The Stogie Guys

It happens to me from time to time, and I’m sure it has happened to many of you too. You’re sitting at one of the increasingly rare bars that allow smoking, enjoying a cigar, and suddenly you’re being harassed by an anti-tobacco zealot.

Often they flap their hands around, pretending to cough as they wave smoke from their face. On rarer occasions they will confront you to loudly proclaim, “That stinks! Can’t you put it out?” They might even laughably suggest you are killing them or giving them lung cancer by smoking nearby.

I write “laughably,” by the way, because even government studies suggest non-smokers need to live with smokers for decades before any measurable increased risk is detected. So a few seconds, hours, or even days adds virtually zero risk. But I digress.

How to respond to such a person is not an easy question to answer. We cigar smokers are generally considerate people, so while telling them to buzz off with some choice words has its appeal, that’s not the route I usually take. Instead, I often just say sorry it offends you and go on smoking, or recommend a nearby bar that doesn’t allow smoking. If it’s not inconvienent for me I may even move to another part of the bar.

But since the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP ) is about to be funded through massive tax increases on tobacco, including roughly 40 cents per smoke for premium cigars, I’ve got a new reply to this annoying breed of anti-tobacco zealot: “I’m smoking this cigar for the children.”

After all, only with enough smoking will the government be able to pay for the SCHIP program. In fact, it is estimated that 22 million new smokers will be needed to fully fund the egregious scheme.

And that brings me to the final thing to say to the kind of person who would harass a complete stranger engaged in a perfectly legal activity. From now on, I plan on asking: “Why aren’t you smoking? Don’t you care about the children?”

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I like a cigar with a story. The tale of Black Pearl, launched in 2000, began when founder Doug Wood stumbled across a long forgotten La Perla Habana box label in his travels. Evidently struck by the “romanticism and tradition of the turn-of-the-century Cuban art,” Wood based his cigar company on the stone lithographs he won at auction.

The story of this review isn’t as interesting. Black Pearl is one of those brands I had heard about time and again but, for one reason or another, never got around to trying. I fixed that this weekend by firing up two six inch by 50 ring gauge Rojo Toros.

The Rojo blend, made by La Perla Habana, is a Nicaraguan puro with a carefully applied wrapper, a Colorado-like reddish hue, and a firm feel. The Torpedo was rated 90 by Cigar Aficionado in December 2007 for its rich, cedary flavors and sweet finish.

La Perla sells the Rojo blend as a “smooth and inviting medium- bodied cigar, and an experience you’ll no doubt savor for years to come.” While my encounter with the Toros wasn’t unsatisfactory, I can’t say I completely subscribe to their enthusiasm.

The cigar lights easily to reveal a hearty taste of rustic leather. The draw is smooth and the ash is white, well-layered, and sturdy. The meandering burn, which includes an abnormally large and protruding mascara, straightens into the second third to reveal notes of spice with herbal undertones.

Flavors of clove and tea dominate to the halfway mark until they are overcome by a black coffee bitterness. This adequate yet somewhat lackluster profile dominates the remainder of the 80-minute smoke.

I wouldn’t call the Black Pearl Rojo terribly balanced or complex. It strikes me as the kind of cigar that makes a good companion for the golf course or a barbeque—not an after-dinner joyride that commands your full attention.

But I wouldn’t overlook it either. At $116 per box of 20, the Toros aren’t unreasonably priced. And who knows? Maybe you’ll get caught up in their flavor like Doug Wood was taken with the artwork that inspired them. As for me, I give the Black Pearl Rojo Toro three 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 take on a single cigar.

It has been almost a year since I reviewed this smoke, and thankfully it hasn’t changed much in that time. While not quite as full-bodied as I remembered, the classically-sized toro still has plenty of cedar, leather, clove, and pepper. This makes for an interesting, complex smoke. Despite a burn that at times needs touching up, the physical qualities are above average.

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 take on a single cigar. The following is a Guest Quick Smoke, submitted by a StogieGuys.com reader. If you’d like to submit your own for publication, please contact us.

This Robusto has a beautiful and toothy Honduran habano wrapper. Construction is good and the initial flavors offer up some woodiness and spice. As the smoke progresses, the spice mellows and some creaminess emerges along with a hint of sweetness on the finish. The burn is perfect from start to finish and the flavors are complex. With a price of just over $7, this is definitely worth a try.

Verdict = Buy.

-Submitted by Patrick Mize of Gainesville, FL

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) By an almost party-line vote of 66 to 32, the Senate approved the contentious SCHIP legislation this morning. The large cigar tax cap increased from the House version of 40 cents per stick to 40.26 cents. Obama is expected to sign the final bill into law as early as next week.

2) With its faux typewritten February cover lines addressed to President Obama, Cigar Aficionado garnered some major publicity this week when The New York Times took note. After discussing the magazine’s Cuba coverage, the reporter got in a light-hearted zinger. First she asked executive editor Gordon Mott if he was worried about alienating some readers, then whether he was worried about “boring some readers.” For the record, Mott said he wasn’t.

3) The Dallas City Council’s attempt to prohibit certain stores from selling “loose” cigars hit a snag on Wednesday. The proposed law, allegedly intended to curb drug use, was delayed pending further research.

4) A cigar-friendly brother of the leaf is seeking higher office. Kendrick Meek, a Democratic representative from Miami, has declared his candidacy for the Senate seat now held by retiring Republican Mel Martinez. Meek was featured last year in Cigar Aficionado and was cited by the cigar industry as being helpful in the fight to push down proposed taxes in SCHIP legislation.

5) Inside the Industry: Rocky Patel is releasing a new Nicaraguan puro called the Havana Corojo. Tatuaje will now be distributed by J. Garcia International, headed by the son of Don Pepin Garcia. Many Super Bowl parties in Tampa will be featuring cigars,  including Altadis’ new Trinidad Habana Reserve. A new Toraño Tribute, the first since 2004, is now available at select retailers.

6) Around the Blogs: Doc Stogie has an ambitious petition that urges cigar manufacturers to divulge detailed information about their products. Cigar Inspector is giving away CAO five-packs to comment-happy readers.

7) Deal of the Week: If you like Padilla cigars, then you’ll want to check out this Padilla Limited Batch Sampler. It features 15 sticks for under $4 apiece: 5 top-rated Padilla Miamis, 5 Padilla 1968s, and 5 Padilla Achilles. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: The New York Times

With Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s recent announcement that he plans to start a new business with his family, the Artesano de Miami blend may be his last creation as an employee of the General Cigar Co. We’re sure the famed cigar maker and longtime head of La Gloria Cubana will be missed—especially since his latest concoction is one of his best.

Before it was introduced at the IPCPR Trade Show last July, it allegedly took six years and 50 different blends to complete Artesanos de Miami. Perez-Carrillo then personally selected ten Cuban expatriates to roll the cigar in the El Credito factory in Little Havana, Miami.

His persistence seems to have paid off; for what it’s worth, the blend was honored with the 9th slot in Cigar Aficionado’s Best Cigars of the Year. That ranking, along with a limited production of only 250,000 cigars, is why several retailers are out of stock of the Elegante vitola, CA’s favorite size.

There are four other vitolas in the Artesanos de Miami catalogue, each of which has never been offered by La Gloria Cubana before. With its rustic habano-seed Nicaraguan wrapper and compact format, we were particularly intrigued by the 5 inch by 46 ring gauge Artesanitos.

This blend of an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan longfillers starts with a powerful woodsy spice. After a quarter inch, several of the Artesanitos we sampled followed with a burst of intense bitterness that prevails for two to three minutes. This slight irregularity leads us to believe the cigar has aging potential. Either way, once the bitterness is gone the taste is more balanced with notes of cedar, nut, and spice.

That classic Nicaraguan flavor mellows at the halfway point. It was about here that we agreed the Artesanos de Miami blend is a cigar smoker’s cigar—plenty of nuance and character.

Between the two of us, we burned through almost half a box of Artesanitos for this review. We’re happy to say the combustion qualities are superb and consistent.

At $180 for a box of 25 or $8 for a single, this little darling is no cheap date. As we’ve explained, however, the return on your investment will be substantial—especially in light of Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s imminent departure from General. We give the La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Miami Artesanitos four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A & Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

We’ve written about Paul Garmirian cigars in the past, but the cigar that is the subject of this review can’t be found in even the limited number of stores that carry PGs. As Paul and Kevork Garmirian told us during our video Cigar Insider, they often make specially aged cigars only available in limited quantities at their headquarters in McLean, Virginia.

By providing the same cigar with varying amounts of aging, PG gives smokers the rare opportunity to truly examine to effects of time.  To encourage this, they sell the latest cigars at the same price as the ones that have been aging in their warehouse for years—around $8 in the case of this Gourmet Series No. 2 circa 1992.

The wrapper on this little 4 and 3/4 inch by 48 ring gauge No. 2 is dry to the touch. The color is a medium Colorado brown, covered in plenty of plume from 16 years of box aging.

And it’s important to note that although the cigar was originally boxed in 1992, the tobacco is certainly a few years older than that, especially the wrapper. In our discussion with Garmirian, he repeatedly told us how his philosophy of cigar making was never to rush the process. Even before rolling the tobacco is a few years old.

After lighting, one is greeted with a predominantly cedar flavor mixed with leather and a woody spice. It quickly becomes clear that there is something else going on in this mild-medium smoke. It is a flavor we couldn’t quite put our finger on, but it seems to have some herbal or floral notes.

Construction is superb during this 35-minute smoke with an even burn, easy draw, and—most notably—an abundant amount of smoke. The aroma is especially pleasant. After the midway point, the flavor profile changes slightly and becomes more mellow. The cedary spice fades only to be replaced with more pronounced leather flavors.

Overall, this is an impressive smoke: a balanced, complex, and subtle cigar that serves as a testament to the wonderful effects of aging.  Though it’s unlikely to be an everyday cigar due to price and scarcity, we would certainly suggest picking one up if you are fortunate enough to visit the PG headquarters in the suburbs of our nation’s capital. The PG Gourmet Series No. 2 (1992) earns a rating of four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A & Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys