The Stogie Guys

Information on the Diez Small Batch No. 2 (6.25 x 54) is almost as tough to come by as the cigar itself. La Flor Dominicana’s website doesn’t appear to have been updated recently as it lists only the Small Batch No. 1.

 This cigar is flawlessly constructed with a perfect triple cap and minimal veins. The wrapper has a slight tooth that gives the cigar a rough feel. Pre-light, the aroma is predominantly of leather with a hint of sweet tobacco. The triple cap clips off effortlessly and the draw confirms the leather smell and sweetness.

The foot lights easily and the draw, as expected in such a wide cigar, is easy with just the right amount of resistance. On the first puff a large volume of creamy smoke coats my palate and tastes predominately of cedar with leather notes in the background.

About an inch in, the cedar fades slightly and the taste of red pepper emerges along with some roasted nut flavors. The overall effect is more balanced than spicy.

As the cigar progress, the burn is razor-sharp and the nice ash is solid, light, and gray. I start to notice some cinnamon and caramel notes at about the halfway mark.

All of these flavors—from red pepper and cinnamon to caramel and roasted nuts—fade in and out for the remainder of the cigar. A hint of spice enters the equation in the final third but never becomes dominant. The burn is excellent and requires no maintenance during the two-hour smoke.

The one constant flavor element in this cigar is that there is always some sort of sweetness present, either from the cedar, caramel, or red pepper. And while the core flavor is of cedar, fortunately no single flavor overpowers the others.

That makes the Litto Gomez Diez Small Batch No. 2, which retails for about $16 apiece, an exceptionally complex and well-balanced cigar. For its wonderful construction, complexity, and poise, it earns five out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. A list of other five stogie-rated cigars can be found here.]

–Patrick M

photo credit: Stogie Guys

[Editors’ Note: NEW ORLEANS — StogieGuys.com co-founders Patrick A and Patrick S are reporting live today from the 77th annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show. This convention is where cigar makers from around the world come to showcase their products and debut their new creations. Check back throughout the day for live updates.]

11:00am CDT: First stop this morning was General Cigar, where they are debuting two new brands as well as some interesting line extensions. La Escepción (the name is a Cuban brand that was discontinued 20 years ago) features General’s exclusive Nicaraguan Ometepe tobacco as a binder around Nicaraguan filler surrounded by a Honduran habano Talanga wrapper. It will sell in the $6-7 range and comes in three sizes, including a figuardo (5 x 54). We also heard that General Cigar is  hoping to use the Ometepe tobacco, which comes from a Volcanic island with uniquely rich soil, as a wrapper in a future cigar.

11:15am CDT: Another new General brand is Brioso, which retails at the value price of $3-4. It features a Honduran Jamastran wrapper, a  Connecticut  habano binder, and a blend of Dominican, Nicaraguan,  and four types of Mexican filler. Also of particular interest is “Upper Cut,” an extension of the Punch line based on one of the Punch Election cigars released last year, and new sizes in the La Gloria Cubana Serie R and Macanudo 1968 lines.

11:45am CDT: Sam Leccia, creator of Nub Cigars, told us how he embraces the need to come out with new smokes every year. He showed us the new Nub Maduro, featuring a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper. He also showed us his new Cain “straight ligero” cigars, which come with either a Nicaraguan habano or maduro wrapper. While Cain does feature three different types of Ligero tobacco, it isn’t 100% ligero because, according to Sam, a small amount of other tobacco is necessary to create a proper burn.

[View all of our shots from the IPCPR Trade Show at the official StogieGuys.com Flickr album.]

–Patrick A & Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

[Editors’ Note: NEW ORLEANS — StogieGuys.com co-founders Patrick A and Patrick S are reporting live today from the 77th annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show. This convention is where cigar makers from around the world come to showcase their products and debut their new creations. Check back throughout the day for live updates.]

11:00am CDT: In our search for a cutter, we stopped by the Palío booth where we saw their new sportsman cutter series and also a new Churchill size of the Escencia cigar that they released at last year’s show. We also stopped by the Arganese booth where Gene Arganese gave us the story behind “S-This,” which he figures will save smokers over 40 cents per cigar.

2:30pm CDT: Just met with Jesus Fuego who told us about his new 777 Corojo made with a Brazilian corojo wrapper. His father is growing the corojo wrapper in Brazil and Fuego says he is the only one to have access to it, which will be the focus of some upcoming limited releases.

3:45pm CDT: Got the run down on the new smokes from Altadis. Some of the highlights were a Siglo Limited Reserve Maduro, Montecristo 75th Anniversary, Frank Llaneza 1961, Romeo y Julieta Maduro, and a Bering Puro Nicaragua.

4:30pm CDT: Dropped by the Padrón booth and saw the highly-anticipated Padrón Reserva de Familia 45th Anniversary. Due out in September, the box-pressed smoke will be released only in a maduro wrapper at first, with a natural wrapper possibly to come later this year.

[View all of our shots from the IPCPR Trade Show at the official StogieGuys.com Flickr album.]

–Patrick A & Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

[Editors’ Note: NEW ORLEANS — StogieGuys.com co-founders Patrick A and Patrick S are reporting live today from the 77th annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show. This convention is where cigar makers from around the world come to showcase their products and debut their new creations. Check back throughout the day for live updates.]

2:30pm CDT: This afternoon we checked in, collected our passes, and took a brief walk around the trade show floor.  The huge space doesn’t officially open until tomorrow, so currently everyone is scrambling finish setting up the intricate displays designed to show off their wares.  Some of the biggest areas belong to General Cigar, Altadis, Rocky Patel, Oliva, Ashton, Davidoff, and the Cigar Family (seen below). Other booths are smaller and more modest.

3:30pm CDT: While walking the show floor we ran into our good friend Alberto Noguera of Cuban Crafters, who introduced us to Don Kiki Berger. Kiki told us how his father fled Poland during the run up to World War II and eventually settled in Cuba where he learned the tobacco trade. He also told us about his new smoke, Entubar, which is releasing under the Berger & Argenti brand. Pictured below (from left to right) are Patrick A, Kiki, Steve Ashby (Patrick A’s father), Alberto, and Patrick S.

4:00pm CDT: In our preview on Thursday we mentioned Arganese was creating a two-in-one cigar designed to minimize the SCHIP tax. Below is a photo of the cigar, called “S-This.” What might not be clear from the photo is the cigar is really two smokes, connected at their heads with an extra bit of wrapper that can easily be removed by the smoker. So while for tax purposes the consumer is buying five cigars, in reality they get ten smokes. Sneaky.

4:30pm CDT: We overheard that Louisiana’s cigar excise tax is being applied to cigars given away on the floor. If so, it could put a damper on the number of samples that makers will be giving out. We’ll be following up with more details on this story, but rumors are the tax may be as much as $1 per cigar.

[View all of our shots from the IPCPR Trade Show at the official StogieGuys.com Flickr album.]

–Patrick A & 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. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Starting tomorrow, StogieGuys.com will be reporting on location from the 77th annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) Trade Show in New Orleans. Be sure to check back frequently for live updates from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (pictured at right). You can also follow our twitter feed for more coverage. In the meantime, click here for pre-IPCPR information about many of the new cigars that are set to debut in the coming days. And feel free to leave a comment below if you have a burning question you’d like us to ask any of the cigar makers who will be in attendance.

2) With anti-tobacco laws sweeping the nation, it’s worthwhile to look at the tactics anti-smoking zealots use to push smoking bans.  This  document (pdf), created by a coalition of anti-tobacco groups, details their strategy. It includes fighting against exemptions for private clubs and cigar shops, not agreeing to so-called hardship exemptions (for businesses that suffer from bans), and avoiding ballot initiatives where citizens get a vote (in favor of less transparent legislative strategies).

3) Inside the Industry: According to a Cigar Insider poll, this year Tatuaje eclipsed Padrón and Opus X as the most requested cigar brand in America.

4) Around the Blogs: Keepers of the Flame tests an aged Cubao. Stogie Review lights up a Graycliff. A Cigar Smoker checks out the Corona Cigar Company 10th Anniversary. Cigar Choice reviews the Benchmade. Perfect Draw smokes the Fuente Opus X.

5) Deal of the Week: The robusto is the most popular cigar size, and this “World Famous Robusto Sampler” has some fine examples of the vitola. Included are  robustos by Cohiba, Rocky Patel, CAO, Gran Habano, Padilla Hybrid, Toraño, and Fonseca. In all, you get ten robustos and free shipping for $45. Get yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Morial Convention Center

Starting Sunday, the 77th annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) Trade Show will take place in New Orleans. StogieGuys.com will be on location to provide you with live updates as we sample cigars, get the details on new releases, and speak with dozens of cigar makers.

While many of details will be released at the show, here are some of new cigars set to debut this week:

Padrón is set to launch a new line called the “Reserva de Familia.” Featuring well-aged Nicaraguan tobacco, they will be releasing one blend annually in one size every September thereafter.

Don Pepin Garcia is expanding its My Father line and debuting the Tobacco Baez SF, which consists of 70% long-filler and 30% short-filler to provide consumers with a lower price point of $3 per cigar.

CAO recently announced it would debut a new brand called La Traviata, a full-bodied blend complete with an Ecuadorian habano wrapper, a Cameroon binder, and two different ligero filler tobaccos.

Rocky Patel has announced three new cigars. One blend, called “Patel Brothers,” is a collaboration with Rocky’s brother, Nimesh. It will feature a Nicaraguan-grown binder and filler and an unusual Pennsylvania broadleaf wrapper. The other is the “Rocky Patel 1961″—named for the year Rocky Patel was born—which uses a blend of Nicaraguan filler, Honduran binder, and an Ecuadorian-grown wrapper. Also to debut is the Rocky Patel Corojo Especial which, like the Cameroon Especial that debuted last year, will be a bundled smoke.  We also heard rumors that a 12th Anniversary cigar may be on its way.

Oliva is introducing the new White Label Connecticut Reserve and launching Cain, an all-ligero cigar blended by Nub creator Sam Leccia.

Toraño will be announcing the contents of their 50th Anniversary cigar as they roll out the line in a series of normal sizes. The Solomon size, which is featured in the Exodus sampler, won’t be part of the regular line.

Tatuaje will debut the new La Verite cigar lines. La Verite, which means “the truth,” will be a Churchill and available in April 2010. It will be offered in cabinets of 100, broken down into smaller boxes of 10, 25, or 50, and retailing for approximately $25 per stick. The other, L’esprit de La Verite, which means “the spirit of the truth,” will be a robusto and available in December 2009 at a retail price of around $13 apiece. We reviewed a pre-release of the L’esprit de La Verite here.

Camacho recently announced that it has teamed up with LA jeweler Matt Booth to create “Room 101 Cigars,” a Honduran-Dominican blend that will debut at the show.

Padilla is set to release two new cigars in August. Padilla Dominus, made with 2006 corojo tobacco, will be a new premium blend ($8-15). Meanwhile, the Padilla Cazadores, made with an Ecuadorian habano wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, will be a value-oriented smoke that will cost around $5 each.

Illusione is teaming up with Drew Estate to make a new release called “Nosotros.” It will sell for $8-12 apiece and feature a Nicaraguan corojo ’99 wrapper, a Nicaraguan filler, and a Connecticut habano binder.

Alec Bradley is set to release four new cigars (though some appear to have already begun landing in cigar shops): the SCR, Family Blend, Vice Press, and Mudial.

Nestor Miranda is expanding on the newly re-blended Nestor Miranda Collection including a lancero and a rosado version of the Ruky perfecto. The company will also be releasing reblended versions of its Don lino 1989 blend in three sizes: a torpedo, a robusto, and a Churchill.

EO Brands, makers of the 601 line and Cubao, will be launching new releases. The Cubao Maduro will feature a similar blend to the original Cubao line, this time with an Ecuadorian broadleaf maduro wrapper. The Murcielago contains a blend of Nicaraguan and Mexican tobaccos.

Perdomo Cigars has announced two new smokes.  They will be releasing a tubo version of the 10th Anniversary Champagne smoke and also a new Grand Cru Connecticut.

G.A.R. Cigars is releasing the G.A.R. Vanguard, a Nicaraguan puro with plenty of ligero tobacco. They will also debut a new limited size (6 x 66) of the Gran Habano Corojo No. 5 blend called the “Czar,” and a Gran Habano No. 5 Double Maduro featuring a San Andreas wrapper that is due out in November.

Arganese Cigars will be releasing a CL/ML double-wrap cigar, based on the CL3 and ML3 lines. We’ve also heard rumors they are set to launch a “double cigar” that will be two cigars with one wrapper twisted and connected at the head.  The idea is to help enthusiasts avoid SCHIP and other cigar taxes by selling two cigars in one.

Casa Magna debuted at last year’s trade show and became a big hit when Cigar Aficionado named it the “Cigar of the Year.” This year, the company is adding the Casa Magna Oscuro and a new large vitola to its regular Casa Magna line called the Extraordinario, which measures seven inches with a 58 ring guage.

Some of the biggest names in cigars, including industry giants Altadis and General Cigar, haven’t announced their new releases yet. Be sure to check back with StogieGuys.com for updates.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

If you’re like most of the cigar smokers who check websites and peruse walk-in humidors for new brands, this is a stressful time. Just five initials (IPCPR) cause sweaty palms and a burning sensation in the pocket where you carry your wallet.

Yes, it’s almost time for the 77th annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association Trade Show. That means new cigars, new line extensions, new lighters, new ashtrays, and new gimmicks. I especially look forward to all the new knick-knacks that no one needs and, more likely than not, few will buy.

Like Sirens, the latest and greatest cigar creations lure us—and our dollars. We’re hopeless to resist. In fact, the only saving grace is that after you’ve read about all the new cigars (StogieGuys.com will have live updates from the Trade Show floor starting this weekend), you actually can’t find them anywhere.

Months later, when they finally appear in quantities greater than a salesman’s samples, we’ve forgotten all about them.

Maybe that’s why so many of the new cigars don’t seem to last. Or maybe we’re just overloaded and the industry is overextended.

I sat with my eyes closed the other night, enjoying a cigar, and ticked off a seemingly endless list of names of different cigars available right now. Heck, it’s hard to maintain enough butane in the lighter to ignite them all.

And how many times can you say, “Man, what a pepper pot!” or “There’s definitely some leather in there.” or “I like it. I’m not sure what I’m tasting, but I like it.”

This year, though, I’m ready. I have created a special amulet to ward off the spell of new cigars: a little pendant made from the Swisher Sweets shield. That should work, don’t you think?

–George E

photo credit: RTDA.org