The 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.”

Released in 2009 by cigar maker Alec Bradley, the Prensado blend sports a box press and a corojo wrapper that’s grown in Trojes, Honduras. I reviewed the Robusto (5 x 50) back in July 2010 and recently decided to spark up another that I had been storing since late 2009, just to see how time had impacted the flavors. What I found was a cigar that has the same basic profile—black pepper, coffee, a chalky texture, some sweetness—but is slightly more toned down. I’m still underwhelmed by this blend, and I think the price point is too high, even though the cost seems to have come down from the original MSRP of $10.

Verdict = Sell.

–Patrick A

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 Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative, a nonprofit funded by left-leaning foundations, is calling for a 333% increase in state excise htaxes on premium cigars and other non-cigarette tobacco products. The same group helped push an alcohol tax increase through the General Assembly in the previous legislative session. But the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) is vowing to help defeat the proposal. “Maryland voters are sick of increased taxes disguised to obscure government over-spending and they are tired of being told what to do and how to behave,” said Bill Spann, CEO of IPCPR.

2) In last month’s “Question of the Month,” we asked readers how regularly they light up a premium handmade cigar. “A couple each week” topped the poll with 31% of the vote, followed by “just a few each month” (23%), “almost daily” (20%), “at least every day” (13%), and “two or more cigars every day” (13%). Be sure to weigh in on this month’s question by voting in the sidebar to the right. And feel free to contact us if you’ve got suggestion for a future poll.

3) Around the Blogs: Top cigar lists for 2011 continue at Cigar Fan, Stogie Review, Nice Tight Ash, Cigar Brief, and Cigar Inspector.

4) Deal of the Week: This New Years Resolution sampler features 10 cigars for $35. Included are five Rocky Patel Sun Grown Torpedos and five House Resolution Torpedos, a new cigar made by JC Newman that was named in honor of the bill to protect cigars from FDA control.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

Bulleit has been making bourbon since 1999, but its rye is a new and welcome development. Introduced last March, Bulleit Rye is a new twist on that classic American spirit, rye whiskey.

Bulleit is most notable for it’s high rye content. In order to be a rye, a whiskey must use at least 51% rye mash, supplemented by corn, barley, and wheat. Bulleit surpasses that minimum by leaps and bounds with 95% (the highest of any production rye), with just 5% barley.

The result is a whiskey full of character that is quintessentially rye. It has a deep copper color with a nose of fruit, toffee, and oak.

On the palate, the Bulleit Rye Whiskey really begins to shine. It has the spice I’ve come to expect from rye, but not the overwhelming amount that you’d think a spirit made with 95% rye would. Instead, it’s a remarkably balanced, somewhat dry combination of crisp apple, pepper, wood, rock sugar, wood, and toffee. The finish has sweetness, nuts, and woody pepper.

All in all, there’s everything to like about the Bulleit Rye, including the price, which is a most reasonable $25. For that price, the balanced, complex rye is a tremendous value.

The complex spice makes for an excellent accompaniment to a cigar. Spicy Honduran smokes (like the CAO OSA or Humo Jaguar) and earthy Nicaraguans (like the Tatuaje Brown Label or Padrón 1964) go equally well. Spicier Dominican smokes like the Fuente Opus X and La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero also make for a good pairing.

No matter your choice of cigar, whiskey fans—whether bourbon aficionados, Scotch connoisseurs, or rye enthusiasts—should give the Bulleit Rye a try. It’s the rare combination of cheap, tasty, and unique, which has quickly made it a staple in my collection.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In December, I reviewed the Habano Oscuro from the reinvented Tiant Cigar Group, and I was impressed. I later received an email from Daniel Tiant who was prodding me to try the Habano Rosado blend since, in his words, it has more complexity than the Oscuro.

Daniel is the son of Cuban-born baseball legend Luis Tiant, known to many simply as “El Tiante.” Tiant launched his own line of cigars in 2007 (around the time of the 25th anniversary of his final major league game) and only recently unveiled the two new blends that serve as the cornerstone of the company’s reintroduction: Habano Oscuro and Habano Rosado. Each is made at Don Pepin Garcia’s My Father Cigars Factory with Ecuadorian-seed wrappers and Nicaraguan binders and fillers.

Why scratch the company’s original creations and launch two entirely new blends? “I wanted a more serious image with our cigar company, and that is the reason we recreated our cigar bands, boxes, and overall presentation,” Daniel told me.

Both new blends come in four vitolas that retail for $6.80 to $8.60 apiece: Pyramid (6 x 52), Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 x 50), and Toro Gordo (6 x 60). They are sold mostly in the New England area, including shops in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire, but are also available at several locales in Florida. Daniel is looking to expand distribution nationwide.

The Habano Rosado Toro has a nice triple-cap, a firm feel in the hand, and a clean, silky exterior leaf. The pre-light aroma is mostly earthy with a touch of sweet cocoa. The maroon band is easily removed and the cold draw has just the right amount of resistance.

Where the Habano Oscuro starts with a chary, chewy Nicaraguan zing, the Habano Rosado has a jasmine-like floral taste with notes of toast, cinnamon spice, and a toffee sweetness on the finish. This is an entirely different cigar with a more medium-bodied profile (the Oscuro is a bold, full-bodied smoke). Still, the spiciness makes it no pushover, and the complexity makes it quite interesting.

As the straight burn line works down the cigar and the white ash builds off the foot, I notice that the resting smoke has a pronounced sweetness. I also notice that the taste of the cigar mellows halfway through with some of the spice giving way to more sweet notes. The overall balance of the profile from this point to the end is how I will remember the Toro, and perhaps the main reason why I look forward to smoking more of this blend.

Now I can see why Daniel prefers the Habano Rosado to the Habano Oscuro. I’d have to agree with him, giving the Rosado a slight edge over its partner in crime and awarding it four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Tomorrow, Clemson and West Virginia will face off in the Orange Bowl, but freedom already lost when anti-tobacco lobbyists and three U.S. senators successfully bullied the Orange Bowl into canceling their three-year sponsorship deal with Camacho Cigars.

In early December, Camacho Cigars, a subsidiary of premium cigarmaker Davidoff of Geneva, announced their partnership with the Orange Bowl to be a “corporate partner” of the game for the next three years and for the BCS Championship game in 2013 when the site of the Orange Bowl would host the biggest game in college football. The deal included cigar lounges at the site of the game, and Orange Bowl officials praised the deal saying, “We pride ourselves in affiliating with quality brands, especially those with strong South Florida ties, like Camacho Cigars.”

But the praise didn’t last long. Anti-smoking lobbying groups got wind of the new partnership and quickly began complaining: “The association of cigar smoking with one of the nation’s top collegiate sporting events sends the wrong message to impressionable young fans and helps market cigars as athletic, masculine, and cool,” the groups wrote in a letter to the Orange Bowl Committee and the NCAA.

Soon, anti-tobacco politicians were piling on. Three Democrat senators (Dick Durbin, Frank Lautenberg, and Richard Blumenthal) wrote to demand the game drop Camacho as a sponsor, writing, “Tobacco has no place in sports, and the promotion of cigars at the Orange Bowl sends the wrong message to young fans.”

Faced with this professional PR campaign and the implicit threat of three powerful senators, the Orange Bowl caved and canceled its sponsorship with Camacho, which it had so proudly announced two weeks earlier.

The whole incident shows the hysteria and propaganda that the are the basis of the anti-tobacco movement. Take a look at some of the other sponsors and you’ll be unable to come to any other conclusion:

No one blinks an eye at the fact that Bacardi and Bud Light are sponsors, apparently “promoting” alcohol towards minors by being sponsors. Meanwhile, Orange Bowl partners Taco Bell, Frito Lay, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and Coca Cola are “promoting” horrible health that kills millions who suffer from obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Then there’s Bank of America, perhaps the most offensive sponsor of the game. They took billions in tax dollars for a bailout after helping ruin the American economy by significantly contributing to the mortgage crisis, but no one is clamoring for the Orange Bowl to drop them.

And yet, according to these zealots, “tobacco has no place in sports” and “cigars are just as harmful to [one’s] health as cigarettes.” Even though both claims are demonstrably untrue.

Ultimately, that’s the difference between us cigar smokers and the anti-tobacco crazies. We just want adults to be able to have the choice to enjoy a cigar if they want to. They lie and threaten to stop adults from having that choice.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Flickr

How often do you get the chance to strike a blow for democracy, support your hobby, and win cigars? Well, step right up. Here’s your opportunity.

But before we get to the contest, I must confess that I had been trying to come up with a giveaway idea ever since I received a two-cigar “Blogger Edition” pack of the new Montecristo New York Connoisseur Edition (review here). I was also thinking about trying once again to generate more support for legislation barring the Food & Drug Administration from regulating premium handmade cigars when—voilà!—I realized could shamelessly combine the two.

If you’re a regular Stogie Guys reader, you know we’re big supporters of this bill. Passage would be a landmark event. And we need everyone to join the effort.

So, how does this contest tie in? Well, it begins with the assumption that Stogie Guys readers are honorable folks because we’ll take your word that you did what needs to be done before you enter. And what do you need to do? Simply contact your representative and/or senators to urge support of the legislation in their chamber and leave a comment here. If both your senators and your representative have signed on (currently possible only in Florida), just note that in your comment. If you’ve already appealed to your elected officials, write that in your comment.

For those who haven’t acted, here are links to make it easy. If you don’t know your representative, go here. You’ll also find a link to the rep’s website that includes contact info. Then, to find out whether he or she is a cosponsor of the bill, known as HR1639, click on Thomas. Go to “Legislation in Current Congress” in the middle of the page, highlight the “Bill Number” button, type HR1639 in the window, and click SEARCH. On the new page, click Cosponsors. If your rep’s name isn’t there, you need to get in touch.

My strong preference would be for you to compose your own email or postal letter, or call the office rather than sign a petition or use a form letter urging support for HR1639. Your own words have much more impact. Again, though, how you do it is up to you. You can find more on the bills by searching Stogie Guys and checking in at Cigar Rights of America.

For the Senate, it’s pretty straightforward. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) introduced the bill (S1461) and his GOP counterpart, Marco Rubio, is a cosponsor. The only others signed on are Democrat Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Republican Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. You’ll find senators by state with contact information here.

When you’re done, leave a comment. We’ll keep it open for a week and then randomly select a winner of the two Montecristo New York Connoisseur Edition cigars. Please enter only once. Be sure to include your email address in the appropriate field so we can contact you if you win. And if you’re interested, here’s the fine print.

Good luck. This is one contest where we can all be winners.

–George E

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) ’Tis the season for giving, and the Toraño Family Cigar Co. has stepped up to the philanthropic plate, hosting its second annual toy drive on December 7. The event benefited Neat Stuff for Kids, a nonprofit that provides new clothing to children from abused and underprivileged homes. Over 300 guests attended the Miami event, each bringing an unwrapped toy in exchange for free Toraño cigars, drinks, and gourmet Spanish cuisine. “We appreciate the support we receive from our community here in South Florida and the best way to show that appreciation is to give back to those who need help the most,” said Charlie Toraño (pictured). “Neat Stuff for Kids is truly an amazing organization that touches the lives of underprivileged children every day.”

2) If you like lists, Cigar Journal (formerly European Cigar Cult Journal) has released its Finest Cigars of 2011. The magazine says the 25-cigar list was compiled from its reviews during the year, with only the best chosen for inclusion. The top three include the Padrón Family Reserve No. 85 Maduro, San Lotano Oval Robusto, and Master by Carlos Toraño.

3) Inside the Industry: The highly anticipated Litto Gomez Small Batch No. 4 from La Flor Dominicana is now hitting retail shops. This year’s blend is a Dominican puro with a pelo de oro wrapper. Only 240 boxes of the cigars were made, and each smoke will sell for $19. In addition, La Flor is releasing a Cameroon-wrapped Chisel and the Factory Press IV.

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Fan examines the Arturo Fuente Sun Grown Magnum R52. Smoking Stogie reveals the top five cigars of 2011. Cigar Explorer reviews the Trinidad Short Robusto T LE 2010. Tiki Bar names the Four Kicks the best cigar of the year.

5) Deal of the Week: To help you ring in the New Year, this special deal gets you 10 cigars for under $30. Inlcuded are smokes from La Aurora, Don Pepin Garcia, La Gloria Cubana, Perdomo, Toraño, Punch, and more. Or you can double-up for a total $50.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys