 x 50) has been a mainstay of my humidor for years. It earned that spot for its affordability, consistency, and pleasing profile of pepper, leather, earth, and subtle sweetness. This isn’t the first time I’ve written about this cigar, and it probably won’t be the last.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Beam is the first name in bourbon, and members of the Beam family have been distilling bourbon since the late 1700’s (not only at Jim Beam, but at many of its competitors). Fred Booker Noe III, a member of the Beam clan, is the master distiller at Jim Beam, which recently added Jim Beam Signature Craft 12 Year Bourbon to its collection.

In addition to Jim Beam’s standard White Label bourbon (four years), Noe is responsible for Beam Black (eight years) and the small batch collection that includes Knob Creek (nine year), Baker’s (seven year, high proof), Basil Hayden (rye heavy, 80-proof), and Booker’s (barrel strength). But the new Jim Beam Signature Craft 12 Year Bourbon is the oldest bourbon being released by Beam.

The addition makes sense when you look at the booming demand for older bourbons, as many people consider 10-12 years the sweet spot. To that end, Beam released the new Signature Craft line with a 12 year bourbon, bottled at 86-proof (43% ABV). (A rare Spanish bandy finished variation of the Beam Signature Series is also being released, but I’ve yet to find it in my area.)

Although it’s not the cheapest 12 year bourbon (Elijah Craig and Ezra B 12 Year, among others, come in under $30), at $40 it is considerably less than many similarly aged bourbon whiskeys. The sleek bottle features a plastic screw cap which, although less elegant than a cork, is actually more functional.

The result is a deep amber-colored spirit that features plenty of wood, vanilla, and dried fruit on the nose. Whether from the relatively low proof or something else, it has a softer mouth feel than many of its counterparts with just the right amount of oak, sweetness, and underlying dried fruit, honey, and a signature Beam yeasty flavor. The finish is medium in length with soft wood and a wine-like fruit component.

It’s balanced and flavorful, and overall an enjoyable, but not overwhelming, experience. It goes great with a wide variety of cigars.

I particularly enjoyed the Illusione Singulare LE Phantom 2010 with the Beam Signature Series 12 year, but then it’s one of my favorite cigars so perhaps that’s because the best cigars always go well with a good spirit. Other recommend pairings include such medium- or full-bodied smokes as the Aging Room Quattro, Litto Gomez Diez Small Batch No. 2, and the Padrón Serie 1926 No. 6.

Some people will dismiss Jim Beam Signature Craft 12 Year Bourbon because it’s released under the Jim Beam name and made by the largest bourbon producer. In my opinion that would be a mistake. This is a good bourbon at a reasonable price, and it’s definitely worth trying if your a bourbon drinker.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys