The Stogie Guys

Since my return from the IPCPR Trade Show in August, many of my reviews have focused on fairly expensive cigars that debuted at that New Orleans event. But, in these lean times, I thought it appropriate to take a step back and check out something more affordable.

The Bering Hallmark fits the bill. This six-vitola Altadis lineup sells in the $2.50 to $5 price range. At five and three-quarters inches with a 44 ring gauge, the Corona frontmark runs only $65 for a box of 25 at JR Cigars.

Sadly, as evidenced by the two samples I smoked for this review, it has the appearance of a cigar that’s easy on the wallet. The Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper is dry and wrinkly. The barely noticeable pre-light aroma of hay is less than mouthwatering. And the feel is firm in some areas and soft in others—a warning sign of combustion problems.

Perhaps most alarming are the large lumps and veins that cover the Corona’s surface. Some of these imperfections aren’t on the thin exterior leaf itself, but rather protrude from the Indonesian binder underneath.

Moving past first impressions, the cap clips well and the cold taste reveals a moderate draw and a taste of paper through the Nicaraguan and Dominican filler tobaccos. The foot toasts and lights easily with a single wooden match.

Each easy puff produces large tufts of smoke and a light, airy taste. While picking out individual flavors is a difficult task given the Bering Hallmark’s frail profile, I found subtle notes of pine, butter, and toast. Cigar enthusiasts who are accustomed to full-bodied sticks, however, will likely have a hard time tasting anything other than hollow smoke.

Surprisingly, the Corona actually performs well in the construction department. The burn may meander a bit and the gray ash may flake off from time to time, but the physical properties are relatively impressive at this price level.

If you’re looking for a value stick with interesting flavors, though, I’m afraid this cigar isn’t likely to satisfy. Perhaps the new Bering Puro Nicaraguan line, introduced by Altadis with suggested retail prices from $6.75 to $7.25, will fare better. A reminder that, when it comes to cigars, you often get what you pay for, the Bering Hallmark Corona earns only two stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

You’ll find no simpler product, and in my opinion no simpler pleasure, than a fine handmade cigar. Made from meticulously grown tobacco, expertly blended and constructed, the fine cigar is a luxury that can be enjoyed for an hour at a time, yet can be had for just a few dollars.

And that makes it even more of a shame that government is waging a war—naturally, an undeclared and unconstitutional war—against tobacco. Punitive taxes, trade restrictions, government-funded phony science, massive regulatory schemes, state-created cartels, violations of property rights, even free speech restrictions—you’ll find them all in government’s attempts to stop people from enjoying this simple plant. As in other wars, government attacks indiscriminately, making no distinction between small, family-owned cigar companies and “Big Tobacco.”

State attacks on tobacco can be found throughout history. Rodrigo de Jerez, one of Christopher Columbus’ sailors, was thrown in jail for seven years by the Spanish Inquisition for smoking the “Devil’s weed,” which he brought back with him to Europe after Columbus’s historic 1492 journey.

Since that time, governments have excommunicated, slit the lips of, and even poured molten lead down the throats of those who defied smoking bans. Despite being a pack-a-day cigarette smoker in his youth, Hitler came to consider smoking a Jewish habit and had the Nazi government launch an all-out campaign against tobacco.

Back then, America sent its boys to war with a pack of cigarettes as part of a soldier’s daily rations. Today, our tobacco policy more closely resembles that of Nazi Germany. Even the U.S. military, which defeated the Axis with cigarettes blazing, announced this summer it was considering a total smoking ban.

Our head of state today was also once a pack-a-day smoker. And while President Obama still sheepishly admits to smoking the occasional cigarette, that hasn’t stopped him from leading the largest expansion yet of the war on tobacco. One of his first acts of office was signing into law a historically high tax hike on tobacco—federal cigarette taxes jumped from 39 cents to $1 a pack, while taxes on handmade cigars increased a staggering 750 percent. Cigar factories have already begun to close, as hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs are lost.

Only a few months later, Obama signed a bill into law that puts tobacco under the regulatory jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration, meaning that, among other regulatory hoops, new cigarette products will have to be approved by FDA bureaucrats, even though it will be illegal for cigarette companies to highlight FDA approval in their advertisements. Flavored smokes are now banned, and all cigarette advertisements will be black and white and text only—hardly the robust free speech our founders envisioned when they penned the First Amendment.

But like so much expansion of the government, the war on tobacco is hardly a one-party issue. FDA regulation of tobacco has been a pet issue of Republican Sen. John McCain for well over a decade. And McCain’s 2008 presidential primary rival Mike Huckabee told an audience that, if elected, he would sign a national smoking ban if one made it to his desk.

In the one area where Obama has made comments that are welcome to cigar smokers, normalizing relations with Cuba, politicians of both parties have joined to stall any steps towards ending the embargo that was signed into law by President Kennedy over 48 years ago. Famously, the night before approving the embargo, Kennedy sent his press secretary, Pierre Salinger, around DC to buy 1,200 of his cherished Cuban H. Upmann cigars. Presidential hypocrisy on tobacco, it seems, is not a new phenomenon.

Armed with government-funded research, a well-funded group of professional lobbyists continues to agitate for more restrictions. In the states and in local government, they push smoking bans for public parks, bars, restaurants, apartment buildings, and even personal cars. On the federal level, they push for more taxes, further restrictions on advertising, and prohibitions on mail-order tobacco. If the current campaign for government-run healthcare succeeds, expect a slew of new regulations under the guise of keeping health cares costs down.

One anti-smoking law nearly always leads to another. In San Francisco, after a smoking ban pushed smokers out of bars and onto the sidewalk, the mayor proposed an additional tax on cigarettes to clean up the cigarette butts the exiled smokers created. Elsewhere, after cigar smokers reacted to smoking bans in bars by creating private clubs, politicians “closed the loophole” by extending the ban to the clubs.

Despite this onslaught, cigars are experiencing something of a renaissance, with quality and variety as good as ever. Today the best non-Cuban cigars, usually from Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, or Honduras, are as good as Cuba’s top smokes. Innovative blenders are creating new cigars with all the complexity and subtleties of the world’s finest wines.

In the past year, cigar makers (and consumers) have organized to fight the ever-expanding threat to their business. Leading cigar maker Rocky Patel told me, “Every night I go to bed and I worry about the government putting us out of business.” Another maker, Nick Perdomo of Perdomo Cigars, called the government his “biggest competitor.”

The problem is government doesn’t merely compete. It destroys with taxes, regulations, and other infringements of liberty. All of which make every cigar you smoke a small act of defiance against big, oppressive government. I recommend defying often, and with a strong spirit in your other hand.

[This article originally appeared in the Fall Issue of the Young American Revolution, the quarterly magazine of Young Americans for Liberty.]

–Patrick S

photo credit: ELCivics.com

In March, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo ended his nine year tenure with  General Cigar. The move effectively made the Artesanos de Miami his last blend with La Gloria Cubana, the brand he built from relative obscurity to industry prominence.

Perez-Carrillo parted ways with General to establish his own family-owned boutique. He wasted no time in that endeavor. With a factory in Santiago and a work-in-progress website, the EPC Cigar Co. was up and running in time to debut their first blend at the IPCPR Trade Show in August.

But the core lineup under the new E.P. Carrillo brand name still won’t be available until the spring. Meanwhile, Perez-Carrillo chose to craft and debut a single-vitola limited edition line made from aged tobaccos that are too rare to serve as ingredients for regular production.

The Edición Inaugural 2009, as it is called, uniquely features two binders: one Nicaraguan and one Dominican. They are wrapped in a three-year-old Ecuadorian habano leaf that won’t be available again for a few years (at which point Perez-Carrillo may include it in a future project). Only 150,000 sticks will be made, which are sold in boxes of 10 for $130.

This super-premium, measuring five and three-eighths inches with a 52 ring gauge, looks like it’s worthy of its $13 price tag. The wrapper is clean and flawless, the double bands are interesting and impressive, the cap is nearly perfect, and the pungent pre-light aroma smells of peat.

From the first few puffs, it is clear that the Edición Inaugural 2009 bears little resemblance to anything in the La Gloria Cubana lineup. It notably marks a stark contrast from the powerful and popular Serie R. The medium-bodied flavor is, to say the least, distinctive, with dry notes of potato, olive, and cork and a light aftertaste of oats and pepper. The voluminous smoke smells heartier than it tastes.

Aside from the welcome addition of a graham cracker spice, the flavor remains unchanged until the nub. Both of my samples were complemented by outstanding combustion qualities. These included a remarkably stable and firm ash, a smooth draw, and a slow, even burn.

Overall, I’m not going out on a limb when I say that this is one of Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s finest creations. I hope the Edición Inaugural 2009 is a sign of things to come from the new EPC Cigar Co. With the only drawbacks being price and limited availability, I can confidently award this 120-minute smoke four and a half 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.”

Another Perdomo, another satisfying smoke. This dark, oily Nicaraguan puro produces a classic maduro smoke. The mixture of sweetness, cocoa, and roasted coffee is smoothly blended for a medium strength cigar. The six inch by 50 ring gauge Epicure runs a little under $7, which may be a tad high. But if you’re a maduro fan, give it a try.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

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 five inch by 50 ring gauge cigar may not be the prettiest stick around, what with its splotchy, somewhat veiny skin. But it sure is a treat to smoke. Pre-light notes of earth and cocoa give way to a balanced profile that’s both peppery and sweet. With oak barrel-aged Cameroon, Brazilian, and Dominican tobaccos, the flavor is smooth and creamy with a medium body of dark chocolate and coffee beans. And the physical properties are befitting a $10 cigar.

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) If you’re still looking for that last-minute Halloween costume, you might consider picking one that incorporates a cigar. For ideas, check out our list of the top 20 cigar-friendly costumes. And, no, we can’t recommend a cigar pairing for Snickers.

2) California is home to some of the most anti-tobacco municipalities in the U.S. In 1990, San Luis Obispo became the first city in the world to criminalize indoor smoking in all “public” places. More recently, politicians in Calabasas made outdoor smoking illegal. Now the Golden State’s largest city, Los Angeles, is tightening the screws. Officials there are moving to ban smoking in and around outdoor dining areas, such as restaurant patios, kiosks, and mobile food trucks.

3) Inside the Industry:  Regarding our October 14 report of rumors of an impending deal involving Pepin, La Aurora, and Miami Cigar & Co., we recently heard the following from a source that wishes to remain anonymous: Not long after reportedly returning from Nicaragua, Guillermo León of La Aurora and Rene Castañeda of Miami Cigar & Company were seen entering Pepin’s El Rey de los Habanos factory in Miami’s Little Havana. Less than an hour later, the two were spotted with Janny Garcia, Pepin’s daughter, and Miami-based cigar writer  and Pepin friend, Gary J. Arzt, at a Mexican restaurant a few blocks away. They were descibed as having what appeared to be a “serious business conversation.”

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review lights up a Room 101 by Camacho. Smoking Stogie really enjoys the Cohiba Gran Reserva. Cigar Reviews fires up a Montecristo No. 4. Keepers of the Flame reviews the Padrón 1964. Nice Tight Ash torches a My Father Cedros Deluxe.

5) Deal of the Week: Here’s another special unannounced sale over at Cuban Crafters, which includes price cuts you won’t find from their regular homepage. Deals include a humidor box of Cubano Claros ($89), a box of 25 Cuban Crafters Cabinet Selections ($74), a bundle of Don Kiki Greens ($34), and a box of La Carolina Torpedos ($75). Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

Even though Frank Llaneza was born into the industry, he is undoubtedly a cigar legend in his own right. And now Altadis is honoring his half century of entrepreneurship and innovation with a new blend.

Llaneza, who grew up sweeping floors at his father’s modest Ybor City outfit, is best known for expanding Villazon & Co. by establishing factories in Central America in the early 1960s. He was a pioneer in Honduras immediately following the Cuban embargo, which is why many consider Llaneza to be “the godfather of Honduran cigars.” Decades later, in 1996, he sold Villazon to General Cigar Holdings Inc. for millions.

According to press materials circulated at the IPCPR Trade Show in August, “now he has put his name on a cigar that embodies the perfect balance between his genius and passion.” The blend, made at the Altadis USA factory in Nicaragua, recognizes a man who “has been growing superior tobacco and creating cigars of exceptional pedigree since 1961.”

The Frank Llaneza 1961 features a filler blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican leaves, a Nicaraguan binder, and a dark Ecuadorian criollo ’98 wrapper. Notes of milk chocolate and coffee permeate the toothy surface right out of the cellophane.

With a suggested retail price of $7 apiece, the oily, firm Cuban Corona frontmark measures five and five-eighths inches with a ring gauge of 46. The absence of imperfections serves as evidence of an expert torcedor and quality tobacco.

After lighting the narrow foot with a couple wooden matches and studying the first few puffs, I find a balanced, medium-bodied profile of savory meat, nuts, butter, and cereals. A gentle spice on the lips adds depth. The aftertaste is decidedly smooth and leathery.

As the white, sandy ash works its way towards the middle of the cigar, the flavor remains surprisingly consistent. Here, I discover that the quicker I smoke, the meatier the cigar becomes. And since I enjoy the subtler tastes of the Frank Llaneza 1961 more than the charred steak characteristics at the forefront, I decide to slow down.

That strategy works well through the final third, which is a bit bolder than the rest of the cigar. All the while the combustion qualities—including a slow, even burn, a fairly solid ash, and a good draw—are reliable.

On the whole, I wouldn’t be surprised if this young limited release develops nicely over the coming months and years. It would be a good candidate for my regular golf course rotation if it were easier to find and priced a bit lower. Regardless, cigar enthusiasts who enjoy rich, meaty profiles should definitely check out the Frank Llaneza 1961 Cuban Corona. I give it three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys