The Stogie Guys

It’s been over nine months since the StogieGuys.com team published a new list of Gold Star Smokes. As you might recall, this special designation celebrates cigars that we feel are worthy of strong recommendations. They don’t necessarily have to be five stogie-rated—just commendable smokes we turn to time and again.

In our previous two Gold Star Smokes articles, we’ve highlighted cigars like the Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 Torpedo, El Rey Del Mundo Robisto Larga, Punch Champion, EO 601 Serie “Green” La Fuerza, Montecristo Petit Edmundo, and the Cuban Crafters Cameroon Robusto. Today we select three more.

Co-Founder & Editor in Chief Patrick A

The Blend 376 Robusto Extra from boutique manufacturer Isla de Cuba is a stunning cigar with an uncanny resemblance to an upscale Padrón. This box-pressed beauty features a full-flavored yet smooth taste of nuts, leather, and coffee and impressive construction. Don’t think twice about picking up this blend of Mexican, Honduran, and Nicaraguan tobaccos for about $7 apiece.

Co-Founder & Publisher Patrick S

Fuente makes some great smokes, including some exceptionally rare ones. My favorite, though, is the King B. This well-proportioned, cedar-wrapped torpedo is the best from Fuente’s impressive, under-appreciated Sun Grown line. With equal parts cedar, sweetness, and spice, it is both full-flavored and exquisitely balanced. And for around $6 each it punches well above its weight class.

Tampa Bureau Chief George E

With a line that seems to encompass an endless array of vitolas, La Gloria Cubana’s Medaille d’Or No. 1 Maduro isn’t the easiest to find. But it’s worth the search. A long, thin cigar, it produces an array of flavors including earth, leather, and coffee. They’re also very reasonably priced; a box of 25 can be found for less than $70.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Last June, StogieGuys.com named its first series of Gold Star Smokes. Each of us chose cigars we believed, for one reason or another, were worthy of strong recommendations. They didn’t necessarily have to be five stogie-rated – just commendable smokes we turn to time and again for high quality and consistency.

For Patrick A, it was the Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 Torpedo; Patrick S bestowed his honor on the El Rey Del Mundo Robusto Larga; and George E selected the Punch Champion. Now we’re back with three new Gold Star Smokes. We think they are well worth your attention, and we’d love to hear what you think.

Co-Founder & Editor in Chief Patrick A

Last fall was my first run-in with an EO 601 Serie “Green” La Fuerza, and I’ve made sure to have many more since. This dark, oily cigar is hearty and complex with delicious notes of leather, clove, and cocoa bean. The $7 cost is more than fair, especially since the delicious flavors are accompanied by a straight burn, a smooth draw, and a firm ash. Just make sure to try this on a full stomach.

Co-Founder & Publisher Patrick S

I’ve been fortunate enough to smoke a handful of Montecristo Petit Edmundos in the past six months, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every one. With classic looks and a complex blend of cedar, spice, earth, warm tobacco, and a medium- to full-bodied creaminess, it is no surprise that this cigar was given a five stogie-rating by my colleague Patrick A. It also earns points for being available – though not in the U.S. of course – for under $8 when purchased by the box. However, what really earns this Cuban smoke its “gold star” is its stubby size (4 1/3″x 52) , which showcases the exciting flavors in a formate you can enjoy in 45 minutes.

Tampa Bureau Chief George E

Recent unexpected circumstances have put me once or twice a week at a local cigar shop that I had only visited occasionally in the past. Each time there I’ve lit up a Cuban Crafters Cameroon Robusto, and each time I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. The five inch by 52 ring gauge cigar burns well, draws great, and produces thick, tasty smoke with a sweet, woodsy finish. If you like Cameroon tobacco, this is one you won’t want to miss. At about $3 a stick, it’s also an incredible bargain.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Cigars can appeal for any number of reasons. Some offer a terrific bargain, others the opportunity to savor a rare treat. One cigar might earn a top rank because it can be enjoyed day after day, while another stick might be the perfect complement to a great Scotch. Whatever the appeal, we all have cigars that we think are special.

We’ve decided to recommend some cigars we feel are particularly worthy of your attention and call them Gold Star Smokes. From time to time, we’ll clue you into three favorites – one from each member of the StogieGuys.com team. I guess you could consider anything posted here worthy of the Stogie Guys Hall of Fame, if such a thing existed.

Also, feel free to leave your own suggestions as comments, and we’ll consider adding them to future Gold Star Smokes posts.

Co-Founder & Editor in Chief Patrick A

My first choice for our Gold Star Smokes series was an instant classic the moment I took the inaugural puff. At six and ¼ inches with a 52 ring gauge, the Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 Torpedo is a well-aged Ecuadorian masterpiece with rich notes of dark roasted coffee beans and almond. It’s not cheap at $8.75, but clearly worth every penny. This has become my one go-to cigar for extra-special occasions.

Co-Founder & Publisher Patrick S

The El Rey Del Mundo Robisto Larga is a favorite of mine that I seem to rediscover every six months. Big (six inches with a 54 ring gauge) and packed full of rich earth and chocolate flavors, it is the best vitola from the El Rey Del Mundo brand that never seems to get a fair shake. The presentation – each Robusto Larga is wrapped in tissue paper – makes it seem like a present, and the obscuro wrapper underneath is a pleasure to look at too. This is truly a rare cigar that goes equally well on the golf course or after a fancy dinner. All this for the bargain price of about three dollars per stick.

Tampa Bureau Chief George E

The Punch Champion is a little four and ½ inch bowling pin of a cigar that’s just plain fun to smoke. Pick one up and I’ll bet it feels great. Enjoy the light aroma of cedar before you light it. Best of all, it’s got that Punch spice, but it doesn’t stop there; other flavors kick in along the way. You can usually find them for around $4 per stick.

–The Stogie Guys

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post our sampling of cigar news and other items of interest from the week. Below is our latest, which is the 531st in the series.

1) On Monday, we learned a “strategic alliance agreement” was struck that makes tobacco giant Altadis the distributor for Boutique Blends Cigars. As part of the agreement, Rafael Nodal has accepted a position within Altadis, and the Boutique Blends brands—including Aging Room, Swag, La Bohéme, and Oliveros—will now be sold through Altadis. Cigar Aficionado reports that “Boutique Blends dismissed its sales force (made up primarily of independent contractors) and is in the midst of moving inventory from its Miami warehouse to Altadis’ in Tampa.” In his new position, Nodal will continue to oversee his own brands, as well as help with project development for other brands within the Altadis portfolio.

2) After success in the European market, Maya Selva Cigars is bringing its new Colección Aniversario No. 20 series stateside, with shipping expected to begin in August. For vitolas will be available with retail prices ranging from $9 to $14.50. The featured tobaccos include a Habano Jamastran wrapper, dual binders from Olancho and Azacualpa, and various Honduran fillers. The Colección Aniversario No. 20 originally debuted in Paris in June 2016.

3) DC Grays, an organization dedicated to promoting baseball in the nation’s capital, is hosting its annual “Cigars and Curveballs” fundraiser Monday. The event, hosted by radio host and Washington Times sports writer Thom Loverro, will take place at Shelly’s Back Room, a popular cigar hangout near the White House.

4) Inside the Industry: Davidoff’s Avo brand is expanding its Avo Syncro line with a new blend called South America Ritmo, a cigar featuring tobaccos from seven different countries. The cigar uses an Ecuadorian wrapper, Mexican binder, and filler from Nicaragua, Peru, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, and Brazil. The cigar, which will ship later this month, comes in four box-pressed sizes with prices ranging from $10.90 to $13.90. It is rolled in the Dominican Republic.

5) From the Archives: For a decade, we’ve been periodically recommending Gold Star Smokes, cigars we feel are especially worthy of your  dollars and attention. Take a step back in time to find our very first choices here.

6) Deal of the Week: Gurkha fans will want to jump on this deal on the Heritage line. All boxes are discounted 25-40% for a limited time.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: AgingRoomCigars.com

While StogieGuys.com has taken note of this popular My Father line—including a 2012 mention of the Churchill as a Gold Star smoke—we’ve never actually reviewed it.

I’ve smoked a few of various sizes through the years. Recently, I picked up a couple five-packs of the 6-inch toro with a 52-ring gauge—one of the original vitolas introduced in 2009—at a significant discount over the regular price of about $11 each.

The cigar was crafted by Don José “Pepin” Garcia to honor his father, in the same manner Jaime Garcia did for Don Pepin with the earlier My Father line. Le Bijou 1922 features a Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler. The cigars are rolled at the Garcia’s My Father Cigars factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

The dark, oily wrapper is exquisite, with tiny veins and a mouthwatering pre-light barnyard aroma. The presentation is also nicely done, with two ornate bands set off by a cloth orange foot band.

In those I smoked for this review, all but one smoked and burned perfectly. One did develop a tunnel that briefly disrupted the burn and the smoke, though it cleared up after about a half-inch.

I’ve read reviews that make note of pepper, but I don’t really get much of it. To me, there was more light spice than pepper. And the flavors I found tended to be darker and richer, with a sweetness in the second half and some floral notes throughout.

I thought the strength was in the upper-medium level, with a lot of thick, rich smoke.

Overall, this is an enjoyable cigar. The length allows it to develop and display complexity along the way. It’s especially worthwhile if you can catch them on sale.

I’d also recommend trying several of the sizes because there’s a difference among them, enough so that I think some smokers will definitely prefer one over another. I rate My Father Le Bijou 1922 four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I don’t usually pay much attention to cigar peripherals. But some, like the extraordinarily detailed band on EPC’s La Historia, simply demand closer inspection. The Signature’s band (above) is one of those.

An eye-catching white background showcases old-style lettering reminiscent of a nineteenth century poster, raised printing and varied typefaces, sealed with an illustration of Punch and his dog. A standout on any tobacconist shelf.

The cigar itself is also quite a fine specimen. The wrapper is smooth, oily, and displays no large veins.

This addition to the Punch lineup is getting a big push from General Cigar. There are lots of ads, giveaways, and an interactive website.

The Signature cigars for this review were supplied by General, which sent me five Robustos. They have an MSRP of $6.79 and measure 5 inches long with a ring gauge of 52. There are three other sizes: Gigante (6 x 60, $7.39), Torpedo (5.75 x 52, $6.99), and Rothschild (4.5 x 50, $5.39).

Mindful of the smokers these days who want to know not only details of the blend but the story of the cigar as well, General provided considerable information in its press release. Blender Agustin Garcia says the Signature was inspired by the original Punch blend. Work began in 2012 when he “found a small batch of Ecuadoran tobacco they wanted to use” and teamed with a grower to produce enough of the Corojo wrapper leaf to ensure fulltime production.

The Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers are those used in General’s original Punch blend, with some having been “very aged” and others younger. “The aged leaves bring flavor and balance, and the newer leaves deliver more strength,” according to the press release. The binder is a proprietary Connecticut Habano.

Over the years, StogieGuys.com has had good things to say about many Punch cigars. This posting marks a dozen Punch reviews, and there have been numerous Quick Smokes and Gold Star mentions.

I have to say I didn’t find the Signature as enjoyable as some of the others, primarily due to a sharpness that scratched at the back of my throat for much of the cigar.

Throughout the stick, there was little change in the flavors, and what there was just wasn’t enough to hold my interest by the halfway point. Smoking farther down, though, did offer a reward: By the final third, the sharpness was finally almost gone and that was the most enjoyable part of the cigar.

Signature is certainly not a bad cigar. Construction, as you’d expect from General, is spot-on with an even burn, tight ash, and lots of smoke production. I did find the draw a bit loose and, after a straight cut on the first, used a punch or a V-cut for the others, which helped.

I would certainly recommend giving the Signature a try. For me, the Punch Signature Robusto rates three stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

With StogieGuys.com heading toward its eighth anniversary in May, now seems like a good time to take a few minutes to look at the amazing amount of material stored on the site and offer some tips on how you can take advantage of it.

First, check out the references across the top. There, our material is curated into categories to make it easily accessible and useful, whether you’re a raw beginner or a grizzled vet. Just below and to the right is a link to information about Stogie Guys, including our policies and short bios. The Reviews Archive is alphabetized, and there’s a separate list of our top-rated smokes, along with an explanation of our reviewing system.

Around the page you’ll see ads from our advertisers, sometimes with special Stogie Guys offers. Check them out. They help keep us going.

Down the side of the page, there are links to other segments, such as the incredible A-Z Guide to Bourbon and the extensive Cigar University.

And don’t forget that little search window in the upper right of the page. Type in a topic and you’ll likely find we’ve had something to say about it. Searching for some new sticks to try? Explore our Gold Star Smokes. Interested in exploring coffee to go with your smoke? As with many topics, you’ll likely be surprised at how much we’ve written on this.

We focus on cigars, writing about them from Latin American farms and factories to conventions and get-togethers—and everywhere in-between. We take a broad view of cigar enjoyment and try to enhance the experience in any way we can. Sometimes that means delving into regulations and legislation, sometimes it’s an interview with a local tobacconist. Sometimes it is simply reflecting on the joys of a fine cigar.

Our overriding goal is to make StogieGuys.com the best site we can. That includes careful archiving and assembling material for our readers.

To that end, we’re always interested in hearing from you. If there’s anything you’d like to see, just let us know. You can always leave a comment or, if you prefer, email one of us directly.

And stay tuned. You won’t want to miss our birthday celebration!

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys