The 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.

Last year we gave El Tiante’s original lines—the Natural and the Maduro—high marks. Now I turn to the latest line, the Corojo which was released at the recent IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas. The oily corojo wrapper is similar in color to the Maduro, and I found much of the same fruit and cedar flavors that I’ve noticed from other El Tiante creations, only with some classic corojo spiciness. While it is the spiciest, most full-flavored El Tiante yet, it still slotted in as a medium- to full-flavored smoke. Construction was flawless with an easy draw, even burn, and sturdy ash.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

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

About a year and a half ago, my colleagues reviewed this Thompson house brand and said you could do worse choosing a “satisfactory, golf course-grade” smoke. I’ve smoked a couple Robustos (5 x 50) and agree. They aren’t going to win any beauty contests or raves for complexity, but they also aren’t harsh and don’t taste of poorly cured tobacco. They may even have a little bit of the distinctive Corojo taste. And there’s one incredible price tag: $24.95 for a bundle of 25 in any of five sizes. If you’re looking for a stick to pass around to friends who smoke only when they’re with you, this could be it. Just remove the foil bands first.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

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 snippets of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Baseball’s postseason is finally here, and Cigar Aficionado has once again compiled a list of the best places to smoke in MLB’s contending towns—Anaheim, Boston, Chicago (both sides), Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Tampa.

2) A Phoenix cigar shop called Magnum’s won a significant ruling on Tuesday against the Arizona Department of Health Services. The bureaucracy claimed the B&M did not qualify for an exemption from the state’s smoking ban because it serves alcohol. But appellate judges disagreed, possibly paving the way for more cigar shop/bar combos in the Grand Canyon State.

3) Inside the Industry: La Strada Ristorante in suburban Chicago is hosting a Stogies & Bogies “preview party and cigar-friendly awareness event” on October 7 with radio personality Geoff Pinkus. La Flor Dominicana is releasing its Factory Press III (6.25 x 58) with a sharp box press.

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Jack smokes the Isla de Cuba Aged Maduro. Keepers of the Flame lights up the Fundación Ancestral Vuelta Abajo 1940. Stogie Review reviews a Montecristo Vino. Cigar Spy investigates the Nub Connecticut.

5) Deal of the Week: We recently came across this offer while listening to the radio. For just $9.95 (including shipping) you get to three Montecristo Classics. Visit MontecristoRadio.com to take advantage of the offer.

– The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys/MLB

At the 2008 IPCPR cigar trade show, General Cigars released a host of new lines. Overshadowed by the higher profile releases of the Cohiba Puro Domincana, Macanudo 1968, and La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Miami, the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Legend was released to be a newer, bolder Hoyo.

The Excalibur Legend features the same Connecticut grown Havana wrapper that is featured on the Hoyo de Monterrey Dark Knight. The filler features Nicaraguan tobacco from both the mainland and the same volcanic island of Ometepe (the same as is used in the Macanudo 1968), blended with ligero tobacco from the Dominican Republic.

The wrapper is shiny and oily with some prominent veins and a lush Colorado brown color. Prelight earth and hints of pepper are apparent from the firm cigar. The band looks similar to the original Hoyo de Monterray Excalibur line, but with a regal red color below the gold band.

Once lit, I found a medium- to full-bodied cigar with cool smoke. It had a charred meaty flavor with black pepper initially, then evolved to earth and paper while the pepper still persisted. A slight bitter aftertaste comes and goes throughout.

The construction on this five and 1/4 inch by 50 ring gauge robusto was impressive. The draw was deliberate and firm, but not difficult. The burn was even, with a shiny black line leading the way for a sturdy ash.

For around $7 per stick, this cigar has impressive qualities, even if it’s a bit on the pricey side. While not overly complex, it fulfills its goal of recreating the Hoyo Excalibur with a slightly fuller flavor. The paper flavor is particularly reminiscent of the original Excalibur line.

In the end, the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Legend Challenger earns three and 1/2 out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Ever since I moved to Chicago, certain things in my life have been quite unpredictable. Take the weather, for instance. One week it’s hot and muggy; the next it’s pouring rain and…still hot and muggy. Now things are starting to cool down, which is nice—but it’s like the calm before the storm. I know the worst is ahead of me, and I’m bracing for winter’s impact in the naïve, foolishly self-assured way that only a spoiled California boy can.

In these times of peril, I turn to the few things I know will always be constant. One of those things is beer. I don’t care if it’s hot, cold, wet, or dry outside, beer is always seasonally appropriate. And so, I figure, what better way to greet my first fall and winter in the Midwest than to sample some of the local brew?

Goose Island Harvest Ale is an autumn-appropriate microbrew from Chicago-based craft brewery Goose Island. I’ll admit to never having heard of Goose Island before my arrival here. But that’s changed very quickly. This brand comes highly recommended from friends in the area, and it’s easy to see why: Goose Island Harvest Ale is a complex, but unpretentious beer that’s an obvious cut above the usual suspects on tap at your local bar.

This deep copper ale poured cleanly and smoothly into my ceremonial Guinness pint glass, leaving a creamy, inch-and-a-half-thick head with lots of lacing around the rim. The nose is mostly floral, with pronounced but pleasant notes of grapefruit and hops. There’s lots of citrus—particularly grapefruit, but some orange peel is also detectable—in the flavor profile, rounded out with hoppy bitterness and a sweet, malty finish.

Admittedly, I haven’t had the occasion to pair this beer with a decent smoke just yet. But when I do, I think it’ll go nicely with a mild to medium-bodied cigar—nothing too bold, but something that will stand up to the big flavors the drink brings to the table. I look forward to experimenting with pairings in the cold, bitter weeks to come.

–Jon N

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The name for this cigar line, says company chief Darryl Lieser, “was conceived as something that was fun, edgy, and reminiscent of the good times we had when we were in high school and college.” And this vitola—aptly named at 6.5 inches in length with a ring gauge of 54—would undoubtedly last a long way into a Friday night fraternity party.

It’s one of two new blends from Isla de Cuba, though unlike the Blend 376, the simple silver Wango Tango band carries nothing to identify it with the company. One promotion to introduce it for the October rollout, according to Lieser, will be a four-pack sampler with all three lines that sells for under $10.

Lieser, whose initial Isla de Cuba was inspired by a pre-revolution Cuban Montecristo No. 3, said he was trying to achieve a medium- to full-bodied smoke with the Wango Tango. (The Tampa-based manufacturer launched in February with Classic and Aged Maduro blends.)

“It was inspired by the unique blending process of super-premium distilled spirits, by using the finest, small batch tobacco harvests available,” Lieser wrote in an email. While the wrapper and binder are Connecticut broadleaf, the company identifies the filler only as a proprietary blend from four countries. In addition to the Biggie, which lists for $6.95, Wango Tango comes in one longer and two shorter sizes that range in price from $5.95 to $7.25.

I found the construction to be excellent, with an interesting white ash and a good burn. That last point is important with a cigar this large because it lasts so long you’re almost certain to have to set it down a few times for one reason or another.

The most prominent taste was leather, with a little sweetness edging in at about the halfway point. Strength increased a bit in the final third, and I found that to be the most enjoyable part of the cigar. As with most large cigars I’ve smoked, it was a little difficult to stay interested from start to finish. Ultimately, though, the Wango Tango Biggie earns a solid rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Call it quality or call it hype, but I’m never surprised when I see Cubans rated highly in mainstream cigar publications. I think the greater stogie community, however, was caught off guard when a Bolivar—not considered one of Habanos SA’s flagship brands—was named Cigar of the Year by Cigar Aficionado in 2006.

The four and 7/8 inch by 50 ring gauge Royal Corona earned that title, along with a rating of 94, for its “sophisticated flavor bomb of smoke with an array of rich character, including touches of chocolate, coffee, and leather.” You can watch Gordon Mott and James Suckling of CA profess their admiration in this video.

Produced at the H. Upmann factory in relatively limited quantities (only 300,000 were made in 2006), this cigar has been hailed as symbolic of Cuba’s return to glory and reminiscent of Habanos from the golden ’80s and ’90s. Textured, clean, and firm, a slight box press and a beautifully adhered flat cap add to its character and mystique.

I’ve had the good fortune to smoke six Royal Coronas over the past few months, and I’m happy to report all the accolades and rave reviews are well deserved. This is simply one of the most satisfying cigars around, and the price—about $10 for a single or $215 for a box of 25—is very fair for the tremendous, full-bodied experience.

If the radiant prelight aromas of nuts and milk chocolate don’t make you salivate, toasting the foot certainly will. From there, you’ll find a dry, woody spice with hints of cocoa sweetness. Other tastes also pop in and out, including leather, coffee, and plenty of floral notes.

Aside from being extremely well-balanced and complex, this exquisite smoke doesn’t fall into the same construction traps with which many of its Cuban cousins grapple. The ash holds well, the draw is clear and deliberate, and the burn, albeit imperfect, self-corrects its own missteps. Expect the slow smoke time to be closer to a toro than a robusto.

Awards and ratings aside, this is the sort of creation that makes me proud to be a cigar enthusiast. I’m simply infatuated with the Bolivar Royal Corona, and I have no qualms about adding a rating of five out of five stogies to its growing trophy case.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys