The 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) Lawmakers in Minnesota introduced House File No. 188, which would provide modest yet much-needed relief from the state’s restrictive smoking ban. If passed, the law would grant an exemption for bars that meet certain ventilation regulations and have separate dining areas. “This is a step in the right direction,” reads a CRA press release. “The bill is currently in the House Health and Human Services Reform Committee. We hope you let committee members know of your support.”

2) We finally have a Facebook page, where you can interact with other readers, comment on discussions, and more. Also, be sure to join our Facebook group, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to our newsletter.

3) Cigar Rights Alerts: New Mexico politicians proposed a bill that would boost the state’s cigar tax from 25% to 57%. The Indiana House endorsed a statewide smoking ban, but other legislative hurdles have yet to be cleared. A Nebraska judge declared the state’s smoking ban exemption for cigar bars and cigar shops to be unconstitutional, on the grounds it is “special legislation” for a specific group.

4) Around the Blogs: Tiki Bar smokes the Drew Estate Liga Privada JD4. A Cigar Smoker reviews the Davidoff 2000. Cigarfan enjoys the Toraño Single Region Serie Jalapa. Cigar Inspector evaluates the Ashton VSG Enchantment. Smoking Stogie fires up a Punch Serie d’Oro No. 1.

5) Deal of the Week: Famous Smoke Shop is offering free UPS ground shipping when you buy any box or bundle from almost 200 brands, including Tatuaje, 601, Perdomo, Oliva, Rocky Patel, La Flor Dominicana, CAO, Davidoff, Pinar del Rio, and more. Click here to peruse the possibilities.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

The storm that hit the Washington area last night not only blanketed snow on the region and made the evening commute hellish, it also knocked out power in much of the area. That means we aren’t able to post today’s regularly-scheduled article. While we wait for power to be restored, we’ll leave you with the following question: What cigar do you turn to when the weather gets really cold?

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

It often seems impossible to find a place to kick back with a cigar these days. Here in Virginia, site of StogieGuys.com’s global headquarters, our state’s politicians have forced hundreds of businesses to enact smoke-free policies, limiting the number of safe havens to just a handful.

It was that Virginia smoking ban that inspired Stephen Boyajian to found CigarFriendly.us, a searchable database of over 2,000 cigar-friendly restaurants, bars, clubs, and cigar shops. And so, on December 3, 2009, just two days after Virginia’s smoking ban went into effect, Cigar Friendly officially launched.

“I didn’t really think the ban would alter my habits very much and assumed my local spot, a cigar lounge on the 3rd floor of a upscale restaurant, would be exempt,” Boyajian wrote over email. “Sometime in November we learned that while the location met the criteria of having doors to separate it from the non-smoking section, it lacked the secondary criteria: ventilation.”

“I hadn’t lived in the area very long and had no idea where else I could go,” Boyajain continued. “I talked to a few people on Facebook and Twitter and came to the realization that many people had the same problem I had. It was really a no-brainer from there. I had been doing web development for over a decade, I might as well use my skills to build something useful.”

Steve is a proud member of Cigar Rights of America and a self-described “cigar enthusiast who enjoys promoting the greatest aspect of the hobby: the friendship.” Through Cigar Friendly and his new magazine, The Cigar Network, his goal is “to educate people and bring the cigar community closer together.”

As a cigar rights supporter, Boyajian opposes smoking bans, but when a new smoking ban is forced onto cigar smokers, he makes sure that Cigar Friendly keeps pace. “We do our best in situations like this, although sometimes it’s unclear who is exempt and who is not. When we aren’t certain we will usually call and verify. We’ll also do this when adding a new location if we can’t find proof online that the business is either still around or can allow smoking,” he said.

“One of the best features we added was the ability for site users to mark a location as ‘No Longer Cigar Friendly’. This can be used for any reason, be it a smoking ban, a smoking establishment that simply no longer allows cigars, or even if the location has gone out of business,” wrote Boyajian.

As of this writing, the site has 2,131 cigar-friendly listings in 47 countries and every state except Vermont and Utah (both have 100% smoking bans in all workplaces). To find a location near you visit CigarFriendly.us today, and if you find a location not yet listed, do cigar smokers everywhere a favor and add it.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Cigar Friendly

One thing’s for certain about Rocky Patel: He makes a heck of a lot of cigars. Rocky’s flashy website doesn’t even bother to mention many of his blends, be they seasonal, limited editions, retailer exclusives, or what have you.

But you can bet his most popular lines are listed online, including Vintage ’90 and ’92, Decade, 1961, Sun Grown, and Olde World Reserve. The latter was introduced at the 2005 industry trade show (back then the IPCPR was called RTDA), and then re-blended and re-introduced in 2006. Since, both Olde World Reserve versions—the Costa Rican-wrapped Maduro and the Corojo—have garnered praise from the mainstream cigar media and enthusiasts alike.

Some even go so far as to compare Olde World Reserve to the Padrón Anniversary series. Rocky, on the other hand, is more interested in internal comparisons. On his website, he lists the line as “a full-bodied smoking experience that combines the smooth complexity of the Vintage series with the earthy strength of The Edge.”

Three vitolas are available in the Olde World Reserve portfolio, each comprising Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos and sleeved in decorative tissue paper: Robusto (5.5 x 54), Toro (6.5 x 52), and Torpedo (5 x 54). The Torpedo is black—and I mean jet black—with an oily, mottled exterior leaf. It has a firm feel, a clear pre-light draw, and a subtle fragrance of sweet cedar.

That subtle fragrance transitions into a bold, full-bodied aroma as the foot is toasted. So it isn’t surprising that the initial flavor is rich and powerful, encompassing notes of black pepper, moist chocolate cake, espresso, and toffee. Later, cream and roasted nuts develop as the cigar’s thick, dense smoke coats the palate. All the while the Torpedo’s combustion qualities are very good. They include a finely layered gray ash and a fairly straight burn line.

When the Olde World Reserve Maduro first came out, it fetched around $10-11 apiece. These days, you can get a box of 20 Torpedos for $160 ($8 per cigar) at Citizen Cigar. That makes this smoke a much more attractive investment, and one that’s a smart buy if you’re looking for a sweet, complex maduro. It may not be on par with the Padrón Anniversary series—most cigars aren’t—but this Rocky Patel creation is worthy of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

There are a few cigar makers whose products I rarely pick up. Sometimes it’s because they market so many different sticks I can’t remember which ones I like and which ones I don’t; sometimes it’s because I’ve smoked a number of their cigars and didn’t find any appealing, so I gave up.

Alec Bradley falls into the second category. My experience with The Freak was typical: “I certainly wouldn’t call this a bad cigar; it’s just not a cigar I’m particularly interested in smoking again.”

But after reading and hearing good things about the Family Blend, including a rank of 16 in Cigar Aficionado‘s best cigars of 2009, I thought I’d give it a try. According to Alec Bradley’s website, the cigars were created “expressly” for the fathers of the firm’s three top execs. I’ve read also that they were handed out, unbanded, at events. Initially, only a robusto (5.5 x 50) was produced. Now, there are four other sizes (though the website still says it’s only available as a robusto).

The blend combines Honduran and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos with an Indonesian binder and a Honduran wrapper. Purchased as a single, the robusto, known as the VR1, sells for about $6.50. I’ve smoked a couple of robustos, the MR23, and the six-inch BX2.

I found all similar in taste, appearance, and performance. Each experienced minor burn problems along the way, with none burning straight from beginning to end and at least two requiring relights. The sticks also produced fairly thin, light smoke.

Unfortunately, I find myself with thoughts similar to those I had for The Freak: an OK cigar, but not particularly interesting or compelling. I wanted to smoke a few Family Blends before reaching any conclusions, and I feel I have done that. My conclusion: I don’t plan to smoke any more.

Again, this isn’t a bad cigar. Just not one that appeals to me. Obviously, others feel differently and you might, too. For me, though, it fits squarely in the three stogies out of five rating range.

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

–George E

photo credit: Ning

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.”

Like the original Hammer + Sickle, this Connecticut broadleaf-wrapped maduro is crafted by Davidoff master blender Henke Kelner and features Dominican binder and filler tobaccos. Only 10,000 cigars were made, packaged in black crystal ten-count boxes. The thick toro (6 x 54) is perfectly constructed. The flavors are a classic full-bodied maduro, with coffee, wood, and earth. As such, the line is a radical departure from almost everything else blended by Kelner. Even if Moscow City is a bit pricey at over $10 each, it’s an interesting smoke worth a try, particularly for those who enjoy full-bodied maduro cigars.

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) John Anderson and Matt Krimm, proprietors of W. Curtis Draper, this week announced the purchase of Bethesda Tobacco, a cigar shop located eight miles away from their Washington location. The move marks Draper’s first foray outside DC in its 123-year history. Paul Spence, formerly a sales manager with CAO, has been named managing partner and general manager of the Bethesda store, which will be renamed W. Curtis Draper Bethesda. “John and Matt are true tobacconists,” said Mike Copperman, former owner of Bethesda Tobacco. “I wouldn’t entrust Bethesda Tobacco, or its customers, to anyone else.”

2) On January 14, President Obama announced more relaxed rules for interactions with Cuba. While the new policies fall far short of ending the embargo, they ease restrictions on travel and allow for U.S. citizens to send money to Cubans more frequently. Unfettered travel still isn’t allowed, but the State Department will issue more visas for “purposeful travel” including journalism, education, religious, and humanitarian travel.

3) Inside the Industry: The Jameson Cigar Co. is introducing the SouthBound Series Latitude, a Pennsylvania broadleaf-wrapped blend that will be offered in bundles of 20 for $62-64. Miraculous Templar, a new Dominican manufacturer, has debuted its inaugural blend, with each of the line’s three sizes available in 50-count boxes with either a Sumatra or a Maduro wrapper.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the San Lotano Habano. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Gran Habano Gran Reserva. Cigar Fan smokes the Montecristo Cabinet Selección. Cigar Inspector inspects a Dona Flor Reserva Especial.  The Illusione cg4 and the Fuente Añejo No. 46 top the list at YourCigarRatings.com.

5) Deal of the Week: Citizen Cigar is featuring two awesome specials. Orders over $65 earn a free five-pack of Don Pepin cigars (Blue Label, Serie JJ, Serie JJ Maduro, Cuban Classic, and Vegas Cubana). And orders over $120 earn a free five-pack of Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Maduro Torpedos in addition to the Don Pepin sampler.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: W. Curtis Draper