The Stogie Guys

In addition to all the smoking bans and tobacco taxes, today’s cigar smokers, particularly those who often travel by air, are confronted with a relatively new nuisance: the growing number of air carriers that charge for checking luggage.

I experienced this unfortunate burden this weekend when my travels took me from DC to Minneapolis. Liquids aside, I had a hard time figuring out how to avoid that $15 fee for the first checked bag due to my love of the leaf and desire to bring along cigars.

Torch lighters, you see, are expressly prohibited by the Transportation Security Administration as a carry-on. And, while the TSA makes no specific mention of cigar cutters on its website, it does ban other similar items like scissors and box cutters.

So what’s a frequent-flying cigar enthusiast to do? Here are a few tips that might make your trips a little easier and a lot cigar-ier.

Light cheap. Since they may or may not be confiscated, don’t pack expensive cigar paraphernalia in your carry-on luggage. In lieu of a fancy lighter, for example, bring along a Ronson Jetlite. I haven’t had mine taken away yet but, if it is, I’ll only be down a few bucks. Or, better yet, skip bringing a lighter altogether and instead take a few wooden matchbooks from a restaurant or hotel in your destination city.

Punch cut or plastic. When it comes to cutters, opt for a simple keychain punch cutter or a plastic guillotine. Either is easy to get past TSA officials and, if confiscated, will set you back next to nothing. And don’t sweat it if you end up without a traditional cutting implement at your destination; everyday items like fingernail clippers, while imperfect, often get the job done without incident if handled with care.

Ziploc to the rescue. While good for the golf course or the trunk of your car, those cigar travel cases that are sold online and in magazines can be too bulky for a simple weekend plane trip—especially since overhead storage space is at a premium these days. Instead, I pack my goodies in a simple Ziploc bag with one of those little humi-packets that often come in shipments from retailers. And I prevent damage to the sticks themselves by wrapping the bag in softer items (i.e., clean boxer shorts) that I planned to bring along anyways.

You can go a long way with these three rules of thumb but, as always, I don’t have all the answers myself. Feel free to share your own airport travel tips below.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr

A $1-per-ounce tax on cigars has passed the Florida State Senate, but only after an amendment was added that would lessen the damage to the Sunshine State’s historic cigar industry. That amendment exempts cigars produced in Florida that are shipped out of state from the tax.

Padilla, Don Pepin Garcia, Tatuaje, J.C. Newman, and La Gloria Cubana are just some of Florida’s many cigar producers. Tampa’s Ybor City and Miami’s Little Havana have longstanding historic ties to the cigar industry, and both are the centers of cigar culture in the United States.

According to Jeff Borysiewicz, owner of the Florida-based Corona Cigar Company and board member for Cigar Rights of America, the hike will result in a 50 cent to $1 per cigar increase on the retail price of cigars, on top of a similar increase already in effect due to the recent federal SCHIP tobacco tax increase.

The amendment is considered a partial victory since it will exempt the estimated 85% of Florida-made premium cigars that are shipped out of state. However, after just being hit by the SCHIP tax, that percentage is little solace to Florida-based retailers who, if the Senate tax becomes law, will have raised the price of many cigars by over one dollar in just a few months.

Last week, cigar smokers took to the streets as part of protest organized by Cigar Rights of America. Over one hundred protesters showed up to demonstrate their opposition to tobacco taxes and warn of the devastating impact that more tax hikes could have. One Florida state senator predicted as many as 10,000 jobs would be affected by an increased cigar tax.

Fortunately for the Florida cigar industry, the tax is far from certain at this time as an alternative budget proposal from Florida House leadership doesn’t include any new tobacco taxes. Both state houses of government have large Republican majorities.

Republican Governor Charlie Crist has also made statements suggesting he would be opposed to tobacco tax hikes.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

I had heard a lot of good things about this Corojo-wrapped Nicaraguan puro, not the least of which was my colleague’s December 2007 of the Belicoso vitola. But while I agree that the medium-bodied flavor of wood, leather, vanilla, coffee, and spice is appealing, I remain unconvinced of this six inch by 54 ring gauge cigar’s lofty price tag of $12 per single.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

This five inch by 54 ring gauge smoke is an attractive torpedo featuring primarily Honduran tobacco blended with other Central American and Dominican tobaccos. It has an herbal earthy flavor with a hint of spice and a creamy aftertaste. Not overly complex, but well-constructed. By no means a bad smoke, but I can’t say it offered much that excited me.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and informative as possible, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) In what the press calls “the most significant change in Cuban-American relations since the Kennedy administration,” Obama this week made it easier for exiled Cubans to visit their families on the forbidden island nation. This policy shift, which we have been following since February, won’t directly change the 47-year-old embargo, but it may prove to be a step towards decriminalizing Cuban cigars.

2) On Tuesday, cigar makers and retailers in Tampa took to the streets to protest Florida’s proposed tobacco tax increase. Industry leaders say the tax would be doubly harmful given the massive federal tax hike that went into effect on April 1. The bill’s passage is not certain, though, especially since Gov. Charlie Crist has been “reluctant to impose new taxes.”

3) Inside the Industry: CAO’s “Rock N Rolled” tour is returning with more events this summer, including a kickoff event on April 23 at Cigar Factory Outlet in Troy, Michigan. If you’re attending tomorrow’s Big Smoke at the MGM Grand in Connecticut, you can also attend Cigar Rights of America’s exclusive members-only party afterwords. Reeling from the lost revenue of two lost tobacco conventions (IPCPR Trade Show and Tobacco Plus Expo), Nevada politicians have introduced a bill undoing provisions of the state’s smoking ban. For iPhone users who want information on over 1,700 cigars at their fingertips, there’s an app for that too: Mobile Stogie.

4) Around the Blogs: Keepers of the Flame lights up a Fuente Hemingway Short Story. Stogie Review reviews the CAO Mx3 Escaparate. Cigar Inspector inspects the Ramon Allones Eminencia RE. Cigar Command lights up a Padrón 5000.

5) Deal of the Week: Whether starting up your cigar collection or just expanding, who couldn’t use more humidor space and lots of top-notch cigars? For only$120, you get a 50-count humidor, 25 cigars (including sticks by Gurkha, Graycliff, Don Pepin Garcia, and Rocky Patel), and everything you need for proper maintenance. Pick up this “Cigar Lover’s Gift Set” here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

Before the Miami, Series A, or any Limitada, at all started for 5 Vegas with the Classic. This moderately priced blend has since built a loyal following of smokers who enjoy its consistency and traditional medium-bodied taste.

Also known as the “Reserva” or “Red” line, 5 Vegas Classic is not without impressive critical acclaim, the most prominent of which originates from a position of prestige in the industry. I refer, of course, to the well-publicized claim that Cigar Aficionado gave this line the highest rating for a non-Cuban cigar in a blind test.

I’ll take this blend’s ratings of 90, 88, and 87 with a grain of salt. I can’t help but hope, however, that the folks over at CA are on to something, especially because the Torpedo (6 x 54)—the most intriguing vitola in the Classic lineup—sells for only $70 per box.

With a towering point, this sharp-looking smoke (pun intended) looks like it could be dangerous if used improperly. The fairly smooth Sumatra wrapper gives off mouth-watering pre-light notes of cocoa and herbs.

I was pleasantly surprised to find an easy draw after snipping off just a quarter of an inch from the cap. Once lit, the concentrated smoke pulls through to reveal plenty of spice with accompanying flavors of roasted nuts, damp earth, and warm tobacco.

The taste becomes slightly bitter as the burn progresses through the Nicaraguan binder and the Cuban-seed filler from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Then some charred steak-like qualities enter the equation after the midway point. And while this cigar is no elite treat with copious subtleties or complexities, it still offers plenty of character for the money.

Handmade in Estelí, the Classic Torpedo consistently makes a combustion comeback unlike any other smoke I’ve seen. Each stick I sampled started with a finicky burn that required constant touch-ups only to completely even out after the first 15 minutes. You’ve got to be happy with a cigar that rallies to finish strong.

All told, I may not be as enamored as the reviewers over at Cigar Aficionado, but I can certainly see where they were coming from. With a solid gray ash that holds well for over two inches, a nice yet simple flavor, and a comfortable price point, I feel confident recommending this as a low-cost everyday cigar. That’s why I give the 5 Vegas Classic Torpedo three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Combining the talents of master Cuban cigar blender Don Pepin Garcia and Pete Johnson, the man behind Tatuaje, the Cabaiguan (pronounced kah-bei-gWAHN) comes to the table with high expectations. With such a pedigree, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that it retails for around $10 per smoke.

The Cabaiguan was the first cigar made by Johnson’s Tatuaje company that didn’t bear the Tatuaje name. Instead, the cigar, which is made in Don Pepin’s El Rey de Los Habanos factory in Little Havana, was named after the the town of Don Pepin’s birth in Cuba. It features a Connecticut seed shade-grown Ecuadorian wrapper, which surrounds Nicaraguan binder and filler leaves.

The wrapper, which is almost completely vein-free, is a classic representation of an attractive Connecticut leaf. Of the three Robusto Extras (5.25 x 50) I sampled for this review, one had a few spongy spots, but otherwise they were firm. Each cigar had excellent construction.

While there was no distinctive pre-light flavor, this long robusto provided an abundance of flavor once lit, most notably a rich, creamy taste of what seemed like roasted pecans. Underneath were some toasty notes and subtle bread flavors.

Later, some subtle spice creeps in (particularly when smoked through the nose), but it doesn’t overwhelm the Cabaiguan’s excellent balance. The finish is long and toasty.

Overall, this medium-bodied cigar has none of the chemical flavors that sometimes plague Connecticut-wrapped smokes. And nothing in the construction of the cigar—with its even burn and easy draw—distracted from its complex flavor profile.

With bold, rich spice being the trend (a trend led by Don Pepin himself), I must say the Cabaiguan impressed me most for its subtlety. It’s plenty flavorful and complex, but also nimble and refined. I’ve heard the Cabaiguan compared to the Partagas Serie D No 4, but I think another top Cuban, the Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill, might be a better comparison.

Either way, that’s high, well-earned praise. That’s why the Cabaiguan Robusto Extra earns our highest rating of 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 S

photo credit: Stogie Guys