The Stogie Guys

A quick look through our reviews archive and you’ll see that Paul Garmirian cigars have been a favorite of ours. And personally, living only 15 minutes from their home shop, I appreciate my ready access to all their blends (including cigars with nearly 20 years of age), which in many areas are tough to find.

So I was excited to learn earlier this year that PG was coming out with a new blend called Artisan’s Passion. The blend is a “sister cigar” to PG’s Artisan’s Selection cigar, and like the Artisan’s Selection it aims to provide the PG experience in a more value-conscious offering.

Unlike the mild Artisan’s Selection, Artisan’s Passion is a more full-bodied line, which fits in with PG’s two previous releases: the Symphony 20th and the 15th Anniversary blends. Unlike those cigars (which command as much as $20 each), this sells in the $7-9 range.

The cigar comes in three sizes: a Short Robusto (4.5 x 52), a Super Robusto (5 x 54),  and a Toro (6 x 52). I smoked three Toros for this review. Each features a rough but oily wrapper of Dominican origin. Interestingly, a version with an Ecuadorian wrapper was also tested, but ultimately this Dominican wrapper won out.

The cigar is dominated by leather and wood and accompanied by a mustiness that many who smoke cigars made by Davidoff master Henke Kelner will recognize. Artisan’s Passion is not as complex as the PG Symphony 20, but the flavors are similar with peppery spice and oak.

It’s full-bodied as advertised, though the strength fades slightly at the end. Construction is good, with an easy draw, solid ash, and even burn.

For those looking for an introduction to PG cigars, but have been scared off by the often double digit prices, the PG Artisan’s Passion is well worth a try. Just don’t think this is as good as it gets for PG cigars. Both the Symphony 20 and the 15th Anniversary offer similar flavor profiles to but with more complexity, nuance, and balance.

Despite not quite measuring up to those extraordinary though higher-priced blends, there is a lot to like about this new addition to the Paul Garmirian portfolio. That’s why the Artisan’s Passion Toro earns a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Longtime readers may recall my two previous articles on two other Angostura rums: 1919 and 1824. Both are wonderful, but there are some important differences. The former costs around $35 and has a sweet and spicy profile, while the latter runs in the $50-60 range, is more full-flavored, and carries the title of Angostura’s flagship rum.

Like 1919 and 1824, the Seven Year Old is made by the same Trinidad & Tobago-based company that’s better known for its highly concentrated food and beverage flavorings than its rum. Angostura’s beginnings can be traced back to 1824 when a surgeon general in Simón Bolívar’s Venezuelan army sought to improve the appetite and digestive well-being of the soldiers. It wasn’t until 1947 that Angostura began to ferment, distill, age, blend, and bottle rum in Laventille, Trinidad. According to the company’s history, today Angostura produces over 600,000 cases of rum each year, most of which is shipped to America, Great Britain, and other islands in the Caribbean.

The Seven Year Old is made from rums aged 7-10 years in American oak bourbon barrels, filtered through charcoal, and then blended and returned to barrels to allow the various light and dark rums to marry. It is less expensive than its 1919 and 1824 brethren, costing about $22 per 750 ml. bottle (40% alcohol by volume).

The nose of this spirit reminds me of rich caramel, banana, and butterscotch. It has very little alcohol tinge and carries a light copper hue in the glass. The lightness of the Seven Year Old is also apparent in the taste. Each sip begins with a muted introduction that slowly builds into a warm, tingly finish. Flavors include smoke, butter, and chocolate. Leaning toward the mild range of rums, this Angostura is creamy and lacking in spice.

Truth be told, I remain unconvinced that this is a suitable sipping rum. It’s much more serviceable mixed in a rum cocktail. I don’t dislike the Angostura Seven Year Old, but I’d much rather pay the additional $13 for a bottle of 1919 since to get what is—in my opinion—a much finer rum.

That said, don’t let my lack of enthusiasm dissuade you from trying this spirit for yourself. If you don’t care for it, you aren’t out too much money; conversely, if you find it surprisingly good, you’ll have a rum that meets your needs and is easy on the pocketbook. Either way, be sure to pair the Angostura Seven Year Old with a mild- to medium-bodied cigar that won’t drown out its soft profile.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Every once in awhile, my list of cigar industry observations gets long enough that I feel compelled to pull them together so I can turn the page and start anew:

Sloppy websites. This is especially galling from online cigar retailers. Misspellings, dead links, and typos tell customers you lack a commitment to quality. Sure, we all make mistakes. That’s why we all need an editor. Hire a good one to go over your site and review every new posting. It’s money well spent.

House brand discounts. How is it possible to have an MSRP on a cigar made for you that you then mark down? Some no-name bundle packaged for your site or shop and never seen anywhere else has a “list price”? And you’re “discounting” it? Where’s George Carlin when you really need him…

Padrón praise. This company sets an industry standard, thriving without hype or chasing what happens to be hot. With a full line of excellent cigars, Padrón resists trends–like constantly issuing line extensions or “new” blends–and operates with consistent quality and consistency. New entrants in the business could set no higher goal than to emulate Padrón.

Box data. Why aren’t the country origins of wrapper, binder, and filler listed on cigar boxes, at least by those manufacturers who put them on their websites? How is a smoker to make a decision about a cigar he’s not seen before in a shop without some information? We aren’t all walking around yet with a smart phone and a cigar app.

OK, what’s on your list? Let us know.

–George E

photo credit: Flickr

Antonio Lam launched Reinado in the summer of 2010, a line of Nicaraguan puros that’s aged up to five years. “What makes this cigar very special is the fact that it’s got a unique fermentation process being employed, making the flavors extremely rich and smooth for a Nicaraguan puro yet letting a nice spice run right through it,” Lam told me.

Reinado, Spanish for “reign,” is gaining traction at tobacconists across the country as more and more cigar enthusiasts become exposed to the brand through mainstream cigar publications and the online community. I’ve been a fan since last October. That’s when I reviewed the Torpedo, a great smoke with notes of leather, espresso, and cherry.

So when Lam told me he was introducing a new size to the Reinado lineup—a Habanito that measures 4 inches long with a ring gauge of 38—I was more than interested to give it a try. Like the Torpedo, the Habanito has an oily Habano rosado wrapper and a classic-looking maroon and gold band.

Lam tells me he created the Habanito for two reasons. “I wanted to have a shorter smoke for cigar enthusiasts that do not have the time to finish a long smoke,” he says. “Secondly, I wanted to have the Reinado blend in a more compact, concentrated format where the flavors and spices could take center stage.”

The spices definitely take center stage from the outset, driving a taste that’s reminiscent of cayenne pepper and allspice. As these sensations tend to hit the tip of the tongue, the rest of the palate experiences flavors more in tune with the aforementioned Torpedo, including cherry and espresso. The profile becomes more rounded as the Habanito progresses. Conscientious smokers will notice the additions of leather and floral hints in the final third.

Throughout the short—yet slow-burning—smoke, the construction is excellent. I noticed even burns, moderate draws, and solid, finely layered ashes across the samples I smoked for this review.

Lam tells me he’s thinking about making the Habanito with a Connecticut wrapper in the near future. “The combination may be incredible,” he says. I’d enjoy trying that, too. For now, though, I can’t help but sing the praises of the Reinado Habanito, an excellent way to get tons of spicy, balanced flavors in a short format. For bringing a big taste right from the starting line and not overstaying its welcome, this cigar is worthy 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.”

Friday was my birthday, which seemed like a good reason to light up this well-constructed limited edition Cohiba. It had the quintessential characteristics of a Cuban cigar—sweet cocoa and earth—but in a more intense variety than any Habano I’ve smoked recently. It reminded me of a more focused version of the Montecristo Sublime. Though the $30 price tag is daunting, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this cigar. It has continued to develop since I the last time I smoked it, and age has only improved this tasty smoke.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

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 addition to EO Brands‘ popular 601 line has been overshadowed by the firm’s new dynamo, La Bomba. And there’s some confusion because the 601 line had included a now-discontinued stick with a Connecticut wrapper. The new Natural—also known as the 601 White Label—is a stouter smoke, with Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos providing pepper, particularly in the first half. I also picked up some of the hay and grass often associated with Connecticut tobacco, as well as pine and cedar. A tasty cigar, if not all that distinctive from several similar concoctions already on the market.

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) The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, one of the largest universities in the country, may be on the verge of adopting an outdoor smoking ban, which would include such spaces as the Quad (pictured). The restrictive regulation is supposedly intended to “promote healthier living” but, as the Daily Illini reports, “it is not the University’s role to force faculty members and students to quit…Non-smokers are exposed to smoke outside for just a few seconds. The inconvenience and health risks are minimal.” At least 530 U.S. colleges and universities enforce a complete campus ban, according to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation.

2) We’ve written before about why we love premium tobacco. Gordon K. Hurd of TheSlowMan.com has a new piece about why he smokes cigars and why you should too. Among his reasons: cigars are pleasing in a fundamental way, they’re challenging, and they have a finite start and finish. Check out the article here.

3) Inside the Industry: Prometheus is introducing the 2011 Limited Edition Fuente Story Humidor featuring an impressive selection of 50 Fuente Don Arturo Gran AniverXario cigars. Living up to it’s new name, the Toraño Family Cigar Company announced the hiring of family member Jack Toraño as the marketing and customer relations manager.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the Casa Magna Domus Magnus Limited. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Illusione MK Ultra. Smoking Stogie lights up the Oliva Master Blends 2. A Cigar Smoker smokes the Room 101  LTD Namakubi.

5) Deal of the Week: Just $45 gets you a nice selection of classic CAO cigars. Included are two each of the Brazilia, Gold, Cameroon, Italia, and MX2, plus a five-pack of little MX2 “Daggers” and a CAO hat.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: UIUC