The Stogie Guys

Tuesday marked the beginning of Virginia’s smoking ban and the end of free choice in the commonwealth’s bars and restaurants. And while we’ve written extensively about the dangers of government-driven regulations on tobacco, this ban hits especially close to home—because we both live in Virginia.

So, as you might expect, Monday night we went out in style. We were lucky enough to attend two of the special “Last Hurrah” cigar dinners, hosted by Morton’s at the steakhouse chain’s three locations in Northern Virginia. These dinners, like last summer’s Paul Garmirian event, featured premium tobacco paired with fine libations and Morton’s signature cuisine.

We thought we’d share our experiences not to gloat, but to inspire you to occasionally treat yourself to a lavish and luxurious cigar dinner. Every brother of the leaf, after all, deserves an expertly paired meal from time to time.

Attended by Patrick A, the Tysons Corner event started with a reception of crab cakes, oysters, and tuna tartare, complemented by a Chateau St. Jean chardonnay and a mild and creamy Davidoff 2000. The second cigar of the evening was the Davidoff Ambassadrice, served with a Duck Pond pinot noir (an exceptional wine for a mild smoke). And finally, after an outstanding filet mignon entrée, a well-balanced and complex Davidoff Special R was paired with a Fonseca Bin 27 port.

Meanwhile, Patrick S, about 15 miles away in Arlington, attended a second Morton’s dinner with Davidoff cigars, which featured a reception with petite lamb chops, poached salmon, and cheeses, paired with a Crossings Sauvignon blanc and a Davidoff Special T. After an palate cleanser of raspberry sorbet, attendees lit the petit corona-sized Davidoff Grand Cru No. 5, followed by a main course of NY Strip with a lively Livernano “Josephine” 2006 Super Tuscan. For a finale, diners were treated to a hot chocolate cake that went well with Taylor Fladgate 10-Year Tawny port and the Davidoff-made Winston Churchill Blenheim—a perfect choice given that the dinner was taking place on Churchill’s birthday.

A third dinner was also held at the Morton’s location in Reston, which included cigars by Paul Garmirian. The highlight of the evening was the world debut of the new PG Symphony 20th Connoisseur. We hope to review this cigar soon.

Before we get to that, though, we’d like to extend our thanks to everyone at Morton’s for recognizing the enormous potential of wine, cuisine, and premium cigar pairings and for executing an outstanding “Last Hurrah” to free choice in the commonwealth. Monday was a memorable night, and we’re sorry we won’t be able to experience anything like it again in Virginia.

–Patrick A & Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Since their debut in 2003, Tatuaje cigars have been highly acclaimed. Created by Pete Johnson, then buyer for the exclusive Grand Havana Room in Beverly Hills, Tatuaje was named the most in-demand cigar of 2009 by Cigar Aficionado.

These days, Johnson has expanded his cigar line, and in addition to several Tatuaje blends, he now produces Cabaiguan, La Riqueza, Ambos Mundos, and El Triunfador. He recently spoke with StogieGuys.com about his foray into cigars, the challenges of bringing his cigars to market, what he would do if he had access to Cuban tobacco, and much more:

Stogie Guys: When did you first start smoking cigars? At what point did you know you wanted to make your own cigars?

Pete Johnson: My first, a Hav-a-Tampa at the age of 13, doesn’t really count. I didn’t continue with cigar smoking because I didn’t think that was a good tasting cigar. I had another cigar at the age of 20 and thought it was good, but it was another year before I wanted to explore the cigar world. So right around 1991, the father of the guitar player in my band was a cigar smoker and in 1994 he wanted to invest in me to create a cigar—something I wanted to do but never had the money or the nerve. I went to the DR in 1995 to ask the few people I knew to make the brand. No go. The cigar business was nuts and those people didn’t have the time to make anything original for me. So I waited.

SG: What was the greatest challenge in starting up your manufacturing operation?

PJ: Well, I don’t manufacture anything. I design and create new brands and have a great manufacturer for all my products. I can tell you that to start a new operation, you need money, tobacco, patience, and more money.

SG: What’s your favorite Tatuaje cigar? What are your favorite non-Tatuaje cigars?

PJ:  Just in the original Tatuaje, I would have to say the Havana Cazadores. I have so many brands now and so many line extensions, it is hard to pick just one favorite. I guess the best answer is, depends on my mood and the time of the day. Outside my brand, I tend to smoke a lot of Pepin Garcia-made products and some La Flor Dominicana. I still do smoke a lot of Cuban cigars.

SG:  Two questions we like to ask: First, what is your favorite beverage to pair with a cigar? Second, in your own humidor, do you generally store cigars with the cellophane on or off?

PJ: I like orange soda or Cuban coffee with a cigar. If you haven’t tried orange soda, you are missing out. Cellophane is an odd one, I do both. If the cigar came in cello I leave it that way and I don’t put cello on any non-cello cigars. I did a ton of experimenting when I was younger and ruined many great cigars that I took out of cello.

SG: What are your thoughts on Cuban cigars being produced today? If Cuba opened up today and you could use Cuban leaf to make a new line, would you make a Cuban puro, or would you blend it with non-Cuban tobacco?

PJ: Some Cuban cigars are still wonderful, but I think they are hit and miss at times. I like some of the regional and limited products, but I think where you see more problems is in the regular production cigars. I know if Cuba opened up, I would start with a blend before making a puro. There are growers out there that in my opinion grow and process better leaf than Cuba and I would wait for those people to work some of that land before I would make a puro. A puro, for sure, eventually because the soil and climate in Cuba are so perfect, but now the tobacco processing is crude.

SG: If someone is new to your cigars, which vitola and which blend would you recommend as the best cigar to introduce them to Tatuaje?

PJ: I usually guide people to a robusto or a corona gorda size in any of the lines so a good starter is the Havana VI Noble or the Havana VI Hermoso. Not to strong and not to mild. If they like those, they are going to like many others in the Tatuaje portfolio.

SG: What’s one thing about your cigars that would surprise even the biggest Tatuaje fan?

PJ: I don’t know if this is a OMG one, but when I was a kid I used to repair baseball gloves for a job. Okay ,that’s a boring one. Take two: I know my way around a sewing machine.

Many thanks to Pete for taking the time to answer our questions. For more information, visit the Tatuaje website or follow him on Twitter @TatuajeCigars.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The Cien Años line was launched in 2003 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of La Aurora, the oldest cigar maker in the Dominican Republic. It was a limited blend that came in four sizes: No. 4 (corona), Robusto, Churchill, and Belicoso. The latter scored rating of 93 in Cigar Aficionado in 2005.

According to La Aurora, this Lancero is not officially part of the Cien Años line. Rather, it is a new cigar using the remaining Cien Años tobaccos. Like the original blend, though, it is a limited release, with only be 800 boxes of 25 ever to be made.

The Lancero (6.9 x 40) will cost you about $11—if you can find one, that is. Locating this elusive cigar can be very difficult due to its rare tobaccos. It is a Dominican puro, using an aged corojo wrapper over aged Dominican corojo and piloto cubano filler.

The wrapper is slightly bumpy, with the outlines from the binder’s veins underneath apparent from the outside. Firm to the touch with a moderate pre-light draw, it has a gentle aroma of milk chocolate and cashew.

The profile opens with notes of bread, bran, and dry wood. Tasty and traditional. You could almost call the flavor fairly mild until the peppery finish kicks in, which is long with a spicy tingle.

At the midway point, a custard flavor with a slightly salty bite develops. Here, the draw opens nicely with each airy puff producing lots of thick smoke. The spice tends to dissipate in the final third, which is also marked by tastes of tea and hops.

On the whole, the 100 Años Lancero is a well-balanced, medium-bodied smoke that will reward those who seek it out. Its only drawback is a slight ammonia flavor that fades in and out, particularly if smoked too quickly—a blemish that may improve with just a bit of aging.

As you’d expect from La Aurora, this cigar’s combustion qualities are quite good. The burn line is even with a shiny black mascara and the gray ash holds well for about an inch. Don’t push it much beyond that, though, or you’ll find yourself with a lap full of ash.

This is still a high-quality smoke, however, with a complex, classic taste. Go ahead and grab a Cien Años Lancero by La Aurora if you get the chance. It earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A & Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

[Editors’ Note: Tomorrow, Virginia’s smoking ban goes into effect. The following guest commentary was originally published in January 2008 when Virginia Governor Tim Kaine began pushing for the statewide smoking ban, but the reasons it gives for opposing the smoking ban remain just as valid today.]

Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine recently announced that he’ll renew his fight to ban smoking in all Virginia bars and restaurants. He defended this push by citing the dangers of secondhand smoke, saying, “The scientific evidence about the health risks associated with exposure to secondhand smoke is clear and convincing. Recognizing the negative health effects and high public costs of secondhand smoke, Virginia must act to protect the workers and consumers in its restaurants.”

We’re pleased the governor has such command of the epidemiologic literature. Usually, when politicians make such statements, they have little if any familiarity with scientific research. Kaine should cite the empirical studies showing the health effects of bar and restaurant patrons’ occasional exposure to tobacco smoke. We’re not aware of any such studies; even the much-cited recent surgeon general’s report on secondhand smoke offered no statistical evidence of diminished health from occasional exposure. The findings on health effects that we’ve seen involve people who are chronically exposed to secondhand smoke—people such as the spouses and children of smokers who’ve had decades of regular, concentrated exposure.

The governor further claims that he has “clear and convincing” scientific evidence that a ban would decrease health risks and reduce “high” public costs. Can he tell us what those costs were and how they were calculated? How much will Virginia’s current trends in mortality and morbidity change as a result of his prohibition? Will he promise to repeal the law if no such change materializes?

Of course, people have a right to avoid exposure to secondhand smoke, no matter what studies show. But they don’t have the right to force everyone else to live according to their preference. Fortunately, the world can accommodate their desires along with those of people who don’t mind tobacco smoke, just as it can accommodate people who like Chinese food and people who prefer hamburgers. Restaurant and bar owners want to make money, and they do so by catering to different market niches. In Northern Virginia, many restaurants and bars advertise that they are smoke-free, while others cater to a smoking crowd. This offering of many different choices is a virtue of open markets. So why would Kaine override the smoking choices of different people and instead impose his preference on all Virginians?

The governor noted his concern for the health of hospitality workers, who may have more exposure to secondhand smoke. But when bar and restaurant owners set their smoking policies, they must consider the preferences of their staff or else they’ll find themselves facing rapid turnover and paying higher wages. Why should all Virginia bar and restaurant workers be forced to work in a nonsmoking environment that only some of them demand?

Liberal societies allow people to make decisions that others don’t like. If some Virginians want to eat and drink in an establishment that allows smoking, and some workers want to work there, and some entrepreneur wants to finance that business, why does the governor think he should overrule them?

–Tom Firey and Jacob Grier

[Tom Firey is editor of Regulation magazine, which is published by the Cato Institute. Jacob Grier, formerly of Cato, is a friend of StogieGuys.com. He blogs at JacobGrier.com.]

photo credit: 50states.com

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 little demi corona features a veiny wrapper, and the cigar isn’t particularly firm. Still, it is expertly constructed, resulting in a 30-minute smoke with good combustion and a sturdy ash. After an initial burst of what seemed to be harsh and hot sawdust flavors, it settles into a pleasant medium-bodied profile with cedar and caramel flavors and a hint of peppery spice on the finish. But it lacks complexity, particularly given the high price these Cubans command.

Verdict = Sell.

–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 summer, Te-Amo expanded on its four World Selection Series blends with a Nub-esque Gran Corto size (4 x 62). New format, same old Te-Amo problems. The profile turns from harsh to salty to uninteresting, characterized by a sour aftertaste. And it appears as though the Cuba Blend also suffers from the coarseness that plagues the Dominicana and Nicaragua lines. To top it off, construction is spotty at best, rendering this criollo-wrapped cigar unworthy of your time or its MSRP of $4.75.

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. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Florida officials recently arrested five individuals and seized “millions of dollars” in counterfeit Cubans. The scheme, called “one of the country’s largest, most sophisticated counterfeit cigar operations” by Cigar Aficionado, involved re-labeling and re-packaging cheap smokes to look like Cuban brands.

2) Illinois may have fallen victim to an indoor smoking ban, but that hasn’t stopped some Chicago bar owners from allowing their patrons to fire up cigars and cigarettes. At least one bar, according to the Chicago Tribune, asks customers to contribute to “smoke jug” fund from which fines are paid. Others simply ignore the law outright. Since the Smoke-free Illinois Act went into effect in January 2008, there have been 889 complaints, 42 inspections, and 13 tickets issued.

3) Inside the Industry: All around the country, cigar retailers are hosting Operation Hope events, where participants can purchase a special Montecristo cigar and accessory  set with proceeds going to the Montecristo Relief Organization, which helps victims of natural disasters.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review lights up a Zino Embassy Selection LE Perfecto. Nice Tight Ash fires up an Alec Bradley SCR. Fire Up That Cigar torches a Room 101. Cigar Inspector reviews the Bucanero Don Douglas Cabinet. B and B Cigar Club looks at the Ambos Mundos.

5) Deal of the Week:  Every cigar aficionado should own a proper cigar lighter and few are as nice as Colibri. Fortunately, right now Lighters World is offering free butane with Colibri purchases over $50 and a free Colibri punch cutter with Colibri purchases of $125 or more. Plus, when you enter the discount code “STOGIE15” at checkout, you get 15% off your entire order. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys