The Stogie Guys

Since their debut in 2003, Tatuaje cigars have been highly acclaimed. Created by Pete Johnson, then buyer for the exclusive Grand Havana Room in Beverly Hills, Tatuaje was named the most in-demand cigar of 2009 by Cigar Aficionado.

These days, Johnson has expanded his cigar line, and in addition to several Tatuaje blends, he now produces Cabaiguan, La Riqueza, Ambos Mundos, and El Triunfador. He recently spoke with StogieGuys.com about his foray into cigars, the challenges of bringing his cigars to market, what he would do if he had access to Cuban tobacco, and much more:

Stogie Guys: When did you first start smoking cigars? At what point did you know you wanted to make your own cigars?

Pete Johnson: My first, a Hav-a-Tampa at the age of 13, doesn’t really count. I didn’t continue with cigar smoking because I didn’t think that was a good tasting cigar. I had another cigar at the age of 20 and thought it was good, but it was another year before I wanted to explore the cigar world. So right around 1991, the father of the guitar player in my band was a cigar smoker and in 1994 he wanted to invest in me to create a cigar—something I wanted to do but never had the money or the nerve. I went to the DR in 1995 to ask the few people I knew to make the brand. No go. The cigar business was nuts and those people didn’t have the time to make anything original for me. So I waited.

SG: What was the greatest challenge in starting up your manufacturing operation?

PJ: Well, I don’t manufacture anything. I design and create new brands and have a great manufacturer for all my products. I can tell you that to start a new operation, you need money, tobacco, patience, and more money.

SG: What’s your favorite Tatuaje cigar? What are your favorite non-Tatuaje cigars?

PJ:  Just in the original Tatuaje, I would have to say the Havana Cazadores. I have so many brands now and so many line extensions, it is hard to pick just one favorite. I guess the best answer is, depends on my mood and the time of the day. Outside my brand, I tend to smoke a lot of Pepin Garcia-made products and some La Flor Dominicana. I still do smoke a lot of Cuban cigars.

SG:  Two questions we like to ask: First, what is your favorite beverage to pair with a cigar? Second, in your own humidor, do you generally store cigars with the cellophane on or off?

PJ: I like orange soda or Cuban coffee with a cigar. If you haven’t tried orange soda, you are missing out. Cellophane is an odd one, I do both. If the cigar came in cello I leave it that way and I don’t put cello on any non-cello cigars. I did a ton of experimenting when I was younger and ruined many great cigars that I took out of cello.

SG: What are your thoughts on Cuban cigars being produced today? If Cuba opened up today and you could use Cuban leaf to make a new line, would you make a Cuban puro, or would you blend it with non-Cuban tobacco?

PJ: Some Cuban cigars are still wonderful, but I think they are hit and miss at times. I like some of the regional and limited products, but I think where you see more problems is in the regular production cigars. I know if Cuba opened up, I would start with a blend before making a puro. There are growers out there that in my opinion grow and process better leaf than Cuba and I would wait for those people to work some of that land before I would make a puro. A puro, for sure, eventually because the soil and climate in Cuba are so perfect, but now the tobacco processing is crude.

SG: If someone is new to your cigars, which vitola and which blend would you recommend as the best cigar to introduce them to Tatuaje?

PJ: I usually guide people to a robusto or a corona gorda size in any of the lines so a good starter is the Havana VI Noble or the Havana VI Hermoso. Not to strong and not to mild. If they like those, they are going to like many others in the Tatuaje portfolio.

SG: What’s one thing about your cigars that would surprise even the biggest Tatuaje fan?

PJ: I don’t know if this is a OMG one, but when I was a kid I used to repair baseball gloves for a job. Okay ,that’s a boring one. Take two: I know my way around a sewing machine.

Many thanks to Pete for taking the time to answer our questions. For more information, visit the Tatuaje website or follow him on Twitter @TatuajeCigars.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In a week and one day, millions of Americans will head to the polls to vote for the next leader of the free world. Both major candidates are former cigarette smokers: Republican John McCain smoked two packs a day until he quit three decades ago, while Democrat Barack Obama admitted having a cigarette as recently as this summer despite “quitting” early last year.

But being a former smoker (or even a current one) doesn’t make a politician good when it comes to taking positions that affect cigar smokers. Below are four areas where the next president could have a major impact on stogie enthusiasts with a look at the positions held by McCain and Obama in each area.

Tobacco Taxes

Industry insiders say a massive tobacco tax, such as the one proposed in the so-called SCHIP bill, is the most immediate threat to the cigar industry. This year only President Bush’s veto stopped what would have been a 256% increase in cigar taxes, meaning an increase of up to $3 per cigar. Obama clearly favors funding programs with tobacco taxes. He voted for the SCHIP cigar tax increase and has pledged to sign the bill into law. His campaign calls the senator “an ardent supporter of SCHIP.”

McCain’s position on tobacco taxes has been far less clear. He voted against versions of the SCHIP bill with the tobacco tax increase and has criticized the tax, taking the position that “it makes no sense to encourage people to live healthier…while making the government even more dependent on having people smoke.” However, McCain has a long history of advocating for tobacco taxes, specifically on cigarettes. Only a year ago he was quoted as saying, “I still regret we did not succeed” when asked about past efforts to increase cigarette taxes by $1.10 per pack.

Smoking Bans

Smoking bans have traditionally been a matter for state and local governments. Still, a national smoking ban (for so-called “public places” like restarants and bars) remains a possibility.  McCain’s views on this issue are not entirely clear, but he did not join fellow Republican Mike Huckabee in promising to sign a natinoal smoking ban.

Meanwhile, Obama seemed to indicate support for a national smoking ban but seemed to prefer keeping bans a state issue. In a New Hampshire debate, Obama told the audience, “If we can’t provide these kinds of protections at the local level, which would be my preference, I would be supportive of a national law.”

Regulation

As we’ve written before, Food and Drug Administration regulation of tobacco has the potential to be very damaging for cigar smokers. John McCain has been a advocate for regulating tobacco under the FDA since the mid-1990s when he co-sponsored a bill to that effect.  Indeed, the issue has been called “one of the most significant efforts of his congressional career.” In the past year, however, critics of McCain claim he has backed away from that position, despite the fact that he remains a co-sponsor of the FDA bill. The Arizona senator has continued to criticize the portrayal of smoking by Hollywood, perhaps indicating that he still would favor FDA regulation if it didn’t include increased tobacco taxes.

Obama is also a co-sponsor of the bill to regulate tobacco through the FDA. Anti-tobacco advocates say FDA regulation of tobacco is “inevitable” under a McCain or Obama presidency.

Trade

Trade policies might not initially appear to be an area of interest. But since virtually every handmade cigar is either rolled in other countries or rolled in the U.S. with tobacco from foreign countries, reducing barriers to trade is vital to preserve and increase cigar smokers’ access to a wide variety of cigars at reasonable prices. There are two major policies where trade most effects cigar consumers: (1) the Cuban embargo/trade sanctions currently makes some of the world’s highest-regarded cigars illegal for Americans; and (2) the DR-CAFTA free trade agreement eliminates or lowers trade barriers with cigar-producing countries such as the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

McCain has “typically voted in support of sanctions on Cuba” and demanded free elections before the embargo is lifted. Obama seems more open to changing the U.S. policy toward Cuba, “calling for travel and remittance restrictions on Cuban-Americans to be lifted” and expressing that “he would engage in bilateral talks with Cuba to send the message that the United States is willing to normalize relations with Cuba upon evidence of a democratic opening.”

Obama opposes CAFTA and voted against it. On his website, you’ll find an article titled “Why I Oppose CAFTA,” citing labor concerns and the loss of American jobs. McCain voted for CAFTA and consistently supported similar trade agreements.

–Patrick S

photo credit: AGORAVOX

Eddie Ortega founded United Tobacco in 2003 with Erik Espinoza. Also known as EO Brands, the company has created some of our very favorite blends including the 601 Serie Red, 601 Serie Blue, 601 Serie Green, and Cubao. In this latest edition of our Cigar Insider series, Eddie tells Stogie Guys about his start in the industry, his partnership with legendary cigar-maker Don Pepin Garcia, his favorite cigars and drinks, and much more.

Stogie Guys: When did you first start smoking cigars? How did you get into the industry?

Eddie Ortega: I started smoking casually in my late 20s when was married to one of the daughters of Rolando Reyes Sr. Back then, I wasn’t an avid smoker and had little knowledge about the industry. During that time Rolando made Aliados, an awesome cigar, and I fell in love with it. I had a successful computer business in New Jersey but, in 1990, I sold it and moved down to Miami. While working as director of MIS for a company in Miami, my ex-father in law asked me to come work with him, so I did. By this time, it was Puros Indios partly due to legal problems with the Aliados name.

SG: These days you’re probably best known for your collaborations with Don “Pepin” Garcia, particularly the 601 line. Can you tell our readers a little about the cigars you made before those, and the history of EO Brands?

EO: Well, we’ve had kind of a rocky”start in the cigar industry. We initially started out as distributors, but our goal was to one day make and distribute only our own brands. We’ve been kind of fortunate and unfortunate with each new project we’ve launched with the exception of our current brands.

Don’t know if you’ve heard or know about our first brand, “Series X.” This brand was made for us by Oliva. We had great success.

For our next project, we decided to contact Rocky Patel. We had Rocky make two brands for us, REO and VIBE, for the first two years from introduction, we also had great success with these two brands. Unfortunately for us, the consistency of the cigars slowed down the sales at the retail level to such an extent that we decided to make it only in limited production and to a limited number of resellers.

SG: We’ve written about your new Cubao line fairly extensively on StogieGuys.com (and reviewed it very favorably), but can you tell me a little about the Mi Barrio cigar you just released?

EO: We wanted to do something unique with a Habano wrapper Pepin had picked up awhile ago. Gorgeous, but very limited in quantity. We also have a great friend who happens to be an artist, Edin Gutierrez, and not too long ago he had painted some scenes depicting some of the Cuban culture. Being that they compliment each other, we decided to introduce Mi Barrio as a limited edition release by combining this great Habano wrapper and the beautiful scenes depicted by Edin in his paintings.

SG:How is Pepin to work with? Any insight into how he continues to create hit after hit?

EO: Pepin and his family are great, not just as business associates, but also as personal friends. How does he do it? Easy: by being meticulous at what he does best. It’s actually very easy to make one good cigar. The trick is to make millions of cigars while maintaining perfect construction and consistency.

SG: I’ve read you’re partnering with Rocky Patel on a project. Care to reveal any details?

EO: I can’t. He is actually lending me the Aston Martin for the weekend, but asked me to please not tell Nimish or Nish.

SG: Two questions I like to ask everyone: First, what is your favorite beverage to pair with a cigar? Second, in your own humidor, do you generally store cigars with the cellophane on or off?

EO: Tawny Australian Ports, actually. I love ports period. Always, no cellophane.

SG: Do you smoke Cuban cigars with any regularity? What do you think about Cuban cigars being made these days?

EO: Nope, I don’t. Don’t think much of them or the current quality.

SG: Besides your own cigars, what are some of your favorites?

EO: Wow, many. Every time I’m in a store, I always try something new, but I do have certain favorites. I’ll just mention some of the ones I smoke the most. Rocky’s Vintage and Summer Release, Ashton Cabinet series, Alec Bradley Tempus, Pepin’s Cuban Classic line, Pete’s Cabaiguan, and many others.

Many thanks to Eddie Ortega for taking the time to talk to us. For more on EO Brands be sure to visit UnitedTobacco.com.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Over a year ago, one of my colleagues listed three boutique cigar manufacturers in an effort to “discover new sticks and to play at least a small, direct role in supporting the art of cigar making.” Today I’d like to continue that trend because, in my opinion, these smaller-scale operations turn out some terrific smokes for a fraction of name-brand prices.

Now you might be asking what qualifies a cigar producer to be “boutique.” According to a 1999 feature article in Smoke Magazine, boutique cigars are “brands with a production of less than 1.5 million sticks per year.” (That number would likely have to be upped today to adjust for increased overall cigar production.) Others say boutiques simply mean the firm’s stogies are cultivated in small batches with high attention to individual detail.

For our purposes—and because it’s a lot easier than researching production numbers—I’ll adopt a broad definition: Boutique cigar manufacturers are those with a relatively limited output, name recognition, and niche market. In other words, to borrow a metaphor from Smoke Magazine, they are the micro-breweries of the cigar industry. This definition is certainly subjective, so feel free to disagree with my belief that, despite José Oliva’s assertion, his operation is not boutique.

Either way, I don’t want to get all caught up in semantics. Instead, I’d like to share my three favorite boutiques and encourage you to explore their wonderful creations:

Bucanero Cigars. Founded during the mid-90’s cigar boom, this company uses fine tobaccos from 10 different nations to create 18 signature blends. I particularly appreciate the Don Douglas, Treasure, and Cañon lines. “[Bucanero] was, and continues today to be, built around honesty and friendship,” says President Robert Spoden. “We set out slowly to introduce unique blends.”

Cuban Crafters. This selection should come as no surprise. We write about this Maimi-based, Nicaraguan-growing operation so often, in fact, I worry that readers think we’re on their payroll. (We aren’t but, in the interest of full disclosure, we do participate in their affiliate program.) Cuban Crafters makes many of my everyday favorite brands, including Cupido, J.L. Salazar, Don Kiki (Brown and White), La Carolina, and Cameroon. The company’s latest, most premium creation, the Medina 1959 line (full release TBD), is also an up-and-coming winner. “While difficult to find in many cigar retailers,” says National Sales Director Alberto Noguera, “boutique premium brands are something different from the ordinary mass-produced cigars commonly available in most shops. Their flavor and aroma is unmatched.”

Isla de Cuba. I’ve loved everything I’ve tried from Darryl Lieser’s Tampa-based boutique. The two original blends that launched in February—Classic and Aged Maduro—have a simple beauty to them, and Isla’s new Wango Tango and Blend 376 lines are also impressive.

Feel free to use the comments below to share your favorite boutique cigar manufacturers with other StogieGuys.com readers.

–Patrick A

photo credits: Stogie Guys

Back in April I had a rare opportunity to meet up with Tampa Bureau Chief George E in Florida for lunch, drinks, and a few cigars. Naturally, conversation quickly turned to how to improve StogieGuys.com.

We came up with some suggestions and bounced a few ideas around, but it occurred to me the best way to make improvements is to ask our loyal readers. This website, after all, is for you, and we want it to be the best daily resource possible for entertaining and informative material from the world of cigars.

So that you can weigh in, we’ve created this 10 question survey to get your opinion. We’ll be using the results to shape the content and direction of StogieGuys.com in the weeks, months, and years ahead.

As a bonus, we’ll be randomly selecting one reader to receive a free $30 gift certificate from our friends at FumeeWorld.com and every reader who fills out a survey will receive an email with a coupon code for 20 percent off everything at FumeeWorld.com. (Back in January, George E interviewed Fumée President Heather Waebil Haddad.)

Click Here to Take Our Survey and Be Entered to Win a $30 Gift Certificate for FuméeWorld.com.

Thanks in advance for your participation.

If you would like to elaborate on your answers or suggest improvements outside the realm of the questions in the survey, please feel free to leave a comment. For instance, I would be thrilled if you would share what one improvement you would make if you were the StogieGuys.com editor.

Thank you for your constructive criticism and feedback. We value your continuing readership, and we promise to continue working hard to make StogieGuys.com a great resource for all cigar smokers.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

From April 20, 2008, to January 4, 2009, StogieGuys.com was featured on the Livin Large with Geoff Pinkus Radio Show to talk cigars. The show aired 5-7 pm Central on 560 AM WIND in Chicago.

Geoff’s show is about the good life: cigars, cars, spirits, restaurants, music, sports, hot chicks, guns, bikes, fishing, and more. Check out the following segments featuring the Stogie Guys:

Jan. 4 — Patrick A talks about smoking cigars in Tokyo.

Dec. 28 — Patrick S talks about a great cigar-pairing spirit.

Dec. 21 — Patrick S discusses the influence of Cigar Aficionado.

Dec. 14 — Patrick A talks about the worst cigar city in America.

Dec. 7 — Patrick A reviews the new Cupido Tuxedo from Cuban Crafters.

Nov. 30 — Patrick S reviews a new Arganese and comments on mini cigars.

Nov. 16 — Patrick A encourages you to attend local cigar events.

Nov. 9 — Patrick S reviews a Rocky Patel and the new Cohiba Puro Dominicana.

Nov. 2 — Patrick S analyzes the cigar issues at stake in the election.

Oct. 26 — Patrick A wants to help you win the war on mold.

Oct. 19 — Patrick A explains why you need to smoke slowly.

Oct. 12 — Patrick S reviews the Davidoff Aniversario and Montecristo Afrique.

Oct. 5 — Patrick S runs down the newest cigars to hit the market.

Sep. 26 — Patrick A justifies buying cigars in tough economic times.

Sep. 21 — Patrick A provides a few tips for new cigar smokers.

Sep. 14 — Patrick S talks about the newest offering from Macanudo.

Sep. 7 — Patrick A reviews the new EO Cubao No. 4.

Aug. 31 — Patrick S comments on the hype over Cuban cigars.

Aug. 24 — Patrick A interviews Alberto Noguera from Pinkus’ Chicago studio.

Aug. 17 — Patrick A describes a proper cut and reviews the new Arganese ML3.

Aug. 10 — Patrick S previews the Rocky Patel Summer 2008 seasonal cigar.

Aug. 3 — Patrick A speaks about the latest front in the war on smokers.

Jul. 27 — Jon N fills in and talks cigar smoking and relationships.

Jul. 20 — Patrick S relives his Las Vegas experience.

Jul. 13 — Patrick A gets introduced to Doublegun Cigars.

Jul. 6 — Patrick S previews the IPCPR Trade Show.

Jun. 29 — Patrick S runs down all the new cigar associations.

Jun. 22 — Patrick A discusses the need for simple and inexpensive cigars.

Jun. 15 — Patrick A talks about lighting and holding a cigar.

Jun. 8 — Patrick S gives some tips on golf and cigars.

Jun. 1 — Patrick S runs into some technical difficulties.

May 25 — Patrick A introduces Cuban Crafters and reviews the Bolivar Toro.

May 18 — Patrick S discusses how to take care of cigars in the summer.

May 11 — Patrick A talks about the hypocrisy of smoking bans.

May 4 — Patrick A plays the straight man while Pinkus loses it.

Apr. 27 — Patrick S reviews the Stradivarius Robusto Major.

Apr. 20 — Patrick A and Patrick S introduce StogieGuys.com.

I am proud to report that today’s article is a very special one here at StogieGuys.com. Tim Ozgener, president of CAO Cigars, has graciously donated his time to answer my questions for the latest edition of our Cigar Insider series.

As the purveyor of such notable lines as America, Black, Brazilia, and Criollo, Tim likely needs no introduction. But I will say this: I met him at last year’s Big Smoke Las Vegas (pictured below), and I was pleased to see him right in the thick of things, mingling with fans and lighting their CAO samples. In the following exchange, which occurred via email, I ask Tim about his favorite cigar, CAO’s biggest challenge, and much more.

Stogie Guys: Can you pick a favorite CAO cigar, or is that like asking a father to pick a favorite son? What’s your favorite non-CAO stick?

Tim Ozgener: Choosing one CAO over all of the others is, in fact, quite like asking a father to pick a favorite child. That said, a lot just depends upon my given mood at the time I select a cigar or the time of day I’m smoking. For example, this morning I reached for a CAO Gold Lonsdale because I wanted a nice, smooth, buttery cigar to accompany my morning coffee. Later in the afternoon I might go for something with more body and spice like a CAO Sopranos or CAO Vision. As far as the non-CAO choice goes, I don’t really have a “favorite,” per se. I do believe in smoking other brands and often times do; to not be aware of what the market is doing is a mistake. But the honest truth is that, to me, one brand doesn’t really stand out to me as a “favorite non-CAO.”

SG: With two contrasting wrappers, was it difficult to blend America, the newest CAO line?

TO: America was very difficult to blend, actually. I spent a good deal of time at the factory working to get that blend to where I wanted it to be. Sometimes, you’re fortunate and nail the desired flavor profile within the first three or four samples, but America took a good deal of “tweaking” and adjustments to get it just right.

SG: Do you think today’s barber pole phenomenon is just an industry fad, or is it a sincere attempt to uncover new flavor combinations?

TO: A “barber pole” style of cigars is nothing really new and, in fact, has been around for years and years. In the case of CAO, we don’t perceive the barber pole as a fad in the least. America is a great example of how two wrappers can yield an incredibly unique but flavorful blend that you just wouldn’t be able to duplicate without that second contrasting wrapper leaf.

SG: What new lines can we expect from CAO down the road?

TO: We’re working on several new items and developing various new blends that we plan on bringing to market this summer at the IPCPR trade show in July; however, I can’t really divulge anything at this moment.

SG: In the near future, what is the greatest challenge facing CAO? The cigar industry in general?

TO: I think the greatest challenge for us is and always has been to create new brands and blends that will not only bring something unique to the market but that don’t compete with any of our existing lines, as well. As far as the greatest challenge to the industry as a whole goes, I would definitely put legislation towards the top of that list. With so much anti-smoking legislation going on, and with movements such as SCHIP, it’s an ongoing struggle for today’s cigar smoker to make their voices heard and stand up for one’s individual rights to continue to enjoy a premium cigar.

SG: How has Henri Wintermans’ acquisition of CAO changed your business?

TO: ST Cigar Group’s acquisition of CAO hasn’t really changed our business a great deal. There has been an element of greater corporate structure, reporting, and accountability, but that was a direction we were headed in prior to the acquisition anyway.

SG: What one fact about CAO do you wish more aficionados were aware of?

TO: I would want aficionados to have a better understanding of exactly how much time, effort, and labor really does go into producing a cigar. I think that often times there’s a real lack of respect for the product, but once you’ve actually been down at the factory level and you witness firsthand how much time and labor goes into each step of the process – from planting to harvesting to fermentation to curing to sorting to bunching, rolling, ageing, etc. – you acquire a whole new level of respect for the product that I think too many “aficionados” often take for granted.

Many thanks to Tim Ozgener for taking the time to speak with us. For more information and to find a CAO retailer near you, please visit www.CAOCigars.com.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys