The Stogie Guys

Certain cigar personalities are downright magnetic. When I met Omar de Frias in Las Vegas at this summer’s IPCPR Trade Show, he was certainly giving off an attention-grabing vibe: energetic, optimistic, eager, and incredibly excited about his new brand, Fratello Cigars.

If you were at the Trade Show, you probably encountered Fratello’s booth—or at least heard about the new brand, which has an inventive diagonal band of red, white, and black. If you weren’t, I imagine you’ll soon be encountering Fratello, either via the online cigar community, or finding the brand in your local shop. Omar’s personality and stature (he’s tall) almost guarantees Fratello will at least get a fair shake.

Over two years in the making, the Fratello recipe includes a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper, Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, and filler tobaccos from Peru and Nicaragua. “While smoking only filler and binder we found a great balance between our sweet and salty notes,” reads the Fratello website. The wrapper “gives our cigar the creaminess and finish that will take our customer’s taste buds on a ride.”

The name “Fratello” is a whole other story. Why would a man from the Dominican Republic make a cigar in Nicaragua and call it “brother” in Italian? Because “fratello” was a younger Omar de Frias’ nickname. I guess that’s what happens when you take Italian classes in college.

In any event, the Corona (5.5 x 46), one of four sizes, is dark, moderately oily, clean, and soft to the touch. Only a V-cut is needed to yield a smooth draw. Once lit, a flavor of black pepper, bitter espresso, and earth emerges. Notes of cream and dry cedar come to the fore after a half inch of smoking.

Then, about an inch in, the taste undergoes a complete transformation from hot and spicy to smooth and creamy. This creaminess is soon augmented by cinnamon spice and a slight reprise of heat. Throughout, the burn line remains true and the white ash holds firm.

I think a lot of people are going to gravitate to this cigar simply because Omar de Frias is an incredibly likable personality. But that does Fratello a certain injustice. Judging the blend on its own merits, it’s balanced, well-rounded, and interesting. And it doesn’t taste like everything else on the market. That earns the approachable Fratello Corona 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

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 is the first cigar from the 2013 IPCPR Trade Show I had a chance to smoke when I got home from Las Vegas. I got two samples of this dark Nicaraguan puro, the 5.5-inch with a 54 ring gauge that retails for bit under $8. I was thoroughly impressed. Cafe Noir is a fine, complex production with rich flavors that morph and shift throughout. Strength is moderate. It’s a cigar that you’ll want to spend time with.

Verdict = Buy.

–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.”

Another limited edition from Viaje, Hang Time is a variation of the Late Harvest blend that uses a wrapper from a higher priming, which, according to Viaje, “allows for more time on the stalk resulting in a more intense smoking experience.” The outcome is a less earthy smoke than the Late Harves 648 (2012), which I’ve smoked quite a bit. The medium- to full-bodied profile features cool smoke with hints of black licorice, grass, and a tinge of metallic flavors. It’s well-constructed and interesting for sure, but at the price (about $9) I prefer the regular Late Harvest blend.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

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) The number of smoking bans on college campuses has reached nearly 1,200, according to the Washington Post. The latest is American University where, starting yesterday, smoking has been criminalized, even outdoors, save for three designated spots that will be phased out before 2014. It bears repeating that empirical studies show no justification for outdoor smoking bans from a health perspective. What’s more, Columbia University researchers found that weak claims about outdoor bans can be “hazardous for public health policymakers, for whom public trust is essential.” Nonetheless, two other Washington-area campuses also recently became smoke-free: George Washington University and the University of Maryland at College Park.

2) There’s still time to enter to win one of two 18-count boxes of La Gloria Cubana Gilded Age cigars, courtesy of Famous Smoke Shop. The contest will be closed to new entries starting at midnight. So be sure to click here and enter if you haven’t already done so.

3) Inside the Industry: Tickets for Little Puff (a DC-area cigar event that benefits charity) go on sale today, but move quickly since tickets usually sell out within a few hours. Canton, Massachusetts, has become the first municipality in the country to raise the legal age for tobacco purchases to 21, so returning soldiers who are under the age of 21 can still fight for their country but cannot buy a cigar to celebrate their safe return.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the Viva Republica Guerrilla Warfare. Cigar Fan fires up the Toraño Salutem Toro Major. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Tabacalera Artista Exactus Habano. Stogie Fresh rates the SACS Anacaona. Cigar Inspector inspects the León Jimenes Prestige.

5) Deal of the Week: This Silver Tray Special includes five fine cigars for just $26. Included are the limited edition Wild Bunch “Tony the Boss,” HC Habano², El Primer Mundo Black, Wynwood Honduras, and Rocky Patel Edge Maduro.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

The non-partisan Tax Foundation has produced an interesting graphic showing what percentage of each states’ revenues comes from tobacco taxes. The data indicates higher tax rates don’t correlate to higher revenues for a particular state.

New Hampshire, with one of the lower tobacco tax rates, leads the country with 4.37% of state revenues being collected from tobacco taxes. New Hampshire has lower taxes than any of its regional neighbors: Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

Meanwhile, none of the top 10 states for cigarette taxes (New York, Rhode Island, Hawaii, Washington, Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Arizona) are in the top 16 states when it comes to percentage of revenues produced by tobacco taxes.

Not surprisingly for those who follow these things, New Hampshire, with it’s low tax rates, has the lowest rate of cigarette smuggling in the country. New York, with the highest tax in the country, has the most cigarette smuggling.

Cigarettes are more of a pure commodity than cigars, but it’s worth noting higher taxes don’t necessarily mean higher revenues; they do mean more smuggling. These are important facts to raise if your state or locality is proposing to raise tobacco taxes (and cigarette tax rates are highly correlated to cigar tax rates).

The data also begs the question: If higher tobacco taxes don’t actually raise more revenues for the state, why raise tax rates? One possible answer is that politicians are trying to use taxes to control the actions of their citizens and make it unaffordable for adults to choose to smoke (though the data also suggests they are driving citizens to buy smuggled tobacco).

More fundamentally, the fact that tobacco taxes make up such a major part of so many state budgets should (but probably won’t) give anti-tobacco activists pause. After all, is it really wise for the state to be so dependent on tobacco taxes?

–Patrick S

photo credit: Tax Foundation

Famous Smoke Shop, a Pennsylvania-based online cigar retailer, recently launched a new exclusive blend called La Gloria Cubana Gilded Age. Today, courtesy of our friends at Famous, we’re giving away a couple 18-count boxes in the Toro format (6 x 54).

Gilded Age is an extension of the famed La Gloria Cubana brand originated by the legendary Ernesto Perez-Carrillo. It features an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, Honduran binder, and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos of the viso and ligero varieties. Four sizes are available at Famous—Churchill, Magnum, Robusto, and Toro—with singles in the affordable $5-7 range.

My full review of La Gloria Cubana Gilded Age is forthcoming, but I didn’t want to hold off on the opportunity to give away two boxes to a couple lucky readers. So, to enter for your chance to win, here’s all you have to do:

— Leave a comment below about your favorite experience with La Gloria Cubana.
— Make sure you’re registered for StogieGuys.com’s free email newsletter.

That’s it (though, if you’re interested, you can read our contest rules and regulations here). Good luck, and special thanks to Famous Smoke Shop for making this giveaway possible.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The first impression of Sam Leccia’s Black comes as soon as you remove the cellophane sleeve. A distinctive and full aroma fills the air. It’s smoky, outdoorsy, and it has a hint of pipe tobacco and campfire.

From the outset, it’s clear that this cigar is different. That’s no surprise, considering the range of tobaccos used in Black. The filler combines Nicaraguan and Dominican ligero, Brazilian Mata Fina, and a bit of fire-cured tobacco. Completing the international mix is an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and a Nicaraguan Rosado binder.

The flavors reflect the complex aroma with some added spicy components and sweetness. I found it to be medium in strength, with a fascinating twist. It nearly always felt as if it was going to jump up a notch but never did. The finish was also remarkable: very long and thick.

I’ve smoked three: one while at the IPCPR Trade Show and two at home. Construction, draw, and smoke production in each was excellent. The small Dominican factory producing the line knows its stuff.

Although the slightly fat robusto (a 52 ring gauge with the typical 5-inch length) is the only one of the four sizes I’ve tried, I can’t help but think it’s probably the best for this smoke. It runs around $8 per stick.

A lot of smokers will pick up a Black, and its White partner, because they’re familiar with Sam Leccia from his work with Oliva, where he generated a tremendous following with Nub (and later Cain). They should have no trouble finding these new cigars. They’re in catalogs, and it seemed as if nearly every retailer at IPCPR stopped to talk with Sam, who shared space with Toraño, which is distributing his smokes.

For those seeking something different, Black should be at the top of your list. Not just because it’s different, but because it’s good. In fact, this is a cigar that’s more enjoyable every time you smoke one. I rate it four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: @SamLeccia