The Stogie Guys

Don’t be too quick to clip and light this Cameroon-wrapped cigar. If you do, you’ll miss the chance to enjoy its delicious, mouth-watering pre-light aroma. It’s a great start for a fine cigar.

While much of the cigar industry often seems focused on producing limited edition sticks at higher and higher prices, Oliva continues to offer cigars that are not just easy on the wallet, but excellent in quality regardless of price. If you are a Cameroon fan, as I am, it’s hard to believe that you can buy this six inch by 50 ring gauge smoke for around $3.25.

After that wonderful aroma, the initial taste is smooth and a little spicy. That quickly settles down and the creamy smoke becomes toasty and almost buttery. About halfway down, a little leather and cocoa waft in and out. The smoke is plentiful. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better complement to a cup of coffee.

In addition to the African Cameroon wrapper, this Toro features a Cuban-seed Habano binder and a Nicaraguan Habano filler – just like the “Special” vitola. Construction is excellent. I wasn’t surprised when the delicate wrapper developed a couple of small splits, but I was pleased that the burn went past them without a problem.

With a tobacco history going back more than 120 years in Cuba, the Oliva family is proud of their heritage and the cigars they make. Last year, Cigar Aficionado (which consistently praises Oliva) reported that the company makes about 5.5 million Oliva cigars annually at its Estelí factory. I’d recommend they crank out a few more of these wonderful Cameroons.

I give the Oliva Serie G Cameroon Toro four and ½ out of five stogies.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

When I named the EO 601 Serie “Green” one of my Gold Star Smokes back in December, I wasn’t exactly going out on a limb. Since it was introduced at last year’s RTDA trade show, the cigar community has widely embraced it as an outstanding, full-bodied powerhouse, and I haven’t met many who disagree.

But the oscuro Green can be a bit overwhelming, even for some seasoned cigar veterans. If you fall into this category, I would highly recommend trying the 601 Serie “Blue,” the second strongest in Erik Espinoza and Eddie Ortega’s popular Pepin-blended line of Nicaraguans.

With an oily, practically vein-free Habano maduro wrapper, the Blue is Pepin’s first box press and also his first maduro. Like the Green, it isn’t hard to find praise on the web or elsewhere for this Estelí-made cigar.

The Toro measures a hearty six and ¼ inches with a 52 ring gauge and sells in the $7.40 to $8.50 range. Without its flashy, detailed band, it bears a striking resemblance to an RP Vintage ’90 of the same size.

The smoke starts with Pepin’s signature burst of pepper followed by savory dark chocolate notes. A natural sweetness is present, along with a taste akin to roasted nuts – not dissimilar to the Green.

The Blue, however, isn’t nearly as strong. You’ll find lots of well-balanced flavor, but little of that “Whoa, I need to sit down” feeling. The rich, bountiful tastes remain fairly consistent through the second third, and the finish sees a small increase in bitterness.

Of the six Toros I smoked for this review, half required some touch-ups to keep the burn even and half did just fine on their own. All sported a firm ash and a clear draw throughout the 70- to 90-minute smoke.

All things considered, I am once again impressed with the performance from United Tobacco’s 601 line. I hesitate to chalk up the Blue as an instant classic, but it is no doubt an excellent alternative for smokers who need something stronger than the Red but lighter than the Green. I give the EO 601 Serie “Blue” Toro four out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

If you’re on any cigar mailing lists, or receive any catalogs, you’ve no doubt heard the story: A master tobacco blender discovers a cache of leaves hidden in a dusty corner of his factory. Curious about this long-lost supply, he rolls some of it up and – surprise, surprise – decides that it’s basically the greatest thing he’s ever tasted.

Of all the silly narratives trotted out to hawk new cigar lines, this one seems to be popping up most frequently. If we are to believe it, then given the sheer number of “discoveries” made each month, cigar factories must be pretty shoddy operations – full of missing tobacco, abandoned buildings, and mismanaged supply chains.

It’s time to call BS on this myth. First of all, conditions in most cigar factories are heavily micromanaged. The idea that any supply of expensive, premium leaf – let alone enough to make 100,000 or more cigars – would go missing for a significant period of time is ludicrous. Second, methods for aging cigars are tightly monitored and rigorously controlled. If untouched, unsorted leaf in derelict shacks really matured better than tobacco under the normal aging process, what would be the point of that process? You get the idea. Placing this urban legend under even the slightest bit of scrutiny reveals its glaring implausibility.

What lesson can we learn from decoding the “treasure trove” myth and others like it? Quite simply, we realize that hype should not dictate our cigar purchases. Hype makes for some great reading material, but it should never inform significant investments in an already pricey hobby. Instead, we should buy cigars because we’ve done our homework. We’ve read reviews, scoured the message boards, boned up on the blogs, and solicited opinions from fellow enthusiasts.

Colorful ads are a sexy and enduring legacy of cigar culture. They will always be around, and we can always get a kick out of them. But we would do well to keep them in perspective – and so would our wallets. Until the day we happen upon a missing pile of perfectly aged, hand-rolled greenbacks in our basements, that is.

–Jon N

photo credit: Flickr

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.

Previewed at the 2007 RTDA Convention and released this month, the Camacho 10th Anniversary held the promise of continuing the brand’s revitalization – and it delivers. This line is characterized by all the flavor and complexity of the Corojo Diploma line, but delivered in a medium-bodied blend that is much more approachable for the average smoker. Most interesting is the Torpedo (6.125″ x 54). This beautiful box-pressed vitolla has a great balance in filler vs. wrapper contribution. Its thin wrapper pays off in aroma and in the consistency of the burn. One of the few cigars on the market well worth the $12.25 price tag.

Verdict = Buy.

-Submitted by Skip Martin, Hava Cigar Shop and Lounge, Galveston, TX

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

This Don Pepin production got a cosmetic makeover last year, apparently an effort to boost the line’s profile. I’m not sure that helped but – judged on its own merits – Vegas Cubanas is a good cigar. The Invictos is a five inch by 50 ring gauge robusto with a lovely Habano Rosado Claro wrapper and a blend that includes Cuban seed Corojo 99 and other Nicaraguan tobaccos. It is lighter than most of Pepin blends, though it begins with his typical pepper. That fades at the halfway point, replaced by a woody flavor. Unlike many of Pepin’s sticks, this one burned just fine. At $6, it’s worth a try.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and reader-friendly as possible, each Friday we’ll post a selection of quick cigar news and stogie-related snippets. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) With the Iraq War entering its sixth year this week, now is another great time for cigar enthusiasts to think about sending a few spare sticks to the soldiers in the Middle East. One law enforcement official is doing his part: Instead of destroying seized counterfeit Cubans, as is protocol, a Michigan sheriff has decided to send them to overseas troops. A local shipping company has graciously offered its services to safely deliver the goods.

2) Jameson Cigar Co., a new operation, is introducing itself with a sweet deal: two cigars and a T-shirt for just the cost of shipping ($6). You can sign up for the offer here.

3) Around the Blogs: Cigar Jack reminds us to accept no ashtray substitutes. Cigar Inspector lights up an Opus X Robusto. Keepers of the Flame provides an aging report on the Camacho Havana Monarca. Cigar Monkey tries the Emilio Reyes Gold.

4) Deal of the Week: Spring is here and that means one thing: golf season. This Golf Sampler includes two cigars each from Padrón, Hoyo de Monterrey, H. Upmann, and three other brands. You also get a lighter, cutter, and some golf tees. Get yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

As the weather warms and that winter chill gives way to a cool evening breeze, many cigar enthusiasts start opting for longer, bigger cigars in lieu shorter sticks. So when better to review the six and ¾ inch by 50 ring gauge Arturo Fuente Double Chateau Sun Grown than the first day of spring?

This large, silky smoke comes wrapped in a cedar sleeve from foot to band. The sleeve slides off easily to reveal a neat Ecuadorian wrapper and a dark, sweet aroma that is characteristic of sungrown tobacco – no surprise thanks to Fuente’s signature black ribbon. You can buy a box of 20 Double Chateaus from CigarsDirect.com for $103.40 ($5.17 apiece).

After clipping the uniquely large cap and toasting the foot, the initial flavor is a tad salty, but evens out with some toffee undertones. Sweetened coffee rounds out the finish into the second third and, if you’re really paying attention, you might pick up on some citrus.

Spicy peppercorn, syrupy tobacco, and cedar tastes dominate down the stretch with a little bitterness coming into play at the very end. All in all, this cigar’s Dominican binder and filler tobaccos nicely complement the sungrown wrapper – a pleasant pairing that produces volumes of thin, flavorful smoke.

The burn performs well during the 90-120 minute smoke, but a few Double Chateaus required touch-ups in breezy conditions. The draw is just about right, if not slightly firm.
And the ash holds as well as you would expect from a Fuente.

Overall, this is an impressive mild- to medium-bodied cigar with a lot of interesting flavor to offer at a reasonable price. It is well-balanced, smooth, relaxing, and satisfying.

Sungrown enthusiasts who require long breaks would do well to work this into their regular rotation. We give the Arturo Fuente Double Chateau Sun Grown four out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. Cigars for this review were provided by CigarsDirect.com, and can be purchased here.]

–Patrick A & George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys