The Stogie Guys

Since the company was established last year, Iconic Leaf has erred on the side of secrecy. At its inception, the identities of its principals were left a mystery, and we were only told the operation was founded by  two “well-respected legends in the cigar industry” who have “chosen to keep their identities private in a pursuit to make the very best premium boutique cigars that can be found anywhere in the world without the influence of their names.”

Iconic Leaf’s tradition of secrecy continues with its recent announcement of Recluse Draconian, a new blend that will debut at this summer’s industry trade show in Las Vegas. It follows last year’s release, Recluse. While we know the Draconian wrapper is Ecuadorian maduro and the filler will be a mix of four tobaccos—Brazilian hybrid, Piloto Cubano, Dominican, and an exclusive ligero—the binder is not being revealed.

The sizes/formats will also remain undisclosed until July. This creates intrigue because three will be in a “Sidewinder” shape “that has never been done before in the cigar industry.” Iconic Leaf fans will recall Recluse was likewise rolled out in an inventive format called “Kanu,” which has a head-turning kayak-like shape.

For now, Draconian is being offered to five retailers in three pre-release parejo formats: Robusto, Toro, and 6 x 60. I received two Robustos from Iconic Leaf for this review. The size has an oily exterior that’s textured with tooth and mapped with thin veins. Pre-light, notes of caramel, leather, and red pepper are apparent off the foot. The draw is clear, as one would expect since Draconian is handmade in the entubado fashion by Tabacalera Leyendas Cubanas.

Now I always approach pre-release reviews with some trepidation because, even if the blend stays the same, time may change the way the tobacco smokes before the full release. What’s more, I don’t even know the specs of the anticipated Sidewinder vitolas, much less how their formats will alter the Draconian experience. So I would take the ensuing analysis with a grain of salt.

That said, based on the samples I smoked several days after receiving them in the mail, I think Draconian will be a cigar you’ll at least want to take for a test drive. The Robusto has a bold intro with lots of ligero spice, dry wood, espresso, and earth. The texture is thick and moist with a heavy smoke that coats the palate. The smoke production is excellent—an outcome of the entubado technique.

The flavor settles into the midway point with less spice and some cocoa sweetness and nutty creaminess. Still, it’s firmly medium- to full-bodied with a solid nicotine kick. All the while the construction is solid, save for the gray ash being a little flakier than I’d prefer.

I’ll be very interested to see how the blend develops with time, as well as how it performs in the Sidewinder format (whatever that format is). Judging the Robusto as it is now, I’d award 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

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.”

Change seems to be the hallmark of Gurkha these days, whether it’s producing budget-priced smokes under the East India Trading Co. subsidiary or increasing presence at tobacco shops. An outfit once frequently derided for overemphasizing packaging and glitz is putting some interesting cigars on the shelf. This specimen, called the Cellar Reserve Prisoner, is certainly one of those. It sports a criollo wrapper along with filler Gurkha says is aged for 15 years. I found it to be a medium-strength, flavorful, and complex smoke. Well worth trying.

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) Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, is proposing a $50-per-month surcharge for state employees who smoke. “To demonstrate how bad ideas spread, nine other states have similar policies penalizing those that simply want to enjoy a cigar,” said Glynn Loope, executive director of Cigar Rights of America (CRA). “Testing for nicotine in the same fashion as illegal narcotics is a practice we cannot tolerate nor accept in this nation.” CRA points out that, before he was elected governor, Walker promised to end Wisconsin’s statewide smoking ban. But he later flip-flopped, saying he no longer supports a repeal. Interestingly, the LaCrosse Tribune reports many anti-tobacco groups don’t support Walker’s surcharge proposal. They claim it won’t help state employees quit smoking.

2) The new CAO Brazilia Carnivale is now hitting cigar shops. It’s a large Brazilia (6.5 x 60) that, according to General Cigar, “puts an innovative spin on the popular Brazilia blend.” It features a Habano Grueso wrapper with a Brazilian binder and ligero filler tobaccos from Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. Singles will sell for $8.30. General Cigar hints it may be working on another “small batch twist” for one of CAO’s other blends.

3) Inside the Industry: Iconinc Leaf, maker of Recluse, has announced that a new Draconian blend will officially debut this summer. Draconian will have a maduro Ecuadorian wrapper and a “proprietary” binder. Look for a pre-release review of this cigar in the coming weeks.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the Diesel Wicked. Cigar Fan fires up an Asylum 13. Half Wheel smokes the Oliva OC-001. Cigar Inspector Inspects the Quesada Selección España. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Cuenca Cigars 5 Anniversary.

5) Deal of the Week: One ultra-popular line that’s hard to find is Liga Privada by Drew Estate. Site sponsor Emerson’s currently has both the Liga Privada No. 9 and the Liga Privada T52 available, but don’t wait too long since they’re likely to go fast.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

Given this cigar’s pedigree, I’m sure it will come as no surprise to hear that the latest limited edition from La Flor is a powerful smoke. But it’s also a complex, balanced treat that fulfills the promise of a line released only every other year or so.

The V comes in a single vitola that weighs in at 6.5 inches long with a 54 ring gauge and a production level reportedly under 100,000. The price tag ranges from around $9.50 to $11, a reasonable amount considering the size and what you get for your money.

And what you get is a terrific cigar with more changes than a Rockette in the Christmas show. It begins with a nice, tangy pre-light aroma from the Dominican filler, kicks off with pepper in the first few puffs, and then quickly shifts to a deep chocolate undertone. There’s a pleasant bite to the finish that’s present from beginning to end.

This cigar rewards attention. I easily picked up leather, hay, a hint of coffee, cedar, and several spices. I’ve smoked three from a five-pack, and they’ve been remarkably consistent in both flavor and construction. The burn, draw, and ash were all first-rate from start to finish.

Previous Limitado blends featured tobacco from more than one country, and the V continues the trend. In addition to the Dominican filler, the wrapper is Ecuadorian sun grown and the binder is Nicaraguan. Those also are the three countries represented in the first Limitado.

About the only negative I could find is that La Flor packs these in boxes of 48, putting that purchase into the pricing stratosphere (around $500).

For this kind of enjoyment, the La Flor Dominicana Limitado V rates the top-of-the-mark 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.]

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

On the heels of a state judge blocking Michael Bloomberg’s ban on large sugary drinks, the New York City mayor is re-focusing his consternation on tobacco. He announced this week plans to prevent stores from displaying tobacco products.

“The proposed law would ‘prohibit display of tobacco products’ in most retail shops, Bloomberg said. ‘Such displays suggest smoking is a normal activity and invite young people to experiment with tobacco.’ He said it would be the first of its kind in the nation,” according to NBC News.

Cigar Rights of America followed Bloomberg’s announcement with an email alert, providing additional details: “Under the new legislation, sellers would be required to keep tobacco products out of sight, except during a purchase by an adult consumer or during restocking. Tobacco products would be required to be kept in cabinets, drawers, under the counter, behind a curtain, or in any other concealed location.”

In a second bill, Bloomberg is proposing to stiffen the penalties for tobacco tax evasion, outlaw tobacco coupons or discounts, and impose a price floor and packaging restrictions on cigarettes and little cigars.

StogieGuys.com Analysis

On the surface, these moves by Bloomberg don’t seem to pose grave threats for premium handmade cigars, which are sold mainly through tobacco shops and online (both would be exempt from the display restrictions). But Bloomberg’s actions should nonetheless be closely watched by cigar enthusiasts for two important reasons.

First and foremost, it’s easy to see how display restrictions on tobacco could be a slippery slope that would eventually dismantle cigar shops. At the federal level, there is already some danger of this via the impending regulations that are expected from the FDA, which has newfound authority over tobacco. Don’t underestimate the zealotry of the anti-tobacco movement; despite the fact that tobacco is legal and already heavily taxed and regulated, the movement’s ultimate goal is the outright criminalization of tobacco.

Second, Bloomberg sees New York City as a pioneer of health policies that can be exported to other cities and states, and he believes he has a far-reaching mandate to protect consenting adults from themselves. Remember, in addition to New York’s indoor smoking bans, it is also illegal to smoke outdoors in city parks or sell flavored tobacco. Bloomberg would like to see these policies in your neck of the woods, too. Sort of like New York being a shining beacon of nanny statism for the rest of the country.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr

I keep a nice double-digit variety of bourbons at my house, but never more than one bottle of any particular bourbon. The only exception has been Jefferson’s Presidential Select 18 Year Bourbon, of which I currently have a stash of three unopened bottles.

And even though they run around $100 apiece, I’d probably pick up a few more if I came across them. So while it’s an understatement to say I’m a fan of this bourbon, that’s not the whole reason why I always do a quick scan for “JPS 18” in a liquor store.

Jefferson’s Presidential Select 18 is one of the last 100% Stitzel-Weller bourbons you can buy. Sitzel-Weller is the distillery that made highly regarded wheat-recipe bourbon until it was closed in 1991, including the notoriously difficult-to-find Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve, which uses the same mash bill recipe. (Reports are the distillery began production of bourbon again earlier this year, but it will be a while before that production hits the market.)

These days, Pappy Van Winkle may still use 100% Stitzel-Weller bourbon for its oldest bourbons (20 and 23, as of 2011), but the younger varieties use bourbon made at Buffalo Trace. Jefferson’s Presidential Select 18 (which was preceded by a 17 year variety, and will be followed by a 21) is 100% Stitzel-Weller. It’s also all sold out, although you may find some on a few shelves.

In other words, it’s rare and old (18 years is very old for bourbon, even if it is only slightly past middle-age for scotch). But being very old and rare doesn’t do much for me, unless it’s also very good. And the 94-proof spirit has that too.

The deep copper-colored bourbon has a nose that reminds me of aged rum, with vanilla, dates, cake-batter, and wood. On the palate it really shines with an intensity that combines lots of oaky woodiness with a silky sweetness of toffee, dried fruit, and just a hint of citrus apples. The finish is long and balanced, with more toffee, wood, and resin.

It’s a flavor rollercoaster that shows the best of well-aged bourbon without the downsides that sometimes manifest as over-the-top oak or dry spice. As such, it requires a cigar that is equally well-balanced but still flavorful. The two that specifically fit that bill are the Padrón Serie 1926 Maduro and the Arturo Fuente Añejo.

Now $100 is a lot to spend on single bottle of bourbon (think how many excellent bourbons can be bought for half that much), which makes it something of a special occasion indulgence. Still, there’s a highly limited supply (it’s all been sold to retailers at this point) and the upcoming 21-year-old edition will certainly be even more expensive. Which is why I’d suggest serious bourbon fans scoop up a bottle or two if they get the chance. I know I will.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Last summer, Emilio Cigars entered into an agreement with American Caribbean Tobacco to distribute their Herederos de Robaina cigars in the U.S. Those cigars started to hit retailer shelves in September.

Since, there have been a number of reviews published about Herederos de Robaina. But they all suffer from the same deficiency that plagues the article you’re currently reading: Not much is known about this cigar. Gary Griffith of Emilio has not disclosed the makeup of the blend, so I don’t have anything to share with you about the origins of the wrapper, binder, or filler.

What I know for sure is this cigar is made in Estelí, and it’s available in four standard sizes, including the five-inch Robusto I’m sampling for this review (the others being Churchill, Toro, and Torpedo).

I can guess the name of the blend is a nod to Alejandro Robaina, a roving ambassador for Cuban cigars who passed away three years ago. Robaina is remembered as Cuba’s foremost producer of top wrapper leaves and for being the voice of small tobacco growers in Pinar del Río. He refused Castro’s request to join a government cooperative and, choosing to remain family-owned and independent, he consistently outperformed state-owned tobacco plantations.

The Herederos de Robaina Robusto retails for about $8 and is sold in boxes of 10 or 20. It features a clean, milk chocolate-colored wrapper with thin veins. The foot exhibits a moderately loose packing of tobacco with pre-light notes of cocoa and earth. A punch cut to the head is all that’s needed to free up an easy draw.

That easy draw results in voluminous smoke production once the cigar is lit. The accompanying flavor is short, salty, and biting, characterized predominantly by dry wood and clove. This is balanced by some cream and a slight sweetness on the finish. While not much changes from light to nub, attentive smokers may notice flavors like pepper, oak, and white chocolate.

Aside from the wonderful draw and great smoke production, construction leaves a little to be desired. The white ash is flaky and sandy, with bits of ash likely to scatter at any time. And the burn line requires a few touch-ups to stay even.

Distribution of the Herederos de Robaina brand, according to the Emilio Cigars website, is restricted to a handful of shops spread across seven states (Florida, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey). I would imagine Griffith is currently working to expand this. If you find Herederos de Robaina in your local shop, pick up a Robusto or two. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, and I also don’t think you’ll be wowed. That’s ultimately why this cigar earns three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys