The Stogie Guys

As popular as the Dominican-made La Gloria Cubana line has been for General Cigar, the Cuban incarnation is less visible than most of its Havana brethren. Case in point: Habanos SA, Cuba’s state-owned tobacco monopoly, relegates La Gloria to “local brand” status.

That’s a step below “niche brand” (i.e., Trinidad and San Cristobal), two steps below “multi-local” (i.e., Bolivar and Punch), and a far cry from “global” (i.e., Cohiba and Montecristo). I’m not sure these classifications mean much in the grand scheme of things. Do they indicate production volumes? Quality?

At any rate, La Gloria isn’t as prominent or widespread as the likes of Romeo y Julieta or Hoyo de Monterrey. But this brand is no newcomer. Cigars started being produced under the La Gloria Cubana name 125 years ago. Since then, the brand has weathered three ownership changes and one Cuban revolution. Today, it boasts seven commercially available vitolas, each made at the Partagas Factory using tobaccos from the Vuelta Abajo region.

The Médaille d’Or No. 2 (6.75 x 43) is one of four cigars in La Gloria’s slender Médaille d’Or series. It is a lonsdale-shaped smoke that fetches around $15 apiece. Caramel in color and relatively firm to the touch, it has a lumpy, rough-looking wrapper with a few prominent veins and noticeable seams. Not much to look at.

Once lit, the cigar’s pre-light fragrance of hay and honey transitions to a medium-bodied profile of graham cracker spice, roasted nuts, and sweet cedar. There’s also an aftertaste present that I can only describe as a tang—a unique sensation that can also be found in other smokes like the Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill.

At the midway point and thereafter, it becomes clear that the Médaille d’Or No. 2 isn’t going to transition much. I can see some enthusiasts being dismayed by this, especially in a long, slow-burning cigar that requires a significant time commitment. But the flavor’s balance easily keeps me satisfied throughout the smoke despite its consistency.

Do the construction characteristics leave something to be desired? Yes. Like many Cubans these days, the Médaille d’Or No. 2 requires touch-ups to maintain an even burn. And the draw varied somewhat between the three cigars I examined for this review. Notwithstanding its physical faults, however, this La Gloria Cubana is a fine selection if you’re looking for a Cuban that’s outside the mainstream. It earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Cigar smokers interested in the politicized (and often outright phony) “science” that anti-tobacco activists use to fuel their push for expanded smoking bans, higher tobacco taxes, and more burdensome regulation of tobacco products should make Dr. Michael Siegel’s Tobacco Analysis blog a daily read.

Dr. Siegel is a professor at Boston University’s School of Public Health with over 25 years of experience in the field of tobacco control, much of it advocating workplace smoking bans. However, in recent years, Dr. Siegel has spent his time debunking exaggerated claims put forth by anti-tobacco zealots.

As part of his work, Dr. Siegel documented the ten worst lies of 2010. The entire list is well worth a read. Especially noteworthy is the top “lie of the year” by the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office:

The Lie: (1) “Even brief exposure to secondhand smoke can cause cardiovascular disease and could trigger acute cardiac events, such as heart attack.”; (2) “Inhaling even the smallest amount of tobacco smoke can also damage your DNA, which can lead to cancer.”

The Rest of the Story: It is simply not true that even brief exposure to secondhand smoke can cause cardiovascular disease. Luckily, it takes many years of exposure before the process of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) can occur. Fortunately as well, inhaling the smallest amount of tobacco smoke does not lead to cancer. While the Surgeon General is correct in asserting that the tiniest amount of tobacco smoke can damage your DNA, it simply is not true that someone who inhales the tiniest amount of tobacco smoke may well develop cancer because of it. There is certainly no evidence to support such a statement.

The United States Surgeon General’s Office (part of the U.S. Public Health Service) is funded entirely by taxpayers and is the most prominent advocate for public health in the country. It was this that lead Siegel to conclude that the Surgeon General’s lie was the most egregious: “Given the influence of the Surgeon General’s statements on anti-smoking groups and the prominence of the Surgeon General’s statements in the media, the assertion that even a brief tobacco smoke exposure can cause heart disease and lung cancer is likely to be used successfully by anti-smoking groups to support an ever-increasingly aggressive agenda of banning smoking just about everywhere.”

–Patrick S

photo credit: Wikipedia

Robert Levin founded Ashton Cigars in 1985 when he left Holt’s Cigar Company, a Philadelphia retailer his parents founded in the late ’50s. He has since grown Ashton into one of the world’s most respected cigar manufacturers.

Today, in partnership with the Fuente Family, the company’s portfolio extends well beyond the Ashton brand, including San Cristobal, La Aroma de Cuba, and Sosa. The latter rarely shares the limelight with the other two, and it definitely doesn’t command the attention of such Ashton notables as Cabinet Selection, Virgin Sun Grown, and Estate Sun Grown.

But Sosa, made by the Fuentes in the Dominican Republic, is a fine selection if you’re looking for Ashton quality but don’t want to pay Ashton prices.

That’s what you get with the Wavell Natural (5 x 50). It can be found for less than $5, especially if you’re buying by the box. It features an oily, sepia-colored Ecuador Sumatra wrapper, Dominican binder and filler tobaccos, and soft pre-light aromas of honey and cinnamon.

The cinnamon note carries over to the first puff, where it is accompanied by flavors of dry cedar, cashew, and earth. This is a satisfying, albeit familiar, combination that’s toasty and medium in body.

Sweetness, ginger, and graham cracker spice help expand the Wavell’s profile past the first third. Here, the robusto-sized smoke displays a balance that’s lacking from many cigars twice its price. As an added bonus, the resting smoke is fragrant enough to keep my mouth watering between puffs.

Complementing the taste are top-notch physical properties. The band removes easily, the burn progresses evenly without touch-ups, the draw remains consistent and smooth, and the white ash builds solidly off the foot.

Despite short flickers of bitter notes in the final third, the Sosa Wavell Natural is a wonderful value and a strong candidate for a box purchase. I look forward to sampling Ashton’s two other Sosa varieties: the Ecuador Sumatra-wrapped Exclusive Series and the Mexican maduro-wrapped Super Selection. Meanwhile, this affordably priced creation earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In the first 2011 issue of “Random Thoughts from the Humidor” I examine the politics of Santa’s pipe smoking, Mayor Bloomberg’s war on salt, and football:

Santa Smokes

The anti-smokers may have hit a new low. Joseph Banzhaf, head of the militant anti-smoking group Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), is politicizing Santa Claus to push his militant anti-tobacco agenda. Banzhaf claims in a press release that St. Nick was quitting his beloved pipe, even though a clay pipe has been associated with Santa Claus for as long as there has been a Santa Clause. In fact, the St. Nicholas Center traces Santa’s pipe smoking back to a book written by Washington Irving in 1809.

Dealing with Whiny Anti-Smokers

As I walked the snow-filled but unplowed streets of New York City after Christmas with a cigar in hand, I got a disappointing (if not unexpected) response from one of my fellow snowed-in New Yorkers. My fellow pedestrian felt the need to comment on how she “couldn’t stand the smell” of my Tatuaje. I thought about explaining to her how if she felt that way she should oppose Mayor Bloomberg’s smoking ban which forced me to take my smoking outside, or retorting that I couldn’t stand the sound of her shrill complaining. Ultimately, though, I just laughed and crossed the street when I was able to find a crosswalk that wasn’t blocked by a mountain of snow.

The Nanny State Doesn’t Just Impact Smokers

Mike Bloomberg hasn’t only declared war on smoking. He has also declared war on salt, soda, and other “unhealthy” foods. I couldn’t help thinking of this war on salt as the streets of New York remained uncleared and unsalted. My sentiment was summed up well in Eric Felton’s Wall Street Journal article, “The War on Good Taste” (worth the full read): “Perhaps if Mayor Michael Bloomberg spent less time keeping salt off our tables and more time getting salt on the streets, New York roads might have been passable this week.”

Cigars at the Ballgame

Yesterday I attended the Giants-Redskins game at FedEx Field outside Washington, DC. People complain about the gameday experience there, but one plus is the Montecristo Lounge, where you can fire up a cigar in the stadium. It amazes me that so few other stadiums have embraced cigar lounges. During this particular game, the lounge was full of ticket-holders drinking $8 beers and buying up cigars. How is this not a win-win for sports teams and their tobacco-enjoying fans?

–Patrick S

photo credit: St. Nicholas Center

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.”

I picked up this oak barrel-aged Belicoso (6.25 x 52) at a local tobacconist for about $8. It got off to a good start with a medium-bodied profile of molasses, coffee, and clove. Spice and meaty notes joined in at the midway point. But while the cigar’s flavor featured an interesting interplay between dry wood and sweetness throughout, its physical properties left much to be desired—especially in the second half. The burn required consistent maintenance and the ash was flaky and difficult to control.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In 2010, StogieGuys.com published over 350 original articles. Each was viewed hundreds, if not thousands of times. Below you’ll find a list of the five most-viewed StogieGuys.com articles of 2010 followed by a brief quote:

5. Stogie Reviews: Arturo Fuente Rosado Sungrown Magnum R 52

“All in all, while the Sungrown Magnum R is not the most interesting smoke from Fuente, it does provide a pleasant flavor profile—albeit not as lively as some of my favorite Fuente smokes. And it does so at the very reasonable price of under $7. That combination earns the Arturo Fuente Rosado Sungrown Magnum R 52 a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.”

4. Stogie Reviews: La Aurora 107 Robusto

“I maintain that La Aurora is an underrated cigar maker. Headed by Guillermo León and José Blanco, La Aurora doesn’t chase trends, but seems to produce solid, tasty smokes year after year, with Preferidos and Cien Años as classic examples…La Aurora 107 has a lot to offer. Given some aging time I think it might turn out even better. Even so, right now the La Aurora 107 Robusto earns a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.”

3. Stogie News: Premier Cigar Lounge to Open in Alexandria

“CXIII Rex will have all the amenities of traditional cigar lounges, including a well-stocked walk-in humidor, a selection of top libations and small-batch wines, ample seating, wireless internet, private humidor lockers, and the like. But this club, slated to open in late March, will also feature more luxurious accommodations…While all these amenities are fantastic, the club’s finest asset will be the 19th century building in which it resides…Currently under construction in a building adjacent to Landini Brothers, it is an impressive space with ample character and charm. It was only on a behind-the-scenes tour that I got a sense of the size and scope of the future multi-level club, which is complete with a dramatic staircase and a layout built for privacy, comfort, and flow.”

2. Stogie Reviews: Drew Estate Liga Privada Flying Pig

“The unique shape was chosen by Steve Saka from a picture of an 1895 cigar salesman’s size selection case. The Flying Pig features more ligero than the [Liga Privada] No. 9 but the same Connecticut broadleaf wrapper. The changes in the blend give the Flying Pig more strength than the No. 9, and a slightly sweeter flavor profile…The cigar yields plenty of creamy smoke with initial flavors of leather, earth, and some sweetness…Overall, I am very impressed with the Flying Pig. The flavors are interesting and blended well…All of these factors combine to earn the Liga Privada Flying Pig four stogies out of five.”

1. Stogie Tips: Build a Temperature Controlled Humidor

“Living in Florida, I was looking for a storage option that would help me control the temperature during the summer months without breaking the bank…After all that work, my cigars now have a nice, custom-looking, temperature-controlled home for a fraction of the cost of the Avallo unit. The temperature stays between 66 and 68 degrees all the time and the humidity is right at 65%. About once every two months I have to put a dish with a little distilled water in the unit to recharge the beads. Other than that, it’s maintenance-free.”

So there you have them, the five most trafficked articles of 2010, as chosen by our readers. All five posts come from the first four months of the year, at least partially a reflection of the fact that they’ve been around the longest for visitors to read. Also, only articles written in 2010 are on the list, even though a few posts (such as our review of the CAO La Traviata or tip on the salt calibration test) from previous years would have made the list if all previous years were included.

Got a favorite post of your own from the last year, or a topic you want covered in 2011? Let us know in the comments.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Through seven years of writing his second novel, a historical tale woven through Cuba, Tampa, and revolution, Mark Carlos McGinty had a faithful companion.

“I’d take a cigar and go outside and…ponder where the story was going to go. Maybe bring a notepad with me and just jot down some ideas,” said McGinty, 35. “Yeah, it did get me through a lot of, I guess, moments of writers block, if you want to call it that.”

That’s only appropriate. His book is, after all, titled The Cigar Maker. It’s filled with the sights and sounds of turn-of-the-20th-century Tampa when it was truly Cigar City. Drawing from his own family’s past as well as historical events, McGinty artfully spins a story that is both exciting and educational.

Perhaps the biggest revelation for many is the book’s focus on the Cuban community in Tampa. “Everyone thinks of Miami when they think of Cuban-Americans,” McGinty said, adding that Tampa’s cigar industry in Ybor City attracted waves of immigrants for decades before the 1959 revolution. “In fact, sometimes I have to make it a point when I’m talking about the book to tell people that these events all happened before the Cuban Revolution, before Castro.”

His mother’s family was among those in Tampa, and McGinty spent quite a bit of time there with relatives when he was growing up. Her books about the area and Cuba inspired him. The main characters in The Cigar Maker, Salvador and Olympia Ortiz, are modeled on McGinty’s maternal grandparents. McGinty’s parents are now retired in Tampa, and he visited frequently researching the book.

The book has another family connection, too. McGinty’s wife did the striking cover illustration, a cigar-smoking rooster wearing a derby and striding across a tobacco plantation. The rooster made such an impression that it’s now available on mugs, T-shirts, and other items.

For those who want to experience the feel of early 1900s Ybor City, McGinty said quite a bit remains. “The streets are still paved with bricks,” he said. “And a lot of the old buildings are still there. They’ve just been restored and converted into modern-day buildings.”

He particularly recommends stopping by the buildings that housed five old social clubs: “They look like cathedrals.”

Tampa is the site of a new promotional push for The Cigar Maker, with efforts to get it featured in Ybor City shops. McGinty’s also targeting cigar smokers as a natural audience at B&M events like his recent appearance at Perfect Ash, just outside Minneapolis-St. Paul.

He’s most excited about an upcoming trip to Havana. He and his wife are part of a sanctioned delegation of artists and writers slated to visit in February.

“There’s all kinds of red tape, so we’re still working through the red tape,” McGinty said. “But the person who’s organizing the trip sounds pretty confident that it’s going to happen.”

While I think just about anyone will enjoy The Cigar Maker, cigar smokers in particular should find it fascinating. You can order it from McGinty’s website, Amazon, or just about any bookstore. Numerous e-reader versions are available at Smashwords.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys