The Stogie Guys

Too many smokes, too little time. With the industry vibrant, creative, and—for better or worse—always in search of the next best thing, one man simply can’t effectively sample everything. I suppose that’s a good problem to have.

I’m never surprised when I completely miss the boat on new cigars, even those produced by tobacco giant Altadis. Such has been the case with the H. Upmann Reserve Maduro. This blend was introduced two years ago to diversify the non-Cuban H. Upmann portfolio.

Called “the darkside of one Upmannship” by Altadis, it is intended to add a “rich and savory maduro to the legendary line of cigars.” The Reserve Maduro recipe includes a Nicaraguan binder, a filler blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos, and a toothy San Andreas morrón wrapper. It is handmade at the La Flor de Copan factory in Honduras.

Six vitolas are available: Belicoso (6.1 x 52), Corona (5 x 44), Robusto (5 x 54), Sir Winston (7 x 50), Titan (6 x 60), and Toro (6 x 54). I recently found a stash of Coronas at the bottom of one of my humidors—probably gifts from my colleagues when they covered the 2008 IPCPR Trade Show.

Each clean cigar boasts an oily, lightly veined appearance with a neat cap. The feel is hard in some places and soft in others, but the overall impression is one of quality and care. I snipped the very edge of the cap to reveal a smooth draw.

Once an even burn is established, soft pre-light notes of cocoa transition into a powerful blast of peppercorn and espresso. Don’t let this bold, spicy intro scare you off. Just as soon as it arrives, it moves over to make way for a much softer profile of dark chocolate, nuts, and sweet wood.

That’s about where the Reserve Maduro stays through the midway point and beyond. Sure, you can pick up other, subtler flavors if you really put your mind to it, but don’t try to over-think this straightforward cigar. If you do so you’ll miss out on its sugary, charming simplicity.

That said, and notwithstanding the Corona’s near-perfect combustion qualities, this $5 cigar smokes like a $5 cigar. It delivers consistent, user-friendly enjoyment with none of the thrills of more complex, more balanced cigars. Somewhere between captivating and disappointing, the H. Upmann Reserve Maduro Corona earns three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Few holidays cry out for a cigar-related gift like Father’s Day. Fathers and sons have been enjoying cigars together for virtually as long as cigars have been in existence. After all, it’s hard to beat premium cigars, fine spirits, and good conversation for some quality father-son bonding.

Now, I could write numerous articles with recommendations for fine cigars for you to give to your cigar smoking dad, but you’d be better off browsing our Reviews Archive and finding a highly-rated cigar that fits your dad’s taste and your budget. So instead of just a list of cigars, here are a few cigar-related gifts your cigar smoking dad might not be expecting:

Scotch – Many consider Scotch to be a quintessential accompaniment to a fine smoke. There are no shortage of fine scotches out there, but two particularly fine whiskeys I’ve tried lately are from Dalmore. Both tremendously smooth and balanced, the Gran Reserva is extremely old (10-15 years) with citrus, vanilla, and a bit of spice. The even older Dalmore King Alexander 1263 features an exotic blend of complex flavors imparted by whiskey aged in six different types of casks.

Playboy Book of Cigars – Sure, it’s got a few photos of the lovely ladies that Playboy is known for, but there’s a lot more to this book than that. The perfect coffee table book for the father with a cigar den, this book written by veteran cigar journalists Aaron Sigmond (founding editor of Smoke Magazine) and Nick Kolakowski (deputy editor of The Cigar Report) features extensive information about the cigar making process. My favorite parts are the numerous large format photos (by Ian Spanier) of cigars being made in various cigar-making countries.

Fuente Añejos – Like I said, there are plenty of fine cigars out there to give to dad, but in the mind of many cigar aficionados the Añejo by Arturo Fuente will always be connected to Father’s Day. That’s because, along with Christmas, Father’s Day is the only time of the year that the Añejo is released. With a maduro wrapper aged four to six years (including six to eight months in cognac barrels) the Añejo is considered by some to be the finest that Fuente has to offer.

Cigar Rights of America РIf dad is a cigar lover, then he should care about his freedom to continue to enjoy cigars. Cigar Rights of America was created to fight for the rights of consumers of premium cigars. So what would be better than to sign your cigar-loving father up for a membership? This sampler of exclusive cigars (including such rare versions of the Fuente Forbidden X, La Aurora 100 A̱os, Ashton VSG, and Diamond Crown Maximus) comes complete with a one-year membership to CRA.

–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 large, rare, limited edition perfecto (6 x 58) is the combination of two of La Aurora’s most exclusive lines: 100 Años and Preferidos. It features an oily Dominican corojo wrapper surrounding Dominican binder and filler. After a creamy start with woody flavors, it soon develops some classic corojo spice. The well-balanced, medium-bodied smoke ends with a long, smooth finish. Construction is flawless. Despite its $16 price, this is an excellent value and an excellent example of the fine cigars La Aurora produces.

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.”

I’ve been working my way through a stash of these skinny (5 x 37) cigars for well over a year. This offering from Por Larrañaga, a second-tier Cuban brand, offers a smooth, creamy taste of dry oak that’s mild and pleasant, albeit not terribly complex. True, it may not be much to look at. But with consistently solid construction and a price tag just over $3 apiece, the Panetela is a nice alternative to more expensive creations from Castro’s communist isle.

Verdict = Buy.

–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. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Facing a budget shortfall of nearly $9 billion, New York Gov. David Paterson wants to double the state’s wholesale tax on cigars. The move, which would also impact other non-cigarette forms of tobacco, would increase the tax from 46% to 90% of the wholesale price. Paterson’s administration claims the tax hike will bring an additional $40 million to state coffers. But not if, as WNYT reports, “no one is still in business.” Speaking at a gathering of concerned retailers near Albany, Eric Josten, owner of Queensbury Cigar & Pipe, said, “Even though we’re competitors we both know that we’re going to go down on this ship together if New York State has their way.”

2) Speaking of taxes, syndicated columnist Deroy Murdock highlights the connection between high tobacco taxes and terrorism in his latest column. As Murdock explains: “Tobacco taxes create a perfect arbitrage opportunity that radical Muslims exploit to collect money for terrorist groups that murder Americans and our allies.” Murdock then goes on to cite numerous examples of suspected terrorists financing their activities by smuggling cigarettes into high tax states and selling them with counterfeit tax stamps.

3) Inside the Industry: Gurkha has acquired Cojimar, an inexpensive flavored cigar brand from the Dominican Republic. Rocky Patel is celebrating 15 years in the business with his 15th Anniversary blend that features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos; it will be created with the entubar bunching method and a Cuban-style triple cap. Following the success of the Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill, Habanos has announced the newest Cuban Romeo: the “Wide Churchill” (5.1 x 55).

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews a La Reloba Selección Habano. Tiki Bar kicks back with a Joya de Nicaragua Cabinetta. Smoking Stogie smokes a Padrón Legacy 110 Maduro. Keepers of the Flame fires up with a Troya Classico LXIII. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Cuban Punch Corona.

5) Deal of the Week: Fathers Day is coming soon, which means a Fathers Day Sale at Cuban Crafters. Boxes of the La Carolina are just $70, boxes of the Contraband are $50, and boxes of the Cubano Claro are $90. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Advisory Committee created to give recommendations about FDA regulation of tobacco, including cigars, is under fire for multiple conflicts of interest among some of its members.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a watchdog group, sent a letter earlier this week to the inspector general of the Dept. of Health and Human Services asking for an investigation into appointments made by the FDA to the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC).

TPSAC was created under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act which puts tobacco products under FDA oversight. Last Fall the FDA sought comments on expanding its authority to include cigars. A recommendation by the TPSAC would be the likely first step towards regulation of cigars, which would be extremely damaging for the cigar industry and the choices of cigar smokers.

In its letter to the inspector general, CREW raised issues about Drs. Neal Benowitz and Jack Henningfield, two members of the committee who have financial conflicts of interest based on their ties to pharmaceutical companies that make smoking cessation products. Both have also made substantial money as expert witnesses in cases against the tobacco companies who they are now charged with regulating.

CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan noted, “TPSAC panel members are barred from having financial ties to cigarette companies. Common sense dictates they shouldn’t have ties to pharmaceutical companies that make smoking cessation products either.”

In a statement to the New York Times, an FDA spokesman responded to the charges by noting “tobacco cessation drugs are not regulated by the Center for Tobacco Products.” But that doesn’t address the conflict raised due to Benowitz and Henningfield’s financial interest in getting smokers to quit smoking and use the products they stand to profit from.

In addition, the doctors conflict of interest suggests that both are in violation of President Obama’s highly-touted ethics policy, signed immediately after he took office. That policy bars “every appointee in every executive agency” from participating in “any particular matter involving specific parties that is directly and substantially related to [the appointees’] former employer or former clients, including regulations and contracts.”

The FDA ethics office did not respond to multiple questions from StogieGuys.com about whether the apparent conflicts of interest constitute a violation of the Obama executive order on appointees’ ethics commitments.

–Patrick S

photo credit: FDA

It shouldn’t surprise you when I say that my colleagues and I aren’t fans restrictive smoking bans and excessive tobacco taxes. Many cigar producers, as we are, have become outspoken advocates against anti-tobacco zealotry. But few wear their freedom flag on their sleeve like Revolution Cigars.

Revolution Cigars is the maker of 262 Paradigm, a blend that honors the date (February 1962) that JFK hypocritically bought a shitload of his favorite Cuban cigars before signing a trade embargo against the communist isle. “Now you can smoke the legacy with 262 Cigars, post-revolution seed with pre-revolution flavor,” says Revolution’s website.

The website also comes complete with a “262 Manifesto” in defense of the freedom to smoke cigars. “Our voices must be heard,” it reads. “Our goals must be accomplished, not solely for the sake of our immediate cause, but for the many other liberties which are, even now, hanging in the balance.”

What better way to strike a blow against tyranny than to manufacture a cigar with the capability to captivate? That, it seems, is the goal of Revolution Cigars, and the reason for launching 262 Paradigm. This blend features a Brazilian wrapper, Honduran binder, and a filler blend of seco and ligero tobaccos from Estelí and Jalapa paired with Cuban-seed cubito leaves from Colombia.

Three vitolas are available: Torpedo, Robusto, and a box-pressed Toro that measures six inches long. I sampled three of the latter for this review. Handmade in Honduras by Alec Bradley, each Toro included a white band across the foot, a dark and toothy wrapper, and potent, mouthwatering aromas of espresso and dark chocolate.

With such a delightful pre-light fragrance, I am thankful the foot lights easily and evenly with a single wooden match. Soft flavors of creamy nut and milk chocolate follow for the first several puffs. Then, after about an inch, these classic Brazilian tastes are augmented by a heartier backdrop of leather, black coffee, and spicy wood. Mighty delicious.

As the white ash continues to layer sturdily off the foot, I can’t help but draw comparisons to some of Padrón’s higher-end cigars. Sue me. Before you do, though, I challenge you to smoke a few Toros and tell me that you don’t notice striking similarities: a dark box press, a profile reminiscent of moist chocolate cake, subtle woody spices, and superb construction.

So all politics aside, I am very impressed with this savory newcomer. It tastes great to the nub, smokes like a champ, and is priced fairly at less than $9 apiece. I love cigars that look and smell great only to completely live up to or exceed pre-light expectations. The 262 Paradigm Toro from Revolution Cigars does that in spades, earning a well-deserved four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys