The Stogie Guys

Rum and cigars go remarkably well together, sharing complementary flavor profiles and a similarly tropical heritage. This is no secret to anyone remotely familiar with cigars or spirits. So what new light, if any, can be shed on cigar and rum pairings?

Plenty. In fact, I would argue that simply matching a random stogie to a random glass of liquor is doing a grave disservice to both. Care and attention must be paid to selecting a rum that accentuates a cigar’s flavors without overwhelming them.

Perhaps the right rum adds spice where there is little, or adds a touch of sweetness where there is spice (see El Dorado). Either way, you don’t want the match to be too on-the-nose.  The perfect rum for a given cigar will both round out existing flavors and, within reason, hint at new flavors that could not be uncovered without the drink. Like the combination of beans and rice, the marriage of cigar and rum conjures flavors and textures neither product could produce on its own.

Flor de Caña is one of my favorites: a premium Nicaraguan rum sold at upscale supermarkets, served at cigar bars, and probably available online from specialty retailers. In particular, Centenario is well worth the $25-30 or so that you’ll pay for a 750ml bottle. This is a 12-year-old sipping rum, to be enjoyed straight or on the rocks – but never muddied with a mixer.

The Centenario has the medium caramel coloring and peaty aroma of a single-malt Scotch – quite unusual for a rum of any variety. Like a good Scotch, it too must be given some time to “open up” or air out after the first pour. It can be quite strong when fresh out of the bottle, and I find that a few minutes of airing, and perhaps a dash of cold water, will help unlock the complexities of the liquor and mellow out its bite.

Once sufficiently “opened,” the rum still maintains its peaty strength, but will reveal hints of citrus, hazelnut, vanilla, and spice. This is not a sweet rum by any means, and as such I would not recommend pairing it with a light-bodied or overly mellow cigar. At the same time, the flavors of the rum might be cancelled out by a strong or spicy stogie. I would recommend pairing the Centenario with anything from the Fuente Hemingway line, perhaps a Rocky Patel ’92, or especially an Oliva Serie O – the latter being a Nicaraguan puro to match this Nicaraguan rum in character and in flavor.

–Jon N

photo credit: Stogie Guys

As a coffee lover, it’s only natural that I gravitate toward maduro cigars. The dark, rich, earthy tones of a good maduro pair perfectly with a steaming cup of black coffee (or a nice glass of rum, depending upon the time of day).

Recently I found myself searching for the perfect accompaniment to several pounds of ludicrously expensive and rare Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans I’d been given by an old friend. Coffee aficionados will know instantly, at the mere mention of the Jamaican Blue Mountain appellation, that these are no ordinary coffee beans. And they demand no ordinary smoke to match them.

Ordinarily, I stock my humidor with plenty of 5 Vegas Series A’s. Inexpensive, yet phenomenal, they’ve been my everyday smoke for many months now. But for this special occasion, I decided to be a bit more adventurous, and I splurged on some Montecristo Media Noche No. 2s. At roughly $15 per stick, or $230 for a box, the No. 2 is not the kind of cigar I should have bought on impulse. For many of us, that’s quite a hefty price to pay on a whim – especially for Montecristo’s first foray into maduro territory. For all I knew, they might have screwed this one up.

A quick physical assay of the cigar in question, however, put my fears to rest. Dark, oily, and impeccably wrapped, the Media Noche is quite the show pony. Had Plato smoked cigars, he might have considered this handsome torpedo the archetypal image of ‘cigar-ness.’ To take this stogie in hand is to see and smell the luxury of well-oiled leather. The pre-light aroma gave off deep and striking notes of espresso, leather, and earth. I couldn’t wait to light up this impressively sized, 6.1 inch by 54 ring gauge beauty and find out if my senses weren’t deceiving me.

I wasn’t dreaming. The cigar lit beautifully and maintained a very firm, but manageable draw. The burn was even throughout, producing a light gray ash that contrasted beautifully with the darkness of the Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper. For such a powerful-looking cigar, the Media Noche began with a whisper: a rich, peppery, but decidedly mellow flavor, slowly building up as the smoke progressed. This richness gave way to notes of vanilla and even cream as the cigar reached its final third – a delicate landing after a smooth takeoff and enjoyable flight.

I give this fine cigar a near-perfect four and 1/2 out of five stogies.

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

–Jon N

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The big event that we had been writing about and planning for over a month finally went down yesterday at Carpool in Arlington, Virginia. And I am happy to report that the DC Stogie Guys Cigar Smoke Out was a huge success.

While we had hosted a few of these events in the past, yesterday’s Smoke Out was particularly fun because our friends at Cuban Crafters generously provided free cutters and cigars from their Cameroon line for all attendees. Based on what I overheard, I think it’s safe to say everyone enjoyed the sticks, which boast mild, woody notes and a typical Cameroon sweetness.

But Cuban Crafters’ generosity didn’t end there. They also provided a three-finger black leather cigar case, a stainless steel cutter, a marble ashtray, and a 100-count humidor for us to give away in a free raffle. Stewart Cumbo, seen below, took home the grand prize.

Thank you once again to Cuban Crafters for making the event possible, and thank you to everyone who joined us for a great afternoon of cigars and camaraderie. We look forward to seeing you again soon!

–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.

Big, black, and bold, this five and ½ inch by 60 ring gauge Bucanero behemoth packs rich, textured flavors of dark chocolate and burning timber. The Nicaraguan, Honduran, Italian, and Costa Rican blend is full-bodied and well-balanced. With decent construction – including a fairly even burn for its large girth – I can recommend this at $7 a pop.

Verdict = Buy.

–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 was last year’s addition to the mild Toraño line, said to have begun life as the house blend for the family’s Central American operations. The six and ¼ inch by 50 ring gauge Toro has a pretty wrapper – which I believe is a Connecticut Broadleaf grown in Ecuador – and excellent construction. But the flavor is just so-so. A thick, woody taste predominates, punctuated by a bitterness that’s biting rather than intriguing. There’s a little of the warm, dark coffee or cocoa flavor that’s often associated with maduro wrappers, but I wondered if these cigars might develop better with a few years of aging.

Verdict = Hold.

–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) Last call for our DC Stogie Guys Smoke Out, which is only two days away. We’ll be at Carpool in Ballston, VA on Sunday, March 9 starting at 4pm enjoying fantastic free cigars provided by Cuban Crafters. We’ve also got some prizes (including a humidor) to raffle away. Please RSVP here.

2) New Hampshire has been living under a government-imposed smoking ban for bars and restaurants since last year and, not surprisingly, cigar bars have been suffering. A new bill granting exemptions from the ban is hardly reason to celebrate, though, especially since the same legislature is considering a destructive 60% tax on cigar inventories.

3) High-end smokers should check out the March 24 annual release party for the Avo Limited Edition (called the Tesoro this year). For $300 you’ll get to enjoy dinner, drinks, and Avo cigars at Rothmann’s Steakhouse in Manhattan. Musician and cigar maestro Avo Uvezian, the brand’s namesake, will be on hand.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews a CAO VR Black. Cigar Inspector inspects a Padrón 2000. Cigar Monkey smokes a CAO Gold Maduro. Cigar Jack lights up an EO 601 Black.

5) Deal of the Week: Once again Tinderbox.com has a great sampler for Don Pepin lovers: “Don Pepin’s Rare Knockout Punch.” This 12-cigar sampler includes five cigars by the Cuban master-roller, including four Black labels and one 601 Green, all for just $49.99. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: DavidoffMadison.com

We are pleased to announce an important addition to our StogieGuys.com team. Effective immediately, Jon N will join the StogieGuys.com staff as our Los Angeles Bureau Chief – strengthening our reporting from America’s West Coast.

Despite being 28, Jon smoked his first cigar 15 years ago (do the math) in Las Vegas, as his new bio explains:

Jon Nathanson introduced himself to cigars at the tender of age of 13, when he and some of his enterprising friends procured a fake ID and purchased a box of hand-rolled stogies at a smoke shop on the Las Vegas Strip. Having no clue how to smoke a cigar didn’t deter Jon, and he inhaled a couple of premium sticks. His juvenile curiosity was rewarded with a severe headache, nausea, and a vow not to smoke again for as long as he lived.

Never a man of his word, Jon took up smoking cigars many years later at the age of 25. Since then, he has learned to treat the hobby with the respect, appreciation, and determination it deserves. Now, at 28, Jon considers himself an ardent enthusiast, if not quite a seasoned expert. His personal knowledge of cigars, the cigar lifestyle, and the history of the industry is still a work in progress – but he is learning a great deal more each day.

Jon holds a BA in English and American Studies from Yale University, and he is planning to attend business school in the fall of 2008. He has been working for over five years in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, the city where he was born and raised. When not working hard, or hardly working, Jon enjoys writing, running, fishing, pleasantly inept karaoke, and leisurely smokes on the beach in Malibu (where he is very careful not to start fires).

Jon’s enormous, garish, White House-shaped humidor is the envy of no one in particular. Nevertheless, it is always well stocked with a diverse array of cigars from around the world. Jon’s personal favorites include the Arturo Fuente Hemingway line, the Rocky Patel Vintage series, and most full-bodied maduros.

Jon’s addition to the StogieGuys.com staff will diversify our perspective on reviews, news, commentaries, and tips from the world of cigars. We hope you are as excited to welcome Jon as we are, and we know you will enjoy reading his well-written prose.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys