The Stogie Guys

Folks who only enjoy a cigar once in a blue moon typically view cigars as luxuries for special occasions. Graduation. A promotion. The birth of a child. A wedding. You get the idea.

Those of us who consider cigars to be a happy and (much more) regular part of our lives, though, don’t require a special occasion to light up. Sure, we might save some of our most prized cigars for meaningful moments—even if that practice is somewhat discouraged by my colleague—but any day of the week is a good day for premium tobacco. For us, cigars are a meaningful component of who we are. We read about them. We collect and care for them. And we smoke them often.

If you, like me, smoke cigars during special occasions and most days in between, you may also find that, just as cigars can be a wonderful accompaniment to a joyous event, they can also be a therapeutic relief in stressful or trying times. When something goes wrong, it’s often a good idea to step back from the situation, reflect, and take a few moments to weigh your options or get your mind off the subject completely. These are good days to pull something nice from your humidor.

I’ll give you an example. Back in 2008, I was involved in a minor car accident that thankfully produced no injuries but still messed up my car. The car was pretty new at the time, and it was (and still is) the first new car I ever owned. It still had that new car smell. And, up until the accident, I was still obsessing over the tiniest of scratches.

Once the accident scene was cleared, the police report was filed, and the insurance company was contacted, I found myself back home replaying the event in my head over and over, stressing and worrying about the whole situation. Accidents happen. Cars can be fixed. But those truths weren’t making me feel any better.

So I did what any reasonable cigar enthusiast would do. I grabbed a nice smoke from my humidor, I poured myself a generous serving of rum, and I grabbed a seat on my patio to clear my head. I don’t know for sure, but I’d bet my heart rate and my blood pressure fell to more reasonable levels over the ensuing 90 minutes.

Since that crummy day, there have been dozens of times when a cigar helped me move past an unfortunate situation. Maybe you’ve also found cigars to be an excellent (and relatively cheap) source of therapy. If you haven’t yet, consider lighting up something nice the next time you need a quick reprieve from a stressful day. I think you’ll find the practice worthwhile.

The car did get fixed, by the way. All of the damage was cosmetic, yet costly to repair. It’s still running well and hopefully will be for years to come. The day it dies, though, you can bet I’ll be smoking a cigar.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr

As I noted last month when I reviewed the San Andreas, I didn’t know what to think when Camacho announced a partnership with jewelery maker Matt Booth, whose Room 101 brand is named after the torture room in George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. The original Room 101, while far from a bad cigar, didn’t do much for me.

Since then, I’ve been far more impressed by Room 101. I’ve found Conjura, Namakubi, Connecticut, and the new San Andres all very enjoyable. Which is why I wanted to try the One Shot One Kill (OSAK), introduced earlier this year. (I did smoke a pre-release sample from an event last fall.)

The limited edition line has some interesting characteristics. It comes in three distinct perfecto sizes, from the small Filero (4.5 x 52-42) to the large Chingon (8 x 60-44), and features very original packaging. The cigars are wrapped in tissue paper, then placed in a decorative patterned paper tube, before being packed in boxes of ten. The unique band has stylized OSOK initials and a QR code on the back that sends you to Room 101’s Facebook page.

The blend is comprised of an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Honduran corojo binder, and a combination of Honduran corojo and Dominican piloto ligero filler. I smoked the $10 Trucha size, which is 6.5 inches in length with a ring gauge that’s 19 at the foot and 50 at it’s widest point.

It’s a good looking cigar with a milk chocolate wrapper and a bit of shine. It’s well-constructed, with an open draw and an ash that holds for well-over an inch.

Once I light up the OSOK I find distinctly dry flavors: cedar, toast, slight cinnamon, and black pepper that hits the back of he tongue. It’s a medium-bodied cigar that lets off highly aromatic, cedary smoke. As it develops, it sheds some of its dryness. Earth and roasted flavors develop as the cigar gets near the 50% mark but, by the end, the dominant cedar flavor is back with vengeance.

If you like dry, cedar-driven smokes, then this is a must-try. But if you, like me, prefer more nuance and complexity, the one-dimensional aspect of the Room 101 may not be a big hit. Considering the price, I’d much prefer the Room 101 San Andres or Conjura. That doesn’t mean OSOK is a bad cigar. I rather enjoyed the first 30 minutes. I just didn’t find it interesting enough for an hour and a half cigar. The next time I smoke one, I’ll certainly be reaching for the smaller Filero. In the end, the Room 101 One Shot One Kill Trucha earns 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

This cigar boasts a lovely wrapper, excellent construction, and more flavors than you’ll find in a collection of three-star restaurant menus. This Illusione vitola, introduced in 2010, has become a favorite since I smoked my first one only a month or so ago.

I’ve read that the blend has no ligero and that seems believable. Le Matin is no nicotine horse choker. Instead, it’s a medium strength, complex cigar that, to me, can compete with any cigar in the world.

In fact, if there’s someone who’s convinced Cubans are the only ones worth smoking, I recommend Le Matin. Pour whatever you like to drink, light up this 6.75-inch lightly pressed cigar, and prepare to spend 90 minutes or more enthralled. The 46 ring gauge Nicaraguan puro burns slowly and cool with a tight ash.

It’s difficult to enumerate the flavors without sounding like a tasting wheel. There’s a sweetness in parts that lingers on the finish, a variety of floral notes, a bite at points that complements the spicy notes, and coffee undertones sprinkled throughout.

Like other creations of Don Giolito—interestingly, another cigar master and musician—Le Matin isn’t the easiest cigar to find. Frankly, I don’t think I’d seen it until recently when I quickly stocked up.

At around $11 per stick, the price may be a bit steep. But I can only tell you it’s worth every penny. If you aren’t initially committed to giving Le Matin the time and attention it deserves, you’ll probably find yourself abandoning whatever plans you had to focus on the cigar shortly after lighting up.

When Cigar Aficionado named Le Matin No. 7 on its list of top cigars for 2010, the magazine wrote about Giolito’s “impeccable quality.” I can only concur. For me, this is, without question, a smoke worthy of a rare rating of 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

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.”

Many are quick to compare the Undercrown line, which debuted about a year ago, to Drew Estate’s famed Liga Privada No. 9 blend. I understand the interest in comparing the two but, the more I smoke it, the more I find Undercrown to be an excellent creation in its own right. The Belicoso (6 x 52) is no exception. It boasts a balanced, medium-bodied profile of coffee, peanut, spice, and mocha along with superb physical properties. This is an easy smoke to recommend and a solid buy at around $7, especially if you like San Andreas-wrapped cigars.

Verdict = Buy.

–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.”

Even though Cigar Aficionado dubbed the Prensado the “Cigar of the Year,” I must confess I haven’t smoked one in at least a year. Unintentionally, my colleague posted some skeptical thoughts about the cigar the day after the best-of-2011 announcement, which garnered considerable support in the comments. Still, when this Churchill-sized version of the Prensado (it’s not clear if this is different at all from the normal Churchill size) showed up in my CRA Sampler, it was one of the first cigars I lit up. Featuring rich dark flavors, including distinctive molasses notes along with cocoa, pepper, and black coffee, it’s not hard to see why the Prensado has garnered high awards, even if the price ($10) is a little steep. Is it the cigar of the year? Probably not if I’m picking. But I still think the Prensado is a very good cigar.

Verdict = Buy.

–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) Though many believe California’s Prop. 29, the misguided proposal to dramatically raise tobacco taxes in the Golden State, was defeated at the polls June 5, victory is far from certain. In fact, the margin is now a razor-thin 15,852 votes—less than a half of a percentage point—out of almost 5 million counted at the time of this writing. Election officials aren’t likely to finish completely checking provisional and mail-in votes for a week or two. About 280,000 ballots remain uncounted, with three counties comprising nearly 65% of the uncounted ballots: Los Angeles (131,177), Fresno (24,500), and Sonoma (23,350). On election night, LA was split almost evenly, Fresno was about 60-40 against, and Sonoma the reverse. If the yet-to-be-counted ballots in those three counties break that way again it would likely be enough to ensure Prop. 29’s defeat. But it’s almost certain to be tight right to the end, and a recount is nearly assured.

2) This week, a widely circulated Associated Press article appeared in top newspapers across the country entitled “Cigar lovers to FDA: A cigar isn’t just a cigar.” As its title suggests, the piece outlines the industry efforts to protect premium handmade cigars from disastrous FDA regulations. Bill Spann, CEO of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association, was quoted heavily. “If you’re going to focus your efforts on regulating tobacco products to meet the spirit and intent of the Tobacco Control Act, where is best to spend those scarce resources—on a tenth of a percent of the market or on a huge chunk of the market?” he asked. “You don’t have a middle-schooler or high-schooler standing on the corner with a $15 Davidoff sticking out of their mouth.”

3) Inside the Industry: In addition to Christian Eiroa’s own brand, CLE Cigars, his Tabacaleras Unidas factory will also be producing Asylum Cigars. Asylum will be launching with three blends, due out in cigar shops soon: Asylum (a medium-bodied Nicaraguan puro), Asylum 13 (a full-bodied smoke), and Schizo (a mixed-filler bundle smoke). Meanwhile, Eiroa’s former brand, Camacho, has launched a new website that the brand is calling “the most dynamic and fully integrated brand website our industry has ever seen.”

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Explorer explores an E.P. Carrillo Short Run No. 4. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Partagas 1845 Corona Extra. Stogie Review reviews a Romeo by Romeo y Julieta. Cigar Inspector inspects an H. Upmann Magnum 48 2009 EL.

5) Deal of the Week: Certain cigars are rarely if ever discounted. But by using some of the coupons on this page you can get 15% off any purchase over $150, including on brands like Illusione, Tatuaje, Viaje, and La Flor Dominicana. (Hurry, the discount expires in 2 days.)

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Defeat Prop. 29

When it heats up in the summer, a beer can be a tremendous refreshing beverage to enjoy with a cigar. But while I enjoy a Mexican beer with lime as much as the next guy, when it comes to pairing up a cigar with a summer beer, I prefer something more flavorful.

On a recent trip to the store, I browsed the seasonal section in search of summer beers that could be simultaneously refreshing and flavorful. Two distinct styles stood out as possessing both characteristics.

Saisons, light pale ales often bottle conditioned and unfiltered, were first brewed in Belgium so farm workers would have something to drink during the late summer harvest, making them excellent summer beers. Meanwhile, Altbiers are a German beer first brewed in the Rineland area that take on many of the lighter, crisper qualities of a lager but maintain some fruity notes.

I selected three Saisons and two Altbiers by American craft brewers, none of which I had tried before, to see how they paired with cigars:

Brooklyn Sorachi Ace

Made by Brookly Brewery, a favorite beer maker of mine (no doubt in part because of my Brooklyn roots), it’s made with rare Japanese Sorachi Ace hops and sells for $8 a bottle (22 oz.). The pour is a hazy golden color and it features citrus, hops, subtle coriander spice, and grass flavors. It’s lemony, crisp, rich, and refreshing. At 7.6% ABV, it’s no lightweight, but it keeps a dry balance that make it an excellent summer beer to pair with cigars.

New Holland Golden Cap

This Saison ($2 for a 12 oz. bottle) features a hazy appearance, medium carbonation, and almost no head. It is heavier than the Sorachi with more hops to accompany pine, lemon, grapefruit, wheat, and yeast. Less complex and crisp than the other Saisoins, it would be a good choice with a yard gar.

Yards Brewing Saison

Brewed by Yards Brewing Company in Philadelphia, this Saison ($2 for a 12 oz. bottle) pours a yellow straw color and generates a medium amount of foam. From my experiences with Saisons, it’s a pretty traditional rendition of the style. Zesty, citrusy, bready, and spicy. It’s far from the most complex beer I’ve ever tried but I think it’s an excellent candidate for pairing up with a medium-bodied Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapped-smoke.

Lagunitas Lucky 13 Alt

If it didn’t have “alt” in the name I certainly wouldn’t associate this May release ($6 for 22 oz.) with the style. Instead, it’s a classic hoppy brew (8.9% ABV) from Lagunitas, who is known for intense, hop-dominated beer. A powerful aroma is followed by a lively combination of caramel, grapefruit, and malt flavors all in excellent balance. This will be a beer I return to often, most likely with a broadleaf maduro cigar.

Full Sail Phil’s Existential Alt

This member of Full Sail’s Brewer’s Share collection is a far more classic interpretation of the Altbier style than the Lagunitas with a 5.1% ABV and a $5 price. Copper-colored and malty, it’s very balanced with hints of caramel, coffee, toast, and citrus. This would make an excellent introduction to anyone who has never before tried an Altbier. As for cigars, something about this works perfectly with a Ecuadorian Habano-wrapped blend.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys